When I was young and visiting my Grandparents at the family funeral home – Egan Funeral Home in Bolton, Ontario – I would spend a lot of time with him walking into town, going to the post office and running other errands. I was always amazed about how many people knew him and that he knew them. His success – just like other past generation Funeral Directors – could be attributed to being a helpful member of community, whether professionally or in other activities. They knew, they liked him, and when they needed his services, they could trust him.

Since life is different nowadays and there are a lot less people in the “social hubs” than there was 50 years ago, it doesn’t mean that you have to go to the same places that Gramps hung out – he was where the people were. You should apply the same philosophy – Go To Where The People in Your Community Are!

Now, I’m not saying quit all of the groups that you are currently involved with – but you should take some quick inventory on your time invested vs. the exposure and reach that you get.

If you think that I am just pushing this Facebook stuff on you because I am a bit of a techie – you’re wrong. I’m trying to tell you that it is probably one of the biggest networks in your town and you need to be there!

Do you know how many people in your market are on Facebook? Would you be surprised that I could tell you exactly how many to the individual, gender, age? It’s easy to find out – and also you can advertise so directly it would blow you away!

But before we get into my Funeral – Facebook Formula, you have to make sure that you have the basic foundation of Facebook Profiles and Pages. So we are going to build off of the 7 Mistakes Funeral Directors make with Facebook article, I want to outline what the Best Practices are for Funeral Directors for using Facebook.

The purpose of this “Best Practices” is to cut through all of the noise and give you the straight goods and short-cut the learning process for you as I teach you to nurture your online relationships to build your community, increase your credibility and visibility because people want to do business with people that they Know, Like, and Trust – Facebook can help you achieve that!

I don’t want Facebook to be a new time-waster although I must warn you: if you are new to Facebook, it is easy to get sucked in, connecting with old friends, checking photos, playing games, taking quizzes, etc. Anyway, after the initial rush wears off, it will be back to business – relationship building business that is!

Before we get into the Nuts & Bolts, we need to know the difference between Profiles and Pages.

Facebook Profile Pros

* You can have one-on-one interaction
* You create a feeling of a more personal connection
* You gain “perceived” credibility with more Friends
* Your Friends can message you (pro from their perspective)
* You can be Tagged in photos and videos and appear automatically (sometimes good)

Facebook Profile Cons

* You need to have mutual agreement for friending
* People must be Facebook members and logged in to view
* You can’t message all friends at once or you could get banned
* You are limited to 5,000 friends
* You could get inundated with messages in your Inbox
* You can be Tagged in photos and videos and appear automatically (sometimes bad)

Facebook Fan Page Pros

* You can have an unlimited number of fans
* You have the ability to message an entire group
* Your page can be accessed by the public (no Facebook login required + it can be indexed by Google (see naming below)
* Your Page appears in homepage stream which is a great way to remind your Friends about updates and new content * People have opted in to hear updates about your business, unlike your profile

Facebook Fan Page Cons

* It is sometimes hard to get people to become Fans
* The term “Fan” is a little weird, especially when applied to a Funeral Home
* Doesn’t feel like a personal connection
* You don’t have the same personal relationship as you only post as the “Business” not as yourself

Ok, now that we know some of the differences, let’s build both a Profile and a Page – leveraging the Pros to our advantage.

Profile Set Up – Phase 1 (1 hour):

1. Select an appropriate photo: one that best connects you to your audience
2. Upload Contacts from Email Accounts / Outlook: (I skip the “Invite Others To Facebook”)
3. Complete the Profile information: make it as complete as possible but keep within your comfort level.
4. Complete Education and Work Profile Information: this makes it easier for your old contacts to find you
5. List all of your websites under contact information
6. Create Memorable Web Address
7. Upload Contacts from Email Accounts / Outlook

Profile Set Up – Phase 2 (1 to 2 hours + ongoing):

1. Search Friends’ Friends List
2. Search Groups and Fan Pages for possible contacts: You don’t even have to join the group – just see who the members are. But join if you think that it would be valuable
3. Search Your Competitor’s Friends: click on the View Friends link and add any friends that you think would be appropriate to friend

Notes: When entering a website address (URL) make sure that you use the “http://” before the www… as that will make the link clickable.

Fan Page Set Up – Phase 1

1. Choose the Category > Local > Event Planning Service OR Professional Service
2. Choosing the Right Name – Place Important Keywords together with your company’s name such as ‘Your Town’ Funeral Homes (unless that is a competitor’s name) | Your Funeral Chapel (see McCall’s example)
3. Upload your logo or an appropriate photo – make sure that it is recognizable and if possible, have some personality
4. Complete the Edit Information
5. Upload Photos and Tag yourself or staff members if appropriate
6. Upload Videos – How To and FAQ videos would be preferred over commercials – again you are trying to build a relationship, not to sell anything (don’t exclude commercials – just limit them)
7. Add Links to helpful information from your website
8. Suggest To Friends – Be selective to who you invite at the beginning until you really have your page “super-charged”

Please remember, Facebook Pages and How Funeral Homes Can Use Facebook are a Work in Progress, these are some general best practices (for now).

