Facebook – Using it Professionally
Although Facebook may be thought of predominently as a general social networking tool that is used by people to find current and former friends, highschool buddies, etc… Facebook can be a great Web 2.0 tool for business professionals because it offers a well-known web service-platform.
So how can it benefit you as a professional buiness person? Below I have identified the main ways you can utilise Facebook.
1. Finding contacts – Similar to Linkedin, Facebook offers searching abilities to find former colleagues. These people may assist when you are looking for shared interest business opportunities. It is not necessary to create a large amount of ‘friends’ by trying to add everyone you can, you are better off with only a handful of quality connections to start with.
2. Add an “Application” selectively – although there are over 2000 apps that can be added to your Facebook profile, you should only add those that may be used as a professional tools specifically for your business requirements. For example, should you really be adding an application that involves playing games? Consider what you want an application to do. It will be on your main page and will be shown to the ‘world’ so chose applications that may be best suited. Applications can also be used that will not actually show on your page at all – it will work in the background and collect visitor usage patterns that can assit in determining the way you create your page.
3. Ensure correct settings – allowing people to search and to view your profile is beneficial for you to ensure your business is available for visitors. Consider whether you want ALL people who are casually searching to find you, or whether you only want persons in a specific geographical location to find you. Additionally, you should ensure your ‘preferences’ is fine-tuned to the type of information that you want – this will save time when sifting through updates.
4. Join Business Groups - Facebook groups can feature a ‘wall’ that contains threaded discussion lists. These discussions can be very useful as they can provide common information that may be of interest. Ask questions about a particular issue and see how you can benefit from these discussions. Use your ‘friends’ list to assist in finding these groups.
5. Place targeted ads – you can test out marketing with a targeted advertisement for minimal cost on Facebook. This can assist you develop a product or idea and provide valuable insight about your potential market.
The video below discusses ’How to use Facebook for business marketing’ …
Facebook has over 100 million members worldwide and can be used easily by any business professional. So enhance your personal branding and utilise this no cost marketing tool today…
