With limited resources as a small business owner, where should you put your time and efforts? Many of you have asked whether or not a Facebook Fan page is worth your time and effort. If you do it right, it certainly is! Here’s why.
41.6% of all Americans are on
Facebook (55.7% of which are female). This is a huge, engaged audience with over HALF of users logging in DAILY! Many users check in multiple times a day (I’m guilty).
In our business, even our very best clients don’t visit our web sites daily. That’s pretty typical for most small businesses. Yet, if you are active on your Fan page, you’ll catch the attention of your fans when they are already online at a place they visit often. That’s much easier than changing their behavior by trying to drive them to your web site.
Yet just putting up a fan page isn’t enough to get the phone ringing. You need to actively engage with your fans. Facebook is about sharing not selling. The real value is in learning more about your clients so you can deliver better service and products that meet their needs. It allows you unprecedented access to your clients’ lives and it’s a great listening tool. But when you use it with the intention of selling, you abuse the trust your clients have in you. Use your fan page to develop deeper relationships with your clients and the sales will be a natural result.
Here are a few tips to keep your Facebook fans engaged and to make it worth your effort.
1) Post and tag images of your clients often. Their friends will naturally want to comment, but they’ll need to become your fan to do so. More fans = more exposure to new clients. If your clients aren’t fans, shoot them a quick email to let them know you’re posting a few favorites on your fan page. To see these images, they need to ‘like’ your page so you can tag them.
2) Encourage your clients to ‘check in’ on Facebook when they arrive at your business using Facebook places. You should ‘check in’ as well each day. While this is fairly new technology, it’s starting to catch on and gets your business name additional free exposure.
3) Let your fans know when you have posted a new blog by posting it on your fan page. But don’t just say “I just posted a new blog.” That doesn’t interest me as a fan. Give me a benefit or reason why I want to read your blog post when you post it. For example, you may instead say ‘one of the most creative weddings I’ve ever seen’, or ‘true love wins out’ if there is a great story behind the bride and groom’s courtship. Look for the interesting story behind the images and share that on your blog. Your fans don’t want to just see pretty pictures, they want to know what your business has been up to. These stories give them insight into what working with you is like and helps them make an informed purchase decision.
4) Post status updates about what is going on in your business today. It’s human nature to be a bit voyeuristic. Fans are interested in what you’re up to. Be real. Be authentic. If today you’re cleaning closets to get ready for a session with twins next week, SAY it! Just you. And be sure to keep your posts business-related on the fan page as they are fans of your business, not Facebook friends.
5) If you’re a local business, share other cool local business resources you think your fans may enjoy. Your clients are doing business with you because they like you. You probably share some common interests. Share local resources you think they may also enjoy. In turn, the local business may give the love back to you.
6) Your fan page is like a plant. If you don’t water it, it won’t thrive. Stay active, posting about new products and services, posting new images, posting new blog posts, sharing resources and engaging with clients. But don’t let it take over your life either. Schedule 10 minutes a day to give love to your fan page. Then move on!
Still not convinced your clients are on Facebook? Share with us what you’ve done on your Facebook fan page to engage your clients.