Of all the social networks, Facebook helps expose businesses to the broadest audience and offers a very comprehensive set of business tools. Facebook is the largest and the most recognized social media network worldwide, making it an Interesting entry point for businesses looking to develop their social media strategy. Facebook Marketplace for example, does have some redeeming qualities for
professionals and businesses, especially when used in moderation. Safe to say, Facebook is seen as the most effective way to use social media for your business. Facebook with over 2 billion active users helps and with the introduction of Meta Business Suite allows many businesses to use Facebook to connect with new and existing customers.
This article is based on small business owners who want to generate brand awareness and create meaningful connections through Facebook. Facebook business tools helps in;
- Building your online brand.
- Increases productivity.
- Facilitates lead generation.
- Facebook ‘Book Now’ tool makes appointment scheduling easy.
- Facebook offers digital marketing and conversion rate optimization.
- Facebook Pay makes it quite easy to get started with e-commerce.
● Building Your Online Brand:
Your online presence is much more important than ever as consumers’ interest in social media and mobile shopping continues to grow, and Facebook seems to be the best opportunity to get in front of customers. As the largest and arguably the first social media network to achieve mainstream success, Facebook Meta Business Suite offers some of the best integration tools compared to other platforms, including account logins, follow buttons and photo sharing. The tools can actually lead customers back to your business website and other online content you might want to highlight.
● Increases Productivity:
While many argue that social media only distracts employees, the opposite may be true. When employees take breaks to do things that interest them, like to check the Facebook News Feed and feel more connected to friends and family, they tend to be relaxed, happier and even more productive when they get back to work. An unobtrusive break like a quick surf on the internet maybe, enables the mind to rest
itself, resulting in a higher net total concentration for a day’s work and as a result increases productivity.
● Facilitates Lead Generation:
Facebook enforces lead generation templates directly into its Ads Manager, hub and the portal for creating Facebook ads. With the integration of Meta Business Suite, ads can send customers automated messages through Facebook Messenger and also analyse replies, helping you understand what the customer wants in a relatively straightforward process. For small businesses, the tool is a helpful asset for
generating leads without constantly monitoring Messenger or Facebook on the desktop and responding to spam accounts. The automated conversations make it easier for companies to know their interests, connect with target customers, build an email marketing contact list and convert prospects into paying clients.
● Facebook ‘Book Now’ Tool Makes Appointment Scheduling Easy:
The Book Now appointment-booking tool is another major feature on Facebook for small businesses. Book Now can merge with a business’s calendar system and help customers book appointments for when they’re available. If customers schedule appointments through Facebook, assuming the calendar is accurate, this process can help save companies time by reducing the quantity of phone calls to book
appointments or time spent monitoring a web booking system. The series of automated messages can make the method more straightforward than someone manually scheduling appointments. After customers book their appointment, they will receive a calendar invite and data, instructions and
directions.
● Facebook Offers Digital Marketing And Conversion Rate Optimization:
Facebook helps users contact and find information directly from businesses through a series of specific buttons on the Facebook Meta Business Suite and ads. The features help users communicate directly with small businesses as short as possible. Looking from a business perspective, these features allow companies to broaden their reach to new clients, making it easier to convert them with the clicking of a
button. With just buttons, businesses can customise their call to action (CTA) based on their communication styles and conversion goals. These CTA buttons include Call Now, Get Directions, Send Messages, Direct link to Whatsapp and Shop Now, amongmany others.
● Facebook Pay Makes It Quite Easy To Get Started With E-commerce:
Facebook Pay is a unique way to jump into e-commerce and start accepting payments if you want to start selling online via Facebook shop. Once you sign up for Facebook Pay, it is very easy to link it to your Facebook shop and include it in your payment options. Anyone Facebook user can use Facebook Pay on Facebook, Instagram or Messenger to shop almost any type of goods and services. When your shop offers Facebook Pay, you will have access to many customers and give them a simple way to pay with a speedy checkout process. Facebook Pay is free to use mainly for consumers and businesses.
In simple terms, some of the main reasons that businesses set up a Facebook presence include building brand awareness, increasing traffic to an organisation website, highlighting products and services, generating business leads, receiving customer feedback and online advertising, among others.
While Facebook can deliver plenty of benefits to businesses, it is also important to be aware of the potential downsides, which are as follow:
1. Time and Resources:
Running and setting up a Facebook page requires a lot of time investment. You may need a member of staff who can take on social media duties and still have enough time to manage the page as well as create engaging content.
2. Skills:
The staff member who manages your Facebook page may need training to ensure they have the right skills for the task. They should be able to create and plan content, respond to enquiries and complaints, and also represent your business.
3. Budget:
To make the most of Facebook for your business, you will definitely need to invest in paid-for advertising which will require its own budget.
4. Negative feedback:
The two-way communication nature of Facebook also means that unhappy customers can air their complaints publicly. It is very important to handle complaints well as your response is under scrutiny from your audience. It is not advisable to delete or hide genuine negative comments.
