#1 Rule for Facebook – Beginning today, you are using Facebook as a networking and marketing promotions tool. There are many other business uses for Facebook, which you can and will pick up as you grow into your business. You can and should also network, connect and interact with your friends, family members, friend’s businesses, spouses, spouses employers, etc. These are the people right now who really want to see you succeed – use Facebook to network with them to earn early referrals and recommendations (early sales and $ for your business). If you are going into business hoping to have anyone invest in your business (even as a client), having a large, active community of customers ALREADY on social channels will validate your opportunity/offer.
#2 Never, ever put anything on Facebook that you wouldn’t be thrilled to see leaked and viral out on the web, especially images/information about your personal life. There IS some information that you would be thrilled to see go viral about you or your business? THAT’s what you put on Facebook, on as many channels as you can find, network with, build and maintain every day, from now until you are no longer vested in your business.
#3 Every piece of information you share on Facebook & everything you say, every page you interact with is being broadcast to your Facebook network and is building your personal brand – be careful to only share things that support the image you want to project for your business – professional, positive & reflects your chosen brand style well.
#4 Take advantage of EVERY opportunity to promote your Facebook, Twitter accounts vs. website or URL. Print ads, PR, flyers, radio, store shopping bags, email signatures, bookmarks & SWAG, etc.
COMMUNICATION CHANNEL #1: Create your Facebook Profile:
1. Create (1) Facebook personal profile to your real, given and most-often searched name.
2. Fill in profile including the name of every school/program/education (link) you attended & can find
3. Fill in profile including every employer (link/network) you’ve worked for under your info tab (trust me!)
4. Add yourself/your profile to the primary school/city networks that are relevant for you
5. Fill in your current city
6. Fill in your hometown, especially if not in Canada
7. Add a picture of yourself/headshot (preferable) that just shows your face/smile
Connect your Facebook profile:
1. Friend Request me, Debbie Horovitch, on Facebook Debbie_h2o@rogers.com
2. Friend request everyone that Facebook suggests as a friend to you, who you’ve ever met, even if only in passing (excluding only mortal enemies)
3. Friend request all of your family members (important if you are planning to pitch venture capital or investors)
4. Friend request everyone you’ve ever worked with, worked for or who has worked for you – ever! (despite the years passing, they are still your “customer/client “ and you still have a financial relationship with them that is positive or could be improved to help out your business)
5. As you come across pages of people, brands or businesses you like on Facebook, “Like” them!
Especially those that are related to your business or industry and that have large #s of Page fans
This tells the Facebook ad system what you as a unique human being Like, and allows advertisers to target you more specifically – the advertising served to you on Facebook will be more relevant for your needs. Otherwise, you will still be served ads, they just won’t be useful/valuable to you. This also gives other business people a quick insight into who you are as a human/person (running your business), so they can approach you with business ideas & opportunities that are already formed to fit your unique personal style and preferences. This also allows you to keep up to date with the goings-on of those businesses/profiles (competitors?) so that you can find the right times to interact with their already-built community/audience.
6. Like DH Partners Media Planning on Facebook
COMMUNCATION CHANNEL #2: Create a Facebook Page for your business http://on.fb.me/fe9oJw
1. Add a picture that represents your business, logo, storefront or products
2. Fill in all the relevant info about your business that you have available today (check back once/month to update)
3. Add the Twitter app to your FB page, so that when you update your FB status, your Twitter is also automatically updated http://on.fb.me/TwitterFromFacebook
Connect your Facebook Page:
1. Find the Facebook pages of your past employers, schools, etc and “Add to my Page’s Favourites” for both your personal profile and business page.
2. Find the Facebook pages of every industry association & media that talk to your target customers (which media would you most like to get publicity in?)
Share web content to Facebook so you can be viewed as an Expert in your business field/category:
1. Add the “Share on Facebook” button to each computer with internet access that you use (whether or not you access Facebook on that computer) http://on.fb.me/ShareOnFB
2. Share 1 web page that supports the need for my business type/category, to your Profile
3. Share 1 web page that supports the need for my business type/category, to your business Page
4. Share your new Facebook business Page to me, Debbie Horovitch (as soon as you do, I will Like it and if it looks ready, I’ll promote it out to my list of 1,000+ Facebook friends)
Network yourself on Facebook, daily:
- Check on your Home Page (login) for friend’s and Page’s updates that are interesting, relevant or helpful to your business and Like or comment, converse, or Thank them for sharing the valuable content. “Share” the updates that are most entertaining, relevant or useful to YOU (don’t worry about what your friends or other people find interesting or relevant).
- Check your Home Page daily for Birthdays – wish them ALL a Happy Birthday, individually (broadcasts frequent demonstrations of you being nice & sharing good feelings)
- Update your status with what you are working on, finding surprisingly fun in your adventure in new business (people want to know!), learning about yourself or the world as you go through your days
- Use your status and new network connections to let people know what you are looking for now – Accountant? Web designer with Facebook examples? A dog walker? A new social activity for your kids?
- Your posting the request essentially recruits your friends to get them out networking for you! You won’t likely get a lot of useful info/answers at the start, but you will generate a lot of activity on your profile/page and your growing network will want to connect you with the type of people you’re looking for, as they come across them… Facebook may become your primary networking tool!
Network your business on Facebook daily:
- “Add to my Page’s Favourites” DH Partners Media Planning on Facebook
- Write a status update on your page including @DH Partners Media Planning, and confirm you can see it posted to my page (and exposing your page to my Page fans – mostly ad agency people)
- Of the Pages you’ve added to your favourites, regularly include status updates on both your Page and Profile that include @names of other pages (not too frequently and in no way spammy or advertising!)
- Regularly engage your fans by asking them questions to learn about them, understand them and give them what they want
Community Engagement Example:
Share a photo of your pet doing something clever, whether it’s finding hidden food, playing tricks on the cat, or just looking smart digging into some nice hay.
We’ll award the 4 most popular submissions (based on comments and ‘likes’) with a case of free Tidy Feeders (4×24oz, or 8×12oz, approx $50 retail value). The winners, as well as honourable mentions will be featured on our website to show off how clever their pets are to the whole community.
FIN ALLY – If you want an example of a Facebook page that was built and engaging the audience with NO previous advertising or business communication materials to draw on, check out the page I created and am managing for Cougar Boots.
