As the use of social media continues to increase, it has become a viable resource for business/client interaction. Research from early 2010 showed that 79% of Fortune 100 companies are using some form of social media; 75% are using Twitter and 54% have a Facebook account. Businesses have to go where their customers are. And where do customers hang out these days? Online, and a lot of their online time is spent on Facebook and Twitter.
In this article, we are going to talk about how Facebook can become a valuable resource for your company. There are more than 30 billion pieces of content shared each month on Facebook and it currently boasts over 500 million active users.
Who is Using Facebook? Just a Bunch of Teenagers, Right?
What if your clientele isn’t the young, hip crowd? Well, social media isn’t just for the young hipsters. Reporting in early 2010, 45% of Facebook’s users were over the age of 26, and the largest growth is being seen in users 55 and over. The same is true for Twitter – 65% of Twitter users are age 35 and older. Social media is unlimited by age and it’s a great idea to start meeting your customer’s where they spend the majority of their day – in front of a computer.
How Can I Use It?
We have several clients using Facebook and Twitter – one our services is social media management and this has proven very beneficial. There are many effective ways to maximize your online presence via Facebook, but we’ll focus on three for this article: mini-website, company updates, and networking.
Mini-website
While working on our own Facebook account, we discovered a new way to utilize it. In the past, there have not been a lot of customizable options on Facebook. A recent batch of upgrades changed all this. Facebook now has the capability to function as a mini-website!
We use this ourselves.
This is just another way for clients to learn about your services, and to be reminded of the many ways you can assist them. It’s also an attractive and professional landing page when you distribute your Facebook weblink – rather than landing on the usual newsfeed page, you can direct your clients to a fully customized page that matches your brand and website.
Company Updates
Providing timely updates is what started Facebook, and it remains the primary use. Using Facebook as a communication tool is incredible simply and effective. By providing daily updates, engaging in conversation with your clients, and uploading pictures, videos, and weblinks, you remain in the forefront of their mind and you build upon your relationships. Engaging in informal conversation helps provide balance to your usual business dealings and allows your clients to see a different side of you. You become more relateable.
Networking
With over 500 million active users, there are endless opportunities on Facebook to network. Whether you interact with others in your field, or make friends with other business owners to gain referrals, Facebook is an excellent tool for networking. You can search for users and companies and easily navigate their pages. You can even send private messages through a secure messaging center.
Are you Using Facebook Yet?
Best of all, Facebook is of course a free service. If you’re not currently using Facebook, you are missing out on some great opportunities to get in front of your clients. If you have questions about setting up your account, customizing, or managing it, don’t hesitate to send us an email. We’re here to help!
For more details on our services, please visit our main website here.