How does facebook benefit businesses
The Key Benefits of Facebook for Your Business
Building a Facebook page for your business is a great way to engage with current and potential customers. It allows you to target specific audiences and advertise to them in a cost-efficient way. When done well, your page can even be used as a tool to build brand love for your business within the Facebook community.
Wondering how you’d benefit from a Facebook page for your business? Here are a few key ways, for a start.
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A Facebook page serves as cost-effective exposure for your brand.
It costs $0 to create a Facebook for Business page. Once created, the page acts as a hub for your brand, where users can learn about who you are, what you do, and what services you provide. A Facebook for Business page can make information like your hours, location, photos, and promotions easily accessible to customers, without spending anything up front.
(Bonus: By creating your Facebook page with all the necessary information, your page has a better chance of potentially populating in a browser search, according to Search Engine Journal.)
It’s a direct way to connect with current and potential customers.
Your Facebook for Business page can help you create digital word of mouth. Managed well, your page acts as a forum for community growth and communication with new and loyal customers. It’s a space for you to connect with customers directly, answer their questions, and share offerings they’ll benefit from.
If you’re looking for constructive notes from real people to make your business stronger, your Facebook page is a great place to address feedback directly and let customers know they’ve been heard. Plus, your published posts can help you grow your community by providing customers with content to share with Facebook friends how much they love your business.
You can reach your target audience simply and efficiently.
Yes, there are over a billion people on Facebook, but you don’t need to reach all of them — just those in your sweet spot. Facebook for Business gives you the ability to choose specific audiences to reach with your boosted posts by their geographic location, age, interests, and more.
For example, if you’ve just opened a new yoga studio, you could boost a post from your page to reach men and women aged 20 to 65 years old who live within a 20-mile radius of your studio. You can reach them for an efficient cost — likely $20 to $50 for several days of exposure. For more information on how much to spend and how to measure your efficiency, check out Facebook’s Budgeting FAQ and fundamentals.
It allows you to have a mobile-optimized experience.
Whether you have an eCommerce business or a brick-and-mortar store, there are endless benefits to mobile-first capabilities. Your Facebook page will house important business information for potential customers on their mobile devices.
If you have an online store, Facebook gives you the tools to create multiple opportunities for “Shop Now” or “Learn More” to drive to your site and allow users to purchase directly. Since over half of Americans have successfully made purchases on their mobile devices, creating a gateway to make a purchase through your Facebook page is a no-brainer.
The benefits for brick-and-mortar stores are clear, too. According to Google, mobile searches for “can I/to buy” plus “near me” have expanded by more than 500 percent, which means you have the perfect opportunity to be the place they’re looking for.
Your page gives you the tools to easily test and try new branded content and messaging.
Whether it’s gathering results from an ad on a billboard, a flier, or social media ads, figuring out if your message is resonating with your audience can be a challenge. Your Facebook page can act as a tool to do this swiftly by testing new concepts with your community (by utilizing organic published posts on your page that you can boost to ensure they’re seen by a wider audience) or potential customers (with Facebook ads to your target audience).
By A/B testing and comparing metrics on the amount of post engagement, site visits, and more, this feedback can help you make educated decisions when it comes to the more expensive advertising channels.
(That’s not to say that messages or content always perform the same on social as they do on other channels, but it is a way to get a quick read on customer sentiment.)
Square Marketing and Facebook Insights allow you to see what’s working — and what’s not.
Using Square Marketing, you can determine attributable sales, coupon redemptions, and engagement metrics from your Facebook campaigns. Also, a Facebook post published through Square Marketing is shown to customers who have made a purchase from your business, even if they haven’t followed or liked your page.
Facebook’s Insights tool gives you a transparent view into the details of how many people you’re reaching, how many are engaging with your posts, how many are following your page, and what percentage of all of these stats have been earned with organic versus paid and “boosted” content.
Below is a sample of a one-week results roundup from Insights compared to the previous week. All of it — and then some — is readily available in your Facebook dashboard in detail.
