Mobile Marketing & Online Customer Getting Solutions

Local businesses are quaking in their boots about the Facebook business pages switch to the new timeline format.

This likely creates a chasm between small businesses and big businesses.

Big businesses have plenty of budget to make the transition. Many local businesses don’t.

So what’s the cost effective solution?

Since many small businesses don’t have a dedicated social media manager simpler is better. So here’s a few tips:

1. Cover graphic

It can be 810 pixels wide. It can’t include any call to action. Just your business branding.

2. Pinning

You can pin an event announcement, news story, customer review or interesting article about your industry. This “main event” stays highlighted at the top for 7 days.

This area gets top billing so make the most of this essential ad space.

3. Profile photos

You can include images of your business brand, offices, and employees. This makes your business more real and warms it to Facebook visitors.

4. About section

Tell a little about your business and you can include a call to action here.

5. App section

There’s room for 4 different pages or Facebook apps and anything goes here. I recommend call to action photos and other cool eye-catching photos.

Here’s more on the Facebook timeline transition from BizJournals:

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One small businessman, Steve Rasmussen, who owns Milk Pail Market in Mountain View said he spends 15 to 20 hours a week on Facebook managing his company’s page, often while doing other things like watching TV or listening to music.

His page is quite active for a small business, with lots of posts about upcoming events like cheese tastings, deals on products and questions from customers.

“I announce these things (like events) either to try to get people to attend through Facebook, or just to let the community of Milk Pail know what we’re doing out there,” he said. “A lot of our customers really like knowing what we do behind the scenes.”

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What 1 question do you have about how to get more customers from Facebook? If your business isn’t on Facebook your competitors are leaving you behind. What’s holding you back?

I vow to read and point you to solutions when I respond to your comments.

You don’t want to waste time on Facebook. As a local business owner you don’t have any extra time.

So what if you could post to Facebook everyday?

You probably set that as a goal. And you probably failed on that goal.

Could you spare 5 minutes or 7 minutes each day?

If you’re like most business owners I talk to the answer is “yes”.

The key is an editorial calendar. You can also think of it as your marketing calendar or your content marketing calendar.

You know all of the interesting topics, events and promotions your company is doing over the next 30 to 60 days.

Start seeding cool little updates and informative little posts on your Facebook local business page building your followers’ anticipation for these events and topics.

Here’s more from entrepreneur:

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How can time-crunched entrepreneurs find a way to post regularly to their company’s Facebook page? Entrepreneur Magazine writer Mikal Belicove suggests creating an editorial calendar. Using your marketing calendar as a guide, coming up with Facebook posts ahead of time can help keep you organized and refreshing the content on your page more regularly.

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How effective is your marketing calendar? If you don’t have a content marketing calendar or editorial calendar what’s stopping you from getting one?

I pledge to read and respond to your comments with solutions and resources.

Recently I attended a live marketing event here in Austin Texas. A number of topics were covered including Facebook pages for small businesses.

Here’s some pictures from the event. I got to talk with many of the attendees some of whom were local business owners looking to do a Facebook business page to better connect with their fans, customers and build more of a community around this.

Your Facebook business page should be simple.

Here’s 2 quick tips:

1. Frequent updates bring you more fans and customers.

New people within Facebook coming to your business page want to see that it’s a live, active and vibrant business. I’m not saying you have to update every day.

But for local businesses a good rule of thumb is three or four times a week to have status updates.

One of the easiest things to do is put images of new jobs completed. Then just put a quick description of what was done and the outcome of the job.

2. Enticement giveaway or coupon

Make an offer right there on your business page front and center. Maybe it’s a demo video they can watch to see why they should use your small business over your competitors.

Maybe you offer a coupon or discount they can redeem by becoming a fan.

These are just two of the ways you can use your Facebook business page to get more people coming into your local business and buying your stuff.

Talk to me about other ideas you’ve used which work. Or ask me questions about what else might work?

I promise to read and respond to your comments below.