Facebook as a Marketing Tool for Local Businesses
March 10, 2009 at 12:57 am | Posted in Business Tips, Entrepreneurs, Facebook, Marketing, Social Media | 3 CommentsTags: Entrepreneurs, Facebook, Marketing, Small Business, Social Media
I’m going to take a look at two very different businesses and how they use Facebook as a marketing tool.
One is a well known brand/multi-million $ business in a major U.S. city and the other is a small hair salon in the interior of British Columbia.
Two reasons: Contrast and Compare. While these businesses are very different entities – they both leverage Facebook for the same purpose and strategy. People have a lot of questions about how to use Facebook to promote their business. There is no doubt that Facebook provides huge potential – but many people are unsure how to best make use of it.
Facebook benefits B2C companies with immediate and collaborative communication. Their audiences are already there on Facebook – Here’s an example of one…
Click here to see Natasha’s Hairdooz on Facebook.
There are a number of things that I think Natasha is doing very well with Facebook:
- Leveraging Her Network: With almost 300 Friends (50% are customers), there are frequent posts on Natasha’s profile about her customer’s satisfaction and requests for appointments.
- Customer Testimonials: Natasha posts photos from in the salon and hair styles of her customers for all to view.
- Profile and Page Integration: By building a Page about her business with location and contact info, she also drives a lot of discussi0n back to her profile as well.
Some Key Points…
Natasha targets younger clients through Facebook and her salon offers free wireless internet access. Her friends and customers are already on Facebook and by allowing them to connect with, participate in and access her business on Facebook, she gains immediacy, convenience and promotion that is unachievable by any other means. Having a camera on hand at her work allows Natasha to photograph clients and then post the pictures on the spot.
One of the greatest features of Facebook is the visibility it provides – when anyone in her network makes a comment, all the other Friends see that comment too – this results in exponential exposure for conversations surrounding the hair salon.
Facebook leverages the network that people already have in a very effective manner and can be an excellent marketing tool for solo entrepreneurs in the B2C field. On the flip side, my next post will break down how a much larger business in the sports industry uses Facebook as a part of their marketing strategy…
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Carson McKee,
Digital wing man and social media consultant. -
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Hi this blog is great I will be recommending it to friends.
Comment by watcat— March 16, 2009 #
Great posting. What advantages do you see to using a group vs a fan page vs a profile for a business or do you suggest using them all?
Comment by cathy— March 28, 2009 #
Great question Cathy, here’s a quick breakdown:
- Group page: best for something shared as a commonality/shared like among people… like wine or fitness… a place where people can connect to share info. Use a group page if you are a personal trainer for example…
- Page (Fan Page): Originally designed for users to be “fans” of something (like their favorite sports teams), Pages can be used to promote your business, either B2B or B2C.
- Profile: Is all about you… Your Group or Page will always tie back to your profile, so if you have professional uses on Facebook, keep your profile professional as well. Keep all the fun and personality that Facebook affords, but (of course) watch language and content. Profiles are the core of your Facebook marketing strategy.
Thanks again!
Comment by Carson McKee— March 29, 2009 #