Why do companies hire celebrities to promote their products?  I used to wonder what the true value of this was.  When I was young, I thought certain people were hired because they “were like us” and would mispronounce words like “die-uh-BEET-us.”  The people hired tended to be older and also were featured prominently on TV shows.  I was

Who do you think of when you see oatmeal?

astonished that people would buy a product simply based on a recommendation from someone they don’t know. (There is usually a disclosure that even says these people are PAID endorsers of the product.)

As I got older, I realized what was going on.  Rather than the CEO or the VP of marketing getting on the tube to pitch the products, they chose to go with someone who would be trusted by the target market.  In a large, diverse market audience, it is difficult to find a person who is personally known to viewers.  So, they go for the next best thing, the person who shares one’s living room, albeit through a one way communication device.

The 3rd party testimonial is certainly the way to go to promote your business.  The nice thing about Facebook is that the system is designed around the 3rd party testimonial.  Creating a Facebook Like page for your business is repackaging your business as a social structure that people can engage with more readily.  Getting people to support and promote your business is part of the social structure.  Here are some of the mechanisms for generating and using testimonials for your business from your customers:

1. Ask your customers to post on your wall.  If someone posts on your page wall, a notification goes out to the real time news feed of all of their friends and a link to the post appears on the person’s profile. This provides an opportunity for new people to see your business and get connected with you.
2. Ask for recommendations. There is a spot on your page wall (on the right) to gather recommendations from your customers.  When one of them posts a recommendation, a notification is sent to all of their friends through the real time news feed.  The recommendation also appears permanently on your page for others to see.  Here is a link to one of my videos in which I talk about recommendations.
3. Get your customers to post a video testimonial on your wall.  Posting video on Facebook is easy, thanks to the prevalence of webcams and Facebook’s easy to use webcam interface, so take advantage of it.  People can connect better with the emotion in someone’s voice than they can text.  (Although I think you need both written and verbal testimonials.)
4. Create a custom landing tab with video testimonials. When someone visits your page and they have yet to live your page, you can send them to a different default landing tab.  You create a custom landing page to tell them about you and what benefit they will receive when they connect to your page.  If you have a brief testimonial from a client (30-45 seconds), the visitor can quickly get an idea of who you are and how you help people, and they get to hear it from someone other than you.

Take advantage of the idea that those TV ad wizards have known for years: people would rather buy based on someone else’s recommendation, even if they have no idea who that person really is.  Who knows, maybe that guy with “die-uh-BEET-us” really hates instant oatmeal?

My great-grandfather, Albert E. “Hie” Powis, Sr, was a member of the original “Devil Dogs” who fought for the U.S. Marine Corps in WWI.  In June 1918, the U.S. and its allies fought against Germany in the Battle of Belleau Wood in France.  The Marines were

Here is a picture of me and my great-grandfather, Albert E. Powis, Sr., ca. 1981.

victorious in this battle, and it became a rallying point for the rest of the war in which the Allied forces were victorious.

I bring this up because it speaks to a concept: story telling.  My great-grandfather (as well

as my grandfather, who served in the Army in WWII and the Korean War) loved to tell stories, and he was REALLY good at it.  For him, the stories represented success to him, things he accomplished that he was proud of.  His kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids loved listening to the stories as much as he loved telling them.  I wish my kids could hear those stories as well.

You can do the same in your business: share success stories.  Each person you help, each problem you solve, each product or service you place is a reason to celebrate.  Facebook is a great platform for you to share with your connections the great things you are creating in your business.

So, what is the downside?  Well, it is all about HOW you say it.  If you were to say, “I just sold $5ooo worth of widgets. Man, am I great!” people will go running for the hills.  You want to illustrate what you were able to do in such a way that people either see themselves in the message you are sending, or they know someone else who fits the description.  Worst case, you want them to “Like” your post or comment with an “attaboy” in favor of your post.

