Facebook can be a powerful business tool, but there are certain issues that need to be considered seriously. Assessing the real value of Facebook ‘likes’ is one of the problems. Many businesses tend to give it more importance than it deserves.
With more and more users giving out ‘likes’ freely without much emotional motivation, the visibility of these ‘likes’ has reduced drastically. Rather than considering ‘likes’ as a direct way of driving sales, they should be considered as a method of collecting useful data. Local businesses need to consider whether a Facebook page is really useful for them.
According to a study conducted by Roost, on an average, locals account for only 15% of fans on a small business Facebook page. You don’t need to consult an internet marketing company to conclude that unless you offer e-commerce option, your Facebook page may not really be very useful for your business.
Although it is recommended to have a Facebook page, many businesses tend of overestimate its value. As far as Facebook ads are concerned, businesses targeting local customers need to specifically consider local Facebook audience.
The results of a survey conducted by MerchantCircle indicate that out of 22% local businesses that have used Facebook ads, around 65% are likely to invest in them again. But among businesses that said that they would not use Facebook ads again, 35% found them to be too expensive, while 65% said that they did not help the business in acquiring new customers.
In spite of these and other issues like ban bot and brand damaging security messages, Facebook remains an important business tool. The social media giant is making efforts to further improve its usability for businesses.