Facebook Business Page - Why "Like" One?

[Bonnie151]

I run a small (licensed) cake business from home. I have a website which gets a steady stream of traffic and I have a flickr account for photos which don't make the cut for the website.

I've just started up a Facebook page and I don't know why!! I don't know whether I'm trying to generate business from it or just to have another outlet for posting photos. I don't want to have a Facebook page for the business just to jump on the bandwagon because everyone has one but I don't understand why people "like" business pages (Coca Cola has something like 21million likes! A little local store has nearly 800!).

Why do you decide to like a business' (where DOES that dratted apostrophe go!?!?!) page? Do you like their product? Do you like knowing what they are up to? Do you like little background insights into the company (e.g. how things are made/done, how tos/tips)?

I like Facebook, but I don't get the business side of it and unless I figure out WHY I want to be there I'm not sure there's much point in having one more site to keep updated with fresh material!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Announcements primarily, be it a special sale, schedule additions, openings, etc.

 

[lillygator]

I "like" certain ones that give out coupons or announce specials such as restaurants....

 

[MushyMushy]

If you already have a good following on other sites, then putting a page on FB might be redundant. But most of my friends who own businesses put up a FB page to send out announcements or give special discounts to their fans and things like that.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I usually "like" them originally because they offer a coupon. For example, I "liked" M-Edge and they gave me a 25% off coupon, which I then used to buy a cover for my Kindle.

I also "like" a company if I want to be informed of any specials or changes.

 

[allison443]

When one of my facebook friends "likes" a page, this shows up in my newsfeed. So the other day my sister "liked" a local cheese shop, it showed up in my newsfeed, I clicked on it and found out about this shop, which I hadn't known about before.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I can think of a few reasons why I "like" businesses on Facebook.


Keeps me up-to-date on what they are doing. I like knowing when Macys has a sale.
Recent activity. My company's department has a FB page and we announce latest projects and interviews with our staff regarding projects. Clients and fans sometimes enjoy learning about the process of what we do.
Awards. It is fun when something you like wins an award.
Contests. Some of the pages I "like" have contests. You comment on something and you are entered to win a something. My sister won movie tickets this way last weekend.


I can see me liking your cakery. I LOVE looking at the latest cakes and designs. I would "like" your page and would expect to see new pictures once a week. Maybe you have a new flavor or a new design to showcase or a gorgeous wedding cake recently created.

The beauty is that you don't HAVE to update every day. I don't like getting notices that often. Maybe you can have a contest of some sort and give away a free 9" round cake.

 

[ThisIsJason]

I do it for reasons that others have said. Use it to get coupons and to keep up to date with certain things.

The best coupon that I got was a few years ago, baak before many started doing coupons. The off campus bookstore for my college had a 15% off your total. Which was very nice.

 

[java]

Variety of reasons. One business I like is just that it's a place I LOVE! So I liked them. They are a nice breakfast place and the owners are so welcoming. It just seemed right to like them! Plus they post when they are closing due to weather.

Other ones- bigger corporations I join for coupons- or sweepstake entries. For you perhaps you could do a "special" word on the page that gets you a % off on the First Wed. or whatever day.

 

[ckay87]

Because you will be placing information about your business directly in the face of your most loyal customers in real time. It's brilliant, IMO. People don't have to remember to type your website name into the address bar of their browser. They will see your messages/ads/coupons right in their FB newsfeeds. Unlike email or direct mail, they're pretty much forced to see and read your stuff if they've chosen to be followers.

Then it's up to you to keep it fun (so they don't eventually "hide" or remove you). Our local Rita's, for example, chooses one FB fan each day of the season to receive a free treat. That keeps me watching.

 

[Angelhalo]

Hi Bonnie! We've spoken before in the cake decorating thread I believe. I too have FB business page for my cake decorating business. Right now I would say that about 75% of my business comes from people who have "Liked" my business page. It can really help! It's also a great way to get ideas if you like other people's business pages.

I'll like yours if you like mine!

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

My DD's dance studio keeps us updated on the different events and weather closings. And the horse stable updates us with the weather and cute pictures of our horsies!

But on regular business sites, I get coupons, contests, etc. Definitely set one up!

 

[ilovejack02]

I can see me liking your cakery. I LOVE looking at the latest cakes and designs. I would "like" your page and would expect to see new pictures once a week. Maybe you have a new flavor or a new design to showcase or a gorgeous wedding cake recently created.

The beauty is that you don't HAVE to update every day. I don't like getting notices that often. Maybe you can have a contest of some sort and give away a free 9" round cake.

