Should You Advertise on Facebook?

If you use Facebook, then you will understand my post more clearly. If you have just heard of Facebook or know that it is popular, you may want to consider advertising on Facebook. Due to its reach Facebook may be a good place to advertise your products, but only if you are interested in brand identification.

I have been using social networking for quite a while. I have quickly embraced LinkedIn and Facebook when they arrived on the scene, and I am an active user. I have never clicked a Facebook ad – ever! In fact, as I did research for a client who wants to place ads on Facebook, the web consensus was that the exposure is great but if you want sales use Google AdWords.

Facebook would be considered the content network if we were talking about Google AdWords. We know from years of professional account management that content exposure has its place but is not right for every client. The content network is excellent for introducing a new concept and helping people to know your product’s name, but if you want sales, you don’t want to invest a lot of money for this exposure in this network.

If you feel like you want to ride the popularity curve on Facebook, you may want to advertise, but keep in mind the parameters and set your expectations accordingly. You may get better bang for your buck by investing your personal capital to build your Facebook friend network, create a fan page, and then create a fan group and network for your business instead of paying by the click or thousand impression for an ad. If you do a Google Search on success of advertising on Facebook you will be able to read some real world examples of advertisers and their comments and that they found the results better with Google AdWords.

Don’t take my advice in this area, but take time to review others experience on this topic. I just know that with as many items found on a Facebook page and ad can get lost. I also know that personally as long as I have used Facebook, I have never clicked on a single advertisement, do you? Let me know by leaving your comments below.

Here are a few links to other’s problems with Facebook advertising:

Proctor and Gamble Failure

LinkedIn Answers Comments

Statistical Results from One Advertiser

Are You Using Facebook to Win Clients?

You know sometimes promoting your business is not all about you, sometimes its about having fun and becoming a “real person” to people who are looking to connect and not a “corporate profile”.

I got one of my large web design projects from an exchange on Facebook. It was a random thing. I invited a whole bunch of people to join me on Facebook from my e-newsletter mailing list. One of the people who I invited joined and we interacted online for a few days. When her boss told her to find a web designer, I got the job. You know why? Because I invited her (the office manager and gal Friday to the boss) to join me on Facebook and she loves using it.

If you totally sanitize your message on Facebook and other social networking sites to match your “corporate face” you may have on your website, you are missing the power of connecting with others. People want to know and interact with the real you, not some cardboard cutout or marketing message! They want to see YOU warts and all. People want to see your family, your kids, know what you are doing, and what you like. This is the real world view that I have received from prospects who have interacted with me and become clients from social networking platforms.

For business owners who say they want a separate corporate site from their personal Facebook site, I say be careful there. If you are a big corporation this may make sense, but if you are a small to medium sized business and a business owner with “personality”, you are better served showing your full profile and letting people into your “circle of trust” to experience who you really are. I think you will find, as I have, that you can win business doing just that.

You Can’t Cheat on Social Networking

I am repeatedly asked by prospects and clients to set up and manage their social networking platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter and will not do it. Why? I use these platforms myself and what I have found is that you simply cannot cheat on them. People want to connect with the real you not someone masquerading as you!

Only you can speak from experience and exude the authenticity that these platforms require for you to grow your network and to interact with others. If users find out you are “cheating” the blow back will be fierce.

Now I do believe that there is a niche for coaching in these areas, but there is no replacement for the real you. So if you don’t have time to work these platforms, then I recommend that you stay away from them for the time being, and that you set up a blogger and hire a blogger, but don’t outsource a crucial way to connect legitimately with others interested in your field and services and risk being outed as a cheater.

Getting Clients With Facebook

This was an interesting situation, I had a prospect send me a note through Facebook to contact her about doing a custom website. When we were chatting, it turned out that the reason she called me over anyone else was that I had invited her to join Facebook.

We chatted about how much we both liked Facebook and how fun it was. The difference for this potential client was that I reached her through social networking and now she was returning the favor by giving me her business.

For some business sectors such as mine the ability to use and embrace new technologies is what sets you apart from your competition. In your business, you may find that this is key for you too – the ability to connect using Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or your own blog. I use all of these mediums but really have the most fun with Facebook.

I thought what the potential client said about using social media was important to share with you today. So, who are you going to invite today to join you on Facebook?  The person you invite may just be your next customer, as in my case.

Social Networking No-No’s

I was watching the NBC Today show the other morning and Matt and Meredith were interview John Grisham about his new book. They asked about his Facebook page and the author dissed it.

He said that he never looks at it, he never intends to, and that it was set up and managed by his publisher. He also said that he had not even bothered to look at it.

Wow, a huge no-no in today’s world of interconnectiveness. John Grisham just dissed the site so that any readers who thought they might connect with him there clearly know that they will not. His publisher must be cringing and trying to do damage control right now in the aftermath. The author came over in the interview as sanctimonious, arrogant, and out of touch with today’s media. Clearly I will never be looking at his Facebook site as it will all be bogus done in his name for him without his interaction or blessing.

This is a public relations nightmare based on the draw that Facebook has with a wide variety of age groups and the thirst that people have to connect with other using the Web. The author should have been properly prepped and educated about Facebook and its pivotal importance in the lives of young to middle aged readers. Instead of dissing it, he would have been better served by talking up and encouraging readers to check in. He could have said that he was not doing posts, but that he was fully apprised of the activities and looked forward to reader comments.

Wow, from my viewpoint a huge gaffe. Bet the publisher will make sure that future interviews don’t take this direction.

MySpace Vs Facebook

MySpace is a favorite for most high school kids. I was there once but now that I am in college I seem to use MySpace less and less and spend most of my time on Facebook. I used to like MySpace because you could have a fancy background and put your favorite songs on your page.

As I have come to see, it is MySpace that’s struggling to keep up with Facebook, especially in the games and application department. Facebook has always had games and cool features, but when I first made an account on Facebook back in the 11th grade I found it to be more complicated and confusing and stuck with Myspace. But I could only notice that less and less of my friends were using MySpace and had all moved to Facebook. So I made the move as well.

Once I got used to Facebook I noticed all the great features that MySpace was lacking such as, the easy to use chat window and the ability to tag photos of friends. MySpace has tagging photos available now, but it doesn’t matter I never use MySpace.

Also Facebook had entertaining little games you could play like Mob Wars and Speed Racing. When I made the move to Facebook I found so many more people I knew because they were older and didn’t use MySpace. All the kids I knew that went off to college were on there. Adults like family members were on Facebook as well.

I think my favorite tool on Facebook is the networking tool I used it to join my college network and it helps me find people I know that also attend my school. And now you can put your favorite songs on Facebook just like MySpace, so it is all around better in my eyes.