Facebook Graph Search: What It Means For Business
Facebook is testing out a new feature called the Facebook Graph Search. This new search system aims to revolutionize the way people browse the Internet and connect with others by allowing them to be more specific than ever in their searches. Read on to find out how this new feature might impact your business.
Big Changes With New Facebook Graph Search
As a quick summary, Facebook Graph Search allows people to perform multifaceted searches by including regional location, area of interest, and business type. This means that people can use search terms such as, “People in Chicago that like Italian restaurants” and get meaningful results. Facebook Graph Search for business means that you can provide more information about your company and better control the audience you are reaching. Results show up in graph form, so the closer your business is to a perfect match, the more noticeable you will be on the search.
A New Use For Likes
Many companies have grown jaded with the constant search for Facebook Likes. In the past, getting a ‘Like’ on Facebook didn’t necessarily mean that you got a better reach or had any additional advertising power. With Facebook Graph Search, ‘Likes’ become a way to sort results. For example, in the search term mentioned above, Chicago-based Italian restaurants with the most ‘Likes’ would appear high on the list as potential meeting places for those particular individuals. The new service means that your ‘Likes’ do more than just show a thumbs up – they become important advertising tools.
What It Means For Advertising
Small businesses especially will benefit from Facebook Graph Search because it will allow them to target their advertising more than before. By paying attention to the searches that bring up your company, you can find out who is looking for you most often. If you want to change your demographic, you can put more of a focus on advertising within certain search parameters. In the Chicago-based Italian restaurant we have been using as an example, you could advertise only on searches in your region or for Italian restaurants, rather than advertising on any restaurant searches anywhere in America. This allows small businesses to put their limited advertising dollars to better use.
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To Sum Things Up
To summarize, the main ways that Facebook Graph Search will change your business is as follows:
- Users can now perform more specific searches than ever before
- Users get a visual representation of the relevance of their search results
- Likes take on a new meaning and allow your business to get listed higher in the search results
- You can get a better idea of what customers specifically are searching for you
- You can change your demographics by allocating your advertising dollars to specific search terms
Facebook Graph Search for business means a whole new way of reaching users and advertising to them. Because it is a new service that is currently going through Beta testing, now is the time to get on board and examine how your business can use it. If you already use Facebook as a part of your business strategy, you should take a look at the Beta test and get a feel for the new features. It may mean a huge boost to your business in the future.
See what an actual Facebook Graph Search looks like by going here.
What are your thoughts on Facebook Graph Search? Do you see this as a big announcement or just another obvious step in social? Let us know in the comments below!