This is exactly why, I like several of our local bakeries. I love seeing new designs, specials they run etc.
I think giving out how to's are really nice and explain the history of your business.

My favorite donut shop in town , does fun little videos of the staff working and cutting up.
Gives away treats to the first 10 callers .
Sometimes I will see a business a friend likes and if it is interesting to me, I will then check it out.

There is a bakery in Lafayette, La. called Sophi P. Cakes.

Their business gained a HUGE boost due to facebook and twitter.

They give out a secret word every few days, first 5 customers that walk in and say word gets a free cupcake.

Try it, you never know what will happen.

 

[Stephanie218]

I have a FB business photography page, and it has gotten me the majority of my business. By tagging people in the photos, they appear on their wall & other people's newsfeeds - so you are essentially getting free advertising. You can always tag people in their cake photos, and then all their friends will see the image.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Right now, FB is the primary way people are learning about our business. They see a friend 'Like' it, or share something we post on our page, and then their friend looks into it. It's been fantastic marketing - and FREE! It's been so successful that we've paid to run some ad's and have gotten even more hits that way.

I personally 'like' businesses and delete myself from their email lists. I don't want to check another email. They post sales, announcements, etc on their FB feed. It's right in front of my face when I skim FB each day and I don't have to click through anymore emails than I already do.

FB also allows for interaction, while just a website or email doesn't. It's very static - you putting info out there, nothing comes back in return. FB allows you to exchange information between you and your customers (and between just your customers).

If you have a FB business page, you also get back monthly (or is it weekly?) report that will tell you what kind of traffic you're getting.

 

[DisneyScraps]

I am a Facebook LOVER!

I "like" any business that I want regular updates for. I am kind of picky about that. If I don't want to get regular messages from them I don't bother.

What I am finding is I don't look at web sites any more for any of the businesses that I get through Facebook. I really like having all of that information streamed to me. I don't have to check to see what's new on a web site, Facebooks tells me.

I do think that it's a little evil in that my local Cupcakery is driving me nuts with the pictures of the goodies they make each day. The do a special just for Facebook friends. I think that I have bought more from them because of those updates. If you think about it, it's a great marketing tool.

The tagging is smart. The Cupcakery...I am using them as an example because they are close to what you do. They post a picture of all the special orders they do. That goes to that persons page and all of their friends see it if they look at their wall or at their photos!

Lisa

 

[pixiewings71]

Announcements, coupons, specials/sales. I liked the Zoya page because of the 3 free bottles of polish promo they were doing, they sold over 900,000 bottles of polish so I assume I wasn't the only one who liked that promo! LOL I liked Qtica because Zoya promoted them, I liked a local club so I could see the schedule, I like restaurants because they will sometimes offer up coupons to use.
For a cake business I would like it so I could see the photos of awesome cakes and drool over them.

 

[pixiewings71]

sorry duplicate post....

 

[ilovejack02]

I am a Facebook LOVER!

I "like" any business that I want regular updates for. I am kind of picky about that. If I don't want to get regular messages from them I don't bother.

What I am finding is I don't look at web sites any more for any of the businesses that I get through Facebook. I really like having all of that information streamed to me. I don't have to check to see what's new on a web site, Facebooks tells me.

I do think that it's a little evil in that my local Cupcakery is driving me nuts with the pictures of the goodies they make each day. The do a special just for Facebook friends. I think that I have bought more from them because of those updates. If you think about it, it's a great marketing tool.

The tagging is smart. The Cupcakery...I am using them as an example because they are close to what you do. They post a picture of all the special orders they do. That goes to that persons page and all of their friends see it if they look at their wall or at their photos!

Lisa

Is it THe Cupcakery in the Woodlands ? Now next time I am in town I am going to have to hunt them down LOL. YUMMMMY pics!!

 

[Bonnie151]

Hi Bonnie! We've spoken before in the cake decorating thread I believe. I too have FB business page for my cake decorating business.

I'll like yours if you like mine!

Excellent! I'll PM the name to you!

Thanks everyone, I love this site! That's been a great help for me to get my head round why I want a FB business page. There's a FB page for local residents with several thousand members and once I get more info onto my page (there's not enough there to interest *anyone* yet!) I think I'll try a competition - like my page, get a cake up to £xx, that sort of thing, and then I could do the odd "win a dozen cupcakes" once I have enough fans. I'm thinking a weekly update with latest cake photos/flavour info etc so I don't put people off with irrelevant posts.

Have I said how much I love this site?