Facebook is the number one destination for marketers in the U.S. and many worldwide markets. It will surpass its rival, MySpace, in ad revenues in 2010. If your business doesn’t have a presence on Facebook yet, here are ten ways to get you up and running. These sure-fire tips will leverage Facebook for your product or service and help make your business a success.

1. Make a great Facebook profile.Think of your profile as a part of your brand. Make sure you include information like your education, work experience, along with your personal interests. Also, in order to make an effective profile, add a picture of yourself or one that is relevant to the product or service you are selling.

2. Add as many friends as possible.This is one of the reasons why many so people choose Facebook. Members are able to meet their old friends and make new ones. By building new relationships with more people, you will be able to ensure that your marketing efforts will be worthwhile. Since you can see the friends of your friends, you will be able to add more people, making it easier to build an extensive network.

3. Join a number of Facebook Groups.By joining groups that are relevant to what you are selling, you will have access to valuable contacts.

4. Create your own group if you can’t find one that is associated to your business.You can add members, post articles, start discussions, which could all ultimately lead to lasting relationships. You also have the option of having your advertisement directly linked to your group.

5. Syndicate your blog on your profile through RSS.This means that each blog post you make will automatically be shown on your profile page. This leads to more exposure to reach more readers giving you more leads and eventually more business. You will pick up more backlinks to your website as well, which is a driving force when it comes to SEO strategy.

6. You can also comment on profiles of other members.Even if it is just a short message that you write on someone’s wall, it will give you more exposure. Just make sure that it is a relevant or meaningful message.

7. List your events.They can be events that you organized or events that are related to your business. For instance, if you are launching a new service or product, you can create an event and then invite your friends and acquaintances who you think might be interested. You will be able to see who is planning to attend your event and – afterward – guests can leave their feedback. This is probably one of the simplest and cheapest ways to do Facebook marketing.

8. Take advantage of the gift-giving applications in Facebook.You can send virtual gifts to your friends and acquaintances. This is another effective way to build relationships.

9. Besides the gift-giving applications, you can also make use of the gaming, movie and music applications Facebook offers.There are many apps to choose from so you will be able to find one that will be interesting and relevant to your business.

10. Create a community.This is one of the best benefits that Facebook has. A group of people who will be connected to you through a community will be open to what you are sharing. This is another great way you can start building your brand and using Facebook to make your business more profitable.

With these simple yet effective tips, you will quickly realize that Facebook is not only an excellent social networking website but also an indispensable tool in online marketing.

Julian Smith presents the 1st official Facebook digital short ever. Sequel to the hit video “25 Things I Hate About Facebook”: www.youtube.com — Add me on Facebook! www.facebook.com Special Thanks to Kelly Hansen for making this video possible… and for showing me around Facebook

Facebook groups are a spectacular way to market your business online. However, you need to understand the fine points of Facebook so that you do not get your account banned. One of the least talked about uses for such an account is the aspect of selling your account.

While there is a method that online experts throughout the online world are using to build huge groups, the real money lies in the selling of online Facebook groups. Money is the name of the game, and this article will focus on selling your Facebook group once it is created.

As a matter of fact, it has been reported that groups on the popular social media website have sold for more than $8000. Even if you have no interest in building a large group on Facebook, you can use the proceeds from the sale of your group to fund your primary online business. I am sure that any online marketer could use an extra ten thousand dollars regardless of the niche they have chosen.

There are a number of sites that sell website businesses, but few people may have heard of selling a group of this nature. However, investors want to make money, and if you can prove to them that they can earn a substantial return on their investment, they will buy Facebook groups from you for a great price.

Let’s face it, you do not have to be an internet Einstein to build a huge online following on this site. If you can click a mouse, work hard, and be diligent you can do the task at hand.

Performing a search on the prestigious social media property will show an amazing number of groups on various subjects. Picking a group you find interesting will help you to be passionate about your topic. As long as there is an audience for your target market, you are in business.

The key to creating a great, large, popular group is to start today by establishing your friendships on this mega website. Once you have a certain number of friends in your account, you can invite all of them to the new group you have decided to develop. It is networking at its highest level. In the same way that a virus spreads from person to person, a group can grow like a hot fire if it is planned correctly.

Learning how to build groups from scratch can lead to a new group being created out of thin air every week. The process itself is only limited by your own imagination and time. Plot out your course to online domination by setting aside a specific number of hours each week to do your research on Facebook, create 20 friends daily, and invite these friends to your new group every time you bring one into existence.

