This post has been revised, click here for the latest update.
Facebook pages have become the successful launching pad or website complement for many small businesses and WAHers (I am hereby coining this for “Work At Home ers”). For small businesses without a bricks and mortar presence, Facebook gives the opportunity to have a conversation and demonstrate the personality of the business and therefore bridge the service gap.
This post is going to focus solely on Facebook Pages for bricks and mortar businesses, with strategies to benefit both Retail and Professional Service industries.
This post assumes you have a Facebook page running for your business. If you don’t, please contact me at maryanne@wiseupmarketing.com.au, I can direct you to some fantastic articles and free eBooks that take a step by step approach to helping you get started.
Ask everyone – “Why not like us on Facebook?”
Once you have set up your Facebook Page it is important to let your clients know and to ask them to like you on Facebook.
- Print a small strut card and place it on your reception counter or at your register
- Update your business card with your Facebook page name
- E Mail your database to announce the launch of your Facebook page
- Add a Facebook news feed on your website homepage
Building up your offline clientele in your online space gives you the ability to extend your brand and promotional message so that it is regularly in front of your customers, keeping you top of mind.
What should your business “do” on the business page?
- Use a profile picture of your shop front if you are in retail
- This acts as a visual cue for your clientele. It reminds them who you are when you pop up in the newsfeed and when they walk past, too
- Use a profile picture of your staff if you are in professional services
- This reminds your clientele they know you personally when you pop up in the newsfeed and reminds them of the one on one relationships they have built up
- Communicate in a style and tone that reflects your bricks and mortar business
- Don’t be overly casual just because it is Facebook. Your Page is still a reflection of your brand and should align with your overall brand strategy
- Post photos of new stock that has come in, stock that is on sale and people interacting with your stock
- Post videos that are created in the workplace featuring staff and clientele
- Educate your clientele by sharing relevant articles, think of the magazines you keep that are relevant, now look for those sort of articles and spreads online and share
- Boast a little! Announce any awards you have been nominated for or better still, have won, congratulate staff members on achieving service milestones or on new qualifications. Keep building the sense of community
- Announce events and invite clientele to attend
5 Ways Your Business can benefit from a Facebook Page
1.Profile Tagging
When clients come in, ask them if they have seen you on Facebook. If they say they like your page, tell them you plan to send them a shout out when they leave.
“Kylie’s Hair and Nails had a great morning with Rebecca Appleton, we love your new look”
Profile tagging delivers in three ways:
1. Like a thank you card, it gives your clients a warm and fuzzy feeling of being important to your business
2. Through the newsfeed, it reminds your other clients of what you do and why they liked you
3. Through the newsfeed of your client, your business is promoted to a greater network, attracting new likes that are valuable
Always make sure you have told your client that you will do a shout out to ensure they agree. It could offend to shout out without warning.
2.Check In’s
“Check In” is usually done on an iPhone or Android phone whilst at a location. A user goes onto Facebook and selects the place they wish to “Check In” and this then broadcasts their presence across their newsfeed and on the page of the place
they have checked in.
So like a profile tag, it then means your business is promoted to the network of your client. To take advantage of checking in make sure when you set up your page you selected “local businesses and places” as your page category and entered in your full address. This allows your clientele to find you when searching and then can “Check In” when at your place of business.
Encourage “Check In’s” by offering special discounts and offers for clients who check in.
“If you “Check In” today, you’ll get 10% off”
We have developed process cards to take staff and clients step by step through the check in process. Get in touch if you would like a copy.
3.Photo Tagging
Like profile tagging and “Check In’s”, Photo Tagging also promotes your business to your client’s network. The additional benefit of photo tagging is you are promoting your products at the same time.
“Alice trying on our latest pair of Religion Jeans”
“Tom choosing between Aviators and Wayfarers, what do you all think?”
Photo tagging gives the opportunity to start a conversation between current clients and potential clients about your product range, further motivating potential clients to come and find your retail store.
4.Geographical Targeting
Another benefit you can tap into as a business with a physical location is geographical targeting. You can create a Facebook Ad campaign and target a radius around your business (smallest is currently 10 mile, which is 16km). This means your ad only shows to those who have selected their location and it falls within the radius you select. Instead of running an ad to everyone, or for example, shoe lovers, where there will be a lot of wastage, you can run your ad to shoe lovers within 16km of your retail location.
5.Reach clients outside of your location
Finally your business can benefit from having a Facebook Page by using it to extend your reach outside of your location.
Upload albums of your new arrivals, sale stock, most popular, offer free postage and free exchange for any Facebook orders. You may find you attract some new clients that your retail store could never service before, whilst also increasing the convenience for some of your existing clients to shop from home.
It is important to keep up to date as the rules of Facebook Pages are always changing; these tips are current at the time of publishing. I will endeavour to
update this post as changes occur.
Need help with your Facebook for business strategy? Our Mini Marketing Plan looks at all elements of your marketing mix and gives you strategies to grow that you can start working on immediately.
Until next week F is for Facebook and also for Frenemy (also known as your old boss)
Mary-Anne
