Not on Facebook? 5 Reasons You Need to Be!

I’ve spent a lot of time talking with business owners this week about why their business and brand should participate on Facebook. Everyday more businesses are creating their Facebook page and jumping into social media. But for those of you still debating whether or not to jump into the fray let me give you a few reasons that you should do more than consider it.

1. Facebook is the new phone system. We hear this all the time. I can’t let Facebook run on the computers at work because my employees would spend all their time there and not working. The reality is that I don’t know of many companies that don’t have a phone system installed because the employees might abuse it. Imagine the negative impact to your customers if they couldn’t call in to receive service. The same thing is true for Facebook and Twitter – your customers use it to communicate and not having it available to them is doing you more harm than good.
2. Facebook is everywhere. As HBR pointed out in their recent blog post What Is Facebook, Really? “Facebook is ubiquitous; you can’t go five minutes without encountering the Facebook brand or the tiny blue “f”, whether in traditional media (at the bottom of every TV news screen) or online (where Facebook icons and “Like” buttons abound).” Facebook is a massive communications system and as a brand the opportunity to participate in the conversation is not only remarkable but necessary.
3. Facebook is a two-way conversation. Posts on a business’ Facebook page are about creating a conversation with the hope that the conversation and content being provided is interesting and adds something to the reader’s life. AllFacebook noted that “Promoting a brand’s image in a setting such as Facebook means creating two-way conversations that eventually lead to more revenues.” These conversation moments allow you to vet new ideas, receive feedback about what the customer’s experience is, learn more about what is important to them, and keep your brand top of mind.
4. Facebook allows you to demonstrate your relevance. With a Facebook page you have the opportunity to use your wall to be a good host, to include your fans in the conversation. Why Facebook Should be an Essential Ingredient in Your Marketing Strategy articulated the goal of Facebook posting well with “Do organize your Facebook presence around conversation, Do give your Facebook audience something to do, Don’t overestimate your audience’s attention span, Don’t miss easy Amplification opportunities.” By connecting with your fans, you are demonstrating your relevance to them and earning yourself a better relationship with those fans.
5. Your target audience IS on Facebook. Chester Frazier posted a blog on the 1st about why his customers aren’t on Facebook, his number one reason is that they believe their customers are not on Facebook. Here’s the reality though, as of 2011, 1 of every 13 people ON EARTH have a Facebook account and half of them are logged in on any given day. (Mashable – Are We To Obsessed with Facebook?) So unless your target demographic isn’t human – your target audience IS on Facebook.

Convinced yet? Good – go open your business Facebook page and start building that relationship with your customers. You’ll be glad you did.