The
"social web" is fast becoming a dominant force in terms of driving
traffic flows on the Internet, threatening the major web players such as
Google, and is something you ignore at your peril.
People are
spending less time navigating the Internet on their own and are now
discover based on their friends' recommendations and activities. This
trend has led some experts go as far as to say social media could become
the Internet's next search engine.
Facebook has become an
integral part of the consumer Web experience and advertisers need to
figure out how to leverage this medium. Did you know that you can have a
Facebook page devoted to your business and you can alter the layout and
functionality of the page? The end result is your own "social" business
website for a fraction of what it costs to build a traditional
website.
Here's a brief rundown on some of the key Facebook features that relate to business promotion.
Facebook public profile:
A
Facebook profile page is one of the most ignored options for
establishing an online foundation for your business. In fact, it's
actually a makeshift website that you can populate for free and prime
space to advertise one's business.
Public profiles allow "fans" to
initiate and participate in discussions and most importantly Facebook
public profiles can be indexed by search engines, assisting your SEO
efforts.
Facebook events
Launched directly from your
public profile this feature lets fans know of upcoming events and
meet-ups your company will be hosting or involved.
Facebook groups
When
you're targeting a particular set of users, based on their interests or
location, Facebook groups is useful. Once you create a group, you can
use it to attract like-minded individuals and promote your business via
these channels.
Facebook ads
Facebook ads are text
ads mostly, but accommodate a small image. The two main concerns about
using these ads, however, are that most users find them irritating, and
secondly, they do not generate many clicks. Still, these ads can be used
to extend your business's visibility on Facebook.
Facebook apps
Facebook
applications, "apps" for short, are developed by third-parties and
cover a huge variety of categories and interests ranging from gaming to
music to travel to plain, silly fun. These widgets are a dime a dozen -
literally. Use these sparingly.
Facebook lexicon
Lexicon
gives you an understanding of what's trending within Facebook. All you
do is key in single or double-word keywords and analyse millions of wall
posts on Facebook.
Facebook share
This feature adds
a small button to your website that lets Facebook users share your
website details with their friends on Facebook - in short, it's an
unassumingly brilliant marketing feature to drive incremental traffic to
your site.
Facebook connect
Connect enables netizens
to use their Facebook ID to log in to other websites. In short, with
just one online identity, you can log in to various other sites and
establish your unique identity across all of them.
With some creative thought this has huge potential to multiply you audience 10 fold.
Personal profile
To
add to the authenticity of your business's presence on Facebook, we
strongly recommend that you link to a personal profile from your public
profile, because it adds that personal touch. You can use your personal
profile to network, connect, establish contacts and grow relationships
within your own circle, which will only add to your business's trust
factor in the long run.
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