Facing down Facebook: Do you really need fans for your business?

Over our favorite takeout lunch last week – Tuna Bombs from Jon Smith Subs – we got into a conversation about using Facebook to promote businesses.

“What do I need a Facebook page for?” Our client asked.

Ah, there it is. The question on the minds of over half the small business owners in the United States who have, to date, bucked the trend and refused to bow to the frenzy of Facebook. These companies remain fanless and friendless, but is that really such a bad thing? What are fans and friends gonna do for your company?

A lot, most experts agree, assuming, of course, that you do Facebook right. And that, for the other half of small business owners who do have company pages on Facebook, is the biggest challenge of all.

First, though, the original question: What do you need a Facebook page for? Well, the latest count of Facebook users stands around 500 million. That means 1 out of every 13 people on the face of the earth use Facebook with half of them logging on every day. So, suppose we told you your company could have the potential of reaching a fraction of 500 million people – let’s say just .00001% of them – for free. That’s 5,000 people and you don’t have to spend a dime. How much would it cost you to reach 5,000 people on TV or in the newspaper? It sure wouldn’t be free.

So, at the very least you should have a Facebook page because… it’s free! If you get one sale from someone who found you on Facebook, the return on investment blows away any other form of marketing.

We’re not encouraging you to just post a Facebook page and leave it there to gather dust. You’re going to have to put a little effort into this, but figuring out what to put on Facebook is not as daunting as it might seem. The main thing to consider is your audience. Who do you want to talk to? This isn’t much different than marketing on any other medium. If you want to talk to men about power tools, chances are you wouldn’t run a TV ad on Dr. Phil. It’s just not the right message for the audience. So, figure out who you’re talking to and fine-tune your messages to those people. Still stuck on a Facebook strategy? Inc Magazine has some great tips for creating an effective Facebook page.

If you need further inspiration, check out these 20 companies that have awesome Facebook pages.

Good luck getting on Facebook. Look us up when you get there. We’ll be your biggest fans!