Facebook can be a really useful and free way to promote your business. Having a Facebook page for your business adds another level to your online presence, which helps you connect directly with your customers outside of your business premises. It’s all about connecting and building relationships online, so customers are more loyal in person.
First up – create a business page
- Add a cover image and profile pic that reflects your business.
- You can update the cover image as often as you’d like – this is good for promoting deals or events that you’re running.
- Make sure that your information is up to date – you’ll want to include things like your website, address, opening hours and contact phone number.
Next thing is building up a fan base
It may sound obvious, but if people don’t know you’re on Facebook, they can’t ‘like’ your page. So make it known!
- Mention it on your menus, business cards – any promotional materials that you have.
- Make sure your website has a link to your Facebook page.
- Encourage ‘check ins’ and recommendations.
Now the fun stuff – content
This is how you get your businesses personality out there, and make sure people are thinking about you. Think about what you like to see and read from your friends, and businesses you follow.
- Pictures are like currency on the internet. They catch the eye when scrolling through news feeds, and let’s face it, a picture is easier (and more fun) to look at than even the wittiest comment. Take pictures of your product, your staff, your customers (with their permission!) and post to your page. People will want to be part of the fun times going on! Encourage customers and followers to share their own pictures of their experience – recommendations from third parties are looked upon as more trust worthy than promotion from the business itself.
- Encourage interaction. It’s one thing to build up a following, but how do you know they’re listening? Asking questions, giving them something to respond and react to, means you can build better relationships with customers.
- Deals and promotions work well for two reasons – you can get more followers and build loyalty with regulars. Offering deals for when people ‘like’ your page, or discounts for Facebook friends, leaves a positive image in customers minds. Another option is giving customers perks for ‘checking in’ while they’re in store.
- Hospitality has the advantage of being a social industry. Encourage your staff to ‘like’ and share the page, and even add their own touches to what you post. Behind the scenes pics of them at work, their favourite dishes, and suggestions of new ways to enjoy menu items add a layer of personality to your business.
Social media and customer service
Facebook is not just about the good times – it also opens up a new, very public channel for customers to voice their complaints. The flip side of this is it provides a great way to turn potentially negative situations into positive PR for your business.
- The one major rule for customer service on Facebook is to never delete or ignore a negative comment. The best way to deal with this is to apologise and offer an email address for them to contact you on privately. This way, they know their complaint has been heard, you get valuable feedback, and other customers build positive connections with your business.
- Try to respond to comments that people leave, as it’s great feedback on how customers view your brand, and people love to feel like they are being heard and appreciated.
Above all else, just have fun with it! This is how you show the world what makes you different from every other business out there.
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