Focus on Facebook, pt. 2: The Benefits to You

You might think Facebook is just a creepy website your kids go on to chat and share photos, but in reality it’s the biggest social networking site on the web, and it’s used by people of all ages and backgrounds. As of May, Facebook had over 900 million active users — it’s almost ok to say that everybody’s on it. And though you probably won’t be planning to reach 900 million potential customers with your marketing plans, it’s definitely safe to say that there’re a lot of people in your town, city, village, hamlet, etc. on Facebook — people you can reach out to, communicate with, and advertise to.

Part of the phenomenon of social networking and social media is based on people’s inherent need to interact — to network, to build communities and identities based on who they know, what they do, and what the represent about themselves publicly: their likes, dislikes, interests, etc. So, while Facebook’s main use is still keeping in contact with friends and family, a big part of it has become “liking” other pages and sharing links and things with friends to show who you are, what you like, and what you’re interested in. This is where making your own page comes in.

With Facebook, a whole country of consumers is just a click away.

By building a simple, free Facebook page, you quickly create an online focal point for a community of diners and customers who live in your area and appreciate your establishment. With just a little work on your part, you can get your current customers and regulars to “like” your Facebook page, and they’ll share it with their friends, etc. The more hits it gets, the more it gets around Facebook and other social media like Twitter, and the more people who are not already customers see it: free advertising! Plus, because anyone who likes your page gets updates on their “news feed” whenever you post a new status, photo, or link, you’ve created a community that you can reach simultaneously from behind your computer: have a special offer or sale? want to share something about your business? want to get feedback from your loyal customers? By simply posting something on your own page, you’re sharing it with everyone who is a part of your community. And, if they so choose, they can share it with everyone they are friends with and so on.

As you can see, Facebook presents a real opportunity for free marketing and community or brand building. It’s easy, inexpensive, and not all that time consuming. You can also take it a step further, should you choose, and purchase an add campaign (at any level of price you set) so a selection of Facebook’s user demographics will see your add on their homepage and be invited to like your page, visit your website, or come to your restaurant. Facebook marketing can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be, and it’s largely mold-able to your own needs. There’s really no reason not to be on Facebook.

Check back at the start of next week for another post about Facebook — How to Make a Page.

Until then, contact us here.