Posts Tagged ‘Facebook Business Page’

Custom Facebook URLs No Longer Require 25 ‘Likes’

Friday, October 14th, 2011

Facebook has recently made it much easier to get a custom Facebook URL for your small business Facebook page. It used to be that Facebook required all Facebook pages to accumulate 25 ‘Likes’ prior to them being able to quality for a custom URL. This requirement caused a lot of small business owners who were just getting started on Facebook to use that ugly URL string for their page. The problem with the old way of doing things was that when small business owners went to promote their Facebook page on other marketing collateral, such as in-store, on their website, on print ads, etc. the URL was not easily read and couldn’t be typed into a browser without a lot of patience on behalf of the customer. Realizing that their rules were causing headaches for business owners and Facebook users, Facebook has changed the rule.

Facebook URLNow, you can setup a custom Facebook URL right away. No more waiting until you have 25 ‘Likes’. If you currently have a Facebook page with that ugly URL string, simply go ahead and change it. For those of you who are thinking about creating a Facebook business page for your small business, now is the time! Here’s why it’s important to have a Custom Facebook Business Page URL.

Generate Facebook-Likes Using a QR Code

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

Are you looking for a more effective way to generate Facebook “Likes” for your small business? Aren’t we all?! :) Well, now there’s a way to generate more Facebook “Likes” through the use of QR codes. Likify is a new online service that allows users to create QR codes linked to your Facebook Business Page. Businesses can then print the QR code on anything that you want. When your QR code is scanned the customer gets pointed to a mobile landing page, which contains your official Facebook Like button. Pretty cool, huh? As we have discussed before, QR codes are in their infancy as a marketing tool, but their usage is growing. By next year we think using QR codes to promote your business will be mainstream.

Likify QR code Facebook LikeLikify has made creating a QR code for your Facebook Business Page very simple. Follow the steps below to create a Likify QR code:

  • Setup a Likify account
  • Enter your Facebook Business Page in the form where it says, “Webpage about actual item to like”
  • Personalize the landing page that your customers see once they scan your QR code
    • Add a title for the landing page
    • Add an image, perhaps your company logo or a Facebook logo
    • If you want, you can add another link to give customers more information about your small business (perhaps your company website)
    • Add a coupon if you want to entice customers to “Like” your small business Facebook page
  • Click ‘Generate Code’
  • Start printing your QR code wherever you want it and promote it to your customers and prospects

Once you have your Likify QR code you can then begin to print it on your marketing materials. Hopefully you have created a plan for where you want to place your QR code. This will make the promotion process much more effective. Perhaps you want to place your QR code on your marketing fliers, on an in-store poster, on your website, or you can even print QR codes on your business card to generate more Facebook “Likes” for your Facebook Business Page.

Soon Likify will be providing reporting for users of their service. This means business owners will be able to understand how effective their Facebook “Like” QR code campaign is. If you’re looking for creative ways to generate more Facebook “Likes” for your small business, definitely consider using Likify to create a QR code for your small business Facebook page.

Use Your Facebook Status to Engage Your Customers

Saturday, November 27th, 2010

An engaged audience is a profitable audience. Engagement is the key to success with Social Media Marketing. Engagement is all about eliciting a response or action from your community. You want your community to be actively involved in your business. By getting them involved you’re giving them a stake in the game, a voice, a feeling of belonging to something… When you make your customers and prospects feel like what they say and do matters to you then those individuals are going to come to you when they have a need for your products or services. They are also going to help you spread the word about your business, which sometimes is more profitable for your business than their individual purchases. Getting your customers engaged in your online activities is a great way to “turn strangers into friends and friends into customers”.

Use Facebook More EffectivelyUsing your Facebook business page wall you can leave status updates for your community. Too many times small business owners use their wall as a microphone for shouting their message instead of a funnel for collecting responses from their community. The simple act of asking a question on your Facebook Wall can engage your audience to leave a response. The key is to post content that is relevant to your audience and to your small business and within the content there should be a call-to-action. By including a call-to-action you’re asking your audience to take part in an activity related to your business.

Here are just a few of the many actions that you can solicit from your prospects and customers through your Facebook Status:

  • Answer a question
  • Take part in a quick survey
  • Share the Facebook wall post with a friend or colleague
  • ‘LIKE’ the wall post
  • Leave a comment with their thoughts and/or opinions of the wall post
  • Stop by your store to take part in a big sale
  • Follow your small business on Twitter or any other social network that you’re on
  • Subscribe to your e-Newsletter
  • Download your latest brochure
  • Navigate to your blog or small business website
  • Participate in a contest or giveaway
  • Provide you with feedback on any aspect of your business
  • Purchase a product or service

As you can see there are numerous ways to use your Facebook wall to engage your online community. By getting your online community engaged in your Facebook activities you’re going to entice more new people to ‘LIKE’ your Facebook business page as people want to be a part of an active page, not one that has little to no activity OR one that only uses their Facebook business page as a microphone. Seemingly small tactics like using your Facebook status to engage your customers rather than as just another billboard for your small business can go a long way in converting prospects into customers and customers in long-time brand advocates.

If you need help developing a winning Facebook Marketing Strategy, check out our Social Catalyst™ product.