Facebook! The mega-gorilla of the social networks, ranked second among sites with 350 million users. Some say it will surpass Google in the not too distant future. So of course, you want to build relationships there if your serious about developing your new business through social media. It's probably the most viral social media site. And it's fun.
Setting up your profile is key. I've talked about it before. Your picture should be professional and friendly, and the information you put in about yourself needs to be transparent, complete, interesting and informative. Don't make the 'About You' section too long, but keep in mind that your profile page is how people get to know you. So you want to convey a likable, trustworthy and personable portrait of you on your profile. Let people get a bird's-eye view of you and your life.
Facebook is an ideal place to post pictures - it's a photo scrapbook. And you should post videos there too. Both are very important tools to grow your circle of friends by showcasing you, your family, your pets, your hobbies and what you are interested in. (More about this later.)
Keep in mind, however, that Facebook is SOCIAL. So don't start beating your new friends over the head with your business opportunities. You'll be designated as a spammer and lose your account. Facebook's rules are quite strict, so be careful. You want to use Facebook to draw people to your hub, your blog - that's where you'll market directly.
Facebook currently limits you to 5,000 friends (there's some indication they may expand that number, but for now, that's the limit). Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? Well, quite a few people I know are at that level, and many more are closing in. It's not that hard to build a large circle of like-minded friends. There are plenty of ways to expand this - through Fan Pages and Groups, about which I'll also talk more in a later blog.
Your Facebook page has four labels in the upper left: Home, Profile, Friends, Inbox and to the right side, Your Name, Settings, Logout and a box in which you can Search for people or groups. Once you get set up and select your settings, get started by adding a few friends (you can import your email address book, if you like, or former classmates). But if you are trying to build a business, you want to add friends who are like-minded. So I recommend you use the Search feature. Type in areas in which you are interested professionally - mlm, mlm groups, going green, health, wellness, photography, etc., etc.
Groups are a great place to find friends who have similar interests. So if you type in 'mlm groups,' a list of those groups will come up. Click on any of the groups, join it, go down to the list of group members, click on 'see all' and start adding those group members as friends. But remember to send a message with your friends request (you can set one up on your word files and copy it into your message box)- keep it short and personal, something like "I saw you in the XYZ group and wanted to connect with you. I hope you'll confirm me as your friend." And when they confirm you (and most will), send a direct message back thanking them and starting a conversation (not a sales pitch!). And from here, just repeat the process, but don't do more than 30-40 per day - Facebook won't like it if you add too many friends at once.
Regularly check your Home page and it's NewsFeed and Live NewsFeed and make sure you participate in the conversations. and don't forget to monitor your Inbox and stay up to date on your messages. But, a word of caution. Facebook can be addictive, so don't let yourself get too hung up. Spend an hour or so in the morning and maybe a bit more occasionally throughout the day or evening. But remember, you're developing a business and you need to be focused on that.
More Facebook detail will be forthcoming in my next blog.
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