A little video with some interesting stats:
I delivered a presentation at the 2011 Oregon Small Business Fair about Facebook strategies for small business. Listed below are the brief notes and some resource links:
RESOURCES:
- Understanding Facebook, by Linnie Thomas and Rob Patton. I co-authored a book designed for the “inexperienced” Facebook user. This is the one to use when you want to do it right the first time. Support local authors!
- Likeable Social Media, by Dave Kerpen. This is an excellent book for business owners who want to learn exactly how to leverage Facebook and other social media sites to build community, gain new customers and “be generally amazing.”
VIDEOS:
WORKSHOP LINKS:
- Presentation Slides: EnterTheNet.com/facebook
POINTS FOR SUCCESS:
- Use A Facebook Page For Business
- How to get your own special URL – Get A Facebook Vanity URL
- Starting Tips for Your Page – So, You Have A Facebook Page. Now What?
- Use Facebook To Listen For Your Business
- Listen to what is happening on your Page.
- Enter Search Term and then choose where to search from left side. Facebook Search
- You can do this on Twitter, too. Probably should. Twitter Search
- Use Facebook to Promote Locally
- Encourage and reward check ins.
- Target ads super close.
- Use Facebook Ads To Drive Business To Your Page
- Target ads – Facebook Advertising
- Target ads and create ads for the targets.
- Start with your customers
- Get your vanity URL – Get A Facebook Vanity URL
- Share it with your customers
- Seek them out as friends (new friend lists make this easier to manage.)
- Be Customer-Centered on your Page
- As opposed to product-centered
- Make it about them, not about you
- Respond to Negative Comments:
- Say “I’m sorry.” Humanize.
- Offer to address problem privately.
- Respond to Positive Comments with a “Thank you!”
HOW TO “BE” ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE:
- Be Authentic
- No scripts
- Don’t repeat things
- Admit to mistakes
- Show behind the curtain
- Actor with the most Facebook Fans? Vin Diesel
- Actor with the most Twitter Followers? Ashton Kutcher
- Be Honest
- Ask Questions
- It’s your community, get them involved.
- “What would you like to see in this community?”
- “Who inspires you the most?”
- “Most interesting place you have used this product?”
- Crowdsourcing
- Provide Value for Free
- Articles. Not sales articles.
- Coupons for Facebook Fans. 5% is insulting.
- Share Stories (and let your fans share, too)
- Greatest success
- Greatest flop
- How you started
- Share images and videos, too.
- Don’t Sell
- Push marketing is dead. Stop doing it.
- Just make it easy to purchase from your Page. But don’t sell.
- The less you sell the more you’ll sell.
How Much Time? Once a day for 15-30 minutes.
- Build fans.
- Post new content.
- Respond to everything.
Automate posts to speed things up. But you still need to check in.
Make sure you get email notifications.
Use your phone. It’s smart, right?
How Long Will It Take?
- This is organic. You are growing trees here.
- ROI on social media is your business will still be around in 5 years.
Lots of people ask me about how to get those cool Facebook URL’s seen around the web. For example, this is the current URL for a company called King Of The Cajun:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/King-Of-The-Cajun-Gourmet-Brand-Seasoning-and-Barbecue-Sauce/53226214642
That’s kind of a mouthful to put on business cards, websites and email signatures. King Of The Cajun would surely enjoy:
http://www.facebook.com/KingOfTheCajun
Here is what Facebook says about this (they call it a username.)
You can personalize your Facebook URL (web address) by selecting a unique username. It will appear in the location bar of your browser after “http://www.facebook.com/” when you view your profile or Page.
An example of a username is the phrase “fbsitegovernance” as used in the web address http://www.facebook.com/fbsitegovernance.
By the way, notice that you can get a vanity URL (Facebook username) for a PAGE (business) and your PROFILE (person.)
It is very simple to do this! You need to have 25 fans of your page in order to make it happen. Just log into your account and follow the directions below:
You can select a username at http://www.facebook.com/username. You may choose a username that Facebook suggests, or create your own. Select “Check availability” to check for available usernames. If the desired username is available, click “Confirm” in order to confirm your choice.
Below are some screenshots that show me getting a username for one of my pages. You can click on an image thumbnail to see it full size. After viewing a screenshot, click your browser’s BACK button to come back here.
-
- Go to facebook.com/username, choose Page or Profile and enter the desired username.
-
- Facebook will let you know if the username is available. All usernames are unique.
-
- This screen shows that you have been successful!
———
For your convenience, I have pasted Facebook’s FAQ for usernames. If you have other questions, please post them in the comments section below and Enter The Net will try to answer!
