10 Tips For Successful Facebook Marketing
By Lennie Appelquist
There are a ton of social media websites that you can participate in
today like Linked In and Friendster, and they all have their good and
bad. The best way to choose a community to participate in is to look
at the people who have already joined. For me, Facebook is quite
possibly the best sites for networking personally and professionally. I
also use Linked In and Myspace. Of all the social networks,
Facebook is the best place when it comes to all around marketing and
networking.
I have been using Facebook for the past two years, and it is an
attractive tool for marketing to add to your marketing strategy.
Following are ten ways you can use Facebook to introduce new people to
your for FREE!
1. Make a Top-Notch Profile: This is absolutely the FIRST thing that
you must do to make an impact on Facebook . Think of your Facebook
profile as part of your branding. A effective profile will include a
photo of you. Don't use the one of you at a Christmas party, unless
that's what your selling. Make sure your new Facebook profile is
complete. You should include your contact information, your web address
(this is so important), education, work experience and your personal
interests. A complete profile is the only way to go.
2. Add Friends: This is what makes Facebook a great platform -
the ability to make friends, build relationships and foster them.
The more relationships you build, the more worthwhile your marketing
efforts will be. You can use Facebook's own tools to find friends that
are already on Facebook. Once you add your friends, you can
search for kindred spirits. Make their acquaintance, become their
friend, build a relationship. One cool feature on Facebook is that you
can see friends of your friends. This will help you build a
extensive network in no time.
3. Join Facebook Groups: You can join groups within Facebook that
are associated with what you do. There are groups for wealth building,
coaches, and experts of all kinds. Almost every supposable type of
professional service provider has some type of an online group. I
belong to several groups on Facebook and have made hundreds of new
contacts this way.
4. Create your Own Facebook Group: Can't find a group that really makes
sense? Create your own! You can add members, publish articles, carry on
discussions, and probably build some long lasting relationships. And
even if you find great group to belong to, start your own. This
gives you the opportunity to be the trendsetter!
5. Syndicate your Blog Using RSS: You can syndicate your own blog on
your Facebook profile page. This inherently means that every time you
make a post, it will automatically show up on your profile page. More
Exposure = More Readers = More Leads = More Business. And the bonus is
the back links to your site. I syndicate headlines from three
blogs on Facebook.
6. Comment on Other Peoples Profiles: Are you a fan or devotee of
someone's work? Reach out to them on Facebook! Many of my business
acquaintances check their Facebook messages more regularly than their
email. They are also more likely to respond to Facebook messages. Don't
feel comfortable sending a message to someone you don't know? Don't
worry! Leave them a "just saying hi!" or "I enjoy your work!"
blurb on their wall. All profiles come with "virtual walls" where
friends and acquaintances can leave messages. The more messages you
leave on your friend's Facebook profiles the more exposure you get!
7. List your Events: Launching a New Service? Create an events page and
invite all your friends and acquaintances. You can even see who RSVPed
and get feedback from your guests. Marketing doesn't get much simpler
(or cheaper!) than this.
8. Send Virtual Gifts: Want to show your appreciation for someone? Send
them a virtual gift. You can choose from a bouquet of flowers to
a potted plant that actually sits on the your friends profile and grows
over time (plus hundreds of others). With all the 3rd party
applications for gift giving available, what are you waiting for.
This is a proven way to build long lasting relationships!
9. Use Some Cool Apps: Facebook has literally tons of
applications that were built just for the site. Gaming, music,
movie trivia and more. When you use an application, you get to
invite your friends to use these interesting little applications
(Apps). So just like number 8 above, this allows you another way to
stay in touch with your Facebook friends. Again, this helps you build
long lasting relationships.
10. Create a Community: Perhaps Facebook's greatest benefit is that it
lets you to build a community. It provides you a group of people who
are perpetually connected to you, and they are open to hearing what you
have to say. Write on people's walls, give them feedback, and introduce
them to each other. Start building your brand and leveraging Facebook
for business building!
Facebook is a great place to introduce yourself to a ton of new people
who may also become customers and/or clients. Just keep one thing
in mind: don't get too carried away and spend all your time
there. Facebook is a tool, part of your marketing strategy.
Use the tips above, use them wisely and have a little fun at the same
time.
Lennie Appelquist is the Owner of FreeMarket Media Group.
FreeMarket Media Group is dedicated to helping individuals and small
businesses generate leads, convert those leads in customers/clients and
build a web presence that works for them. We can show you how to
make your online business profitable.