There are now over 500 million users on Facebook. The marketing potential is infinite. Facebook recently topped Google and became the most visited U.S. website, indicating a shift in how and where people are searching for information as well as spending their time.Many business owners have tried their hand at Facebook marketing. However, to truly be effective in order to see a return on investment of time, and realize a profit, there are strategies and techniques that need to gleaned and adhered to, like any other marketing method. Social media is not the forum for spamming and can negatively impact a business quickly.
Here are three effective Facebook marketing strategies that will help you attract your ideal clients.
1. By aiming your “friend” requests squarely at your target market you can gain potential clients who are interested in your services. Avoid the the temptation to spam them with link after link back to your business. Instead, simply place the kinds of updates people might like to read, like:
- What your business is doing that is new and exciting
- Blog posts, videos, pictures, news stories or items of interest to your target audience
- Tip of the Day style short posts which are of immediate interest and need to your followers
Also, refrain from inviting your friends to events when they live out of your area. This is a pet peeve of most Facebook users and will get you unfriended quickly. Instead, create lists of your local and non-local friends and avoid appearing as an inept Facebook user.
2. Spend time reading other people’s updates and doing so in a way that helps you comment intelligently on their post. If your target customer says they are having a problem, you can add a tip. Rest assured that a helpful and non~salesy answer to their problem will entice them to visit your profile. It is imperative to make sure that your profile is up to date and conveys the following information:
- What you do
- How long you’ve been doing it
- Who you do it for
- Where they can go to find more information (your website)
If someone is struggling with a problem very openly you can even make use of the “send a message” function to send a private message. Offer some freebie information to help this potential customer with his specific problem. Do it in a polite way that does not come across as marketing hype or as spam.
3. Post weekly status updates to your business page that promote special events or promotions you’ve got going on, so long as these sorts of posts are not the sole focus of your every day work on Facebook. Remember that nobody enjoys a constant stream of promotional messages on their social networks. You’ve also have to participate if you want to sell.
Do you have any comments about using Facebook marketing? Please leave me a comment, I’d love to know your thoughts.