What's the difference between a profile, page, group, and all the other stuff? It's not very nice that Facebook confuses the heck out of us.
What can we do?
What are we not allowed to do?
What has changed in the last 24 minutes that made it so I can’t go live in my own group anymore, but I could, this morning?
Thanks, Facebook!
I don't have an answer for you. But I can teach you how I use it, and I've been able to quit my job and start my dream business using Facebook (with minimal ads, too), so that ought to count for something, right?
Your best bet is to go with the flow. Facebook is a private platform, and they call the shots. If you want to get all armageddon about it, they could technically shut down your Facebook Page or Facebook Group anytime, without asking you first. (That’s why it’s great to have an email list, but we’ll cover that in another post).
They’re also an advertising platform, and out to compete against Youtube and Google as the top search engine of the internet. These are big-wig, PAID advertising platforms going at it against each other for world domination. Keep that in mind!
So where do you fit into all of this, then? Well — you can still enjoy Facebook as you always have. With a few small tweaks, you can prime your Facebook Profile, Page, and Group for PROFIT and have them work for you in a purely free and passive way that will — with time and intentional action on your part — lead to sales.
Here are a few good practices that everyone can do, to appear like the inviting, friendly, totally not-sheisty person you are.
Please note: I am not affiliated with Facebook in any way, and these tips are pure opinion and based on my personal observation and practices. Please refer to the disclaimer in our Terms & Conditions if you follow any advice on my website.
DO use your Facebook Page for business purposes.
It's pretty common knowledge now, but it's gotta be said — Facebook doesn't want you to use your personal profile for business purposes.
Now now, I know you're thinking about all your beachbody coach friends who keep posting the same before and after photos and tagging you on their Facebook profile posts, conveniently holding up a branded shaker bottle of shakeology at a very flattering angle with a description of maybe 15-too-many exclamation points. I can't speak for them, but I can tell you that technically they're not supposed to do that, and technically lots of people have gone into Facebook jail or had their profiles completely shut down for abusing the rules.
{Side note: No hate for beachbody or shakeology — that stuff is seriously amazing. It’s like the Final Fantasy “Elixir” for real life! And Beachbody is where I got hooked into Les Mills Bodycombat, PiYo, and Bodypump.}
DON'T tantrum like a whiny 4-year-old about your organic reach on your Facebook Page.
I hate to tell you this, but NO ONE has good organic reach on their Facebook Page.
Okay, maybe some people do — but they’ve been putting in good practices and they likely have a TEAM of virtual assistants helping them make it appear like they live on Facebook all day, every day.
I’ll give it to you straight — most people at the mid-level (who aren’t millionaires or billionaires) use their Facebook Page as an online business card. They keep it up to date for those curious people who click around to learn more. But the main purpose of even having a Facebook Page is so that they can use the Facebook Ads platform. You can’t use Facebook ads without a business page.
DO have a smiling photo as your profile picture
Your smiling photo is the “hi, nice to meet you” face that makes your first impression for you, in the online world. If anyone refers you, tags you, or mentions you — your profile photo is going to be the FIRST thing that curious strangers or perfect prospects see when they click or hover over your name. This goes without saying, but keep it kosher. Make it a naturally lit (meaning stand outside in real oxygen, not in front of a ring light), genuinely smiling photo. No flipping off the screen. And I know you’re going to hate this, but — no babies or family members. Unless your personal profile is “The Smith Family” (which you’re not allowed to do, anyway) we want to know which person is YOU.
DON’T cover your face in your profile photo (or use your logo) like a creeper
There’s this practice in movies and films where the bad guys always have their faces covered. Think about it — Storm troopers. Jason. The scream mask. We humans are visual creatures and we get freaked out when someone has their face covered (this includes sunglasses, folks!). That’s why it REALLY works against you to have your logo (or worse, the default Facebook profile silhouette icon) as your profile face.
DO put your lead magnet (or email freebie) as your link, instead of your main website home page.
Your presence on social media is, most likely, serving as an entry point for your funnel. You didn’t sign up for Facebook to meet every person in the middle class. You’re here to make connections, nurture relationships, and be available for people to hire you. In most cases, the entry point for your marketing funnel is your email list or your Facebook group. If you see any area on your Facebook profile or Page to share a link — take the opportunity! Lead them to your email funnel or your group so you can build that relationship with them and nurture them from cold to warm to client.
DON’T slap your website on your profile and then wonder why you’re not raking in sales
Unfortunately, though we wish this was the case, people are just NOT going to go to your website, read your “About Me” section, click on “Work with me” and then enter their credit card. They just aren’t.
Sorry to burst your bubble.
However! If your lead magnet is set up with a great nurture sequence, or they have a great experience from joining your group and seeing how valuable it would be to work with you and get your one-on-one hands and eyeballs on their business — then yes, sales WILL come in. But you can’t rely on people to make the connections and go through your funnel on their own.
They have to learn about you. Click on your face. Read the first sentence and say ‘Oh my gosh she’s awesome!” and then follow you for a while. They’ll eventually like you and trust you. And then they have to see you actively promoting what you have to offer. And they have to be convinced you’re the real deal. And they have to get all of their fears alleviated via testimonials, FAQs, and invitations to discovery calls and coaching calls. And THEN they’ll buy.
To learn more about funnels in a tech-challenged-friendly way, check out Feel Good Funnels: A Baby Step Walk-through for the Intimidated Entrepreneur
DO put what you do in your Facebook profile, and link it to your Facebook page.
Make sure that anyone who’s curious about you (this is especially true of you’re active in Facebook groups using your personal profile!) can figure out what you do just be glancing at your profile.
You can put your professional title or you can be weird like me and say “Click here to visit my page” at {Your Page}.
Bonus tip: Update your Gravatar
Okay, so this isn't related to Facebook at all, but it will help you in the long run. When you run around all of your social media profiles to update your description, title, and profile photo, update your Gravatar, too.
Gravatar is a handy universal avatar, (their website says it's a “globally recognized avatar,” hence the name) that you can use when you make comments on blogs or interact anywhere that isn't directly a social media platform. When you sign in with it, your profile pic will pop up and you won't be that weird stranger with the silhouette default photo anymore.
You'll need a WordPress.com account, which is something pretty much everyone already has, these days. Let's face it, most websites that you're reading and commenting on for marketing purposes are probably WordPress websites at this point.
I'd love to hear from you! What tweaks have you implemented on your Facebook Profile, Page, and Group to make it easier for cold prospects to get to know you and, eventually, buy from you? Share in the comments, below!