We hear it from small business owners all the time: Does my business even need to be on Facebook anymore?
It’s a valid question. With the decline of organic reach and Facebook’s less-than-favorable algorithm change for business pages, it’s a tough place to be for brands these days. Fewer users see your content than ever before, and it can feel like a cruel game trying to break through the noise.
We hear you, and we know it can be frustrating. But we’re here to make the argument that it’s actually still relevant and useful for your brand to be on Facebook. Here’s why:
1. It’s a Vital Piece in Building Your Brand
This is especially important for new businesses, but existing ones apply here, too. When people look up a brand on Google, they’re usually looking for two main resources: a website and social media pages. Your website is more of the professional resource – a place to gather company information, contact information and the like, while a social media page like Facebook is more of the personal resource – the place to explore a brand’s personality and the way that they interact with their community.
And of course, Facebook is a great place to share updates and relevant content for your clients and potential clients, from involvement in the community to new product information. Don’t underestimate the importance of brand building here!
2. It Helps With Credibility
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I don’t know about you, but when I’m doing my research on a new brand I might give my business to, I always check to see if that business has a social media presence on Facebook (or Instagram). Why? It shows me that that brand is current and connected with their online community. To me, social media presence builds credibility – that’s just the kind of digital age we live in these days.
Similarly, it’s reassuring to see when a Facebook friend has “liked” or recommended a business page on Facebook. I’m more likely to trust that brand and choose them in the future for the product or service they provide.
3. It Will Boost Your SEO
Let’s try a brief exercise. Go ahead and Google your business name and see what kind of results come up on the first results page. Hopefully your website is right up there among the top listings (if not, let’s talk), and if you have social media pages like Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, those are likely to appear high in search, too.
The more different places your brand lives online, the better. Those various links will strengthen your SEO, increasing the likelihood of your pages ranking well in search results and bringing more traffic to your pages. So, simply having a business Facebook page (even if you aren’t super active on it) can give your SEO a boost.
4. It’s a Great Place to Engage With Your Tribe
We like to call your brand’s followers your ‘tribe’ – the ones who get you, who want to invest in your products or services, and who rave about your brand to their network. Social media platforms like Facebook are the perfect place to engage with these users and give them even more reason to support your business. From Facebook contests to exclusive offers only available to your social media followers, make them feel like part of something special. Give them an insider’s look at your brand through behind-the-scenes photos and sneak peeks of new products. Answer their questions and thank them for Facebook reviews that they share. Engage, engage, engage!
5. It’s a Good Place to Collect Testimonials and Recommendations
I started to get ahead of myself in that last point, but let’s wrap it up and take it home with this last reason to have a professional presence on Facebook: client testimonials and reviews.
If you already have a Facebook page, you may have gotten notifications before about a user recommending your business – and that’s great! A lot of times, people make posts on their personal pages asking for recommendations for a local service, like a landscape company or realtor. Their friends hop aboard and make recommendations for businesses they know and trust, tagging those business pages (which lead straight to the brand like a gold mine). Facebook can help your brand in a big way here, gathering these recommendations and 5-star reviews and building up a trust factor to boost your brand online.
Convinced yet? Even if Facebook isn’t your forte, it’s still a valuable place to extend your brand and stay engaged with your community online. Keep at it and keep that engagement going!
Darci Knowles
Owner & Creative Director
darcicreative.com
