The world of social media offers thousands of ways to initiate discussion about your business, plenty of avenues to stake a claim to and hundreds of social media networks to broadcast from. But all of these paths lead back to Facebook.
Facebook is the prime example of social media success, a network boasting 845 million active users everyday. How will you employ Facebook for your business? How can it grow your users, customers, and interactions in ROI?
The short answer is Facebook fan page marketing. But marketing is a generic term covering a wide range of ways to penetrate your specific target audience. This song and dance can go in any direction, but the newest way to generate leads, supply value and connect with your supporters, is through Facbook Fan Page Websites.
These websites are relatively new, especially for small business owners. Large brands have a large budget and publish them on a daily basis with games, sweepstakes, and special offers. They launch full-scale marketing campaigns right inside a fan page because they know it is where the users are and want to stay.
Let’s talk about what a Facebook website is and will do for your small business.
1. It is a real website inside of a Facebook fan page.
A FB website can do all the things a normal website can do, but the trick is to keep it simple. It is critical to impress your customers with an easy to navigate site full of useful information and a straightforward approach to communication.
The best sites utilize 3-5 tabs: landing page, services/specials page and a contact page. Of course the site can be as in-depth as your business needs, but keeping the focus on leads and pertinent information gives your users a reason to come back and interact. And it further develops the relationship with them.
A wide range of features will intensify the site and add some spunk, such as: videos, streaming Twitter feeds, animation and many others.
2. It is a power-punch marketing tool.
Perhaps you want to promote a new product, showcase new real estate listings, or generate excitement over a new specials in a restaurant – a FB website adds kick and pizazz to any campaign.
It is the new vital organ to any marketing plan. And the power lies in the fact FB websites allow users to stay where they want to be, inside Facebook.
Everyday, 1 of every 5 page views is on Facebook, 2.7 billion people decide they “Like” something new on Facebook fan pages, and there are 100 billion connections made through Facebook. It is the place to be.
Your business may have an incredible website, but keeping people in the social arena is key to getting them to notice you. Be wise enough to go where the business is, instead of hoping it will come to you.
3. It is an excellent way to generate new leads.
How does your business currently produce new leads? Do you have a plan in place? Is it through word of mouth, newspaper advertising, social media mediums or email newsletters?
FB websites extend deep into the tendrils of Facebook and grab the attention of users unknown to you in your market through sharing functions, interactive page elements and easy contact information.
For example, let us imagine you are a restaurant owner who wants to push new specials. They are added to the homepage and your network is notified of the change. A customer becomes enamored with a particular item and shares it with a friend saying, “Let’s go eat this tonight.” The share is seen by the followers of both people and generated in their news stream. Your penetration rate has just skyrocketed with one share.
There are unlimited ways to spawn new leads through Facebook websites.
4. It is a fire-starter for your current Facebook Fan Page.
You already have a Facebook Fan page with a decent amount of supporters where pictures and funny quotes are posted, and a few comments are left by its users.
Time to take it to the next level with a Facebook Website.
Streamline pictures into slideshows, present your products with pictures and information, give users the opportunity to share them, create a special or promotion, offer exciting rebates, giveaways or humanize the business by featuring a particular employee.
Your page should not be the same as everyone else and it definitely should not stagnate in growth or interaction. If you have the beginnings of a community, it is imperative to reach out to those people or you are sacrificing their business and the possible business of everyone they know.
5. It grows your ROI
Let’s be honest, everyone has bills to pay and the possibility of increasing revenue is at the heart of every Facebook page, whether in Likes, business leads or through inventory sales.
A Facebook website will increase ROI simply by reaching a wider range of people, giving them access to your products, services and allowing them to interact with you in a more personal way.
A Facebook page is the vital customer service piece your business is missing. It offers a simple way for users to contact you, inquire about services, showcase portfolios, launch marketing campaigns and countless other features that will capture the attention of the Facebook realm.
Facebook websites are a new and exciting way to rejuvenate your business or kick-start it to the next level.
Come chat with the LinchpinSEO social media experts and let us develop a marketing campaign to awaken your brand or to successfully launch it into the online marketplace.
Ahna Hendrix is LinchpinSEO's very own Social Media expert. She previous designed Facebook product launches for Eva Longoria, Angry Birds Space book, Wolfgang Puck ads and National Geographic Books campaigns. Based in the NYC area, she enjoys running with her dog, Mani, indulging in oaky red wines, and curling up with a good book.
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