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Turn Facebook into a Marketing Tool

Facebook is the 500 pound gorilla of social media. It boasts more than 1 billion active users (50% of which are mobile users). Moreover, 20% of all page views in the United States are on Facebook. Yes, Facebook is that ubiquitous. Facebook also has some of the most cutting-edge analytics available. If you're selling anything—think: you and the services you offer—Facebook can tell you how you're doing and what you might need to adjust to make your marketing campaign more effective.

I recommend that you use Facebook to connect with people—all over the world—to build and enlarge your network of contacts. Call it indirect marketing. You can never have too many friends. The more people you know—and the more people who know about you—the more possibilities you create for yourself. Use Facebook as a long-range strategy. The relationships you develop and nurture here will pay off for you for years to come, in ways you cannot imagine right now.

With Facebook, your friends can act as agents in locating business trends and opportunities for you. It allows you to engage with people based on shared interests. It's like a giant affinity group portal. If you're selling something—including your own brand—think of Facebook not as the place where you close sales, but where you open them.

As with all marketing efforts, your activity on Facebook should be audience-centric. Your focus needs to be on what they care about, and on what you can do for them. Sound familiar? How successful you are with this is measured in large part by “likes.” These tell you how many people were in some way moved by the content you shared and how much of an impact you made. In addition, if people share something of yours, it means they like it. As an added bonus, response time is virtually instantaneous. As you engage with people on Facebook, you create a community. They start to feel you are “one of them.”

Connecting on Facebook is good practice for when you have to find—and work with—employers, clients, and customers. As with any form of communication, less is more. Remember that Facebook users are on the go and multitasking. Don't waste their time. Have fun with them instead.