The key is the focus of the post.  Is the focus of the post on you or is it on the person you helped?  Giving a description of the person you helped as well as their problem you solved is a great way to make it about them rather than making the post about you.  For instance, “I just helped a young couple with the purchase of their new home in XYZ neighborhood.  It is a pleasure to work with people who know what they want and are willing be patient to get exactly that. Congratulations on your new home!”  The focus is on them rather than you.

From my experience, people love hearing about how well others are doing, as long as it is rooted in service to other people.  If others are the focus instead of you, people will share in this joy and share it with others. I think back to my great-grandfather, who told those amazing stories, all of which were rooted in service to others through the great sacrifice of military service.  Who was the real benefactor of those stories, him or us?  I think by sharing his experiences and illuminating his successes, we all won.

You know that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you do something nice for another person, especially when the act is random?  Random acts of kindness are a great activity both serve the world and feel better about yourself.  I was in the library once and the person at the desk noted that they wished they had gotten their morning coffee. So, right after I left, I walked down to the coffee shop and bought him a cup of coffee.  How did he feel about it?  I have no idea; I left before he could acknowledge that someone brought him the coffee.

Facebook allows for similar acts of kindness, but they are anything but random or anonymous.  Planning to support someone else in their business helps to move your relationship with them forward while providing great content for your fans. Below are three ways you can support other people using your Facebook like page:

1. List the business in your Featured Likes.  If the business you have a relationship with and want to promote has a Facebook page, you can feature their page on yours so

This appears on your Facebook page on the left below the profile picture.

visitors can see that you actually have a relationship with that business. This is a great way to drive traffic for them, but it also provides credibility for you if the person visiting your page has a relationship with that other company already.

Some people I consult with are afraid to display their relationships for fear of what others will say.  They think their clients might be upset if they disclose a relationship with one of their client’s competitors. (Note: it is good practice to get permission from the other business before adding them to featured likes, unless they are obviously a public entity.)  I tend to question the quality of the relationship if there is an absence of open and honest communication between the two parties.

2. Tag the other business in a post.  When you create a post on Facebook, you have the ability to create a tag in the post, which is a hyperlink to another profile or page.  To create a tag, simply type in the @ symbol before typing the name of the business you want to tag.  Your post with a hyperlink to the other business’ page goes out to all of your fans, and the post appears on the wall of the business you tagged for their visitors to see.  Double duty!  Assuming the other business has set up their page properly, they will get an email alerting them that you tagged them in a post.  This opens the door for them to return the favor.

3. Let your fans and customers know about special offers from the other business. It is one thing to talk about how great you are and how much value your products and services add for people.  It is another to have someone else talk about the benefits of doing business with you.  While you are tagging other businesses in a post, take some time to offer something on their behalf on your page.  They might be running a 50% off special on one of their products, and you can promote that on your page.

The key with this tip is to make sure what you are offering on behalf of the other business actually is of benefit to the people who like your page.  They will tire easily if they feel you are continually pushing products or services on them or acting simply as an agent for the other company.  Your sharing needs to be genuine, something that is of true benefit to your fans and something you can put your reputation behind.

Remember: your Facebook is more than about you.  It is about the community you create online around your business.  Help other people and they will want to help you, both other businesses you are supporting as well as your fans.  Who knows – someone just might leave a warm cup of coffee on your desk when you least expect it and need it most.

There’s an old saying that goes “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?”  Many people resist giving away any information if it means they may never get hired.  I can certainly understand it in the original form of the cliche.  If you are a farmer who goes to the trouble of traveling out to your barn, milking one of your cows, doing whatever it is you do to make the milk drinkable (sorry, I grew up in the city), and pour a glass for someone for free, I understand your reluctance.  That is A LOT of work with no guarantee of making a sale.

Posting helpful information on Facebook is a great way to build credibility for your business, even though you are giving it away.  How much time does it take to write down what you know and share it?  Very little, much less than the farmer, that’s for sure.  So, what’s the benefit?  Why would you want to give away everything you know?