Benefits of Facebook for Businesses
- Facebook is the largest and most recognized social media network worldwide, making it an excellent entry point for businesses looking to develop their social media strategy.
- Of all the social networks, Facebook exposes your business to the broadest audience and offers the most comprehensive set of business tools.
- Facebook’s business tools help you build your online brand, create meaningful connections with customers and potential employees, and increase overall productivity.
- This article is for small business owners who want to generate brand awareness and create meaningful connections through Facebook.
In recent years, some studies have shown that Facebook can be detrimental to mental health.
While spending too much time on the social networking site can be harmful – and the company has historically been terrible at protecting your data – Facebook does have some redeeming qualities for businesses and professionals, especially when used in moderation. In fact, Facebook is one of the best ways to use social media for your business.
Here are 10 ways Facebook can benefit your business and career.
1. Facebook can help build your online brand.
Your online presence is more important than ever as consumer interest in mobile and social media shopping continues to grow, and Facebook may be your best opportunity to get in front of customers near and far.
With Facebook’s over 2.9 billion monthly users, according to Statista, no other social network can offer your business a matching level of potential exposure. As the largest and first social media network to achieve mainstream success, Facebook offers the most integration tools compared to other platforms, including follow buttons, account logins and photo sharing.
These tools can lead customers back to your business website and other online content you want to highlight.
Did you know? Facebook’s reach and structure make it the most useful platform if you want to reach an older demographic.
2. Facebook forms professional bonds between competitors.
One of Facebook’s overarching goals is connecting people, whether it’s old friends, current acquaintances or those looking to meet new people. While not every interaction on Facebook is helpful, there are specific instances when its sheer number of users can be beneficial.
Jo Trizila, president and CEO of TrizCom Public Relations, uses Facebook for business and personal improvement. Trizila joined a group of fellow PR professionals in the Dallas area. The group members, who agreed not to steal business from each other, collaborate by sharing tips and advice, such as what reporters to pitch to, insurance policies to consider, and software to implement. All information shared with the group stays in the group.
“It truly has been a blessing to meet, collaborate and share thought leadership with my colleagues,” Trizila said.
These PR professionals put their egos aside to help each other and improve the quality of the PR industry in the Dallas area.
Tip: To understand your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, and to find areas where your business can improve, consider conducting a competitive analysis.
3. Facebook can change preconceptions.
Certain careers carry negative stereotypes. People working as lawyers, politicians or used car salespeople can be seen as dishonest just because of their job. Facebook can help defeat these stereotypes.
“Attorneys are often seen as distant and a bit aloof from the general public,” said Kevin Patrick, owner and founder of Kevin Patrick Law LLC. “To me, though, the key to developing business is making a personal connection. People want to feel like they are human and not just a case number. Facebook has been a great way of making those personal connections.
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Patrick posts content that differs from most law firms. Because he shows who he is and who his employees are, potential customers are more willing to work with the company.
“For example, my law firm page doesn’t include the typical ’10 things to do if you have been in a car accident,’ but rather, we focus our posts on ways we have served the community, such as making meals for the homeless and other volunteer activities,” Patrick said. “For one, it’s the right thing to do, and two, it has helped create a level of trust, and it leads to new cases.”
Tip: The best online reputation management services can monitor, build, and maintain your business’s online reputation, and even repair negative perceptions of your company.
4. Facebook can help you find top job candidates.
While a problematic social media persona may eliminate some candidates, Facebook provides direct access to everyone who follows your brand. This visibility can attract the best potential employees to your company.
Post job openings on your Facebook Business Page so people who would be excited to work for your company are the first to know there’s an opportunity to join. If they aren’t looking for work, they can use the “like” and “share” features to notify other qualified candidates who might be interested.
Regularly monitoring your Facebook Page can also help you adopt a more focused, proactive recruiting strategy. Check to see which customers engage positively with your brand. Do they post pictures or posts that showcase your product and service? Do your homework and reach out; you might convert a passionate fan into one of your best assets.
Tip: If your company has a brand ambassador program and you’re currently recruiting, see if any ambassadors are seeking employment.
