3 Reasons Why Facebook Pages Are Your Most Valuable Asset

What is the value of having a company Facebook page?

This is a question that many small, medium, and large businesses still ask. There is such tremendous value of a company Facebook page that the answer is worthy of a full blog post.

A Facebook page is essentially a website, only it is uniform in appearance with respect to other Facebook pages and it asks users to subscribe to its content. Goals for a Facebook page can be very similar to a website. On its surface a Facebook page serves as an online facade for your product, service, and brand. It’s where your customers come to learn who you are, what you sell, why they should buy from you, and who else buys from you too. Facebook pages create brand awareness, facilitate online purchases, increase visits to store locations, and serve as a source of information. Basically, Facebook pages invite you to the party.

#1 A company Facebook page connects your company to customers who want to build a relationship and share their affinity for your brand.

Think of it like this: a company Facebook page is the person at a party you have heard so much about and want to get to know. In my experience discovering Facebook pages I search for a page after hearing about a company. I search for the company by name in the search bar and then explore their page to learn more about them. I also see companies my friends have liked and shared; and since I have similar interests to them, and the shared post was intriguing, I will usually check it out.

Unlike a website where you can land on a page by searching for relevant keywords, Facebook pages are often for people who have heard about the company and want to see what its all about, just like at a party when you meet a beautiful person and you look at their Facebook to get a good idea of who they are (you know you do this before and after a date!). What are they sharing? Is it relevant to my interests? Does it resonate with me? Does it make me laugh, cry, or think? Does it contribute to my concept of self? If you are answering yes to these questions you are probably going to click like and subscribe to the page. Yes, I want to continue receiving updates from you because I like what you stand for, like what you sell, and like how you show people who I am. While the cookie monster is usually the only one aware of your visit to a website, your visit to a Facebook page can be publicized when you choose to like the page. This makes a Facebook page the person at the party who you are proud to know.

#2 A company Facebook page deepens and increases reach and frequency of brand impressions.

You know those people in your life with whom you want to associate, who you talk about in stories, who you believe will have a positive impact on your life. When you hear phrases like “content is king” or “it’s all about engagement” what is being referred to is a company’s ability to connect with the people who have opted-in to receive their content. It is up to the community manager, social media strategist, and company leadership to foster the connection between you and the brand via the company Facebook page. Understand that relevant content speaks to the fans of a Facebook page; and  it’s the reach and frequency of this content that starts to show the true value of a company Facebook.

Let’s look at a Facebook page in advertising terms in-order to show the impact both for branding and conversion.When I managed the company pages for a local restaurant franchise we were liked by more than 25,000 people (not bad for the size of our business!). My daily posting schedule was able to secure thousands of brand impressions per day with many users seeing the posts multiple times per day. The native Facebook analytics tools let you track unique users by frequency and total reach per day and per week. The combined numbers show the total brand impressions.

Why do we care?

In advertising you will need to pay hundreds, thousands, and tens-of-thousands of dollars or more to get your brand in front of customers. Often times traditional marketing channels such as print, broadcast, or outdoor allow for some segmentation but are mainly used to shout your message to the world with the hope that some people who like you will care. However, on Facebook you are writing a personalized love letter to specific fan groups who already like your company! Imagine the impact a T.V. ad would have if it only broadcasted to a viewer who already said they liked the company and were interested in the products. Think that new product or service advertisement might have some impact now? The answer is yes- wholeheartedly.

#3 A company Facebook page increases the likelihood your product or service will be purchased.

Think of it this way: a Facebook page is the beautiful person at the party who you kept bumping into, who you discussed your shared passions with, and who went out for a drink with you at the end of the night. In marketing terms, this is a conversion.

Advertisers spend gobs of money to increase the reach and frequency of their brand impressions so when you need or want to make a purchase their company is top-of-mind. Top-of-mind recall is the ability of a consumer to remember the brand they want to purchase when presented with the opportunity to purchase. Now stop and think. What kind of impact do you think you would see on your bottom line by placing your products, services, and brand in-front of your customers multiple times per day, per week, and per month?

If you still are not convinced of the value of a company Facebook, I would like to point out nearly 75% of the United States population is on Facebook, nearly 50% of users 18-34 check Facebook right when they wake up, and individuals age 35 and older make up more than 30% of Facebook’s user base (digitalbuzzblog.com). Now more than ever your Facebook page is a tremendous opportunity to find and connect with your brand’s niche. Setup your page beautifully and become that brand people have heard so much about. Then deepen the relationship more often with relevant content sharing to increase the reach and frequency of your brand with people who like you! And when you fully embrace Facebook marketing it is possible for you to become the top-of-mind brand your customers will purchase from and share with their friends over and over again.

Aaron Aslin is an entrepreneur and consultant who specializes in marketing and social media strategies for start-ups and small businesses. Aaron’s passion is bringing out the best in people to grow their business. Follow him @aaronaslin on Facebook or on LinkedIn.