A FaceBook badge is a rectangular box containing your FaceBook profile image, your last FaceBook status statement, and other information. Placing a badge on your web page or blog gives an opportunity for gaining friends from among your visitors. It’s easy to create one.

First, log into your FaceBook account and click on Profile. Scroll down the page, watching the left column. Near the bottom you’ll see a link that says “Create a Profile Badge.” It should be under your Friends box unless you have other things listed in your left column. When you click on that you’ll see a sample of the badge and the html code will appear in a box. You’ll also see choices for getting code for Blogger, MySpace, and TypePad.

You can edit your badge by clicking Edit on the top right of the page. The edit screen gives you several options: Your badge can be vertical or horizontal, then you can choose what features you want included in your badge. When you are finished click Save.

Copy the html code.

Add the badge as a widget in your WordPress blog. It will appear in the right column of most templates.

9. Click Save Changes.

Visit your blog and your badge should appear on the front page.

For the Resource Box choose the one that says RoseyDowFreeStuff.com

Technorati Tags: facebook badge, internet marketing, rosey dow, Social Networking, widgets

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Like many of you, I recently joined the Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn craze and it’s been great. I’ve re-connected with old friends from high school, college, and my fighter pilot days, and I’ve also met some very interesting people. And yes – like you, I can easily spend a few hours a day on these sites checking out profiles and looking at cool videos and photos.Last week, I was driving home from a lunch meeting and was thinking of who I needed to re-connect with. David Greenberg (a personal friend and one of the best speaker coaches I know) came to mind. And I did something crazy. I didn’t search for him on Facebook. Nor did I Tweet him a personal message. I didn’t even send him an e-mail. I actually called him on the phone, and believe it or not, he answered! We connected, shared some cool business ideas, and I hung up feeling great. Yes, I know I’m being a bit facetious here. But I have to say that if there is one thing that drives this wingman ‘wingnuts’ is when people abuse this whole social networking thing. In many ways, it’s gone from “Here’s what I’m doing” to “Here’s what I’m selling.” From “Let me connect you to” to “Let me sell you.”Well, I’ve got news for you, ye social networking gurus. If I don’t know you, I probably won’t buy from you. The reason I said ‘probably’ is because there are times when we will buy something from someone even if we don’t know them. If it has value and can help our business/life, then hey, it’s worth a look. And there’s nothing wrong with occasionally sharing our great product, seminar, or book with our contacts. Social networking sites are a tremendous way to expose our market to our value. But please, let’s not put our sales links and impersonal offers in EVERY POST we make on Twitter or Facebook!We need to be careful not to abuse the social networking sites and our connections. They are primarily for networking and making contacts, not direct sales. I believe our phone book should still remain our primary method for building and maintaining our relationships. One phone call equals 50 tweets and Facebook messages. Phone calls are great at building trust, and trust what a wingman is all about.So, here are some wingtips to augment your social networking efforts:1. Make it a priority to call a few of your special contacts every day. Do this first thing in the morning if able. These include your top clients, vendors, and yes, your friends.2. Use your phone judiciously. Before you head to the airport or Starbucks, make a list of a few wingmen to call while in your car or at the gate. 3. Give something of value to your contact on the phone (i.e. a referral.). Before you hang up, ask them this special question: “Is there anything I can help you with?”4. ** If you really want to connect with a new e-contact, research their website and call them. I guarantee they will be impressed…and shocked.In this high speed age of Twitter and text messaging where words on a screen are the norm, we need to hear each other’s voices. Voices incur emotion and emotion is what connects people. And when connections are made, trust is built and relationships develop. How people make you feel is what initially builds relationships, not the product they sell.So, if you want to be a Wingman – a trusted partner – to your network, don’t forget to reference your Phonebook in addition to Facebook when flight planning your next mission.NEVER FLY SOLO!

Technorati Tags: Business, facebook, Motivation, Networking, Phone, Sales, Social Networking

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While social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook may appear to be treasure troves for employers at first glance, they can actually prove to be hazardous to businesses when used for hiring decisions.

Employers and recruiters have uncovered what appears to be a gold mine of applicant information on the internet. By searching social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace for potential hires, recruiters feel they are effectively able to “get into an applicant’s head” and see a more accurate portrait of who that person is.

Unlike the traditional hiring tools such as team interviews, psychological testing, calling past employers, and background checks, social networking sites hold out the promise of revealing the “real applicant.” Statistics from various surveys, news articles, and anecdotal evidence confirm that there is an increased use of social networking sites to screen candidates.

