What's new on Facebook for small businesses?

From USA Today:

Jeff Glass used to rely on the Yellow Pages to bring customers to his Rider Shack surf shop here.

Now, Facebook has taken over as his primary vehicle for keeping awareness of his shop in front of the public. And there's a lot more to managing his Facebook business page than what he originally sought to do — ask customers to "like" his establishment. The Facebook "like" is a vote of confidence, online word of mouth.

"You need active involvement," says Glass, who owns the shop with his wife, Lacey. "You can go out and pay (marketing) companies to get people to 'like' you, but unless you keep (customers) actively involved, a 'like' doesn't go very far."

Facebook, with more than 1 billion members, is by far the largest social network. Because of its size, it has become the most important first step for any small business' social-media plans.

The social network regularly updates products that small businesses can use to attract customers. Beyond the "like," here's some of what's new on Facebook.

• Graph Search. Introduced in January and currently only available to a small percentage of Facebook users, Graph Search lets you query the social network for Facebook members' takes on favorite restaurants and local businesses. Facebook says the tool, when fully implemented, can make it easier for people to discover your Facebook page and learn about your business. Dan Levy, Facebook's director of small business, says it's imperative that businesses take the time to update their listings to make sure they show up in Graph Search. You should have a current address, phone number and operating hours on your Facebook page. "In the same way that having a Web page really mattered 10 years ago, being part of Graph Search and having your company discoverable is really important today," says Levy.

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