# Is Facebook's 15 minutes up ? Should I put my Biz on FB ?



## Bobbo (Jul 20, 2010)

I'm really tired of Facebook this and FB that ! But it seems it could be to some advantage for my business to be listed there ? No . So I ask any of you who are Facebook savvy First of all is it worth it to have your business on FB and isn't the whole FB thing almost over ? 










*15 minutes of fame* is short-lived media publicity or celebrity of an individual or phenomenon. The expression was coined by Andy Warhol, who said in 1968 that "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." The phenomenon is often used in reference to figures in the entertainment industry or other areas of popular culture, such as reality TV and YouTube. It is believed that the statement was an adaptation of a theory of Marshall McLuhan, explaining the differences of media, where TV differs much from other media using contestants​


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Fvck facebook lol


I use it for family and friends but not business. Many on here will disagree and talk about overall presence but for me I am doing fine without it.


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## Bobbo (Jul 20, 2010)

It really seems like a lot of work keeping things current and all . I have a pretty good presence already . I personally wouldn't look for a contractor on Fb ....


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

Workaholic said:


> Fvck facebook lol
> 
> I use it for family and friends but not business. Many on here will disagree and talk about overall presence but for me I am doing fine without it.


So your not giving a status update with your besties every hour?


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

It's general consensus that FB does not drive traffic to our type of business. 

HOWEVER, I asked my cousin if her FB presence helps her and her husbands photography business, if they got any leads from it. She said she wasn't sure but that it did help keeping people informed and in their minds. 

They run on-location photography seminars (or even classes, you could call them). All the students are friended and she is prolific with her FB entries about where and when they are going to hold the next session. She feels it does help their business by keeping them in people's minds.

It's a different type of business than ours.


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Schmidt & Co. said:


> So your not giving a status update with your besties every hour?


You mean you are not reading my recent updates about how I like to use colby on my grilled cheeses? 

Really I log on very little and had to block all that crap.


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

Workaholic said:


> You mean you are not reading my recent updates about how I like to use colby on my grilled cheeses?
> 
> Really I log on very little and had to block all that crap.


Dude, I get to read my 23 year old daughters constant FB updates. It's amazing how this generation has absolutely no problem posting every single detail of there lives.


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## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

I'm preparing to launch a blog, facebook page, and twitter account soon. Working on the details of the blog. Really only hoping to drive traffic to my website which I am also updating. Hopefully it will work. I'll let you know.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Schmidt & Co. said:


> Dude, I get to read my 23 year old daughters constant FB updates. It's amazing how this generation has absolutely no problem posting every single detail of there lives.


REALLY, I just do not get it. I do NOT want to hear about WHAT your goldfish ate or WHAT color was oozing out of one of your orifices !

now OUR generation knows how to capture and entertain an audience.

This is a bit long, but one of the best things I've read on FB. The lady who wrote it is one of the WW's oldest friends, she is, in person, a very energetic, irreverent, outspoken, cynical, and humorous person (I kind of relate well with her ) I just read it and HAD to post it here



> There I was, going up to the back hill in Pepperell where my brother was clearing the field with a huge bush hog to let him know I was there so that we could go do some business. On the way up I felt a sharp pain and saw a wasp hanging by it's stinger in my leg. I wasn't too happy but kept going. I stood watching this machine that Billy was using take down 15 ft tall trees in one crunch. After a bit I decided he had seen me and that I would go down to the house to wait for him.
> 
> Then, aliens from Mars attacked. Well, maybe not really but it felt that way. I heard this whooping noise for about half a second and then I was knocked off my feet like a bowling pin. I looked down the hill and I saw what looked like a metal pipe filled with concrete (actually it turned out to be an old submersible pump) rolling down the hill. Being a little on the freaked out side I started screaming and waving and got Billy's attention. My foot was bleeding pretty badly and I knew something wasn't too good down there.
> 
> ...


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## LA Painter (Jul 28, 2009)

FB goes against my policy of not mixing friends with business.


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

The return on investment of time isn't really there. It doesn't hurt to set one up for SEO purposes though.


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## painterguy07 (Dec 20, 2011)

Yea it won't bring in any leads but it does help drive traffic to your site.


