Broaden Your Reach
Most of us know that Facebook’s reach is big. What you may not realise is exactly how big that reach really is. 72% of Australians have a Facebook page, and 1 out of 2 Australians use the platform every single day. 16 million Australians are active on the platform at least once a month, and Facebook has an estimated 80% of the market share of Australian social media! That said, there is no simpler, more effective way to broaden your petrol station’s reach than creating a Facebook page.
Unlike most other marketing, creating a page for your business costs no money, and is a great way to reach both current and new potential customers in your area. Facebook even enables you to collect information such as customer email addresses that can be used for monthly newsletters or promotions, meaning your petrol station can be placed repeatedly at the forefront of their mind, all for no cost to you.
Create A Customer Relationship
Social media is all about creating relationships, and this includes small businesses! Creating a Facebook page for your petrol station means that you are creating a forum that will harbor direct relationships with your customers. People want to go somewhere they feel welcome, acknowledged, and recognised. A strong social media presence is a way to check all three of those boxes quickly. Not to mention, it’s an excellent way to receive and field customer feedback and complaints.
Unlike other platforms, reviews received by your Facebook page can be replied to directly by the business owner. This means not only will customers feel heard, but you are able to create a lasting positive impression that can turn an unhappy customer into a return customer. Positive reviews also have a space to shine on your page, and distinguish your petrol station from others in the area.
Keep Customers in the Know
With such a broad reach, a company Facebook page is one of the simplest and most effective ways to keep your customers informed. At its simplest level, you can display your hours, address, and phone number, making basic information broadly available to the general public.
However, you can also use a Facebook page to inform customers about special offers or promotions you may be running.
Say, for example, a new brand of coffee or line of product has recently become available at your petrol station and you think your customers may be interested. Instead of waiting for customers to come to your business to discover what you have available, the product can become the incentive to visit. The interaction encouraged by Facebook also allows an avenue for customers to let you know what they want. Whether it’s a specific brand of product, or an idea for improvement, social media gives them the chance to let you know and keeps you up to date with what your customer base is thinking.
Humanise Your Business
In today’s world, social media interaction is almost as good as face to face engagement. An online presence is not only a chance to participate in daily interaction with your customer base, but also a chance to allow your business to be more than just a brand name.
Social media platforms such as Facebook give small businesses an opportunity to create a coherent voice and image for their brand. Activity like sharing interesting or relevant links on your page not only engages your customers, but allows you to paint a picture of what you want the public to think of when they think of your petrol station.
Direct posts to your page give you a chance to speak directly to people in your area, engage with them individually, and become a tangible part of their day to day lives. Creating an active Facebook page is a chance for your petrol station to humanise itself, and be seen less as a corporate entity and more as a small business run by real, relatable people.
Everyone Else Is Doing It (Including Your Competition!)
The reality is that if you’re not on Facebook, it’s likely that your competition already is. All large corporate brands have a social media presence because they recognise its importance as a customer engagement tool. Any small business that is truly looking to optimise their reach and define their brand’s voice can benefit from creating a Facebook page of their own.
Is your business on social media? Let us know your thoughts!