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Create a Facebook group through your personal page. Facebook groups are communities that promote discussions. You can use a group to develop a professional community, a regional business network, a product, a professional advice group, a market research group or a club.
Use ‘secret’ members-only groups as networking hubs for current customers.
If your goal on Facebook is to create a tribe-like community, then a secret, members-only group can be worth investigating. Unlike closed groups, only members can see who is in the group.
Secret groups allow you to create a personalized, private feedback loop, which can be a priceless engagement and retention tool. They’re ideal for providing extra value to your VIP-level clients and customers.
A private group may be especially appropriate for businesses whose products and services have a more exclusive audience, such as coaching organizations and training and consulting providers. The closed group atmosphere can create a sense of exclusivity and your clients will get direct access to you and your team.
I use secret groups both for retention and customer acquisition. A private group provides a forum where my consulting clients can network and share strategies with other marketing professionals. Clients love having a place to candidly ask me and experts in the group for feedback.
It’s been such a popular feature that I now use secret groups with all of my products. As a result, I’ve seen a 30 percent increase in returning customers after I introduce a new program. Also, my return rate has dropped because customers know I am there to support them when they have issues.
Use the Facebook events application to invite your contacts to important business or professional events that you or your company has planned. Encourage people who’ve never seen your business in person to meet in a social setting. Also, ask that your friends or fans pass on the invitation to their friends.
Use open groups to build awareness, authority and interest in your brand.
There already are plenty of open groups on Facebook. The narrower the niche or hyper-local the group, the more likely it is to be lively and engaged — such as these local “free-cycling” and photographer groups.
Start or join an open group focused on your business niche. Use it not to sell your products directly, but rather to establish yourself as an expert and to network with others in your industry. For example, if you edit photographs for a living, a photography group is a way to share your expertise and provide relevant content in a more personal and community-focused way than with a brand page.
For all types of Facebook groups, use the “About” tab to outline the purpose and goals. Create and post membership guidelines to the “Documents” tab, especially for closed and secret groups, because you may want to allow members to invite friends when appropriate.
And focus more on participation than messaging. Groups are about dialogue, not direct sales. Encourage customers to interact and post often.
Other networking resources:
http://www.businessballs.com/business-networking.htm