You may or may not have heard about this little site that has cropped up recently (6 years ago). It’s called Facebook, formerly “The Facebook” and I think there was a name prior to that. Its pretty popular, with a user base over 500 million people.
OK, I jest, you surely know about Facebook and have been wondering how, why or if it matters for your B2B business. Side story: I actually did have someone recently look me straight in the eye, and in all seriousness say, “What’s a Facebook?”
So let’s get down to brass tacks, should your company have a strategy for Facebook? Absolutely. Here’s the thing and I want to be clear here so pardon the virtual shouting: FACEBOOK HAS OVER 500 MILLION USERS!
Yes that’s right folks and of that 500 million, a fair number of them have some sort of job. Chances are, if you are in a business that sells to human beings, your demographic is on Facebook somehow. Its simply too big to ignore, so yes, your business needs to think about Facebook.
I obviously can’t cover everything here but I’ll touch on a few things. Feel free to call me or email me to talk more, but my fingers would callus over and be sore for days if we were to even cover 30% of what Facebook has to offer and the issues to consider.
Having a Policy
I talk at great lengths about the need for businesses to have policies in place for their social activity. This is a necessity whether or not the company formally participates in social networking. You can web-sense/block every single website in the world aside from your company homepage and people are STILL able to post to Facebook what a jackass their boss is. So first thing is first, have a policy. The policy should dictate what behavior is deemed unacceptable on people’s public Facebook activity and anything on your company’s Facebook Fan Page.
I’ve said it before but the purpose of a policy is not simply to protect the company and limit your employees; to the contrary, my feeling is that a clear policy is the best way to free up your staff so that they may use these tools to their greatest benefit.
Your Facebook policy should outline the consequences of publicly speaking negatively about the company. I stress publicly because I think given Facebook’s extensive privacy controls nothing should make it into the public light provided people are careful and informed about how to set their privacy settings. Hopefully no one will have any reason to complain about their work situation, but if they do it’s best to ensure they understand the privacy setting. I recommend holding a privacy setting training.
Fan Pages -vs- Groups -vs- Profiles
I want to get this out of the way…Fan Pages and Business Pages are the same thing. No distinction, it’s all the same platform. It functions the same way, it’s just a distinction in category.
The Fan Page is a public page, viewable by anyone regardless of whether or not they are on Facebook. This is a place to have employees, clients and prospects all in one place. Use it to engage in conversations, gather feedback and provide valuable information and links. Try to find a way to capture people’s email addresses directly on Facebook or funnel them to your site where you think you can generate a conversion.
Groups are closed networks that can be joined by anyone provided that the group administrator approves the request. Groups can be a great next step to provide additional value to members of the fan page. For instance, you can take the most qualified leads from a fan page and invite them to the group for exclusive content.
Profiles are for people, NOT businesses. DO NOT use a profile for a business. I’m not saying this because it’s inherently wrong. It’s just a bad idea. Profiles are for people and because of that fact, friend requests need to be approved. You don’t want to do this. It’s a waste of time. You will need a profile to start a fan page or a group but the profile is for people. The Fan PAge is a much better option for most businesses.
Let’s say you’re a…
Consulting Firm
If I were a consulting firm, I’d absolutely start a Facebook Fan Page. I’d post information about clients that we are working with (provided that was ok with them). I’d invite prospects, I’d invite current clients and I’d invite all employees.
I’d post company content–videos, blog posts, white papers and slideshows from slideshare, interesting tweets from employees and photos of the company taking part in various cause related events. I’d encourage every employee to post what they think of working for the company, good or bad. I’d be transparent and open. I’d use it as a forum to learn from my employees, to gain insights from our clients and give prospects a direct line to our employees.
I’d post information about upcoming events that the firm is taking part in. I’d post testimonials. I’d post videos of events that we’ve spoken at. I’d post job openings.
Wholesaler
If I were a wholesaler, I’d probably start a Facebook Fan Page, I’d probably also start a group. The Fan Page would be mostly for prospects and the Group would be more for current clients. I’d use the Fan Page like a website so prospects could know more about the company, our products, how we do business, our culture, etc. I’d answer every single wall post from a prospect or fan. Once someone seemed like they could become a buyer, I’d take the conversation offline.
I’d use the Group to give current clients the inside scoop to more exclusive deals and upcoming promotions and products. The value of the group would be a more exclusive set of offers.
Financial Services Firm
I would probably avoid a Fan Page. Too many regulations, it might not be worth it. But hey, I’ve been wrong before.
Go where they are
Facebook is a great place to engage with people. The best part is, they’re already there. It has surpassed Google as the most visited site on the internet. Think creatively about the tool and how you can provide something valuable on the Fan Page and you may find yourself getting more business from the Fan Page than from your website.