Stories from recruiters show why these sites are so enticing.

One recruiter recounts how she had found “The Ideal Candidate” for a prestigious consulting firm. Then, just out of curiosity, she ran the applicant’s phone number on a search engine, and – wow! Up popped some rather explicit ads for discreet adult services that the applicant was apparently providing at night. Another recruiter tells the story of finding an applicant’s MySpace page, where the intern had demonized his firm, his boss and his coworkers in considerable detail and by name.

Here is the usual approach for a recruiter utilizing the internet to screen candidates. Search by name for the candidate. Refine the search by taking the applicant’s name and then adding the terms “Facebook” or “MySpace.” Next, a recruiter can go to MySpace and Facebook directly and see whether they find a site belonging to the applicant. Depending upon how a user chooses to set his or her own privacy settings, finding information on a social network site can be very hit or miss. Also, a recruiter can search a blog search engine, such as www.google.com/blogsearch. Business sites such as Zoominfo or LinkedIn can be run.

This article, however, examines why such an apparently easy to use and readily available tool has its dangers and drawbacks.

No Court Cases of Record Yet

At this point in the evolution of social networking, there are no published cases yet on point. Lawsuits take time to work their way through the courts until an appellate court is finally called upon to issue an opinion. However, it is all but certain that some day an employer will land in court being sued on allegations of discrimination or a violation of privacy for making use of a social networking site in the hiring process.

One reason that the use of social networking sites presents a risk stems from their original purpose. In the beginning, users intended to limit access to friends or members of their own network, arguably creating a reasonable expectation of privacy. It’s like a “cyber high school,” but instead of seeing your friends near your locker, you can see friends and make contacts all over the world. Younger workers in particular may well regard invading their social network sites in the same way older worker may regard someone that crashes a private dinner party uninvited – a tasteless act that violates privacy.

The conventional wisdom, however, is that anything online is fair game because any reasonable person must understand that the whole world has access to the internet.

When analyzing the privacy issues, an employer may want to take the “Las Vegas test.” Assume you are at a business meeting in Las Vegas, and at the end of the day you adjourn with professional colleagues to a cocktail lounge in the hotel lobby. Several drinks later, you engage in a very frank exchange about your employer or co-workers. You may be indiscrete or even act a little silly. How would you feel if a colleague took photos with a cell phone and sent them to everyone you knew, along with some of your more interesting comments? Technically, you were “in public” – in a public cocktail lounge. True, but most people would still call it an invasion of privacy. This is based on an objective belief founded on broadly based and widely accepted community norms that what goes on in a private conversation should not be seen by the entire world, even if it occurred in a public venue where anyone could have seen or heard.

For many young workers today, social networking sites are the equivalent of that Las Vegas cocktail lounge!

Even though they communicate and share photos in a forum that can be public, there is sense that what goes on in MySpace or Facebook stays there and should stay there. This argument is buttressed by the fact that in order to enter some social networking sites, a user must agree to “terms of use” and to get details of another site member, the new user must set up their own account. Additionally, these types of websites have “terms of use” typically do not allow “commercial” uses, which can include screening candidates. Since a user must jump through some hoops, it can be argued that there is an expectation that the whole world won’t be privy to confidential information.

On the other hand, a recruiter can argue that the routine “terms of use language” where someone simply hits the “I agree” button is not much of a privacy barrier. In addition, if an applicant fails to utilize the privacy controls provided by the website, that undercuts any reasonable belief that what was on the website would remain confidential.

This Issue Far From Being Settled

The bottom line is that the question of whether an applicant has a reasonable expectation of privacy can depend upon the specific facts of the case being litigated, and the issue is far from settled. Frankly, it could be decided either way.

That is why recruiters should not simply assume that anything on the web is fair game.

One area where an employer or recruiter would be flirting with particular trouble is if information from Facebook or MySpace is obtained by manipulating the sites. This could be done by creating multiple identities or by using “pretexting,” which can include pretending to be someone else or something you are not. For example, Facebook allows greater access into sites within your own network. If a recruiter were to violate Facebook rules and create fake identities just to join a network belonging to an applicant, that would likely cross over into the realm of employer behavior that is overly intrusive and invades too deeply into private matters.

Off-duty conduct is another tricky area. Some states have prohibitions limiting use of private behavior for employment decisions. However, employers do have broader discretion if such behavior would damage a company, hurt business interests, or be inconsistent with business needs.

Is It Discrimination?

