Not too long ago, the only “social media” was email.  Local businesses were only interested in Yellow Pages, TV, newspapers and radio ads.  And, Mark Zuckerburg only allowed college kids on Facebook.  Today, there are nearly 700 million users on Facebook, but mainly for social reasons.  Is it possible today, to leverage Facebook to quickly produce income in today’s economy?

As most savvy marketers are intuitively aware, Facebook is a goldmine for business.  In fact, in the marketing world, there has never been a more powerful tool, especially due to its viral properties.  Facebook’s “viral” concept for businesses is primarily via its “Like” button.  In the old days, setting up a “Tell-A-Friend” script was very difficult by comparison.  In addition, it’s Ads are demographically targeted, which is impossible on Google and integration with PC”s and mobile devices is seamless on Facebook.  Finally, its built in tracking  provides much better information than Google’s Insights.

But, since Facebook is an inherently social platform, it requires a certain “finesse,” which many fail to understand.  Sending and/or directly posting ads for products and services is actually grounds for immediate cancellation of an account.  Ads are allowed on Facebook Fan Pages, however, and in particular, can be placed as a “profile picture.”

Fan Page creation, which is easy and instant,  includes several nice features.  Up to 5 images can be uploaded with URL, which appear on the main page and can be linked to affiliate products (hint: market by targeting Facebook Groups).  Fan Pages can be created for products & free reports (including  PLR).  Here is a  strategy for consultants working with small businesses (business owners willing to develop in-house can simply create their own pages using some of the tools mentioned below).

1. Pick a local business niche with high customer transaction value or high consumption volume.  Service businesses are best, e.g., restaurants, bars, dentists, chiropractors, gyms, etc.  These type of businesses are willing to pay $500 to $1500 upfront and a monthly maintenance fee of $50-$500 (for reputation maintenance) to manage their pages.
2. Create generic industry Facebook Fan Page templates in advance with placeholder content and offer it to business owner in that particular niche.    This is fairly easy to accomplish from the Developers menu in Facebook, by “embedding” a website that is 580px in width.  In addition, several tools to facilitate the process are available including a WordPress theme by Rapid Crush Consulting, that is specifically designed for this purpose.
3. Maintain control of the page and lease it to customers, so that  in the event of non-payment control of the page can be maintained.

Businesses are now recognizing the value of Facebook pages in increasing numbers.  Not only is Facebook an extremely viral advertising tool, but it is a high profile website that seems unlikely to face competition in the near term.  If Google can’t make a dent in Facebook’s preeminence, it is unlikely that any other challenges will soon appear.

Related articles

• Your current Facebook Fan Page – The Prime 5 Blunders To Avoid (thediamondringreview.com)
• Still wondering if a Facebook Fan Page makes sense for your Business? Google and Microsoft certainly think so. (prweb.com)
• Facebook FanPages Makes It Easier For Small Businesses to Compete (salliescreativemarketingblog.com)
• Produce A Facebook Fan Page To Promote Your Business (thediamondringreview.com)