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Facebook is an increasingly popular social networking site that you can use to promote your business. If you choose to set up a professional page on Facebook, you might consider some of these tips to promote your business.

1. Making connections

Presumably, your business has an online presence elsewhere – a website, blog, or some such. On your site, it’s a good idea to set up a link to your Facebook page and vice versa. That way, visitors to your site can click on the link to your Facebook page, and Facebook friends can click over to your website. Giving clients and prospects the option of finding you on Facebook gives your business a personal touch. Facebook is known as a familiar network where people can interact one on one.

Another key to making connections is to offer your clients the ability to share your information. You can provide the ability to use Buzz, Tweet, or another social platform to your information quickly and easily.

2. Content

It’s a good idea to have a plan as to what you are going to say on your Facebook page. This is your page’s content – the information you present to your clients and prospects. Make it interesting, relevant and fresh so that people will stay when they visit and return for more content.

3. Interaction

It’s up to you as to how much interaction you want between yourself and your clients; but regardless, it’s a good idea to be consistent. If you want a lot of interaction, you’ll need to have interactive applications on your page (apps). These include things like contests, games, and special offers. Consider creating apps for your page, and your information has the potential to “go viral” and reach many people quickly.

4. Freebies

Interactive or not, business professionals generally agree that giving away freebies is a great way to promote your business. If you give away a few high-quality freebies, then your fans will be likely to purchase your higher-quality items or products you’re selling.

5. Advertise

You can use key words from Facebook users’ profiles to give your advertisements a specific target. You can post ads to your particular demographic. This can save you time and effort, and really get your message across to your target audience or market.

6. Individuality is “in”

It used to be that conformity was the key to success in the business world – you had to wear the right suit, act the right way, say the right things, and so forth. These days, however, unique individuality is in. You can use your own individual approach to sell your business. So don’t hesitate to capitalize on what makes you, you!

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What exactly is “networking” and how can it help your business? Networking, in short, is connecting with friends, family, and potential clients. On Facebook, that is done electronically online, and the potential to network with a large number of people quickly has never been greater. You can tap into this networking potential to boost your business on Facebook, and here are some tips and ideas for doing that.

1. Be yourself…

…but be professional. While Facebook is a social network, it could be a mistake to interact with your clients and prospective clients the same way you would with your casual friends. So make sure your clients get information that is absolutely “you,” but not everything about you!

This way of being “professionally you” can also help boost your business by adding the uniqueness factor. There’s only one you, after all.

So watch what you say, and don’t hesitate to make use of Facebook’s privacy settings to make sure your professional and personal posts do not mix. (You also might want to have only a professional presence on Facebook and not a personal one.)

2. Networking software

There are various forms of software available that can allow you to network more effectively. You might consider software that allows you to network your blog, so that you can share and promote it with your Facebook fans and followers. There are other types of software, too, that can enhance your networking capabilities.

3. Make sure others can “Like” you

It’s a good idea to be sure that you have the “Like” plug-in on your Facebook business page. This is the basic first step in getting people to notice you and your business. What people like on Facebook shows up in their news feed, so their friends can see what they like and may, in turn, click on the link to see what’s so likeable about your business. There are also other options, such as “Become a fan” as well. Just make sure there is a quick and easy way for visitors to show their support of your business.

4. Building trust and confidence

Facebook is the sort of place where reputations can be created or ruined. Make it a practice to think through what you post and be sure you deliver on your promises. Building a good reputation is essential in any business venture, but the opportunity to build a good reputation (or a bad one) is better than ever these days – you can make a name for yourself in a short amount of time that was unheard of several years ago. So make sure you keep your fans and followers up to date.

5. Know what to say

In order to build consumer confidence and get the word out about your business, you will need to know what you’re going to say. People will lose interest if you don’t deliver compelling and interesting content, and deliver it consistently. Part of networking is making sure you are providing what people need. So make sure you give them the information they expect from you on a regular basis.

