Visa Revamps its Small Business Page on Facebook
In addition to featuring small business resources on its website, Visa publishes content for its small business customers on a dedicated Visa Small Business Facebook page.
Likers of the page, which launched in June 2012, recently witnessed quite a transformation as Visa not only updated the appearance of the page but also seemed to amp up its content strategy. On December 4, Visa introduced the revamped page as “Well Sourced by Visa Business” and called it “the place for small business owners to find efficient solutions, in-depth information and trusted resources.”
New beginnings can be challenging, but Visa did a number of things right:
- Visa kicked off the rebrand with content that demonstrates the site’s new energy. By featuring 25 days of tips from USA Today small business columnist Rhonda Abrams, Visa showed its fans they can expect exciting new content at an accelerated pace. In addition, tapping an influencer from outside Visa’s ranks helped the brand expand awareness of its small business resources and begin to create a sense of community for its small business customers.
- Visa supported the Facebook rebrand with posts in other social platforms. Both Visa (@VisaSmallBiz) and its featured expert turned to Twitter to drive #smallbiz traffic to the revamped Facebook page.
- Visa is utilizing Facebook best practices, including posting photos along with content and asking questions within status updates. Both tactics – use of images and questions – have been shown to improve fan engagement.
And since every fresh start is a chance to pay close attention and make some tweaks, here are some areas for improvement on the revamped page:
- Improve cross-platform integration. As the #1 credit card for small business owners, Visa should strengthen its content marketing strategy by taking a more holistic approach. Instead of publishing experts’ content on its Viewpoints blog, some in a small business holiday success guide (downloadable PDF) and still more at a place called “The Planning Shop” – as well as via social media – Visa may want to find a place to house its small business resources in a way that builds up the brand and collects its energy instead of diluting it. Then, Well Sourced by Visa on Facebook would be supporting and promoting a stronger Visa asset.
- Get creative with Facebook apps. As yet, the revamped page does not feature any apps or promotions (its current Square Wallet Challenge is hosted at a microsite). When building an audience for a page and attempting to establish community, it can be important to keep fans within the branded page by giving them plenty to do – and share – while they’re there. Imagine, for instance, repackaging some of the existing small business resources and making them available as dynamic social content within Facebook.
