Let me share with you the process I went through with Angell Aire’s Landing page. I asked the sales staff to prepare a profile of their typical client. Here’s what they created:

Bob and Sue live in a 3000 square foot home in the south suburbs of the Twin Cities. Bob has spent his career in the computer industry, working his way through the ranks to become a senior manager, earning six figures. He and Sue met early in their careers when Sue worked at the same firm in human resources. Now in their late 50’s, with the last child having moved out of the home two years ago, they are just beginning to seriously discuss their future plans.

Their original home was a small split level that was outgrown with the arrival of their third child. Their present home, purchased 18 years ago, is their pride and joy. In the last few years, they have updated most of their appliances and remodeled their kitchen. They know that their existing heating and cooling system has reached the end of its’ typical life span and is not as efficient as they would like. They do not want to wait until a major breakdown to begin their search for a new system. They are also aware that their two story home is not nearly as comfortable as they would like. They regret not having spent the additional amount 18 years ago to have separate zoning installed at construction. They realize that whether they continue living in their home into retirement or decide to downsize to a condo or smaller home, the old heating system will need to be replaced at some point regardless, so feel that they may as well enjoy the benefits of a new system rather than waiting until they may sell the home.

They have begun their investigation through the internet and recommendations from friends and family. Bob is detail oriented and is becoming frustrated by the lack of objective information available on the internet; typically his primary source of information. They have begun making appointments with local contractors that they have recognized through local and internet advertising. They plan to look at 3-4 quotes. They have always tried to purchase quality over lower price; if they feel the benefit justifies the cost difference.

I asked the sales staff where concerns for the environment ranked with their typical home owner? They told me that environmental concerns were not the first priorities of most customers. However, if you probed, customers would say that saving energy resources is important to them.

Angell Aire wants to use their Facebook Fan Page to focus on the green elements of the heating and cooling industry. Technology advances with high efficiency furnaces,air heat exchanges, green motors and smart thermostats are just a few of the advances that can save significant energy for a homeowner. At the same time, less home energy is good for the environment.

My challenge , “What can I say to these potential Fans about the green heating and cooling options to persuade them to become a Fan when green options may not be their highest priorities?”

I will share how I tackled this challenge in the next post.  To be continued, your comments are always welcomed…

Al Hanzal

Description

Right beneath the photo box,, you will find a short Description box. Because this description falls beneath your photo or logo, it is one of the most viewed parts on your Page. Complete the description by answering this question in one sentence. “How do your products or services make your customer’s life better?”  Keep revising your answer out until you are satisfied that if captures what you want to say about the benefits of your business.  Click the Edit Pencil to insert your description.

Here’s what I wrote for Angell Aire:

Angell Aire Heating and Cooling is dedicated to providing our customers  new technology that saves energy resources, keep more dollars in their pockets with out sacrificing heating and cooling comfort in their homes.

Click on the Info Tab

Here you complete the basic information about your business. Then click on the Detailed Info link to write a more complete description of your business from a customer benefit perspective. If you competed the exercise in an earlier post,http://successfulinternettools.com/2010/03/29/capturing-the-heart-and-soul-of-your-business/ you have the information needed to complete an engaging description of your business. The key questions to answer are:

What area of my business expertise will be focused on this Facebook Page?

What do I do?

How do others benefit from my expertise and what I do?

Here is the Angell Aire Heating and Cooling Description.  Notice how I also include key search terms in this description.

Angell Aire provides energy saving heating and cooling systems for homes in the St. Paul, Minnesota area, predominately in Scott and Dakota counties.

We specialize in following energy saving systems:

• Geo-thermo heating and cooling systems
• Air exchanger heat pumps
• Bryant Systems with 95% efficiency
• Green motors to replace outdated single speed motors
• High tech thermostatic control devises like Bryant’s Evolution System

We provide free home energy audits to help homeowners determine ways to save energy dollars without sacrificing personal heating and cooling comfort.

