But before you start ...
Marketing via Facebook or another social networks that must be done strategically, through a proper marketing plan. So many people have destroyed their businesses because they have abused these networks. Once you become familiar with the tools described below, takes time to outline a plan for yourself.
Here are some of the different tools (all free), as Facebook allows you to advertise your business. Using these tools wisely will help your business grow. Abusing them will kill your company and leave you with a reputation for nothing but a spammer. Browse Facebook and "Programs" link to find all of the following:
Creating a
group:
All of Facebook can start their own group. An excellent way to build a community around your product or service is creating a group that represents it. Some of the features that a group is a discussion forum, a "wall", sent items (great place to post links) and the ability to upload videos and pictures. When you start building your group, which is very easy to do, you can add your website link, location, contact and other information you want. The next step is to invite your personal networks to join your group.
Connecting Other Groups for Marketing Your Business:
The groups are one of the most powerful places that can help you promote your business. The effective way to do this is to join groups that are relevant to your business. Join these groups and become active in them. If you register and post a message only once, nobody will look at you. Rather than attend to and fro on the discussion board and post regularly on the walls. One of the most effective ways to get attention is to share your articles on the discussion board and respond to others' questions. In many ways this is a forum. When you begin to participate in these discussion boards, people will respect you and learn to trust you.
Pages:
Facebook recently launched the "Pages", which correspond to groups. "Pages" allows companies to establish a brand presence on Facebook. You can add html code, flash files and even Facebook applications for Pages can help you customize the page better, which you can do in groups. People who join your Page is called "Fans" - they become "fans" of your business.
Using the Wall:
On your profile page, you have what is called "The Wall" - this is where members of the network can send messages on your profile page. When someone posts something on your wall, and when you post on friends' walls, all in your network see it. (Be careful not to post very private messages on a friend's wall. If you need to do it, you have the opportunity to send a message to your friend's Facebook inbox.)
Events:
If you have an event related to your business or a sale at a friend's house or on Ebay, this online place where you want to write about it. After you create your event, you can invite your network to view and participate (or politely decline).
Notes and Photos:
These two applications allow you to share articles, blog entries, or images with your network. You can use these programs to discuss your business or share photos of your products. Your friends can publish comments on your posting.
Messages:
This is an excellent alternative to using your regular email. With this program you can send personal or group messages to people in your network. The beauty of this application is that you're protected against the possibility of sending unintentional spam, since Facebook has excellent ways to eliminate this possibility before you can post anything. Just be careful not to email too frequently.
Marketplace:
Marketplace is Facebook's classifieds listing service. Here you can write a series of ads related to your business. Market Place, you can upload pictures as well. Just be careful not to flood the market with your ads, as this will get you deleted from Facebook.
Status:
This amazing feature allows you to let your network know what you're doing at any given time. If you have just uploaded new content to your site, added a new product for your product line or anything, it might be.
Now that you have received the basics of marketing through Facebook, you're probably thinking, "So every time I post a topic or a photo, I have to message it to my friends? It will take forever!" If that's what you think, this next and final aspect of Facebook that we will discuss will blow your mind:
Facebook's News Feed:
This is our favorite, and it is Facebook's unique advantage over other social networks. When you log into your Facebook account, the first page you will see is the news feed. This page gives you all the latest news in your network: updates of what your friends have done on Facebook, what groups they joined, what products they have posted, what videos they've uploaded, whom they've added as friends to their network, etc. And as you can see what your friends are doing, they can see what you do. In other words, every time you post something, your whole network will see it. This exposure gives an awareness about your product or service within your network and elsewhere.
Be sure to use this feature, like all the tools in Facebook, with your integrity. Keep it clean, and people will respect you.
