Use Facebook to Build Your Biz
Posted: Tuesday, February 09, 2010
by Natalie Bradley
Natalie Bradley Events
Using Facebook to reach more brides and vendors is a great way to market wisely, build relationships, and get your name out there in a really big way! It's a delicate mix of using your personal profile and a fan page for your business to attract more brides. So, let's get to it!
Your personal profile should be just that! Many accounts are getting shut down all over Facebook because in the tiny print of the rules and regulations of Facebook, you are only allowed to use it for personal info, not business. So this means that it should not be your business name, or your name with your business combined...only your name! Don't get shut down!! Now you do want to have a personal profile to begin with, because this does enable you to further your relationship building through Facebook AND this allows you to enhance your fan page more to come on that!
Naming Your Facebook Fan Page is also KEY! Because the search engines scan those Fan Pages, it's a good idea to also name your page wisely. For instance, we have two Fan Pages, one for each area of focus in our businesses.
"Bride Attraction-Marketing to Brides" is one. I wanted the search engines to see Bride Attraction and Marketing to Brides because they're equally important, so I combined the two! For our wedding planning fan page, we did something similar and named that one "Natalie Bradley Events-Wedding Planning and Design for the DIY Bride," touching on all aspects of what I wanted the search engines to pick up! I'd highly advise that you do the same.
Moving and Shaking with Your Fan Page! To really start building your fan page following and maximize your efforts, it's wise to suggest your page to friends (from your Personal profile) regularly. This is why it's important to also have a Personal profile to pull from. If you're just waiting and hoping that people will find you on Facebook and become a fan, you'll be waiting for a long time to see results that you'll be happy with!
Our Facebook interns invite 20-25 fans weekly on both sites to continually build our page. You are not allowed to invite more than this, or you may be inactivated on your Facebook account (to prevent spammers) or your account may seem to freeze up constantly. Either way - not so fun! Now this is where it gets really cool not only does this build our fan numbers quickly, but this also will pop up on the right- hand side of your friends' friends as suggestions because so many people are "fanning" your page! Isn't this fun?
When you approach Facebook this way, it becomes more of a game! : ) Link your blog to your Fan Page! Using an application on Facebook called "Networked Blogs," you can register your blog on Facebook and sync it up to have a constant RSS feed into your Fan Page. So, again, I don't have time to double my work, so I like to maximize everything I do and I'd suggest you do that too! So, every time you post a new blog entry, a few hours later you will have this feed appearing on your fan page.
Send updates to fans with new events, promotions, and other important info! Regularly, it's wise to update your fans with new events, like bridal shows, boutique bridal events, tele-classes, workshop, and more! They will be more connected with what you're up to AND be more likely to book your services as a result!
Your Bride Attraction Assignment To get started with your Fan Page after you start your personal profile, go to either of our fan pages above, and you'll find a link in the lower left corner to create a page for your business. Click this link and it will walk you through the process. The beauty of creating your page with Facebook is also that you can create it from the back-end before making it public, so it gives you time to really "beef" up your content and make it attractive before you start suggesting to friends with zero info and appeal for them to fan you!
Then, simply be yourself and offer a lot of great information, knowledge and virtual friendship - just like you do with your e-zine!
2008-2010 Soire! Ltd.
Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement: Event Planning entrepreneur Natalie Bradley publishes the "Bride Attraction" weekly e-zine. Get your F*REE audio course: "5 Ways to Recession-Proof Your Wedding Business...Starting Today!l" at www.BrideAttraction.com
Many of our events illustrating fantastic event design and well-orchestrated weddings have been published in reputable magazines including Inside Weddings, Modern Bride Atlanta, The Knot Georgia, Lake Oconee Living, Weddings with Style, Brides.com Blog and Southern Distinction. From 2003-2007, Natalie penned the entertaining column for Southern Distinction magazine and has been the "lifestyle expert" on Georgia Living TV and Holiday Home. In addition, Natalie has been a special guest on BB Webb's Living Life with Style TV show as well as being featured on Elizabeth Dalton's and Barbara Dooley's radio shows! Natalie has planned, designed and most recently chaired the very successful Girls and Guys' Night Out Hope Haven fundraiser for the last three years, and is the President Emeritus for Athens Wedding Professionals.
We have worked with dozens and dozens of brides, grooms, hosts and families to create their dream weddings and other extraordinary events. Now, let me help you become a fabulous wedding professional too!
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