Use Facebook To Build Community And Profits

     According to Facebook, more than 1.5 million local businesses have active pages on the site, and more than 20 million people become fans of pages each day. For CEOs, business owners and salespeople, this is a way to spread your company's message, build community and loyalty among customers and ultimately increase your profits.

     Yesterday and today, Promotional Consultant Today is offering suggestions to help you create a business Facebook presence that generates results. Thursday we examined the difference between your business and personal Facebook persona and how to name your account. Today we'll review content.

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Post Appropriate Content

     Once your pages are set up, encourage your current clients or customers to join your fan page. Anything that happens with the business, such as any tradeshows, new products or services, new company developments, or anything related to the company as a whole, the industry should appear on the fan page.

     Customers and potential customers read those posts and monitor what your company is doing or offering and they then invite others to become fans.

     As for your business persona page -- the page focused on you as the CEO, founder, business partner or salesperson -- here you'd post information about conferences you're attending, your thoughts on the industry or company, and business things related to you personally. For example, perhaps you won an award, had an article written about you or published an article in a trade journal. Talk about these types of things on your business persona page.

     Additionally, you'd only send out and accept friend requests from people who directly relate to your business. If one of your personal friends finds the page and offers a friend request, direct that individual to your personal page. Realize that while you can control whom you befriend, you have no control over who becomes a fan of your business page. People become fans because they are interested in your topic.

Ads On Your Fan Page

     Also, it's okay to have blatant ads, coupons, and specials for your company on your business fan page. In fact, fan pages were designed as a way to give businesses a way to blatantly promote their company without upsetting people. However, don't put ads, coupons, or specials on your business persona page. If you do, people will quickly start un-friending you.

      Finally, remember to feed Twitter posts, blog posts, and YouTube videos directly to your fan page so you can extend your brand. You can do all this dynamically by using a tool such as Ping.fm or SocialOomph.com.

Create Powerful Relationships

     With more than 400 million active users, Facebook is one place you definitely want your company to be seen. The key is for clients, prospects, and the Facebook community at large to see your business in the best light possible. By keeping your business and personal information separate, building your pages professionally and posting relevant content your audience will want to read, you can create powerful relationships that positively impact your company's bottom line.

     Source: Heather Lutze is the CEO of The Findability Group, formerly Lutze Consulting, a marketing firm that works with companies to attain maximum internet exposure. A nationally recognized speaker, she is the author of The FindAbility Formula: The Easy, Non-Technical Approach To Search Engine Marketing.

For more information on building your business using Facebook and other social media tools, check out PPAI Social Media Launchpad!-a social networking certificate program that begins Oct. 12. Click here for more information.

Note: Promotional Consultant Today will not be published on Monday, September 6, in celebration of the Labor Day holiday.