Can You Use Your Personal Facebook For Business? // There are very tough rules when it comes to using Facebook for Business, but that doesnt mean you shouldn’t make your personal profile look professional.
Let’s explore the difference between a Profile, Pages, and Groups.
Personal Facebook Profiles
When you first create an account with Facebook, you will be prompted to create a profile. Ideally, this is your personal profile and not your Facebook for Business.
The profile should be your personal details. If you want to create a facebook for business profile, you can. Although you must have only one or the other. Facebook guidelines indicate that a user should only have one profile. (Add me as a friend)
The features of your profile include:
Connecting with friends
Invite friends and maintain a friends list
Share content with friends only, friends of friends, public and only me.
- No advertising options
- Limited to 5000 friends
- Anyone can follow your profile
- Create multiple pages and groups.
Personal profiles are great to share information with family and friends, inspire others and keep up to date with the latest news. However, I suggest that you check your privacy settings and make
sure your content is secure.
Once you have created your profile you may wish to create a business page. Use a business page to showcase your business, product, and services.
Facebook Business Pages
When creating your business page aka a Facebook for Business, Facebook will give you a number of options which include, the following:
You can use a Local Business, Company, Product, Celebrity, Cause or Community, Entertainment or Public Profile. Most of us we will use Local Business and Company. However, some people like to brand themselves. A Public Profile is a great way to take connections from your personal profile and introduce them to your public profile.
A Business page regardless of the type will allow you to:
- Have an official presence for your business or brand
- Administration of the page can be shared with staff members and have limited roles
- Attract likes not friends (unlimited likes)
- Anybody can view your page and like it
- Access the insights and check your analytics
- Boost posts
- Advertising campaigns
Facebook business pages have suffered recently with the Facebook algorithm. In essence, Facebook wants the business owner to pay for ads to get their reach within their community. Albeit Facebook is a strong platform that will give your business maximum exposure for little cost. Facebook will maximize your return on your investment if you create a strategy for success.
Business pages are great to build relationships with potential clients and communicate with existing clients through content sharing.
Create brand awareness and use Facebook live to showcase exactly what and how you operate.
Facebook Groups
Let’s look at the power of having groups. Groups can be used for forums, training, specific events, causes and so much more. Many of my clients use groups to have a private audience and give extreme value while creating a community and not dedicated as a Facebook for Business.
When creating a group you should be clear on the reason to use it. Some like to have their group settings to private, so they won’t be found by other Facebook users and restrict joining. Others like to have their groups public and encourage joining to be a part of their community.
When you have created a group the functions include:
- Advertising and sharing content.
- Files upload and discussions
- Members do not have to be friends
- Only a profile can join a group, not a business page.
- Groups can be open, closed or secret.
- Search for specific posts
I love the power of groups. Groups are for like minded people sharing information. If it’s in line with your business and product you can share content and gain likes and awareness. I suggest you find groups that contain your target market. Find out how you can assist the group, share content and even your facebook live videos. You’ll find hundreds and thousands of groups that will benefit your business. Also, consider starting your own group and build a strong community around your business.
