When you’re putting together your business plan for your online business, the first thing you’ll want to do is figure out where you will put your resources. A certain amount of your budget will go to website development and marketing, while your time can be spent on developing products and building your brand.
But what about social media? Once seen as nothing more than a time-wasting hobby, social media has grown to become a valuable asset for businesses looking to expand their reach. If you’re on the fence about spending time developing a Facebook page, here are some things to keep in mind.
1. Facebook Pages Can Dramatically Increase Your Exposure
Social networks are built around communities, so having a page that can infiltrate some of those networks can be the key to expanding your customer base. Not only will people find you through searching for common interests, but they’ll also be connected by their relationships with others; if someone they respect likes something, chances are they’ll investigate as well. You can’t pay for that kind of exposure.
2. Facebook Pages Can Create Leads
Qualified leads are the holy grail for any business. Whenever you need to sell your good or service, simply call on your leads that have already raised their hand and volunteered their interest in your company, and sales should begin flowing. One of the best ways to find these leads are through your Facebook page. Social networks whittle down the mass of humanity until it’s just the people that are most likely to engage with your business. They like your page, maybe opt-in to your email list, and instantly become a qualified lead that you can tap into later.
3. Facebook Pages Can Drive Traffic
Viral posts are some of the most awe-inspiring digital phenomenon on the planet. Where they come from, how fast they can travel, and the effect they can have on a business can be a game-changer. But even if your content on your business page doesn’t have front-page virality, it can still be a consistent source of traffic via shares and comments. The best part? It’s free.
4. Facebook Pages Can Reach a Targeted Audience
Paid advertising is a fantastic way to reach audiences and manufacture results, and with nearly 2 billion users, Facebook’s ad platform is the creme de la creme of the digital marketing world. If you want to have success online, you will most likely at some point have to engage with their ad platform. And unless you have a business page attached to your business, you won’t be able to use Facebook’s tools to reach their user base.
5. Facebook Pages Can Give You Advanced Data
Page insights are a beautiful thing. Not only can you tell exactly how many fans you have, but you can also tell the various performance stats of each one of your posts, including shares, likes, comments, and more that will tell you how popular your posts are. Knowing what is working and what isn’t is invaluable to success in the digital world.