How Small Business Owners Can Use Facebook‘s "Follow" Feature for Success

As a small business owner, you know how vital social media marketing is for reaching customers today. But with limited time and resources, deciding where to focus your efforts can be tricky.

In my 10+ years advising entrepreneurs on cost-effective digital marketing strategies, I‘ve seen the incredible value of Facebook‘s "Follow" feature specifically for driving business growth. According to Facebook, people spend 31% of total media consumption time on Facebook/Instagram. Let‘s explore how small business owners can capitalize on this massive opportunity using Facebook‘s Follow feature:

Who Can I Follow as a Brand?

Facebook allows users to follow other personal profiles, as well as:

• Public figures: Celebrities, artists, authors, journalists, activists. Their fan bases present potential new audiences.
• Businesses: Competitors and companies in complementary industries. Research their content strategies.
• Influences: Subject experts, bloggers, community leaders related to your industry. They regularly share content rich opportunities for your niche customers.

How Do I Follow as a Business Page?

As a Facebook Business Page, navigate to any profile/page and click the Follow button. Roughly 80% of consumers follow at least one brand, indicating consumers want business connections.

You‘ll then receive updates from those users directly in your News Feed. You can easily Like, comment, and share their content with your own followers.

3 Benefits of Following as a Small Business

1. Market Research

• Identify new products, specials, and services other brands offer. This market intelligence fuels your competitive advantage.
• Monitor promotions that perform well. Run A/B tests modeling their tactics that align with your business.

2. Partnership Opportunities

Interact by liking and commenting on followed pages to establish a relationship. This visibility and engagement makes cross-promotion natural as you build authority in your space together.

3. Generate Referral Traffic

If a followed page shares your content or mentions your business, their existing follower base floods to your Page. One Facebook share can drive over 1,000 referral visitors on average. Capitalize immediately to convert new audiences into customers.

While Facebook ads receive lots of attention, disregarding organic opportunities means lost revenue. Let the Follow feature supplement your social strategy with free exposure, research, and leads highly targeted to your niche.

What industry leaders or potential partners can you follow now to grow your small business?