The Power of Facebook

With half a billion visitors stomping through Facebook every day, it would be very detrimental for your business if you did not include Facebook in your marketing efforts. But, businesses often forget that Facebook is a social media site where people go mainly to keep in touch. Oftentimes, businesses go beyond the tolerable scope of reaching out to its customers.

Small online entrepreneurs can't afford to be shy. That's true. But to use a common phrase, "gettin' all up in everyone's face" isn't the way to do business either. There is a time and a place and Facebook isn't it.

Yet, we all know that there are people making big money on Facebook. They know how. They know how to interact, draw in the potential clients and keep the conversation balanced between a give and take. Customers will enjoy their visit on your page when they know that you are real, not a static page that blows off wall comments and shoves their business down everyone's throat with every status update.

Whether you are or are not on Facebook at this point doesn't matter. Don't worry about whether or not your Facebook is personal, that doesn't matter either. If you don't have a Facebook, obviously I'm going to tell you to get one now. Make your personal Facebook all about you, your bio, your pictures, your schools, interests and relationships. Have fun! You're just getting started.

The key at this point that you have to remember is to use the email that you have been using for business interaction since you first started online. If you don't have separate emails, then your one email might be just as effective. The thing is that your choice of email at this point is very important, you want one that you have been actively using.

The honest matter of fact is that for the most part, you have already been building your business and you just might not even know it. If you have a quality email that you have been using for, let's say a year or so, then you have one powerful tool that will launch a very effective campaign. By quality email, I mean that anyone who writes you and you reply with regularly is saved automatically on a contact list. You can expect this with Hotmail and Live. I think Yahoo also provides this feature. Those contacts are important.

If you have noticed, I didn't mention anything about your employment on your personal page. At this point, you are going to take care of that issue. Go into Edit Your Profile. Look for Education and Work on the left hand side. Select it. Next to Employer, put the name of your business. It can be your actual name if you haven't yet established an online brand. I have a legitimate LLC that I started on irs.gov in about five minutes. You don't need to go that far. If you have a business name, use it. If you don't, create one now.

The form you will be given will ask specific questions about the business. Fill in the form and select Add Job. Return to your profile and you will see across the top that you have listed your business as your current employer. There will be a link for the business you just created on Facebook. Click on it and you will find an empty page.

If you look on the left hand side, you will see an option to Create a Page. Use this to your advantage. Click Create a Page and start defining your business with pictures, bios, mission statements, business features and of course, the link. Be honest and accurate. If you want customers to come with credit card in hand, the only way to accomplish that is by telling them exactly what you are about and being clear. I can't urge this enough.

Too many online entrepreneurs love to play the game of lying to their potential customers, tricking them into visiting their websites and not delivering on anything they promise. Of course, you can see why those kinds of business practices wouldn't be too effective. Yet, they must be making money because it's all too common. I'm just trying to get you setup for the long haul. Businesses like that who practice the modified "bait and switch," are one-time hitters who know going in that they won't be in business too long. When the legal ramifications start to catch up, they bail and run. Be legitimate and build your business honestly. You'll be rewarded!

When creating your own page, Facebook actually is setup to walk you through the process. Edit your page with all the information you can. Then, go through the Get Started list. Invite Your Friends. If they are true friends, they won't mind hearing about your new business venture.

The next step is to Import Contacts. This is where your business email comes in handy. Allow Facebook to compile a list of all your contacts harvested from your email. You will be given the chance to select only those individuals you want to contact. Preview Invitation. Agree. Send.

At this point, you have let all of your business contacts know about your new business page on Facebook. As you can see, you can Import Contacts again. If you have other emails with different business contacts, import them as well. Chances are, those contacts are already on Facebook and will come to see your page. In case they are not on Facebook, this notice just might get them on Facebook and you can start interacting with them on a more personal level.

In no way are you finished building your business. But, you have just added one of the most powerful tools to your online campaign. Keep your personal Facebook page updated and keep your business page updated. Keep the two separate. But, work on them equally to grow your reach across Facebook.