[Special Thanks to Eileen McDargh for the question]
Personal or Professional? In the beginning, we had no choice, we lumped both into our Facebook profile. By the time we gaining the opportunity to separate the two, it was too late. Or is it? Eileen's question started with how to create visibility, discovery, engagement for her professional page. It's simple, somewhat easy and starts with a change within.
Mindset - From this moment, commit to defining a separate personal and professional brand on Facebook. As you prepare to post, insert the Personal/Professional question into your process. Don't cross the streams.
Platform - Choose to throw a party online and you better be ready for a crowd. Right now. Visit your professional page, print it and review. Is it about what you had for dinner, or where you spoke at dinner? You can't use your retrospectrascope to go back in fix it. Take out the trash and redecorate before you send out your next invitation.
Ahead of the Curve - Social + Mobile = Immediacy. When I work with non-profits to create digital leverage for their events. We start at Save the Date and end at Celebrate. I'm seeing way too much celebrate. Consider moving forward. Use your professional page to build the buzz for future events. This creates a great opportunity for progressive revelation. Save the date leads to "We just signed a major sponsor!" Starting at the beginning allows you to provide updates leading right up to the remider.
I've saved the best for last. It is the most powerful, yet least understood of all our Facebook tools.
Share - At the bottom of each post your community is presented three options for engagement, Like, Comment, Share. Like is lame, Comment is better, but not much more than a one-to-one. Share is the essence of digital leverage. Publish your best stuff on your professional page. Use your personal page to invite your followers to visit. At the end of each post, invite readers to share with their communities as appropriate. Two days ago I used the strategy to make a decision on one of three medical procedures. In four hours 1,200 people had seen my request. Focus on Share.
The community following you on your personal page are creatures of habit. Give them valuable information and a proper invitation and in no time they and all your new followers will slowly follow your breadcrumbs to your favored destination.
What do you think?