If you’ve just launched your Facebook fan page, then you should consider taking a few quick steps to get started with promoting your business to fans and increasing your visibility.
Tip 1: Have a detailed information page
One of the key strategies in maintaining a successful business is having the information that your customers needs when they need it. A Facebook page allows your business to effectively present the basic information that nearly any potential customer will desire 24/7. What kind of information needs to go under the info tab? Most businesses will wish to include an address, phone number, a website if the business has one, and the hours that the business is open. Those are probably the basics that every business, regardless of services rendered, will need to upload. All the other information presented in the tab will depend on the nature of the business. For an easy example of a business that uses the info tab effectively, let’s take a look at this popular, local restaurant.
Take a moment to observe everything below the map. Provided for the customer is not only the price range of the food but the kind of food (“True NY Style!”), the type of attire, the credit cards accepted, and even the names of the manager and the owner. The information is also presented effectively: there is a little clutter and the descriptions are concise. By just glancing over the page, a customer will be able to decide within moments whether or not they are interested in what this restaurant has to offer.
Tip 2: Monitor your Facebook page
A Facebook page for a business is more than just a webpage: it’s a representation of what your business has to offer potential clientele. A sloppy, unkempt page filled with information that benefits neither party is worthless and reflects poorly on the part of the owner.
A particular feature worth keeping an eye one, especially if multiple parties have access to the page’s controls, is the “like” feature. A tab on the right hand side of the page (or sometimes at the bottom) keeps track of what other pages this particular page has liked. Even a feature as small as this communicates something to potential clients. For (extreme) example, it’s probably a poor idea to have Boomer’s Adult Entertainment listed under the “like” section of a pediatric clinic.
An example of using the “like” feature appropriately might be an independent law firm that has liked a periodical or news source related to the field—such as The Lawyer—which communicates that the firm probably keeps up with current events pertaining to the profession.
Tip 3: Reward your customer and profit from it
A customer that likes your business page is essentially advertising for you since anyone who is a friend with that customer will see that they like it when they check out the page thanks to a nifty little section on the right corner of the screen tells you which of your friends has liked the page. The facebook page also keeps an open counter of its “likes”; hundreds or thousands of accumulated “likes” are their own time-invested kind of advertising, sending the message that the business is quite popular to potential customers.
Why not reward these customers for their loyalty (and make some money while doing it)? Businesses such as Out of Print—a company dedicated to printing T-shirts based on classic book covers—often provides fans of their Facebook page with discounts and promo codes, as does GOG.com, a company that specializes in releasing old games for modern computers. You may also go a step further and have fun with their customers like Willy’s Mexicana Grill did last past week in celebration of Valentine’s Day:
Holding contests or simply asking for fan participation is a great way to get peoples’ mind on your business, which is the goal of having a Facebook page for advertising and business purposes.
Tip 4: Keep your page updated
Nothing is more important for a business advertising through Facebook than keeping your fan page up to date. Daily status updates are a good idea, even if it’s something as mundane as a seasonal greeting or a fun fact. The goal is to make your presence known to your potential customers without being overzealous enough to tempt them into unliking your page—providing a status update every 30 minutes may annoy your customers. Status updates are more than just reminders to your fans that your business exists; they can also serve as important communication devices. Has an emergency fire next door put you out of business for the rest of the day? Is there a special, temporary item on the menu for tonight alone? Are you having discounts on a particular item? Has someone on staff received a local or national honor of some sort? Let your clients know via Facebook.
Now, one quick review before you dash off to the other side of the internet and begin constructing your Facebook page:
1. Have accurate, concise information under the info tab that will answer any basic questions (type of services rendered, payment options).
2. Monitor your page and make sure that all photos, “likes”, and other features are appropriate.
3. Reward your customers for liking your page and offer them discounts and contests in order to generate business.
4. Update daily in order to remain relevant to your customers.
Related articles
- Top 16 Characteristics of Effective Facebook Brand Pages (avenuesocial.com)
- What Happens After Someone “Likes” Your Facebook Page? (community.constantcontact.com)
- 5 Ways to make the Facebook Timeline work for Brands (venpop.com)
- The Importance of Facebook Pages (digitalbrandmarketing.com)
