Are You Using Facebook Advertising?

If you are a web-only merchant or a brick and mortar store and have a Facebook business page, why not consider giving Facebook advertising a try.

Since Facebook knows a lot about its users from data shared on profiles and pages, you have a great opportunity to target only those that might have a specific interest in what you sell. Now where else are you going to get advertising that focused? You can set your budget and choose very specific demographics so you can get the most for your dollars.

Consider these facts about Facebook:

• People are hanging out and spending an inordinate amount of time on the social network; users spend on average more than 6 hours on the social network, nearly 5 times the amount spent on Google.
• Users share information about themselves, share photos, comment on posts, make updates, and like products/posts.
• Users aren't looking for anything specific, you have the ability to to spark their interest in something they didn't know they wanted.
• Advertisers have the opportunity to invite customers to a private Facebook-only sale or promotion - there's no better way to track your advertising ROI.
• Facebook is also a way to grow your network for hiring, networking, etc. by using the app BranchOut

These facts make it a must for any retailer's marketing strategy making the social Web a crucial part of e-commerce.

Don't want to advertise? There are other Facebook marketing tools you might consider to engage friends and Web visitors.

Like Button
By now you've probably seen what many Web sites are using to get visitors to interact. They've implemented a Facebook plugin that allows your Web site visitors to click a "Like" button and spread the word to their friends right from your site. Put it anywhere on your site. In less than 1 year, 2.5 million Web sites have integrated a Facebook Like plug-in.

Comments Box
If you have products, put a Like button or Comments Box on each product page so users can quickly provide reviews and endorse the product. Clicks and Comments are broadcast to the clicker's Facebook friends.

Places
Another Facebook marketing tool is Places. A mobile user can broadcast their location by "checking in" to your place of business, thereby letting their friends know their location, similar to FourSquare.

Dig into Facebook today and see how it can help your business grow!
Ciao for now, Paula

Facebook fact source: Nielsen, May issue of Internet Retailer Magazine