Using Facebook for news that sounds like advertising

[SisJackson]

I am in the process of opening a new small business of sorts (basically an expansion of my current one to include more bells and whistles, with a new name in a new location.)  Most of my Facebook friends are not aware of it, as I have kept the process out of my status thus far.  Our "grand opening" is coming up in a short while and I would like to inform my friends of it without it coming across as an advertisement.

I am considering posting an "Event" and inviting people to it, but I want it to come across as an invitation to "celebrate our new venture" rather than a ploy to drum up business.  Also, the business is heavily based on aesthetic improvement, and I don't want anyone to get the invitation and think, "Uh oh, she thinks I look old/haggard/like an alien and need her help."  The grand opening event will include not only food and beverages, but tours and demonstrations as well so that people can see what all is new and different - plus there will be an opportunity to book appointments that evening at a discount, so in a way we are welcoming new clients, but that's not the main focus of the evening.

I think I'm extra-sensitive to the Facebook-for-advertising thing because one of my friends is a Realtor and her statuses are filled with propaganda on market fluctuations, warnings about mortgage rate increases and even the occasional MLS listing.  To me she's treating her entire list of friends, relatives and former high school classmates as a potential customer base.  I know it's just "marketing" but I don't have to like it, and it seems a bit gauche to me.

Should I do an event and invite people?  If I do that, and only get a few people who say they want to come it would be so disappointing.  Should I just put it as my status for a bit and deal with it looking like an ad, hoping that my friends take it in the spirit it was intended?  How would you feel about being invited to such an event?  Am I just overthinking this entirely?

[TychaBrahe]

1.  Create a company account on Facebook.  Friend yourself.

2.  Create a fan page for your new business.

3.  Invite people to come celebrate your new business venture.  At the same time recommend that they friend your business account. 

4.  Invite people to fan your page, which will help promote your business.

5.  From time to time, you can post status messages from your business account that will show up in the feed's of those who chose to friend you.  You can post notices of sales, special demos, new products or treatments, or info that is general about whatever you do.  For example, if the new venture were a hair salon, warmer weather might prompt a reminder that sun, wind, and water can do a number on hair, and extra conditioning can help prevent hair looking dry and lifeless.

6.  If you allow people to post to your business page's wall, check it often to make sure that people aren't posting irrelevant or inflammatory things, and to delete spam.

The important things are to never confuse your personal and your business friends (you see the dangers of doing that in your Realtor), to never overload your friends and fans with too much info--that is another form of spamming, and to not hound people who don't want to be fans or business friends. 

[TootsNYC]

I would not create an event if you want to avoid looking as though you're marketing.

I would put it at a status update, and say, "so excited about the grand opening!" and then "come and see!" and give times, etc. You can even say, "(If you want to book an appointment, you get a discount if you do it that night!") as an aside, or simply leave it out/

Then it sounds to me as though you're simply excited about what's going on in your life. And that your life is happening at a time and place that you can share.

This *is* a big event. And if you generally don't do this sort of thing (promote people's participation in your business), I think the vast majority of people will see it this way.

Also, for your own sake--if you put it as a status, people will comment and say, "good luck!" and "way to go" and "hope it goes well," and you'll feel better.

If you invite people, I think most of them will ignore or decline, but not necessarily comment.

[Hushabye]

I really, really like TychaBrahe's approach.  This way you get the benefit of viral advertising via Facebook without spamming all your friends.

[Lynnv]

1.  Create a company account on Facebook.  Friend yourself.

2.  Create a fan page for your new business.

3.  Invite people to come celebrate your new business venture.  At the same time recommend that they friend your business account. 

4.  Invite people to fan your page, which will help promote your business.

5.  From time to time, you can post status messages from your business account that will show up in the feed's of those who chose to friend you.  You can post notices of sales, special demos, new products or treatments, or info that is general about whatever you do.  For example, if the new venture were a hair salon, warmer weather might prompt a reminder that sun, wind, and water can do a number on hair, and extra conditioning can help prevent hair looking dry and lifeless.

6.  If you allow people to post to your business page's wall, check it often to make sure that people aren't posting irrelevant or inflammatory things, and to delete spam.

The important things are to never confuse your personal and your business friends (you see the dangers of doing that in your Realtor), to never overload your friends and fans with too much info--that is another form of spamming, and to not hound people who don't want to be fans or business friends. 

I like this.  I would even go so far as to say that you could post, in your own status, something like:

"I am so excited about how my business has grown.  I now have a FB account for my business-please feel free to check it out if you want updates on what is going on in my business life" or something like that.

