facebook and other social networking sites’ roles in the field of marketing can not be emphasized enough. A relatively cost effective and easy way to get the word out, Facebook provides businesses with a way to market their products and/or services and build their web traffic.
Facebook is a social phenomenon that has transformed the world of direct marketing to heights unimaginable just a few years ago. Millions of individuals with differing tastes, opinions, personalities, and characteristics have joined Facebook for many reasons, including: networking, getting back in touch with former classmates, keeping in touch with family, etc. People can add or delete as many Facebook friends to their individual profiles that they wish. However, for as much of an emphasis that is placed on Facebook’s main purpose of keeping people across the world in touch through an online forum, Facebook can also be an extremely effective marketing tool if it is used properly by companies.
A number of large companies including Toys R’ Us, Electrolux, Avon, and others have started to put fan pages up on Facebook. Facebook users who have an interest in these companies may join these company pages. The administrators of the fan pages, or groups as they are called, will update their fans on all of the latest company news, products, services, and events. Contact information, including most importantly company websites, is typically made available on such pages. This can translate into more clicks on the companies’ web pages. In order to draw attention to their spots on Facebook, it is becoming increasingly common for businesses to encourage potential customers to come and visit their pages on the social networking site. This may be done as part of ads deployed by traditional direct marketing methods such as print ads, radio spots, emails, mail pieces, or on websites, including the companies’ own websites.
Like large firms, small businesses are also taking advantage of using Facebook as one of the methods to promote their products and services. Facebook has the potential to drive people to their websites and bring them in contact with new potential customers. Best of all, it is free to join, an attractive feature for small businesses as they have less discretionary dollars for marketing activities overall than large corporations do.
It helps to look at an example of how Facebook can be utilized to promote a small firm. An small cafe owner would like to get the word out about his or her company. Given this dynamic, a Facebook page is set up which contains pictures of the cafe’s products as well as a description of the company and important contact information like the firm’s website. The cafe owner starts out by inviting his or her friends to join the page. Friends of those friends eventually join, to a level where Facebook can possibly find new customers for the small cafe and drive more traffic to the company’s website. In turn, if enough new leads are generated by the Facebook page, the company may end up positively impacting its bottom line via its Facebook activities.
Recommendations from other customers have typically been the most potent force for small businesses looking to market their products and services. Small firms tend to be community-based, and many of them are shops that have been in families for generations. Facebook provides many small family-owned businesses with a modern take on advertising via word-of-mouth, a phenomenon that small companies are increasingly using to further their interests.
Companies of all sizes are using Facebook to promote their services and/or products and drive more traffic to their websites. This phenomenon especially benefits small businesses, as they tend to have less money to spend on promotional activities, and Facebook is free to join. Utilizing Facebook to promote their businesses has the potential for owners of small firms to positively enhance their bottom lines.
The impact of social networking sites on the world of marketing can not be overstated. These sites are inexpensive and efficient methods that an internet marketer can use to promote a home business products and/or services.