Hot on the heels of the launch of Google+ Facebook has introduced a Facebook For Business portal in an attempt to encourage businesses to choose their giant social network over the competition.
Launched last week it provides small businesses with an online portal with advice on how to take advantage of social media tools and maximise their social media usage.
The timely launch arrives just days after Google deleted major business accounts on Google+, including Mashable and Ford. Google has since been accused of facing difficulties in addressing the demands of its users and it seems it has plenty of work to do before it catches up with Facebook’s businesses-friendly offering.
Aimed at companies that have no presence on the site, it provides business users with a simple step-by-step guide to the basics of using Facebook in order to raise corporate awareness, with tips that range from creating pages and integrating ads to using sponsored stories, social plug-ins and custom apps. Businesses will also be able to share success stories on how to effectively use Facebook.
This is not the first step Facebook has taken to fight off Google’s challenge, earlier this month they also blocked a tool which allowed users to export their contacts to Google+. Facebook justified their actions, claiming that the tool violated the site’s terms and conditions.
Describing the new initiative, a Facebook spokesman commented:
“Facebook allows small businesses to create rich social experiences, build lasting relationships and amplify the most powerful type of marketing – word-of-mouth.
“We created Facebook.com/business to make it even easier for people to reach these objectives and grow.”
The viability of Facebook marketing remains somewhat unknown after a recent Forrester study finding engagement rates for social media were lower than traditional marketing avenues – and a recent survey found marketers were still relying primarily on email for their promotional efforts.
