-
By
- In Marketing & More
In today’s hyper-connected world, it’s rare that someone walks through your door without having interacted with you somewhere online.
Sometimes it will happen because they have a problem they need to solve — they perform a search on a site like Google or Bing, and discover your business.
Other times, people will hear about your business offline, and go online to learn more.
A new report this week found that, for a majority of consumers, Facebook is one of the first places they look to learn more about local businesses before visiting a store, restaurant, or office.
Read more about this top story, plus find out about a new survey that could provide the answers you need to start a blog for your business, in this week’s marketing news round up.
1. 62 percent of consumers visit Facebook to find out more about local businesses
A new report from G/O Digital found that people looking for more information about a local business are checking Facebook more than any other social network.
When asked which social network they use to learn more about a business, 62 percent said Facebook, followed by Pinterest (12 percent), and Twitter (11 percent).
The report also found that nearly a third of consumers who use Facebook to find out about a local business visit their page several times before visiting their store or office.
When asked about the factors that influence the likelihood of consumers to interact with Facebook Ads, 36 percent cited targeting based on recent purchase activity, followed by ads targeted based on location (27 percent).
Other interesting findings include:
80 percent said they are more likely to purchase after seeing positive user reviews on a page
41 percent said the most important factor in visiting a page is seeing customer reviews or ratings
84 percent said offers or deals on Facebook are important in their in-store purchasing decision
38 percent said that promoted posts are the most influential type of Facebook Ad
Bottom Line: In recent months, much of the talk around Facebook’s effectiveness for small business has been focused on organic reach and the difficulty businesses are having when it comes to getting their message in front of the right audience. But while these topics are certainly important, it’s also important to remember that for consumers looking to learn more about a local business, Facebook is one of the first places they will go.
This means that you need to make sure that you’re filling out all of the relevant details about your business (location, hours, payment methods, menu items, etc.) and that all of that information is accurate and up-to-date.
On top of that, you need to make sure that you’re posting on a consistent basis and that you’re monitoring your page and responding to any questions or feedback.
All of these things will help you make a positive first impression when someone visits your Facebook Page. So, whether you’re running your first Facebook Ad and driving people back to your Page that way, or if consumers are checking your Page before making a purchase decision — you’ll be in the best position possible to generate new business from your Facebook Page.
For help getting started, check out our free guide, Facebook for Small Business: How to Get Discovered and Generate New Business.
2. Survey of 1,000 bloggers provides answers to frequently asked blogging questions
A new report from Orbit Media Studios this week provides answers to some commonly asked questions about blogging.
The report included results from a survey of more than 1,000 bloggers. And while you may not be an experienced blogger just yet, these findings do provide helpful direction for businesses interested in adding a blog to their marketing mix.
By : Ryan Pinkham