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In the first part of our Facebook Page Training, we discussed who needs a Facebook page. Now we’ll get to the why?.
Whether you are an organization or an individual, are a for-profit or a non-profit, have a physical location or don’t, you can benefit from Facebook. As long as you are authentic, transparent, interactive and have the time to dedicate to it, that is.
But… why do you need a Facebook page, and how specifically can you benefit?
Brand Awareness
There are over 800 Million people on Facebook and more than 500 Million are active every day. That’s a lot of people who may become aware of your brand through Facebook posts and ads.
By creating a Facebook page, you are able to tell your story on a social scale. What is your brand, what makes you unique and what sets you apart? With a page on Facebook, you have a new avenue (to be used in addition to other methods) to share your story. If done correctly, your story will resonate with your fans, and they’ll share it with their friends.
Drive Foot Traffic
If you are a business with a physical location, you can use Facebook to drive more foot traffic. Encourage check-ins so that your fans share that they are at your location to their friends. Reward loyal fans by providing a exclusive deals of the day or a “whisper code” — deals that are only available to Facebook fans who whisper a secret word. Many businesses generate more foot traffic with some simple Facebook page strategies.
Drive Website Traffic
Whether or not you have a physical location, you likely have a website. And driving traffic to that website is undoubtedly one of your goals, particularly if it houses registrations or transactions.
Update a blog regularly that interacts with your brand’s customers. Share those entries on your Facebook page and ask for feedback. Or, maybe you have special sales on your website that you can feature.
Just always remember that the purpose of your page isn’t only to promote yourself. It’s to involve your customers and make them feel a part of your brand.
Drive Sales
In most cases, the ultimate goal of any marketing strategy should be to generate revenue. It may not be direct revenue, but the results of your efforts should eventually lead there.
What happens if you generate more foot traffic to your store and traffic to your website? More sales.
Get Feedback
What’s beautiful about Facebook is that it’s a two-way conversation. As a result, you can get immediate feedback on what your customers like or don’t like about your products or services. You can even use them to recommend new products. By involving your customers in this discussion, they become part of the solution. They feel like they are a part of your brand, and responding to their feedback builds loyalty.
Increase Brand Loyalty
Perfect transition, right? If I am a fan of a restaurant, and I know what the lunch deals are every morning through Facebook, I’m more likely to go there for lunch. If they are fun and human and respond to their customers, I am more likely to recommend them to my friends. When we invite brands into our social lives on Facebook, we ultimately become more loyal to them. Those who connect with brands on Facebook are also more likely to buy something from them.
Reach a Larger Audience
When you create a Facebook page and open it to the public, your first fans will be people who are already customers. They are friends, family, employees, people who are already well aware of how awesome you are.
But every time your fans interact with your brand on Facebook (posting on your wall, commenting on a post, liking something, sharing your stories, etc.), they are sharing your brand in their friends’ news feeds. And each time this happens, you reach a potential new customer who had never heard of you or simply didn’t consider using your brand previously.
And that’s the power of Facebook. People are more likely to use a product or service if it is recommended by a friend.
No Excuses
Whether you’re a business owner, a business leader or anyone who has say in a brand, you are running out of excuses. The successful use of a Facebook page can result in more brand awareness, more customers, increased loyalty and more revenue. And how can you say no to any of that?
You can’t. Stop making excuses, and get to work on your Facebook page.
