12 Reasons To Have A Facebook Business Page

1. Free
   No domain, hosting, webdesign, or maintenance costs.
2. Easy.
   No prior web knowledge needed. It’s all there waiting for you in normal Web 2.0 fashion to fill in the details, upload pictures.
3. Upgradable
   A little nervous about the initial set up? Want to add in a few of the advanced offerings? I’ll share my secret . I use Student job search www.sjs.co.nz  . A fabulous source for cutting edge, knowledgeable, quick inexpensive assistance as often and when you desire. 
4. Continuing Growth
   Facebook is expanding day by day. Statistics from their website:
1. More than 250 million active users, half of them log on at least once each day
2. More than two-thirds of Facebook users are outside of university
3. The fastest growing demographic are individuals 35 years old and older
4. More than 8 million users become fans of Pages daily
5. 70% of Facebook users are outside the United States
5. Interactive
   Normally websites are one way. You pushing information out. You loading new content. With the pages your clients (hum, I mean your fans) can write on your wall what they think of your products and services and post pictures of themselves interacting with it, send links to other colleagues. Clients can load up testimonials themselves.
6. Viral activity
   Your business page postings are shared with your fans. When fans comment on your page, it is listed on their business page too – so their fans/friends can click through. Of course there is a share option. You can see the reach a single post of your s can make when you have many well placed fans.
7. Communicate
   You have the built in ability to communicate with everyone or to selectively target by age, gender and location.
8. Statistics
   Each business profile comes with graphically rendered statistics of the activity -  page views, unique page views, wall posts…
9. Searched
   Google and other search engines find and list your pages. Even better is when you have more than 100 fans, you are allowed to customise the web address of your Tabs. Instead of Facebook.com/and a long string of numbers and letters you can have www.facebook.com/yourcompanyname
10. Add on applications
    Such as videos (how nice not to have to use YouTube), Slideshare, business cards, telephone and conference calls.
11. Mobile phone updates
    I have a confession. Most of my time spent looking and learning about Facebook has been after 11pm, in bed, using my iphone with the sound turned off and hidden under the covers so the phone light didn’t wake my husband.  It’s not just the iPhone. Many smart phones have an icon to take you straight to your Facebook account for catching up, editing, commenting, uploading pictures. Interaction via cell phone is significant and business changing. It replaces the barriers of time, effort and procrastination with immediate, quick and easy.
12. Photos
    This is where the explosion of clever thinking and creativity can transform what was a vehicle for hot tub, baby and raising the glass photos to practical business use. Product pictures. Examples of work you’ve done. Oh my goodness – even an online catalog – for free!!!!!!

These Facebook business fan page attribute places it heads over heels in business value based on time and energy invested as compared to LinkedIn or Twitter.

Debbie Mayo-Smith (BSc Hons Econ) is an International Motivational Business Speaker and Managing Director of SuccessIS! (http://www.successis.co.nz) and a leading specialist in easy practical ways to improve business profitability, personal productivity and Internet marketing. Debbie lives in NZ and travels the world speaking, writing and training. By the way, if you'd like to get lots of neat tricks like this, plus marketing and business development tips, why not enrol for our free newsletter?

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