When people asked me about the value of Facebook as a business tool, my standard answer used to be: “No, don’t use it for your business – use it to connect with people at a personal level only.” But I can’t say that anymore, because Facebook has recently made some big changes to become more business-friendly. I’m really looking forward to the webinars I’ll be running this week with Sam Maxwell about this topic (Well, actually Sam is doing most of the work – I’m just the webinar host!)

I asked Sam some of my own biggest questions about Facebook, and I thought I’d share his answers here.

Gihan: I’ve always treated Facebook as purely a personal tool, but it seems that more and more businesses are using it now. What’s changed?

Sam: Businesses are now nearly forced to use Facebook for one reason – Facebook’s popularity. It’s like anything; marketing executives and business owners will use whatever tools are available so that they can push their brand, product or image to the widest possible audience. With 500 million people worldwide using Facebook, this figure alone is evidence of its ability to influence.

More importantly though, people are on Facebook regularly. Brands and businesses can now connect with their consumers and other interested parties in bigger numbers, on a more frequent scale. (It also helps that using Facebook for business is completely free!!)

Gihan: I heard you say in a social media forum recently that the recent changes to Facebook are the most significant ever for businesses. What did you mean by that?

Sam: In mid-February Facebook made significant changes to their business pages. While pages can be manually converted to the “new” page, all pages will be automatically upgraded on 10 March. While there were a number of changes (14 in all) that were made to business pages, the biggest and most significant change was the ability to interact on Facebook using your business page.

Previously, you were only able to interact with other users on Facebook using your personal profile. Since the changes, you can now communicate using your business name, through your business page. Essentially this gives your business a voice on Facebook outside your business page; you can comment on other pages and posts, display your knowledge, and provide information on any events, products or services that may be relevant to your industry. In this way you can position your business as an expert.

Gihan: Is Facebook only useful for businesses who deal with “the public” (i.e. B2C) or should we B2B businesses be seriously considering it as well?

Sam: Most definitely! Regardless of you trying to sell a product, service, event, expertise or knowledge, even a small presence on Facebook will help. It will grow your brand and reputation and, the best part is, you won’t need to spend hours on it each day!

Gihan: What are the risks if we don’t start using Facebook?

Sam: The biggest disadvantage by not being on Facebook is the fact that you will miss out on connecting to, and reaching, a much wider audience than you would were you not on Facebook. Facebook will bring you traffic, referrals and ultimately, business. Business owners can’t afford not to be on Facebook in this age when social media is rapidly growing.

Gihan: So how do we get started with Facebook?

Sam: At the bare minimum, after registering for a business page at Facebook.com, aim to post something to the page at least once a week. On a simplistic level this might be a link to a page on your website, maybe a blog or article you have written, or information about a product or service you are offering. This, at least, will give you a start and a presence on Facebook. With a few other small tricks and ideas you’ll notice your network and referrals growing, which will ultimately lead to more sales!!

How can YOU use this?

Is Facebook already an important part of your business? If not, why not?

I must admit I haven’t been using it to its full extent … yet. But after Sam’s webinar, I’ll definitely be changing that situation!

Sam is right on top of all this Facebook stuff, and uses it actively every day for his own clients (He runs a sports management company, promoting athletes and bringing them to the attention of fans, sponsors and event organisers).

In this webinar (actually a series of two webinars), you will learn:

• Why Facebook has become so attractive now for businesses
• How to create a Facebook business page
• How to use free and low cost tools to enhance your Facebook page
• How to promote your business on Facebook
• How to keep your brand alive without having to spend hours every day
• How to stay on the right side of Facebook’s rules
• How to track your results

This is a two-webinar series, with one-hour webinars on 16th and 23rd March. The webinars will be recorded and made available to all who register.

Find out more and register here.

Sam Maxwell is presenting this brilliant two-webinar series about how to make Facebook work effectively for your business.

Sam is right on top of all this Facebook stuff, and uses it actively every day for his own clients (He runs a sports management company, promoting athletes and bringing them to the attention of fans, sponsors and event organisers).

In this webinar, you will learn:

• Why Facebook has become so attractive now for businesses
• How to create a Facebook business page
• How to use free and low cost tools to enhance your Facebook page
• How to promote your business on Facebook
• How to keep your brand alive without having to spend hours every day
• How to stay on the right side of Facebook’s rules
• How to track your results

This is a two-webinar series, with one-hour webinars on 16th and 23rd March. The webinars will be recorded and made available to all who register.

Find out more and register here.