Since the Facebook Experriment started, Social Netowrking has become a more popular topic, or I'm more aware of it, or a little of both. But there seem to be lots of people out there that want to teach me all about it. Social Networking seminars run from $12 for a "Learn at Lunch", which I think was a Brown Bag Seminar back in the 80's, to $40 for a 1/2 day seminar complete with mini bagels and juice*. One even offered to take my picture digitally so I'd have one for my new Facebook Page. Color me happy, because one time at Band Camp they took our pictures digitally.

They all want to teach the basics of Facebook and tout it's capabilities. They'll walk you through the creation of a Facebook Account and show supposedly successful Pages. None of them will show you how to make a Page successful. Some of them won't even know what they're talking about. Some will offer to take your picture digitally for your Page, which is fine if you're selling yourself, like an Actor, Model, Politician or Hooker. They're confusing a Facebook Account with a Facebook Page. Maybe a picture of something related to your business, like your logo, would be better.

If you have a Facebook Account you can create a Facebook Page. A Facebook Page looks alot like your account and it's easy to see why people get confused. Both are generically referred to as Pages. Your Facebook (page) Account is personal. Pages are public, like a business or organization. People can view a Page like shopping in a store, and that's the idea.

Pages are their own seperate entities. Not only do you want them open to the public you want the public to become Fans. (Technically you "Like" a Page now which would make you a "Liker", two words; Classic Coke.) Unlike a website, people don't even have to come back to see what's new, whatever you Share (write) in your Page goes out to all of your Fans' personal accounts, you can reach them all with one little click. Getting Fans is the key to a successful Page, and what they don't teach you how to do.

One way is to invite all your Friends to become Fans of your business' Page. Friends aren't automatically Fans and Fans aren't automatically Friends. A Page is a seperate entity remember. What you want to communicate to Friends you may not want to communicate to Fans. You may prefer Fans that are Fans of your business and not allowed into your personal life.

Another way is to have Facebook advertise your Page. Your ad will pop-up on the right hand side of people's Facebook accounts asking them if they want to become Fans. Just tell Facebook you want to "Promote with an Ad" and follow the bouncing ball. It's pretty neat. You can pick Location by City, State, Province, even narrow it to a 10 mile radius. Demographics by age, sex, marital status, straight, gay, high-school graduate, college, band camp, married, single, even likes and interests. Its not free.

You decide how much you're willing to pay though. In my test market Facebook suggests $50 a day at $0.66 per click. You can set whatever daily limit you want and bid as little as a penny per click. It would follow that the biggest spenders with the highest cost per click would get into the rotation most often. Consider your market. Maybe a thousand dollars a day at two dollars a click is what you need in Manhattan to get in the rotation. But you aren't in Manhattan. Consider your product and consumer too. Are they worth a dollar a click?

I can hear you from here; "There's nobody on Facebook that I'd want.". Oh but there is. Take the 4th largest city in the state of Wisconsin for instance. The 2000 Census says only 11% of residents over 25 are college graduates compared to 68% on Facebook. Seems people learned about computers, and Facebook, in college. How about that?.

Another way to get Fans is to offer a bounty. Agree to donate money to a poular non-profit if you reach a certain number of Fans in a certain time period. The non-profit will get the word out to it's Fans and they'll suggest their Fans become your Fans to get the money. Your Friends will spread the word to their Friends too if they know its gong to cost you. One time at Band Camp, after Lights Out, we went on the internet and clicked the Paid Ads just to run up their bill. I have a list of non-profit organizations if you'd like to talk price. You don't think the "Save the Sad Looking Kid with a Cute Puppy" foundation is going to cost you the same as "Send Children of Affluent Families to Band Camp" do you?

People will steal from the poor box by setting unrealistic goals so they don't have to pay up. Please don't be one of them. Promising $100 if you get 2,000 Fans in 3 days for your Band Camp's Page isn't a fair deal. I think, depending on the appeal and Fan base of the non-profit, 25 to 50 cents per Fan is fair.

There you have it. Three ways to get Fans, promote your Page, and your business with Facebook.

Invite your Friends, pay per click, offer a bounty, that's your call, and that's Cocktail Talk.