5. Facebook can increase productivity.
While many argue that social media networks only distract employees, the opposite may be true. When employees take breaks to do something that interests them, they tend to be happier and more productive.
If employees enjoy a quick break to check the Facebook News Feed and feel more connected to friends and family, they may be more relaxed and focused when they get back to work.
“Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf on the internet, enables the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher net total concentration for a day’s work and, as a result, increased productivity,” said Brent Coker, researcher and lecturer in the management and marketing department at the University of Melbourne.
6. Facebook facilitates lead generation.
Facebook implements lead generation templates directly into its Ads Manager, the portal and hub for creating Facebook ads. These ads can send customers automated messages through Facebook Messenger and then analyze the response, helping you discover what the customer wants in a relatively straightforward process.
For small businesses, this tool is a helpful asset for generating leads without constantly monitoring Messenger or Facebook on the desktop and responding to spam accounts or soft leads.
The automated conversations make it easier for companies to connect to target customers, understand their interests, build an email marketing contact list, and convert prospects into paying clients.
7. Facebook’s Book Now tool makes appointment scheduling easy.
Another key feature on Facebook for small businesses is its Book Now appointment-booking tool. Book Now can integrate with a business’s calendar system and help customers book appointment times or demos when they’re available.
If customers schedule appointments through Facebook, assuming the calendar is accurate, this process can save companies time by reducing the number of phone calls to book appointments or time spent monitoring an online booking system. A handful of automated messages can make the process more straightforward than someone manually scheduling appointments.
After customers book their appointment, they’ll receive a calendar invite and information, directions, and instructions.
Tip: When using Facebook’s appointment-scheduling feature, keep it up to date with any other scheduling application you have, such as Microsoft Bookings, to avoid the risk of double booking.
8. Facebook’s keyword search function helps you find people or content.
Facebook’s keyword search feature makes it easier and faster to find the most relevant content when you need it. It lets you search all types of posts – status updates, photos, videos, news articles and more – using simple keywords, just as you would for a Google search.
To find information on a person, business, event or subject, users type in a simple keyword or phrase, and relevant information will appear. This process makes finding information on a business partner or network connection easier, even if you only have limited information.
9. Facebook offers digital marketing and conversion rate optimization.
Facebook helps users contact and get information directly from businesses through a series of specific buttons on Facebook ads. These features help users communicate directly with small businesses in as little time as possible.
From a business perspective, these features allow companies to expand their reach to new clients, making it easier to convert them with the click of a button.
With buttons, businesses can customize their call to action (CTA) based on their communication styles and conversion goals. These CTA buttons include Call Now, Get Directions, Send Messages and Shop Now, among many others.
10. Facebook Pay makes it easy to get started with e-commerce.
If you want to start selling online through a Facebook shop, Facebook Pay is a straightforward way to jump into e-commerce and start accepting payments. When you sign up for Facebook Pay, it’s easy to link it to your Facebook shop and include it in your payment arsenal.
Anyone with a Facebook account can use Facebook Pay on Facebook, Messenger, or Instagram to buy almost any type of goods and services. When your shop offers Facebook Pay, you’ll have access to many customers and give them an easy way to pay and a speedy checkout process.
Facebook Pay is free to use for consumers and businesses.
Tip: Ways to promote your business on Facebook include creating a Facebook Page, posting consistently and forming a Facebook Group.
Why Facebook is valuable to businesses
Facebook is a social media networking site that allows users to connect with friends, family, co-workers and others, including groups of people who share similar interests. Users can share pictures, videos, articles and opinions with their friends.
To get the most benefit from Facebook, business owners should understand how it differs from other social networks. When social media networks were first launched, they focused on individual expression. However, Facebook prioritized relationship-building to foster an interconnected online community.
A Facebook Business Page can be an effective small business marketing tool. Here are some of its benefits.
- Connections: Businesses can connect with their customers and target audiences to share updates on hours, sales and promotions, new product offerings, pictures of merchandise, and more.
- Easy notifications and sharing: People who follow your Page receive an instant notification when you post new content.
