Facebook for Business Become a Favorite
"Welcome to This Week in America on the Blue Funk Radio Network. I am Ric Bratton. The topic today is social media and how to use it to benefit your business, your career, and your brand. Our specific focus is on using Facebook."
Our expert guest, joining us from Atlanta, Georgia, is Margaret Ross; CEO of Visible Strategies Communications and visionary founder of the Kamaron Institute.
Margaret is an award winning business consultant, a recognized author, a regularly featured guest on America’s top media channels discussing marketing, technology, and cyber bullying prevention.Keeping with today’s show topic, you can “Like” Margaret at www.facebook.com/visiblestrategies and follow her on www.twitter.com/kamaron_org.
What are some of the Facebook basics?
Ross: Facebook is a social media application that makes it easier for people to connect with friends, family, and businesses. It claims to have over one billion members. Although the company started in the United States, less than 30 percent of users are from the US. This 30 percent represents nearly 70 percent of America’s adults.Nearly half of those adults interact with Facebook daily.
"As businesses, we need to remember that these adults did not join Facebook to benefit your business or brand. They think of Facebook as a place to relax and catch up. People may choose to “Like” our business and interact with them, but we have to earn it." - Ross
Two Facebook changes are impacting both personal and business accounts. One is the new public lack of privacy offered by Facebook. Secondly, they are making it harder for businesses to get their status updates in front of their followers without paying Facebook for advertising.
What quick wins do you see for me?
Ross: You qualify to change your long complicated Facebook web address to a shorter and easier one for people to remember and you can add to the graphic appeal of your personal page, by adding a cover photo to your Facebook timeline.
After that, what is next?
Ross: Next is for you to create a business page for your company, show, or personal brand. Facebook provides some easy-to-use templates. If any of your listeners are a local business that wants people to stop by, choose the Local Business template. Answering the questions and filling in the template blanks for your company name, address, phone, business hours and site link will get you off to a good start.
Next add your timeline banner and cover photo.
What are the benefits of creating a business page rather than just using my personal Facebook page for my show and network?
Ross: Good question. You will find that it is worth the work, Ric. 
Seven of the benefits are as follows:
1. Tabs: you can use tabs on a business Page.
2. Advertising: a business page can advertise on FaceBook.
3. Like Box: you have access to the Like website code that ties your website and your Facebook page.
4. Multiple administrators: this means you can get others to help you while protecting your log in.
5. Categories: your page becomes easier to find from the Facebook search box.
5. You can have instant followers for a business page.
6. Facebook Insights: reports and statistics for your business page.
How do I get more “Likes” for my new business page and what are some benefits?
Ross:
1. Get active: schedule 10 minutes daily.
2. Ask for “Likes”: people are likely to respond.
3. Offer incentives: specials, promotions, exclusive content or access.
4. Advertise: this can help what you say to be seen by more people.
5. Cross-promote: put your Facebook address on other communications such as websites, videos, etc.
6. Empower your email: include your social media links at bottom of email.
7. Excel at listening: read what other people have to say and participate.
About Show and Host
This Week in America with Ric Bratton is a national radio show on over 100 stations. It is podcast over ITunes, video cast on YouTube and on www.thisweekinamerica.us. Each week Ric Bratton talks with nationally-known guests about contemporary topics of interest. The show recently won the Philo T. Farnsworth Award for the Best Professional Talk Show. Ric has worked with the likes of Larry King, Hugh Downs, Chris Matthews, Jay Leno, George Clooney, Katie Couric and many others.
About Margaret Ross
Margaret Ross is an award winning business consultant, a recognized author, a regularly featured guest on America’s top media channels discussing marketing, technology, and cyber bullying prevention. 
“Like” Margaret on FACEBOOK
Follow her on TWITTER
Connect on Google+
Margaret is the visionary founder of the Kamaron Institute, www.kamaron.org
