Gannett, one of the world’s largest media companies, published a study suggesting that Facebook is the most powerful social media platform for small businesses.
Facebook users are engaged in a major way, many using the site 6 days of the week. The study revealed these users spend an average 40 minutes per day on Facebook, and a striking percentage use the time to research businesses they plan to visit or buy from. How many? 62%!
That’s right, the majority of Facebook users are visiting pages of companies they purchase from. And 30% admitted to visiting that company’s Facebook page multiple times the day they make a purchase or visit to the business. What’s really interesting is that a whopping 84% of those polled say an offer or deal they saw on Facebook played an important role in their purchasing decision.
The good news is, we don’t have to drop a lot of money to get our Facebook pages up to speed. Here are a few tips to get things rolling.
Create a Facebook Page
You may be surprised to find that many business either do not have, or do not update their Facebook profile. Not only is it helpful for engaging existing & new customers, but it’s also a great way to boost your search engine results. But be sure to include your address & phone number.
Post Relevant Content
If you have a cookware business, maybe post recipes or tips on how to keep your cookware in great shape. Put yourself in the mind of your customer — what types of useful information are they looking for?
Tell Everyone
You’re probably already passing out business cards & have a website. These are great places to promote your Facebook page. Include your social media information on any document or media where it makes sense. And if you’ve got a personal page, share your business’s Facebook posts on your timeline. Your existing friends & family are a great audience to share your business’s content with.
Create a Poll
Facebook has rolled out a polling feature. If you’re debating on what features or products to roll out, get customers involved & allow them to vote. Think it’s a bunch of fluff? Not hardly. IKEA, EA Sports, McDonald’s and the Baltimore Ravens have all used the feature & it’s surprisingly simple.
Talk with Your Customers
How did you feel when you wrote a brand on social media and they wrote back? Usually this makes people’s day. Brands like Taco Bell and many telecommunications companies are great examples of how it’s done. Engaging with customers online makes them likely to share & talk about your brand. And if customers aren’t talking to you, talk to them!
And there we have it. It’s huge, still growing and the product of a college dropout. But the numbers are in and Facebook, and social media in general, works. Whether your business is business-to-business or consumer facing, an HVAC service provider or construction company, Facebook is proving itself to be a useful tool. Give us a call or send an email & tell us about your business’s goals. We’d love to help advertise your business on Facebook, or any other social media platform.