With one click, they can share it with people in their network or a select group of friends. - Messaging: Customers and followers can comment on your posts and Page and send you direct messages.
- Customer engagement: A Facebook Page can help boost customer engagement. Engaging with followers and answering their questions can immediately elevate a prospective shopper into a loyal customer.
- Visibility: Even followers of your brand who don’t share your updates are public endorsers because their connections can see the brands they follow.
Other social networks may have different purposes. For example, Twitter lets businesses share news or short written blurbs of up to 240 characters. However, Facebook has developed the broadest set of business and networking features. Its feature set exposes businesses to a massive community of consumers and allows brands to engage with shoppers in unique ways.
Sean Peek, Chad Brooks and Jordan Beier contributed to the writing and research in this article.
Source interviews were conducted for previous versions of this article.
How is Facebook really useful for your business?
Image source
Corey Eridon, an expert at Hubspot, puts it this way: “Well, maybe you were a genius and a visionary back in 2008 and you said to yourself when you started your Facebook account, ‘I see real potential here for owners of any Internet business. But I wasn't that smart. I didn't appreciate Facebook's marketing capabilities back in 2008. But now we all understand how important this social service is for modern web marketing.”
1. General statistics: 42% of the surveyed Internet entrepreneurs believe that owning a Facebook account is critical for their business
We won’t even comment on this thesis: it’s just the way it is in the most developed Internet market - in the USA and Canada. In a couple of years - or maybe less - a similar picture will be observed in Europe and China, a year later - in Russia.
2. There has been a 75% increase in understanding of the importance of Facebook compared to 2009
Let's take 2009 as a starting point. What will we see? If in 2009 only 24% of the entrepreneurs surveyed emphasized the importance of Facebook in their marketing strategies, then this year there were already 42% of such entrepreneurs. Growth by 75% is a great result!
3. But not only Facebook is important!
The power of social networks is in the interaction and intersection of social ties. Of those same 42% of marketers surveyed, 62% say that while "Facebook is critical to their marketing strategies," they "don't put all their eggs in one basket" by using Twitter and Linkedin's "network of professionals" in parallel.
4. Investing in social media makes sense
Yes, judging by the survey results, this is certainly true: web marketers are now increasingly choosing to invest in promoting projects through social media: investments in social marketing currently double the investments in outbound marketing.
- What is Inbound Marketing
5. SMM (social media marketing) for B2B
Even though the social media space is considered private by definition, more and more B2B companies are starting to make their presence felt on Facebook. Of course, B2C companies feel “cozier” in social networks (77% of such companies have Facebook accounts), however, the B2B sector is also beginning to explore a new media space (43%).
6. Which business is most comfortable on Facebook?
Well, so far the championship belongs to the retail trade. Services in the field of education, as well as distribution and software development are also in demand.
7. What are marketers trying to achieve through Facebook?
Based on survey results, 85% of marketers on Facebook want to “claim” their product, roughly 70% hope to increase incoming traffic, and 55% want to generate leads.
All American Internet entrepreneurs surveyed unanimously agree that “any marketing strategy implemented on Facebook turns out to be very profitable in the end.”
8. Facebook marketing strategy has a very positive impact on the ROI of your project
As follows from the previous paragraph, the social media strategy implemented on Facebook is relatively inexpensive, which leads to a faster return on investment (ROI). It is not known whether this fact directly depends on the relative cheapness of advertising on social networks, but 80% of American users of such networks prefer to “contact” with their favorite brand through its social network account.
9. Facebook Timeline attracts more fans
The new design of the Facebook Timeline allows commercial account holders to engage more fans in their campaign. Good news for marketers: Facebook's new algorithm allows your posts to instantly appear in users' (fans') news feeds!
10.
Interactive content is the best way to interact with the user
In order to have the most effective impact on the user, marketers should “invest” in interactive content: videos, infographics, etc. Judging by the statistics, 65% of “big” brands (note that people who work there are used to counting every cent! ) use interactive content to enhance user engagement.