We also provide home owners with tips and suggestions on ways they can save money by lowering their energy consumption.

At Angell Aire, we believe conserving energy is good for everyone. The homeowner gets to keep more money in their pockets using today’s technology.  They do not need to sacrifice personal heating and cooling comfort in their homes. All of us can conserve our natural resources for our children.

To be continued, your comments are welcomed…

Al Hanzal

I assume you’re already a member of Facebook and have a Profile page.  Go to the bottom of that page and click on Advertising.  When that page appears, click on Create a Page.  Here’s the screen you will be working with.

Business Type

You need to make a choice for your Page between three basic options:

• Local Business
• Brand, Products or Organization
• Artist, Band or Public Figure

Each option generates a different set of information to complete.    In my example, Angell Aire is a local heating and cooling business that wants to build a local community of fans.  So I selected Local Business.  Complete the information section on your choice.

Choose a Name

Choose your name carefully.  Facebook does not allow you to change the business name.  You can add additional pages but you cannot change the name.  What name do you want to be recognized by potential fans?  Can key words be added to the business title to give you more SEO value?  Angell Aire wants the name of their business as the Page name.  Type in your business title.

Click Create the Page

Here’s a short video that summarizes these initial steps:

To be continued, your comments are always welcomed…

Al Hanzal

Traditional Branding

There was a time when business branding was simple.  Based on the Wild West tradition of cattle branding, the business started with a brand logo.  Colors were picked; a business slogan was created.

The logo, the colors, and the slogan were consistently used with all marketing efforts.  It was put on a business card, stationary, a website, etc.  Example, Fed Ex. When it positively has to be there over night.

I call this third person branding.  It’s see a business brand something separate from business owner.  Businesses used branding to visually stand out from the competition.  Through advertising, a brand gets a reputation, making it easier for people to do brand shopping.  This works wonderfully for mass marketing.

Social Media Branding

Social media sites forced a shift in business branding.   At the heart of social media is interactive social engagement.  People are not looking for the business persona or logo.  They wanted to know the person behind the business.  Before they purchase, they want to know, like and trust the owner.

Business branding shifted to the first person.  Creating a first person brand means identifying the owner’s unique skills and talents.  It means tapping into the business owner’s passion and expressing the “juices” that drives the business.   By expressing these “juices” in the brand, others are attracted to it.  Business magic occurs.

Terms like personal branding, authentic, “value added” business branding begin to define the business branding process.

While both of these business branding models have worthwhile elements, both can fail to address the real issue of business branding—the customer!

Customer Branding

The number one rule in marketing is—the business isn’t about you, it’s about the customer.

Business branding is about the customer’s problems, their wants and relating to a particular pain they are experiencing in their life.  It’s about the ability a business has with products or services to transform the customer from a position of pain to a place where they want to be.  How does this work?

A customer finds themselves in a place they do not like.  They want to be in another place. They look for ways to get to them there.  For example, the golfer who shoots high golf scores because they slice the ball.  They don’t want to be a golfer with high score (their pain position).  They look for solutions that will give them lower golf scores (the place they want to be).   They explore new golf clubs and lessons that could transform them from a poor golfer to a good golfer.

Customer Branding as a Process

Customer branding is a process.  This branding process is working with the customer’s transformation process.  You put a label on it, give it a color, give it images and find words that capture this transformation.  The process taps into the customer’s emotions involved their transformation.  You apply this brand consistently to all your marketing efforts.

When you do customer branding here is what you find:

• 90% of your business problems would go away when you know your customers better.  They will teach you solutions to most of your business problems.
• The business owner’s passion comes from their contribution to the customer’s transformation.
• Value is not about what you see in your product.  Value is what the customer sees that moves them to action.
• When people find that you are relating to them, they love your brand and you have brand recognition because you understand them.
• Authenticity comes from delivering the promises you make to the customer.

Conclusion

Your Facebook brand is  more likely to produce the results you want if it starts with a focus on your customer.

To be continued, your comments are welcomed…

Al Hanzal