Just because you’re a small business doesn’t mean you can’t have a huge impact on Facebook. The social network has enabled small businesses to stand side-by-side with large companies to grab customers’ attention and interact with them online.
Even if your marketing department is small, or even if you’re a company of one, you can still learn a lot from the big business approach to Facebook. Try these four ideas for running Facebook campaigns get big results, regardless of your company’s size.
Plan for success
One of the major reasons big companies succeed on Facebook is that they plan. Don’t make the mistake many small businesses do and launch a Facebook page just because everyone else has one. Do as the big companies do, and set goals and strategies for your efforts online.
Think about what you’d like to get from your Facebook activities. Do you want to drive more traffic to your online store? Are you hoping to build your newsletter list? Or, maybe you want to encourage repeat business and brand loyalty? Whatever your goals are, state them clearly, and create a strategy that will get you there.
Interact with your fans
Often, the most successful Facebook pages are those teeming with interaction. This is where big companies have a major advantage, simply because they’re staffed to keep the community active.
To compete with larger businesses, you need to go beyond static content (bio, a couple of pictures, and links to your website), and fill your page with content that engages the community. Creating a custom tab enables you to offer fun stuff on Facebook, such as contests and virtual gifts.
But don’t think you have to employ a pricey designer or know how to code to get the same eye-catching and interactive custom tabs big companies have. A custom tab app, like the one offered by ShortStack, can help you create tabs with the same functionality for an affordable price.
Be there for your fans
Big businesses know that social media provides a direct connection with their individual customers, so they hire community managers to communicate with customers on a full-time basis.
Even if you can’t hire someone to tend to Facebook full-time, you still need to check in more than sporadically to build a community. Try working social media interaction into your routine, being sure to respond to questions or comments on your page at least every day. You can tag-team Facebook page management among several staff members to be sure you’re covered, and you can hire responsible interns to help with social media management. Just be sure not to neglect your customers online – if you don’t answer their questions, someone else will!
Take advantage of your smaller size
Being a small company means you’re nimbler and more flexible than your larger competitors. For example, smaller businesses have the advantage of moving quickly to gather information from their community. If you want to know what customers think of your newest product, you can create a Facebook poll or simply ask them to post suggestions to your wall – and you can do this without the bureaucratic hierarchy that slows bigger companies down.
Or, maybe you want to scan Facebook for general feedback, responding to customer complaints and compliments. Because you’re the owner, you can make decisions like this and reply in real time.
Another example of leveraging your smaller size is offering deals to your community when you need to. If you need to clear inventory quickly, or you want to be sure your venue is filled tonight, you can offer great deals to your Facebook fans right now. Being a small business means you can avoid the lethargic corporate decision-making process and do what’s right for your business in a flexible way.
Have you noticed other big-business Facebook tactics that can be scaled to fit a smaller company? Talk to us in the comments section below!
Image courtesy of creative design agency Arrae
Google+Web.com is now offering forums designed to support small businesses in cities throughout the US. Learn more about these forums here: http://Businessforum.web.com/
Tags: engagement, Facebook, Facebook fans, Marketing, social media
Posted in Marketing, Social Media | 2 Comments »
