How can Facebook improve my business?

I read that setting up a facebook (or bebo or myspace or similar) account could help me grow my business.


I understand how facebook works, and can see the benefit of online social networking, but how do I combine this with my business. As far as I understand, I can't set up a separate profile for my business. So does this mean that the only way to do it is to mix business "with pleasure" and have potential customers see my mates sending me harry potter spells and the like?


Has anyone got any experience of this? Any advice?


Thanks

How can Facebook improve my business?
your prob better doing it thru myspace cos there unlike facebook ppl cant throw a 'sheep' at you etc ..lol..the only thing u can do with facebook is a set a group up for your business thats attached to your profile.
Reply:hi, putting a link to your website on social networking sites can be a great way to increase traffic to your site.


if you don't want to mix business and pleasure then create a different profile on these sites ( you can usually do this ok if you use a different email address to the one you have registered with them for your first profile)


that way you can keep one profile for business and one for pleasure on each site.





this may help you too...





10 low cost ways to promote your website





1) add your site to as many search engine listings as you can find, ie http://uk.search.yahoo.com/freesubmit/su...





2) make sure you add meta tags to your website (key words which you list then when people search for those keywords your site will come up in the results) - all part of SEO - search engine optimisation





3) put your website address on all your business stationary - letterheads, invoices, compliments slips, delivery slips, envelopes, parcel packaging, business cards etc etc





4) promote your website by adding it to your email signature on both business and personal emails





5) join as many social networking sites as you can ie hi5, bebo, tagged, facebook, myspace, yahoo 360 etc and add your web address in your profile or notice boards etc





6) add yourself to online directories who give free listings ie http://www.yelldirect.com/freelisting/ho...





7) get some stickers made for your car, and window stickers made for car windows of friends, family, customers etc





8) PR is always a good move, ask your local paper(s) to run a feature, get your business start-up story featured on business sites like newbiztips.net http://www.newbiztips.net/startupstories...





9) use http://www.vistaprint.co.uk to get some free/low cost marketing materials and leave them everywhere you go - cafes, train stations, libraries, school, community centres, college





10) word of mouth is a great way to promote something - and it's free! tell everyone you know and get them to tell people they know
Reply:Hi


Just to say that i use 'facebook' regularly and cant imagine this being much help to your business. The only way it could work would be if you got all your friends to tel all their friends about your business but even so, it's not really a great way to market.


good luck with your business, sorry i cant be more help.