Don’t be surprised if we hear a major announcement some time during this year to tell us that Facebook has surpassed the 1 billion number in terms of its user base. Considering that half a dozen years ago this platform didn’t even exist and is an idea that was essentially dreamed up in a college dorm room, this is quite amazing. Almost 3 out of every 4 people that interact with the Web in the United States have a Facebook presence. Almost 50% of the important demographic 18 to 34-year-olds use Facebook to get all their news. It is, in turn, becoming an essential part of life for a huge segment of the entire population.
If we all agree with the fact that an online presence is absolutely critical for any business of any kind, then we shouldn’t really need to answer a question that asks why we might need a Facebook page. Whilst the site itself is, despite its massive size, still maturing and developing, it is very important that each and every business has its own focused page and strives to keep in touch with existing clients and reach prospects through this site.
If you don’t have your own personal page on Facebook then it’s highly recommended that you do create one, just to see what all the mania is about. What you will notice is that the personal page has certain limitations. Whilst you’re limited in the number of friends you can have as part of your own individual community, there are fewer restrictions when it comes to a business page. There are ways to use this page so that you can specifically create your image and customise it so that it looks like a part of your brand.
It’s possible to use specific tools and resources to include HTML coding of your own design so that you can use a Facebook business to capture leads, display specific branded messages and so on. Remember that there is an incredible network of people engaged here and hundreds of thousands of different groups related to your product or service in all probability.
The main idea is to ensure that you keep in touch with prospects and customers by providing them with news and information, industry related discussions and by being as proactive as you possibly can be. Once a page is created you have to remember that it’s like a living, breathing thing and you shouldn’t just leave it until you remember that it hasn’t been updated for a long time.
It’s not that difficult to set up the bare-bones of a business page on Facebook. However, if you’re going to make the most of it and to brand it so that it looks like an extension of your website, this is a perfect task for your virtual assistant. The VA can be engaged to update the page on a daily basis with relevant business news and insights. Don’t forget that Google indexes these business pages and as such this resource could be an additional way of driving presence on the other search engines, and as a result, traffic as well.
Do you have a Facebook page? Like my page and I’ll like yours back.
