By Shirley Hermiston, Business Support Manager
Facebook is a powerhouse when it comes to marketing a start-up business.
Anybody who uses Facebook will know that what you post on there can spread like wildfire. Uploading a striking image will attract attention, but what if that image was actually generating customers for your new business? It’s an exciting thought.
Described as the ‘word of mouth’ of online, Facebook is a place where anyone can create a business page and promote the page for free, despite what stage the business is at – whether it’s a pre-start or established firm, Facebook will welcome your business to its portal of potential.
We understand start-ups and therefore encourage anyone setting up a business to consider creating a business page on Facebook. The site provides a totally cost-effective way to market a business because it is completely free, and best of all, it delivers results.
The beauty of Facebook is that it has the ability to reach the largest pool of potential customers. Each person on Facebook has the opportunity to ‘like’ a business page. If someone likes your page, they are essentially giving your page permission to update them with any messages you wish to post – whether it be a new product or service, they will be fed that information. So make your message a strong one with good imagery like I mentioned earlier and increase the likelihood that people will ‘like’, comment and share your material. In turn, people will be increasingly exposed to your business and will be more inclined to engage with the content further, or even become a customer.
A lot of Facebook marketing is effective because Facebook can be a more personal place; getting your message out there can be easier because people listen to their friends. Promoting a business amongst friends and family is something start-ups can use to their advantage, because these connections will be willing to share the news on your self-employment to help get you up and running, as well as share any business related posts.
A recent start-up client of ours, Neil Travis of Discover Edventure, became ‘the most talked about man in Sunderland’ according to business magazine, BQ Live. Neil simply shared on his Facebook page that he had launched a business with our support, and within hours, Neil’s connections on Facebook had read the article and shared it on further, generating a huge amount of awareness. This is a great example of how Facebook is best utilised – it’s about sharing great content and encouraging others to spread the message even further.
At the BIC we have free marketing support available on-site as well as free start-up support – available to anyone who is thinking of going self-employed.