Facebook for business

[Keethjon]

Has anyone figured out if Facebook for Business is a good way to generate new traffic to your website?

Keith
http:easybasicphotography.com

[Niresangwa]

Facebook far exceeds a website in terms of generating business, if thats what you mean, (imo).

[Xposurepro]

Put it this way .. Class of 2011 started school here 2 weeks ago and 2 days ago we booked out first 2012 senior on the calendar .. they went with our $200 session + $800 Print Package ... one year in advance .. a direct result of our facebook marketing strategies. However, there's a lot involved to get to that point .. you don't just sign up and instantly get clients without doing anything .. we also do not use any of the actual "Facebook for Business" features .. no ads, etc.

[candleman]

Originally Posted by Niresangwa

Facebook far exceeds a website in terms of generating business, if thats what you mean, (imo).

+1

most of my work comes from facebook... IE people seeing my images on facebook.

[kirbinster]

I would appreciate if you could post some details of exactly what steps you took. I have never used facebook, and would like to see what would be involved to use it for a retail operation I own.

[Xposurepro]

The key to facebook marketing is to remember the fact that facebook is a social networking site. Networking .. that means you have to be interactive. The most common mistake is to upload some photos .. post on "your" wall about specials and crap .. and think it will get you somewhere. Is this interaction? Yeah but I like to refer to it as marketing masturbation because all your doing is interacting with yourself. You need to look for potential clients . don't wait for them to find you on their own .. now interact with them .. on their walls, on their images, comment on their status. Build a relationship.
I could have 200 local competitors post on their walls that they are giving away senior sessions with huge print packages and high-res CDs for only $10 .. I'll go find a southpark vid on youtube and share it on a few seniors walls .. Guess who all the seniors are going to call? It's sure not my competitors. They're calling me a dropping tons of cash. Because they know me. They don't know you.

It's all social so be social and be creative with your marketing.

[danbaileyphoto]

Well said. Socal media is all about networking, which is the same whether you're shaking hands at a convention, talking with people on the street or posting on Twitter and Facebook. Success comes from building personal relationships with people, who remember you, recommend you and, ultimately, hire you. Personal interaction is one of the biggest keys to marketing, and just like in real life, it takes time to build up those relationships online.

[Photologyst]

Social networking sites and Twitter are great for drumming up business, Keith. These are Yellow Pages on steroids.

Just don’t tell what you had for breakfast. Keep it professional.

This article shows how one photographer uses FB and Twitter to grow his business: An Interview With Professional Nature Photographer Jon Cornforth

[joe27]

This might be a dumb question, but when you use Facebook are you using it with your name or your "company name." Seems both would be beneficial.

[Niresangwa]

Facebook only allows you to use a 'personal profile' under your own 'name'. If you use it for business purposes, you have to use a 'business page' (the kind that anyone can 'like' to follow it.

If they catch you usinf a 'personal profile' for business purposes, they will delete the account. This was discussed somewhere else recently, and photographers have lost their FB 'privileges' (including all pictures and contact lists) when caught abusing the guidelines.