Harness the Power of Facebook for your Business
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Chances are you are probably already connected on Facebook on a personal level. (If by chance you aren’t yet, you are missing out.) But if you want to expand your business’ marketing reach, you really need to get your business on Facebook. When your clients and potential clients think “hair,” you want them to think of you, and by actively engaging them on a regular basis you can ensure that you stay in front of clients as the “go-to” expert in your field.
Starting a page for your business is so simple that Fortune 500 companies and brand-new start-ups alike are harnessing the power of marketing via Facebook. Building a Facebook following doesn’t happen overnight, but when done correctly it is a great tool to get people into your chair. Are you ready?
If for some reason you are one of the few who doesn’t yet have a personal profile (gasp), that’s the first step. You have to have a personal profile to begin, so whatever has been holding you back, let go. It’s time to get into the game. I am not going to waste time walking you through profile set up because the steps are pretty self explanatory. Just got to Facebook, fill out the information to get started and let the steps guide you. You can probably set up a basic profile in about 15 minutes. After setting up your personal profile, spend some time poking around Facebook and getting to know the site – have fun. Check out some of your favorite companies’ fan pages (like The 6 Figure Stylist and Doll Face Marketing for example) and connect with friends.
How to create a Facebook page for your business
NOTE – you want to set up a page NOT a group. There are features and limitations to each Facebook application, but the official page offers so much more flexibility that unless you are truly a group (like a club) you want a page!
Once you are logged into Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php. You will see two options, a community page and an official page – you don’t want the community page, choose OFFICAL PAGE. (After you set up a page, you can claim the community page, but that’s another topic.) As you go through the set-up process, remember that in marketing it is important to categorize your company in the right area to help people find you. (As a hairstylist you will most likely select “local business.”) It is also important to remember your marketing strategy when you “name” your page, name the page the name you use in ALL marketing . Choose carefully.
One of the great things about Facebook is the ease of set up navigation. From here, setting up a fan page is really about following the prompts. Rather than point out each step, let’s look at the important ones to get your marketing moving.
1) Photo – Before you do anything else, make sure you have the perfect photo for your page. Maybe your logo is the best photo for your page, but maybe not. Think about other marketing materials you have, maybe something seasonal. Obviously, you want your fans to see your photo and recognize your brand – that’s the goal. But if you have a creative image that is also recognizable, it might help your fan page attract fans with an element of fun.
2) Write something about your company – See the little box under your picture that says “Write something about your company” this is very important because this is one of the items that is visible on every tab of your fan page. This is your elevator statement in 250 characters or less. Be sure to include a link to your website here, and in order to make your link clickable, don’t forget the http:// before the www. (Note – this statement can be changed at any time, so it is a great place to highlight a promotion or other important happening for your company.)
3) Wall Settings – Another important tool in the set up of your page are the wall settings. You have to decide if you want visitors to be able to post messages for everyone to see or if you only want your own messages shown. Unless you have a super controversial company, I recommend starting with allowing everything. It will help you build your wall faster because people like to post messages. If the posts become out of control or unflattering, you can always delete individual posts or turn off the setting all together later. (You will find “Wall settings” under “Edit page.”)
Once you fill in all of the basic information, you have successfully created an official page. Don’t forget, it is easy to change if something changes, so don’t sweat it.
Now you are ready to take your page live, it is important for you to let people know about your page. This is where having an already active personal profile comes in handy because if you already have a lot of “friends” who are interested in your company, you can “suggest” your new page to them.
Alright you have a page, you have suggested to all of your friends, now what? Now you start the real work. Marketing takes time and attentiveness. You can’t just set up this page and hope people find you. If there is nothing on your page that interests people, no one will become a fan. Social media is fun – your fan page should be too. Post interesting things about your company, but don’t be afraid to post something fun too. Try posting open-ended questions (to entice responses from your fans) such as “What is your favorite new hair trend?” “Blondes, red-heads, brunettes - who has more fun?”
Posting links and/or photos are also a great way to get people interested, plus they are more visually appealing so people are more apt to pay attention. Posting links to your web site has the added benefit of pushing people to your site to find out more. Try posting on your fan page every time you update your blog – “Check this out” and attach a link to your blog.
Remember, the most important reason you have a Facebook fan page is to use it as a branding strategy to promote your personal brand. So, if your company is very “green” conscious, share tidbits about being green. If your company is all about marketing and branding (like us), you might post pictures of events, links to blog posts and information about the companies you help brand.
Those are the basic features of a Facebook fan page, but once you get going you will realize that there are many more things you can add to your fan page such as customizable apps, connect the page to your Twitter feed, and much more. But you can’t do any of the fancy things until you get started with the basics, so for now create your page and start building your fans. Oh, and don’t forget to include a new link on your website to let people know they can become a fan on Facebook.
About the Author
Tarsha Beavers is an author, advisor, coach, consultant, speaker and women’s advocate. Also known as The Mane Lady she is recognized as an expert in the field of hair extensions and hair enhancements. Tarsha’s incredible knowledge of the beauty industry, marketing, creating multiple streams of income and knowing how to implement great strategies, gave birth to Doll Face Marketing a company specializing in the training and development of hairstylist and salon owners. Tarsha’s goal is to help you achieve your goals faster and easier that you ever imagined. Tarsha shows ordinary businesses and professionals in the beauty industry how to become extraordinary; teaching you think like an entrepreneur, help you capitalize on your target market and prepare you with the tools and mindset to dominate your market. Learn more at http://www.DollFaceMarketingOnline.com
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