Is Facebook right for your business?

The world of social media has come a long way in recent years and Facebook, in order to stay at the top of its game, has taken the phenomenon one step further. Offering strategic marketing solutions, paid advertising and even the option to sell retail online, Facebook has created a portal for businesses to get their name out in the marketplace with ease and in real-time. Perhaps you've thought about having a Facebook page for your own business? Here are just some of the key benefits that may help to sway your decision.

The initial set up is completely free of charge and so too is posting or inviting people to like your page. This means you can let your audience know what you're up to, new products or services on offer and you can also interact with clients on particular issues where you want to gauge opinion.

Facebook takes this a step further though by offering paid posting options, which allow businesses to expand the target audience by paying a fee. For example, any unpaid posts will only show up in the feed of people who already follow your page. Paid posts on the other hand, will promote your page to people who are not currently followers of your business page. This fee is completely up to you and can range anywhere from $5 upwards. You can choose how long you want to run your advertising for, whether it be for one day or ongoing for a chosen length of time or you can simply set a maximum marketing budget and allow the advertisement to run until this amount has been spent.

One of the most exciting aspects to Facebook marketing is the ability to specify and hone in on a particular market by narrowing it down to different demographics, age groups, cities, gender and even down to particular interests.

Facebook is a quick way to let people know you're out there and what it is your business does. The viral nature of social media means those who like it and share it will instantly pass it on to friends and so forth. With over a billion users worldwide, this provides your business with the potential to reach and expand your market with ease.

Facebook for businesses is a fast growing, effective marketing tool but it's not for everyone. Take the time to establish whether a Facebook business page is right for you. Look at your competitors and check in on your target market to see how they respond to the idea. Do your research first and ensure there are people on your team who can manage the page appropriately.

Netiquette - Do's and Don'ts for Facebook

DO

Post regularly

Before you even write anything online, establish a strategy for your posts first and foremost. How often are you going to post? What will be the subject of each post? Don't attempt to post daily, if you're not sure you're going to have anything to say. At the same time, don't overload your readers with too much information. Like unsubscribing from emails, they will quickly 'unfollow' your page.

Respond to comments

If you were to have a conversation with someone in person, would you simply ignore him or her? Probably not. The same applies to cyberspace. Be polite, ask questions and encourage interaction. Not only is this is a great way to find out about your target market, but the more interaction on your page, the more likely your organic reach is likely to be.

DON'T 

Be desperate

Don't straight out ask for likes and shares. Encourage people to like and follow your page in a more subtle way. Though it doesn't hurt to acknowledge when you reach a milestone, such as 100, 200 or even 1,000 likes. In a way, you're showing the world of Facebook users how well you're doing.

Be all about the business

Don't just post about business. Have some fun. For every two business related posts, throw a light-hearted, unrelated post in the middle and try to link it back to your business in some way. This builds rapport and can also reach out to those from outside your current market.

An Important Message - while every effort has been made to provide valuable, useful information in this publication, this firm and any related suppliers or associated companies accept no responsibility or any form of liability from reliance upon or use of its contents. Any suggestions should be considered carefully within your own particular circumstances, as they are intended as general information only.