10 Rules of Facebook Promotion for Small Businesses

Originally presented as a Lunch-n-Learn last month, I thought I’d share these ten simple steps to success for small businesses on Facebook.

1. Fans – not friends (page not profile)

  • Don’t make people ask to friend you – fan pages are public; anyone can become a fan (vendors, clients, employees).
  • Fan pages status updates are indexed by Google’s real time search results – use them to post links and it helps SEO for that website.
  • Be sure to grab your business name (or something close to it) so you can easily share your Facebook page address.
  • Multiple profiles are actually against FB terms and you can be banned.

2.  What to post

  • Stay on topic (whatever that topic might be) and be present daily.
  • Save your rants and tirades for somewhere else.
  • Tell your story by sharing some personal information about your business.
  • Add value to your fans – share news, links and stories (use Google or Yahoo blog search to find relevant content).
  • Applaud your competitors – share good work and good ideas, give credit where credit is due.
  • Speak in your own voice, not in business speak.

3. When to post

  • When are your visitors online?   Chances are you can tell this by looking at your website analytics.
  • Daily is not too often.  Hourly is too often.  Find a balance.
  • Too many status updates clogs your fans’ newsfeeds; bores them and bothers them.  Don’t be annoying!
  • Go slow and steady – don’t overdo it.  It takes time to build up the residual returns.

4. Use applications to increase engagement

  • At the very least, Networked Blogs should be connecting with your blog.
  • Connect your LinkedIn and Twitter profiles.
  • Polls, contests and sweepstakes (there’s an app for that!).
  • Others on Mashable

5. Develop custom tabs specific to your business

  • Use Static FBML to create a custom landing tabs for your page – add your email subscription form, links to pages on your website – anything you can do with HTML/CSS you can do on this tab.
  • Use boxes to add your business information, polls and surveys.
  • If your wall is nothing to write home about (lacking comments or updates), use one of these tabs as your landing tab for new visitors.
  • Hire a web designer if you need help – this is a quick and easy project that helps make your profile sticky and fun.

6. Join the conversation – but don’t control it.

  • Respond to comments and make comments on your fan’s profiles and pages
  • Add their businesses to your fan’s  “favorites.”
  • Allow natural commenting and questions to happen (Dell is a great example).
  • Respond kindly and swiftly to negative comments;  don’t delete them, but use them as feedback to improve your business – show your fans that you care enough to change.

7. Offer discounts and specials to your Facebook fans.

  • Give people a reason to recommend you to their friends.
  • Say thank you once in awhile!
  • Track this  and use the information to improve the offer.
  • Offer a choice of discount (which would you prefer?).
  • Solicit feedback from your fans on your business decisions (would you rather see us open a new location in North Pinellas or add two more professionals to our current location?).
  • Which incentives you use depend on the type of business you are running.

8. Leverage the power of Facebook Events

  • Use events only for the notable, big events you’re hosting or involved in – not your weekly or daily specials.
  • Only invite fans/friends to whom the event is relevant! (Local, likely to attend or interested in your business/topic).
  • Promote your events with Facebook ads.
  • Decide whether or not to show the guest list (small events = no; big events = yes).
  • Enable the wall if it’ll spark good discussion, not just RSVPs.
  • Add links to related pages on your website or partnering businesses.


9. Use your Facebook URL everywhere, like a website.

  • Many brands have started using it instead of their website in print and web advertising
  • Creates more of a relationship than a website does
  • Fresher content and more easily editable than your website
  • Add to business cards and especially email signatures

10. Use Facebook ads!

  • They’re cheap, targeted and you can help build your fan base very affordably.
  • Run campaigns that are compelling and promote your Facebook page, a promotion or an event instead of trying to sell something
  • If you build a good FBML tab with good content, you can use ads to bring people to your uploaded presentations, white papers, even your events.
  • Figure that you’d spend a few hundred dollars on a Yellow Pages advertisement so be willing to test out a similar budget on Facebook
  • Use the ‘social ads’ – show the connections between your page and specific users who are fans

More tips and tricks

  • Remember that Facebook statuses update mobile platforms (notifications are free mobile advertising!)
  • Use FB to research business prospects/partners/clients/employees
  • Combine with your other social media initiatives (Twitter, blogging)
  • Use Facebook to find guest bloggers and connect with others in your industry
  • Use FB to syndicate other web content, links to articles and news stories

Facebook Resources

2 Responses to “10 Rules of Facebook Promotion for Small Businesses”

  1. prizes Says:

    May 20th, 2010 at 3:52 pm

    Cheers very much, I have found this article extremely useful!

  2. SEO hosting Says:

    July 31st, 2010 at 8:36 am

    A very interesting read and a great post alltogether. Would you mind if I posted the same article on my blog (with a reference to your website)?

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