Pull Facebook Out of Your Toolkit As Needed

Three times this past week I have had people come up to me or send me an email asking the exact same question.

I’m trying to convince my boss/volunteers/co-workers that our business/organization needs to have an active presence on Facebook. Can you help me argue my point?

Well, I’m certainly not in the business of helping people win arguments, nor do I invariably defend Facebook. Here’s why.

Facebook is simply a tool. It’s a wonderful growing tool that almost 500 million people are choosing to use right now. Is it here to stay? Will people be using Facebook in five years? I don’t know. It really doesn’t matter. What matters is a global shift of how people are expecting to communicate, access information, and participate in user generated content. Facebook aids them in this and gives people a voice that one way communication such as static websites, brochures,and newspaper ads didn’t do. I know people aren’t going to give up this new found voice anytime soon; probably never.

“Companies not actively engaging are missing a huge opportunity and are saying something to consumers – intentionally or unintentionally- about how willing they are to engage on consumers’ terms.” excerpt from article by Mike Sachoff in WebProNews

So what should you do?

You need to start thinking about how you can use your social media tool kit to build greater things. Let me explain. Social media is about the tools. Social marketing is about the plan, and social networking is about the relationships. Focus on building relationships. Every business and organization wants to connect with their customers or members. Social networking is about going to where people already are, not about asking them to come to your website, read your newspaper ad, or stop into your office. Social networking is about listening to conversations that people are having, joining in, and asking questions. It’s about being “ok” with whatever response you get, and doing something proactive about any negative feedback to make your business better and your relationships stronger. Let people know you care and let your company values and uniqueness shine in your two-way communications. Sound appealing? It is.

So where should you go to do this?

For many businesses and organizations, the answer TODAY is Facebook. For others it’s joining into the blog community. For some it makes sense to post quite a bit of content on YouTube or participate in Twitter. As with any marketing plan, you should set goals, know who you want to reach, and make sure you line up the right tools.

A little about Facebook:Facebook is expected to reach 500 million users in the near future; users who spend an average of 55 minutes a day on Facebook. The fastest growing demographics are people over 35 and women over 55. While it can be a wonderful place to reach a young demographic too, adults and businesses have taken over this tool and made it their own. Why? Adults have more life experience and simply have lived longer to know more people. Businesses and organizations have plenty to gain for obvious reasons.

Steve wrote a great article about using social media tools, including Facebook, in rural communities called, “Social Media and the Benefits of Operating a Small Business in a Rural Community” that might also help you understand or explain how social networking can benefit your business or organization.

Do you have an example or success story to share? Even little successes can be very helpful to other people to understand how these tools can be used. Please consider sharing. We’d love to hear from you.

photo credit: ocean yamaha