The Internet Show About Small Business Marketing

Podcast Episode #69 Facebook Tools for Business

Facebook might be the most powerful online marketing tool you have at your disposal…for the short-term. A website should still be your home base and a company blog will have stronger long term returns, but you should definitely consider getting your business active online with a Facebook page.

In this episode of Power to the Small Business, Mike Whaling of 30 Lines joins host Jay Ehret as they go through a complete rundown of Facebook tools for business. Mike and Jay will cover Facebook Pages, Facebook Places, Facebook deals, and Facebook’s relationship to your website. They will wrap up a discussion with some advice on your Facebook posting strategy.

Guest: Mike Whaling – CEO at 30 Lines, Columbus, Ohio
Host: Jay Ehret – The Marketing Spot, Waco, Texas

Length: 25 minutes

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SHOW NOTES

The first step is to create a Facebook Page. Some common-sense tips in creating that page

1. Set up your personal profile for business, but separating your personal friends in a separate friend category.
2. Find the business pages you want to interact with, and like those pages so that you can tag them later.
3. Do a quick search to see if your brand already has a presence through third parties.
4. Obey the rules, don’t conduct business through your personal profile, create a business page.
5. Don’t create your business page through a business account, do it through your personal profile.
6. When you get to 25 likes on your page, claim your username (unique URL) by going to Facebook.com/username while logged in to Facebook.
7. Add custom tabs to your page using FBML (Facebook’s HTML tool).

Facebook Places Page

Claim your business’ Facebook Place Page. Currently these pages must be claimed separately from your business page. The process is:

1. Check in to your business on Facebook from a mobile device.
2. Then log on to Facebook from your computer and search for your business, and your business’ Places page will show up.
3. Click on the link that says, “Is this your business?” and go through the process of claiming your page.
4. Don’t merge your business page and your Places page.

Facebook Deals

The Facebook service that allows you to make offers and discounts to your customers through your Facebook Places page. There are four different types a of deals.

1. Individual check-ins. A deal is offered to any individual who checks in via Facebook Places.
2. Group check-ins. Customers must check in with a certain number of people to receive the incentive.
3. Loyalty. Customers must check in a certain number of times before they unlock the incentive.
4. Charity. Donations are made to non-profit organizations for each check-in.

Don’t just offer discounts through Facebook Deals. Be creative and instead offer privileges or extras rather than discounts.

SELECTED QUOTES FROM MIKE WHALING

“I think Facebook is probably the best outpost out there, in terms of being able to distribute content, connect with an audience, and get a sense of where they’re at.”

“Focus on the content…Focus on ‘What am I sharing to the wall? What am I pushing out so that it shows up in people’s newsfeeds?’”

“Facebook is where you show off your personality. Think about what you want to do when you log on to Facebook. You’re there to connect to your friends and your family. You’re not there to be marketed to.”

Links:
30 Lines Facebook Page
The Marketing Spot Facebook Page