USING FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS

by Kathy Reiffenstein

I have a love/hate affair with Facebook. I never know what to post because I never know who I'm really talking to. I originally signed up to use it as a fun way to stay in touch with friends and family I didn't see very often. And then some of my business colleagues started friending me and suddenly my business and personal contacts were intertwined.

While it's OK to share a few personal details with business associates, I'm fairly certain that my business colleagues and clients don't care that I just found a terrific new orchid that I'm dying to have, but my gardening friends sure do. And I don't know that I want my business associates to know I'm an avid Farmville player. Similarly, my friends and family don't particularly want to know about the latest article in my industry magazine on presentation skills.

I started to feel like I had a split personality. What's a businesswoman, concerned about managing her branding and professional visibility, to do??

After talking to colleagues, doing some research and observing how other small businesses are handling Facebook, here are some "best practices" I've come up with to help me most effectively use Facebook as a business tool (and not split myself in two!).

• Get a Facebook Business Page. This is a separate page that can be set up in the name of your business where you can invite business colleagues to "like" the page [works much like becoming a friend]. You can then dedicate your posts to information and comments that are relevant to your business, whether it's an update about what you're working on, an article or event of interest or some information about the products or services you offer.

• If both business colleagues and personal friends do have access to your regular Facebook profile, then discretion in what you post is critical. Be careful with personal pictures, inappropriate language and controversial or political opinions. Get familiar with the privacy settings that Facebook allows and use them as necessary.

• Make sure your avatar [the picture you upload that accompanies every post you make] looks professional. Wear business attire that is consistent with your personal branding.

• Get a personal URL so colleagues and clients can find you.

• Post links on your profile to your business website and any blogs or newsletters you publish.

• Before you post something to your wall, ask yourself: "Is this going to provide value to my business colleagues and clients?" Look for informative articles, links and videos to post instead of constantly promoting your own products and services.

• Add your Facebook URL to your e-mail signature line.

Bottom line...Facebook is a social media tool, so by all means, be social and use it to connect with current and potential business colleagues and clients. But do so professionally, with style and concern for your personal brand.

THE SKILL OF NETWORKING

by Kathy Reiffenstein

Networking is about far more than collecting business cards. Rather, it is a business strategy which can position you as a savvy, connected professional and open doors you didn't even know were there.

And, as with any strategy, flawless implementation is the key to success.

The benefits of strategic networking are many:

• uncovering the "hidden" job market -- positions that may not be advertised but are available when the right person comes along

• developing a group of contacts who can be resources to you for a variety of needs and in turn, positioning yourself as the "go-to" person for others' needs

• meeting interesting people

• discovering new business opportunities

• advancing your career

• developing mutually beneficial relationships

NETWORKING BEST PRACTICES

As with any activity, the more effectively you do it, the more likely it is to produce the desired results. Since networking certainly requires an investment of time [as if you didn't already have an over-crowded schedule!], it makes sense to fine tune your skills in this area.

• Establish your networking goals. What is it you want and need to accomplish by developing or expanding a professional network? In the list above, some items will be more relevant to you than others. Perhaps you want to uncover an exciting and fulfilling volunteer opportunity that will utilise your skills; perhaps you want to find a mentor who can provide support as you climb the corporate ladder; perhaps you are looking for a strategic partner for your new business idea; perhaps you're looking for contacts in an organisation you'd like to work for or do business with. Spend some time to determine what's important to you.

• Being clear about your networking goals will help you choose the appropriate types of networking events, activities and groups to invest your time in. If, for example, you are looking for a mentor, you wouldn't choose an event where most of the attendees are less experienced than you.

• Develop and polish your "elevator speech" -- the answer to the question, "What do you do?" You want it to be crisp, articulate and encourage the questioner to say, "Tell me more." [We'll cover elevator speeches in more detail in a subsequent post].
  

• Smile, make eye contact and generally behave like someone who would be fun and interesting to get to know. Even if you're naturally shy with people you don't know, being clear on what you want to accomplish and what you're going to say about yourself will go a long way to making you more comfortable.

• Be able to clearly explain what you're looking for when someone asks you, "How can I help you?" Most people you meet will be happy to introduce you to one of their contacts or suggest a resource which may be of use to you. But if they don't understand what you want, it will be more difficult for them to be helpful. So plan ahead and be ready to communicate your needs when asked.

• And most importantly -- look for what you can offer others you interact with. One of the major keys to networking success is being generous and looking for opportunities to help others, whether it's with information, an introduction or just an empathetic ear.

Luckily we women are good at building relationships, which is the foundation of good networking. Improving your skills in this area can help ensure that you take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself.

In our busy, connected world of today, it's not so much what you know, but who you know...and maybe even more importantly, who knows you.