Archive for January, 2009

I have been researching how to use Facebook for business, for the book I am finishing THIS WEEKEND (at least the first full draft of it, anyway), called You Hate to Market, and What to do About It.

If you’re already on Facebook, you know what it is and how addictive it can be.  If you already know your customers also use Facebook, you can use it to market your business for free.  Of course, since we know there’s no free lunch, “free” means that they will run ads next to your page; so if it’s okay with you that Oprah’s Acai diet advertises itself next to your business page, go for it.

Here’s the thing.  A lot of people who are savvy Facebook users have comingled their personal and business information on their Facebook Profile (Profile is the Facebook word for your personal Facebook page).  You don’t want to do that; search engines can’t see your Profile page; only your friends can.  Not to mention the weird mixing of the personal and business on one site; you might like to get more personal with your friends and more businesslike with your customers, but you can’t do that on your Profile.

The solution is to create a separate Facebook Page (Page is the Facebook word for your business page).  Go to Facebook and type Page into the search function.  It’ll tell you how to do it.  But before you do, go look at some other Pages, especially ones that people have put up who are in your same business.  And also make sure you can devote the time.

Having a Page for your business is an E Ticket (for those of you who went to Disneyland in the ’70s) to the wild amusement park that is social networking, with all its transparency and interactivity between your and your beloved clients.  Be sure you’re ready.

Tags: Facebook, Marketing, Social Networking, Web 2.0

I have coached three people in the last week who are starting up new businesses, but have not yet seen (made/generated) any revenue.  Their plans are in place, the demand is there, but no customers yet.

The first check from a real customer is crucially important when you’re starting up. I know this may be a big DUH for everyone else, but I really got how the First Money will change all three clients’ attitudes about their ventures.  They’ve done a lot of work to make sure the market is there and that they are charging the right prices, but nothing will confirm they’re on the right track like a paying customer.

So if you’re reading this, and you’re starting a new business, where can you get your First Money?  Sooner rather than later.

Tags: Marketing, Success

1. You can’t legally buy a list of names and emails and send your e-newsletter to the people on it.  Turns out you can’t buy “permission.”  A person has to give her permission specifically to you or your company, in order to email things to her.  Otherwise, it’s SPAM.  And we all know how much we detest SPAM.

2.  There is a website called Ning that will let you set up your own private social network.

More to follow after I figure out how to set up a social network around doing business plans.  I hope I’m not the only person who thinks this is the best idea ever.

Tags: Marketing, Ning, Social Networking