Should my business be on Facebook?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve provided social media training throughout Gippsland, and I’ve been asked this question a lot. Before I can answer, people are already excusing themselves with one or more of the following statements:

“I don’t think my audience is on facebook”

Last month 11 million Australians logged into their facebook accounts. Half of the Australians who use the internet check social media every day. But what if your product or service is aimed at older Australians? Well, while frequency of internet use decreases with age, a majority of older Australians (aged 65+) still use the internet every day. So when you tell me your audience isn’t on facebook, I say...yes they ARE on facebook and they ARE following your competitors if they are interested in whatever service or product you are offering.

“I’m just one shop, I don’t have anything to say”

If someone arrives at your shop or business, do you leave them to their own devices? No - you find out what their needs and interests are. You have a chat, you build rapport, and you try and match the right product to their needs. You definitely have ‘something to say’! Facebook is an extension of that interaction. When you provide advice or add value, you are building trust. Facebook is really, really good at doing that - if you use it properly.

“I don’t have the time to be on social media”

Yes, it does take time to build and nurture your audience. But this is one of the most important activities for your business. The key is to work smarter, not harder. In my workshops I also focus on traditional marketing, to really help you focus your time and energy into the right activities. There are heaps of ways to make maintaining a business profile on facebook a painless process and I can guide you through those.

“I post all the time and I am getting no engagement”

Posting all the time is not an effective strategy. You have to be consistent, yes. But mostly you have to be posting the right content at the right time to the right target audience. That’s a strategy. You can learn a lot from studying the insights facebook provides and by following businesses similar to your own. The rest comes down to quality content and a little bit of advertising if you’re game - you do not have to spend much to see a huge difference.

“I just don’t see how it can make me any money”

This is the hardest one to quantify unless you have an online business that you can link to your facebook ads/posts and see the sales revenue. However, there are other ways to generate direct sales through online marketing strategies and facebook-only offers, direct links to landing pages, coupons, competitions and much more. The transparency of traffic and engagement in facebook is incredible. You will soon know if your efforts are being rewarded. If not, you adapt!

So what do you think? Are you ready to explore the possibilities of using facebook for your business? If you’re still not sure, give me a call on 0425 259 177 or send me an email erika@macandernie.com.au and tell me a little bit about your business.

Otherwise, book into one of my Warragul social media workshops today and start making facebook work for you - be one of those millions of businesses worldwide who absolutely swear by it.

Please share this if you think it’s relevant to anyone you know. It’s a team effort to get our local businesses performing at their best. When everyone shops local, we all benefit!