Using Facebook to Make Business Connections

• Facebook is the most popular social network right now. As such there are enormous opportunities to use it to grow your business and to make connections with people both in your immediate area, and those in other states and around the world. However, it can be confusing to the Facebook beginner to figure out how to successfully use Facebook to make business connections. Here are five ways you can do this successfully:

• First, join groups on facebook related to your business and actively participate. Offer valuable content, respond to questions asked by other members of the group and become friends with some of the members of the group. Start your own conversations with others in the group and add photos, videos and links which offer relevant information and content. Avoid posting anything that could be considered direct solicitation or spam.

• Second, start your own group related to your business and offer the same kind of value to your group that you would to someone else's group. Invite your friends to join and encourage them to invite their friends to join. Find other business owners and other contacts from your city using the city networks and invite them to be your friend and to join your group. If you are also using twitter invite your followers to join your group.

• Third, Do keyword searches for business professionals with whom you would like to do business or become better acquainted. Become friends and search for ways to work together and offer value. Some ideas include: guest blogging with them, writing an ebook together, hosting a conference call or teleseminar together, hosting a joint party or open house, a coupon swap, inviting them to attend a networking group of which you are already a part, among others.

• You can also use the Visa Business Application to find potential contacts and friends from the professional business community. From time to time when you have some extra time, use the chat feature to have conversations with other business professionals who are also on Facebook at the same time. You can even take this a step further and talk with them on the phone. Make sure your conversations focus on how you can assist them and on how you can build and develop your relationships.

• Fourth, Ask for help or advice from other business owners. This will open you up to them and let them see that you are willing to learn from them instead of always being the leader and the one offering the help and advice. When you need to buy something or you are seeking advice, go first to your business contacts on Facebook.

• Fifth, Give help or advice to other business owners. Browse the status updates of your friends and you will find lots of people asking for help, or expressing their frustrations. Comment on them with useful tips and explain to them how you can help them. Host a free teleseminar and invite all your business contacts to attend. Make the call full of useful and relevant information and offer a free recording of the call.

• AnnaLaura Brown is an online networking specialist who uses Facebook to make connections and to grow her business. Learn more about her and subscribe to her free newsletter at http://www.internetworkmarketingwealth.com