I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook. On one hand, it’s a great way to show off pics of my Costa Rica vacation and a super handy way to stalk ex-boyfriends. But on the other hand, it’s a TIME SUCKING VORTEX FROM HELL.
There. I said it. Facebook is a time suck. In fact, The Huffington Post says the average American spends eight hours per month on Facebook, which makes me, well…above average. (This could explain why no one in my family has clean socks this week).
With that in mind, Facebook can be a tough sell when I’m talking to busy entrepreneurs who are looking for new ways to find customers. They say, “Who’s got time for social media?” And of course I tell them: your customers have time for it. Eight hours a month, apparently. In other words, if your potential customers are on Facebook, you need to be on there too.
Here’s a quick way to get the convo started:
- Start a Facebook page for your business. Not a personal page – those are Facebook profiles. You want a Facebook page. There’s a difference, and the nice folks at FB have outlined it all.
- When you register the type of business you represent, select the “local” option so that FB will automatically provide a map to your front door.
- Get some photos up there. Don’t postpone this until you have time to hire a professional photographer; just use what you’ve got, since you’ll want to change these frequently anyway to keep your content “fresh.”
- Get to know the admin panel. This is the section only you can see, and it’s the place where you can monitor your traffic. Keep tabs on what kinds of posts get the most “likes,” as this is what you’ll want more (and more, and more) of.
- When you post, aim for a mix of content. Text, photos, graphics, links, videos – etc. Resist the urge to make every post a marketing message. Sales pitches don’t attract “friends.” Useful, entertaining info does.
See? That wasn’t so hard. Now you’re all set up. Check in tomorrow for a top 10 list of FB post ideas for small businesses.
Cheers!
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