Facebook is the world’s most popular social network, with over 1.3 billion active users.
That means if you want to connect with your customers, then Facebook’s the place to be.
Here are three ways you can make the most of Facebook as a small business.
1. Make Your Business Into a Community
We all want to belong and be part of something bigger than ourselves. It’s human nature.
Facebook lets you build a community around your brand. At its heart, business is about people, so in many ways Facebook is about getting to the roots of business.
By asking your customers to be part of your community, you invite them into your brand’s story. When they’re part of your story, they’ll want to share what they’ve found with their friends.
Building a community is also a great way of finding inspiration…
2. Get Inspired by Your Facebook Fans
One of the advantages of being a small business is that you have control over your creative decisions. You have input on everything from product development to marketing to pricing.
The problem? Being the go-to person for everything can leave you burned out. There’s only so much creativity that you and your small team can muster.
That’s why social media is so helpful. Your customers care about your business – especially if they like your brand on Facebook. They want you to succeed, and they want you to develop the products they need. When you need their advice or help, they’ll be willing to give their input. You’ll be surprised at how generous people can be with their ideas.
Of course that doesn’t mean you should rely on your customers for your creative drive or vision. But it’s good to know they’re there if you need them.
3. Target Ads at Your Ideal Customers
Let’s say you run an online boutique selling handmade baby clothes for newborns. Your ideal audience is made up of moms to be. Facebook lets you target ads so that only expecting moms will see them. Neat, huh?
You can target dog owners, cat owners, people who like gardening, fashionistas – if you can think of a particular group of people, you can most likely target them on Facebook. You can even advertise to people based on their favorite TV show, movie or baseball team.
When your ads are this carefully targeted, you can be sure your marketing budget is being put to good use. Of course, you’ll need to monitor whether your ads are converting. And if they’re not, then you’ll either need to tweak the ad, or rethink who your ideal customer really is.
Lori R Taylor is the founder and executive editor of Social Caffeine. In 2009 she started her own direct response focused social media agency, REV Media Marketing LLC, coining the phrase given by her young son, “You bring the rain, we’ll make it pour.” Follow Lori on Twitter.
David is our acting editor. He’s British, but we don’t hold that against him.
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Our business IS a community and it’s easy to forget to that other people have creative ideas too, thanks for the reminder!
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