I've just finished putting together the contents for a book called ‘Judo Evolution’, co-authored with former British World Champion Neil Adams.

The book is in the process of being designed. To generate anticipation and publicity for the book, I have had to create an online presence for it.

I basically had two options: Create an official website or create a Facebook Page for the book. Of course you could do both but with limited resources can you do without the former?

I'm sure that many individuals or companies who have something to promote have been debating this question as well.

There are pros and cons to simply creating a Facebook Page without any official website. Let's start with the three core negatives:

1. Ownership: You can create an account and start a Facebook Page but the platform is not yours. It belongs to Facebook and if it decides to modify Pages or to replace it with something new, you have no say in that. Don't think that could happen? Well, look at Facebook Groups. The Groups of today is a very different service from that of yesteryear. Previously it was designed as a tool for companies to promote a campaign. Now, it's a collaboration tool for friends.

2. Accessibility: There are companies that have banned Facebook in the office. How are you going to reach those people if all you have is a Facebook Page to promote your product or brand? Of course they can access it when they get home but the point is, a Facebook Page is not as accessible as a website.

3. Analytics: You might want to know all kinds of metrics relating to your site. Google Analytics, which you can deploy for free on your website, will give you more information than you'd ever need. In contrast, Facebook's built-in analytics programme (called Facebook Insights) is very limited in the information it offers. And no, applying Google Analytics for your Facebook Page doesn't work well, as many things on Facebook are not trackable by Google Analytics.
 
NONEThose points are all pertinent but there are strong positives associated with just with a Facebook Page.

Here are three compelling ones:

1. Time: Since the book is going to come out soon, time is of the essence. To do a website, I'd have to come up with a concept, find a programmer, find a designer, get a web-hosting company, buy a domain name and so on. Way too much work.

In contrast, I can create a Facebook Page within minutes. No doubt a website is more flexible and can do anything you want it to do, provided you are willing to pay the development costs involved. But with Facebook Pages, all the key functionalities like Notes, Discussion Boards, Videos, Pictures, Links, Comments and so on are already built in. They are definitely more than sufficient for promoting a book.

2. Cost: A custom-built website would cost a few thousand ringgit, at the very least, to build. And then I'd have to find hosting and deal with bandwidth issue. I could, of course, use a hosted solution like SquareSpace or MoonFruit but even that would still come up to a few hundred ringgit a year. Facebook Pages, in contrast, are free of charge.

3. Exposure. If I were to build a website from scratch, I would have a much more challenging time getting traffic to the site. It would be like an island lost in a vast ocean. How will people come across it?

In contrast, Facebook Pages can be promoted very easily and has the potential to be viral. Just get some key people to ‘Like’ your Page and others in their network will be exposed to it. Some might check it out and, if they ‘Like’ it too, their networks will be made aware of the book. That kind of viral marketing is much harder to achieve with a stand-alone website.

To me, it's a no-brainer that a Facebook Page was the best option for me to promote ‘Judo Evolution’ online. You can have a look at it if you are curious about what I've done with it.

I'm not a web designer but I was able to build a Facebook Page on my own. No hassle. No cost. Easy access. If you have something to promote, but have limited time or resources, you too should consider starting a Facebook Page.

 

OON YEOH is managing editor of AsiaReach Media. You can follow him on Twitter.