Social networking site represents major marketing opportunity says MindLeaders

14 June 2012 – A new survey by MindLeaders confirms that many small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are still unaware of the revenue-generating and brand-building opportunities provided by Facebook. Although the vast majority (81%) have a presence on Facebook, one-third (34%) have used the social networking site beyond this, with 73% saying that they are not sure of the opportunities available, or whether investing in marketing or advertising on Facebook would bring sufficient benefits.

“These results reveal many SMBs are still missing out on a chance to increase sales, enhance brand reputation and engage directly with their customers, because they don’t yet recognise the full extent of the opportunities on offer,” says Janet Garcia, director of MindLeaders UK and International. “Some businesses think that it is enough just to have a Facebook Page and are then surprised when it doesn’t bring in the benefits they expected. In reality, there is a big difference between this and knowing how to proactively optimise Facebook for marketing and advertising. It is only when this happens that businesses begin to achieve significant results.”

Notably, 40% of those polled had never considered taking a course to learn how to use Facebook for business purposes. A further 10% said that there were so many courses available that they were not sure how to choose between them. Almost half of respondents (47%) said that they would use Facebook for business more widely if they had expert guidance and could learn about it quickly.

Garcia continues: “The survey shows that there is still a window for small businesses to get ahead of their competition by discovering the most successful ways to use Facebook for marketing and advertising. Facebook Trainer for Business, a newly-launched training app developed in co-operation with Facebook, is affordable for even the smallest of businesses and as the courses are delivered online, can be completed as and when the user wishes.

“In the survey, over half (54%) said that they would consider using Facebook more widely if there was more evidence of the benefits. As part of the course, we provide case studies of companies that have received far more qualified leads and a higher percentage of conversions than they would using conventional methods of advertising and marketing.”

Facebook Trainer for Business costs less than £40 (exclusive of tax) and is available as an app on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/trainerforbusiness.