Think not what you can do for Facebook, but what Facebook can do for you!

If you are anything like me, saving money always sounds so fabulous in my head. Then H&M happens. But what if actually saving money made H&M happen far more often? There is a way to do this on a website you MAY have heard of before.... Facebook. {Don't worry if you haven't heard of it, it is just a small, members only, best-kept-secret-on-the-web type site!} LOLLLLZZZ!

I'm sure you have all heard of "like" pages from businesses. Some of the top fan pages on Facebook include companies like Coca-Cola, Disney, Starbucks and Red Bull.

With around 26 million fans, the companies listed are not really going to help us in this discussion, BUT think about where you go on a weekly basis. Local gym, local grocery store, tanning studio, hair salon, local bank, gas station etc...

All these local places are dying for new fans and doing everything in their power to keep current fans engaged and talking about them. Besides, if they get you as a fan, they now have an incredibly effective (and free) way to communicate with you.

For example, here are some of MY hometown "like" pages I follow and the deals/contests they have done recently:

Half Off Depot (Knoxville)- site like Groupon that constantly does gift certificate giveaways linked to the "deal of the day"

My local Bank: First Tennessee Bank they constantly are doing status updates asking you to comment for prizes like best buy gift cards or tickets to sporting events and area attractions. They also offer Facebook exclusive deals.

Local Radio Station: This is a fantastic thing to "like" on Facebook because not only do they have concert ticket giveaways (cha!) but also their clients who advertise on the radio will give free samples/gift cards to giveaway. Plus, it is a great way to find out what is on tap in your city each week! Here is what my favorite radio station WIVK is doing...

My local tanning salon (ok spoiler alert, I am the admin for this! Feel free to Like Us to see my cranium hard at work). We giveaway in-store money, visits, upgrades and lotions 3-4 times a week. Plus we give you money just for clicking "like" and offer you Facebook exclusive promotions that no one else receives!

So just think of small businesses you go to all the time and search for their page on Facebook. They probably already have a link to their Facebook page on their website for quicker access. You could be swimming in free goodies, gift cards and be the first to know about everything happening in your town!