The key to Social Media (and to Networking in general) is building relationships with potential customers and prospects.
One way to do this is to use a Facebook Fan Page.
Now, you're going to run into different theories as to what is better to use -- a Fan Page or a Group.
After doing some experimenting with both, Monique and I prefer to use Fan Pages.
But, depending on your needs and preferences, you might have more success using a Group.
Try both and see which one works for you.
They are very different, and there are advantages to each.
The biggest difference is how they are used to communicate.
Most people seem to “fan” something to show support or express interest or advertise it on their page – only to never or rarely look at it again.
However, if you do it right, you can attract people to constantly come back to your Fan Page by continually updating the page with USEFUL content.
For example, Monique and I continually update our Fan Page with new blog posts from our Nerve Center, favorite quotes and sayings, new videos with calls to action to opt in to our lists, etc.
Jut make sure to consistently offer valuable, problem-solving information, and people will keep coming back.
Another piece of advice I would like to offer is to let people get to know you personally, as well as professionally. Give them little insights into your life and they will get to know you better and, hopefully, like and trust you more.
Here are a few differences I have noticed between the two:
Fan Pages:
- are publicly accessible and indexed (which is important because it can be seen by someone not registered or logged in to Facebook)
- can be seen by anybody surfing the web (do a Google search of drivetheline.com and you will see that our Fan Page is listed third in the organic searches)
- allow you to keep track of all kinds of statistics (complete with a Google Analytics - type interface)
Group Pages:
- are not public, but allow you to send messages that show up in a person’s Inbox, making more direct communication easier (If you’re already on Facebook, you’ve probably seen how this can be abused. I know I’ve received at least 3 emails a day from one over-eager Networker before I decided to remove myself from their Group.)
- can only be seen by registered users (and can even be set to private for members-only viewing)
- have a lot less options for customization and tracking
So basically, Group Pages allow you to send bulk messages to Group members and Fan Pages allow you to develop more of a search engine presence and keep track of Fan demographics and stats.
Like I said, give both a try and see which one you like best.
Whether you have a Group or a Fan Page, or both, you need to keep your content lively, current and interesting, add tons of value and solve people's problems.
Take the time to look around on Facebook and see what other people are doing to engage their audience.
Nothing makes for a bad Facebook Group or Fan Page than stagnant content.
Like your blog, you need to engage people regularly.
Even if it’s just posting a new message board topic each week – do something on a regular basis (the more frequent the better) to elicit a response from people.
The frequency depends on your purpose and audience.
If you are trying to drive conversation about your blog and get more people actively involved on- and off-line, you would need to ramp up the frequency of your content.
Making a good page and keeping it interesting and engaging is not something that magically happens.
You are not Kevin Costner and this is not The Field of Dreams.
You know, “if we build it, they will come?"
It takes time, patience, and consistency to make this work -- that's why so few are willing to actually do it.
Next post (Part Two), I will show you how we used Facebook ads to kick-start our Fan Page and attract perfect strangers to become fans of our brand.
I would love to hear about your experience with Facebook Groups and Fan Pages! Let me know how you have used them to market yourself in the comments below:
P.S. if you found this info useful, feel free to hit the 'Retweet' button on the top of the page or you can even share this article on your Facebook profile by clicking on the little Facebook icon below.
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This is one of the greatest post by Drive The Line. I find this topic very interesting among all the social network’s addicts. Facebook pages are about to replace the traditional landing pages due to its customization features, and listing in search engines.
keep up the good. double thumbs up!
Absolutely-thanks Muhammad!
About Kevin Costner
“You are not Kevin Costner and
this is not The Field of Dreams.”
I think this is a message more people
need to take to heart.
Some people slap up a fan page,
article, or video and wonder why the
leads aren’t magically pouring in.
They give up before they even start.
Well, I totally agree:
“Making a good page and keeping it
interesting and engaging is not
something that magically happens.“
Derek I hope you really go deep on this topic.
For me personally I have yet to truly use Facebook for “business.”
I’ve been studying like mad over the last few months, analyzing what people are doing and what is trending.
I have to be honest, I’ve seen a LOT of crap. I know people talk about having multiple accounts and so forth but we all know that’s a direct violation of FB TOS. Plus I want my branded account “/RichardBravo” to be just as visible and locatable to my friends and family and “old friends” as I do for my business connections. So the whole multi account thing just isn’t the solution I see as the best answer.
The fan page is definitely cool. I’ve also looked at several groups.
The thing I see a lot of is fan or group member spam. It’s rampant.
People posting their lame self promotional material on someone elses page or group.
I know it’s just part of the game and hard to escape, and really is more of an issue of people with absolutely no class at all … but it would be great to see a strategy developed or process that is able to see the page or group identity in tact and the focus of discussion, rather than just another swap meet or amateur hour.
Does that make sense?
I know it really annoys the hell out of me when I have to sift through update after update of “the hottest training webinar” or some video tagged with every guru’s name they could think of, just to see what my cousin was up to today. And yes i know I can just delete the people that i don’t like … but it’s not really that I “don’t like them” it’s more a matter of repetitive and unoriginal content. The same thing over and over and over. I mean how many “best webinar ever in the history of webinar’s” can you have … really?
