Why Your Business Needs A Facebook Page

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: if you have a business, you need a Facebook page—period. (Clearly my blog doesn’t reach as many business owners as it should, though, because only 41% of small businesses have a facebook page).

Why am I so insistent on your business getting on Facebook? It’s not just because everyone (and I mean everyone – 750 million active users and rising) is on it, or because more and more businesses are getting on it. It makes sense for your business, and here’s why:

1. Facebook pages perform differently than websites. Should you get rid of your standard business website in lieu of your new Facebook page? No! But a Facebook page serves a different purpose. Most Facebook users use the site at least once a day—this means that it’s possible for you to reach your fans at least once a day. Your Facebook page can help you maintain an online presence and stay in front of your customers.
2. A Facebook page is good for SEO. We’re still deciphering what the exact impact of a Facebook presence is on a business’s search engine presence, but Google and Bing have both confirmed that they take Facebook content into account when calculating a business’s overall content quality. Initial research shows a compelling link between Facebook ‘likes’ and search engine traffic, too.
3. A Facebook page lets you listen to your customers. Facebook has a tool called “Questions” which serves as an automatic survey opportunity, allowing you to ask your customers questions on your wall and monitor the responses. It can be something fun and topical meant to engage your fans (“Superbowl Weekend is finally here! What’s your favorite Superbowl recipe?”) or something more specific meant as market research (“Attention Chicagoans: what do you think of the new State Street location?”).
4. A Facebook page = out-of-the-box viral marketing possibilities. When you post interesting updates—news, events, product updates, etc.—on your page, it will show in your fans’ newsfeeds. Then your fans are allowed to ‘like’ the post, and when they do, that ‘like’ will appear in their friends’ feeds and their friends will see the link. The more fans you have and the more friends your fans have, the more possible people are exposed to your brand.

If you’re clamoring to get started, check out Facebook’s “Facebook For Business” Get-Started Guide (which is actually pretty comprehensive and a good place to start). And keep your eyes peeled for my very own getting started guide.