socialpa-blog

[socialpa-blog]

How Friends of Facebook Fans can be your next customer.

                                            Your Next Best Customer Is Connected to Your Current Customers

This is the real value of Facebook as it pertains to business growth and acquiring new customers. It isn't about getting strangers to like you, it's about getting exposure with the friends of your fans. These are the best prospects for you, and you already have a foot in the door because one of their friends, someone who they trust and respect, has already made the choice to do business with you.

For example, if you're thinking of buying a bike, chances are high that you'll look to your friend who is the cycling enthusiast for advice. If you've seen that he is often commenting on a bike store's page on Facebook, you are more likely check out that store when it's time to purchase a bike.

If you have been exposed to the bike store through your friend's posts and the posts of other friends, you may already have a good enough impression of that store to bypass asking your friend and just go to the store.

The fact is that we are friends with people who are similar to us. This means that our friends and social connections are the best source of new business for the businesses that we interact with.

[socialpa-blog]

Graph Search, what does it mean for me?

Ok, so the hype is everywhere, it's the new 'big thing'. Facebook's take on Google for social search.  It is a tool that provides every Facebook user with easy access to Facebook's vast social graph.

So, this allows you to find friends who share interests, get recommendations for the best local restaurants, enjoy hillwalking, Tom Jones fans (my guilty pleasure).The possibilities are endless and completely down to what you are searching for. 

Of course you can look at the darker side to it as well.. who is looking at me and in what context?  And there have already been instances of bizarre search criteria out there (check out actual graph searches!)

However, this search function is designed to reflect the users’ privacy settings, so if your “likes” and status updates are set to friends-only, they won’t be accessible to the public at large.  So do please check your privacy settings if this is a concern you have.

Onto business..

We need to understand that Graph Search will have an impact on our business being found on Facebook.  It's another opportunity to get our name in front of customers via the extended reach of Friends of Fans. Users will find recommendations for business based on social proof when their friends like those brands. Graph search could evolve into a surefire method to drive word of mouth.

Graph Search is currently in beta, being tested by only a few thousand of Facebook's  billion users. There's no official date for when it will be rolled out to the wider Facebook audience.   So in the interim we will be looking at how business pages can get ready for this rollout  and how you can make it work for your brand. 

Stay tuned, stay Social

[socialpa-blog]

One thing that is hitting home for us when talking to new clients is that, while they know they have to maintain their Social Media accounts to stay ahead in business, they simply do not have the time to manage their mediums effectively.

Maintaining Social Media in business is not just about numbers, whether its posts or followers.  It is a tool that has to be seen as a virtual shopfront with you as the shopkeeper, ready to engage, serve and sell to your customers. 

In this context, a medium that has the power handhold your most important commodity, has to be afforded effective time management.  

Ensure that you respond to customer queries and complaints ( yes, you will at some stage have negative feedback - but it is how you handle this is what will be remembered by your other customers)

Show your appreciation to your followers, have a Freebie Friday, Discount day etc

Run some competitions that will engage your current followers and build new audience.

Remember that people are 90% more likely to buy when a product or service is  recommended by a friend.

Bottom line, and lets face it, business is about bottom line, is that your customer is king and your Facebook business page is your way to engage with your customers to keep them loyal to your brand.