In the end, though building your business in this manner takes time. It can pay off hugely in the long run because you have created an asset that many investors will value due to its popularity.

Another Facebook article that might help you.  Please offer feedback. Wayne

Facebook is one of the most popular social networking mediums, and their membership numbers are increasing quickly. It is a great tool for networking; but like many tools available for networking on the web, promotional or marketing activities are frowned upon. 

So be careful when using Facebook and do your online marketing activities under the radar, or you might miss out on a powerful tool to boost your business.

In this article, I’ll give you some vital pointers to maximize the power of Facebook.

1) Just like any other social site, be careful what you put in your profile.

You don’t want to be seen as a link spammer. And you don’t want to give away too much personal information either (unless you don’t care that thousands of people may see your profile).

Just be careful with any personal details you put out there for others to see, such as where you live and pictures of your children. You do not want to pick up a stalker, especially when you are networking with strangers.

2) Don’t make the mistake of using your business name as your profile name, as this is against Facebook’s terms of service.

You are allowed to create other Facebook pages to brand your company, products or websites.

3) Respond to any friend requests and carefully send your own invitations. Make them personal and interesting.

Developing a great network is your long-term goal to generate a slow, but steady traffic stream to your websites. Use this tool to your advantage without being pushy or overbearing. Facebooks members hate spamming (who doesn’t?) and will carefully watch out for anything that violates their Terms of Service (TOS).

If you want to see profiles of those from another network, add them as your friends using the “Add to Friends” button. Follow the steps in the Edit tool to fill out any information you want others in your network, or others you accept as friends, to view.

4) Use various applications of Facebook.

Facebook has many applications which would make your networking experience easier or more enjoyable. Examples are applications for adding footage or photograph albums to your profile for others to see.

I’ll discuss two other powerful Facebook applications in a moment.

5) Use Facebook’s “My Questions” application to find out what people are exactly looking for concerning your niche

This is where posters answer certain questions about themselves and what they are looking for on Facebook. They will also list their interests. Use this in your networking activities.

Unless they have expressed an interest in your field, do not invite them to join your friends list. Of course, you can still ask them if you genuinely want to be their friend. 

But if you are there to network for your website business, then choose your friends wisely. This is how you are building your list and getting traffic to your website. So you have to manage your time well and eliminate non-productive activities.

Again, be very careful about Facebook’s TOS. Do not go against it because breaking the rules will get you banned.

6) Use “Facebook Discuss.”

It is Facebook’s answer to instant messaging. Chatting, or IM’ing, on Facebook is truly quite easy when you use Facebook Discuss .

Just go to your Facebook page and you can start using Facebook Discuss immediately. At the base of each Facebook page, you may see your Facebook Discuss tools.

The first of the 3 Facebook Discuss tools is the online friends tool. This simply tells you which of your Facebook buddies is online at this time. The next Facebook Discuss tool is notifications that may let you know if you have any new Facebook notifications right from the tool. The 3rd tool in Facebook Discuss is the real discuss tool.

 7) Create and join Facebook groups.

Just as they have subscribed to your blog, they’re going to join your Facebook group. So people looking on Facebook for related groups would feel welcome to join.

Facebook groups are viral selling mechanisms. Search Facebook for groups on your topic and related ones. In each of these groups, you can post a message on the group Wall or debate board, or you may use the Post a Link feature to inform the group’s members of your group and your blog.

By promoting your Facebook group at first, rather than promoting your blog, you decrease the chance the group director will remove your message. Any Facebook member can make a group and invite users on their pals list to join.

A form prompts you to give the group a name, passing outline and class. At the following stage, you can customize your group’s available applications, upload a profile photograph and set privacy levels.

A secret group is fascinating for work-related activity, but it will not show up in search results. Choosing a closed group might be the best idea for you to protect your privacy. You will be inspired to choose members from your friends list to join the group.

When you start a group on Facebook, you can invite members to join the group and share their thoughts, viewpoints and consultations about your product, idea or start-up. Invitations to join a Facebook group can be through your Facebook buddies, your Yahoo contacts, etc.

Integrate your application into specific areas of the Facebook profile

A Facebook application can take on a lot of forms; but in order to entirely implement the selection of integration points and deliver a full user experience, it is advised that you integrate your application into specific areas of the Facebook profile.

This permits millions of viewers to see your business everywhere on Facebook and attract potential patrons, who would naturally visit your start-up Internet site.

Remember to follow all Facebooks rules; otherwise, you’ll risk getting banned and your account deleted. This is not what you are looking for. Instead you want to use the group feature to promote your website within Facebooks rules. Do not overstep by thinking you can get around the rules. Use Facebook features to your advantage and you will see an increase in your website traffic.

