RISMEDIA, October 4, 2010—It seems like everyone is on Facebook now. There is even a movie out this month—The Social Network—about the creation of the social networking site. Although it is something that most of us are using for personal use, Facebook can also be a powerful way to build your brand, business credibility and power high-quality lead generation.
Here are five ways to make Facebook a brand-building tool for your business:
1. Create a business page: You have your own profile page but don’t forget to create one for your business. Your business page is where you can share information about what is happening in the real estate market, what open houses are coming up, what the market data is for the area and so much more.
When creating your business page, you’ll want to invite as many people as possible to “Like” the page. Once you have 25 friends, go to www.facebook.com/username to create your own domain name; it will help you with your advertising and branding. Name your Facebook page the name of your team or your website address so it’s easy for people to remember.
2. Carry your brand to your page: Once you know you have the domain name, you can create your own welcome page on Facebook where you’ll have the look and feel of a “mini-website.” On this page, include calls to action and engagement points that allow visitors to link to your website. This will power your lead generation efforts and additional traffic to your flagship website. Check out what Linda Hall did at www.Facebook.com/LindaHallTeam for some inspirational ideas.
3. Create a town page: Imagine having a town page that you have created and people in the town use it for learning about upcoming events, local news and more. This allows you to facilitate and bring this information to your market.
Hall has done this as well. She created a page on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/FortMillSouthCarolina) for people to visit and see what is happening in the area. This becomes a powerful way for her to bring credibility to her market area. It positions her as the columnist for what’s happening in her town’s real estate market.
4. Add a “share” feature and a Facebook link off of your website: This will allow people to easily find you online and connect with you. Also, by adding the share feature, it gives people the option to share your link with other friends, family members and business colleagues.
5. Add your Facebook domain name to any and all print marketing you do: Drive people to your page by adding your Facebook link to your farming postcards, your business cards, e-mail stationary and more. The more you advertise your Facebook location, the easier it will be to have people find you. That’s what it’s all about!
Tricia Andreassen is the CEO/Founder of Pro Step Marketing, a leader in brand and Web strategy for the real estate industry. As an industry expert, speaker and author, she has over 19 years’ experience in helping Realtors grow their business.
For more information, visit www.prostepmarketing.com.
