As an ever-changing service, it can be hard to keep up with all the new Facebook features. Does anyone remember Facebook Gifts, the first Facebook feature to involve payment? Just one dollar bought you a fake virtual item to post on a friend’s wall for all to see. These days, there are many Facebook upgrades that cost real money, including unlocking items or achievements in games or advertising services.
One thing is for sure, though: Facebook users will not need to pay to log in. Larry Yu, an official Facebook spokesman, has stated “We have absolutely no plans to charge for the basic service of using Facebook.” Their official reasoning is that a “paywall” (blocking content from users who don’t pay for it) goes against the company’s mission, which is to enable people all over the world to connect freely. The market-savvy individual knows that Facebook’s true value lies in the millions of users that return to the site over and over. By posting about what they do and do not like, each user provides valuable insights into the overall success of targeted advertising and marketing strategies.
I still haven’t answered the original question, though. Should you pay to advertise on Facebook? Do you need to pay to advertise on Facebook? My answer is no, you do not. Without spending one cent, you can create a personal profile to represent yourself or any number of business pages to represent your company or other interests you wish to promote. Facebook is a community that brings people together. If you can make personal connections in real life, all you need to do is bring the same people skills to your computer and start interacting.
Sure, you could pay for an ad to show up on the side of everyone’s news feed, or you could pay to promote specific posts from your page. These ads have worked for some people but they do not work for everyone. Why risk your money when you have an easy way to connect with your audience for free?
The only down side is that social networking takes time and effort. Many people do not have the time to log in regularly and have conversations with their online friends. If you would like to take advantage of social media for your company, you should consider enlisting the help of a professional web team like inConcert Web Solutions. We provide tons of great services for websites including social media management.
What’s the difference between hiring social media experts and paying for a Facebook ad? With our expertise and experience, we already know what works and what doesn’t work. We won’t just show your ad to the required number of people and call it a day. We will brainstorm together to come up with great, engaging content with the potential to go viral and make sure every interaction goes as smoothly as possible. Contact us today to see if we can help you into the online spotlight!