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If you are looking to market your business through Facebook, there are some strategies out there that can help. Regardless of what business you’re in, these strategies may prove helpful in getting the word out about your products. Here are some of the better-known marketing tools and tips available for Facebook users.

1. The App

Probably the most important marketing strategy you can employ is the app (or many apps). Short for “application,” apps are software that can enable you to do all sorts of interactive things, from hosting events to holding contests. Here are a few of the apps you might consider adding to your Facebook business page.

* Inbox – This app allows you to send messages to contacts and customers you select. You can send individual messages or mass ones; the point is you choose the specific recipients.

* Events – The Events app lets you spread the news about what’s happening. You can notify large numbers of people and update them quickly about an event and its details.

* Badge – Link Facebook users to your website with the Badge app. It’s a good idea to have a “Find us on Facebook” button on your website, too.

* Networked blogs – You can use this app to update your latest blog post in your profile feed.

* Platform: Make your own – You can customize your own applications on Facebook using Platform. This could be a way for your creativity to make your business stand out.

2. Research your market

Any marketing strategy is improved with market research. You can research Facebook’s demographics online – articles abound that relate the results of case studies and demographic research. This might best be tackled through an online search – type “research Facebook demographics” into your search engine and examine the results. You can also search Groups on Facebook in many markets.

3. News feed

There are various tactics for getting your information to spread rapidly, but some knowledgeable Facebook users say that news feed is the best way to get this kind of coverage. The news feed is the central part of your Facebook page; it’s where your activity is posted and it’s the first thing people see when they visit your page.

4. Selling items

Facebook recently got on board the retail train – the relatively new “Payvment” app allows you to upload your inventory to Facebook and sell your items from your page. Customers can purchase items through the now-familiar shopping cart/checkout strategy, right from your Facebook page. You even have the option of offering discounts to people who click the “Like” button.

5. Join groups

Joining groups gives you a means by which you can post informative videos, links, and so forth in your demographic. Join groups that are relevant to your business and participate. You can also form groups of your own and invite others.

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When you start talking about “making money” on Facebook, some people may think you are talking about some kind of scam. But, while money-making scams abound on the internet, Facebook does offer legitimate ways to make money. It is a learning process, and no one says it will be an easy road! But that is what differentiates Facebook from a scam – scams are too easy; they promise much for very little.

If you want to make money on Facebook, you’ll need to invest some time and probably some money. Here are some tips for beginners who are new to the Facebook scene (or at least the money-making aspect of Facebook).

1. Facebook itself

Facebook has various groups dedicated to helping others make money online. Search, find, and join these groups and learn as much as you can from them. Take free resources like e-books and other instructional items.

2. Take it easy

Sources say it’s really better if you take it fairly slowly in the beginning. As a beginner, you are learning as you go, and it’s far easier to “cut your teeth” on one project and then apply what you’ve learned to other projects once the first one is underway. Otherwise, you will be trying to learn too many things at once and may get overwhelmed.

3. Your fan page

You will need to have a compelling fan page or “landing page” for visitors. This is where you can post pictures, graphics, and other interesting images that are relevant to your business. This page is also where you can host giveaways, contests, and other promotional events.

4. Facebook advertising

Once you have your fan page set up, you can begin making money with Facebook ads. You will need to research your market – the type of people you’re selling to – by searching Facebook users’ profiles. (There are various ways to do this – by keywords, common interests, and so forth.) Then you can develop an advertisement that can be posted on the side of their Facebook page. This is why single people end up with “Meet Singles” ads on their Facebook pages, and why people who like to cook may see chef supply companies ads on their pages.

5. Apps

Apps, or applications, are bits of software you can utilize on Facebook. They can be purchased, or you can develop your own. Sometimes a unique app can be a good selling point. Sources say you don’t have to be techno-savvy to create apps; it’s apparently a relatively user-friendly process. There are many tools and resources on the internet to help you in this area.

