The statistics on the percentage of small businesses that use Facebook is all over the map — anywhere from 27-41%. But how many small businesses use it effectively if at all? From what I see, not very many.

Among many business owners I’m in contact with on a regular basis, some of them think just having a Facebook page is effort enough, even if they haven’t posted anything in weeks or months. Others pooh-pooh it and say, “It doesn’t do anything for my business.”

April McCrumb, who owns Catching Fireflies, Yellow Door Art Market, and A.I. Paper and is one of our Community Marketing Program partners in Berkley, Mich., would strongly disagree. Social media engagement is not part of her companies’ marketing mixes, but also an outreach of the same great customer service you get in her stores. And it has paid off. Big time. She may run small businesses, but they’re hugely successful.

Sometimes I hear the dilemma: “What do I post on Facebook? I feel as if I’m talking to a wall.” The trick is to engage your followers by starting and continuing the conversation as April shares in this blog post from her A.I. Paper website. (Click on the link. We want her to take full credit for her advice.)

Once you’re done reading her advice, check out and “Like” the Catching Fireflies Facebook page and Yellow Door Art Market Facebook page not just because you’ll learn from great examples, but because I think you’ll really enjoy them.

Bonnie Caprara is the social media and media relations director of Community Marketing Associates and editor of BerkleyLive. She can be reached at bcaprara@commmktgassoc.com and at CommMktgAssoc on Twitter. Updates on BerkleyLive can be found on Facebook and Twitter.