Local Businesses Should Become Friendly with Facebook

The social media tool Facebook is used by more than 400 million people. And Hermosa Beach businesses can easily access many of them if they develop the right strategy.

A recent study of more than 800,000 Facebook users conducted by the site and Nielsen found that brand awareness increases more when a user engages with a company's Facebook page than when he or she simply sees an ad by the company. This is big news for small businesses in the South Bay, which can reach those users by putting the following tips into practice:

Research, research, research

Small-town businesses should begin by researching what their competitors are doing online. See how many online visitors they're attracting with Facebook by reading their wall posts, monitoring who they interact with and studying their Web activity.

After doing extensive research as to what other companies are doing, begin to build your own Facebook presence and brainstorm how to stand out from the crowd. Data from my company,  Media Leaders, show that in one day small businesses can attract two to three customers via Facebook that normally would not have interacted with the company. That can be ranked as attracting 14 customers per week once a small business builds a Facebook page.

Say "yes" to pages

Facebook pages are the best way for your company to publicize relevant information needed for customers and develop interaction. By opting into a pages account, and not a group or profile account, Facebook gives business owners a chance to send messages to, and engage in dialogue with, customers.

Once you've created a Facebook fan page, make the Facebook logo clearly visible near the top of your website and in e-mail signatures, so visitors can easily connect with your business. Since Facebook has become a household brand name, the friendly "f" button and logo will give your company a touch of credibility.

Don't be shy

Post questions throughout the week that encourage feedback and engagement from your customers on your Facebook page. Paciugo Gelato serves as one Hermosa Beach business that has successfully used Facebook tools to engage with customers by uploading daily photos and frequently replying to comments posted on its page. Communicating frequently with customers on Facebook shows that your business has a strong voice and cares about customer opinion.

Facebook for slow days 

Facebook can help bring in customers on days when business is lighter. One Hermosa Beach bistro, which requested to remain anonymous, was having difficulty attracting customers on Tuesdays. The restaurant began to offer free ice cream desserts on Tuesdays with any entrée that cost more than $10. A week in advance, the bistro sent out a message on Facebook: "Tuesday night ask your waiter for a free ice cream dessert with any entree over $10.  Tell them you saw it on Facebook!"

Customers flocked to the restaurant,  and because more people were ordering the menu's higher-priced entrees, the Facebook ice cream giveaway didn't cut into the bistro's profit margin.

Turn that frown upside down

Lastly, use Facebook to monitor unhappy customers. If you read a negative comment about your service or product, immediately message the user and offer a free meal or a 10 percent discount.

Facebook can help you win that customer back.

Josh Ochs is a Hermosa Beach resident and founder of Media Leaders, a micro-messaging marketing agency based in Los Angeles. He is an adviser on social media to various large and small company brands, music artists and political campaigns.