[audrey1962]

I agree with Toots. This is similar to something I do, except my work is volunteer. I am a costumer in community theatre. The majority of my FB friends are theatre friends. Since I'm excited about my costumes I post about them, for example: "just bought fabric (picture), patterns arrived (picture), found the most amazing dress at a vintage shop (picture), etc."

Am I also promoting the show I'm working on? Yes. However, I try not to make it feel like advertising.

(And yes, I realize my friends are theatre friends and so they want to know about theatre. I'm not sure how your business fits in with your friends' interests).

As Toots said, posting, "excited about tonight's Grand Opening!" wouldn't be off-putting to me. As your friend, I would want to know what you're doing and what is important to you. And since these are your friends they don't need the hard sell. They know they can contact you if they'd like to attend.

Break a leg!

[ShadesOfGrey]

I think as a small business owner you would be remiss to not advertise to your closest friends and family.  That said, I do agree that constant/only advertisements would be wrong.

Iw ould go for a combination of Tychabrae's and Toot's approach.  That way you get business, AND personal support, you've separated the two, but acknowledged that at times, there may be some overlap an dyou know how to handle it responsibly. 

[RainhaDoTexugo]

I really dislike facebook spam, but as a friend, I'd be absolutely fine with you making an event page and inviting me.  Even if it does come off as advertisey, I'm willing to overlook one solitary invite to something commercial.  Not to mention, if I care about you enough to friend you on Facebook, I'll be happy for you!  Go ahead and make an event page, and send it out to people who you think would care, and just don't make a habit of it, and you're fine

Making a page for your business might be a good idea, too, just for the free marketing.  Good luck!

[marcel]

I actually do not even see the problem with advertising your own new business with family and friends once.

[Nurvingiel]

I actually do not even see the problem with advertising your own new business with family and friends once.

This. It's the grand opening!

And I'm the hasty news feed hider, so that says something.

[TootsNYC]

I will say, though, that if my cousin had posted, "my band is playing at this bar, I'm psyched!" I'd click "like" and write a note as well.

but when he sent me a "become a fan" request, I let it sit.

So if you want strokes, I'd start w/ the status update. I think people are more likely to respond warmly to that than to an invitation to the event.

[look in the tunk]

I think this is okay, as long as it's not taken too far. I have a friend who owns a store - he has a separate Facebook for it and doesn't promote it with his regular account. I have another friend who literally spammed walls with some get-rich quick scheme. I think someone must have reported him because he hasn't done it in a really long time.

[Bookgirl]

If you set up a fan page, you have the option of suggesting it to all of your friends.  When I set up my page, I did this once. 

In the message I even called it spam (cause really, that's what it is) and told everyone that I would only be doing it the one time and not to worry about suddenly getting spammed all the time.  I only sent the invite to the people I thought would be truly interested in my work. 

I think mentioning how excited you are about the upcoming grand once or twice is fine too. 

[miss_ann_thrope]

1.  Create a company account on Facebook.  Friend yourself.

2.  Create a fan page for your new business.

3.  Invite people to come celebrate your new business venture.  At the same time recommend that they friend your business account. 

4.  Invite people to fan your page, which will help promote your business.

5.  From time to time, you can post status messages from your business account that will show up in the feed's of those who chose to friend you.  You can post notices of sales, special demos, new products or treatments, or info that is general about whatever you do.  For example, if the new venture were a hair salon, warmer weather might prompt a reminder that sun, wind, and water can do a number on hair, and extra conditioning can help prevent hair looking dry and lifeless.

6.  If you allow people to post to your business page's wall, check it often to make sure that people aren't posting irrelevant or inflammatory things, and to delete spam.

The important things are to never confuse your personal and your business friends (you see the dangers of doing that in your Realtor), to never overload your friends and fans with too much info--that is another form of spamming, and to not hound people who don't want to be fans or business friends. 

POD! POD! POD!

[Lady Snowdon]

I think it's totally fine to mention something exciting like a grand opening, or a new location, or something like that.  Those are things that people would conceivably be interested in anyway.  What I don't like is when people post the same things over and over and over again.  I have a friend (who may shortly be defriended, if he keeps doing this), who has been updating his status every couple of days to talk about his job, and how people should consider *industry he's in* and if they want to talk about it, to contact him.  It's the same spiel every time, and he's done it three or four times now.  Once is enough, IMO.  I don't need to read about it every couple days!