Discrimination can also become a substantial issue. A candidate may say or depict all sorts of things that reflect race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, medical condition, disability (including AIDS), marital status, sex (including pregnancy), sexual preference, age (40+), or other facts an employer may not consider under federal law or state law.

This can give rise to the problem of “Too Much Information,” also popularly referred to as “TMI.” The employer’s own search of these sites can make an employer knowledgeable of factors that should NOT be considered for employment purposes. The issue then becomes: “How do you unring the bell?” How do you prove that you didn’t use the information you found as part of your hiring decision?

A related issue is whether a firm is treating all applicants in a similar fashion. If recruiters or human resource staffers are performing internet searches on a hit or miss basis, with no written policy or standard approach, an applicant that is subject to adverse action as a result of such a search can potentially claim to be a victim of discrimination. Also problematic is that on social network sites, a recruiter may view photos, personal data, discussion of personal issues and political beliefs, behavior at parties, and other information that an applicant may not have intended for the world to see. Employers may have to consider whether what a person says on their site is true, and if true, whether it would be a valid predictor of job performance – if fact, whether it would be employment related at all. After all, people have been known to exaggerate or make things up. They may believe they are just having fun or spoofing their friends.

Or if a site shows, for example, that an applicant has a tattoo or a piercing, what then? Employers may need to ask themselves whether having a tattoo is really a good reason not to hire someone.

Employers that hire younger workers may need to come to grips with new generational differences.

One rule to remember: If a website is searched by a background screening firm on behalf of an employer, then consent and certain disclosures is mandated under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). What’s REAL on the Internet?In addition, how do you know what is “real” on the internet? How do you know that the “name” you found is your applicant? You don’t. With more than 300 million Americans today, most of us have “computer twins” (i.e. people with our names and even a similar date of birth). There is also the question of how does a recruiter even know for sure the applicant actually wrote the item or authorized its posting? How doe the recruiter know if its even true, or just a matter of someone being silly with their friend?

There are anecdotes on the internet of false postings under another person’s name – a sort of “cyber identity theft.” If anonymous information is posted, such as in a chat room, there is the new phenomena of Cyperslamming, where a person can commit defamation without anyone knowing who they are.

What Are the Lessons for Employers and Recruiters?

For job applicants, the advice is simple: Don’t be the last to know what a web search about you would reveal.

If you do not want employers looking at your social networking site, then set the privacy parameter to “restricted use only.” As a savvy applicant, you can even go on the offense and create an online presence that helps you get a job!

Technorati Tags: Background, Background Checks, Background Report, Checks, Criminal, Criminal History, Criminal Records, Employment, Employment Screening, facebook, Myspace, Pre-employment Screening, Screening, Social Networking

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Everyone is talking about social networking, and many claim social networking to be the panacea for all of your marketing ills. Marketing on social networking sites like Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter can help you increase the size of your email list and help you grow your business. The key to success with this strategy is making sure that members of your target market are in your network.

Facebook is very strict and very particular about how its participants contact each other. Facebook limits the number of new invitations that can be sent in a given day or week. The exact number is a Facebook secret and unknown to the public, but if you exceed this secret amount you can get booted from Facebook. However, I think if you stick with no more than 10 per day, you will probably stay within their limits. Secondly, you are permitted only 5000 friends in Facebook, so if you’re successful in this strategy, you may ultimately need to create a waiting list of friends.

How do you find your target market in Facebook? Whether you’re an experienced social networker or just a newbie, here are 10 secrets to growing your target market network in Facebook:

1. Update-to-date profile and/or Fan page: Before you begin a “friending” (i.e. request to become another’s friend), be sure that your profile is up-to-date with an accurate description of what you do, your interests, and your contact info, including your web site URLs. If you have multiple businesses, invite people in your appropriate target market to become fans of your niche-specific fan page.

2. Follow the gurus. Follow leaders in your field/industry and “friend” them. Anytime you make a friend request, include a personal note, as that will increase the likelihood that they will accept your request. Say something like, “I’m a big fan and have been on your ezine/blog list for several years. I’d love to have you in my network in Facebook.” Once they have accepted your invitation, make comments about their status updates to help you get on their radar and in front of their networks.

3. Friends of friends. Take a look at the people in the network of your industry leaders, as they are probably part of your target market as well, and send friend requests to those of interest to you. When you friend someone that you only know by association, send a personal note as well, like “I discovered your profile in ’s network and would like to get to know you batter by adding you to my network.”

