Top 10 Facebook Tips for Business Owners

It may be hard to believe, but Facebook has been around for a decade now. "Like" it or not, it's time for business owners to realize that the social media company is not going anywhere.

With more than 1 billion Facebook users worldwide, including many small businesses, tech-savvy entrepreneurs have taken advantage of Facebook to reach current and potential customers.

So what are the best ways to make Facebook for Business work for you? Here are 10 tips to help business owners get the most out of Facebook:

1. Know your audience. Facebook will be one large spoke in the wheel of your marketing strategy. That means small businesses should have a good idea whom they're trying to reach (i.e., whom their Facebook pages are for) before creating them.
2. Don't mix business and personal. Your Facebook business page should not be your personal Facebook page. Even if you're careful with your privacy settings and content, you can end up getting your business in trouble.
3. Be descriptive. Tell your visitors who you are, what you do, and how you can be reached (website, email, Twitter, phone, address) in a pleasing, simple way.
4. Post regularly. Even if it means hiring an outside social media manager, you need someone to oversee your page, actively updating your audience with new content.
5. Disclose paid endorsements. Not only is this just a good idea, but when you're paid to endorse something online, it needs an FTC disclosure by law.
6. Field questions. Facebook is a great way to provide customer service support to consumers and give an interactive face to your company. Just try to avoid getting into online "shouting matches" with people who may post unflattering comments.
7. Train your employees. Presenting a unified view of your company may be stymied by employees who use Facebook while at work. Train them on your Facebook policies and consider barring Facebook altogether.
8. Use two-step verification. Prevent your company's image by protecting its Facebook account. By using Facebook's "Login Approvals," you can reduce the risk of your company's Facebook account being hijacked.
9. Be professional and courteous. This is kind of a no-brainer. Treat your online visitors like you would any customer, with the utmost respect and courtesy.
10. Encourage feedback. Part of the beauty of Facebook as a marketing tool is the ease of engaging your target audience. Post surveys or open-ended questions that encourage users to interact with you, providing you valuable insight into your potential customers.

Using Facebook wisely may give your business the extra edge it needs to last until its own 10th (or 20th or 30th) anniversary.

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Related Resources:

• 10 Tips for Entrepreneurs on Social Media (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)
• Top 10 Social Media Legal Tips for Small Biz (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)
• Should You Use Facebook for Job Recruiting? (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)
• More Employers Asking for Facebook Passwords (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)