Facebook for Business: Seize Your Opportunities

The single most important social media tool for small businesses right now is probably Facebook. As I pointed out a couple of weeks ago (Marketing Across the Digital Media Divide), if your customer base is under age 50, it’s a good idea for your business to have a Facebook Page. It’s not quite a simple as just signing up (it never is), Facebook has a growing arsenal of tools for small business.

Facebook for Business

First, see these instructions to create a Facebook Page for your Business – Don’t try to go the personal profile route. It violates Facebook’s terms of service. Profiles are for personal use, Facebook Pages are for your business.

Once you have a Facebook page, you will also want to encourage customers to check in to your business on Facebook Places, Facebook’s location-based service. You can maximize that service by claiming your business’ Facebook Place.

Take it one step further by encouraging and rewarding Facebook Places check-ins using Facebook Deals. Mike Whaling has a nice article explaining how to use Facebook Deals for your business: What’s Your Deal.

You may also want to dip your toe into the Facebook Advertising waters, and now would be a good time to do it. As part of their Small Business Saturday promotion, Facebook is teaming up with American Express to give away $100 worth of free advertising to 10,000 small business. The intent is to encourage people to shop at small businesses the day after Black Friday. Find out how you can get in on the action at Facebook Small Business Saturday.

Of course, just having a Facebook presence is not enough. You have to engage with your fans, and for that you need to a have plan. So I suggest that you have a Facebook Posting Strategy.

Are you seizing the opportunity to use Facebook for your business?

Continue reading here: Turning Entrepreneurs into Marketers

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