Facebook For Business Basic Philosophy
Facebook is an ideal place to start a business. Think about it. There are literally millions of users on the site. They belong to groups and networks. They use the different site applications. Basically, they are sharing their lives and interests with you so that you can help enhance it.
If you look back at the Social Networking chapter, you'll notice that we talked about the ethic of social networking. These absolutely apply when using the site to promote your business. You first need to make sure that your actions aren't violating the terms of use. If they are, you need to change your approach.
Also, make sure that no matter what you're trying to accomplish, that you don't use the site to SPAM people. You will not be successful on the site this way. You'll just annoy people.
If you use the site ethically and follow the terms of use, you won't have any problems.
THE BASIC PHILOSOPHY
The basic philosophy behind using the site for business is to do what you can to build a community around your profile, service, and/or product. If you just post a bunch of links and a sales pitch, people won't respond to that. They want to get to know the company or brand and have a good time there.
For example, if you run a fantasy football site, your profile will focus on your love for the game. You may also start a group with fantasy football as the theme. You can post your ad and the link for your fantasy football service in the group and those who are interested will click on it.
If people learn to trust your voice and understand that you're on the site to get to know them, they'll respond to that and buy your product or decide to use their service.
To further enhance your group and encourage participation you can create and/or add applications, post a poll, and hold meetings where your group members can discuss things.
GAIN EXPOSURE FOR YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE
Your basic goal is to use Facebook to get exposure for your product or service. You can use the site to get people familiar with your product. An important aspect of this is to use the site to help build a brand. Even if your product is a little uninteresting (for example, a topic related to finances) you need to do your best to make sure that you somehow make it interesting to your potential customers.
The way Facebook works is that you need to find a way to keep people engaged and interested in what you have to offer. You can do this through applications, groups, and by attracting potential customers based on what's on your profile.
BUILD A SENSE OF COMMUNITY
In order for your online business to succeed on Facebook, you need to build a sense of community. People crave this sense of belonging - it's a basic fact of human nature. In order for your business to succeed, you can't sell to them. You need to make people understand that you want to belong to them, that you want to create a placed for people to go and participate in what you're offering.
People want to be introduced to new ideas. They want to find people with the same interests. They want to connect with others and form friendships on the site. If you are going to use the site for business purposes, this is something that should always be in the forefront of your mind.
HOW CAN YOU USE IT FOR BUSINESS?
So, how exactly can you use Facebook for business? There are several different things you can do with your account, and all of them will lead to your eventual success. When you decide to run a business from your Facebook account, you can choose the activities that make sense for your goals.
Here's a list of what you can do with your account:
" Create a user base and a customer base.
" Test a niche to make sure you can sell a product on the internet.
" Promote a business or a service.
" Use the profile to get clients. (For example, if you're a personal trainer.)
" Use the groups, networks, applications, and general site trends to generate ideas.
" Beta test a product to see if it can sell. Use feedback from your friends to tweak the product and make changes to it.
" Use the site to do some affiliate marketing. Just make sure you read the terms of use on the site.
These are just a few examples of how you can use the site to build or start a business.
If you take a look at companies that are currently using Facebook to promote their products, there are a few basic things that they are doing. Each of these ideas must be applied while still keeping the idea of building a community at the forefront of your mind.
A NOTE ABOUT LINKS
Yes, you can use Facebook to do affiliate marketing. If you don't know what affiliate marketing is, it's a way for you to prevent products that other people have written and get a certain percentage in commissions.
It is important to note, however, that if you want to use the site for affiliate marketing, the terms and conditions prevent you from posting an affiliate link directly in your profile. You can get around this by putting affiliate links in a blog and putting the link to your blog in your profile section.
If you look back at the Social Networking chapter, you'll notice that we talked about the ethic of social networking. These absolutely apply when using the site to promote your business. You first need to make sure that your actions aren't violating the terms of use. If they are, you need to change your approach.
Also, make sure that no matter what you're trying to accomplish, that you don't use the site to SPAM people. You will not be successful on the site this way. You'll just annoy people.
If you use the site ethically and follow the terms of use, you won't have any problems.
THE BASIC PHILOSOPHY
The basic philosophy behind using the site for business is to do what you can to build a community around your profile, service, and/or product. If you just post a bunch of links and a sales pitch, people won't respond to that. They want to get to know the company or brand and have a good time there.
For example, if you run a fantasy football site, your profile will focus on your love for the game. You may also start a group with fantasy football as the theme. You can post your ad and the link for your fantasy football service in the group and those who are interested will click on it.
If people learn to trust your voice and understand that you're on the site to get to know them, they'll respond to that and buy your product or decide to use their service.
To further enhance your group and encourage participation you can create and/or add applications, post a poll, and hold meetings where your group members can discuss things.
GAIN EXPOSURE FOR YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE
Your basic goal is to use Facebook to get exposure for your product or service. You can use the site to get people familiar with your product. An important aspect of this is to use the site to help build a brand. Even if your product is a little uninteresting (for example, a topic related to finances) you need to do your best to make sure that you somehow make it interesting to your potential customers.
The way Facebook works is that you need to find a way to keep people engaged and interested in what you have to offer. You can do this through applications, groups, and by attracting potential customers based on what's on your profile.
BUILD A SENSE OF COMMUNITY
In order for your online business to succeed on Facebook, you need to build a sense of community. People crave this sense of belonging - it's a basic fact of human nature. In order for your business to succeed, you can't sell to them. You need to make people understand that you want to belong to them, that you want to create a placed for people to go and participate in what you're offering.
People want to be introduced to new ideas. They want to find people with the same interests. They want to connect with others and form friendships on the site. If you are going to use the site for business purposes, this is something that should always be in the forefront of your mind.
HOW CAN YOU USE IT FOR BUSINESS?
So, how exactly can you use Facebook for business? There are several different things you can do with your account, and all of them will lead to your eventual success. When you decide to run a business from your Facebook account, you can choose the activities that make sense for your goals.
Here's a list of what you can do with your account:
" Create a user base and a customer base.
" Test a niche to make sure you can sell a product on the internet.
" Promote a business or a service.
" Use the profile to get clients. (For example, if you're a personal trainer.)
" Use the groups, networks, applications, and general site trends to generate ideas.
" Beta test a product to see if it can sell. Use feedback from your friends to tweak the product and make changes to it.
" Use the site to do some affiliate marketing. Just make sure you read the terms of use on the site.
These are just a few examples of how you can use the site to build or start a business.
If you take a look at companies that are currently using Facebook to promote their products, there are a few basic things that they are doing. Each of these ideas must be applied while still keeping the idea of building a community at the forefront of your mind.
A NOTE ABOUT LINKS
Yes, you can use Facebook to do affiliate marketing. If you don't know what affiliate marketing is, it's a way for you to prevent products that other people have written and get a certain percentage in commissions.
It is important to note, however, that if you want to use the site for affiliate marketing, the terms and conditions prevent you from posting an affiliate link directly in your profile. You can get around this by putting affiliate links in a blog and putting the link to your blog in your profile section.
