In today’s world many business owners large and small have accepted, succumbed to, or even surrendered to the fact that they can no longer ignore social media, especially Facebook. As of March, 2013, Facebook announced that it has 1.11 Billion active users on the website.

If you find Facebook a bit overwhelming, let’s break down five key actions to take to start interacting with and gaining fans for your business.

1. Take a look around: start with friends, family and employees

Inviting friends, family, employees and their friends and family is the best way to start building a Facebook fan base. These people are quick wins and will most likely “Like” you page out of friendship, love or support. There are a few key ways to get friends, family, employees and the networks to “Like” your page (sometimes at the risk of being slightly annoying, sorry!).

Once you are an “Admin” of the page you can make status updates and promote the page with greater ease.

STEP 1: If you are an “Admin” Click the “Invite Friends” button that you see as an Admin of page.



Step 2: Click the box by the friends you want to invite, and then click “Submit” at the bottom right.



2. Confident Self Promotion: it’s a good thing!

Always promote your social profiles in your marketing materials and in your store. If you have a store front it’s always a great idea to hang a poster or banner up in a very visible spot (often near the register) highlighting the URL of your Facebook page (www.facebook.com/examplebiz). The key is to offer some type of incentive for becoming a Facebook fan (see next tip for more details). Also include Facebook icons and your Facebook URL in any customer facing marketing materials such as e-blasts and mailings. To obtain the official Facebook icons and review their policies and usage visit the Facebook brand website: www.facebookbrand.com.

3. Incentives, Incentives, Incentives: the three most important reasons to like a Facebook page

Providing a real value on your Facebook page, for example, is going to give fans something to like, share or comment about. If someone can find all the same information you have on your Facebook page on your company website, why become a fan? Engage with your community and offer them a special incentive on their next purchase, a giveaway or a free consultation for answering a poll question or simply liking your page. Make your page more intriguing by posting a video only Facebook fans can see, or posting news and updates on Facebook first before other avenues.

4. Add some flare: Incorporate a “Like” button or Facebook Feed button

Make it easy for people to like your Facebook page without ever having to leave your website by adding a Like Button or Like Box. This helps keep your visitors focused on your website and gives them a reason to come back later. Also, adding a Facebook Feed to your website allows the visitor to see which of their friends also likes your page. Since the whole concept of social marketing is based off listening to people you trust (friends) to make decisions/purchases/plans, this tool is very effective in generating new likes!

5. Money well spent: Facebook advertising

Facebook advertising can be extremely successful in building brand awareness and generating new fans. The benefit of Facebook Advertising is their detailed targeting. This is more beneficial than Google Adwords which targets people by the phrases they type into Google, Facebook targets people based on their detailed interests and the make-up of their profiles. Facebook targeting goes as in-depth as identifying specific hobbies, experiences, family size, location, age and big life changes (marriage, baby, and home ownership) among many others. This means you are targeting people who you know could have a strong relationship with your brand and products. For example, if your company sells ski & snowboard products, you can run Facebook ads that target people who “Like” skiing and snowboarding groups and pages on Facebook.

One important piece of advice when it comes to Facebook fans is that quality is much more important that quantity. You want fans that will interact with your page and spread the message about your company to encourage others to join the fan base.

Number of Facebook users: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/17/facebook-user-numbers_n_3292316.html