At the same token and because of these frustrations I really don’t use Facebook much … so maybe it’s just a simple matter of me missing some of the features available.
Now if only I can figure out how to block all those lame app updates.
I swear I’m gonna have a conniption if I get another FarmVille invite!!! :evil: :lol:
Richard does bring up a good point about the way groups hav now evolved. It is very difficult now to get anything out of the group if people are spamming throughout.
The group that I’ve set up is to only be used for value. I will do my best to eliminate those that violate rules that I’ve imposed. Sure its a little bit strict, but people who are serious about building their business and connecting with serious people will know the difference between my group and others.
As far as fan pages, I see those as more of a one stop shop. Get in and get out. But honestly I can’t even tell the difference between a Fan Page and a Group. If people are discovering your fan page in an organic manner, then I think that should be the best way to grow your following. A fan page should be where your most loyal and true fans follow you. It really should be a place that they go to make sure they didn’t miss any of the content that you’ve provided.
Groups and Fan Pages appear to be the same in my opinion, but maybe that’s because people are using them incorrectly?
if you have a fan page about yourself can you blast messages to the whole group?
Mark that is precisely what I’ve seen so far.
As for the fan page I couldn’t have said it better myself.
The simple nature of the thing … a FAN page eludes to people who are just really into you & your content.
They can’t wait to see what you’re up to and make it a point to seek you out.
I know people use these functions in various ways and I’ve been on all sorts of training calls etc., but I have yet to see more than a handful of people doing it up right.
Again I’ll caveat though, this is merely my observation as a “limited user.” lol, sounds like a statement from an AA meeting .… I’m only a recreational user . :lol:
Anyway, looking forward to your insight and findings on the matter Derek.
Cheers!
Hey Guys,
This is an awesome post and I would like to share some of my best information on this topic.. If thats cool.
To answer the question I believe that “Fan Pages” are way more powerful for the individual looking to build their personal brand, leads and drive traffic to their site.
One of the courses I created for my Mass Sponsoring Membership Site is “Facebook Formulas” and I would like to give you guys access to some of the best videos related to these topics…
With that said, I believe “Facebook Groups” are the most powerful resource we can use as marketers. Here is a Over 20 Minute Video on “Why Facebook Groups Are The Greatest Resource We Have Available to Us Online Marketers”…
Facebook Groups “Action Trainng” Video
Now if you would like to see a “Action Training Video” on “Facebook Fan Pages” covering How to build a Fan Page, Get Fans for Free and Why they are so Powerful”… watch This!
Facebook Fan Page: How to Easily Build Your “FB Fan Page”…
And for some “Super Ninja Tactics” for using with your Facebook Fan Page like…
* “How to Drive Your Facebook Friends To Becoming LOYAL Fans…
* “How to Us Facebook As A FREE Video Hosting Service… Awesome Solution for videos over 10 minutes and you want to be exclusive!
* And Oh SO Much More!
Facebook Fan Page Formula… Part 1
I will leave access to these videos to “guests” for a couple of days… Consider a X-mas gift to you guys.
And just so you know there is NO LOGIN, OPT-IN or ANYTHING AT ALL… Just click play!
Guys Facebook is the BEST! I get more people signing up for my site from Facebook than any other source. And if you watch my videos I explain why that is and how you can do it too!
I hope you guys like this and I would love to hear your thoughts. And again I am sincerely just trying to provide massive value… And I would be more than happy to answer any questions.
Finally, what you see I have done with my My “Kevin DaSilva” Facebook Fan Page is nothing compared to what you can do because I literally have so much on my plate with the “pre-launch” of my membership site. But if you spend a little time setting it up right, it can be run on auto-pilot (use the “notes technique”)…
USE FACEBOOK BECAUSE IT WORKS & YOU HAVE ACCESS TO 1000’s & 1000’s OF YOUR TARGETED PROSPECTS ALL IN ONE PLACE ALREADY SPLIT INTO GROUPS BY INTEREST!
May God Bless All of You & Your Families… And Many Wishes for a Very Safe & Happy Holidays!
Kindest Regards,
~Kevin
P.S. If you are new to Facebook then check out this course page and watch the 1st video called ‘Facebook Formulas… Explained!” and you will learn about all the major areas of Facebook and how to use them…
Facebook Formulas
P.P.S. AGAIN I WILL ONLY BE MAKING THESE VIDEOS AVILABLE TO THE PUBLIC SO YOU GUYS CAN ACCESS THIS… FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS! SO IF YOU WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE THEN PLEASE DO SO AND IF YOU NEED MORE TIME TO WATCH LET ME KNOW!
Hey guys, I went to see Avatar yesterday afternoon and this morning I find a lot of great input!
RichardBravo wrote:I have to be honest, I’ve seen a LOT of crap. I know people talk about having multiple accounts and so forth but we all know that’s a direct violation of FB TOS. Plus I want my branded account “/RichardBravo” to be just as visible and locatable to my friends and family and “old friends” as I do for my business connections. So the whole multi account thing just isn’t the solution I see as the best answer.
