Building a Customer Base Using Facebook
This is a guest post by ZK, the co-founder of Internet Marketing Blog where accomplished writers and bloggers share their tips, strategies and stories.
If you have just launched a new online business but have no idea how to spread the word, Facebook is the answer. By using Facebook, you will be able to reach potential customers, maintain their loyalty, and keep them updated about your business.
The following are some strategies for building and maintaining a strong customer base for your online business on Facebook.
1. Create a Facebook page.
When you create a page for your business, your fans can ‘like’ your page and give your business more visibility. In addition, you will be able to post updates and send them to your fans.
You can also create messages targeted to your customers depending on their gender, location or age. This is a great way to stay in touch with customers since you can ask them questions, respond to their comments, announce special offers and provide other relevant information. Associating closely with your customers will help build trust in your company.
2. Get a little help from your friends.
If you have a personal account on Facebook and a significant number of friends, you could advertise your online business through them. Post status updates and links about the business on your page.
If some of your friends ‘like’ the business or one of the updates or links posted, their friends will be informed of this activity via their news feeds. Don’t harass your friends into liking your business, however, or you might do more harm than good.
3. Build expectations.
Are you looking for a way of creating buzz and excitement for your business? Make sure you build and maintain expectations. For instance, you can inform your customers that when you reach a specific number of likes, there will be a coupon or sale, free giveaways or any other type of special reward.
If you decide to set such expectations, you must make sure you deliver. Keep your customers interested and excited in your product by offering them a gift for liking your page, returning to it or referring their friends.
4. Keep everything up-to-date.
Updating your Facebook account is vital for maintaining your web business. You wouldn’t want your customers to get disinterested or wonder in your business still exists.
The Facebook page enables you interact and build a relationship with your customers. Therefore, you need to offer them the most recent and accurate to maintain their interest and loyalty.
What tips and tricks do you use to market your business on Facebook? Let us know in the comments section below.
13 Responses to Building a Customer Base Using Facebook
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I’m always surprised at how few retail spaces take advantage of Twitter and Facebook . The costs are low, the risks are manageable and your customers are already using the platforms . By engaging customers “where they live,” you can increase the foot traffic to your shop and grow your business.
Great post, I have to say I have been reluctant to use Facebook to market on-line, partly because I didn’t really want to intrude on my friends. You however have framed it so it is much more appealing. I never wanted to be like the insurance salesman that no one wants to invite to a party because he works the crowd. Offering incentives with a free gift like you mentioned, I think is a great way to make it a win-win situation for everybody.
I think the Facebook fanpage is a great idea, but what if your friends aren’t really interested in your business? Of course they may want to help, but the topic isn’t something they like in particular. Can you guess that is my situation? lol…good post anyway, keep writing Kelly!
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Very insightful! I don’t think enough people take advantage of facebook and twitter for their businesses, especially smaller ones! I’ve gotten a lot of advice and suggestions on utilizing social media networking and it has helped improve traffic to my website. Everyone should definitely look into the advantages and points you get across. Thanks, can’t wait to read more!
Word of mouth is the best for getting new customers. If someone likes the service you provide for them they will likely mention it to their friends and family and you’ll get more orders. But now you also need to make avail of other trends like Face book , many people use face book on daily basis and you can expose your business to such huge audiance. You can use Effective promotion can be handled though widgets, compelling welcome video, interesting Facebook applications, loading impressive videos, improving user interaction, running contests etc.
Like that line about harassing the friends for likes.
this is not necessary that all your friends will support your camping but i am sure 20% of them will like it if u insist them to do so
u would just need to sort out these 20 %.
I aggree you dont need to harass your friends or potential cusmers into liking your fan page or profile. Maybe just a small incentive for them to like you and always provide great value and content on your fan page.
There are already a lot of company trying to use Facebook to attract customers. But not only Facebook is available. actually, we can try other Social networking sites for the same purpose.
If you want to ut your ads on facebook to gain customers, just make sure they are attractive and readable.
Great point, Ryan. Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and other sites may also help. It all depends on your marketing goals and your audience.
To begin, you have to have a Facebook account. Then go to http://www.facebook.com/ads and then click on “or manage exisiting ads.” After you do so, go to “Billing” to input your information for payments. Now go back to the main interference, click on “Create an Ad” and this is where you make Facebook ads. Now that you have all that ready to go, you’re ready to make your first campaign.
Facebook is one of the most influential social media. If you post products here, that would be effective.