Facebook Profiles Are For PeopleI guess it should not shock me to see the many Facebook profiles with a company logo or even a company name instead of a person. It seems that a lot of people simply do not realize the difference between a Facebook Profile and a Facebook Page. I will break this down really simple for anybody who is confused.
Facebook profiles are for people, and not businesses. Facebook will delete your account for using a profile for a business. They may not catch each one, but I have seen it happen, and there are a lot of people out there who will report businesses using Facebook Profiles for business. It is written clearly in the Facebook rules as follows: “You will not use your personal profile for your own commercial gain”.
Facebook Pages are for business, and include features that are better suited for a company seeking to do business on Facebook. They are easy to create, and may save you from a deleted account. Go and check it out for yourself. Here is the link to create a Facebook Page.
The Receptionist and Facebook Marketing Expert
In this age of social media frenzy, a lot of people are scurrying to find the next silver bullet that will assure them the highest level of exposure at the very lowest cost. Small businesses are trying to turn receptionists into marketers and SEO (search engine optimization) experts. The cost of this can often mean utter failure, embarrassment, and even banning from the world’s favorite social network.
I see a lot of businesses using Facebook Profiles and it stuns me every time that they actually think it is fine to do so and that it is normal for potential customers to have to send a “Friend Request” in order to communicate with them on Facebook. Really, doesn’t that seem like an obstacle? Wouldn’t it make more sense that people can freely choose to communicate and see what a business has to say?
Facebook Pages and Other Facebook Business Tools
Facebook provides a lot of useful tools for those people who choose to use the Facebook service and Facebook Pages properly. There are many possibilities to integrate Facebook Pages and other Facebook business tools with your business website. For example, below is a Facebook “Like Box” including a stream of recent activity on my newest Facebook page. It allows people to “Like” my new Facebook Page from right here on my blog, without even having to leave and go to Facebook.
Just one more thing! Did you “Like” my newest Facebook Page yet? I plan to share some things and have some discussions there which will not be here on my blog. Go ahead … I made it easy for you! See below!
I Like My Like Button!I added a Facebook Like button to my blog today (at the top of each blog post), and I must say that I like it. I like it very much. So, what does it do and how does it work?
The Facebook Like Button is the fastest and easiest way to share things with Facebook friends to date. It is as fast as if you “Like” something right on Facebook. That is because it actually is on Facebook and uses an iframe. If you like, there is an alternate implementation, but the iframe is just fine for most websites. It requires no additional action from users … no popup, no filling out a Captcha, no adding descriptions. It just takes a single click to “Like” something.
For content producers like me, and there are a squillion of us, it is like a new toy. It takes Facebook to a new level, and should not be overlooked by anybody who cares about reaching people in social media.
“Why are you reading this?” This is perhaps the most important question a blogger can ask. This is not only for bloggers, but it also goes for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or other social media users. You do not have to ask your readers directly, but it is the question that should be considered whenever you sit down to write.
You have probably heard how important it is to know your customer. I still find a lot of people who do not know how to answer me when I ask specific questions about who their customers are … or who they think their customers are. Sometimes this question of “why are you reading this” will be as simple as “because the author is just so damn interesting”, but that is seldom the case. I like to think it is because I am good looking and people just like to come back and see my picture … but I doubt even that is the case. Well, probably for some?
What’s in it for them?
Let’s be realistic for a moment. I don’t like being realistic, but I will give it a whirl, just for you. People read what you have to say for a number of reasons. These reasons can include entertainment, industry facts, product facts, respect for your opinion, and a whole lot of other things. The one common factor is that there is something in it for them! Knowing your readers reason and knowing what is in it for them is imperative to your success. Digging deeper, you can look at a whole lot of data to key in on who they are and why they read what you have to say, but just looking at the surface can get you started.
