Facebook has launched a dedicated site to educate small businesses on the social network’s marketing tools. The Facebook for Business portal features links to step-by-step how-to guides to help small companies use the site’s advertising offerings, such as Pages, Ads and Sponsored Stories.
The site is part of a larger Facebook initiative to cultivate small businesses’ use of the social network for marketing. Facebook partnered with American Express OPEN, the credit card company’s small business division, in April to create the “Big Break for Small Business” contest. Each small business entrant received a $50 Facebook credit, and three companies won $20,000 and a trip to Facebook’s Palo Alto, Calif. headquarters.
Adele Cooper, director of global customer marketing and communications at Facebook, told Direct Marketing News at the time that the contest was an opportunity for Facebook to learn how small businesses think about using their pages to market to consumers.
“The core focus for us from the very beginning was to get small businesses excited and interested in Facebook as marketing channel,” she said.
The company also rolled out Facebook Studio, a hub for agencies to promote their Facebook campaigns and interact, in April. The site also features educational aids for advertising on Facebook, such as advice for building a Facebook Page and how to use Facebook Deals.