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So you’d like to get in on the social networking scene, but maybe you aren’t sure where to start. Whether you are interested in promoting your business through social networking or just want to catch up with friends, it can be intimidating if you aren’t sure how it works. Facebook is a good place to start for social networking. To start using this popular networking site, here are some ideas that tips that can help you take the first steps to getting on the networking scene.

What Is Facebook?

You can think of Facebook as a way for people to stay connected. You update your status and read the status updates of other people, and you can search for people whom you know and who know you. You “friend” people and accept friend requests from others. You can join and start groups, and invite others to join. Facebook allows you to share sites, pages, and information that you like.

1. First, log on to Facebook.com and follow the on-screen directions for setting up an account. It’s quite user friendly, and you can change the information you put in your profile at any time.

2. Your profile should say pertinent things about you, whether it’s your business or your personal account. You do need to decide whether or not you are going to go at this from a business or personal perspective, because the general opinion is that personal and business communications on Facebook should be separate.

3. Once you set up your account, you can search for friends using the Search feature. Facebook allows you to search groups, or search for people according to a certain demographic (people who share your graduation year, for example, or your home town). Once you have a few friends, you can search for friends of friends – those mutual friendships you share. Then your friend list will start growing.

4. Privacy settings can be adjusted according to your preferences. Check into the guidelines and make sure you have the settings where you want them. You are in control of who sees your profile and updates. You can also block people you don’t want to contact you on Facebook.

5. You can communicate with your friends in various ways. If you “write on their wall” then you are posting something others can see. The friend whose wall you wrote on would have his or her own privacy settings, and your friend decides who sees what’s on his or her wall. So just beware that the wall is considered “public.”

You can also send messages to individuals. If you hover your mouse pointer over a person’s picture, the option to send a message comes up. Messages sent this way are not readable by others.

6. Creating groups is also a nice feature of Facebook. Create an “open” group if you want those you invite to be able to invite others to be in your group.

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It’s nice to use Facebook to keep in touch with friends, and that is one of the primary ways Facebook is used. And sometimes users complain that they get “sucked in” and end up socializing instead of working! But rather than having Facebook take away from your work time, you can use Facebook to enhance your business. Here are some tips on making Facebook work for you in a business setting.

1. Don’t go overboard

Many advisors in the field of social networking for businesses agree that you should take it slow at first. (Remember the old tale about the tortoise and the hare.) Like any building of business and garnering of clients, it takes time. Facebook may take less time than some of the older methods (like snail mail, flyers, and so forth), but it still needs to be done slowly and carefully. It does not attract clients if you bombard them with information and promotions all at once.

2. Your business page

The general consensus is that your business page on Facebook needs to be separate from your personal one. It’s a good idea to block non-business correspondence here, like games, polls (that have nothing to do with your business), gifts, and so forth. Those can be very distracting and even take away from business time.

3. Make it interesting

You want people to want to click the “Like” button and return to your page, so make it interesting. You can have free giveaways, compelling content, links to interesting websites, and so forth. It’s a good idea to keep it updated, too, so fans and visitors do not lose interest.

4. Advertising

You can take advantage of Facebook’s various applications (apps) to advertise your business. Facebook has apps that allow you to send messages to clients and prospects, like an email account (the “Inbox” app). Facebook also offers Platform, which is generally spoken well of on the web. Platform enables you to customize your own apps which you can use yourself and even sell to others. It’s been said that a good, innovative app will attract loyal followers.

You also might consider the Networking Blogs app, which essentially connects your blog to the news feed on your business’s profile page.

5. Groups

Joining groups that relate to your business interests is a good way to use Facebook’s interconnected community to promote your business. You can invite others to join, too, and form your own group.

6. Organize your contacts

As you garner friends and followers, it’s a good idea to keep them organized into lists. This is especially true if your business has multiple facets.