It may seem tricky to find what they want at first, but there is something on the surface to tell you what they are after … there always is. Much can be discovered if you simply ask yourself why you write what you write. I will share my example and hopefully it can help jump start some thinking about how it may apply to you. Maybe you can draw some useful parallels.
In my case, I write about things I know well. My inspiration very often comes from something that happened. If somebody asks me a question and I had a good answer or additional thoughts on the topic, I blog about it. I mostly write about my industry … the Internet. I am a search engine optimization guy, social media guy, a programmer guy, a Web hosting guy, an ecommerce guy … pretty much your overall “Web Guy” (hence my blog aWebGuy.com). I have been in my job since the mid 1990’s, and I have a lot of experience … so I share it.
So why do people read it? People want to know about my industry. For some people it is totally alien, and others just want another opinion to draw ideas from. I try to break it down and make it easier to understand, and I try to help people make it more useful. I try to help people with good ideas about marketing. I give them something. There is something in it for them. There is a value proposition. I try to fill a need.
What’s in it for you (me)?
Since we asked the first question of what’s in it for them, naturally there should be a mutual value. There should be something in it for both parties. Otherwise, one of the parties is getting stiffed. The important part is that you make the “what’s in it for you” (me) the secondary focus. If you focus first on giving and second on receiving, you will receive a whole lot more!
I could never do all of the writing I do without some remuneration (getting paid). Well, maybe I could, but it would not be as good. I would probably let you down, and we don’t want that. In my case, I let people know that they can reach me for help, and if they really want to get serious in their marketing, that is what I am paid for. That is just a very small piece of my readership. Most will never become a client … ever. This fact actually helps me, because I am not trying to sell you a bunch of stuff. Plus, I am also the CEO of YourNew.com, Inc., so that is really my bread and butter … not my blog. That means I can focus better on what’s in it for you … err, “them”.
Your Core Readership
By knowing and trying to understand your core readership, you will be better equipped to serve them. It is this core readership that I would consider to be your “translators” and your “promoters”. If you are giving them value and making sure that there is something in it for them the translation and promotion can look like this:
Translation: When I say translate, it can mean that they hear a need from somebody else and they translate it as that person’s need for what you wrote. Another type of translation can happen when they comment on your blog with their interpretation of your message. It can be good for them, and it can be good for you … you learn together.
Promotion: If your core readers know somebody who should be reading your writing, they will pass it along, and often with their translation as well … or even an excuse for you. For example, you may pass this along to somebody and say “hey, you need more business and I know a guy who can help … but he is kind of unconventional, so just forgive him if he drops cigarette ashes or spills coffee on your rug.”
Your core readership will get to know you and your personal brand. It is normally best if you keep it human. Maybe even a bit funny and quirky and entertaining now and then. People are people … they like people stuff.
Translate This!
OK, now it is your turn, my core readership. Go ahead and translate this for others. That is what blog comments are for. Also, please be sure to answer the original question: Why are you reading this?
Have you ever been hit with a rogue application on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites? I was, and the application was called “Photas”.
The world is not always as it seems. This often goes double for third party applications for social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. I see it all the time when somebody falls for another app that will spam all of their friends. It never happens to me, because I generally stick to only a few known applications, but it happened to me today. A Facebook application titled “Photas” said that somebody has tagged me in a photo. Well, I checked it out, and sure enough, it was false. There was no photo of me. Instead, it sent out the same message to all of my friends. When they allowed the app, the life cycle is complete.
Just a simple warning for you: Think before you click … and beware of “Photas” on Facebook!
Has this ever happened to you? Tell us about it … leave a comment!
I get a surprise every day with just how connected people are. Perhaps it should be no surprise at all. Networking with people is a big part of my job and my lifestyle, both online and offline, but it still amazes me on a regular basis. More amazing yet is that there are still ways to improve upon that connectivity. Here are just a few of my thoughts on the matter, and I welcome yours.
