When I get into discussions about social media the conversation sometimes turns to questioning whether a business should just use Facebook Page instead of having a Web-site.  What most business people clearly do not understand is how Social Media works to enhance their web-site which neither can no longer stand alone with out either.  So, since it is important to know how to use social media and maintain a website I thought I would provide the benefits of having both.

Benefits of Social Media

1. Where potential clients spend their time. With reportedly over 500 million active users on Facebook, most Web audiences are spending more time there than browsing company sites.  This makes it imperative a business needs to produce a social presence in the social space. Just be sure your demographic and your industry fits into the social space since there still billions of people still do not using Facebook for learning about b2b topics.
2. Heavily interactive. The term “social” comes from interaction a social environment. Unlike a static HTML website, designed to read and click, social networks like Facebook are more fluid and designed around sharing, responding, and interacting.  Just posting a Facebook Page and hoping people will see it will not cut it.  Social interaction is the key to Social Media.
3. Easy Operations. Clicking a “like” button on Facebook is a lot easier than filling in the sign up form on a web page. So it’s no surprise many companies find it easier to build a large audiences on social media platforms.
4. Viralisum. When your community interacts with you in social networking platforms, it is instantly visible to others in and outside the community. This digital form of “word-of-mouth” can be a very powerful tools for your business.

Benefits of Your Own Website

1. Ownership. Social network are owned by the companies that run them, and, as such, they are the only ones holding all the data on your community and your interactions with them. On your own website, you own all the data.  That data will eventually become very valuable.
2. Control design. You can design a page on Facebook but you are limited to how they want it to look. Having your own website allows you complete control, which may be essential if you have a lot of content you need to organize for different audiences.
3. Targeting. Owning data and controlling design allows for a much more targeted interaction with your audience that  is not possible with social network platforms. Your website can be set up to track the potential customer’s interest.
4. Reaching a larger audience. Unlike Facebook or other services which might reach large segments of potential customers within the social network, your website is available to 100% of the entire internet.  Your web-site is even more powerful if it has been optimized to work on a mobile phones.

So, it is essential for any business to have both a web presence and a presence in the most effective social networks. Let me know how I can help.