Facebook: 1.55 Billion Potential Shoppers!

Having a strong online presence for your local business makes an amazing difference in helping you stand out online. One of the most important places to have a web presence is - you guessed it - Facebook. With over 1.55 billion active monthly users, Facebook is a social media super highway! There are so many benefits to maintaining an active Facebook page - but you don't have all day, so we'll start with just a few!

1. Show your shoppers that you're a real, local business!

• With so many anonymous order-gatherers online, it can be difficult for shoppers to locate a real, local florist to fill their order. By creating a Facebook page that includes photos of you and your shop, you show that you're a local business - and research shows that shoppers place more trust in businesses that have a real face behind a real brand!

2. Promote coupons, local events, and more!

• It can be difficult to find ways to increase visitors to your website, and foot traffic to your shop. Facebook can help with both! You can post coupons to be used for purchases online, and also promote in-store activities - for example, offer a free rose with any walk-in purchase! You can also organize events within the shop: a floral design demonstration or hands-on workshop can be a great way to build a community around your business.

3. Gather endorsements from your customers!

• A recommendation from a friend is a powerful thing! As you gain more "likes" within your community, your social network will grow - showing potential customers that their friends are your friends, too. Plus, your happy customers can share their positive experiences by leaving reviews for your shop!

4. Boost your posts to reach wider audiences!

• Once you're comfortable with posting on Facebook, you can add "boosts" - that's Facebook's own form of paid advertising - to your posts. You can target different audiences with your boosts, such as: friends, friends of friends, and even people in your local area. It's a fantastic way to broaden your social network, especially when your business page is new!

Ready to start benefiting from Facebook? Get started now! Head on over to Facebook's instructions for creating your very own page - and don't forget to have fun with it! It's surprisingly easy, and an effective tool to drive engagement and, ultimately, new orders for your shop!

Stay tuned, keep smiling, and keep working wonders for your shop!

UFN ( http://www.ufn.com/ ) provides florist websites & florist point of sale systems to empower florists everyday to grow their business in the United States & Canada.

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