Small business owners: How useful is Facebook?

[Vancouverdave]

I've been social media avoidant but am considering an FB page for Feldman's Bicycle Repair; I am a little bit slow on this stuff, just cancelled my Yellow Pages ad last year. What is the experience of other small business proprietors here?

[sine]

In talking to potential clients during initial meeting Google is number one by a significant margin. Positive Yelp reviews (but via Google) comes second then word of mouth. Every time I mention Facebook not one person mentioned using Facebook when searching for services.

So I never bothered with Facebook and I see many businesses who have little activity leading me to believe that it is a low priority.

Now, my clients skew a little older......average age is 42. That may or may not have something to do with it.

Now........Yellow Pages.........sorry, when we get it, it goes into the recycle bin right away.

[GonaSovereign]

[I do social media/digital marketing for a living at a big company that focuses on helping small businesses with financial management.]

What do you want to do? If you’re trying to drum up business and want to be found, get your search sorted. Make sure you can be found by Google. (There's a lot involved.) Once you’re found, have something decent for people to click through to. Images, details on your services, hours, etc. If you happen want to build an online community that pivots off your business, and spend a lot of time content marketing, then Facebook is good.

Personally, I recommend small businesses that work primarily locally get in with the "best of" publications. Build your local cred and you'll get traffic. I say this w/o knowing what you do.