How to Do Business Effectively on Facebook

Do you ever wonder how to do business effectively on Facebook? As most of you are aware, the amount of traffic that visits Facebook daily is tremendous to say the least.  So, it is only natural that a good majority of businesses, small and large, gear their business efforts or even their business as a whole, toward Facebook customer traffic.

The beauty of this concept is that businesses get to interact with their clients in real time.  They get to bring their products to the customer’s social network in a way that allows a feeling of real “convenience.”

However, the reality outside the pretty package is that any business can get a Fan Page.  In doing that, they are creating their own “space” and like anything else, it is really up to the customer to determine the genuine nature of the business behind the pretty Facebook page.  I have seen the same concept time and time again.  A business starts a page, puts up nice pictures and does a few grand opening deals or even freebies to get the ball rolling.  However, the majority find themselves really at a loss past the basic set-up process.  It takes 5 minutes to start a Fan Page, but it takes a huge amount of time and effort to make it a success.

In saying this, I want to share with you some tips on how to effectively do business on Facebook.  No business can succeed without an honest look at what framework needs to be laid, which is where these tips come in.

1.  Choose a Name for your Business that reflects what you are selling and/or offering.  Also, keep in mind that once you pick a name and sign up for a Fan Page, it is set in stone.  Take some time to see if you are “using” the name of another business as well.  You want your name to stand-out in a good way and to be original.

2.  Make sure you are creating a Fan Page and not a personal account page.  Facebook has made the convenience of a Fan Page even better recently, so you have no excuse.  Personal pages cannot be used as business pages, so if you made this mistake, now is the time to correct it.

3.  Market yourself.  Unless you are a well-established business that can bring an existing fan base with you to Facebook, you need to remember that the only way customers will find you is if you make yourself known.  There are numerous pages on Facebook that allow link love, discussion posts, etc. and you want to get your name out there.

4.  Keep your page looking its best.  Be a presence on your page daily.  Update posts, showcase your products with photos and respond to comments or questions.  The majority of your customers will use their News Feed to see what is going on throughout the pages they like, so you want to get that attention.

5. Respect your customers.  This should go without saying, but I have seen tons of pages that forget this on a daily basis.

6.  Add a Contact Tab to your page.  The contact tab is convenient for both you and your customers.  It also allows a direct link to you that cannot be guaranteed when a customer writes on your wall or picture.  To read posts from customers on your page, you have to check throughout the page daily, but with the contact tab, an email is sent directly to you.  A contact tab means privacy for your customers as well as a quick response time.

7.  Always use delivery confirmation when shipping.  No one wants to think that the post office will lose their package or that a customer or seller would be dishonest about sending/receiving a package.  Save yourself a huge headache and pay for delivery confirmation at the very least.  For under a $1, you can guarantee where the package ends up and is a must for both the seller and the buyer.

8. Be realistic with your customers.  Make sure you can fulfill your commitments.  If you are pressed for time, then do not take orders until you can meet demands.  If you have to issue a refund, do it immediately.  They paid you on time and they deserve the same respect.  The moment you stop being completely honest and forthcoming with your customers, is the time you need to stop and reassess what you are really doing to yourself and your business.

9.  Be aware of what you write and what you post.  I have to say I am usually pretty surprised to see what many businesses will actually write on their pages.  You need to understand that professionalism on the part of a business goes a long way.  You need to be mindful of your spelling and grammar because nothing looks worse than a “sloppy” post.  Being upset because a customer has not paid, or mad that your favorite shop was out of supplies, I recommend being very mindful of what you are writing because nothing says “imbalanced and unprofessional” like a post that slams one thing or another.  Keep it classy, always.

10.  Check out the competition.  Facebook can be a fierce land of adventure, so you need to know what is going on around you at all times.  I am not saying copycat or steal ideas.  That is the worst thing you can do to yourself and your business.  I am saying see what is going on.  Are you selling your items at a price reasonable to what others are?  Do you see a trend in regard to fabrics that sell more often versus what you are using?  The moment you close yourself off to only your page, is the moment you have already lost the battle.

Effective business on Facebook is not comprised of only 10 must-do techniques, but this gives you a baseline to work with.

Success is not found in a guaranteed formula, but in the true desire to succeed ♥