There has been a lot of talk about Facebook in the media recently. Facebook is a global social networking website and is one of the most popular places on the net, with over 600 million users. Many people use Facebook as a way to connect with old friends but it has also become a major part of many businesses as they use it to promote and share information.

The way Facebook works (if you don’t already know) is that a person joins, and then creates his or her own page which often includes basic information as well as a picture or two. The person then becomes friends with others that he or she knows, and can then communicate by leaving comments on each others pages (that everyone that is a friend can see).

Businesses have been using Facebook with much success. People spend a ton of time on this social network, and it can be a great way to get the word out about your business.

Let’s look at an example:

Sally loves getting her hair done at the local salon. Let’s say that the salon has their own Facebook page, and Sally is a member of it. The salon posts a comment on Sally’s page, and all of Sally’s friends can see it. The salon just exposed itself to ALL of Sally’s friends! Jessica, one of Sally’s friends sees the information on the salon, and gives the salon a call because she likes Sally’s hair.

Facebook can also help to add “social proof” to your business. Once you begin building a list of friends for your business, you can share this directly on your business website. This will help potential customers see that your business is thriving, and established.

Facebook works particularly well in niches such as restaurants and salons, but can be applied to just about any business.