***Can Facebook Be Saved?

Remember when you were young and hip and had favorite places to hang out?

Then one day a bunch of strangers joined in and you didn’t take much notice of them. Next, they began inviting their friends and before you knew it, your cool hangout was filled to the brim with a bunch of obnoxious ya-hoos. In a nutshell, that’s what has happened to Facebook, but there is hope… you can do something about it starting right now.

You may be frantically wondering if YOU are part of this barbaric invasion. I’m not one to point fingers, but if you see yourself in any of these, start making amends by doing Facebook right! Here are 3 key points to remember when using Facebook to grow your business.

1. Quit selling.

Just quit it, flat out quit it. Put your “opportunities of a lifetime” on hold, your “incredible offers”, and all of that sales hype away. Offer information and relationship building and people will gravitate towards your services. If you do have something to sell, be wise with how you promote it. Lead with information and being of service, NOT with trying to get people to buy from you. Respect people’s walls and inboxes by NOT filling them with your sales hype. This is especially true for people trained in “traditional” sales and marketing where the “always be closing” mentality is prevalent.

2. Quit spamming.

“Who me a spammer? No way!”
Yes way.
Facebook messages aren’t controlled by spam filters and people are acting like drunken college kids on a Tijuana weekend. Just because there aren’t tons of rules doesn’t mean you have to get all crazy. Every time you send a “message” (read: unsubtle promotion) to a list of friends, all you do is clog up people’s inboxes. Save your direct messages for meaningful, personal interactions. Want to sell something? Get a sales page!

3. Be more transparent.

The beauty of social networking is that you get an at-a-glance view of who the person is that you’re connecting with. I’ve always taught to balance the personal and the professional to add depth to one’s online presence. At the end of the day, you want people to remember you for your professional services, but be human. Let your guard down once in a while and loosen up. Those who are constantly focused on selling always seem “on”. It’s OK not to be… you can even post a status update that you’re having a hard day. THAT’S where the connection will be made, when you start opening yourself up a bit.

Social networking adheres to an unwritten code of conduct where relationships are forged with useful information and genuine interest in others. When your focus is entirely self-serving, then the balance is disturbed and the whole environment soured. Take steps today to clean up your side of the street on Facebook and be part of the people who care about social networking.