Facebook this week took a shot at Google+ by introducing “Facebook for Business,” a step-by-step guideline and tips page for small businesses that use Facebook. This no doubt is in answer to Google+ dropping business users, a temporary situation according to Google.
Google recently began removing business accounts from its new Google+ social network. The reason given by Google is that right now Google+ is for individuals — not businesses. Some major players like Ford have been allowed an exemption at this time. Google has said that a business version of Google+ is coming soon and that companies will just need to be a little patient.
Facebook, in the spirit of keeping up with the Joneses has introduced a new “Facebook for Business” page featuring a step-by-step outline of how to use Facebook to help build your small business. The guide includes how to set up a Facebook “Page” for your business, how to promote your business with Facebook ads, how to drive more traffic to your site using “Sponsored Stories,” and how to involve people, create a personalized mobile experience, and for the advanced business how to build apps on Facebook’s platform.
This is not a new feature on Facebook, it is just a convenient guide to Facebook for small businesses, and anything to make setting up business pages on Facebook easier is a plus.
In an email to GigaOm this Tuesday Facebook said, “Facebook allows small businesses to create rich social experiences, build lasting relationships and amplify the most powerful type of marketing — word of mouth. We created Facebook.com/business to make it even easier for people to reach these objectives and grow.”
So know that you have an easy to follow guide on using Facebook for business, take advantage of it. And keep an eye out for your Google+ business invitation coming soon as Google+ makes a serious run at besting Facebook at its own game.