I did it! I took the jump and my business, Fun Car Tattoos, now has a page on FaceBook! It was easy and fun! Now, I just have to figure out how to get fans to visit my page. (That's a hint... For anyone reading my blog, check out my cute car magnets on Facebook at Fun Car Tattoos and become a fan!)
Why did I make a page for my business on Facebook? Well, I wanted more exposure for my business. At the same time, I didn't want to be constantly sending out messages regarding my business, Fun Car Tattoos, to my friends on Facebook. (I figure I send them enough pictures of my dog Yori as it is!) So... I figured, if they want to be a fan of my business, great. If not, no problem.
Should you use Facebook for your small business? I think so and... so does Mari Smith, an Internet Marketing Consultant and Facebook Business Coach. Here's her 10 Reasons to Use Facebook for your Business:
Social networking websites, especially Facebook, have significant
implications for business owners, marketers, and entrepreneurs. To keep
your business current, you should at least be familiar with the latest
conversational marketing techniques and viral technologies, including
Facebook and its array of powerful features.
Here are ten reasons to be active on Facebook:
1. Meet your peers.
Facebook is not just for college kids anymore. Members are typically
older and more mature than on other sites, and there are more white
collar users.
2. Find business contacts. With
more than 65 million active users, and predicted to be 200 million by
the end of 2008, not only are your friends on Facebook, so are your
prospects, your customers, your JV partners… and, of course, your
competitors. You need to be on too.
3. Instant gate opener.
Facebook members are open to connecting. You can easily begin a dialog
with highly successful—even famous—people who were previously otherwise
unreachable.
4. Build relationships. By engaging
in conversations with your prospects and customers, you can better
adapt your marketing and business services to meet their needs.
5. Raise visibility.
By consistently showing up, posting relevant information, and being a
thought leader, you can increase visibility and credibility as an
expert in your area.
6. Develop your personal brand.
The lines between business and personal have become blurred. You can
reveal as much or as little about yourself as you wish, allowing you to
personalize your brand.
7. Target your niche. Users
volunteer vast amounts of information about themselves that you can
readily access. These kinds of demographics, psychographics, and
technographics would previously have cost fortunes to access. Author,
John Battelle, calls Facebook a “database of intentions.”
8. Get rapid top Google placement.
Create a Page for your business and ‘‘push” information to your “fans.”
Pages (for business) and Profiles (for personal) are indexed for
optimal search engine positioning. Facebook has a page rank of #7
according to Alexa.
9. Place targeted ads. With Facebook Social Ads, you can test out extremely targeted advertising for minimal cost.
10. No cost marketing.
Aside from paid ads, Facebook is totally free to use and with regular
activity you’ll end up with more traffic, more subscribers, and more
paying clients.
Mari Smith is a Relationship Specialist, Internet Marketing Consultant and Facebook Business Coach. She offers a free introductory class for professionals on how to use Facebook for strategic business growth at: http://facebookfortunes.com.
Class materials include PDF guides, how-to videos, discussion forum,
and dozens of interviews with successful active Facebook members.