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## Steve Burnett (May 28, 2012)

FB is a great source for us to continue and to develop relationships with our business networks and customers allowing us to stay top of mind. 
G+ as well.


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## Roamer (Jul 5, 2010)

FB is like having a second website that is 'free'. Why not have a company page on FB. I get frequent updates from many of the members of this site on FB of recent jobs they are doing or color trends. They are keeping themselves in front of their friends, doesn't hurt. I do the same with our Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tech-Painting-Co-Inc/164351510282634


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

Maintaining a fb business page takes significantly less time than pf-ing around on pt all night! :jester: Conversion rate is about the same probably.


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## Dave Mac (May 4, 2007)

Scott whear you been your missed around here


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

Dave Mac said:


> Scott whear you been your missed around here


Thanks Dave. Busy days. 6 year old son and a very busy year work-wise. I still read here, but generally don't have much useful to contribute.


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## PhillysFinest (Jun 9, 2012)

Bobbo said:


> I'm really tired of Facebook this and FB that ! But it seems it could be to some advantage for my business to be listed there ? No . So I ask any of you who are Facebook savvy First of all is it worth it to have your business on FB and *isn't the whole FB thing almost over ?*


Facebook is the #2 site on the web. Sure, any advertisement is better than no advertisement! Get some keywords on there and your page may show up in google under, Painting Contractors! I myself have not gotten any work from FB!


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

For those that find having a business presence on FB beneficial, do you have a policy regarding posting stuff on FB that may be controversial - like politics, jokes, less than appropriate pictures, strong language, and other things you refrain from while on a job site?


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

daArch said:


> For those that find having a business presence on FB beneficial, do you have a policy regarding posting stuff on FB that may be controversial - like politics, jokes, less than appropriate pictures, strong language, and other things you refrain from while on a job site?


There is no need for a policy, since we limit the number of admins who can post. 

Here is our business page, to give you an idea of the content that we find to be acceptable:

http://www.facebook.com/Vthomepainters

Note the vanity fb url, which is our secret little google goldmine. We are seriously about to record a new message asking people to stop calling for a while.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

vermontpainter said:


> There is no need for a policy, since we limit the number of admins who can post.


"policy" was perhaps the wrong word as it applies to rules set for any number of people in a company. 

And now I can't think of the word I want. "_Opinion _regarding posting stuff on FB that may be controversial"

no, that's not the best word either. Oh, well, I hope folks know what I mean.


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## George Z (Apr 15, 2007)

daArch said:


> "policy" was perhaps the wrong word as it applies to rules set for any number of people in a company.
> 
> And now I can't think of the word I want. "_Opinion _regarding posting stuff on FB that may be controversial"
> 
> no, that's not the best word either. Oh, well, I hope folks know what I mean.


For us
Almost anything goes, controversy is ok, silly is ok.
Nothing offensive to anyone except to people's intelligence sometimes.
So tough to be creative every day, so sharing other people's posts helps.
By the way we do get leads from Facebook 
also the occasional lead that is extremely familiar with our company 
when we go for an estimate.


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## Bobbo (Jul 20, 2010)

Still on a fence about this . I may set up a page but I'm not going to be all chatty and "friend me" about it . Just set it and forget it !








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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

vermontpainter said:


> Maintaining a fb business page takes significantly less time than pf-ing around on pt all night! :jester: Conversion rate is about the same probably.


I hear week in and week out all season long, "saw you talking with other contractors on website and you seem to know what you are doing". I'm talking 50-60 people per year. Almost all of them convert. Lots of homeowners here and on other contractor sites.


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## Bobbo (Jul 20, 2010)

Well I didn't just set it and forget it . After I created the Facebook page I had to link it to my website . So I put a FB like button and all on my homepage . Take a look ! http://valentiandsonspainting.com/


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## nEighter (Nov 14, 2008)

if it weren't for "friends" on there.. I would not be there. Seriously. You can go through the history and see what I actually think of facebook.. it sucks, has always sucked... but until people get more tech savvy and get on google+.. then we have nothing. So I am forced to be there.

