Written by:
2009/02/16 09:13 AM 

Many have seen Facebook as a teenage, or under 25 chat toy. But recent research has shown that the average age on Facebook is getting older. Many people in business and companies are seeing Facebook as a great marketing tool. Facebook is where the people are at. So why not take your product to the people.

But it is not easy. There are do’s and don’ts when it comes to Facebook and marketing. If you try outright to advertise your wares on Facebook, you're likely to be kicked and banned. So then how do you master Facebook and still be able to market yourself and your company.

Well the big thing about Facebook and any other Social Networking sites, is that its about earning respect and building relationships. To do well on Facebook you have to first give before you can ask.

Below are 15 things that you can do that will enhance your Facebook experience and marketing, in no particular order.

1. Create a profile Kind of obvious. This is where you start. Its your Facebook landing page. What you put here will help convert friends. This is where you express yourself the most. Promote yourself. Take advantage of Personal Info, Work Info, Photos, and applications to tell bits and pieces of your narrative as it relates to your brand, But be credible.
2. Add Friends. Friends is what Facebook and other Social Networks is all about. Building relationships. Earning trust and a reputation. Helping others before you seek their help. Give before take. Once you become credible, trustworthy and an authority. Your brand and business will be promoted for you via your friends and their friends and their friends and …
3. Groups. Groups enable you to build a community around your brand or company on Facebook. By starting a group, you create a central place for customers, partners, and friends to participate in conversations around your brand.
4. Facebook Pages. You cannot advertise directly on Facebook, but by creating a Facebook Page for your business, website or brand you can achieve just that. Pages are a good option for small or local businesses that want to establish a presence on Facebook. Like groups, they’re another free and easy way to do viral marketing.
5. Host an event and post it. Facebook Events is a free application developed by Facebook that anyone can use to promote marketing events, sponsored parties, or even product launches, transactions, or company milestones.
6. Share a funny video or picture. People love Visual. They also love to laugh. Sharing photographs and videos about yourself and brand helps build your brand. Don’t be spammy, do not advertise. Share something that is natural and will cause people to want to look
7. Post news articles. News article about you, your brand, your company. Post article about your industry. Do not be sacred to mention the other guy. Give credit where credit is due. Be careful of too much self promotion.
8. Write a note. You can use this feature to post content about your brand, but be careful to always do it authentically - don’t be spammy. Write notes about your industry and how you can help. Give tips. How-to articles. Encouragement.
9. Messages. Messages are like email, except a lot less fully featured. Messages can be a powerful vehicle for targeted marketing on Facebook.
10. Syndicate your Blog Using RSS. Do you have a blog. Do you write articles,how-to articles. Do you write about your industry. Do you write reviews, make comment on latest news, rant and rave. Well syndicate that blog to Facebook so you can keep your friends in the loop with your blog.
11. Comment on Other Peoples Profiles. Commenting on other peoples profiles will earn their respect if done correctly. They will take notice of you. Say something nice about somebody. Always commend and lift up. Never brake down or destroy.
12. Facebook Share. Facebook Share is a Facebook application that lets you promote any Group, Event, Photo, Link, or Application you come across
13. Social Ads. With Social Ads, Facebook offers advertisers the option to pay on a CPC or CPM basis, whichever they prefer. Social Ads offers very powerful targeting capabilities.
14. Polls. Polls offer an easy way for marketers to quickly conduct research within their targeted audience. Results are streamed in real time to a dashboard. Try and create polls that will get a positive response. Ask Practical questions. Do not be controversial.
15. Facebook Badge. Create a Facebook badge that links to your profile. Post this badge everywhere you can. It’s like a business card for Facebook. In your signatures of your email and newsgroup posts. Facebook describes its Badge feature as "a customizable way to share your Facebook information on other Web sites." Creating your own Badge will link Facebook friends to your company's Web site.

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