So, you have a business and are all set up on Facebook … but are you really ALL set up?
Facebook have rules (lots of them) and if you break Facebook’s rules ... they don’t contact you to explain and give you another chance they simply shut you down.
Is that what you want to happen to your business ‘page’? I'm pretty darned sure it isn't! If you have a ‘page’ set up for your business that isn’t really a page but is in fact a profile Facebook may very well shut you down and whatever you have on that ‘page’ (that is really a profile) will be gone FOREVER! When Facebook shut you down, they really shut you down ... bye-bye photos, videos, posts, friends/likers, the lot GONE.
So, what’s the difference between a page and a profile you may be wondering, read on my friends, read on …
An easy way to work it out is - how do people connect with you?
Do they ‘friend’ you or do they ‘like’ you?
Where they need to ‘friend’ you to connect with your business then you have created a profile, which is a big no-no!
If they ‘like’ you to connect with your business then you’ve set up a page for your business … that means you are in business, Facebook style!
It can be fixed!
If you have made a mistake and set your business up on Facebook as a profile I strongly (see my huge emphasis on the strongly) recommend that you convert it to a page … before Facebook discover your mistake and shut you off, and if they do discover it they will do just that.
You can convert your business profile to a business page very easily. You will take all of your friends from the business profile and the profile name across to your new page … your business profile friends will become your business page likers. What you DON’T get to take across are all of your posts, photos, videos and messages so you must be sure to back them up to your computer before you do the conversion.
Find new business and grow your business - by having a face!
Often I hear people say that they want to set their business up as a profile (opposed to a page) so they can post into groups under their business name … in doing this they are missing out on LOTS of new business opportunities. The power of personal connection is immense!
I don’t mean that you need (or should) put your personal life out there on show for all of your potential customers and clients … what I do mean is that people are MUCH more likely to buy from a business or use their services if they see the person active in their community - they want to see that the business has a face and a personality that they can trust.
By being an active and sharing member of a group through your personal profile you are doing your business a HUGE favour!
Be a respectful group member too ... read through the group rules and make sure what and how often you are posting is within those rules. Maybe you have joined a group that doesn't allow business advertising - stay in the group and be active, be friendly, and ... be known. Business is much more likely to come your way when you offer something more than what you are selling.
But I want to keep my private stuff private?
Worried about posting into groups from your personal profile? Do a check on your privacy settings and make sure they are good to go. I recommend that everyone do a check on their privacy settings every couple of weeks anyway just to be sure that Facebook hasn’t changed anything that leaves you open!
Make sure that on your personal profile you include your business in your ‘about’ section – a great way to get those new group connections to check out your proper Facebook approved business page!
If you want to use Facebook to advertise and grow your business you need to play by their rules and also be prepared to put yourself out there a little bit too!
Want to learn more about using Facebook for business?
Business owners, community groups and Not-for-Profits can join an 8-week workshop on Social Media Basics where you will learn how to create social media profiles, construct an engagement strategy and build a communications plan. Click here for more details of this workshop held by the Emerald Community House (Victoria).