Profile Creation

Facebook allows you to create a detailed profile that includes your work history, education, hobbies and interests. Maintain professionalism when creating your profile, or else you run the risk of other professionals not taking you seriously. Avoid making disparaging remarks about past employers, always use professional language, and proofread your profile before publishing it to catch any errors.

Choosing a Photo

Choosing a photo is one of the most important steps in creating a business profile on Facebook. This is not the time to post glamour shots that have you looking suggestively at the camera. If you plan to get a photo done specifically for Facebook, ask the photographer to take several shots. These shots should show your entire face, as this is what people will see when they look at your profile. Avoid wearing too much makeup or jewelry, as these can be distracting. Dress conservatively for the photo, as it will be seen by thousands of different people.

Custom URL

When you first create a Facebook page, your URL will be something like www.facebook.com/194. Facebook allows you to create a custom URL that contains your name, business name or other segment of text. If you are using your Facebook profile for business purposes, your URL should contain information about your profession or industry. A professional photographer, for example, might choose www.facebook.com/sandiegophotographer as his custom URL. Using this Facebook feature makes it easier for people to find your profile.

Wall Posts

Your Facebook has a “wall,” which is where you should post updates. Keep these updates focused on business whenever possible. You might update people about changes to your website, provide information about upcoming professional events or share industry tips with your Facebook readers. Minimize the number of personal messages you share on your business Facebook profile. Before you post any content to your wall, proofread it carefully and make sure it does not contain any terminology that would confuse readers.

Sharing Links

Facebook makes it easy to share links, but use caution when deciding which links to post. Make sure they are useful or interesting for the people in your target market, or else people may drop you from their friend lists. Always vet links before posting them so that you do not inadvertently post a link to adult content or to websites infected with viruses and malware.

There was even a movie released last year called Julie and Julia (available on DVD) that’s all about blogs and cooking. Since it’s about blogs I just had to watch it You see, I started working with blogs in 2002 (you can read more on our About Us page) and just a couple of years ago you would have to really look hard to find a magazine or a book that mentions blogs. Now it’s all over the place which is both shocking and exciting at the same time. To me anyway. Before people used to say “If you don’t have a website you are not a real business”, and today it’s “If you don’t have a blog you are not a real business”. Amazing how far blogs have come.

It is fun to watch getting Fortune 500 companies become our blog hosting and consulting clients. Companies like Adobe, TIME, Cisco, Washington Post, CapitalOne, Harvard, Expedia, National Geographic, and many others. Over the years we’ve assisted many companies and individuals with various blog requests, and I’m really looking forward to helping many more in 2010, and years to come.

If you don’t have a Blog, Facebook or Twitter — you should really start one. It’s fun, and to some it’s life-changing.