Facebookin’ ain’t for kids anymore. It is a real place that uses a whole different marketing strategy. Done right and you can increase your customer base and your bottom line.
Engaging with customers by branding yourself in a social atmosphere is what happens when you put your company on Facebook. But what do you do with your ‘fans’ once you have them?
It is a place where you can directly market the people who have selected you. Reward them by offering coupons or other free stuff to get them into your store.
To get fans in the first place you can also offer a coupon or something free for a ‘like’ on your business Facebook page.
Cross marketing is another thing you can do to get people engaged with your business and your Facebook page. In store make it clear you have a Facebook page and give them an incentive to visit and ‘like’ your page. On your page give them a reason to visit your store.
As a small local business you actually have an advantage. The big stores are nameless, faceless corporations, so in a social setting – its ‘people’ talking to people. Get to know your clients personally. Most people would rather buy from someone they know.
Once you have decided to create a Facebook page for your business its a good idea to learn all that Facebook offers. Decide what your purpose for having a page is and then find out all the ways you can benefit your business.
Facebook has a great learning center but it really helps if you are focused on your targeted outcome.
Ask yourself if you want to use Facebook for customer service (good idea), marketing your products (also good), engaging in social networking (good), branding exposure, public relations etc. All good!
It’s important to make sure your page is set up right and using the content to accentuate your business purpose to your visitors.
Proper header graphics, photos of your store, your people, and products.
Posting videos of events and interviews or helpful information. Oddly enough this is one place people ‘willingly’ will watch your home movies.
Post content that will inspire interaction, ask questions or start a consumer poll. Allow others to post their thoughts and commentary. You will learn a lot about what people are looking for in a business like yours and be in a position to deliver.
Again tie in cross-promoting by doing something like having an event at your store and promoting on Facebook. Take pictures and videos at the event then upload them to your page and ‘tag’ the people in those pictures. The ‘fans’ you tag will likely share with their friends.
If there are things you can sell online, you can set up a tab page specifically for that. Or you can encourage early purchase for pick-up. This way people don’t have to interrupt their socializing to go shopping.
Advertising on Facebook can be an amazingly powerful and unique experience. By specifying and being able to laser-target your market it is a great flexible marketing tool.