4. Use groups. Look for groups that may contain your target market. In your search for groups, use keywords that describe your niche, your industry, your geographic area, the interests of your target market, or whatever other terms you might use to find members of your target market. Join and begin to participate in the group so that they begin to get to know you. Then peruse the member lists for good prospects, sic as the members you’ve connected with or have gotten to know. Since you won’t be able to view the profiles of the group members because they aren’t in your network, much of your decision-making about whom to friend may be based upon appearance or how you might be connected to them via other friends in your network.

5. Check your own lists. Friend people that you already know from your high school, college, alumni associations, and places of employment if they fall within your target market definition.

6. Facebook-recommended friends. Facebook typically recommends friends based on your current friends list when you log into your profile. I’ve found these recommendations to be pretty solid. Take them up on their recommendation and add those folks to your network.

7. Add by interest or industry. Do a people search by job title, industry, geographic location, or interest. Those people with those terms in their profile will show up in your search, and you can request to add them based on common interests.

8. Build the relationship. Once you friend someone, you need to begin to get to know them and start them on the like, know and trust journey so that you become their top-of-mind expert in a particular area. Begin building the relationship by posting a quick “thank you” note on their wall, as well as a comment about something on their profile that interests you or in which you have in common. Watch for their status updates, as well, and comment on these when appropriate.

9. Create a group. Once you’ve got about 500 followers, create a group for your target market. Provide the group with useful content and and ask questions to stimulate discussion and get the members to return to participate in the group. You can post articles, links to blog posts, or videos you have created. Invite group members to any free virtual or face-to-face events you’re hosting.

10. Integrate into your plan. No marketing strategy works unless you consistently implement it over time. As a newbie to Facebook, you might want to spend as much as 60 minutes per day researching friends and participating in groups. As your network grows, you many spend only 15 minutes 3 times per week on Facebook. The key to success is to put this strategy on your calendar and make it a routine part of your ongoing Internet marketing tasks.

While social networking is an inexpensive marketing tool and can be effective in helping you grow your business, maintain your other marketing strategies, as well, and simply add this strategy to your marketing mix. A well-rounded Internet marketing plan that includes social networking and is implemented consistently will mean that your prospect well will never run dry.

Technorati Tags: Donna Gunter, facebook, friending, Friends, get more clients online, Onlinebizu.com, Social Networking, target market

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There are a growing number of social media sites being used by businesses in their company marketing efforts. The secret to using social media effectively is not to be everywhere, but instead to have an online presence where your current and prospective customers are online. Contrary to what many believe- Facebook is not just for college students or for personal use. Facebook is increasingly being used by companies in many creative ways such as to build their brand image, to drive traffic to their website and blogs, to announce or get feedback on new products, manage their online reputation, attract employees, communicate company information, and as a means to intercept potential prospects. For many companies, this increased company communication is leading to enhanced relationships with current and prospective customers. In this article, I will outline how a planned internet marketing approach can lead to positive results for your business. I will begin the article by addressing a few common misperceptions about Facebook that I hear most frequently from my clients. Next, I will detail how to use and set up the various sections of a Facebook account.  I will conclude with several recommended applications that will add functionality to your company Facebook page.

Common misperception #1: Facebook is only for personal use Each time I give presentations on using social networking sites for business there is the perception in the audience that Facebook is only useful for communicating with friends and family. Facebook started as a closed community for college students, and has not been as effective as Linkedin at highlighting the business page and advertising features. However, Facebook continues to grow in use by companies looking to reach the more than 200 million active users, and has very powerful and targeted demographic tools that help companies to hone in on their target market.

Common misperception #2: Facebook is only for college students According to the Facebook Press Room page, there are more than 200 million active users on Facebook and a million new members are joining each week in the U.S. alone. Contrary to what many of my audiences believe- more than two-thirds of Facebook users are not in college. According to comscore.com, more than 50% of Facebook’s users in the U.S. are over 35; the single biggest age demographic in the U.S. on Facebook is now between 35 and 44, and Facebook’s fastest growing age group is 55 and older. They also reported that Facebook ranks as the top social networking site in the majority of European countries.

