5 Top Tips to Build a Targeted Facebook Fan PageHave you ever asked yourself…
“SELF! In order to build my business on social media, should I…
- …use my personal Facebook profile?
- …start a Facebook ‘fan’ page instead?
- …skip those and use a Facebook group?
- …or do I need to use all of them at once?”
If you can relate, then this blog is for you!
Let’s face it, there are a LOT of opinions on the subject and different leaders use different strategies.
Some folks are wildly successful using pages, while others are masters of groups.
So today, I’m going to tell you what’s worked for my business, primarily through Facebook.
And I’ll also share what I’d do, if I were to start all over again today.
Now, before I provide my “official” recommendation, I’m going to break down the differences between the different methods of using Facebook, and how you would use each one specifically, starting with…
1. FACEBOOK PERSONAL PROFILE
Okay, so first let’s talk about the “pros and cons” of using your personal profile for business.
Obviously, when you set up your Facebook account, you start with a profile.
And a lot of people choose to promote and build their businesses on their profile.
Some PROS are…
- It’s technically a free strategy
- You can quickly get exposure from people who already know you
- If you already have a large network, it’s a great way for you to whip up some buzz around either a new business you’re starting, or a challenge you’re participating in
- It’s an easy way to get people who already know, like, and trust you to raise their hand and reach out and connect with you
- You can also quickly connect with people through private message
Basically, using your personal profile is a great way to get exposure – in the beginning – for free.
Personal profiles are also one of the best ways to build your personal brand.
Think about it, if you look at a lot of the top earners, they do NOT talk about their company.
They share their lifestyle!
By that I mean they share what they’re doing, what’s going on in their life.
They share what their audience want, which is either time freedom, financial freedom, travel, or going to events.
And they post things that inspire people.
That’s the kind of stuff that you want to put on your personal profile.
Even when you’re just starting out, it’s important you post this kind of stuff.
After all, if you want to attract prospective clients, you need to cultivate an attractive image!
Makes sense, right?
Now for a couple of CONS regarding using your personal profile.
Starting with the big one…
It’s not scalable!
Meaning you can’t take what you’re doing on your profile and add “gas” to it – such as paid advertising.
You also can’t walk away and expect things to happen.
You’re going to have to continue to do everything manually.
Sure, you might be able to automate and schedule your posts.
But that’s something you (or someone else) is going to have to consistently maintain.
It’s not going to be something that you can just add advertising to and get mass exposure from people who don’t already know, like, and trust you yet.
Here’s the one other con when it comes to your personal profile.
Your personal profile is not technically meant for business
So you need to be careful. Obviously, as the name suggests, it’s your Facebook personal profile.
It’s supposed to be a profile about you.
Now, if business is important to you, then it’s acceptable to share your lifestyle.
However, you must be careful about promoting your business.
It can get some people upset with you and you could risk getting your profile suspended for a period of time or worse still, completely shut down.
You’ve got to think about this kind of thing.
What I recommend, if I were to start again, is sharing…
- Your entrepreneurial lifestyle
- Networking events you’re attending
- Takeaway moments from trainings
I would not recommend promoting big, flashing images of promotions or discounts on products or services, or anything like that.
Use your personal profile to give people a chance to get to know you a little bit better.
Next up we’ve got…
2. FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGES
Okay, so what would be the reason for having a Facebook “fan” page or business page?
The Pros are that it’s…
- Specifically for business
- Meant to have non-personal fans and followers
- Intended for you to engage in transactions and commerce
That’s important!
Now, think about this: the downside of a personal profile is you’ve got potentially all your friends and family seeing your posts.
And they’re not necessarily going to be your top clients and potential business partners, right?
However, with a page, you can create targeted advertising to get the people who would be your best customers and your best teammates to see your offers.
Another major plus is that…
Facebook page traffic can scale!
So, when you create an ad campaign that’s working, you can reinvest whatever profit you generated from your ad and put it back into your advertising budget to get even more prospects, leads, and sales.
Your ads will automatically reach the best kind of people to buy your products and see your offers.
Think about it…
Facebook wants you to promote your offers on your page!
That’s a powerful thing.
The other thing that’s huge is you can have an unlimited number of fans.
Now for a “con”:
To build a foundational brand, you’ve got to use a long-term approach.
I hear this from a lot of people…
- “Hey, I’m doing Facebook Lives every day. I’m posting every day. I’ve got between 500–1,000 fans. Yet nobody is reacting to me!”
The mindset has to be that it’s going to be a long-term approach.
Your job is to build your audience
Your job is to grow and engage your fan base, give them value, and then promote to them through paid advertising.
Know that it is not going to be something that happens overnight.
A couple of other cons:
- You must “pay to play”
- You’ve got to do paid advertising to profit from building up your fan base
- There’s going to be a steep learning curve
The powerful thing, though, is that with any learning curve, the more you know, the more you do, the better you get and the more effective and natural it becomes.
Finally, let’s explore…
3. FACEBOOK GROUPS
Groups are hot right now.
Everyone’s talking about, “do I need to start a Facebook group?”
Well, here’s my recommendation…
It can’t hurt, right?
Don’t think of anything as a “do or die” situation.
Everything you do on social media is “enhancement”
I like to think of every strategy as a method to get more exposure and to connect with more people.
And Facebook groups are amazing for that.
Here’s a tip for getting started:
On your personal profile, let people know that you are starting a free Facebook group that’s going to revolve around providing value.
That’s the key—making the experience genuinely valuable.
Pros about Facebook groups:
- They’re free
- It’s a great way to interact with people
- You can create a tight-knit relationship with your audience
- Groups are amazing for building a sense of community
One of the things to consider is that you are going to have to be active in your group.
A group is largely dependent upon on how much you’re interacting with people, how much value you’re providing, and how much you’re giving away knowledge, versus posting offers or promotions.
It’s the people who over deliver on value who will create followers that eventually buy anything they offer or promote.
You need to be active daily.
You need to communicate with people daily.
Okay, so returning to our original question:
Should you use a profile, page, or group?
My suggestion is you do all three.
And here’s how I would do it:
First, set up a page and start growing your audience.
Then learn about advertising—it’s one of the quickest ways you can start seeing results.
And while you’re doing that, build your presence on your personal profile too.
Then, let people know that you’re launching a free Facebook group where you’re going to do regular training.
Your group will be an easier, free way to get people and prospects into your ecosystem so they can get to know you.
The neat thing is…
You can post similar things on all three of these spaces
Gradually, as you’re continuing to grow and build, you’ll notice that your personal profile turns into more of you just sharing your lifestyle.
Your page turns into what it’s meant to be for, which is your business.
And then your group is thriving because you’re constantly in there all the time, and you’re just pouring value on your people.
That’s what I recommend!
Now, if you’re brand new and not sure where to start…
Know that the only skills you truly need to master are the ability to grow an audience, engage that audience, and deliver relevant offers to that audience.
At first, it can feel daunting.
After all, to purchase traffic, you’ve got to spend your hard-earned money with no guaranteed return.
But with that said…
You can get started for as little as £5/$10!
In fact, with just £5/$10 and 10 minutes a day, you can create an entire “traffic ecosystem” that self-perpetuates, generates its own momentum, and becomes increasingly profitable with each additional penny you invest.
Emma Johnson
Business And Mindset Transformation Coach