Does Facebook fit into the social media plan for your business? If not, it should, even on the smallest scale.
What is the benefit? Facebook is another link that allows people to find your web page and see images of what you can do in another environment. Facebook has 750 million active users, half of which sign in more than twice a day. That is 14 times more active users than Twitter. It’s a free website that promotes your work and links you up to your website which raises your level of online traffic. All you need is a little time.
It’s everywhere! Check out all the commercial advertisements you see on television in one night. How many now show a Facebook page URL instead of a website? Whether you’ve experienced it or not, the world is saturated in Facebook and Facebook is a world unto itself. The levels of useful tools that an individual can interact in such as game applications, contest promotions, sharing videos and photos, and groups to follow account for hours of time spent in the program. It also provides a very high rate of potential individuals interested in something your business does. So use it!
There are various ways to use Facebook to your advantage for marketing your business.
How is it done? At the very least, with a personal profile set up on Facebook you should post interesting updates about things going on with your business, such as new projects completed. For example, when I’ve had a new illustration completed for a client that I can promote in my portfolio, I post it on Facebook for my family and friends to check it out. In turn, they view the illustration and drive traffic to my websites which helps with search engine optimization. They also can comment, like or share my new illustration with their friends and even more people have seen what I have done. It’s that easy.
If you want to do more… If you know Facebook fairly well and are interested in using it to promote new work or hold contests for art prints, then setting up a Facebook Page would we worthwhile. You can have other individuals “Like” your page and they will receive updates on their personal Facebook wall. It’s a great way to promote your work to a dynamic viewing audience.
Update often! To keep those that “Like” your page interested and coming back, regular updates are important. It’s easy to let time pass and forget about updating your social media pages that are set up and just “there”. But, there really is no point going to all this work if you’re not going to provide new info or ideas on a regular basis to keep your audience engaged.
What to say? If you’re wondering why someone would be interested in “Like”-ing your page, here are a couple of tips when thinking about what to post:
Be Yourself: Authenticity will draw a crowd and the best way to be authentic is to do what you do best. It’s a challenge to see so many other interesting things out there, but to really strive for excellence in what you are providing to a readership, it has to come from you.
Be Accessible: Showing potential clients that you are involved in your industry and documenting ideas allows you to be accessible as a potential asset that they could use.
Add pictures or videos: Everyone loves a pretty picture and exciting video. It’s what gives your social media page life. It shows the character of what your business is and showcases your content. If you can tie in a visual from your website and blog, and then on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. you will be able to brand your business across all digital media platforms. This in itself will provide a professional look to potential clients, even on Facebook.
Listen to feedback. Take into consideration any comments about items you post and tailor what you have to say to suit your business’s marketing needs. The best advice comes from those who put in an effort to say something directly to you.
Post it often! The more items you post, the more your ideas can be shared with others and the more your name becomes visible online.
“Like” it or not, Facebook is an undeniably useful platform for promoting your small business!