Many people have asked me if they should have separate accounts – one for business and the other personal. I say no. This is for letting people get to know you – so mix it up with both on the same account. But some people worry about this, so for those who do — you can control what people see by separating them into lists and then going to ‘Settings’>’Privacy Settings’>’Profile.’
RichardBravo wrote:At the same token and because of these frustrations I really don’t use Facebook much … so maybe it’s just a simple matter of me missing some of the features available.
Now if only I can figure out how to block all those lame app updates.
I swear I’m gonna have a conniption if I get another FarmVille invite!!! :evil: :lol:
I can definitely understand your frustrations there, Richard — I get spammed all the time. But as far as the FarmVille/Mafia Wars/annoying invites go, you can click ‘Ignore All Invites From This Friend’ and that will put an end to it.
mgubuan wrote:The group that I’ve set up is to only be used for value. I will do my best to eliminate those that violate rules that I’ve imposed. Sure its a little bit strict, but people who are serious about building their business and connecting with serious people will know the difference between my group and others.
That’s a good idea, Mark. If you do that, you might want to make sure that you clearly state your policies somewhere on the page or via a link from the page. Make it from you and clearly outline what’s acceptable and not on your Group or Fan Page.
MattAdamoMarketing wrote:if you have a fan page about yourself can you blast messages to the whole group?
No, that’s one difference between the two. It’s a trade off, though, because, like I said, Fan Pages are searchable and another thing I forgot to mention — you can create a Fan Page widget to display on your Nerve Center. This gives some excellent social proof and also allows people to become a fan right from your Nerve Center.
RichardBravo wrote:As for the fan page I couldn’t have said it better myself.
The simple nature of the thing … a FAN page eludes to people who are just really into you & your content.
They can’t wait to see what you’re up to and make it a point to seek you out.
I know people use these functions in various ways and I’ve been on all sorts of training calls etc., but I have yet to see more than a handful of people doing it up right.
Another thing that Monique and I do is become “friends” with people who join our Fan Page. This allows us to have more interaction and more opportunity to build that relationship. I have been really focusing on Facebook — I get on there everyday — and that has helped a great deal, as well.
kevindasilva wrote:This is an awesome post and I would like to share some of my best information on this topic.. If thats cool.
Kevin, thanks for sharing a bunch more info — I’m sure people will appreciate it. I’ll go check it out as well.
Wow! Thanks everyone. I am so glad that I joined this site.
I have been focusing on social network marketing for the last two weeks. I mean focusing. One marketing strategy at a time until I feel I own it.
I want to be friends with all of you on facebook. /imagimarketing.
I read in today’s paper, business section, that Facebook is expanding at such a rapid rate that they are going to expand their employee base by 50% and is currently valued at $11 billion. There is rumor of an IPO in 2010. That is some important info.
Great points Richard, why am I not surprised?
Mark, I look forward to being a part of your group.
Derek, thanks for starting this post. I look forward to following it.
And, Kevin, what can I say. Merry Christmas my friend and thanks for the gift.
I’ve been using both the group and fan pages to invite targeted friends to connect. It’s been two weeks and so far 197 friends. I offer nothing but help and don’t promote any business (spam) Just building relationships for the long term.
Merry Christmas everyone and I look forward to soaring with all of you in the new year.
Steve McChesney
macstephen wrote:I read in today’s paper, business section, that Facebook is expanding at such a rapid rate that they are going to expand their employee base by 50% and is currently valued at $11 billion. There is rumor of an IPO in 2010. That is some important info.
Yes, Facebook is definitely growing! (Maybe that’s why it seems to run pretty slow sometimes?)
But no matter what Social Media site is hot at the moment, the principles remain the same — building relationships, adding value, developing a brand and a loyal following, etc.
P.S. I just added you as a friend ;) Thanks for reaching out!
What a great post Derek, Thank you.
I have a group on Facebook myself but don’t have a Fan page yet but I think it is something worth doing from what I have read here today.
I guess if you want to brand yourself then a fan page is the way to go and you do seem to have advantages for using both fan page and group.
Have a Happy New Year.
Tristram Lodge
Hey, thanks for checking it out, Tristram!
Yeah, start a Fan Page, too. It couldn’t hurt to do both.
Happy New Year to you, too!
–Derek
Thank you both Monique and Derek for sharing your insights into the having of a FB fan page. I recently started a fan page for an Independent Game Company that I have started this month (January 2010). For the most part I am having a very pleasant experience with it. Since last week my fan base has grown some 300% and I am continually looking for ways to promote my page with the help of friends and fans alike. As of this writing, the challenges that I am facing in regard to my fan page is the use and adding of content. Making the page interesting enough for fans to come back and visit and to tell their friends about it.
This challenge has now turned into a mission of mine. To discover and learn from people like yourselves.
If both of you or any of your readers have greater insight into this area than I do, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me and share your thoughts.
I appreciate your advice and thank both of you for the outstanding work that you do.
Best to you both, Efs.
Yo, cool blog, wondering what spam plugin you use for comments because i get lots on my blog.
Hi Blaine, Thanks for the compliment!
We use Akismet to stop spam — it works great!