I was thinking about this just yesterday. So ofen, people say, today, your business must have a social media presence on FB, LinkedIn, etc. I have never found a use for FB with products or services. Never do I check out FB for business information. I think it's all a bunch of internet and FB's empire-building hype. Now a business website is useful and I do sometimes go to them.

The only businesses that get my attention on FB are the ones that update regularly, offer specials or notices of interest or have relevant reminders.

Our local Hardware/Lumber yard posts reminders about timely household maintenance along with sale prices on needed items. They also post funny DIY gone wrong pictures and videos as a reminder to come to them first! I don't know that it increases the amount of business we do with them (DH is there constantly for his business anyway) but it does keep them in the front of my mind.

My favorite bakery always has a Saturday special that they post on FB and it has prompted me to high tail it there before closing to pick up a pie or some dessert if we are having friends over.

A business presence on FB (or a business blog) is only as good as the frequency and timeliness of the updates. There's nothing worse than a stagnant web presence. I don't believe that it's a necessity for most businesses, but it's another opportunity to reach a customer base. On occasion I will see something that a friend of mine has 'liked' and it may prompt me to check it out. Most people don't uncheck the part about seeing what friends like on FB and most people don't set privacy details high enough to keep that from being shared - exactly the way FB and businesses that count on that trickle down want it to be.

I think a lot depends on what audience you are trying to reach. And on how that audience communicates.

More and more, people seem to have a preferred method of communication. My aunt wants phone calls, my nephew communicates solely by text, my best friend wants emails and my sister Facebooks. My sister has told me that if I want her to read a message in a timely fashion, it has to be on Facebook. She only checks her personal email a few times a week. She checks her Facebook multiple times a day.

So without a Facebook page, you are missing all the people who rely on Facebook. What percentage of your target customers that is, I don't know how you would find that out.

But as dlm2000 says, there has to be something on Facebook for people to read/see and make them want to go to your page. Not knowing what your business is, it's hard to say is Facebook would make a difference or not.

My local yarn store has a Facebook page. They post classes they are running and have a link so you can sign up for a class. They post pretty pictures of new yarns that have come in, to tempt people into the store. There are pictures of completed projects that the owners have made.

Once a month, they email a newsletter to those who have signed up for it. They also post the newsletter on Facebook. There's usually a coupon that can be printed out--that makes people want to get the email or check Facebook, because they want the savings.

The store is always full of customers. But that could be because they are the only yarn store with really good yarn for at least 50 miles. They have a small niche market. But getting out there on the web undoubtedly increases the number of people who can find out about them.

The chief thing is that you need to post on a regular basis, say weekly or even monthly. You need to give people a reason to stop by your page. And depending on how individuals have their Facebook set up, things you post will appear on their pages, as well.

You should also check out Yelp, which is a site where people can rate businesses. You should be aware of what people are saying about your business, and you can set up a business account that allows you to promote your business on Yelp.

Our local furniture consignment shop uses email and facebook updates to let customers know of new finds. It definitely reminds me to stop by and see the new things.

But don't just rely on Facebook. I am not a FB user, so I hate when a business ONLY has a FB presence. I think you do need a "real" webpage as well, which it seems you have.

Unfortunately, updating social media can turn into a full-time job in itself. I agree that updates have to be pretty current, at least several times a week, if not daily.

I follow (like) a few local businesses on Facebook.

I agree that it depends on the type of business.

When a restaurant posts a picture of a wonderful sandwich or dessert it will cause me to wonder if today would be a good day to stop in.

If a business was to post more then one daily update it might turn me off.

ML

There was just a brief article in my paper about hackers selling 'likes' to businesses. A media consultant admitted he tells his businesses to buy 'likes' to up their presence on Facebook. There are multiple legitimate services where you can buy the likes, but there are also hackers selling them.

When hackers get into someone's fb page (using malware viruses) and start liking all sorts of things, then those likes are shown to their friends and the business gets more exposure.

Or they create multiple fake fb accounts and like things. So all your competitions 'likes' may not be what they seem.

I've been told if you want to complain to a company do it via fb because more people see it and they respond faster than to an email. The flip side to that is, as a business, you need to be very active on your fb page so legitimate and/or unreasonable complaints don't sit there for all to see.

Thanks for your input. You all verified much of what I have heard others tell me. Our population of shoppers is more of the over 35/women. They are definitely not all Facebook users, but I want the younger customers, too. I do post at least weekly, or sometimes daily, but aware that I could be a pest, so I try to take it easy. We have a blog, not an actual website. I might have it turned into something more permanent, but it has served as a place for people to see more of our shop. We like to give our regular shoppers more attention, so we just mailed out postcards for the month of August for some nice sales for them (not advertised and must have the postcard). However, it has been a slow month, and this didn't help like it has in the past. We need a deeper base of shoppers.
I have posted some sales on Facebook, like one piece of furniture, or a collection of some sort, but it didn't do anything. Our shop is home decor and it's just not something people NEED, so it's just a tougher sell in this economy.
I'm still listening to any advice, I appreciate it.

