As a new, small business owner you know you need to market your business. How can potential customers buy from you, if they don't know you exist? But what if you don't have the budget right now for the professional website you dream of?

If your budget is limited and you don't have a website, there's still one way you can promote your services. Whether you live in Berkshire, in Buckinghamshire or indeed the Outer Hebrides, you can use one fabulous marketing platform for free: Facebook.

Effective marketing demonstrates your value to customers in a simple, clear way. Facebook is one of the best tools available for communicating with consumers. It's easily accessible, most people use it and its established ethos of liking, sharing and commenting is perfect for small businesses intent on raising their profile.

Why you should choose Facebook for internet marketing

There are hundreds of social media platforms to choose from. Facebook has been around since 2004, so it's older and more mature than Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest. You can keep your private and professional lives separate on Facebook by creating and managing a Facebook Business Page. No need for customers to see your holiday snaps. There's another huge benefit to using a Facebook Business Page rather than your personal profile. Once 30 people are following your Page, you’ll be rewarded with valuable insights about how your fans are engaging with your Page.

Top 10 tips for using Facebook for business

1. Contribute to Groups to reach local customers

You can make use of the 'Groups' feature, even before you set up your Facebook Business Page. Search for Groups that include the name of nearby towns or villages. Most groups allow their members to advertise their business services. Because the Groups are local, you immediately make your business visible to potential customers in a small geographical area. You can interact with Group members by answering questions that demonstrate your expertise. You can also promote your Facebook Business Page and share selected updates from it.

2. Write in a conversational style

Facebook is relaxed and informal. Write as you speak. Write naturally, accurately and clearly. It shouldn’t take you hours to ponder over your posts. By practicing and validating your conversational tone on Facebook, you'll gradually develop a writing style that suits blogging on your website too.  

3. Don't spend money too soon

You can promote selected posts and advertise on Facebook, but you don't have to. It's wise to review your Facebook Insights first, to learn which marketing content is most popular with your target audience and when you should schedule your posts for maximum impact. Once you understand what news and updates interest your customers most, you can then start to invest in advertising to reach a wider audience.

4. Make it a habit

You can't stop and start marketing. It's not just a nice-to-have when you have time or resources. But if you can commit to as little as 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week, your marketing efforts will be rewarded. Frequent snippets perform better overall than a 3-hour binge once a month.

5. Share bite-sized expertise

Write short posts that demonstrate the essence of your business. Don't tell your followers you're fabulous. Convince them you're fabulous by sharing your expertise, posting photos of real people and encouraging customer feedback. Conquer the art of being concise. 

6. Be yourself

Don't be shy about your personality. Include posts that hint at your values and lifestyle, so your followers get to know the real you.  

7. Have fun!

Marketing means listening, learning and communicating with your customers. It's meant to be fun. If you believe your business has something of value to offer, share that belief with others. Enjoy the energy you create. 

8. Let your creativity loose

Nobody can replicate your experience, your skills and your language. Everything you post on Facebook highlights how your business is unique. You may uncover an inner creativity you didn't realise you had. You'll start taking more photos. You'll note down great quotes. You'll be excited about topical events that you can include in your online marketing. You'll pay more attention to what's newsworthy for your customers.  

9. Encourage engagement

Ask your followers for their opinions. Encourage their feedback. Your followers can show their appreciation and support by liking, commenting and sharing your posts. It's good for you see this feedback. It's great for everyone else to see it too. Public endorsements of your expertise are the ultimate marketing for your business.

10. Do market research for your website

Finally, you can ask questions and create polls on Facebook. What better way to find out how best to structure your future website? You can find out what type of content customers would like to see on your site. Try varying key words and seeing which messages resonate most, before you start writing the content for your website. 

Invest in a marketing expert focused on your business

It's easy to get up and running with a Facebook Business Page. But most businesses appreciate help with the marketing aspects of it. A marketing expert can support you if you don't already have the answer to questions like:

• What's your marketing strategy?
• How do you manage a local Facebook campaign?
• What's the best way to create a marketing plan or editorial calendar?
• How can you improve your writing skills?
• What marketing tasks must you perform daily?

If you'd like an experienced, supportive marketing expert to help you generate new business with Facebook, please contact Vanessa Hunt Consulting Ltd. 

You'll quickly lose motivation if you're not sure what you're doing. You'll get better, faster results from your Facebook marketing if you spend some time and money on marketing training. If you follow our advice, we're certain your sales will quickly outweigh your initial investment in marketing coaching.