Facebook just launched what many are calling a Yelp killer. Now, before we get too ahead of ourselves, let’s take a look at what Facebook Services is and how you could benefit from it.
What Is Facebook Services?
Facebook Services is a place where you can find local businesses. You can search for local businesses and those with the highest reviews will come up first.
Basically what they are doing is aggregating all the local businesses registered on Facebook and showing you those close to you and those with high ratings.
This is great for local businesses who have kept and maintained an active business page. Active pages include regular updates and reviews from real fans. The problem is many local and small businesses have invested most of their budget into other more viable social media solutions like Yelp. Don’t worry, if you have or haven’t been keeping an updated presence now is the time to act swiftly. Those who adapt fast will win. So don’t wait. Even if it doesn’t go anywhere and doesn’t kill Yelp, there are still benefits to having an active Facebook page.
Who Is Facebook Services For?
Any one who is currently on Yelp. This includes plumbers, electricians, spa owners, massage therapists, restaurants, retail stores, CPAs, mechanics, lawyers, and pretty much any other small local business you can think of. If you fall into any of these categories, it’s time to get serious.
Why Is Facebook Services A Good Thing For Small Businesses?
As Facebook becomes increasingly a pay-to-play network, this search function allows you to show up to interested parties without paying money. Because the people searching are looking for a specific type of business, conversion rates can be much higher to get them to call you or come in.
What You Can Do To Show Up On Facebook Services
1. Make sure you have a local business page set up. This means you have a physical address.
2. Update your profile with regular content and posts. Yes, testimonials count.
3. Ask for reviews from your best customers.
4. Run a small ad campaign that targets your existing customer list to like and review you.
5. Repeat Steps 2 & 3.
What do you think? Will this be a Yelp killer? It could be if it starts ranking on Google organic search and enough people start using it. Only time will tell.
