The announcement earlier this month that Facebook and Skype have joined forces to provide live video chat through the Facebook interface is exciting news. For businesses it will offer amazing opportunities for truly personal engagement with customers and prospects which could take your social media marketing to another level.

Some businesses have struggled with the point of having a Facebook page and what to do with it. Key business uses of Facebook include:

• To capture more followers in the hope of converting them into customers
• To leverage existing customers to review your company or offerings and recommend you to others
• To provide customer service and address problems quickly
• To get feedback from the market
• To build your brand

This has previously been achieved through typed messages and the interaction of words and imagery as part of social media management. Now you will be able to speak to your target audiences one to one no matter where they are. This offers incredible opportunities to engage people and also give them a truly personal feel for your company and how you do business.

The possibilities are truly limitless and incredibly exciting. Here are just a few ideas of what you could do to engage with customers and prospects. Note in some cases you might need a laptop or mobile device:

• Demonstrate how to set-up, use, or solve a problem with a product, whether its a mobile phone, chainsaw or food processor. You can answer questions as you go.
• Conduct market research by interviewing customers or potential customers about your offerings.
• Video call back customers who post a positive review about you on your Facebook page and thank them personally – in many cases they will be delighted you took the time.
• Talk face to face with a customer who has complained and provide them with awesome personal service that will convince them of your sincerity and turn them into a lifelong advocate.
• Walk around the car, van, boat or bike you are wanting to sell or rent to show a potential customer what it looks like in detail, all the while answering their questions and focusing on specific parts they want to see more closely.
• Walk around the property you are wanting to sell or rent, whether real estate or tourism, and show a potential customer or guest what the surrounding views are, what the roadside traffic and noise is like and how close local services or landmarks are.
• Interview potential customers who are researching a provider, whether it is a home builder, lawyer, real estate agent or optician. It will be much more personal than over the phone and may be enough to convince them to come and meet you in person.

The above ideas are just a few quick thoughts and once you start thinking you will come up with specific uses for your own business situation. Two of the key situations I see where Facebook video calling can be really useful are:

1. When your customers or leads are not close enough to visit you personally.

2. Where potential customers are doing pre-purchase research which would normally be over the phone, but because you can see each other you have a better chance of connecting at a personal level and converting them.

Have a think about how you might use this new feature then click on the link to Facebook Video Calling to get started.