Your website is a customer service and sales expert and a valuable asset for your business. It empowers you to build long-lasting relationships with potential clients and serve current clients.
But in the past year, we’ve seen businesses big and small abandon websites and turn to Facebook as a replacement.
The problem with treating your Facebook business page as your new website is that by doing so, you give up control. Sure, you’re can change your timeline cover photo, customize your about text and even create Static FBML versions of your page, BUT turning your website over to Facebook still hinders your ability to perform four extremely important content marketing practices.
Four Reasons NOT to Replace Your Website with Facebook
#1 Unable to Focus on Content
It’s extremely difficult to successfully implement your content marketing strategy when your website doesn’t cater to content first! The most useful tool that Facebook offers to host content is the notes tool. Unfortunately, it’s a fairly hidden section that most Facebook users overlook. Hosting content on your OWN website allows you to focus on content first, displaying it however your audience responds best.
#2 Can’t Cater to Your Unique Client
You know a lot about your ideal client – the brands they love, the information they need, the messaging that resonates with them, and more. When creating your own website, you’re able to use this information to craft every page – incorporating all that you know about your ideal client into key elements of your site like color, messaging, layout, and all details in between! But this isn’t the same when you’re using Facebook. Facebook was made and is updated with the masses in mind. Flexibility and customizability are minimal.
#3 Lack of Customization for the Online Experience You Offer
Creating your OWN website starts with understanding your ideal clients’ unique needs. From there you’re able to use landing pages and calls to action to create a unique experience that establishes a relationship and guides prospective clients through the sales process – anticipating their needs, answering their questions, and removing their doubts.
#4 Insufficient Monitoring, Measuring and Reporting
Monitoring, measuring and reporting your website’s progress towards your goals empowers you to make smart changes! Facebook Insights provide information about how your community reacts and interacts with your messaging, but don’t show exactly how you’re measuring up against your big-picture goals, how your audience is moving throughout your sales funnel, and other crucial information that analytics paired with your website will show.
While I would never advise you to use Facebook as a replacement for your website, I 100% believe in its power to build community. In fact, when you use Facebook to share your website’s killer content with your ideal audience, magic happens!
Seriously.
Four Ways that Facebook CAN Help Your Content Marketing Strategy
#1 Drive Traffic to Killer Content
Your website is not a “build it and they will come” situation. You have to be deliberate about driving the right traffic to view your content. Sharing compelling messaging, along with links to your killer content through Facebook status updates, is arguably the most effective traffic driver!
#2 Connect through Conversation
Asking questions and sharing opinions on common conversation topics through Facebook status updates and polls gives your company a chance to engage directly with clients and potential clients, staying in touch with the wants and needs of your community.
#3 Expand Your Reach
Facebook’s infrastructure allows your company’s message to expand beyond its regular reach. A simple like, comment or share immediately multiplies the number of eyes that see your message. That’s why it’s so important to focus on crafting social media messages that engage the right audience!
#4 Encourage Comments and Conversation on Your Website
After you’ve engaged in conversation with your community on Facebook, you can transition that conversation to your website by sharing related content.
As you continue to see small businesses abandoning their websites and turning to Facebook, take the opportunity to set your business apart by harnessing the power of both!
Next Steps:
- Make sure your website is effectively using navigation, landing pages and calls to action.
- Set up tools to measure the efficacy your website and social media.
- Create some brilliant content!
Elizabeth Ippolito is co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of MatchStick Strategies. Find more musings from Elizabeth on