Giving away your best tips is like the farmer giving someone milk without any filtering; there are still things they need to do in order to drink it.  There are some people who will figure out what to do with your knowledge and implement it themselves.  Fortunately for you, there are others who will still be lost, even after you give everything away.  These are your potential customers.  The people who do the work themselves would probably never be your clients anyway.

But what about those freeloaders?  Is there any benefit in communicating with those leeches?  Absolutely!  Part of your objective with your Facebook page is to be seen as an expert in your field.  Those freeloaders, while they are successfully implementing your hard earned knowledge, are also spreading positive word of mouth for you and your business.  Who gets the credit for their success? That’s right, baby, YOU, and these “leeches” will gladly help you in return in the way of a friendly comment or testimonial on your Facebook page if you just ask.

So stop worrying about someone stealing your ideas and start sharing your wealth.  Even if they have your ideas, there is no way they can reproduce the value they receive when they decide to hire you personally.

Social networking is all about giving.  When we share personal details about ourselves, we are giving freely of ourselves to others.  In some cases, people go over the line and share things that others have no interest in. (E.g., Facebook posts showing what someone had for breakfast, the fact that their baby crawled for the 43rd time, etc.)

Giving is the foundation for social networking because giving is also the foundation for relationships.  We use social networking to expand and complement the relationships we have with others, and in some cases, use it to develop new relationships.  The strongest bonds are those created between two people who freely give to one another without expectation of receiving something directly from the other person.  This is the same for connections on Facebook.

Hopefully, you are attracting people to your Facebook page who either are or you would like to be your customers.  In order to give value to the people who connected with you on your Facebook page, you must know something about them.  Facebook does provide you with information on people you Like your page, which they call Insights.  You can access

Click View Insights to see activity and users for your page

the Insights by clicking on View Insights on the right side of the screen below your Notifications indicator.

Insights can be a valuable tool to know who is connected to your page, broken down by gender, age, and geography.  It also allows you to track how people are arriving at your page, whether it is from your website, a Google search, or from an email service.  Insights can be easily downloaded to a spreadsheet for those who like to analyze the heck out of everything.

The one challenge with Insights is it tells you who is connected to your page rather than whom you are trying to serve.  Meaning, you could be attracting people other than those you wish to have as customers.

You have to know your customers and what interests them in order for them to find value in the content on your page.  Many businesses I consult with are confused when we discuss who their customers are and what they are interested in, because the conversation leads to areas that are apart from their own businesses.  They often wonder why they would create Facebook posts that appear to have little to do with their business.

I remind them that social networking is all about giving.  When you create posts that your customers find interesting, that raises your social capital and enhances your relationship.  Do you ever have personal conversations with business partners and clients?  Yes, because your relationship is now personal and the line is blurred.  Just as you would tell a friend about something they would find interesting, you want to share information with your customers so they see you as a trusted resource.  Show them you care, and they will show how much they care about you through repeat business and referrals.

Here is an example:  suppose your customers are 55+, which is a growing segment on Facebook with nearly 20 million users.  You may want to post about upcoming events they can take their grandkids to, or a special coupon you found for golf at a local course.  They things may have nothing to do with your business, but your customers will remember you if you share something that provides them with value.

Many businesses claim to put their customers first.  If that is really the case, put your money where you mouth is and start posting for your customers’ benefit on your Facebook page.

Facebook Rule #1 – Never “Sell” Products

I was talking to a friend of mine who is the marketing director for a local theatre company, and he was asking me what types of posts are good to use on Facebook. I told the best thing he could do was to never sell products. We got to talking more and discussed how people love to hear about successes you are having (see upcoming Rule #6). He said, “If I post that we are happy about being 98% sold for a show, I essentially want to sell the remaining 2%!” That is true, but social media interaction, and really all marketing, is about perception rather than just intention.

