Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Growing with Facebook

     Free daily tips, information, advice, and ideas,
     with examples taken from real small businesses.

     If you are not using Facebook to grow your small business, you are missing a big opportunity. Facebook is easy to use and it's free.

     Promotions on Facebook begin with putting your small business up on the Facebook site. They lead you through it--and it is simplicity itself. Then, start uploading pictures--you're snapping pictures all the time, aren't you?

     Pictures attract attention. They don't have to be professionally done. But they should be interesting--a close-up of a slice of cake if you're a baker, hands massaging shoulders if you're a therapist, flowers blooming if you're a florist or landscaper, a street scene if you're a cafe. Even attorneys can announce free sessions on elder care using Facebook. You get the idea.

     You post a picture on Facebook with a few words and you're done. If you only post once a month, you won't get much return. But if you post two or three times a week, the response can be significant. It depends on the business and how active you are.

     Example: A consignment shop specializes in fashionable women's clothing. A manikin is dressed in every outfit or dress or coat that comes in. A picture goes up on the shop's Facebook page. Handbags are shown with a close-up of the label. Boots and scarves and sweaters and more show up on the Facebook pages every week. The shop attracts widespread attention. Women call and reserve items to be picked up later, or they rush by after their workday. Facebook has helped turn this consignment shop into a fast moving operation. 

     Example: A massage therapist posts pictures of hands working on clients--never showing a face. Pictures of hands massaging shoulders, necks, arms and legs trigger all sorts of responses from people seeing the pictures on Facebook. The response is more calls for more appointments from more people. 

     Example: Retail operations can show pictures of new products, new items being used, along with announcements of sales, discounts, gift certificates, and events set for weekends.
Close-ups of jewelry, potted plants, baked goods, clothing, a deck under construction, and just about any other item can get a response on Facebook. Now and then, take pictures of sections of the inside of your place and post them with a brief comment--this reminds people of who you are and what you can do for them. 

     People in small business need all the publicity they can get--especially when it's free. Take advantage of what Facebook offers. No matter the business you're in, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how well Facebook can promote what you do.

     One last word--I don't have any connection with Facebook other than I'm on Facebook myself. I'm not promoting Facebook for any monetary gain. But it is one of the best promotional tools you can use in small business. 

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