Common misperception #3: I am too busy for this, and besides-it is not worth my time Some of the reasons why social networking sites like Facebook are increasingly being used by companies is because they provide businesses the opportunity to easily and efficiently communicate regularly with the people in their network. Networks can include people with whom they are currently doing business, people whom they would like to do business, vendors, and potential business partners. Social networking sites like Facebook are serving as an adjunct to, and in some cases, replacement for, traditional means of communication such as newsletters and direct mail. Facebook can be used to regularly announce or get feedback on new products, spotlight new employees or existing employees accomplishments or talents, reward customer loyalty, promote special events and special offers, as well as to create partnerships. According to a Forrester Research interactive marketing online research survey (March 2009): “40% of companies surveyed expect to cut direct mail budgets, while 35% will decrease newspaper spend, and 28% will slash magazine money in order to spend more in interactive media.” Some companies have reported that by using these online means of communication they have reduced their marketing budget while at the same time increasing sales.

Why Social Networking works: What companies that use social networking sites are finding is that these sites allow them to more regularly communicate with people, vendors, clients, colleagues, and prospects, which, in turn, helps business understand their customers needs better, increase trust, and therefore build better business relationships. Most people know that Facebook has been helpful as a tool for connecting or re-connecting with friends, family and co-workers. And most understand that even the personal connections have the potential to become new business opportunities-so it makes sense that Facebook can be used to communicate with those in the business milieu.

How to Set Up a Facebook Profile: To make use of Facebook you need to set up an account.  After registering you need to do the following in order of importance:

1. Create a Profile In order to begin to use Facebook you must create a profile detailing information about yourself. Based on site policies, you can create only 1 profile, and it must be tied to a human name, preferably your real name, not a business name. We will review setting up your business page later in this article, but first you must set up your personal profile. If you are a married female, use your maiden and married names so more people can find you. Facebook has a “Friend Finder” feature that allows users to search for people by school, company, or organization. In order for people to find you –you must so be sure to list all of your previous schools, organizations, employers, in your profile. Thoroughly complete the “About Me” section to describe your business and what services or products you offer. In the “Information” box on your profile page, you need to include links to your website address, newsletter, blog and other business information such as your company contact information, logo and a photo of yourself. Your profile page should be considered your “branding” page or your marketing campaign. If you are working for a company-you don’t have to list all your personal interests-just limit your entry to listing your professional interests. You can syndicate your blog on your profile page. By doing this you are enabling any post that you make to automatically appear on your profile page and all of those people who are connected to you will see it.

2. Build Your Contact List Facebook was created based on the concept of connecting with friends. You can send and receive “friend requests” and once accepted, your friend can view your profile and you can view theirs. To begin connecting with people that you know, you can either import your address book/ contact database, or you can also search Facebook for individual people. You can also view the friends list of each person with whom you are connected. If you know any of your new friend’s connections, or you would like to know them-you can send a connection request. You can grow your friend list by inviting all your clients, business associates, customers, family, friends, co-workers, school alumni, neighbors, and anyone else you think would be interested in connecting. I would suggest also using the search feature on Facebook to look up people with whom you have lost contact. After friending-your profile will show up on all your friends’ pages.  Therefore, the more friends you have- the more pages your profile will appear-leading to more people who will see your page and possibly get in touch with you.

3. Communicate by using Wall Posts Each Facebook member has a “wall” where friends can post messages. In the business networking world, this is the online equivalent of calling them on the phone. You can send a complement to a colleague on their work by writing this on their wall, comment on their new service or product offering, or communicate an upcoming training or networking opportunity.

4. Update Your Status At the top of your Facebook page is a status box. When you post a status update, everyone in your friends list can see your update on their home page.  For business owners, this is the place to share tips, promote events, post blog updates, announce new products, links to your affiliate programs, links to interesting video or audio presentations, websites, articles, and newsletters.You can add updates as often as you are able in the ” What’s on you mind?” box. These will appear on all of your friends’ pages so ensure that they are meant for everyone on your friend list, and are professional in nature. Otherwise, you risk people removing you from their list.

5. Participate in Groups Online groups allow you to network virtually with potential clients and peers. You can also join Groups on Facebook that are related to your work. There are groups for therapist, teachers, coaches, and every conceivable profession. You can network, and learn from experts in the field. Another way to maximize the potential and relevance of these groups is to start one of your own. There is no cost to do this and this is a great way to improve your company’s visibility. For example, I started a group for mental health facility administrators in Boston. This group is now a resource for sharing best practices and may over time lead to mutual referral relationships. To access groups, start from your Facebook home page, view the list of applications and click on “Groups.” You can browse through thousands of groups by area of interest, by industry and geography. There are an incredibly varied selection of topics and professions all over the map.

