Ideas & Opportunities

To say that Facebook has gone a long way from its 2004 launch is quite an understatement. More than 800 million active users access the social networking service through both desktop browsers and mobile apps (by its own estimation), which makes Facebook an indispensable promotional and engagement tool for businesses of all types. Novices in self-promotion and entrepreneurs in need of new promotion and marketing tactics would do well to leverage Facebook, particularly four of its business-friendly features that work in tandem (Pages, Ads, Sponsored Stories and Platform).

Pages

The setup process is a breeze, and your Page will be ready to go after just a few minutes.

1.      Click the green “Create a Page” button on the upper right hand portion of your screen.

2.      Choose from six Page types:

• Local Business or Place
• Company, Organization or Institution
• Brand or Product
• Artist, Band or Public Figure
• Entertainment
• Cause or Community

3.      Choose the appropriate category for your business, type in your company name, and agree to Facebook's Terms of Service

4.      Spruce up your Page with your company's photo or logo, brief company background, business location, your site's URL, etc.

The main thing to remember is that your business' Facebook Page doesn't just help you promote your various product and service offerings. Everything that's posted on your Page's Wall should spark meaningful conversations with your target audience and obtain valuable feedback from them. Here are several ways to get consumers to make your Page a routine online stop:

Check your stats for leads. Some of your readers will come from search queries or links from other websites and pages. Take a look at where they've been, and see how you can broaden your reach. Also, you'll have Wall Posts that get more views than others. Determine which posts and topics are pulling in more readers, and form a strategy on how to keep the conversation going.

Include your Facebook Page's URL in your promotional materials and products. Besides providing a link to the Page on your main site, you should also add it to your marketing collaterals, business cards, and product packaging. To address Facebook's mobile users, you could also make a QR code that would take them directly to your Page.

Make Facebook work for your business (Part 2)