Indian River Volunteer Fire Company weighs the advantages and benefits of Facebook for business purposes and chooses to pursue an interactive approach by experimenting with such an endeavor.

As with many business objectives, there are pros and cons and a Facebook page has many potential benefits for our business. While some of these benefits are similar to having a website, a number are unique to Facebook. Combined, the benefits listed below can lead to increased sales, contributions, public awareness, public safety, and getting information out for your business.

Illustrated herewith is our new Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/irvfc/

We determined some of the advantages are:

• Facebook is a low-cost marketing strategy;

• Facebook will share basic information about Indian River’s activities and general business purposes which include:

o The Facebook page is a place where you can publicize your business name, address and contact details, and briefly describe your products and services. You can also talk about your volunteers and membership, history, or any other aspect of your business that is likely to attract other Facebook users and create interest in what you do.

• Facebook will share pictures and videos from our business

o As well as allowing Indian River to post text, Facebook lets us upload pictures and videos from our business. This can be a powerful way to communicate with friends, neighbors, constituents, customers and potential customers, allowing them to see our product or service without having to visit our premises.

• Facebook enables interaction and the ability to talk to existing and potential customers

• Facebook can provide customer support o Customers can post questions on your Facebook wall, and our volunteers can answer them there. This is often more efficient than staff answering phone calls, and allows other customers to read common questions and answers without having to approach you individually.

• Facebook can raise brand awareness and promote positive word-of-mouth

o You can increase your business's profile on Facebook by encouraging existing and potential customers to click the 'Like' button on your Facebook page. Once they like your page, your customers will receive your updates on their wall, where their friends will also see them. This helps to build awareness of your business, and to associate your friends with your brand. Customers can also post positive messages about your products or services, shared on their walls for all their friends to see.

• Facebook can steer traffic to your website o You can include a link to your website on your Facebook page. Indeed, many businesses report that the greatest benefit of Facebook is the extra traffic that it steers to their site. Visitors who come to the website can be exposed to stronger marketing messages and, often, the option of buying goods and services.

o Customers who come to your website from Facebook are likely to be more receptive than the average visitor, because they already know something about your business and were motivated to click the website link.

• Targeted advertising o Facebook can analyze all the information that millions of users enter into their profiles. As the owner of a business page, you can pay to use this information to deliver targeted advertising to a specific group.

• Offer deals through Facebook Places

o Facebook Places allows users to 'check in' on mobile devices at a particular place, so that their friends can see their location on Facebook. Facebook Places also identifies popular places close to where a user checks in.

Please do not hesitate to access and evaluate our Facebook page.

Please offer your commentary as well.