With an ever growing number of people using Facebook everyday, it’s unlikely that any one with an online business can deny the importance of their presence on Facebook.  Ever more important is the quality and appropriate nature of the information and connections made.  Facebook’s most recently published stats show that they currently have over 250 million users, and that more than 120 million of those users log in every single day.   So, with the average user having 120 friends and more than 8 million of those users adding a fan page everyday the question is;  if you are one of the many people who do business online:

Are you giving good Face(book)?

If you’re thinking that you’ve already got a great number of people on Facebook and you don’t need help: Great! But if  you’ve spent a good amount of time adding friends and have had little if no success converting them into opt-ins or meaningful connections, then read on.  With so many users it’s a bit of a double edged sword.  On one hand you have access to MILLIONS of people and on the other, you are competing with all those other folks to get their attention.  

There are 3 major components to successfully managing and harnessing the benefits of Social Media sites like Facebook.

1. Connect
2. Use Time Saving Tools
3. Know Your Audience

Connecting with people in a meaningful way is the first, and possibly most important step.  These websites were built for interacting.  Add photos, links and comments that demonstrate you are a real person, not just looking at your list as a something to cash in on.   Comment on others’ status updates, photos and videos etc. if they appeal to you.  Ask your contacts what they would like to hear more about if you are an expert in a particular field.    Be sure to update your page at least once a day to stay current, many users report they will delete someone after several days of inactivity.

There are several widely used Time Saving Tools  sites/products for Twitter, which can help decipher the information coming in and going out, or which work to integrate Twitter and Facebook, but not as many are accessible for Facebook alone.   (We’ll be discussing Twitter tools as well, so check back soon).  Here are just a few:  Sendible is a Facebook tool that allows you to schedule updates.  There is a free option you can sign up for, as well as subscription levels for a fee.  Adding a Facebook badge to your website is another great way to connect your friends with your business.  You can learn how to create your facebook badge by clicking HERE.   Another time saver is the Facebook Tool bar for Firefox users.  The tool bar shows you highlights of your account without having to go to your Facebook page – another great time saving tool! 

And finally, Know Your Audience!  Recently, analytics done by iStrategy revealed that Facebook users are increasing in age.  In the first 6 months of 2009, users over the age of 55 increased by more than 500%!  If you were under the impression only teenagers and university students used Facebook – think again.  This means targeting your updates, postings, Fan pages, group page on Facebook to the audience that you know will benefit or be most interested in your point of view is even more possible.   Knowing that your target market IS out there on Facebook is just the beginning.  Be sure you are engaging people on your Friends’ list with things they want to hear about.  Much like the first tip – knowing your audience and connecting to them meaningfully go hand in hand.

Adding a Fan or Group page can also help your Social Media presence.  Just be sure it will appeal to your audience or you could find you just have another tool to manage.  It can become quite time consuming to manage Social Media sites like Facebook and Twitter if you don’t have the tools to do so.  For established names and professionals the many virtual Assistant Service organizations which have cropped up serve just that purpose, and can be very helpful.   Some users give up on trying to fully utilize the  power of Social Media sites like Twitter due to the time they believe is needed, feeling overwhelmed or like they have hit a brick wall when truly, a bit of information and a little assistance may be all they need.     

For more information on  how Author Source can help you with your online presence or Social Media, contact us at info@authorsource.com.

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As one of the founders and Director/CCO of Author Source, Daniele is passionate about teaching her clients how to harness the marketing power of the internet through Social Media and Search Engine Optimization.