Introduction

One thing we know for sure from writing this book is that Facebook loves change. The folks at Facebook love to change things up — tweak the platform; upgrade programs; and above all, innovate each chance they get. This is great for everyone who’s looking to use Facebook to grow a business but not so great for anyone who’s writing a “how things work” book about Facebook marketing. On Facebook, how things work one day may not be how things work the next day! The good news is that we were able to stay on top of all the changes and pack this book with the latest and greatest Facebook marketing strategies.

That said, Facebook’s unwavering dedication to innovation is exactly why it is the social networking powerhouse that it is today. With Facebook’s constant growth and massive influence, it’s obvious that Facebook isn’t just a flash-in-the-pan phenomenon. These days, you can’t surf the web, listen to the radio, watch TV, or even flip through a magazine without hearing or seeing something about Facebook.

Facebook represents a huge opportunity for your business. If you’re in a business of any kind, you absolutely should consider Facebook to be a key player in your marketing strategy. With Facebook having over 1 billion active users, your ideal audience is highly likely to be spending time there. You have a huge opportunity to capture the attention of, and build relationships with, the people who could potentially be your most loyal customers. When you fully leverage the power of Facebook, you can build an engaging Facebook presence, attract and engage quality customers, and quickly grow your business.

About This Book

Whether you’re a complete newbie on Facebook or a veteran who’s looking to take Facebook marketing to a new level, this book is for you. You can play many roles on Facebook, and this book gives you the tools to decide how Facebook fits into your overall marketing plan.

You may decide that you want to use Facebook as a mini hub — an extension of your own website where your fans first go to get to know, like, and trust you. After you create a solid relationship with your fans, you can encourage them to visit your website to find out more about what you have to offer. Or you may want to use Facebook as a robust customer-service portal: a place where you answer client questions, help troubleshoot product challenges, and become the go-to source for all your clients’ needs. Or you may want to use it to advertise your product or service and use Facebook’s robust targeting to find your perfect client.

Your opportunities are endless, and this book helps you understand which opportunities are right for your business.

Foolish Assumptions

To get real results from the strategies and tips in this book, you don't need any special skills. As long as you have basic computer skills and can navigate the Internet with ease, you will be able to apply the strategies described throughout with little or no stress. Having some knowledge of how to change image sizes can be helpful to optimize your posts or Facebook ads.

This book is ideal for anyone who is looking to market a local business, an online business, or a brand on Facebook, but it can also be helpful for anyone who has a solid business idea and wants to learn how to launch a new business endeavor on Facebook.

Specifically, this book is for anyone who

• Is fairly new to Facebook marketing and is looking for a way to grow their online exposure
• Doesn’t have a Facebook Page but is interested in the right way to start one on Facebook
• Is already on Facebook and has a Page, and is looking to take that Page to the next level

The good news is that you don't have to be an online marketing pro to take advantage of all the strategies outlined in this book!

Icons Used in This Book

All through the book, special icons appear in the margin to draw your attention to particular bits and pieces of information. The following descriptions demystify these graphics:

Pay especially close attention on the rare occasions when you see this icon.

When you see this icon, try to hang on to what we tell you; it’s important to keep in mind.

This icon signifies a trick or another bit of helpful information that you may find especially useful.

We use this icon sparingly; it indicates information that’s safe to skip but that you might find interesting.

How This Book is Organized

Facebook Marketing All-in-One For Dummies, 3rd Edition, is divided into nine minibooks that take you from understanding why Facebook is important for your business marketing strategy all the way through studying advanced marketing tactics and measurement.

Each minibook is designed to be a complete, stand-alone guide to help you master the subject covered within. You can read this book cover to cover, or choose the areas that interest you and dive right in. The following sections describe all nine minibooks so that you can determine which ones will help you the most.

Book I: Joining the Facebook Marketing Revolution

You may wonder how Facebook can benefit your business. How do you get started — and, more important, why? This minibook helps you understand the potential that Facebook holds for any business and how to reap the rewards of a well-crafted Facebook marketing plan.

We lead you through the basics of searching for and finding your audience on Facebook, defining your goals, and putting in place the measurement tools you need to monitor your return on investment.

Book II: Claiming Your Presence on Facebook

Plant your flag and set up your Facebook Page in this minibook. Book II walks you through the setup process, including selecting a Page type and naming your Page, so that your business can start connecting with potential customers all over the world. You also get a complete tour so that you know how to navigate the Admin panel and editing dashboard.

Book III: Adding the Basics to Your Facebook Page

Find out all the different ways to post content to your Page, including videos, links, and photos. You also discover how to customize your tabs so that your Facebook Page is branded and stands out.

If you have a blog, you can automatically import the blog posts to save time. Connect your Page to your Twitter accounts to create a richer experience for your community members and also to save time.

Book IV: Building, Engaging, Retaining, and Selling to Your Community

Start by building visibility to your Page through your existing customers and then find creative ways to connect to new Facebook users. This minibook gives you plenty of ways to engage your customers and basic rules for participating in the conversation in a meaningful way. You also find out how to expand your e-commerce by bringing it to your Facebook Page with apps via an online Facebook store.

Book V: Understanding Facebook Applications

Explore the world of Facebook applications in this minibook; find out how applications can integrate with your Page to make it a better place for your community. Look at the best existing applications to add, and find out about custom iFrame applications that help you create any type of tab you can imagine.

Book VI: Making Facebook Come Alive with Events and Contests

In this minibook, you discover the ins and outs of creating and marketing your Event. If your Facebook Page needs a little fun, consider holding a contest to engage and grow your community. Book VI covers the different types of contests, how to follow Facebook’s contest rules, and what applications can help you run your contest. Make sure that you’re getting the most out of your contest efforts with promotional strategies and results analysis.

Book VII: Facebook Advertising

Advertising on Facebook is a world unto itself. In the first chapter, we introduce you to the basics of advertising and how to make strategic business and financial decisions. The second chapter is a how-to chapter on using the Ads Create tool; it covers everything from the basics of creating an ad to establishing parameters for advertising campaigns. For more advanced users, the third chapter provides how-to advice on using the Power Editor. The last chapter in this minibook shows you how to assess the performance of your ads using the Ads Manager tool.

Book VIII: Advanced Facebook Marketing Tactics

This minibook looks at specific marketing tactics for sophisticated Facebook users. Once you have mastered the basics, you’ll be ready to explore some of these challenges. The overview in the first chapter explores tools for highly targeted marketing, making Facebook offers, and using new Facebook features to increase viral marketing exposure. The second chapter explains how to use social plug-ins to integrate Facebook with your website. In Chapter 3, you’ll learn how to take advantage of live video on Facebook. And, finally in Chapter 4, you’ll see how to exploit the growing power of Facebook in mobile environments for both posting and advertising.

Book IX: Measuring, Monitoring, and Analyzing

The final minibook returns to business principals with three chapters on important measurement tools you can use to assess the performance of all your Facebook activity. The first chapter emphasizes the importance of measuring and monitoring social media-specific performance indicators and of calculating the return on your investment in time and...