Your Facebook "Brand"

The problem with Facebook, as many see it, is that its new design and options blur the line between "business" and "personal life." While some individuals embrace this transparency, others have gone out of their way to avoid mixing business life with personal activities. Linda covered how to draw your lines in the sand at Facebook in the previous article with information about privacy settings and filters. In this article, you'll learn more about how to guide and develop your Facebook "brand."

Guiding Your Brand

If you own your own design or programming business, you might realize that "building" a brand today is almost impossible. The proliferation of social media networks allows others to build your brand for you – you may end up splitting your time on cultivating an audience that loves your products and services and putting out fires when folks try to tear your business down.  In the end, you may end up with a brand that you didn't want. This is the down side to the impact that social media environments may have on your business.

Are you totally out of control of your brand in this social media environment? Not if you know how to weave your way in and out of various social media platforms. This practice alone takes time and compound learning curves. In the end, you may realize that these various social media environments, especially Facebook, provide environments where you can re-invent yourself and your focus, thanks to input from friends and clients. This is the plus side to the impact that social media may have on your business.

Like Nicholas Patten, you may discover that Facebook has forced your hand into trying a new medium for your business brand. Or, you may discover that the only problem you have with Facebook is the friends you've chosen and the activities you enjoy. This is when the option to keep one Facebook account for your 'playground' and building another for a professional venue is most appropriate. When you want to build a brand for your product or services, you need to choose your audience and your message with an eye to your business.

If you already maintain a Facebook page, you need to ask yourself one question:

1. Do you want to build a brand at Facebook with your current account, or do you feel more comfortable starting over with a new Facebook account for your business?

If you're new to Facebook, you only have one question:

1. Do you want to build a professional page straight off, or do you want to build a personal account to become more familiar with Facebook options?

The first method you might use to answer those questions is to look at your list of friends (if you're new to Facebook, you would look at a list of friends you'd like to invite). Are those friends conducive to helping your business model? Can they become your evangelists or are they in the same business? Can they help you get in touch with clients or with potential jobs?