One of the first objections business owners have to marketing on facebook is that they feel to see the connection between the real world and the digital world. In the past this could have easily been accepted but it seems like these days everything is being done online, from shopping and finding local businesses to paying your bills and managing your finances, its all being done on the internet. And in the world of marketing, local businesses are quickly realizing that without a decent web presence that they will be left behind as more and more people are ignoring the big yellow phone books and choosing instead to perform a simple web search or in the case of facebook and other social media sites, ask their friends which business they should use.
And thats probably the biggest benefit that facebook can give any business, word of mouth marketing. Its one thing for a customer to see your billboard or hear your radio ad, but when their friends or family actually suggest your business it takes that recommendation to a whole new level and it’s take a lot more seriously than when they’re being “marketed” to which is something that most people just flat out hate. The viral nature of facebook allows people to quickly let everyone in their social circle know that they’re a fan of your business and like in true viral form, the word begins spreading fast.
The simple formula is this, the more facebook fans you have the more exposure you get, the more new fans you get. This is a double edged sword because without an existing fan base, it’s very hard to go out and get new fans without spending money on facebook advertising which can end up costing you a bit if you’re not experienced with it and it seems like advertising agencies keep charging more and more to manage facebook ads. So the solution is actually really simple, get more fans either through contests with your existing fans. Something like a simple gift card or a buy 1 get 1 free offer can be a great motivator for your fans and will get them talking about your business and driving more of their social circle towards your facebook page.
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