It seems like everywhere you go these days, businesses are telling you to “Find us on Facebook!” Whether it’s on their website, business cards, or their front door, businesses are finding that displaying the Facebook logo pays off, and it’s easy to see why. Facebook reports that they have over 500 million active users and that in a given day, at least 50% of those active users log on to the site. With users spending a total of over 700 billion, yes, billion, minutes monthly on Facebook, it’s become a literal goldmine for small business owners.

You can’t spend money to make money…if you have no money.

Today’s small businesses are struggling, constantly looking for working capital solutions to sustain and grow their companies in a still-weak economy. Many small businesses are turning to single invoice factoring firms, such as Fast A/R Funding, and finding that when they finance accounts receivable, they’re better able to budget, plan, and succeed.

For most, however, the funding they receive through invoice factoring is earmarked for operating essentials, and that often doesn’t include marketing. It’s a bit of a catch-22, however, because without proper marketing, business grows stagnant. So, while the old adage, “You’ve got to spend money to make money,” is right in a way, it really doesn’t work if a company has no money to spend. And this is where social media marketing comes in.

Where do I start?

The Page

Marketing on Facebook doesn’t have to cost money. In fact, establishing a Facebook business page is free. Simply sit down, log on, and Facebook will walk you through the setup.

If you have a little money to put into it, talk to your website designer, and ask about developing a Facebook page using iFrames, which is an inexpensive yet effective way of making your Facebook business page visually mimic your own website, keeping your corporate image consistent across sites.  We used the same developers to help us with facebook that we used for our factoring website.

The Fans

Once your page is set up, “share” it with and “suggest” it to literally everyone you know, and ask them to pass it along. When your contacts “like” your new business page, that activity shows up in their activity feeds, and all of their contacts can see that. This type of exponential, personal, free exposure is absolutely invaluable to small businesses.

The Wall

Use the “Wall” of your Facebook business page to announce new products and services, drive traffic for sales events, and share industry-related information. Many companies hold contests on their Walls, giving away small freebies or coupon codes and bringing in business along the way.  We are planning on using a contest for our " factoring company USA " initiative. 

What else?

Social media marketing is not limited to Facebook, of course, and Facebook has more capacity than the basics we’ve covered here. Be sure to check back soon with the blog from the factoring firm you trust, Fast A/R Funding, for more great info on saving money and driving business through social media marketing. In the meantime, visit us (where else?) on Facebook, and share your ideas for saving money while growing your business through AR financing!

Do me favor....click the follow us buttons on this page.  You'll be OK.  I promise.