Facebook me Baby! Small Business Guide to surviving it!

"I hate Facebook"... have you ever said that?  I have.  As recently as six months ago actually.  I hated the act of following everyone into the eternal abyss named "Facebook".  After all - I try to be a leader - not a follower.  But guess what... I'm on Facebook.

Last weekend, my daughter had a show at her school and "Mister Tim" was there - and towards the end of his show, he tells all the audience that he'd love it if they friended him on Facebook.  I promise - every kid in that audience probably went home and friended him. (and that's not even a real word but Facebook has now made it one, right?)

So today while driving to my local Target to get bath supplies and a Frappachino from the Starbucks there (which by the way has over 26 MILLION followers on FB), was thinking about how small businesses need to market their Facebook page.  It's one thing to create a FB page, but it's another thing for small businesses get the word out there.  What do I mean?

Well - look at that number for Starbucks - 26 MILLION and growing.    Coca Cola - over 35 MILLION followers.  Wow,  right?  But a small local business?  They'd be lucky to have a few hundred followers.  That's why it's important for them to market OFF LINE as well as online.  Yes - remember the world away from the computer? (I know for my readers this is hard to comprehend, but let's use our imaginations, ok?) 

Remember passing out business cards to people you meet on the street or in Chamber of Commerce meetings and luncheons?  Is your facebook page printed on all your handouts?  What about your flyers and brochures about your business?  How about your invoices? Even putting your facebook url on your business vehicles is a great promotional tool.  Maybe encouraging family and friends to put it on their personal vehicles to help your business? If you have a brick and mortar store, have a sign made up and put it in a highly visible spot when people come in to follow you on Facebook.  Many people have it on their phones these days and will do it right then and there.  There are a bunch of ways you can market offline to drive traffic to your online presence. 

So think about it.  You've created a Facebook page.  Yay - you are now hip, right?  Some businesses create a page, and think that they are done.  WRONG!!!!!  Sorry to bust your bubble but it just doesn't work that way.  A static webpage works that way.  You design a site and you put the information you need to get out there to your market and you put that URL on the above things to promote it.  But not Facebook.  Facebook is dynamic.  It's constantly changing.  People expect changes on Facebook.  They want to hear the latest and greatest news about their friends - even if those friends are businesses they frequent.  So if all you have on there is your name, address and a quick blurb about yourself - repeat after me - "BOOOOORINGGGGG"

Yes, you are reading this from someone who used to HATE Facebook.  Yet, the fact of the matter is, Facebook is not going anywhere anytime soon.  Suffice to say, it's here to stay.  Businesses will create a Facebook page before a website (let's face it - it's faster, easier and that dynamic factor comes into play).  It's easy to make changes to your Facebook page.  Not only can you post your thoughts on there, but documents, notes, pictures, videos and more! Truthfully, between Facebook, Twitter and a Blog - you have all the tools you need to promote your business online FOR FREE. 

I used Starbucks and Coca Cola as examples because they have more followers than any other business that I know of on Facebook (not saying I am right - just saying it's what I know) and I think they do a great job marketing their business on Facebook.  I see ads for Starbucks on many of the pages I go to.  Coca Cola has contests on their pages.  Human interest info (how many of us know about their new Polar Bear thing going on right now?) 

The thing to remember out of all this though, is don't let your Facebook page be static.  Add interesting facts about your business like the history of xyz product ie how it has evolved through time, how people used it in the past, how people use it NOW, tips on saving money with it, ways it'll make your life easier!).  Offer coupons to people that go to your page and LIKE it.  Have a contest. Use it to post your newsletter every month.  The secret is to keep it fresh and interesting so people want to go back to it each time you post something, otherwise, it's like offering last weeks newspaper in the waiting room of your business.

Don't forget to work it though.  Not only do you need to focus on your Facebook page, but you need to go to your competitors and see what they are doing.  Go to other businesses that compliment yours and like their pages.  Post on their pages if they allow it.  Be encouraging - but not spamming.  Don't post on their page an add about your business but be interested in theirs!

If you use their services, send them a testimonial.  LIKE their postings.  Not only does this help them, but it helps you too because it gets your name out there more.  Create a page for your BUSINESS - not just a personal page for your name.  You want your business name out there each time you click on "LIKE" on a page.  Use your logo as your picture on that business page.  You want brand recognition here just as much as you do anywhere.  The more people see your name, the more they will remember you when they need your product / service!