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Small businesses struggle to promote the business. They have a hard time getting the word out into the communities they serve.
You can grow by using Facebook. And it can be completely free. You snap a picture, post it on your Facebook page, and you are done with advertising for the day.
The purpose of the picture is to attract attention--a close-up of a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon, a colorful new handbag, hands working through a massage, a dew-laden rose, your cat curled up in a basket.
Example: Sue is certified in Pilates. She used social media to reach out into her community--and beyond. She posted pictures on Facebook showing Pilates equipment, with the words, "Pilates explained" followed by her website address. This attracted new clients as well as referrals. To expand, she offered long-distance training over the net to people who then could go for certification. This brought in clients on a new basis for her business, and they could be far or near.
Example: Lisa is an architect. She struggled for a few years before discovering the value of social media. Then she reached out to a larger client base by emphasizing green design, sustainable and energy-conscious, environmentally friendly architectural designs. Her pictures on Facebook were intriguing close-ups of solar panels, a building set in a field of wildflowers, roof run-off caught in rain barrels, a dog asleep on a deck. The pictures brought in comments, generated interest, and resulted in some new clients.
Example: Tina went through extensive training and certification in acupuncture. She began seeing clients, joined networking groups, and offered to give free seminars to medical practitioners--showing how acupuncture could help with pain management, post-surgical recoveries, and other concerns. Growth of her practice was slow, however. So Tina used Facebook to target people who were stressed by work, family, and today's fast paced living. She set up a community acupuncture room where people could stop in without an appointment, lie down and get a quick introduction to the value of acupuncture. Twenty minutes here calmed people down, and they went their way refreshed. In addition, it helped spread the word and referrals came in for major treatments.
Social media, particularly Facebook, can be used in many ways. It is a god-send for small businesses to promote and grow.
Pictures here need not be professionally done. You snap pictures and upload to your Facebook site. You are not creating a masterpiece for the ages. You are angling for a two-second viewing to make an impression.
I am not a spokesman for Facebook--just showing the value of social media in promoting and growing your small business.
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