chevron-down
chevron-downBack to catalogue
Stay connected with your customers online
People go online to find businesses. Learn how to create an online business presence and connect with your customers through Facebook and Instagram.
This lesson prepares you to:
- Choose where to connect with customers online.
Building an online business presence
Building an online presence for your business means that people can find more information about what you offer. You can also use your online presence to communicate directly with customers and update them about your business. An online presence helps you stay connected with your customers where they spend time.
Little Lemon
Adriano, who does the marketing, needs a way to reach customers when they're not at his restaurant. He wants to connect with existing customers, update them on the latest information, answer their questions and tell them about the new takeaway options. He also wants to reach new customers.
Disclaimer: Little Lemon is a fictitious business designed by Meta Creative Shop. Any similarities to content produced by real-life businesses are not intentional.
Little Lemon is a family-owned Mediterranean restaurant that serves traditional recipes with a modern twist.
What is an online business presence?
An online presence comes in many forms, including a business website, social media accounts or both. For example, Little Lemon has a website where customers can place to-go orders. The Little Lemon team also has a Facebook Page that shares the restaurant's menu, hours and location.
Creating a free account to connect with customers
You don't need a website to create a Facebook business Page or an Instagram business profile. Facebook and Instagram are two places where you can establish a business presence for free. Creating a business Page on Facebook or a business profile on Instagram enables you to share new information about your business and stay connected with customers.
Ways to connect with customers on Facebook:
- Share posts and stories.
- Use Messenger to communicate with customers.
- Create groups to build a community.
- Share live videos to engage with customers.
- Host both in-person and live events.
Ways to connect with customers on Instagram:
- Share photos and videos, which you can edit using in-app tools.
- Engage your audience with interactive stories, which you can share in real time.
- Use direct messaging to communicate with customers.
- Share live videos to engage with customers.
- Create short immersive videos called reels to engage with existing customers and reach potential new ones.
Take a look at how Little Lemon and Hair Day set up their accounts online:
Adriano at Little Lemon already has a website that contains basic information such as the restaurant's location and business hours. He needs a place to share news about the restaurant, such as its new takeaway service. Adriano decides to create a Facebook Page for Little Lemon.
Pria is the owner of Hair Day, a salon that specialises in haircuts and colour. She decides to establish her business presence on Instagram because she likes the visual nature of the platforms and thinks that it will be a good fit for her business's needs. She knows that the people she wants to attract use Instagram.
Disclaimer: Hair Day is a fictitious business designed by Meta Creative Shop. Any similarities to content produced by real-life businesses are not intentional.
Connect with customers across Meta technologies
Connect with your customers where they are already spending their time. Many businesses use one app to share information and updates with their followers, but consider sharing your business information across Meta technologies. This will help new people to discover your business.
Key takeaways:
- People go online to find businesses and connect with them.
- Consider where your customers spend their time online when you choose where to establish your business presence.
- Create a Facebook Page and an Instagram account for your business at no cost.
Meta Blueprint
Course catalogue
Explore fast, free, self-guided courses to help build your marketing skills across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp.
