Over 350 million people are doing it. Are you? With over 700 thousand local businesses setting up shop on Facebook it’s time to make sure you’re making the most of your customer’s online experience.

If your company doesn’t have a page yet here’s how Facebook works. There are personal profiles and there are pages. As a company you’ll want to set up a page. You’ll want to enter some information about your company and add some photos. Now you’re ready to start gaining fans of your company page. But what else should you know before jumping in?

Don’t Sell.
If you have ever been to a store and had someone constantly trying to sell you something you know that it gets annoying. The same holds true for Facebook. This is not the place for you to try and sell something to your clients. If you do they will just get turned off and quit doing business with you.

Listen.
As the saying goes, we have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we talk. Facebook is a place where you can learn about your customers. What they like and dislike. Knowing what your customers are thinking is half the battle for businesses.

Respond.
If a customer should ever have a problem Facebook is a great way to help them. Use Facebook as a customer service tool. If your customers aren’t happy than you won’t be happy and this is just another way for you to keep your customers satisfied.

Stick With It.
Once you make the commitment to use Facebook make a daily habit of logging on to make post, listen and respond to your customers. Facebook is a great marketing tool and if used correctly can grow your business.

To build a fan base, you may consider Facebook Ads. This service allows you to set a daily budget on a pay per click basis that directs potential consumers to become fans. Whatever you do with your ads, ensure you keep Facebook users in their Facebook experience. Redirecting them to another website from your ad will get you less play. Let them choose to visit your site from your Facebook company page.