Users also grumble about businesses on Facebook, but again the numbers tell the truth. There is statistic after statistic showing that users find out about businesses via Facebook. The Pages their friends like? We tend to lean towards those brands when we are looking for something specific. Facebook is where it's at!
If you are a business, a non-profit, a writer, or anyone who wants to get the word out about their particular product, you need a Facebook Page. Here are some reasons why:
1. It's separate from your personal page. If the goal here is promotion, you want to reach beyond your circle of friends. You do not want to become friends with everyone on Facebook, because there might be things you would like to not have the entire public knowing about. A Facebook Page allows you to keep it strictly business, or at least control what you allow your fans to see, while your personal page is still free to rant and rave and post pictures of your family in a (somewhat) private setting.
2. Less confusion. Most people have their personal pages locked down to "friends only." Yet I see many friends in who post things to promote their business, and I can't share it on my page unless their settings are "friends of friends." I have also seen people make their business posts public, but why have the hassle of changing your privacy settings every time? What if you forget to put it back to a more secure setting? Better to just have a Facebook Page, and then you can occasionally cross-post over to your personal one. Plus, having a Page for business looks more professional than using your personal one.
3. Other Pages can't share your content, or link to you. Having a Facebook Page is all about networking and sharing, but you can only do it with other Pages. I love promoting other people and their business on my Page. If I can't link to you, no one is going to find out more. Remember, people read Facebook news feeds primarily on their mobile devices. Even if I link to your website, the chances of someone clicking over on their phone are slim. You have a much better chance of getting a new like on your Facebook Page, because it's easier to do when you're mobile.
4. Even if you don't think it's your demographic, it is. Let's say you have something you sell in which the target demographic is ages 10-15. While Facebook does get the most usage, more and more teens are hitting Instagram and Tumblr and not even giving Facebook a thought. However, all of those kids have parents. Parents and other family members who are always looking for gifts, or ideas for their kids. Or they just want to know more about what their kids are into, and they are having a hard time with the speed of Tumblr/Instagram. Facebook is a better pace for that age group. ;)
Besides, how many parents do you know who are into the same things their kids are? Books, movies, clothes, music? I bet you know plenty, and they're not just doing it because their kids are into it. They really like it too. At times even more than their children.
Time to get that Page up and running. It takes some work up front, but maintaining is easy. Let me know if you need some help, I'd be happy to!
Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined, you can follow my daily ramblings on Twitter, and get all sorts of information from my Facebook Page! See you around the interwebs!