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Large, global brands seem to be the most noticeable businesses on Facebook, but that is changing. In fact, it has already changed somewhat. There was a time when you could forget about trying to find your local business’s Facebook page, but more and more small businesses are turning to Facebook to market their products. Maybe you would like to promote your small business via Facebook. Here are some tips that may help.

1. Separate professional from personal

Your clients don’t need to see the latest pictures of your pets, or hear about your latest haircut. Keep your personal information on your personal profile, and establish a separate page for your business. If you like, you can hire someone else to be a sort of proxy for you who can represent your brand. This might be helpful if you already have a significant personal presence on Facebook.

However, you might also use your personal networking to your advantage. When you set up your business page, you can incorporate those friends who share your interests into your target market. Still, your personal profile and business pages should be separate.

2. Your page name

This is important, because you can’t change it later. You will have to shut down your page and build a new one, and that can mess with your client base. So consider key words when you develop your page name, and make it a good one. Put lots of thought into it.

3. Your landing page

This is like the “home page” of a website. It needs to have a compelling image and good information right off the bat so that visitors will be inspired to click the “Like” or “Become a Fan” buttons. You can use something called FBML, which stands for Facebook Markup Language, to create a unique and interesting landing page.

4. Tabs

You can also use FBML to create tabs, which are visible buttons on your page that represent applications, or apps. Twitter, Networked Blogs, Events, and Inbox are just some of the apps you can put on your business page. These really help promote your business as they give visitors and fans a chance to interact and connect with you and your business.

5. The value of personal communication

One of the appealing things about Facebook is the personal interaction it encourages. In a world of automation, customers appreciate a “live human” at the other end of the keyboard, mobile device, or computer screen! The telephone used to provide this, but with more and more businesses resorting to automated customer service, Facebook gives your business an edge. So try to communicate with your fans and followers regularly, and on an individual basis as often as possible. Happy fans then tell their friends.

If your business grows to the point that you can’t handle all the individual contact, consider outsourcing this to someone else who is closely associated with your business.

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When you begin your business ventures on Facebook, you might find some tips helpful. It may help relieve some of the anxiety new users and newcomers to social networking sometimes feel. Here are some suggestions for those who are beginners on Facebook.

1. Understand the medium

It’s important to understand what Facebook is all about. It works by connecting people, either one-on-one (friends) or through groups. So you can tap into this method of social networking for your business. Facebook actually has rules, too, so you’ll want to familiarize yourself with their terms and conditions. Most likely, you aren’t going to break any Facebook rules unless you’re being really offensive, but it’s a good idea to read the rules anyway.

2. Keep your focus

When you begin your business ventures on Facebook, it’s a good idea to keep your focus. Your business has a purpose, and you’ll need a good grasp of what that purpose is. This will help you connect with the right groups and prospective customers.

When you begin filling your page with content – the information that people read when they visit your page – keep it on topic. Prospects will lose interest if your content has no focused purpose.

To help keep your focus and avoid getting “sucked in” to the social aspects of Facebook, it may help to schedule certain times of the day when you do your social networking.

3. Keep it professional

When you set up a Facebook business page, you will need to fill out your personal information. When you fill it out, make sure the information is true and real, but also professional. Personal details are not the first thing that visitors should see when they come across your page. Think of your personal traits from a business standpoint, and describe yourself using professional criteria.

4. People want to see you

Having the neutral blue silhouette is considered a no-no from a business perspective. Your avatar – the little picture that everyone will see beside your comments, posts, and on your page – needs to show an image of your best professional you.

5. Things to avoid

When you first start up on Facebook, you will probably see a lot of frivolous games, gifts, and so forth that are not relevant to your business. It’s a good idea to block these things in your personal settings, and avoid participating in “chain mail” types of communication.

It’s also a good idea to avoid “spamming” others. This is when you send out all kinds of promotional material and information all at once to all sorts of Facebook users, and continue doing it daily. It can turn prospective clients off quickly. They may block you, or remove their status as your friend or fan.