11. Don't worry about likes
If you think that your Facebook fans (or casual users) are not very willing to "share" your content, remember this - according to statistics, only 1 in 9your loyal fans who have read your latest post presses the share button. Focus on generating leads, don't chase the number of "likes" and comments.
12. But if you really want to interact with customers on Facebook, then do it "the old fashioned way"
Yes, you can create multiple templates and use a script to automatically post new posts.
However, the readers of your community want to communicate with a real person, and it is this way of interaction that contributes to the best conversion. Automatic posting or cross-posting of messages to all social accounts of your business reduces user loyalty by 70%.
- 10 Facebook Ads Campaigns That Really Work (and Why They Work) High conversions for you!
Based on blog.hubspot.com
2012-09-20
What is Facebook good for business? | Russian Voyage Magazine
In issue Russian Voyage Magazine No. 50
Author Olga Molendor
According to official statistics, about 28 million people in Germany are active Facebook users, of which 21 million use this network every day. No wonder so many entrepreneurs want to use social media to grow and promote their businesses. In today's article, I will answer the most common questions about Facebook for business.
Why should an entrepreneur create a Facebook account?
Social networks today are an analogue of word of mouth.
People here actively communicate, looking for advice and recommendations: “where to go for a vacation”, “where to buy ...”, “advise Reisebüro”. I'll tell you a story. The manufacturing company that I promote on Facebook periodically talks on its page about new products in the range. The buyers saw the information and asked the owner of the "Russian shop" in their city to order the goods they liked - as a result, the purchase amount from the supplier amounted to 2 thousand euros.
Another example. When promoting a travel agency in social networks, I constantly give feedback to users, respond to comments, including negative ones; there have already been cases when dissatisfied users became happy customers! Thus, social networks help in sales, shaping the company's image and receiving feedback from consumers.
How to register a business account on Facebook?
To register a business account, you must have a personal (private) account. Then, depending on your goals, you must decide on the type of representation: business page or group.
What is their difference? In short, page is your business card on Facebook, only you will determine its content, which will be available to all users.
Group is a community where each member can post their information and participate in discussions.
By the way, it may well be both (for example, the page of the travel agency "Globus" and the group "Recreation. Travel. Sea" associated with it). However, to begin with, I would recommend starting with the page: “get your hand in”, save time on administration, and the group can always be added later.
What to publish and how to promote?
Free (organic) ways to promote on Facebook include posts . From my experience, it is best to place texts on the page that tell about the life of the company from the inside: for example, short stories about employees, about significant events - anniversaries, birthdays, charity events taking place in a travel agency, give useful travel tips, talk about countries and attractions.
The main rule is that this information should be useful and interesting to your potential clients. To activate users, it is good to conduct all kinds of drawings, contests, polls.
Important! Your publications should be regular, at least every other day, and be accompanied by high-quality photos or pictures.
Another free way can be posting information about your business in thematic groups in your region. But here you need to be careful: not all groups allow the publication of promotional posts. As a rule, there are "promotion days" or certain criteria must be met. And don't forget about promotion in real life: place information about your social networks in printed promotional materials, invite buyers to "friend" right in the store, etc.
Getting a thousand subscribers in a year through organic methods alone is quite realistic. However, it is worth noting that due to recent changes in the issuance algorithms, Facebook is paying “more attention” to those pages that promote for a fee.
Simply put, you will gain the same thousand "friends" much faster by placing an advertisement. You determine the budget, placement period, target audience, gender and age. For example, for 100-150 euros per month, an entrepreneur or travel agency will be able to reach a 20,000 audience - quite enough for effective promotion in a small town. And by investing only 5 euros (for 5 days of placement), your ad or publication will be seen by about 500-1000 users. In addition, you can publish your advertisements in any language, depending on the language environment of your subscribers. Dear entrepreneurs, I hope that today's article was useful for you. And if you feel that for the development of your travel agency you do not have enough promotion in social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Odnoklassniki), then contact me directly. I will also help you develop an advertising campaign, write an advertising article, fill your website with interesting content, train tourism managers, share marketing tips and ideas to increase sales.
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