While Facebook and Twitter are fighting for the top spot in the world of social media, one thing is clear: Facebook far surpasses all other social media sites, including MySpace and LinkedIn. Twitter is undeniably attractive, but the 140 character limitation is, well, limiting. MySpace has clearly focused on making itself super attractive to teens. LinkedIn is a great business tool, but you still keep a corporate environment floating above your virtual conference room, and without the cooler conversation on Facebook, you just aren’t up to par with FB traffic, yet.

Facebook works because it crosses borders. When used correctly, business owners, managers, and supervisors can take advantage of business and personal connections. And for those who use FB on a personal level, connections and “friends” can lead to great business opportunities, if you create and use the Facebook page to maximize the potential of the site.

And that’s the key. Many VARs are just taking to social media by simply creating a username and password, writing a bit of a bio and branding message, and then, well, that’s it. They don’t post thought-provoking ideas or pose questions for discussion, or share links to great ideas on other sites. They are not using Facebook to its full potential.

So how many friends do you have on Facebook anyway? While it is not the end of everything, it all depends on whether or not your Facebook page is helping you position yourself and your brand, the more friends you have, the greater the chances that you will communicate with your customers and your customers. customers.

These are just some of the ways you can use your Facebook page as a mini-brand website on its own:

– Highlight company news.

– Invite customers and suppliers to participate in events.

– Post links to articles, e-books, and online webinars you offer.

– Connect and communicate with your customers.

– Continue positioning your brand.

– Give an honest view of who you are and what your core values ​​are.

Whether it’s for friends or fans, your page should communicate and continue to develop and tell your story and your brand. When you embark on creating your page for the first time, try these simple steps:

– Determine who you want to see your page and configure your account settings accordingly. Do you want everyone on Facebook to see your information or only your customers? Maybe it’s your customers and your customers (on Facebook, these would be your “Friends” and your “Friends”). Once you decide who you want to reach out to, make sure your messages and posts meet the needs of that target audience. Your customers may not want to know that your cat sleeps on your desk while you work, or maybe they do. The key is to provide a balance with informative information about your product and brand, while making it a bit human and personalized.

– Categorize your tabs on your profile page to match those of your audience. Will your target audience want more information than is provided in the information section of the Facebook page? What kind of photos or videos can you add? Facebook can also conduct surveys and polls to drive the conversation and position you as an industry thought leader. Think how your customers would think. What would they want to learn from you? Then give them that.

– Have a party. Or in the world of Facebook, an “Event”. An event also does not necessarily have to be a physical event in a physical location. It could be an invitation to a webinar or blog post that you have created where you want to encourage people to interact with you on a particular topic. Facebook allows you to invite people to events. It’s a great way to make your clients feel like they are part of your community and your world. And you help to position your brand at the same time.

– Continue offering the merchandise. Customers, suppliers, your friends will keep coming back to your Facebook page and interacting with you if you provide them with a constant stream of resources, information and knowledge that will help them do their job better to be more profitable. Are there any new trends on the horizon that you are aware of? Have you partnered with two vendors to offer a complete end-to-end solution for your customers? What are the tools you have in your treasure chest that will help you motivate those you interact with? Add them to your page too.

Just because you have a Facebook page doesn’t mean it’s working to your advantage. To make your Facebook page dance you must show a little vulnerability, a lot of energy and offer many reasons for friends and fans to stay connected. The most important thing is to create a Facebook plan that will keep you on track and focused on your goals, and help you build more and more friendships.