The Power of Social Media: Part 2

Build Your Brand with Facebook

With more than one billion active users monthly, Facebook is not just a place to post family pictures and recipes. It’s a powerful platform to build your shop’s brand image, positioning your business as a quality shop and to interact with your customers. 

Business Page versus Personal Profile

You need a Facebook personal profile to set up a Facebook business page, but there are important differences between the two. Facebook’s business page provides functionality that isn’t available on a personal page, like Reviews and Book an Appointment buttons. A good rule of thumb is to keep your business page strictly business and only promote your business softly on your personal page. It’s always good to ask yourself: Would I say this to a friend? Would I say this to a customer? Your answers will tell you which page should include that information. 

It’s All About Content

Your goal is to create a robust business page so your customers want to interact with you. Make sure that each post gives your visitors a reason to engage with your shop. You can create your own content or share relevant content from industry experts. 

Here are a few ideas get your wheels turning:

• Before and after pictures of your most impressive jobs with a great testimonial
• A short time lapse video of a repair: “we fix it right the first time!” 
• Leveraged expert articles on industry trends 
• Good pictures of your staff at work and at play
• Shout outs for local businesses, like restaurants, to build community and cross-promotion
• Relevant content that is tailored to your customers

Be sure to create specific types of posts, like shop events or offers. Just click through the tabs at the top of your business page’s status box, where you’ll find options of various types of posts. 

Promote Your Page and Start Engaging!

First, invite customers, friends and family to visit and like your page! Then follow up with other marketing efforts:

• Use other channels, like your website and Yelp, to promote your page.
• Add “follow us on Facebook” logos to your all your promotional materials, ads and business cards.
• Another happy customer? Invite them to write a review!

Less Is More: Focus on Quality, Not Quantity 

Once your Facebook page is established, stay engaged. A quick daily check of your accounts will help ensure timely responses to customer posts and keep the conversation going. 

To learn more about making the most of social media, check out University of Toyota’s Social Media Class B0020. You can also visit dev.toyotapartsandservice.com for step-by-step instructions on how to set up your Facebook business page.