There are 3 different ways to represent yourself, your business or your interests on Facebook, and they all have different little perks and flaws.
1. Profile
Your profile is your initial account. It is set up in a way that allows old and new friends to see immediately where you live, work and more. You can (and should) have a profile picture of yourself displayed on your profile.
Perks: Your profile is a great place to connect with friends and family in a free, easy and fun way. You can share your thoughts, what you're doing, photos, videos and more.
Flaws: You can 'only' have 5000 friends which is why your profile is of limited use when it comes to growing a brand and a massive following on Facebook.
Consider This: Your profile is how people that you might know find you on Facebook. Once you have set up your profile, you will receive friend requests from old friends that you haven't been in touch with for years, as well as strangers and people who know some of your Facebook friends.
Some people use their profile to create new business connections. This is ok, as long as you are crystal clear from day one of your Facebook presence that you will utilize your profile in this way.
If you decide to use your profile in this way, make sure that you keep your private stuff off Facebook and that you represent yourself in a positive, professional and worthwhile manner at all times. Your business connections are not interested in what you had for lunch, or your kid's latest adventure!
If you don't, there's a very simple and important rule: DO NOT make friends on Facebook that aren't friends in real life.
I'll tell you how to handle friend requests from strangers in a way that will grow your following in a later article.
2. Groups
Facebook groups are based around shared interests and activities, celebrities, charitable causes and even cities. They have in common that they are usually not-for-profit and therefore unsuitable for marketing your business...kind of!
I will talk about how to utilise groups to create interest in your business when we get to The Advanced Guide To Faceboook For Business.
For now, let's move on to pages.
3. Pages
Your page is where you connect with your customers (past, present and future)and where you build extraordinary relationships with your buyers and get them to buy more of your product or service. A Facebook page is a crucial part of your internet presence these days (please read Part 1: 7 Reasons To Have A Facebook Page if you haven't already done so).
Perks: Over the last couple of years, Facebook has developed sheer limitless ways of sharing what is happening in your business on your business page. Apart from posting ongoing sales and promotions, giving away vouchers, sharing videos and valuable information, you can even build your email list here and sell products directly from your page!
There are also countless 'apps' (short for 'application'), free and paid, that will help you grow your community even faster and easier.
Flaws: Possibly the biggest flaw of the Facebook page is that you don't actually own it. Ultimately, Facebook has power to give...and to take it away! It happens rarely, but make sure you play by the rules so that you don't get into a situation where you have invested time and money into your page and built a huge following, only to have it all taken down.
The Bottom Line
If you don't have a business page on Facebook yet, you must get started today. Because if you don't build great relationships with your customers now, somebody else IS!
Make sure you are professional about building your social media presence from the very beginning. This includes having a professional image on your profile and your page (preferably a 'skyscraper'), and that you have a customized Welcome Tab. Get help from the experts and contact us to find out how we can help you to cash in on Facebook.
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