Social media networks are fantastic platforms for great business opportunities with the millions of members each network enjoys. Facebook is currently the largest social media network site on the Internet with 500 million members. This would form the United States of America by population. However, the use of Facebook must be in conjunction with its available features and constraints to enjoy a boost to business ventures.
Fan Page importance
One of the effective Facebook features that can be used as a dynamic marketing tool is its Fan Page. This simple page can reach millions of potential target audience to fuel the business from oblivion to the limelight. Every modern business owner today would need to set up a Facebook fan page to enjoy a wider scope of business opportunities that would boost business presence in the market while staying ahead of the competition.
A fan page is different from a personal profile page on Facebook. A fan page is designed to host important business information that can be viewed by customers and potential leads to boost the business. Anything can be posted on this fan page especially business related information to update readers while personal thoughts and inspirations can be posted on the profile page. These two pages on Facebook allow followers to understand the business and the owner explicitly.
Updates can be executed instantly with the fan page while new friends or followers can be included at any time. All types of news can be posted to keep followers informed to benefit the business promoted. There are no technical issues on website operations and there is no need to hire a Webmaster with the page management or control. Simple maintenance serves to operate the fan page easily while benefiting the business.
Set up for promotion
A fan page is easy to set up with the availability of a valid or current Facebook account. The icons are easy to identify in setting up the fan page for promoting the business. A few clicks would easily set up the fan page for immediate manipulation to boost the business.
Business owners or marketers can select specific business types before filling the fan page with the relevant business information to promote the business. More information about the business allows Google to rank the fan page higher; this includes company logo, images and RSS blog feeds. A simple publishing of the fan page would kick off its public availability to activate business growth.
It is essential to market a Facebook page to gain the necessary customers to fuel the business. However, this task may not be as easy as a profile page. Market awareness is necessary through an organic sharing of the fan page. This can be achieved by identifying contacts from the Facebook profile. Professional or personal contacts can be invited to be a fan of the fan page. A well written note that explains the purpose of the fan page with relevant benefits would suffice to attract invitees to become members. A link to the fan page must be attached to encourage invitees to click on. A fan can invite others to become fans. This would cause a fan page to appear in the Suggested Friends column on others’ profile pages.
A host of activities can be planned and implemented with a fan page when there are enough members joining. The Facebook link can be added to the official web business site through blogs, Twitter, emails and other websites.
Fan members can generate online discussion or forums about the business products and services. Regular postings of relevant information that is helpful to the fans would keep them loyal.
Potential promotion activities
There is a myriad of activities that a business owner or marketer can take on with a Facebook fan page to promote its business and brand. It is easy for more consumers or Facebook users to like a business fan page that would boost the business growth. A simple replacing of the web business site URL with a Facebook fan page can propel the business from oblivion to stardom. Modern companies are requesting viewers to ‘Like’ them on Facebook which augurs well with top search engines for a greater market presence.
Business owners or marketers need to create a ‘Like’ landing page on the Facebook fan page. This is very effective in driving traffic to a more relevant search page than a business’s home page. A consistent branding is crucial in promoting a fan page everywhere to build the brand that would be memorable and impactful on consumers.
Another business promotion activity via fan page is to share the business information constantly. Updates on product or service information as well as job opportunities and awards keep the fans interested in the business. More can be done to increase the customer list via Facebook fan page; special events and exclusive offers can be created to entice new customers or prospects to join the fan page while current customers feel there are advantages in joining the fan page. The Facebook fan page serves as an extension of the web business site in promoting the business online.
The Facebook fan page can be manipulated to cross market to reach a wider audience. This is a great opportunity to promote the business on other online platforms through simple additions of buttons that link to the business fan page or networking channels like LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. Links can be created to blogs and online directories to promote the business through quality articles and banner ads that would enable visitors to find the business site.
The Facebook fan page can be manipulated to maximize its features. A lot of relevant information can be included to promote the business besides logo and business information; business tagline and images as well as URLs can be included to assist visitors in enjoying a more pleasant search experience on the business.
This is where more relevant links, buttons and images can be included on Facebook to interest visitors to the business site with repeat visits. Good links allow visitors to surf related business platforms for more sales and profits.
Today businesses and brands are using the social media to reach consumers where and when they are most open to marketing messages.