Six Reasons Why Your Business Should Have a Facebook Fan Page

You’re debating on whether or not you should set up a Facebook fan page for your business. Perhaps you are uncomfortable or unfamiliar with social media. Maybe you are unsure if a Facebook page will target the right audience. You’re not alone. There are many companies out there that still do not recognize Facebook as a valuable resource. Let me help you break away from that pack by pointing out some of the benefits of a fan page.

1. Your customers are most likely already using various forms of social media. And with over 1 billion active users, Facebook is the largest social media network in the word. Don’t forget that while your main business is B2B, those companies employ real, live people. It’s highly probable that the decision makers at those companies are using Facebook. I’m also willing to bet that most of your customers aren’t visiting your website daily, yet over half of all Facebook users log on to Facebook every single day. According to mashable.com, 50% of consumers think a company’s Facebook page is more useful than it’s website.

2. Your competition probably already has their own social media presence. If you aren’t interacting with your current and potential customers on Facebook, your competitors probably are. I’ve heard the analogy that social media is like a marathon. A marathon runner spends months training for the big race. Building your brand online is no different. It takes time and energy. It doesn’t happen overnight. I think it’s safe to say that many of your competitors have been running the social media race for years. The good news is it’s not too late for you to gear up and start hustling.

3. Creating a fan page gives you an opportunity to develop relationships with your clients and establish an online community. Research shows that people want to do business with people they can trust. Facebook offers the perfect opportunity for you to earn that trust. In a study conducted by Lab42, 75% of consumers feel more connected to a brand on Facebook and 69% liked a brand just because a friend did.

4. Starting a Facebook page for your company is a great way to boost your online presence. For those of you that don’t currently have a company website, a Facebook page is a simple and easy way to market your business online without the added costs associated with launching a full-blown site.

5. Facebook pages and their content are indexed by search engines (i.e. Google). Even if your business already has a website, Facebook gives your company an even larger web presence. Like your current site, your Facebook page can be returned in search results. Furthermore, the content within your page works to increase your page rank.

6. It’s Easy. Facebook offers a simple walk-through to help you create your business page. Keep in mind that Facebook “profiles” are intended for personal use, while pages were designed for business use. Setting up a profile page for business is in direct violation of Facebook terms and conditions (see #4 under Registration and Account Security).

If you are a small business using Facebook and seeing great results, I’d love to hear from you! Leave me a comment below.