Is Facebook Appropriate for MY Business?

Is Facebook Appropriate for my Business?
Facebook is the leading Social Networking site but there are many more to consider, each with their own pros and cons here is a list of some of most common sites and their general features.

So how do we know if we should create a social networking site for our business?
First- there is no one generic answer for this question and many factors need to be considered.
The worst answer is to simply say 'yes' because other businesses and organizations, even similar to your own, has a Facebook or other account. Making a decision based on this guide is just baaad (that is a lame attempt of a sheep saying bad).

Consider the Main Features/Leading Reasons to utilize a social networking site:
Free internet presence (similar to a website)
Meeting/reconnecting with people
Sharing photos of recent activities, outings, etc
Publishing comments on the internet for others to see and share
Sharing friends- meet the friends of your friends by viewing comments, photos and interest
Experimentation- trying something new

Some of the Main Issues/Concerns with social networking sites
Privacy, hacking, phishing, etc- no matter how many "safe-guards" there are always concerns of such risks especially in a venue that attracts so many potential 'victims/users'
Falsified identities- people can "claim" to be anyone, from anywhere, of any age
Cyberbullying, cyberthreats, etc- terminology now exists due to new technology such as these platforms as people create accounts/sites which spread disinformation

Quick basic questions to help you decide if your company should use a social networking site, such as Facebook....the basics:
1- Are you a privately owned company, a charitable not-for-profit, a government agency?
2- What is your technological infrastructure, do you have a customizable company website, how are your staffing resources and their skill level?
3- Is your customer-base local, throughout the state, national, international?
4- What products, services, widgets, etc do you sell and do you have limitations/restrictions on who can purchase?

General Answers:
1- You are a privately owned company or a small non-profit, then a social site might be a good thing to try. But be cautious if you receive the majority of your funding from tax-payers or single foundations, endowments, etc. The cause for concern- you create an account and your funders also take a look and discover that your invited "friends" have posted their favorite mug-shots which displays them involved in an activity that is not representative of your mission, values, etc. You could be accused guilty by association and your board and funders do not want to hear that you could not prevent or take the time to monitor what pictures or comments your "friends" posted. For those saying, well you can prevent people for posting pictures, etc... well- then you are also posing an argument against having this feature in the first place.
2- You do not have a website or your site is primarily a static, generic front for your business or that you rely on an external (webmaster/resource) to design your site and that adding any content, creating new features, "widgets" would also cost extra money to develop- then a social site might be a good idea. But if you have the infrastructure to maintain, create, and add to your company website such features as news stories, customer comments, polls, photos, donations, events, etc at no additional cost then a social site may be counterproductive- why? As we live in an information and "information overload" society we become accustom to and want to gain our information from certain/specific resources. If you have a robust company site but also create a Facebook account- you may attract new and untapped users to your Facebook but this is where they will tend to go to receive their information from you and not your website. Same with donations, seeking volunteers, etc- if your website has these features, make it easy for your customers/clients and staff as possible by not creating multiple locations/sites/resources that only provide limited functions.
3- Your customer-base is broad and expanding- then maybe a good idea. But if your customers are constrained (must be a resident of a specific county/city, attending a specific facility) then creating an account on a platform that is viewable/accessible nationally, even internationally may not be your best use of resources as you will inevitably have more people that will be unable to 'connect' with you than can.
4-Similar to the answer above, the more products, services, widgets you have at your disposal and your ability to reproduce, the more appropriate a social network may be for you. But if you have a limited supply or place specific restrictions on who may purchase/access your products, services, etc then a social networking platform may not be your best option.

The above is simply a starting point and you have many things to consider. Social networks can be a great tool for some businesses in learning more about customers, attracting more/new customers, expanding customer-base and increasing sales and collecting donations. But if you find the need to restrict the types, number and comments/postings of others; already have a dynamic, low-cost, expandable website; place restrictions/limitations on who can consume and what you can deliver, then maybe you should consider a more personalized network (other than a Facebook-type as included in the earlier list) or search for other opportunities.

Hope this has provided some assistance on your journey.

Other Resources:
Is a Facebook Good for my Business?
Facebook Is Not For Business

Facebook for my Business? Yes!