Almost everybody has his or her own Facebook account. Whether their Facebook profile page is on the Timeline format or not, Facebook is arguably the most popular social networking site in the world. Right now, the site has a lot of users that, if joined side by side with the most populous countries in the world, would be placed third behind China and India. That in itself proves how popular the site is for a lot of people.
Facebook in online marketing
Nowadays, not only does Facebook provide social interaction among groups of persons the world over, but also provides an opportunity to do business. Since companies and small- to medium-scale business owners know that people online are potential customers and clients, getting their product or service noticed won’t always rely on their business websites. They are now using Facebook, along with other sites such as Twitter and YouTube, to market their product or service.
It is not always about “liking”
What companies and business owners can do in Facebook is that they can create a fan page about themselves and their products or services. They can also invite online users to “like” their pages. However, online marketing with the use of Facebook does not only stop short of “liking” a page. Apparently, there are benefits that companies and business owners may realize while they are out there on Facebook posting updates and news. Here are some of them:
- Advertising is free. Facebook’s features allow the company or business owner to advertise their products or services free of charge. The mere fact that people “like” their pages and recommending these pages to other people is already free advertising.
- Interaction between customer and Facebook page moderator. The page moderator is most likely the owner of the small- to medium-scale business, or, in the case of a company, the one in-charge of advertising the product or service. With the chat feature on Facebook, both the followers of the business page and the moderator would be able to interact with each other. Customers can provide feedback about the product or service, or they can join or avail of prices through announcements of events, promotions or contests.
- The value of networking. Facebook is structured in such a way that enables online users to build a network. Business owners and companies can connect with other people who are engaging in the same industry as they are. That way, they can be able to make themselves visible to their targeted audience.
- Everyone has his or her own Facebook account, and just like other online users, they are interested in something new to buy or avail online. Companies and business owners can take advantage of this fact by using Facebook as a tool for marketing their products or services online.