USING FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS

Facebook Is Huge and Getting Bigger. Here Are Some Tips on How to Use Facebook to Help Your Business Grow.

FB isn’t going away any time soon. It is becoming more and more a part of the daily habits of individuals. Your business should have a presence on FB, but it can be a minefield if you aren’t careful. Take advantage of these tips to help you successfully navigate the maze:

Using Facebook for Business: Which Type of Page?

There are several types of Facebook pages that can be created. Normal personal pages have a limit of 5,000 friends, so unless you want to have a ceiling of 5,000 people, you should not create a personal page for your business. Fan pages don’t have this limitation. Fan pages are usually best when using Facebook for business purposes.

If you don’t already have a personal page on Facebook, you should get one. Even if you don’t plan on putting personal information on your FB page, you should use it to see how others are marketing and the strategies they employ. Plus, you will see what is very annoying or irritates from the consumer end (so you don’t do it yourself!). This method of “research” can be a valuable asset for you when using Facebook for business through a Fan page.

So, which type of pages do you need? You should have a Fan page for your business, primarily. Secondarily, you should use your personal page as a gauge and mechanism by which you can keep your pulse on the trends within the FB community from a consumer’s perspective.

To create a Fan page for your business, click here. Then click the green "Create a Page" button and follow the instructions. You don't have to publish your page immediately, so go ahead and get started!

Using Facebook for Business: A Cautionary Tale

Time is a non-renewable resource. Facebook can be a mammoth time-waster. So, be on your guard. It is far better to never have a Facebook page for yourself or your business than to become a time-wasting Facebookaholic.

Alexa ranks Facebook as the #2 trafficked website in the world, right behind Google. A social networking site couldn't rank that high unless it serves the same function for some people as heroin does for others. Don't become addicted.

Budget your time. When it comes to Facebooking, be careful not to donate your time to asinine pursuits like Mafia Wars or FarmVille. Your business life just might depend on it! And, nobody wants to see your game progress in your status updates.

Facebook also allows you to specify which of your friends sees regarding your personal information. Use this feature if you decide to put personal information on any of your Facebook pages. Using Facebook for business means you don't air your dirty laundry.

Using Facebook for Business: Utilize Features

Use Facebook's built-in features to save time and effort. You can't send emails to an unlimited number of people at a time on Facebook. But, you can send them to multi-person lists that you create. And, be sure to utilize your Fan page's status update feature.

It takes way to much time to send individual messages to people about your product or service. So, you have to create lists. It is 20 times faster than doing individually. To create lists, click on "Friends" on your dashboard. Then click the "Create a List" button. From there, simply name the list and select the members of the list. After it is created, you can send emails to the whole list at the same time.

The status update is probably the most powerful tool when using Facebook for business. When you update your business status, it appears directly on the main Facebook page of everyone who is a Fan. It gets placed directly in front of them! Utilizing this feature together with a well-written headline that grabs the attention of the view can do wonders for increasing the traffic of your website.

There should be an action step availabe in your status updates, usually clicking a link to go to your website and keep readin content, your online store, or one of your landing pages for further convincing. If you write a good headline for your updates, they will be a powerful marketing tool.

Additionally, when you are using Facebook for business and not just for fun, be sure that the name of your group is representative of your business' niche. Resist the temptation to have people be a fan of yourself (unless your business revolves around your identity). The name of your group on Facebook should be the same as your website's name or domain name, if possible.

Using Facebook for Business: Mistakes to Avoid

Facebook can benefit you and your business. But, there are pitfalls that must be avoided. Here are a few of the mistakes you need to avoid:

1. Don't overdo marketing on Facebook. Using Facebook for business purposes is not a magic bullet. Nothing replaces quality content. If you use tricks and gimmicks to get people to your website, you had better be prepared to deal with unhappy people. Spend the majority of your time creating valuable content on your website. Then, simply let people know about it via Facebook.

2. Don't fail to update your status. Updating your status regularly is one of the most successful tools you can use to remind people of your existence and how you can benefit them. You should update it as often as you create content, which should be very often (daily would be best). If you don't overdo it, status updates are a gentle reminder that you have something to offer.

3. Don't try to use a personal page for business. As mentioned already, you are limited with a personal page from the beginning. Also, you can confuse people or irritate people much more easily. Most people resent "friending" people who use personal pages to constantly "take advantage" of the Facebook friendship to try to sell them things. The stigma isn't there for obvious business pages.

4. Don't get your account deleted for spamming. Facebook will delete your account if it determines you are a spammer. If you send too many promotional links, event invitations, or excessive friend requests in a short period of time, you are at risk. If you copy and paste the same message anywhere in Facebook too many times, you are at risk. Remember, Facebook should be an ancillary marketing tool. A good SEO Strategy will likely drive more people to your website. Be wise, don't be a spammer, and carefully implement using Facebook for business purposes, and you should be fine.

Using Facebook for Business: Conclusion

Social networking is a powerful medium. It can be put to good use when marketing your business. Just be sure to do it in an informed way as part of a master plan for Marketing Your Website.