Are you in Facebook’s local directory for businesses?

Jonathan Chorlton

9 years ago

Are you in Facebook's local directory for businesses?

Have you seen the new Facebook functionality to search for local businesses or services? This is a really interesting development by Facebook and something all local businesses need to be aware of.

Using a desktop and the following link https://www.facebook.com/services/, you can search for a number of different types of services in a town (e.g. automotive repair, hair salon, event venue, interior designer). Over 85, business types are suggested at the bottom of the page and more when you start typing into the search box.

A list of pages near the town is returned ranked by the best reviews and ratings as well as your previous interactions with the page or your friend’s interaction with the page.

The results display businesses’ contact information, hours and excerpts of reviews. A map is also shown to indicate where businesses are located.

This is a search that I did for hair salons in my hometown. I actually use a different hairdresser – who might miss out if this search facility becomes widely used!

Local business owners should act now:

Create a local Facebook page for the business (or check existing ones to make sure that it accurately represents the business)
Work towards getting reviews and ratings
Keep the page updated to encourage your audience to engage

Do let us know if you would like help with managing your Facebook page – either through one of our Facebook workshops or e-learning courses or through our social media management services.