Facebook is known to have fake accounts that account for 80% of the ad driven "clicks" on facebook ads. It is done, seems no one is understanding of it.. but no low tech alternatives are out there for people to try.

my honest opinion.


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## Temple (May 25, 2012)

It certainly Cant hurt.


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## Bobbo (Jul 20, 2010)

PhillysFinest said:


> Facebook is the #2 site on the web. Sure, any advertisement is better than no advertisement! Get some keywords on there and your page may show up in google under, Painting Contractors! I myself have not gotten any work from FB!



A very good point ! That's why I chose to create a page for my business and even went as far as to put a fb button on my website . But I refuse to Tweet ! That's where I draw the line :yes:


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

Great page, Bobbo, I checked it out...saw you with your two boys and everything.


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## Bobbo (Jul 20, 2010)

vermontpainter said:


> Great page, Bobbo, I checked it out...saw you with your two boys and everything.



I felt it should show some of my personal side . Not just 100 % business . But you do have to watch how much info you put out on the web . Lots of unstable people out there :blink:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Valenti-and-Sons-Painting/412275348809289


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## AztecPainting (Jan 28, 2010)

Facebook ehh :whistling2:... 

brb, gotta log in Fb and tell my buds how awesome my day was today!!! :yes:


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

AztecPainting said:


> Facebook ehh :whistling2:...
> 
> brb, gotta log in Fb and tell my buds how awesome my day was today!!! :yes:


 

Don't forget, what you had for lunch and how many times you had to chew to get it down:thumbsup:


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## Bobbo (Jul 20, 2010)

chrisn said:


> Don't forget, what you had for lunch and how many times you had to chew to get it down:thumbsup:



A business fb account really isn't like that . Well I guess it could be but all I'm doing is posting some job updates and pictures . Besides I don't eat lunch !


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## Mass Painters (May 19, 2011)

Having a Facebook page is a good idea because it's relatively easy to set up. However, most people that are on facebook are looking for entertainment, not painting contractors, but it does help some of the benefits are: Branding, posting project photos, posting testimonials, having another business listing, ect.


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## MktgforContractors (Aug 20, 2012)

epretot said:


> I'm preparing to launch a blog, facebook page, and twitter account soon. Working on the details of the blog. Really only hoping to drive traffic to my website which I am also updating. Hopefully it will work. I'll let you know.


You hit the nail right on the head. The purpose of Facebook and Twitter is to drive people to your website. You website is where you can capture their information and tell a complete story about your company and service.

You also need to put your social media addresses on everything you hand out. Business Cards, flyers, invoices, everything.

Make sure you are setting up a Business Page on Facebook. The type that you "LIKE" not the type you friend.

Post PHOTOS of your work on Facebook. Photos of your work with testimonials from that customer is even better.

Once you have fans (people that have Liked your page) tag the ones in the general area of the job and that are not current customers in each of the photos. This will let them know immediately that you posted a photo.

Facebook is also a great place to post a PHOTO of your ads and specials. Polls and contest get good response on Facebook once you have a fan base.

On Twitter find several other businesses that your target customer in your area would be following and follow all of their followers. 

You can follow up to 2001 people until you get about 1800 followers yourself.

Unfollow those who are not following you back after about a week and follow an equal number. Rinse and repeat once per week until you build up a nice local following.

I would recommend Hootsuite to make it easier to schedule tweets and Facebook posts so you can schedule a half hour to one hour per day to do all your posting and responding to those who mention/like/share or retweet your posts.

One of the posts you should make at least 2-3 times per week on Twitter is a call for your Twitter followers to join you on Facebook as well.

For a Painting Contractor there are two other social media sites that are important, although for different reasons.

Pinterest - because it is photo based and how the house looks is what painting is all about.

Google + - because you cant do Google Local with out having a Google + account.


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## Cali Custom Coatings (Aug 24, 2012)

FB is the largest social media outlet out there... Google will recognize that your popular on it and hopefully it will help SEO page rank on google... our website www.calicustomcoatings.com is on FB, twitter, yelp & linked in.. and we make it known on our work van!!! It's not just the fact that's it FB, it's the fact that it's being socially recognized on the internet!! The biggest marketing venture we have to concur to date!!


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