New Data Available via Facebook

Facebook is again tweaking the way information can be presented to users. The new feature called Graph Search serves up demographics in very specific ways. For example, if you sell a specific product, you can ask the question "People who like {your competition}. You can then whittle down the demographics any way you want; by age, gender, place of business, etc.

This feature is not available to the general public yet (still in beta environment.) It also presents some contrary social issues. But as the information is already available to the technical savvy with plenty of time on their hands, it will probably become one of the informational marketing tools available to business.  

Facebook joins the Search Engines

The other day while maintaining Search Engine Optimization for a client I was pleasantly surprised when, at the top of the search page, there appeared an appropriate entry from the client's Facebook page. The Facebook page had been built a bit less than a year ago, and since, had been seeing a steady level of activity from customers. We have kept interest alive through posts that are a mix of research, information, and business information---deals and sales. Customers who are engaged enough to post a question receive answers back---it's become another avenue for customers to join the business.

And now all that hard work this client has invested will pay off as the Facebook page joins other posts from the company website to give relevant information, not only to a select group of customers, but out to the entire web, hopefully gaining new customers.

Getting your business out onto the web and gaining new customers and making sales is a process much like building in brick and mortar. Each post that is made is part of getting your information out there, building trust about how great your business is, and developing a following of customers that will keep coming back to you for their needs over and over again.      

Check that Facebook Page

My favorite businesses fell off my own news feed over the holiday season. Facebook, forever tweaking their pages and systems apparently was trying something new.

After emailing Facebook through their "Get help from us link" and being told that they didn't respond to individual concerns, I noticed I have a "Pages link" on the left hand column of my Facebook page. The news that got thrown to this page was mainly from small business pages that I had subscribed to---the big guys like Amazon were still shooting to my news feed. Once I clicked on the Pages Link and added Pages to my favorites, I'm seeing the small businesses in my feed again.

I hope that this isn't part of a growing trend by Facebook to freeze out the little guy. Forcing out small businesses will not only hurt local communities, but will lesson user experience. It sure lessened mine.  

Facebook Posts for Business

You can now post your Facebook content for a more convenient time for your audience. By clicking on the clock icon on the bottom of your post box you can choose the best time and date for your posts.

And what time is optimal for your posts? This takes a little of experimentation and a review of your Facebook metrics. You'll want to time your posts so that your post appears at the top of your customer's news feed. So the best time to post really depends on what you're posting and who your customer is. If you are posting to a younger crowd who is likely to be online between 11PM-12AM then you might try a post at that time.

But if your customers are likely to be early risers a post at 7AM to 9AM may get you better results. And whatever time is best for your business, it's now easier to tweak and schedule with the new Facebook timer.      

Facebook Pages Change Over this Week

Expect your Facebook page to change whether or not your business is ready for it by the end of the week. So what is the minimum that you need to do?

You need a graphic---851px x 315px. If it's not the right size it will be cut by Facebook's program and sometimes that doesn't look so great. Once the photo/graphic is uploaded it can be moved around if necessary to get the photo at the best advantage.

You'll also need a square image 180px x 180px. Your logo or picture that you have been using may be something that you can continue to use. Or this is may be an opportune time to update your images and make sure that your whole front page reflects your branding and what you do. 

Updating these images is the bare minimum that needs to be done. There are a many things that you can add to the body of the page and many things you can do to manipulate the information on your page to make a better experience for your visitors.  

 

More on our Facebook campaign

The Facebook campaign for our client continues to garner likes and added benefits. Customers are coming to the page to provide complimentary comments on products and services. They are complimenting staff---making everyone's day better. They are visiting the website, signing up for newsletters, and making the business their own.

So far the campaign has added benefits unforeseen.  

More on our Facebook Rollout

Giving away $10 in merchandise, no strings attached, increased activity on Facebook by 300%.

A newsletter sent out to a subscriber list solicited likes to the page. We had postings and fliers for the store. And with all the happy customers, the word is getting out that the local store is a premier place to shop and do business. We've gotten unsolicited positive feed back posted to our timeline regarding store personnel and service. We've taken advantage of opportunities for enhanced service.

The magic of the campaign is that it is reasonably priced advertising that connects directly with the customer---giving value to the people who are directly important to the business as customers  and rewarding those who love the business through word of mouth---a win--win connection directly between business and customers.

And you really can't beat that.  

Facebook and Small Business

We're doing a Facebook start up for a small local business. Over the next few weeks we'll be engaging customers, recruiting likes, tweaking the pages.

In the last few days what has become most apparent is that, for the initial start up anyway, it is imperative that an in store program is developed to launch the program. Fliers, a way for customers to log on in store and post a like, and posters for windows and doors announcing the Facebook role out help get the word out.

Your Facebook Profile Picture

Facebook's new format places that Profile Picture at even a bigger premium than before. In a square 180 pixels by 180 pixels you need to tell the world who you are---your brand. And some of the biggest brands miss the boat.

I cringed when visiting one of my favorite congressman's page and found that his profile was a picture of him at a podium---several feet back from the podium. It's even doubtful if anyone could make out who was at the podium with 3000 pixels---a missed opportunity.

There is no mistaking Coke's profile picture though, even as they are adjusting the branding again. Amazon, Tide, Target, and Kmart all cram their branding into 180 pixels by 180 pixels that is easily identifiable no matter how small the image is reduced---a challenge well met.  
 

Why do Social Media?

So why do Social Media? Just assume that your blog post about your Spring sale generates 25 likes and that those 25 customers have just 25 friends who receive that information. Your business potentially receives attention like this:

And where else can you get your storefront out like that?