If you don’t have a professional presence on Facebook, you could be missing out on career and business opportunities. A recent survey showed that more than half of recruiters use Facebook in the recruitment process. Facebook is also an important tool for business owners that allows them to connect with potential clients and like-minded entrepreneurs. If you want to learn how to make full use of this platform, here are some tips on how to build a professional network in Facebook.
How to Build a Professional Network in Facebook
1. Spruce Up Your Profile
If you’re like most people, your Facebook profile is pretty casual. You probably have photos of your pets and pictures from fun nights out on your wall. But if you want to use Facebook to network and grow your business, it’s a good idea to clean up your profile.
Instead of sharing funny memes, post useful content that’s relevant to your industry to position yourself as a thought leader. You should also remove photos and posts that don’t align with your professional brand.
However, if you don’t want to spend time sprucing up your profile, you can use your account to create a separate page for your professional brand. Facebook pages are great for entrepreneurs because they have analytics, unlike personal profiles.
2. Add People You Already Know
Once you feel like your Facebook profile or page represents you well, it’s time to start adding people you know. Connecting with people who are already in your network can help you meet new business contacts. Facebook usually lets you see who else is friends with your friends and send them a quick message to get acquainted. By doing this you can expand your professional circle quickly.
3. Join Professional Groups
Facebook has lots of professional groups for every industry. Whether you’re a freelance writer, graphic designer, or ecommerce store owner, you’ll be able to find a group that allows you to network with other entrepreneurs.
Once you join a few groups, it’s important to post and comment there so other people can get to know you. Don’t be a lurker—offer advice or contribute to discussions whenever you can. Becoming an active member will help get your name out there and form meaningful professional connections.
If you want to get even more involved, you could offer to be a moderator for one of the groups or create your own. Running a group is a great way to market your business and become a leader in your industry.
4. Create an Event
In addition to groups, Facebook allows you to create public events. If you want to meet new people in your industry, you can host an online networking event and use this feature to spread the word. You can even use it to raise awareness about events your business is hosting.
The events feature enables you to market your gathering by inviting friends and sharing the link in groups you’re a member of. You’ll also be able to see who’s coming to the event and who’s interested in attending to keep track of your guest list.
By taking advantage of Facebook’s features like events and groups, you can meet new professional contacts and further your business and professional brand.
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Vicky Monroe is a freelance personal finance and lifestyle writer. When she’s not busy writing about her favorite money saving hacks or tinkering with her budget spreadsheets, she likes to travel, garden, and cook healthy vegetarian meals.