10 Tips For Successful Facebook Marketing

There are a ton of social media websites that you can participate in today like Linked In and Friendster, and they all have their good and bad. The best way to choose a community to participate in is to look at the people who have already joined. For me, Facebook is quite possibly the best sites for networking personally and professionally. I also use Linked In and Myspace. Of all the social networks, Facebook is the best place when it comes to all around marketing and networking.

I have been using Facebook for the past two years, and it is an attractive tool for marketing to add to your marketing strategy. Following are ten ways you can use Facebook to introduce new people to your for FREE!

1. Make a Top-Notch Profile: This is absolutely the FIRST thing that you must do to make an impact on Facebook . Think of your Facebook profile as part of your branding. A effective profile will include a photo of you. Don't use the one of you at a Christmas party, unless that's what your selling. Make sure your new Facebook profile is complete. You should include your contact information, your web address (this is so important), education, work experience and your personal interests. A complete profile is the only way to go.

2. Add Friends: This is what makes Facebook a great platform - the ability to make friends, build relationships and foster them. The more relationships you build, the more worthwhile your marketing efforts will be. You can use Facebook's own tools to find friends that are already on Facebook. Once you add your friends, you can search for kindred spirits. Make their acquaintance, become their friend, build a relationship. One cool feature on Facebook is that you can see friends of your friends. This will help you build a extensive network in no time.

3. Join Facebook Groups: You can join groups within Facebook that are associated with what you do. There are groups for wealth building, coaches, and experts of all kinds. Almost every supposable type of professional service provider has some type of an online group. I belong to several groups on Facebook and have made hundreds of new contacts this way.

4. Create your Own Facebook Group: Can't find a group that really makes sense? Create your own! You can add members, publish articles, carry on discussions, and probably build some long lasting relationships. And even if you find great group to belong to, start your own. This gives you the opportunity to be the trendsetter!

5. Syndicate your Blog Using RSS: You can syndicate your own blog on your Facebook profile page. This inherently means that every time you make a post, it will automatically show up on your profile page. More Exposure = More Readers = More Leads = More Business. And the bonus is the back links to your site. I syndicate headlines from three blogs on Facebook.

6. Comment on Other Peoples Profiles: Are you a fan or devotee of someone's work? Reach out to them on Facebook! Many of my business acquaintances check their Facebook messages more regularly than their email. They are also more likely to respond to Facebook messages. Don't feel comfortable sending a message to someone you don't know? Don't worry! Leave them a "just saying hi!" or "I enjoy your work!" blurb on their wall. All profiles come with "virtual walls" where friends and acquaintances can leave messages. The more messages you leave on your friend's Facebook profiles the more exposure you get!

7. List your Events: Launching a New Service? Create an events page and invite all your friends and acquaintances. You can even see who RSVPed and get feedback from your guests. Marketing doesn't get much simpler (or cheaper!) than this.

8. Send Virtual Gifts: Want to show your appreciation for someone? Send them a virtual gift. You can choose from a bouquet of flowers to a potted plant that actually sits on the your friends profile and grows over time (plus hundreds of others). With all the 3rd party applications for gift giving available, what are you waiting for. This is a proven way to build long lasting relationships!

9. Use Some Cool Apps: Facebook has literally tons of applications that were built just for the site. Gaming, music, movie trivia and more. When you use an application, you get to invite your friends to use these interesting little applications (Apps). So just like number 8 above, this allows you another way to stay in touch with your Facebook friends. Again, this helps you build long lasting relationships.

10. Create a Community: Perhaps Facebook's greatest benefit is that it lets you to build a community. It provides you a group of people who are perpetually connected to you, and they are open to hearing what you have to say. Write on people's walls, give them feedback, and introduce them to each other. Start building your brand and leveraging Facebook for business building!

Facebook is a great place to introduce yourself to a ton of new people who may also become customers and/or clients. Just keep one thing in mind: don't get too carried away and spend all your time there. Facebook is a tool, part of your marketing strategy. Use the tips above, use them wisely and have a little fun at the same time.
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Lennie Appelquist is the Owner of FreeMarket Media Group. FreeMarket Media Group is dedicated to helping individuals and small businesses generate leads, convert those leads in customers/clients and build a web presence that works for them. We can show you how to make your online business profitable.

Social Networks are Dangerous for the Future of Youth

Private information posted on Facebook, Bebo and other such social networks can spoil the future of millions of young people, warns the British Office of Information Commissioner (ICO) which is responsible for ensuring compliance with privacy.


"Many young people send materials online without concern that they were leaving their electronic footprints," said ICO Deputy Commissioner David Smith. "Retribution for that in the future may be too high if the administration of universities or employers using numerous social networks will be find an unsightly information of the person."

According to the Guardian Unlimited, according to the poll conducted ICO, 60% of young people aged 14 to 21 years do not realize that information posted them on the Web itself will remain for many years to come "attached" to their identity. However, 70% did not want their books read in the future potential employer.

Facebook Helps British Tax Police Officers in the Search of Tax-Dodgers

British Tax and Preventive Service (HMRC) has been actively using social networks, in the first place Facebook, to search for a fugitive tax-dodgers.

Customs officer said that the visit by Tax Police officers Facebook has already led to several arrests and replenish the coffers, reports The Inquirer. "Basically, this is a great stupidity on some people," said the officer. It goes without saying that a tax-dodgers of mind is not enough to tell the Web about themselves and their whereabouts, but there friends and relatives do that. The officer being aware of the possibilities of the Internet wished to remain anonymous.

Facebook. Social Networks Safety

Social networks such as Facebook now attract millions of users, owing to simple communication and simplicity find new friends. But is all personal information users closed? Heated debates on the subject starts when Facebook made the data available to users of search engines (such as Google and Yahoo!).

Growth of database users Facebook began with a Harvard University in 2004 and so far the number of accounts is 42 million. In theory, users data hidden from the outsiders. Options security systems can hide personal information or the whole account of the people with whom they are in one school or work in one team. This gives more protection to which private data than in many other social networks. But after the Facebook announced the opening of user data for search engines, you can confidently say that the project which was initially used to communicate students completely changed its original purpose and has become a huge online directory.

A study conducted a month ago (august 2007) in the British firm Sophos, specializing in IT security, revealed that many users are very imprudent to access its security and privacy of their personal data. Sophos has created a false account to Facebook and invited to friends 200 users, 41% of which are pleased to have agreed and gave us full access to their data. Some data were so detailed that you can easily determine the identity of the person and guess his passwords. Sophos said that despite the fact that Facebook users gave very flexible system for the protection of personal data, users are doing everything possible to not to use it.

Next cite several examples of how the vulnerability of personal information in social networks account played a joke on its felines owner. Former Inspector General of Police had to reopen the case woman whose purse was stolen in a London nightclub - thieves using her name, found her account on a social networking and took advantage of information is there to pay her credit card.

In July, Oxford University student Alex Hill said that the University was accused of promiscuity and violating all the rules of the academic institution. The reason for the charges became photos stored on his Facebook account. Student Society now advises all pupils to tighten access to their profiles on Facebook, but again many continue to grant access to its accounts to all those who have put themselves in the column University of Oxford.

Last month political resonance was caused by the fact that the 17-year-old daughter Republicans Rudy Giuliani joined the group in Facebook, which supports Democrat Barack Obama. All ended that she had to delete its account.