A few years ago small business owners asked themselves: Why would I have, or even better, pay for things like email, website or this thing called the internet? In today’s markets, where Information Technology is not only the biggest but also the best performing sector in the S&P500, the answer is:
To stay competitive!
Here are my top 10 reasons why a Facebook Fan page not only helps grow exposure, clients and the bottom line, but is absolutely necessary to beat your competition!
10 Reasons why your business needs a Facebook Fan page
- It establishes more presents for your business on the web
Unlike personal Facebook profiles, a Fan Page can be viewed by anyone. With the right amount, direction and quality of posts you can use your fan page to establish yet another location for your business to be found by Facebook users, search engines as well as direct visitors alike.
Make sure you give your visitor strategic information about what you do and link it up with all your other web presents! More visibility means that you are in the mix when consumers make a decision who to purchase the product from, physical or service, they are looking for!
- Expectations are met
90 percent of Facebook users expect the businesses and organizations they deal with to have a Facebook Fan Page. And that number is closing in on 1.5 billion (with a B) users worldwide, 65% of them are daily users of Facebook. And the number is growing. Do I need to say more?
3. Drives Traffic to Your Website
Facebook wants you to be active, to be frequent and most importantly to link up!
With what? With everything! In fact, Facebook doesn’t even allow you to run a business page by itself. You are forced to create you presents out of a personal profile and manage it from there as well. Don’t be mad about that, it’s a symbiosis that helps everybody – Facebook, your visitors and your business equally. Link your website to your page and your page to your website, blog and other social media profiles!
- Improves your SEO
Our Social Media Management customers at Adler Social often ask me, does Google+ and Twitter really improve my ranking. Here is your answer: Google itself states that your Google+ profile does not play into their algorithm for ranking (even though you show up all the way on top in the local results of course) but have you ever googled one of your biggest competitors? Just count how many hits down their Facebook, Yelp or LinkedIn fan pages show up. In most cases it still lists on the first page of results and with the right strategy your company can utilize that same benefit.
- It allows for different types of posts
With traditional marketing efforts you had to choose, do I want the consumer to read an article, look at a picture or watch a video to engage with them. All avenues of marketing that work great. Facebook alone, does all of them! Not to mention when you link it with other social media platforms and services. You can even mix them up and try to multiply the reach of your message, or even try to take it viral, using all mediums simultaneously!
- It’s excellent for word of mouth
Word of mouth is by far the most powerful way to market your product. It combines reviews and recommendations in one. Facebook as well as many other social media channels can not only present a perfect platform for discussions, reviews and sharing experiences in form of comments, pictures and even videos, but they do all that with an unlimited reach potential and in lightning speed!
- ROI metrics
One of the major features included in every package we offer with Adler Social Social Media Management for small business is ROI statistics. You can identify what works and what doesn’t with the click of a button. Every salesmen’s and marketer’s dream! Facebook offers that in form of its Page Insights tools with built in features like discussed posts, reviews, and mentions within different time periods.
8 Communicate to your followers
If you have ever paid for billboards, to send out postcards or for somebody to hand out flyers, you know it’s expensive. If you choose the timing, placement, content and message for those marketing campaigns right, it can be highly effective. Think about your Facebook Fan page in a similar way, just with unlimited potential for exposure.
9 Allows you to follow other pages
You can’t use your website for that but on Facebook it’s up to you who or what you want to follow. You can follow or Adler Social for tips and tricks for how to effectively use social media to your advantage, or sports, or customers or even your own competition for updates on what they are up to!
Did you ever think of spending 5 min a day on your Fan Page’s stream to get updated on all the things you are following? Think of it as a news channel with you being the editor in chief!
- Least but not least! It is free.
Let me say that again because it sounds so nice. It’s free.
I co-founded Adler Social, a social media management agency for small business because I strongly believe that in a few years from now everybody that has a sense for business and takes growth and competition seriously, will use a professional social media management service, especially when they are as affordable as Adler Social!
Big companies have utilized social media professionally for decades and for the first time, there is an opportunity for small business to even the plainfield with the right content and strategy.
Unlike paying for manpower, air time, magazine space or television time, you control what
message you want to convey and to how big of a following you want to communicate it to.
Content grows your fan base and strategy engages them.
Are you ready to be ahead of the game and beat your competition?
About the author
Stefan Singer – CEO Adler Social, llc
Stefan Singer is co-founder and CEO of Adler Social llc, a New York City based Social Media Management company.
Having spent 10+ years on Wall Street in National and International equity, venture capital and private placement business, his focus now is helping small businesses to use today’s cutting edge social media to grow revenue, customer loyalty and satisfaction.