Are you trying to build a network marketing business online? If you have ever tried to send traffic to a landing page to acquire leads for your company then you know that it can get very expensive to do so.

You are tired of wasting your time and money to create the traffic considered necessary to have a successful business. Everyone knows that you need to generate a ton of leads if you are endeavoring to build a business, a mailing list, or just trying to promote other peoples products.

This commentary will focus on a process of getting leads from Facebook that will unite all of the requirements listed above, and yet will not take much time, or cost you a penny!

The Power of Social Networking

Social networks are excellent for linking with people of like interests but my friend Jim Chao has figured out a method to create red hot leads from Facebook that are ready to opt in to your list or purchase your products and services. You see, the social networks are where everyone gathers today; they are where we turn to reveal our hottest tips and find out the latest tricks. By means of Facebook and similar social networks you have a huge audience of people with the same intersests.

No Cost Options For Marketing Your Biz

Some of the other choices you have for free traffic techniques include safe lists, forums, and the use of traffic exchanges. These all have their merit, but you must be prepared for them to a long time to yield the results you are looking for. The problem with no cost methods is that they can be tremendous time waster for busy network marketers. Who wants to to be trapped in front of their laptop endlessly clicking on emails so that you can earn enough credits to transmit your own advertisements?

Benefits for getting Leads From Facebook

Social networking belongs to the remarkable phenomenons from the last 5 years or so associated with mlm; and Facebook huge upper hand on many of the other social networks. Facebook is ranked as the number 2 trafficked site on the net based on the Alexa rankings, this makes face book a mlm-ers fantasy!

Think about getting tons of like minded people who are trying to initiate or grow their businesses and they are either currently on your friend list or quickly reachable by using a basic invite. A key to harvesting these hordes of leads from Facebook would be to lead with value. No-one wants to scan a pile of emails where you are constantly pitching your business. The purpose of social networks is to socialize; converse about matters of common interest, and things designed to assist other people solve an issue they may have.

Essential Steps For you to Effectively Generating Prospects Via Facebook

1. Recognizing to begin with that we have to supply value; we must have an audience to supply value to; so make friends, and quite a few them! The more pals you have got the greater your specific market will be and the better this tactic will work.

2. Once you have made your friends you will want to relate to them in a very personal way. Submitting a welcome video is one method this can be done very successfully.

3. Create targeted groups and request friends and others to the party. Those leads from Facebook groups are among the most receptive leads one can ever secure.

4. Start a conversation with network marketers inside the group but also send out mass messages which add value to the group and relate resolutions to the very real difficulties they’ll experience in starting or maintaining their online businesses.

I am sure this appears like it requires large amounts of time however I guarantee you it doesn’t, unless of course you are doing something incorrect. If you would like to find out how to spend a maximum of a half-hour each day; and manage to generate 20 or more leads from Facebook, the number 2 site on the planet, then visit the resource below for a step by step guide to this outstanding Facebook training.

When you make a post to your blog these days, it is likely to appear in many more places than just on your blog. The same thing can happen with your articles. This is all thanks to the magic of syndication, which basically means that your content can be delivered to different sites in various places, giving you massive exposure all over the internet. Here are some ways for you to get started so that you can use the power of syndication to gain more visibility on the internet.

1 – Accept the fact that Web 2.0 is a reality and here to stay. I like to define this phenomenon as the ability for people to finally be part of the conversation online, and to choose what information they want to receive, in contrast to interruption marketing, where we were all at the mercy of those who wanted to contact us without our permission.
2 – Start an account on Twitter right away. Look for people who have similar interests to yours to follow in the beginning, and then see what happens. Also, let everyone know your name on Twitter so that they can follow you and see what you are writing about on a regular basis.
3 – Open up an account on Facebook. Here you will be able to link your blog to your profile through an RSS (really simple syndication) feed, so that every time you post to your blog the content in the post will show on your homepage. This will help even more people to find you and see what you are doing online.
4 – Start your own group on Facebook and add your blog to the blog networks application. That will help even more people to find your information.
5 – If you are writing articles, and I hope that you are, add your Twitter name to your author profile over at Ezine Articles, the largest article directory. Each time one of your articles is published, a link to the article will be delivered to the Twitter stream.
6 – Go to Twitterfeed and get started there. This site enables you to connect your blog to your Twitter account. Every time you post, a link to this post will appear in the Twitter stream, and your information will be exposed to even more people.
7 – Think globally. Whereas in the past you could only reach people in a small geographic area, your prospects are now citizens of the world. Embrace this idea and build your online business accordingly.
Your blog is a precious business tool that will enable you to reach more people than you can possibly imagine. Add these web 2.0 applications to the mix and your business and visibility will skyrocket. Syndicating your blog and article content will extend your reach and make you more money.