Make sure branding is consistent, pursue engagement over selling
As one of the most popular new marketing services available to small businesses, social networking sites such as Facebook have seen unprecedented growth in enterprise involvement.
Yet considering the infancy of the marketing platform, it may be difficult for small businesses to figure out the best strategy for a Facebook presence.
The most important thing to consider when creating a Facebook page is the goal of the campaign, said the New York Times.
Clara Shih, founder of Facebook marketing software company Hearsay Labs and author of The Facebook Era, told the newspaper that starting small may be the best approach when first creating a Facebook campaign.
"You can waste a lot of time on Facebook," Shih told the Times. "But if you're a business, you don't have any time to waste. Figure out your objectives first, start small and do things that help you accomplish your objectives."
To do so, objectives must first be established. Popular goals include acquiring customers, building brand awareness, and streamlining - or crowdsourcing - customer support.
The second step is to build the initial group of followers, said Shih. A profile page without any fans or followers can inhibit people from joining the group, so businesses may want to ask friends and family to become fans first. Once a small following is established, the power of word of mouth will likely take care of the rest of the marketing.
Another important consideration for business Facebook pages is that the profile - including its language, tone and pictures - should fit with the culture, atmosphere and branding of the company. Creating a consistent and aligned brand will not only affect the success of a Facebook campaign, but also the company's branding efforts in general.
Finally, one thing that a Facebook campaign should not include, said the Times, is overly selling-focused language.
"Buy-buy-buy messages won't fly," the newspaper reported. "The best practitioners make Facebook less about selling and more about interacting."
Well-executed campaigns on Facebook and other social networking platforms have emerged as particularly attractive marketing services for small businesses, thanks to the large network of users and the lower cost of adoption.
In addition, these campaigns can also be effective for driving website traffic and sales - a recent study from Performics and ROI Research found that approximately one-third of consumers surveyed searched for information on a product, service or brand that they saw on a social networking website.
