DOES FACEBOOK REALLY SUIT YOUR MARKET

So who exactly should be using Facebook to promote their company, products, and services? While there really isn’t a wrong answer, there are some company considerations which can result in better responses than others.

• RECOGNIZED HOUSEHOLD & CORPORATE BRAND NAMES

The brand names are immediately recognizable and known, and have extensive marketing. These are the companies which are already very familiar to the public audience, and already have an established reputation. They use Facebook as an additional tool, not as the main online source to get their branding known.

While you will hear of successes where a smaller company did in fact gain recognition after Facebook users found and frequented their FB page; it’s not prudent to automatically expect every company to gain the same exposure.

It is also important to realize that the new found glory of the companies that did well in gaining exposure did so by providing a steady flow of content to catch the attention of the Facebook members. They didn’t simply set up a page, and wait – without dedicated hours to respond, update, and maintain their Facebook page; the popularity would quickly have faded away into nothingness.

• SOCIAL ACTIVITY & ORGANIZATIONAL NICHES

Activity (and interactivity) will draw the attention of others who share similar interests. Whether it’s the hobbyist, the sports fan, the dog breed fan, or the charitable organization: there’s a community of enthusiasts always looking to share their passions with others.

A group of fishing enthusiasts may well enjoy finding a Facebook page for their local fishing charters – it has a good potential to draw attention from the angling fans online. A rubber manufacturer isn’t as likely to draw so much interest or attention simply because it hasn’t the same wide fan base to draw from.

The more a company’s activities, products, services, or functions are interactive with the general public, the better suited your Facebook page could be worthwhile.

• BUZZWORD THEMES

Green and Eco related businesses could draw some solid activity from a Facebook page as it has a growing [current] interest. Likewise if you sell the newest and hottest in-demand techno gadget.

Simply put, if there is high public current jump-on-the-bandwagon interest, and your product or service has a wide enough attraction for the demand, then you could score well with a decent FB presence.

The all important criteria to remember are popularity and interest. If there’s a demand, then your page can use the mass number of interested online users to make setting up (and maintaining) your Facebook page. Gaining even a small portion of interested users may generate some good closing leads.

However, the more specialized or limited your services or products have in general appeal, the far lower your potential qualified audience will be from the start. You may still gain some good leads, but you’ll need to consider whether your efforts will garner a greater return if focused in other promotional venues.

Always try to gauge your potential ROI with interest and demand quantities which fit your public market, not the figures for total number of general subscribers to the service.

FACEBOOK SHOULDN'T REPLACE YOUR OWN WEBSITE

Don’t make the mistake of using Facebook (or any other social bookmarking service) as a replacement for an actual company website. These services are an online tool which should be used to enhance or draw attention and traffic to your site – that’s where you’ll keep the real depth and content to show what you can offer.

Another reminder, with Facebook rankings within search engine listings: online a small portion of internet users actually have a Facebook account for logging in. Your FB page may show up in the search engines, but the end user won’t even be allowed to check it out unless they sign up for a Facebook account first.

Chances are slim that the average person will want to take all the time (and possible email risk) of signing up for an account just to see if the search engine link is what they’re looking for. It’s must easier for them to just click the next link down to visit an actual website without all the extra effort.

DECISION TIME: FACEBOOK MARKETING – YES OR NO?

Is Facebook a worthwhile marketing tool? It can be…
Is Facebook a necessary marketing tool in the current market? Maybe…
Is Facebook a good return on investment – time, effort, and financially? It depends…

Once you sit down, and work out specifically what ROI you want to gain, and examine how Facebook can (and can’t) help meet those goals; then you’ll have a better chance in deciding whether the investment is the right choice for your company.

It can be a great tool to help you reach a wider target market, or it can be a little used dust collector. To become successful, your page will require ongoing time and attention. It’s up to you to decide how much you can dedicate to make the return value worthwhile.

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