Being Interested Makes You Interesting
Consider how many times you have received a message from somebody on Twitter, Facebook, your blog, or elsewhere and found yourself reading over their latest news to be sure you are up to speed on their life. An amazing thing about social networking and life in general is that people who are interested immediately become more interesting. You can bet that if you add your comments on my blog, I am interested, and you have made another step to strengthening your network. Not only with me, but also with others who connect here. It is a perfect case of becoming more interesting by being interested.
I got to thinking about this as I added the meebo chat on my blog earlier today (over on the left side). It allows for people to start a direct chat with me. I did this because I am interested in what readers have to say, and I want to give them another option to reach me. Try it now by typing a message to me. I may just answer. It is pretty cool, and another way to be even more connected.
I think nearly every blog author wants to start a dialog, but some people are too shy to give their opinion in public, too lazy, or just don’t understand the benefits of blog commenting (like the conversation, or those extra incoming links to their Website). Whatever the reasons, a direct chat is another great connection tool.
OK, so now that you are more interesting, let’s look at how connected you are. Once you realize how connected you already are, it is easier to find ways to make it even better … and why!
Realize How Connected You Are
I keep finding that people know a lot about me. Some will call it “transparency”, and I am all about that. I try to be sure that people know who I am … just me, without any false hype. People like people, so I don’t try to be any more than that. Being genuine seems to be a huge benefit if you are trying to connect with people. Even if you do not think you are very interesting, you are plenty interesting to some people, just the way you are.
Now that you are interesting, look around and see how much people recognize you. They may be noticing you more than you think! Those people who find you interesting are the roots of your network. I will give you examples:
Just a couple days ago I was talking with my brother and he asked me about things I didn’t expect him to even know. He asked if my wife was upset that I uploaded a video of her karaoke performance. David is not all that technology oriented, and does not spend a lot of time on Facebook. However, he does have a Facebook account, along with about 350,000,000 other people. Even if he does not check his Facebook, his wife, kids, or somebody else who knows me may ask him about something relevant to my current life or even tell him something that I had mentioned in my social networks. I also hear similar things from people all around me who seem to know a lot about my daily life, and I know theirs. We are connected!
Another instance was when a long time friend contacted me earlier today to ask about book publishing. Since I wrote three books in 2009, I guess I seemed like a good guy to ask. We chatted for a while and I found that he also needed a printer, a picture framer, and some tips for his photography business. So I referred him to three different friends whom I know well and trust in their fields. By recognizing the connections around me, I was able to help four friends … the one I was visiting with and the three I recommended.
As the conversation went on, he commented that I seem to know people in nearly any given line of work. I explained that I consider it my job to know everybody. It can do a lot of amazing things, both for personal and business purposes. Here is a piece I wrote about a year ago on building referral business.
I think networking should be a big part of everybody’s job. If your paying job is to change light bulbs on water towers, it may be good to know the guys who paint the towers in case the light bulbs ever stop burning out and you need more work. The tower painters may have work for you someday, or you may get busy and need more light bulb changers. The point is that it is always good to know where to find reliable people, and it is best to know them before you need them or they need you.
Here is the catch! How do you weigh the importance of quality vs. quantity?
Quality Over Quantity in Networking
Being connected with a lot of people is a great thing. Being closely connected is an even better thing. The importance of quality should be obvious, but it can also be easy to overlook or underestimate. Quantity is fine, but not without quality.
I got busy in 2009. In fact, I got real busy. I welcomed the birth of a son, wrote three books, and managed four new blogs, on top of an already busy job as CEO of YourNew.com, Inc. What I found was that as I became tied up in so many projects, some of my network became even tighter, while some of my network got kind of loose. Without a focus on quality in my network, it could have been a disaster.
A quality network remains solid, even when you are not looking. Like any relationship, some of your network will require more attention than others. Give them all attention, but the ones who reach out to you in return deserve a special focus. Good networkers know this, and will seldom let you down.
What do you think? How can you improve your network connectivity today? I cannot read your mind, but I can read your comments!
