Monday, October 27, 2008

We Built it. They Came. Now What?

Facebook for business--you're kidding, right? Everyone knows Facebook is for teenagers sharing drunken or suggestive photos of themselves--what possible use could it possibly have with regard to business? The answer: plenty.

But I work for a non-profit--do these "business solutions" still apply? Definitely.

Not sure if Facebook is a good fit for your business or non-profit? The best way to find out may be to just jump in, set up a page (as opposed to a group) and see where it takes you.

That's just what we did at the association I work for. We created a page--if for no other reason than out of curiosity and with no particular agenda. Within a few days we had 50 fans, then 100, then 500...and so on. As of today, the page has been up for about three and a half weeks and we have 1,191 fans (and counting). I don't think any of us imagined we'd get this kind of response.

I guess this is what you might call a happy accident. We did what you're not supposed to do: start randomly using social media without pre-defined goals and a set strategy. However, there's definitely something to be said for being able to use the figure "over 1,100 fans in three weeks" to convince skeptics that yes, it is time to start solidifying a social media strategy.

Of course I realize that Facebook is one of many social media tools; I'm just using it a an example. And, yes, I know--jumping in without a set strategy=bad. The thing is--with social media, maybe taking more of a ready, fire, aim approach isn't the worst idea in the world.

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