Today the small business operator has to be savvy. Unfortunately, the days of being complacent and apathetic about technology are over. If your competitor is doing it, you had better climb on board the train or you will soon be left at the station. The connected world is changing so very fast that even if we consider ourselves a small business operator generating business through traditional word-of-mouth referrals, it’s important to realize that Facebook for small business is one of the best word-of-mouth tools. And we need to communicate in the medium that our clients and potential clients are using if we want to keep them informed of our most recent developments or special promotions. Today we have the “silver surfers” ruling the cyber web and the “granny of 80” looking up a contractor on Google so we must keep abreast of the times. Facebook for small business is one important phenomena to be consider as it has become so pervasive in the social strata of everyday society.
Our last blog post shared a lot of details about Facebook for small business in general. So now, how can you as an entrepreneur/small business owner utilize Facebook to maximize your revenue? First, of course, you need to be on Facebook to use it! For the small business owner whose clients may include friends and a closer social circle, you may consider a two-pronged approach, by starting to to get better connected with personal friends/clients/neighbors/classmates on your own personal Facebook page. On this page you can build rapport through a personal relationship and showcase your work in laid back, supportive, and friendly environment controlled by the social norms of the group. It’s a one-on-one exchange of information–just perfect to showcase your latest project to your friends and chat about it in an informal manner. This approach generates overall
interest and keeps your potential customers informed.
The second part of the two-pronged approach is to develop a Business Fan page to give you a more “public image” that you can promote to prospective clients like people you meet in Facebook Groups or various current Facebook Friends who perhaps express a lot of interest in following your work. This page is a bit more formal and presents a controlled release of information structured to bring in more clients as well as showcase work or generate interest. As mentioned in the last article, these become “Fans” who want to follow your business or brand. These fans may end up becoming personal friends which you may decide to your personal page, but at least there is a forum for them to connect with you via the showcase medium of your displayed work or branded Business Page.
Social media really is one of the best places for you to find new clients, and if correctly positioned and marketed, your business or brand will enjoy great success on these platforms. Why don’t you drop us an email? Compass Marketing Group can take you through the steps to successfully set up your Facebook pages and teach you how to use both personal and business fan pages as media contact points for your business.