How to Clean-Up with Facebook
By now, most of us are at least somewhat familiar with what Facebook is. What started out as a social networking website on the Harvard campus has evolved into the fifth most visited website worldwide, and the fifteenth most visited here in the United States. With numbers like that, it is clear Facebook isn't just a place where your teenagers spend hours a day visiting with their friends. In the past year, the number of users over the age of 35 has grown by about 50%. Does that sound like the target market age of your prospective clients? It is a powerful tool that is being used more and more to market businesses around the world. Why not yours?
So what can Facebook do for you specifically? There are many important things that using can accomplish for your business:
- Expand your customer base
- Keep in contact with the clients you already have
- Share photos and videos
- Easily communicate with others
- Inform people about upcoming specials and new items
There are primarily two ways you can promote your business on Facebook—create a Page or a Group.
As the name implies, a Facebook Page is used to give your company a profile or identity. Basically, you are informing users about YOU. This is where you can tell people about what you do, add photos and videos pertaining to your services, contact information, and any news or messages about your company. Once you have a page created, you then encourage users to become “fans” of your page. What this means is that once your “friends” are made a fan, they are notified of any changes or updates you make to your page. Also, when the user becomes a fan, all the friends of that user can see that he or she has become a “fan” of your page, and are given an opportunity to become a fan as well. Talk about networking possibilities!
A similar feature on Facebook is what is known as a Facebook Group. This is simply a collection of users who share a common interest or goal. You do not have “fans” as you do with a Facebook Page, but fellow members. Another difference is that you must be a member of Facebook to join a group, whereas anyone can view a Facebook Page. Generally, you can reach more people in a group, so they are better to reach a lot of people quickly.
Which is better, a group or page? This is the subject of much debate. It depends, of course, on your goals. To reach the most people and create a “buzz”, a group might do this better. However, to create longer-term relationships centered around you and your business, a page seems to be a better choice. There are those who say do both to cover your bases. Guess what? There are those you say that having both dilutes your presence on Facebook, so avoid doing so. Who do you listen to?
I personally tend to favor a Facebook Page to promote your “brand identity” and longer-termed relationships. Another advantage of a page is that you are able to use Search Engine Optimization (SEO), as pages are indexed by Google. For those unfamiliar with this term, SEO basically helps people find your site on the internet more readily. That, however, is a whole other topic for another discussion!
As with any decision you make, research your options and make decisions based upon your own set of goals and circumstances. The intent of this article is to let you know that Facebook is another tool in your marketing arsenal, and if used properly, can be extremely effective. Keep in mind that Facebook also evolves, and over the course of time, the better option for you may become more apparent.
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Jean Hanson helps owners of residential cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through her online community at MyHouseCleaningBiz.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for House Cleaning Profit Tips at //www.myhousecleaningbiz.com.