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If you’re thinking of sharing your business via Facebook, creating an effective profile is important. It’s easy to go into Facebook and set up a profile that doesn’t do much to reflect what you’re about. So here are some tips for Facebook beginners.

1. Be careful

It’s wise to exercise care when you set up your business profile. You may or may not already be on Facebook to socialize, but it’s a good idea to keep your business Facebook page separate. It’s also a good idea to limit who reads your status updates so that your personal news does not conflict with your professional news.

You can use Facebook’s privacy settings to control who sees your updates. And remember, privacy settings aren’t perfect; some cross-over is possible, so take care what you post. Some things you don’t need to share!

2. Your name

Most business people suggest using your real, full name in your profile – another good reason to pay attention to privacy settings. But you’re a business, so you want your name out there. Using your real name makes it a lot easier for people to get hold of you.

3. Your avatar

You will need to choose an avatar. Some successful business people suggest using a professional picture of yourself, but it’s entirely possible to get a good photo with your home camera. Let your “look” reflect the mood of your business (you don’t want to be pictured in overalls, for example, if your business is a professional marketer; but overalls would be an excellent look for a gardening business). If you have some photo software on your computer, you can adjust the background and so forth to construct a good avatar.

You can also use your business logo as your avatar. Various sources disagree as to which is the most effective from a business perspective, so ultimately it’s up to you and what you’re comfortable with. Consider your avatar’s look and colors, and see if it makes an effective avatar or not.

4. Think like a client

If you were a prospective client of your business, what would you like to see on a profile? Be thorough and truthful, but keep your prospects in mind. There are some things your clients don’t need to know, and other things they should know – remember, this is a business profile. Include those aspects of yourself that coincide with your business intent.

Something else to consider are online resources such as free printed guides and tutorials.

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There is more to Facebook than friends and contacts! Advertising with Facebook is an up-and-coming way to enhance your business. If you’d like to consider advertising with Facebook, here are some tips on how to make it work for you.

1. Determine your demographic

Known variously as your “target market,” “target audience,” “demographic,” and so forth, determining just who it is you’re selling to is a step that shouldn’t be skipped. Facebook actually offers tools for you to research your demographics’ Facebook presence – find out the groups, events, and individual profiles that are relevant to your business.

2. Build your own business community

Facebook is about making connections. Building communities via Facebook is a good way to conglomerate members of your demographic and find new ones. For example, your clients and fans may join one of your groups and invite their friends to join as well. Keep it interesting and lively by holding discussions, virtual events, providing exciting information, and so forth.

Another note on community building – remember that this is a feature at the heart of Facebook, so direct sales ads tend not to do as well. The majority of Facebook users are on the site because they want to form relationships, not necessarily because they want to buy something.

3. Facebook resources

Facebook offers guidelines and tools for advertising. Check out www.facebook.com/FacebookAds for details on how Facebook recommends you advertise through them. You can develop your ad through a tool offered at www.facebook.com/advertising, too. You can just begin with an image and a brief tagline or description. Your ad will appear on the right side of those Facebook pages you have targeted.

4. Key words

It’s a good idea to learn to integrate key words into your ads. These are words that are gleaned from people’s profile information, and you can use these key words in your ad to customize it to a particular demographic. In fact, what you find in people’s profiles is key to filtering out who is in your target market and who is not.

5. Set a budget

Setting a budget will help prevent you from experimenting with a lot of different ad techniques, thereby wasting money and time. Your advertising campaign should have a definite budget limit, and your goals need to be clearly defined alongside it. In other words, you need to know just what it is you expect for your advertising dollar.

6. Look at the ads of others

Consider doing some research – click on the ads you see on your Facebook page, and see what they are up to. What kind of ads seem effective? Which ones have an approach that appeals to you? Which ads keep appearing over and over, indicating they have something that’s working for them?

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