Can facebook be used to promote a businesss?

[superbundance]

I am have never used facebook but I am thinking of getting on there.

Is it worth marketing a home services company on face book. Does anybody here market on facebook?

Does it really work?

Can you give me some basic pointer?

[Jokez Guy]

what exactly are you marketing?

[Siefer999]

I am have never used facebook but I am thinking of getting on there.

Is it worth marketing a home services company on face book.
if you have time

Does anybody here market on facebook?
not me, but ive seen people do it. the real question is why not?
Does it really work?
if you do it right

Can you give me some basic pointer?
get somebody to check your english before posting anything. you do not want to seem like a nigerian scammer.
+
take a basic marketing course

[superbundance]

what exactly are you marketing?

landscaping and asphalt sealing business... why do you ask?

[onexeyed]

Yes, Facebook can be used to promote your business.

My friend and her boyfriend started a business last year selling brand name baby/toddler/kids shoes and clothing which are difficult to find here in Canada. They created a Facebook group and got all their friends and family to join the group (which has a following of 250 people). Their business is thriving mainly through the Facebook group and through word of mouth.

[superbundance]

Yes, Facebook can be used to promote your business.

My friend and her boyfriend started a business last year selling brand name baby/toddler/kids shoes and clothing which are difficult to find here in Canada. They created a Facebook group and got all their friends and family to join the group (which has a following of 250 people). Their business is thriving mainly through the Facebook group and through word of mouth.

So just create a group and get people you know to join? And that is it?

So the facebook acount would be in the business name?

[matdwyer]

You can make an account in your name, and you can make a facebook "Page".

The pages people can become "Fans" of, but you can't invite them like a group (therefore many businesses still do the groups).

The good thing about the "Pages" is that you get statistics about who clicked (demographics) and how many times.

I would say facebook is "ok" to advertise on. Its not something I would pump a lot of time in if I were you. There is one situation that wouldn't be bad though:

a) you get a bunch of people to join your group or page.
b) you take the $100 in free facebook advertisements given by Visa Business Network
c) you create an add geotargeted to people in your town (hopefully a smaller town - make sure you put "Smallville Paving Company" or something that helps people relate to the actual city - I find this boosts CTR) and then add social interactions. This way, strangers will see your add, and if they are friends with someone in the group it will say "Joe Blow has joined Company A Paving" and have your add below it (which is like an endorsement, and can help you ala word of mouth)

I have a thread on here about my experience with facebook advertising, but I'll sum it up here as I've just finished it.

Impressions: 690,000
Clicks: 270
CTR: 0.04
Avg. CPC: 0.36

I had 15 different ads, and each was targeted to 25+ males and females in different cities.

My highest CTR was 0.10 and was targeted to a town with 30,000 people who likely reacted to the town name in the ad.

Out of major cities, Toronto was 0.04, Vancouver 0.06, edmonton/mtl/winnipeg at 0.03, halifax at 0.05. etc.

Expect low CTR if you use this - nothing like adwords.

Let me know if you have more questions

[imie]

My advice... jump in, you can't loose.

But don't forget, it's a SOCIAL network for a reason. So if you have no time to socialize, then skip it.

And no you don't have to take a marketing course to use FB for business. Just know what its for, know the rules and enjoy some interaction with your friends, their friends, and their friends friends. You can also find all friends from facebook...

When you want to show off your landscaping job, post a picture there and say, "just sharing my latest creation - please share to your friends". That's free advertising my friend.

here are my pages...

My business page http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Ishopathome/23228293225

My personal facebook profile (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=868920581&ref=profile)

PS. you have to create a personal profile page before creating a business page

[astupidmoose]

i tried to use facebook to promote my business but my business focuses on a certain niche that most of the time can't be found on facebook.

I used the $100 credit from visa and managed to get over a million impressions with about 150 clicks but 0 calls. i'm sure its just a matter of time until i got a call from it but at a minimum of $5 a day it wasn't worth it for my business.

[sexpuppet6000]

I used the $100 credit from visa and managed to get over a million impressions with about 150 clicks but 0 calls. i'm sure its just a matter of time until i got a call from it but at a minimum of $5 a day it wasn't worth it for my business.

So you invested $100 dollars and came up empty handed? :(


OP: Use whatever tools you can to market yourself, but do it wisely. Check out what other people are doing and criticize them. Take their good ideas, and improve on their bad ideas. GL

[matdwyer]

So you invested $100 dollars and came up empty handed? :(


OP: Use whatever tools you can to market yourself, but do it wisely. Check out what other people are doing and criticize them. Take their good ideas, and improve on their bad ideas. GL

The $100 is free to anyone

[astupidmoose]

So you invested $100 dollars and came up empty handed? :(


OP: Use whatever tools you can to market yourself, but do it wisely. Check out what other people are doing and criticize them. Take their good ideas, and improve on their bad ideas. GL

the $100 is free from visa if you make a page and join the visa business network. I'm glad i received it though, i would have hated to pumped $100 of my own money into and learn it didnt bring in any business.

[UrbanPoet]

landscaping and asphalt sealing business... why do you ask?

probably to see what type of demographic your trying to appeal to.
From what I see younger people tend to be the heaviest users of face book, but older people are getting into it.