Five Steps for a More Effective Facebook Page for Small Business

Emily Weaver wrote a great tip on Manta that AJGpr, a Los Angeles Public Relations Firm wanted to share. Here it is.

Representing your small business online can be difficult, but if done the right way you can reach an unlimited amount of customers. With social networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn it makes it easier for small businesses to truly stay in touch and on track with both potential and current customers.

1. Start with a Facebook Page

Facebook is generally used for social interaction anyway, so putting your business on Facebook will be second nature if you already use it for keeping in touch with friends and family.

• If you already have a profile on Facebook, you can add a page for a company or small business. This way you can still keep your personal profile active and under the same account.
• A great way to test out any new page online is to have a focus group you can trust. Who would be better than your friends list on your profile page.

2. Stay informed, get a routine

As a small business owner you want to keep your Facebook page up to date for customers. Not only does that fall under the category of posting content on a regular basis, it also means to be realistic when it comes to results.

• Post content – a photo, a news story, what you’re doing during the day – something that customers can only get from liking you on Facebook. If you get one ‘Like’ out of it you’ll be thrilled, but don’t expect it all to come at once.
• Have a goal of what you’d like to see happen out of what you post, just don’t get too distraught over a question you ask that gets no answer. As for posting, make it a habit to update your page at least once a day.
• There never is a wrong time to post, just as there isn’t a right time to post; whenever you get the time, whenever you have the content. Make it engaging for your customers so that they can get an idea of what you’re about!

3. Update your status with style

The status can be very daunting, but it’s an open space for you to share content with your customers. That’s exciting! Before posting, you might want to map out what you want to share.

• Do some research on other brands similar to yours and see what they’re posting. For instance a local bakery might post a photo of their famous hot chocolate, or a diner could post a question about what customers would like their special to be for dinner that day- something to involve customers, something that will keep their attention.
• Don’t think your content has to be completely formal. Make it your own, and represent the voice of your small business.
• Make sure to post mostly open-ended questions or thoughts to get more of a complete response out of your fans, this way you’re communicating back and forth with the person who matters most – the customer.

4. Keep in touch with customers

This may be an easy task, or a challenging one, depending on what you want to do.

• As the owner of your small business Facebook page you’ll be able to see who has ‘Liked’ your page. One way you can keep customers engaged is by sending them a message as soon as they ‘Like’ your page. This is a great way to let your new fans know that you’re going to be there to respond and interact with them promptly.
• Another way to keep customers engaged is to answer them via the messages section onFacebook. Some may just send you spam, but others will probably have legit questions. This section is something you’ll want to keep an eye on each day.
• In addition to your daily posts, answering your customer’s questions in a timely manner can only give them a positive perception of you. By keeping in touch with customers and answering their questions and suggestions you can keep a connection with them and they’ll definitely have nothing but good things to say about you and your business!

5. What you can offer fans

Think about it- they’re ‘Liking’ your page. What do they get out of it?

• If you can get something like a promotion going for your fans, or a coupon for 10% off your latest inventory it would guarantee their satisfaction and possibly get them to spread the word about ‘Liking’ your page.

For more ideas on what to post or just for best practices, visit Manta on Facebook to get an idea of how you can use Facebook for your small business.