In recent years we have seen a shift in the way businesses are conducting their marketing. With the emergence of social media, the internet is becoming a prime source to interact with customers (present and future). Facebook is one of the leaders in this social media trend.
This social networking site is not just for keeping tabs on friends and filling out quizzes, it has proven to be a highly effective business tool. As a leader in the social media atmosphere Facebook is the ideal channel for businesses to build brand loyalty, establish expertise, engage customers on a deeper level, and drive qualified leads back to your Web site.
Facebook is especially useful for businesses in the tourism industry such as hotels, and resorts, giving businesses the opportunity to interact with their clients without putting on the ‘hard sell’.
So why is Facebook so important to YOUR business?
Everyone is doing it:
The most important reason your business needs a Facebook is, your competitors already have one. There are over 700,000 local business Pages already, (Facebook statistics) and this number is growing daily. How can you compete with other businesses if you do not embrace this effective marketing tool? The easy answer is simple; create a Facebook Page for your business. It’s quick, easy and simple to create, and your business will be thanking you!
Cost:
Creating a Facebook account for your business is FREE. Once you are signed up this account gives you the opportunity to engage and interact with an online community. The goal of this is to build up an online community of people interested in your product, create a loyal following and increase traffic to your Page. When increasing the traffic you are exposing your brand to a whole network of people which in turn could lead to conversions and sales. For the price of nothing why wouldn’t you?
Promoting your Page:
One of the features available to your business is the Fan Page. This function allows people to interact with your product by becoming a “Fan” of it. Not only does this promote your services but gives people on Facebook the opportunity to see how others like your product.
A Fan Page gives you the chance to turn Facebook users into fans and convert those fans into customers. For instance, if you create a Fan Page for your Hotel, guests who have stayed there or who are interested in staying there might “Fan” your Page. When they “Fan” your Page this new activity becomes visible on their home page “News Feed”, which is also visible on all of their friends “News Feeds”. This means when one person “Fans” your Page, your business ultimately gets exposure to an entire network of people through your Fan.
Advertising:
Once you have set up a Facebook account you have the option to involve your business in paid advertising. There are over 400 million users and counting (Facebook statistics) that use Facebook, making this social media site a fantastic place to advertise your products and services.
One of the major benefits of Facebook is that its advertising model uses targeting based on demographic data. This ensures that your ad is being seen by people who are interested in your type of product or services. For example your Hotel advertisement would be displayed for people who show an interest in travelling, holidays and specific locations.
Integrated Social Networking:
Facebook is not a stand alone social networking site. You can connect your Facebook account with many other accounts (such as Twitter or Friendfeed.) You can link your accounts to directly update one another. For example, if you were to Tweet some exiting news about your Hotel, the tweet post would be posted onto your Facebook account as a status update. This is just another way that Facebook is making it simple for businesses to do their social networking at just the click of a button.
Facebook anywhere:
Facebook is also available on your mobile phone, which means keeping up to date has never been easier. You can access Facebook via iphone or android applications. I personally spend a lot of time on my iphone application. With Facebook being so easy, accessible and FREE, creating Facebook for your business is a step in the right direction.
For a quick and easy guide to setting up a Facebook Page visit: How to create a Facebook Page for your Business.