His intention with sharing that bit of information was two-fold: share the success of great sales AND sell the remaining 2%. Even if he never sells anything, the perception is that things are going well at the theatre and and as a result he has built positive word of mouth. Marketing is about selling, but it is more about connecting with people and helping them buy, rather than selling to them. Selling on Facebook is the process of creating better connections with people so they think of you more readily when the time comes to buy.

Now, there are times when you can sell on Facebook, but be prepared to give something away. People get connected to restaurants on Facebook for specials, but a good Facebook special needs to be a DEEP discount. I’m talking 50%+ if you want to have any traction. Groupon is a good example of social coupons, and all of their deals are in excess of 50%. Rather than trying to directly sell, you are better off using Facebook as a way to build the relationship with the consumer and help them in the buying process.

Another of my friends is a photographer (a very good one, I believe) and to the left is a picture of consecutive posts she created on her Facebook page.  They are spaced over a period of a few days. (Click here to visit her Facebook page or to visit her website, go to haleesurachphotography.com)

Notice in the top post she mentions that she has some openings for photo shoots before the fall colors go away.  Southwest Michigan has some awesome fall colors that last about 40 minutes (okay, 3-4 weeks) and are great for family photos.

A great Facebook post builds conversation and interaction with your followers.  The bottom post is simply a picture she took one morning, with no call to action.  Look how many more Likes (13 vs. 1) and comments (5 vs. 0) she got.  This is a great of example of the difference between selling and building rapport.

The photographer built a ton of credibility with the picture she posted because people love pictures of Michigan color and because it shows off the fantastic work she does.  In the next few weeks we discuss other ways that you can connect and engage with your Facebook page fans without continually selling to them.

People ask me regularly about how they can create a Facebook Page for their business. “How much do you charge to do that?” they ask. When I tell them “Nothing. Setting it up is the easy part,” they often give me a confused look.

Establishing a Facebook page is super easy. Here is a video I created to show you just how easy it is to create a new Facebook Like page in under 1 minute:

The HARD part is figuring out what to say. Sure, you need to get a nice profile image, populate it with insightful information about your business, perhaps even look into a Landing Page and some photo strip options to make your Page wall look nice, but those can all be done as you get going. Knowing how to communicate is key because that is the reason people are on Facebook in the first place, to communicate with other people they know as part of their public lifestyle.

Communicating on Facebook is all about creating value for your target audience; knowing what is valuable to them takes some work. The first thing you have to do is who is going to read your content. Clients? Prospects? Business partners? All of the above? Once you know who your Facebook market is, you can gear your content directly to them. If you are too broad with your audience, your message becomes diluted, and few people receive value from what you post.

I have assembled my top posting tips, which I will feature over the next 12 weeks. I call these my “12 Rules for Facebook Like Page Posts,” although I only use the term rules because I like rules. If you hate rules and you like the word “suggestions” or “advice” better, by all means, use one of those terms instead.

The purpose is to give you an idea of how to create successful posts on Facebook so you can start putting content out there rather than sitting on your hands stressing about what to write. It is easier than you think.

Imagine you are at a party and you decide to get a drink.  This party happens to have a long, self-serve drink table with a large punch bowl on the left side.  There appears to be a natural movement of people in a line from the right side of the table to the left side to get their drinks.

There are two people on the left side of the table.  Both are cheerful and positive and appear to be striking up conversations with people.  Both are wearing name tags, and you know both are in the same profession.  One person is standing behind the punch bowl filling glasses and effortlessly making conversations as people come through the line.  The other is handing out his business card to everyone as they leave the table.

Given the above example, suppose you need the services of the profession represented by the two people at the table. Would you contact the person who gave you the business card or the person at the punch bowl?  My guess is you would lean toward the person at the punch bowl. That person is respecting the event you are attending rather than trying to use it as a way to promote themselves.

The same goes for Facebook. Facebook is a big party that people are engaging in. If you want to be involved in the conversation and actually have people tune in to what you are saying, you have to show them respect.

