And what I am doing about it.

I have just under 1,000 friends on Facebook. As a sensitive, intuitive, INFP personality, hanging out with this many “friends” is less likely to happen in real life. I like small dinner parties, intimate conversations, and lots of time alone to reboot.

I first got on Facebook in 2008 because my friend Linda Z. told me about Mari Smith and her brand new pod class (back when Mari had a pod class!) and I paid something like $49 to get the scoop on how Facebook could help me with my online marketing.

So I began a personal Facebook profile for “business reasons,” and began friending people who were clients, other coaches, online marketers, and some authors and teachers I admired.

But then a funny thing happened. Suddenly my childhood friends, cousins, entire high school graduation class, old work colleagues, and friends I had fallen out of touch with were also getting on Facebook.  But unlike me, they were using it to share baby pictures, wedding photos and updates like “OMG, the final episode of Jersey Shore is tonight!”  Throw in my nephew and nieces who were posting drunken college photos…

And things started feeling very whacky.

Where as I wanted to post about a new article I had written, it was mixed in with my sister’s camping photos. I started feeling awkward about peddling my small biz.  I also wasn’t enjoying all the marketing infomercials from my now hyper active (networking on acid) friend feed. And I knew I wasn’t alone on this topic when I saw the massive response to  Scott Stratten (AKA Mr. Un-Marketing)’s message and (hilarious) video regarding Facebook and pissing people off.

So what to do? At first I avoided the situation and headed over to Twitter.   For a good 9 months I tweeted and tweeted and occasionally posted an update on Facebook.

But a funny thing happened.  Despite ignoring Facebook, I found out from my google analytics, that Facebook wasn’t ignoring me.  Despite only occasionally posting at Facebook, it was sending as many or more people over to my blog and website.

Where as Twitter was a great place to connect with colleagues, Facebook was acting like a better work horse for my biz. So I knew I wanted things to change…but how?

From Personal Profile to Facebook Page

A Facebook Page, previously known as a Fan Page, is a single page that you can create from your Facebook account for a specific subject or, in this case, dedicated to your creative business. Anyone can create them, and as with your profile, it contains tabs for wall posts, information, links, discussions, photos and anything else you want (there are lots of applications).  When someone “likes” your page, then 2 things happen: (1) their profile photo is added to the “who is following” group for the page and (2) they will receive your page updates in their live Facebook stream (just like other updates from friends).

Creating a Facebook PAGE for your business is something that smarty pants, Laura Roeder, has been preaching for some time to small business owners. And if you are like me and have thought “Who am I to have a Facebook “fan” Page?” then consider what the artistic blogger, Kelly Rae Roberts says, “Who are you not to have a Facebook page?”

For myself, I FINALLY saw how I could begin to create healthy boundaries between the personal and the business. Your “like” audience has raised their hands to say, yes I want your status updates on your creative business.  You no longer need to “filter” who you want to friend or not friend for your business, as anyone with a Facebook profile can “like” and follow your biz page. You can also stop holding back from sharing your business news because you are concerned that your college BFF is “sick of it already.”  And, finally, your personal page can become dedicated to the more personal, which Facebook was sort of invented for in the first place, and your friends will be happy too, as now they can get the updates they want on your personal life.

So are you getting excited about this idea?  The next two sections are about how to create a page, and then how to deal with the transition from personal to page.

How to Create a Facebook Page

Here are some quick pointers and great resources for you.

First, to get started, you need to have a Facebook account.  I am assuming you have one, in which case, simply use the create a page link within your account or go here.    According to Johnny Haydon, there are reasons you may want to create a seperate Facebook account for your page, read about that here (and note, I chose not to create a new account.)  Here are some helpful Facebook Page resources.

• A very clear and thorough guide for creating a Facebook Page put together at  Squidoo.
• Mari Smith’s top 10 list for creating “Fantastic” Facebook Pages.
• How to customize your Facebook Page (using special coding called FBML)
• Facebook’s official “Facebook Page” Page. (for updates and news, straight from the horses mouth)

More tips from me:

• Just because it’s a BIZ PAGE doesn’t mean you want to lose the balance with the personal YOU ingredient (just as you do at your website or in your newsletter).
• Add a “Welcome” tab to your Facebook page (you can use the Static FBML application to do this).  You can see mine here.
• Update your new Facebook page regularly with resources, photos, videos, blog posts, and all the things that make folks a fan of you and your business (and that you love creating).
• Offer special incentives for your Facebook Page Community (special sales, early notices…)
• Invite the people at your Facebook page to interact.  A great way is by starting a discussion using a “Discussion” tab.

The Transition

So, what to do about the 1000 + friends you already friended on your “personal” profile?  I am still working this out and eventually I may reclaim my personal profile to 100% personal, but in the meantime, here are my tips, for those of you who are in a similar predicament as myself. (A plan that does not include throwing out your current Facebook friends or starting over.)

1. Let your current friends know about  your new Facebook page (use your status updates and you can send out a message suggesting that they may “like” it.)
2. Create a note for your Profile Box announcing your new Facebook Biz Page. I wrote the following, “Please note, going forward I am doing most updates at my “like it” page, go here:  http://budurl.com/HeatherGrayFBPage.” (See image on right –>)
3. Continue to do some business related updates in your personal profile, but do them at a rate that would be normal when you are among friends and each time you do, point them to the new Facebook page for more.
4. Be more selective going forward with Facebook friends. (Have we met in real life or connected in some way? Do I like, know and trust you?)
5. Consider “friend” weeding.  You may want to weed out those Facebook friends who are overly spammy, you are not intested in what they are offering, or if you have any  “What was I thinking?” “We have nothing in common,” or “We don’t even speak the same language” types.  (Note: Don’t worry, no one will get a note saying you unfriended them.)
6. Replace all of your public Facebook links so that they direct to your Facebook Page (instead of your personal profile).
7. And most important:  Stick to the plan! Don’t be tempted to give up and go back to using the personal profile, just because it takes a while to build up your new community.

Try not to be disappointed if you have only a small number of “fans” in the beginning. People are busy, it will take time before they notice, and the good news is google will “see” your  page, no matter how many members you have.

As I go to publish this I have 9 “like”  me peeps for my brand new, 3-day young, business page. (Pretty audacious of me to post about this at this point!) But I know it will grow as I “stick to the plan” and workout creating a more functional relationship with Facebook going forward.

Ok, your turn. What are your thoughts on Facebook and the boundaries with your Personal and Business life?  Please also let us know:

• Your Facebook Page link (if you got one)
• Additional tips or resourcees you have for creating great Facebook pages.
• Any more ideas on  making the transition from “dysfunctional Facebook profile” to Fabulous Facebook Page.

You can find my Facebook Page here.  A virtual space and community dedicated to the Soul-filled Life, Laptop Lifestyle Freedom and Transformational Conversations, with regular updates from yours truly.

Tagged as: Facebook, Facebook Page, Social Marketing