A Basic Introduction to Facebook for Business

2. What we will cover today
An overview of Facebook
Determining if a Facebook presence will
add value to your business.
How you should approach using
Facebook for business.
Strategies for using Facebook effectively
for business.

3. What is Facebook?
Facebook is an
international social
networking site,
allowing users to
share content about
themselves both
publically and through
private networks.
Facebook.com received 132 million unique visitors in
March 2010 compared to MySpace.com which received
47.5 million
-via compete.com

4. Facebook users around Walnut Creek, CA
Estimated Reach:
1,394,360
people
• who live within 25 miles of
Walnut Creek, CA
• age 18 and older
MOMBOOK? (According to www.facebook.com
One-Third of Users are Women 30+ May 17, 2010)
455,180 people
• who live within 25 miles of Walnut
Creek, CA
• age 30 and older
• who are female

5. Can Facebook and “Social
Media” benefit business?
Social media is good
for:
• Online Conversations
• Brand Development
• Distributing
Relevant/Interesting
Content
• Sharing Useful
Information
• Test Marketing /
Focus Groups
• Encouraging
Interaction with
Consumers

6. Can Facebook and “Social
Media” benefit business?
Social media is not good for:
• Selling, Selling, Selling all the
time.
• Pushing content without
opportunities for interaction.
• Airing Grievances
• Bashing Competitors
• Making False Claims
• Ignoring Customer Feedback
Would you want to invite someone to
a party who was always trying to sell
you something?

7. Steps to Launching a Facebook Page
1. Determine
whether to
launch a
Facebook Page
or a Group
2. Develop a
Content Strategy
3. Build a Following
4. Be vigilant;
experiment,
measure and
track

8. Step 1. Facebook Page vs. Group
Typically, businesses are best
served by choosing a Page
instead of a Group.
Pages
Ability to Add Applications
Updates come from page, not individual
accounts
Updates populate via News Feed
Groups
Set permissions for membership
Officer hierarchy
Updates are sent to inbox (>5,000)
More info: http://mashable.com/2009/05/27/facebook-page-vs-group/

9. Step 2. Develop a Brand and
Content Strategy
Content is King
Facebook is a channel, just like
NBC, CBS and FOX.
Consider Your Facebook
Presence as a Program on
Facebook.
How will you make it:
Entertaining?
Informational?
Exciting?
Dramatic?
And most importantly,
Unique?

10. 2. Develop a Brand and Content Strategy
Typical Reasons Why Facebook Users “Like” Something
Knowledge Seekers:
Information gatherers, the
more unique the better– To
Be in the Know.
Givers: To Support the
Business Endeavors of
Friends and Family.
Getters: Because They
Can Get Something –
Promotions, Business,
Entertainment, etc.
Enthusiasts: Because
They Really Like It – Brand
Engagement & Loyalty
Followers: Because Their
Cool Friend Did.

11. 2. Develop a Brand and Content Strategy:
Important things to think about
What is your theme?
Entertaining, Informative, Other?
• What should your profile image look like?
• How do you want to set the admin wall options?
• How often will you update content?
• Daily, Weekly, Monthly – plan it in advance.
• Who are your partners?
• Promote them
• Encourage them to promote you
• Applications
• Under “edit page” – browse applications and add
those that fit your content strategy. Events, Poll,
Video, FBML, Promotions, etc.
• Which tabs should you include on your page?
• Which boxes should you include on your page?

12. Step 3: Build a Following
Suggest to Friends
• Invite all your friends,
family, etc. Let them know
in the invite message that
you are excited to launch
the page. They will think
about who they can
suggest.
• Get your employees on
board. Social networking
is social – they should
participate.
• Reach out to clients,
partners, anyone with a
vested interest in your
company. Get them
excited.

13. Step 3: Build a Following
Add Facebook to your Website
Add an icon to your site
Let visitors know they can
easily become a fan, or
“like” your business.
Given them an incentive (if
applicable).
Let them know what they
will get: information, etc.
Position it in the top half of
your site (above the scroll)
at least during your
launch.
•Consider a Fan Box (API)

14. Step 3: Build a Following
Add Facebook to your Blog
Add an icon to your blog
Let visitors know they can
easily become a fan, or “like”
your business.
Given them an incentive (if
applicable).
Let them know what they will
get: information, etc.
Position it in the top half of
your blog (above the fold).
For hosted blogs, consider
adding a “like” API to posts.

15. Step 3: Build a Following
Add Facebook to your Email Campaign
Add an icon to your
emails
Let visitors know they can
easily become a fan, or “like”
your business.
Easily integrated into
Constant Contact, Vertical
Response and other email
platforms.
Include a link in your standard
email signature.

16. Step 3: Build a Following
Promote it on Your Twitter Account
Promote Your Page on Your Twitter Account
• Let visitors know they can easily become a fan, or “like” your business.
• Use bit.ly or another URL shortener and track clicks
• Promote partner pages and Direct Message them asking for a reciprocal
promotion.

17. Step 4: Be vigilant; experiment,
measure and track
Utilize Facebook’s Open Graph Protocol
http://developers.facebook.com/docs/opengraph
Use www.bit.ly or another URL
shortener to analyze traffic.
Experiment with events, promotions,
content – measure results and replicate
success.
Use Facebook Page Insights to gain
valuable demographic and user
engagement data.

18. Case Study – Idol Fanatic
Idol Fanatic by Ribbit
Ribbit, Silicon Valley’s Phone
Company wanted to rapidly
gain users for it’s web-based
phone services.
Competition is fierce in the market
(Google Voice, Skype, etc.).
Ribbit created Idol Fanatic, a
Facebook application which enables
fans of American Idol to cast votes
from Facebook using the Ribbit.com
platform.
In 6 weeks, Ribbit gained 18,000
new users and received national
press coverage from CNN, USA
Today, Mashable, AllFacebook,
Women’s Day and more.

19. Case Study – I Love Downtown
Walnut Creek
I Love Downtown Walnut
Creek by Walnut Creek DBA
The Walnut Creek DBA
wanted to develop an
additional channel to promote
their members.
“I Love Downtown Walnut
Creek” appeals to trend
leaders interested in being “in
the know”.
1,000+ followers in 5 weeks.
Has generated a number of
positive responses from
business membership.

20. Our Services Include:
Brand & Identity Development
Graphic Design
Copywriting
Advertising Negotiation and Placement
Website Design & Marketing
Content Management Systems
Search Engine Optimization
Lead Conversion Optimization
Pay Per Click Campaigns
Email Marketing
PR
Photography
Digital Video

21. Thank You!
Tom Meriam
Meriam Media Solutions
925-693-3033
tom@meriammedia.com
www.meriammedia.com