As a business person, should you be on sites like Facebook and LinkedIn and what is the best use of these sites?
I get asked a lot by self employed individuals or even small business owners, if they should be on these sites. The answer is absolutely YES. It’s not just the kids who are on those sites anymore, the demographic is very broad now-a-days.
You have to think strategically about how you’re going to use these websites. For instance, I have a LinkedIn profile where my connections are my clients and business contacts I have made. I toil around in the forums, answering questions and establishing myself as an expert, which helps me get credibility and find more connections. I have received business as a direct result of this.
On Facebook, I have two profiles. One is for personal use, and consists of my close friends and family. My other profile is strictly for business, utilized in the same way as LinkedIn. I can keep my clients informed of what hot new thing might be out on the web, what stage I am at on their website, and just in general keep in touch, in a friendly manner. I believe clients like to see a “fun” side of you, it helps with rapor. You do have to be careful about what you post – Everything you put up on the web is there to stay.
I learned the hard way – I originally put up a Facebook profile a few years ago, added my friends, family and new people along the way. Eventually clients and business contacts began sending friend requests, and I accepted them. Fast forward and I could see potential problems with clients seeing personal information and messages intended for friends or family. So, I had to remove about 400 people and create a business profile. Always keep the two seperate.