Are you a small business owner trying to figure out the best way to promote your business on Facebook? Most experts would advise you to create a dedicated business page. However, we're here to challenge that notion and introduce a slightly controversial idea: using your personal Facebook profile for business can be a powerful strategy. In this post, we'll delve deep into this approach, providing examples and details to help you understand why harnessing the potential of your personal profile can work wonders for your business.
1. Leveraging Your Personal Reach:
When it comes to reach, personal profiles have a significant advantage over business pages. Your posts on your personal page naturally gain more visibility without the need for costly advertisements. In contrast, Facebook business pages often require paid promotions to reach a substantial portion of their followers.
Imagine this: when you post to your personal page, your content can organically reach a large audience. On the flip side, if you rely solely on your business page, only about 2% of your followers will see your posts without ad spending. This discrepancy arises from Facebook's algorithm, designed to incentivize businesses to invest in ads.
However, by posting and interacting as a personal profile, you can significantly increase your organic reach without spending a dime. The key to maximizing this strategy lies in making strategic friend requests. Instead of adding old high school friends who may not be relevant to your business, focus on connecting with individuals who align with your target audience.
You might be thinking, "But isn't it against Facebook's rules to use a personal page for business?" Technically, yes. According to Facebook's rulebook, personal pages should not be used exclusively for business purposes. However, there's room for a balanced approach.
2. Balancing Personal and Business Content:
While you can't turn your personal page into a sales platform, you can use it to educate your community, showcase your expertise, and grow your brand. The key is finding the right blend of content. Alongside business-related posts like client success stories, blog previews, promotions, and Q&A sessions, mix in some personal content, such as hobbies and vacations.
Finding this balance is an art. Avoid oversharing personal details, and refrain from overwhelming your personal page with sales-oriented posts. The goal is to maintain a unified voice that speaks to both your community of clients and friends.
Remember, it's your personality that makes your brand unique, setting your services apart from others. Clients ultimately hire, pay, and trust a real person - you. Interestingly, your closest friends and family can often become your most fervent supporters on Facebook, helping you reach new leads.
3. Engaging in Facebook Groups as an Authority:
Facebook groups present a remarkable opportunity to engage with peers, partners, and potential clients. When you join a group, your posts and comments gain more visibility among group members compared to business page posts, thanks to Facebook's algorithm.
Engaging in groups as a person, rather than a business, establishes trust. Group members are seeking thoughtful answers and expertise, not advertisements. For instance, if you provide a valuable response to a group member's question, they may click on your name to explore your personal page, where they'll discover your useful business tips.
4. Utilizing Both Personal and Business Pages:
While harnessing the potential of your personal profile is valuable, it's also essential to maintain a Facebook business page. Here's why:
Insights: Business pages provide data about your followers, helping you understand when they're online and which posts receive the most engagement.
Advertising: You can invest in targeted ad campaigns, reaching a specific audience.
Tagging: Make it easy for partner businesses to tag you in their posts, increasing your visibility.
Scheduling: Plan and schedule posts in advance for efficient content management.
Outsourcing: If needed, you can outsource your business page management to a social media marketer.
Having a Facebook business page is crucial for when you're ready to invest in advertising. It ensures that you already have followers, a history, and valuable data to build upon, rather than starting from scratch.
It's not a matter of choosing between your personal or business page. The real power lies in using them in harmony. With a strategic approach, you can engage your audience effectively, leading to more leads, clients, partnerships, referrals, speaking opportunities, interviews, and overall success. Embrace this approach, and watch your Facebook presence soar to new heights!