Why have a facebook ad?

Neat article off an RSS feed but it is very true!

VANCOUVER, BC, September 24, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Part 2: Facebook

Many business people tend to disregard Facebook, thinking it is for teenagers, or grandparents who want to post or view pictures of their grandkids. They just don't think that Facebook is to be taken seriously in the business world.

It's an easy assumption to make - Facebook is considered, after all, the father of "social" media. But business became social a while ago. If you study any of the TV commercials, websites or other promotional materials around, you will see companies asking their customers to 'like' them on Facebook for a promotion or discount and Facebook URLs and Twitter accounts are given where once website URLs were.

Like it or not, Facebook is a phenomenon that is not going to go away anytime in the foreseeable future. A profile or fan page on Facebook can obviously help with brand recognition but it can actually do so much more than that.

Firstly, Facebook is easy to integrate with other social media programs such as Twitter and LinkedIn. There are apps that will allow you to integrate blogs from your website or your Twitter feed. You should ideally be promoting your blog on both Facebook and Twitter whenever they are posted.

Secondly, make it easy for people to find your Facebook page. Add your Facebook URL and Twitter link to your email signature so it is available on every communication you send out.

Use your wall to post upcoming events, webinars, promotions, etc. Consider offering discounts (they don't have to be huge) to people who 'like' you on Facebook. You can also use your wall to let customers and business colleagues know your recent achievements, projects or interesting activities. Share good news with your 'fans', share interesting articles or link to videos that might interest your clients or colleagues.

Last, but by no means least, you can use Facebook to increase your business network. Go to your friends' pages and check out any mutual friends that you could also connect with. You can also use the 'Find Friends' button to expand your network.