Business on Facebook? Some are already quite successful!
Today, most businesses have their own Facebook Page. Those who don’t are almost doomed to a low-profile online existence, which does not help them develop and popularize their brand. The truth is that nowadays most consumers are first researching online and then they are taking decisions. For example, according to a recent study, about 65% of people prefer to take a look at the restaurant’s social profile before they actually visit it. Another 32% use their smartphones to read the menu online and then decide where they want to go. As a matter of fact, mobile and social media users make up the biggest consumers group today. Therefore, if your business does not have a good online presence, it is not very likely to get far.
However, it is never too late to turn fortune around. One can easily revive a small business on Facebook. This is the biggest social media website. In addition, it is the world’s most visited site. Here are a few tips that will help you leverage all the advantages that Facebook has to offer to businesses.
Focus on the core
There is a popular belief that not all businesses are fit for Facebook. However, that is not true. The social network can be of help to any business undertaking. That is why you need to create a FB Page for your company. In addition, you need to understand why you are doing that. The main purpose of your social page is to promote your company and to connect with your consumers. Therefore, do not post content which has little or nothing to do with the essence of your business.
Connect your Facebook Page to your online business network
Don’t keep your Facebook Page isolated from the rest of your online network. For instance, if your company has a blog or a website, you need to link them to your FB Page and vice versa. Also, add a link to it on your business cards and all the promo materials you distribute. However, do not limit yourself only to Facebook. Create business profiles and pages in other popular social media websites.
Be interesting and original
To achieve that, offer your audience a curated content. For example, if you run a restaurant, you can publish a recipe. Also, search the web for some interesting information that is relevant to your business niche. Another great idea is to announce monthly discounts or give away coupons to people who have liked your page. Remember that you should not only bombard them with information, but you should also entertain them. If you combine both of these things, your audience will be more loyal to your brand.
Interact with your audience
According to researches, just 30% of all businesses reply to consumer’s comments and messages on the social networks. Try to imagine what would happen if you pay attention to only 30% of the people who enter your store! Not many of them will stay or return again. However, that negative trend may soon change. Nevertheless, you still have the opportunity to take advantage of it. Those companies which interact with their audience today, will be ahead of the competition tomorrow. Therefore, make comments, replies and personal message available for your consumers. That will allow them to connect easily with you. But do not forget to always reply to their feedback.
Take advantage of Facebook tools and functions
Facebook has a lot of tools and functions which businesses can use. Those are, for example, Facebook’s Insights and Edgerank. In addition, there are many third-party tools which can help you in various aspects, including choice of content, posting time and etc. Most of them are free, but you can take things further by using paid tools like promoted posts, featured likes and vanity URLs.
Hire a social media manager to maintain your social media pages
Social media requires time and fresh ideas. That is why it is better if you hire a social media manager who will deal with your company’s social media presence. Of course, you can hire a new employee for that position. However, that will mean that you should spend time and money on finding good candidates, trainings and paying them. Our advice is to outsource your social media work by hiring a social media manager or a team that specializes in offering such services to businesses.
Encourage consumers to check-in
Originally, the social network which popularized the check-in trend was Foursquare. Nevertheless, today, most social websites have added this option to their platforms. If you encourage your consumers to check-in your business, you will increase your visibility on search engines and attract more audience through the good old “word of mouth” strategy.
Be mobile-friendly – As it was already pointed out, a large number of people now rely on mobile devices to browse the web. That is why you need to post content that is mobile-friendly. To do that, you need to observe how posts appear on smartphones and tablets. Also, you need to make your page more visible for mobile devices. That is due to the fact that more than 90% of consumers use their gadgets to conduct local searches.
Simply put, we live in a modern world and all businesses need to adapt to the new social and mobile environment.
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