6. Build Your Friends List For business purposes, it makes sense to have as many friends as possible. One way to do this is to join a group and send connection requests to fellow members with a note letting them know of your interest in connecting with them on Facebook. Just as you would with an in-person business introduction, be sure to check out their profile and learn about what they are currently doing. Networking always works best when there is a two-way exchange. Find ways you can be helpful to them such as introducing them to a colleague or potential business partner and they may likely reciprocate and return the favor. Also, create your own events page, or post on the Facebook “Events page.” You can even see how many RSVP and get feedback from attendees.

7. Create Fan Pages Because Facebook requires that a profile be designated to a person, not a business, they have instead provided the ability to create fan pages. You can create a fan page for a business, book, product, author, speaker, celebrity or just about anything else you want. To create a fan page, scroll all the way down to the bottom of Facebook and click on “Advertising” (don’t worry, this is free to set-up). Next, click on “Pages” at the top of the screen. You will find some helpful explanations about how pages work, along with the link that will allow you to create your own fan page. Once your page is created you can add links, events, discussion boards and other features that make them interactive. Your updates from your fan pages will appear on your profile so your friends will know about them. You can invite people to become a “fan” of your page as an alternative to sending friend requests which will help you to further cultivate an online community

8. Use the Marketplace Facebook has an online marketplace that allows you to list your services and products at no cost. This is a great way for you or your company to get exposure. You can also use the marketplace to find items or services that you need.

How To Set Up a Business Page on Facebook Setting up a business page is easy. Just log in to your profile page and scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Then click on “Advertising” or by following this link: http://www.facebook.com/business/. That will bring up a page with the blue links one of which is called “Pages.” Click on Pages, and then click on the green “Create a Page” box on the right of the screen. You can now start filling this information in to create and customize your business page. After you create your business page, Facebook will automatically add an application called the “Page Manager” which should be located on the top and left side of your log. Again choose Facebook Pages, then choose the best category for your business. Click this link to load your business page where you can then edit and add to the existing content. It is important that you choose the name of your Facebook page carefully because the page name will become your key word search terms, and is the only text that is used in a search on a Facebook page. Once your page is in place, you can add applications that help to enhance how you represent your company in your own unique way. To find applications for Facebook, click on “Applications” in the upper left corner of your page, or search for them at this link: http://www.facebook.com/apps/. Applications are fairly easy to install and to set up. If you have difficulty with any one application-please note that there is often more than one application available to accomplish the same task.

Facebook Applications for Business: Simply RSS : This allows you to display up to eight RSS feeds on your Facebook page and display the feeds from your business’s main site and newsrooms. Upcoming: Add all of your events to upcoming.org, and you can easily display them on your Facebook page with Upcoming’s Facebook application.My Flickr: Display photos from your Flickr account using this application. These photos can include logos, product photos, photos from events, etc.Posted Items Pro: Allows you to embed multiple YouTube, Yahoo, and Google Videos, music mp3s, sites, files, and more onto your profile and Facebook pages. You can add any variety of these elements, making it great for a media center or press section. Twitter APP: If you have a Twitter account this application will automatically pull your tweets into your Facebook status, and it automatically installs a Twitter-themed icon letting all you friends on Facebook know that you are on Twitter. It also saves you time in updating and ensures that you have some profile activity to keep you relevant. If you are not on Twitter yet-you can add this at any time. By implementing these applications you will be creating an interactive page that gives visitors a more complete understanding of your business.

Make the Time to Stay Relevant In order to stay relevant on Facebook, you need to continually update your Page and use the site. If you do not have the time needed to do this consistently- then I would suggest you hire a copywriter or social media consultant to help. The more actions you take, the more you appear in a fan’s News Feed. This keeps you in their mind, and in their friend’s feeds when they interact with you. But updating content will do more than keep you on the News Feed; it will also help make your Facebook Page one that people will return to by offering fans an incentive to continue to read your content and return to your page. There are many ways to do this such as providing exclusive content, special promotional pricing, exclusive contests, product previews, or privileged access to company events. I hope this information has been helpful to you in getting started in using Facebook. Make no mistake about it-social networking is not a passing fad. Facebook, and other social media sites are here to stay. So regardless of whether you make use of all the social networking sites- you cannot discount the recent research indicating that customers are increasingly going online to gather company and product information, compare prices, and place orders. As with any new technology social networking will take time and effort for businesses to fully benefit from it; however, it is my belief that this time and effort, if done consistently and in a planned, thoughtful manner, will be time well spent.

Technorati Tags: Accelerated Business Services, Build Relationships, Facebook For Business, Grow My Business, How To, internet marketing, Optimize Content, Promotions, Relationships With Customers, Social Networking, Social Neworks

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