I'd say that a permanent website would help. It doesn't have to be more than a page and it doesn't have to be updated frequently, but it should have a description of the shop and the services offered, the hours the store is open and directions or at least a link to Google Maps so people can get directions, plus your contact info.

A professional web site designer could easily set this up for you, and will also know the key search terms that need to be on the website for Google and other search engines to find your website.

A lot of people don't use phone books anymore and search for everything on the web. If you don't have a web page, you are missing this traffic.

Try searching "home decor store [your city/town] and see what comes up. You might be surprised--there might be reviews on Angie's List or Yelp that you don't know about. Or your store name might not appear until page 5 on Google, which means most searchers are never, ever going to find out about the store.

Don't just offer sales on your blog. Maybe have a post a week to highlight one new piece of furniture. Or try having one post a week with a decor tip--how to mix patterns, how to chose a wall paint color, how to decorate a bookcase.

There are a few decor/gift shops in my area. One sends out a monthly email highlighting new inventory, advertising the sale of the month/week, and listing any interesting events--an in-store book signing (they sell a few books), an evening with a local craftsperson, that sort of thing. Because I get a gentle reminder about this store once a month, I've started shopping there more often--they are located off the beaten path, so to speak, so it's a separate trip to get there.

So consider having customers sign up for an email list.

Camlan, we did try to send some emails, but we can't get people to sign up! Most are afraid they'll get too much (we tell them monthly would be a lot for us), and consequently, we don't have a big list of email addresses. We still send out a newsletter at holiday time, along with other ads, but that's about it. I was surprised how reluctant they are to write it down. We still use old fashioned invoices, with names, addresses, etc and handwritten. For our custom work, we invoice from Quickbooks.

Our shop comes up very close to the top, so the blog has been helpful. It contains all the pertinent information one would need to find us. I have heard actual websites can help, but if I update regularly, I think it keeps us near the top, too.
I like your idea of a weekly tip, I'll give that a try. We may have to think of a clever name for that one! I know I like every little tip I can find.

One other thing to consider is giving people an incentive to sign up for the email or to bring the postcard into the store.

One furniture store I know sends out postcards twice a year, advertising their two biggest sales of the year. If you bring the postcard to the store, you get a free gift. The free gift is usually something like a votive candle holder or a doily. It is amazing the number of people who come to the store for the gift. While they might not buy anything that trip, it does get people into the store and reminds them about what's available.

The store buys the gifts in bulk, so lower than retail cost. They also limit the number of days for the free gift--the sale might go on for 4 weeks, but you only get the free gift if you come during the first week. And you might get an additional 5% off the sale price if you have the postcard.

They buy mailing lists from somewhere, I think, in addition to mailing to existing customers. They get hundreds of people into the store this way. They see it as increasing exposure for future sales.

For an email list, you could offer a printable coupon for a specific item or brand or line (15% off nightstands, 10% off glass vases) only available through the email list or Facebook post.

To get an initial email list, maybe have a raffle for some item (if it is legal in your state). "Sign up for our email list and get a chance to win a table lamp/10% off any decor purchase" sort of thing.

Try reformatting your invoice. Add an email address line to the standard mailing address and phone number. Include a check box for the best way to contact them--phone or email.

I have a friend who owns a bridal store. He has a Facebook page for the store. He posts weekly. Sometimes it's to feature a gown he sells. Or he links to a European royal wedding, or pictures of interesting bridal bouquets or wedding cakes. Just about anything wedding related. Once a month, I write a short "how-to" tip for the page--how to choose a florist, how to determine your wedding budget, etc.

I use FB for my business in conjunction with a website, an email newsletter, Pinterest and when I remember, twitter.

It's interesting with FB to see what kind of posts generate the largest 'reach'. Usually the more personal or the wackier, the more the reach count. The way FB keeps changing who sees your posts makes it difficult to tell what works now though. I think of it as just another way to keep the business name out there - plus it's free.

I use Mailchimp for our newsletter and Wix for the website. Both are free (Mailchimp starts charging after something like 10,000 addresses on your list and Wix charges if you want to use your domain name without their name included). There was a bit of a learning curve with Wix and Mailchimp - at least for me. Once you have that down they are pretty user friendly and look professional.

The hardest part for me is coming up with creative content. One of the few things at my business that I will procrastinate about is adding content to the sites and keeping that balance of relevant information without being a pest.

I'll be watching this thread for more tips. Thanks for posting sallymo!