What can a company expect to benefit from Facebook?

There are many ways to utilize facebook. Creating a fan page is a must for a business, though a personal profile is going to be visited more and is much more dynamic. There are events, groups, discussion boards and more available on Facebook, as well as the ability to import your blog feed, Tweets from Twitter, Videos from YouTube and more.

Again, you must think about your objective with the site. What do you hope to do, or accomplish? Who do you want to meet? Are you reinforcing the relationship that you already have with people. When you determine the WHY, you can determine HOW best to reach and interact with your audience.

Welcome to fantastic Friday Facebook Tips. Each Friday we will be releasing a hint or tip designed to help you get the most out of your Facebook social media experience. Make sure to subscribe to our blog via the RSS button to the side of these posts so you don’t miss a day. We welcome your comments as well!

Facebook Tip #1

Use a good profile picture. Do not use one of your kids, your dog, you in a group, or a sunset. If you are using Facebook for business, you need to make it easy for people to recognize you. The purpose is creating relationships with people, and we don’t form relationships with stuff, we form them with people. So many people I have seen use a half of their face, or something meant to be cutesy. Do you want cutesy or do you want something that will benefit you long term?

Taking artistic license to what Tom Harris (xn Marketing) has previously said, “Heaven forbid that someone should find you (and recognize you) on Facebook, because they might be reminded why they needed to call or email and do business with you, and what a hassle that would be.”

How is your profile picture representing you?

Friend us on Facebook

for a clientele over the age of 60?

Yes!

Visit Facebook ads and pages application and do some targeting to see what you can find. If you put in your network, and ask for a count of how many users in your area fit a certain age demographic, I am sure you will be surprised.

As an example a quick target search shows that of all the Facebook users,

5,461,580 people use Facebook

Now, what audience can we help you find?

Mine is chocolate and peanut butter used in combination. Just read my bio to know that I truly feel passionate about this combination!

Each of us has our favorite social media site, or method to connect. Some users love Facebook. Some prefer Twitter. Still others find the research and connection function of LinkedIn to be more to their liking. Whichever platform or site you use, is fine. With automation strategies you can reach your audience, wherever they are, while still enjoying what you like best.

There is news out about a Twitter and LinkedIn information sharing partnership. Read more here.

What do you think? Does this mean you will use Twitter and LinkedIn more? Do you like it?

Any way you look at it, the more places we can connect with people where they are, the more conversation we can have. Where did you first see this post? Via FB, Twitter, or perhaps in the Blog Link on LinkedIn? Where’s your favorite social media playground?

A really cool link came across my email today, with some information about Xobni. I wasn’t sure how to pronounce the name, but downloaded the plugin to my computer anyway. Xobni works with outlook to organize contacts, emails, files, and social media sites Facebook and LinkedIn, all within your outlook inbox. Contacts are organize, the service pulls statistics, organizes conversation, and tells me at a glance if I am connected with the people in my inbox. Pretty cool, check it out! Let me know what you think?

Are you using social media to promote your business? Do you have a LinkedIn account because once someone sent you an email to join? Do you have a Facebook account? Are you using it to connect with family and friends, or are you harnessing the power to promote and grow your business? Twitter? What’s that all about?

What are your best tips and hints for someone who is just getting started? We are compiling some of the best and brightest strategies for upcoming classes. Please share what you know!

Today I participated in a presentation and panel discussion of the benefits of using social online media for business. Thanks to David Haslam, Daninelle Zhu, and Brenda Meller for putting together a great presentation that was featured at the TLI Meeting @ U of M, Dearborn Campus today. Danielle talked about using Twitter, Brenda educated on Linked-In, and I got one of my favorite topics, Facebook!

I would not have had the opportunity to speak on the subject today in front of a new audience, if it weren't for the connections that I have been able to create through networking, both off and online.
I also connected with a woman today featured in Gary Vaynerchuck's (Wine Expert, Video Blogger) keynote speech that I watched last week. I somehow found her twitter account, clicked follow, and got a direct message back about her 100,000 worldwide hugs campaign that I had read about last week. The world is getting smaller, and we are getting more connected. This technology is here to stay.

Can you please help us spread the message that there is a way to connect locally (when I say locally, I would include southeastern lower Michigan) through our InSights Group website? Take a quick moment to email someone you know, the instructions are to visit www.InSights-Group.com and Click Connect to create a free profile. Who do you know that may benefit from making connections with our amazing community here in Livingston County? We'd love to get every local business profiled on our website, and continue to create awesome connections, great opportunities, and more positive energy flowing through! The online community is free, and it opens doors like you can't imagine!

As an aside, I am teaching the next web training @ InSights on Monday, 1/26 from 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm. The cost is $20, or free if you have your golden ticket from our anniversary celebration.

My final request for today, please share your networking stories? Who have you met, or who have you connected with through both on and offline networking? I'd love to hear, and perhaps incorporate your stories into some of my teaching opportunities.

We had a day full of networking opportunities and meetings at InSights today, and in Ann Arbor as we attended the ACE ‘09 Entrepreneur event, then travelled back to Brighton to wrap up the day with a Toastmasters meeting. I overheard a conversation from a woman who was wondering when she would have time to get any work done. Interesting question, considering I have the same dilemma. So, here we are late at night and I am writing a blog post, twittering, and updating my facebook account. Where does the balance come in to the in person social activites that are so important for growing our contact spheres? Does anyone have any advice on their strategy and how to keep it all simple?