Basics » Usernames for Facebook Pages
Why should I register a username for my Facebook Page?
Usernames allow public entities to easily promote your presence on Facebook with a short URL. This username can be used in your marketing communications, company website and business cards.
An example of a username is the phrase “fbsitegovernance” as used in the web address http://www.facebook.com/fbsitegovernance.
How can I secure usernames for my Pages?
If you are an administrator of a Facebook Page, you will be able to choose your username at http://www.facebook.com/username just like a user selecting a username for their profile. There will be an interface for you to choose usernames for each of the eligible Pages you administer.
I tried to get a username for my Page but Facebook said the Page was not eligible. What are the requirements?
If you were not able to get a username, your page may not be eligible to have a username at this time. Pages with more than 25 fans can get a username.
What are the guidelines around creating a username for Facebook Pages?
Usernames were created to make it easier for Facebook users to identify their profile or Page and share with others. As a public figure, business or brand with a Page on Facebook, your username should be straightforward and easy to remember. Facebook encourages you to consider the following when creating a username for Pages:
Create a username that is as close as possible to your public figure name or business name (e.g., MarkZuckerberg, Facebook). Or if your Page is about a particular topic related to your brand or service, create a username appropriate to that theme (e.g., fbsitegovernance).
Usernames can only contain alphanumeric characters (a-z, 0-9) or periods (“.”), and must contain at least one letter. You may also include periods and capital letters to make your username easier to read, but their use by others in finding your Page or profile is optional. For example, fbsitegovernance and FB.Site.Governance are the same username, so http://www.facebook.com/fbsitegovernance and http://www.facebook.com/FB.Site.Governance go to the same Page.
Choose a username you will be happy with for the long term. Usernames are not transferable.
Your username must adhere to Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.
Will usernames such as “flowers” or “pizza” ever be available for Facebook Pages? Can I sign up on a waiting list?
At this time, generic words are not available as usernames. Facebook encourages all users and Page administrators to create a username that closely matches the true identity of their name or business.
I accidentally selected a wrong/misspelled username for my Facebook Page. Can I revise it?
No. Once you have claimed a username by clicking the “Confirm” button, it is not possible to edit it, or to transfer your username to a different account on Facebook. Additionally, when an account is removed from the site, its username will not be made available to other users for security reasons.
Can I have more than one username for a Facebook Page?
No. Only one username is allowed per Page.
I am an authorized representative for a public figure, brand or business and/or hold the rights to a trademarked name. I believe that someone’s username infringes my rights. What can I do?
If you wish to report that someone’s username infringes your rights, please fill out our username IP infringement form. For all other reports of intellectual property infringement, including Page names, please click here.
What is the process to request removal of an unauthorized Page of a public figure, brand or business?
If you wish to report that a Page infringes your rights, please review the information here.
———-
If you have any feedback about this post, please let us know. You can include a question or comment in the space below.
If this article helped you capture your own username, please tell us!
Struggling with Facebook?
Kinda scared to get started on it? Feeling overwhelmed?
Recognizing the frustrations experienced by those starting up on Facebook, acclaimed author Linnie Thomas (The Encyclopedia of Energy Medicine) joined forces with internet marketing instructor Rob Patton (Clackamas Small Business Development Center, Portland Oregon) to produce a helpful guide to Facebook for the “inexperienced.”
Cleverly related through the eyes of Pat Duffer, a fictional “new Facebook user,” the guide covers everything you need to know to set up your presence there, setting up your business presence and how it all fits together. The goal of the book is to help you get the settings right the first time!
Early feedback from more experienced users has been overwhelmingly positive. There are tips and techniques for even the most seasoned Facebooker!
The price of the 81-page manual is only $12.95 and shipping is free. Click the “Add to Cart” button to get yours today!
12.95 for Understanding Facebook, Free Shipping
Clicking the link will send you to a page where you can set the quantity of books you want to purchase. Clicking Check Out on that page will send you to a new page where you can either log in to your Pay Pal account or click the link that says “Don’t Have A PayPal Account?” to use a credit card. The company processing the payment is the International Association for Energy Healers, Inc.
After you have learned everything in the book, be sure to provide the authors with some feedback. The book is designed to be forever changeable and your feedback will help the authors work on new updates, which will be shared with you!
HOW TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK OR ASK QUESTIONS:
- ON FACEBOOK, “Like” the Pat’s Project Page. Here is a link: Pat’s Project: Understanding Facebook
- HERE, leave a comment in the space below.
