How to use Facebook as a professional network – Social BlaBla

Ask anyone why they use Facebook and most people will give you answers such as to stay in touch with friends or to share photos. It will be very rare for the person to respond that they use it in the professional field when you ask them to describe this social network. When you talk about business on social media, you usually think of Linkedin and Facebook is usually thought of as a place to have fun, which is a mistake.

First of all, Facebook has a much larger number of users compared to Linkedin, and although the environment is not especially focused on business, there are many professional networks that can become interesting opportunities. Once you have identified the social features of Facebook such as sharing photos and talking to distant friends, you should know that there are several ways to enter a professional community on the largest social network to date.
In the following article we will talk to you about how to prepare your profile for professional use, how to find other people and contact them, features that Facebook has specific to the professional field and some ways to maximize their value.

Preparing your Facebook for the professional

If you’re like most people, your personal and professional lives must be totally mixed up. You share your personal stories with your work colleagues, discuss work and your personal life on your blog and on Twitter, and you’ve probably lost track. that your professional and personal life should be kept completely separate.
But even when they’re mixed together, most of us would like to separate them at some point, so we’d recommend splitting the two on Facebook. This way you can continue to reap the social benefits of Facebook with your friends and family while also connecting with your professional colleagues.

How to separate them:
■ Go to your friends list by clicking on the friends table at the top of your Page
■ Click the “Create a new list” button and create one with the name of Professional
■ Review your entire contact list, select the people who are professional contacts and integrate them into this new list.
■ Once you have done so, navigate to your profile in the privacy settings located in the upper right corner of your page. Click on privacy and then on profile.
■ In the profile privacy settings portion of your page, you will need to begin separating the segments of your professional and personal life by restricting access to specific parts of your profile by people you determine. For example, if you don’t want your professional colleagues to see your photos, click “Edit album security settings”, in the “who can see this” part click customize and then in the “except these people” part ” Select the same people you put in your professional contact list. Now only your personal friends will be able to see your photos.

With these settings, you’ll be able to control your entire Facebook experience and decide which parts of your personal life you want to share with your professional contacts. Additionally, you can also decide if you want professional contacts to see your posts on the wall. This is your free choice, ultimately you are the one who decides what you want them to see and what not.

Using groups to create a professional network

One way to increase the benefits of Facebook’s huge database and grow your professional network is to participate in Facebook Groups. This feature allows users to connect, discuss and enter a network where common interests unite them within the same context.

Finding Groups

There are groups on Facebook that represent almost any topic you can think of. To find the right group for your professional aspirations, think about topics that can motivate you, that allow you to connect with others based on professional interests, and that allow you to delve into your industry – the groups around these topics are those in which You will find professionals with whom you can establish contact.

Now that you have it clearer, type a keyword into the Facebook search engine, and click on the Groups filter on the left side of the results. You can also filter the groups that appear by entering them as subcategories, including businesses, common interests, geography, Internet, technology and organizations.

There are of course, other ways to find Groups. These are some techniques that will give you many group options to start getting into.

1. If you have friends whose professional developments seem interesting to you, go to their profile and check their info. Check all the groups to which they belong, perhaps one of them will be of interest to you.

2. On the main page of any Facebook group, you will find links to related groups.

3. Do an Internet search using the phrase popular groups on Facebook + some keywords that you consider.

4. Once you have found the group you are interested in, it is a good idea to evaluate whether or not you will fit into the group before entering.

What to look for in a professional group

There are millions of Groups on Facebook, so how many should you join and which ones? Joining several can become unmanageable, so it’s a good idea to only join those you think you can actively participate in.

These are some characteristics that you will find in each Group and that you can look for to determine which ones are of sufficient quality for you to decide to join.

Recent news. This section contains news from administrators that may be about the group or a topic that may interest participants. Is it updated? Is it useful information or is it just self-promotion?

List of members. It includes all members, their profile photos, location and even links to their profiles. This way you can send messages to specific members or to send friend requests, a good way to find out what exactly the group is and evaluate the possibility of joining. Does the group attract people with similar backgrounds and interests as you? Can you see yourself giving information about it to other members? Do you see people with whom you can value your interaction?

Discussion wall. This allows members to engage in a discussion on topics proposed by other members. Before joining, use this tool to measure group activity and the level of engagement of participants. Are the discussions recent? How many are there? Are they interesting and along the same lines? You will have to contribute within one or, once you have joined, start one.

Afterwards. This section is usually used for members to introduce themselves or to post work-related information. This is a good way to introduce yourself and discuss your interests with the rest of the group. How recent are the latest posts? If there is any type of spam, how long does it take to remove it?

Groups also usually have photos, videos, links and event lists. Evaluate these areas according to the quality and periodicity of the information.

Group Participation

Once you’ve joined, it’s time to start participating. This is the part where the real fun begins and the real value of business happens. These are some suggestions we make if you joined a group for professional purposes. It is a good way to show your presence within the group and have productive activity.

Present. Publish a post on the wall in which you declare your interest in the group. If you are looking for a specific network, also mentioned. If you are willing to give advice, say so. The key here is to do a kind of little introduction of yourself so the Group knows who you are. Just be careful that it doesn’t look like an advertisement for yourself and your services because it may be mistaken for spam.

Links. Add links to interesting events, news pieces or blog posts. Anyone who reads them will know that you posted it, which will strengthen your branding efforts.

Participate in discussions. Nor is it about you entering each and every discussion that opens within the Group. Better look for one that seems interesting enough to you and in which you feel able to participate and provide useful information for the other members.

Raise a topic for discussion. Ask a question or propose a totally provocative topic and share your ideas – the goal is to engage as many members as possible.

After the above, you are probably more aware that Facebook’s professional network is very similar to networks in real life. The same rules and behaviors apply. Building your professional network on Facebook will allow you to use those contacts at work, new business development, and more.

Via: Digital Flight