An online marketer I know once explained that Facebook is a “lifestyle” based social network. We all get involved in social networking online for a variety of reasons, but people primarily get on Facebook because it fits with their lifestyle. They share photos, chat with friends, or play games, all because those things are part of a lifestyle they wish to engage in and make public.

Your job as a business person to become part of their lifestyle, which entails being part of the conversation. The only way to do that is to talk “to” people rather than “at” them. Many companies want to get online to sell products; many have identified Facebook as their ticket to selling those products. Facebook is a fantastic place to find your customers, but selling your products on Facebook, specifically through status updates, is a great way to LOSE interest in your message. Want to get rid of Facebook fans and friends? Sell to them, and they will tune you out or block you.

For my REALTOR friends, this is for you: STOP POSTING YOUR LISTINGS! If it looks like I am yelling, that is because I am. No one gets connected with you and your real estate business on Facebook because they want to see your listings. Send your listings in your emails, send out flyers, or call people directly. But just posting a link to new listings on your Facebook page will only hurt you in the long run.

I know what you are going to say: “My clients like when I post their listings. It shows them that I am marketing their home for them.” Well, I could print 10,000 of your listing flyers, get in an airplane, fly over downtown and drop them, and that would have the same impact as you posting it on Facebook. The difference between those two options is Facebook is free. Just because it is free, does it mean we can abuse it?

Even though I am hard on the REALTORS for posting listings, I have seen it done well a few times. One REALTOR, who markets herself as “The Queen of Real Estate,” created a video of her in her crown and wand showing off a property. The video is hilarious, fun and memorable (unfortunately, it has since been taken down). The reason it works so well is because the listing is part of an experience she created with her brand, rather than the listing being the focal point. She was giving her audience insight into who she is as a person and how she conducts her business, with no barriers in place.

If we want people to respect our businesses, and ultimately have them buy from us, we have to respect them as well. Facebook is a big party, and you get to choose how to participate. You can either be the life of the party or never receive another invitation.

Have you ever pondered the resource investment it takes to deliver something in person? Think about the last time you mailed a letter to someone, even if they lived in the same town as you.  Suppose that person lives 10 miles away, so you decide to drive the letter to them.  You will spend about $2.00 in gas and 20-60 minutes in the car, so you have to factor in how much your time is worth.

The alternative is to mail it via USPS for $.44 (as long as they are still in business as of this post).  You could even mail it overnight for $15-30 and it would STILL be worth it once you factor in the time you spend.

One of the greatest tools for Facebook is the ability to save time by posting via a mobile phone.  Why wait until you are back in your office, where there are phones to answers and fires to put out, to post your photos?  Whether it is through text messaging, posting using the Facebook application, or an email address, posting to your Facebook page is incredibly easy.

A universal way to post to your Facebook page is to use the Mobile Email feature.  For instructions on how to obtain the email address on your page, watch the video below.

I love using the mobile upload feature, especially with posting pictures.  Facebook is best when it is highly interactive, and pictures tend to have the highest interaction among text, pictures and video.

What I often teach people to do is find those moments in their life or business when they can share a photo with other people.  I love working with people who help others make significant, visual changes in their lives.  Home remodeling, real estate agents, carpet cleaners, and so many more professions have the ability to instantly share the impact of the work they do with others.  These make for quality Facebook posts.

Make it easy on yourself.  Stop wondering what you can post on your page.  Take out your phone, take a photo, and make it happen!

One of the worst things that happens to me in business is when I speak to a family member or a close friend and it turns out they hired a competitor when they had a need.  I often hear stories of frustration from real estate agents, financial advisors, mortgage lenders, etc., about how they wish their family friends knew what they did and would call them.

It is unrealistic to think that all of your family and friends will do business with you every time they have a need.  Some people never have the conversation about what you do; others would prefer never to mix business with pleasure.

On Facebook there is a way to at least make available what it is you do.  Facebook gives you the opportunity to list your business page in the Education and Work section of your profile.  For instructions on how to add your Facebook page to be visible on your profile, watch the video below.