5 Facebook Networking Tips

Tips That Will Help Your Business Gain More Customers & Avoid Losing the Ones You Have

Harnessing the power of social media can seem daunting for some business owners especially if the concept of social media marketing is new to them. It doesn’t have to be, and to prove it, we’ve included several social media tips to help you take the first steps to getting more customers through social media marketing.

Develop an Effective Profile Page for Yourself

While creating a business page is an effective marketing tool, don’t neglect your own Facebook profile. Developing your own profile will give your company credibility and place you in the position of being an expert in your field.

The key points to remember when creating your profile page is to keep your profile simple and effective. Avoid the temptation to add too many distractions such as widgets, graphics and other similar items. Instead offer relevant information about yourself, your company, and the services and products offered.

Keep a primary goal in mind when you use Facebook. If you’re primarily using it to connect with other professionals in your industry, focus on that. If you’re looking to build your brand, target that goal. Tailor all the information you provide in your profile specifically to those goals.

Watch Those Photos!

Never forget your profile is your biography. Whether you choose to attach your profile to your business page or not some savvy customers may track you down to find out more about you and your organization. This happens more than most business owners realize.

Be prepared in advance and design your profile and your photos to reflect positively on your business.
Avoid posting photos that would cause customers to view your business in an unfavorable light. You should also avoid posting photos that are too personal such as bikini pictures or birthday party shots. Avoid group shots as well; if someone doesn’t know you personally they may be unable to discern who you are.

You can safely post photos of you engaging in business related activities, conferences, business meetings, or special events. These types of photos are great for inspiring confidence in you and your business.

Additionally, make sure your privacy settings are set to not allow others to tag you in their photos. This may seem inconvenient but a well-meaning friend could cause irreparable damage to your company with just one embarrassing shot.

Choose Your Friends Very Carefully

You should always keep in mind that the individuals you add as friends will be able to access your information and be able to post comments on your wall. The comments will be visible to others, so choose your friends wisely.

Post Relevant Content

No matter what you’re doing on Facebook be sure to remember that it is visible to others. The simple act of liking a page, posting content or interacting in other conversations is a huge deal when everyone can see your activities and interests. Make sure what you’re doing is relevant to your business in all aspects.

Pay Attention to Privacy Settings

Facebook allows you to organize contacts in groups and you can alter your privacy settings to allow certain groups to see certain things. It would be wise for you to organize your friends lists and explore the privacy settings. You may wish to have some information available only to certain groups while other groups may be set on a need to know basis. You can adjust these settings manually when making a post as well.

Additional Helpful Social Media Tips

If you already have a Facebook account with numerous photos and personal information posted you may not wish to gear your personal profile just to business purposes. If you choose this option, ensure that only friends can view your profile and photos but allow general users the options to see certain contact information and a link to your company website.

Any photos you allow to be visible to the general public should be cropped from the shoulders up and if possible, be taken by a professional photographer. This looks more professional than silly photos or random pictures of nonsense.

Of all the social media tips provided, this one is the most important. If you discard all other information you should etch this into your mind permanently:

Using social media as marketing tactic is a community centric effort. You are a vital component of this effort and your customers will want to make a connection with you personally. By making yourself and your social media profiles available to your customers you will become the face of your company. Your customers will visualize you when doing business. This is a good thing and will cause your business to grow exponentially. If you make yourself unavailable or appear aloof, you will a great deal of damage to your marketing efforts. You would be wise to maximize the use of your profiles in all your marketing efforts.