Facebook Your Business

Should your business be on Facebook? How do you link your Facebook business profile to your personal profile? How do you link your employment history in your profile to a business's profile page?

These are all questions that I am regularly asked.

Facebook is a social media network. It brings together people with the same interests into the same circle into the same cyber space.

Part of this social sphere also includes social promotion of your business.

Here's the deal with Facebook: Facebook is another platform for someone to convey their message, whether that message is what they had for dinner tonight, or whether it is a quick blurb about coupon special their business is offering.

Facebook is what you make it. If you post regularly, and you post quality - then Facebook can work for you. If you start a FB profile or page, and you don't actively engage with it - then your stale, outdated content will probably not do your business or personal profile any good.

However, regularly posting content on your FB profile will provide you another outlet to reach an interested and engaged audience.

Ideas for businesses promoting themselves on Facebook:

  • offer your Facebook network a special offer like a gift card, coupon, or special discount for "liking" your page
  • have your web developer build you an interactive Facebook page - see:
  • make regular posts about your business, your services, your website and your industry
  • link to and share other's websites and online presences that align with your beliefs, industry practices, and services
  • add appropriate keyword-saturated photo descriptions and captions
  • cross-promote your FB page on your website
  • engage your fandom by asking questions and starting conversations. As you talk with them, others will see their posts throughout the FB network, thereby increasing your exposure


    What NOT to do on your Facebook profile....

    Whether you are posting to Facebook as a business or personally - remember that generally your FB business profile and personal profiles are usually connected. So be cautious about how and what you post and share.

    • Don't post content either on your personal profile or your business profile that might shine a bad light on you or your business
    • When commenting on others' posts - remember that everything on the Internet is cataloged and stored somewhere. Ask yourself if this comment will possibly come back to haunt you?
    • be cautious about what personal data you post about yourself or your business, including birthdays, addresses, where you live, and whether you are at home or work
    • inappropriate photos
    • confessionals - you never know who's checking you out. Posting that you called in sick to work and went skiing instead could create a difficult situation if your boss finds out!
    • your phone number
    • what you had for dinner last night (do people really care and does that add validity to you or your business?)
    • your child's name, school, teacher, schedule, routine, parental custody schedule, etc... identity thieves and bad people will take notice of this kind of information

    Should I link my personal profile to my business page?

    Facebook suggests that with connecting your personal FB profile to your business page profile, you have more flexibility and exposure to the Facebook Network.
    From Facebook:
    http://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=12850
    What is the difference between a business account and a personal account? Business accounts are designed for individuals who only want to use the site to administer Pages and... Business accounts are designed for individuals who only want to use the site to administer Pages and their ad campaigns. For this reason, business accounts do not have the same functionality as personal accounts. Business accounts have limited access to information on the site. An individual with a business account can view all the Pages and Social Ads that they have created, however they will not be able to view the profiles of users on the site or other content on the site that does not live on the Pages they administer. In addition, business accounts cannot be found in search and cannot send or receive friend requests.


    How do I connect my personal employment history in my profile to the business's exisitng FB page?

    Once familiar with FB, you may notice that in your profile it lists where you have worked or currently work. FB automatically links the name of your listed employer. The problem with this is that usually this link goes to a generic page that has no content, and FB "encourages" to create a page for your business with a small link on the left that says "create page". But why would any one do this when the business page has already been created?

    There you sit - the business owner telling the world that you own this business and you can't tell the FB Nation that company you own is really this great profile page you have already (had) built!


    How to link your employment history to your business's profile page

    1. As the Admin of your business profile page - log in to your page and "Edit Page"
    2. Edit "Basic Information"
    3. Change business type category from "Local Business" to "Company" or anything other than "Local Business"
    4. Choose appropriate sub category
    5. Save changes

    After you do this, return to your personal profile and edit your personal profile

    1. Edit your "Education and Work" section
    2. Delete the reference you have to the profile you just edited
    3. Re-enter your employment information and FB should re-acquaint your employment history to your business profile page.

    < Prev   Next >