With some statistics showing that the average user to Facebook spends about 15 hours per month on the social media website, retailers are encouraged by Pet Business magazine to embrace the tool in their marketing efforts.
In a recent article, authors Eric Cohen and Joyce Shulman shared, “think of Facebook marketing as “face-to-face marketing,” as opposed to “broadcast marketing.” It is not about advertising, but connecting. Making customers feel a personal touch, such as posting pictures of pets, asking about them and sharing tidbits about the business are successful ways to engage.
Retailers are encouraged not to post too heavily or rapidly, as flooding a Facebook page with updates might not be what customers want. The majority of readers generally do not visit a Facebook page to browse and click on a variety of tabs. Instead, page owners are encouraged to post images and videos with their updates. As a result, wall and status updates will be relevant when they appear on followers’ feeds.
Build an audience by finding other pages and groups in your domain and LIKE them. Find dog groomers, dog agility clubs, and dog businesses with which to engage. Sharing feedback and engaging with similar businesses are ways to grow and contribute.
Touting the business as an expert is key if done properly. One of the ways to do this is by answering questions. Encouraging community members of Facebook to share in the question, facilitating dialogue, and bringing like-minded people together fosters a business page and can help grow fans.
Once fans are familiar with the business, feel a part of the community and are engaged, this would be a good time to share some discounts, specials and deals. The same principle holds true with basic marketing: getting to know the customer and proceeding with a relationship before attempting to sell.
Mashable offers a resource for Facebook and getting to know the basics. Visit the site at http://mashable.com/guidebook/facebook/.
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