Creative marketing is definitely not a new concept and most of us are looking for ways to stretch those dwindling dollars.  Facebook can definitely be an option to get your company some social media exposure.  Facebook is a free option where the only cost will be your time commitment.  For anyone who doesn’t already know, Facebook is a social networking website that allows both personal and company pages.  The company pages are a bit different that personal pages.  Both are free, but there are limitations and benefits to both. In the event you are looking to spend, there is ad space available for purchase as well.

Personal pages can be used to network, locate long lost friends, correspond and post any thoughts that jump into your mind.  You can seek out groups to join that spark your interest.  You can “like” pages that again spark your interest, which is essentially voting for your personal areas of interest.  Once you “like” a page, you will see any posts made by that group or company.  You can post pictures, videos, audio clips and share basically anything within reason.  All of the experience revolves around friending other Facebook users, which filters them into your group or network.  Various settings within Facebook allow you to share any of your content with the vast public, friends of friends or merely your identified friends list.

Company pages still allow wall posting, photo, video and audio uploading just like personal pages.  You can also “like” pages of interest; however, you can’t merely seek out friends as a company page.  It is necessary to invite friends through established friends on your page.  In other words, have people you know find your company page within Facebook and add themselves to the company page using “like.”  The company can then send invites out to all of the friends on their personal Facebook page to gain more followers.  Company pages are a great way to get information out about your company and the service you provide.  They key is to become part of the community and be present.  It definitely is a time commitment, but the idea of viral marketing makes it a very viable marketing tool.