By Edmond Carroll Facebook brings to you a unique opportunity to connect with people from all over the world. With over 200 million active users it is a great personal and business tool to connect with like-minded people. It allows you the chance to have a personal profile, create a page, share resources and promote yourself. I have found Facebook to be a very effective tool in promoting my own IET classes. It is a great way to put your information out there, give an overview of what Integrated Energy Therapy® is, what the benefits are and advertise your classes or sessions. As with any advertising, it is important to adhere to the IET Copyrights requirements and the IET Code of Ethics in your Facebook posts so that you promote yourself with high integrity and respect. Remember you are what you post and first impressions can only be done once. Below are some guidelines and suggestions for using Facebook to help build your community.
Facebook profiles: The information and “about you” sections include all information to explain what you do, how to connect to you, and includes phone numbers and e-mail addresses. You can add your website here as well, so people can click right over and see your website. You can list all the services and/or classes that you offer.
Facebook Pages: Create a page to promote your business. Share your events, classes, session information, links to your website, and testimonials. Stay active on the “page connect” with your followers and respond to their questions.
Facebook Groups: There are many groups that you can join or even create to connect with others in your area and it is a great tool for networking. Groups can have different settings – some are open to the public others are invitation only. Creating a Facebook group that you moderate is a great way to connect with your own clients and students. Always keep it simple and general; never post personal information about your clients or students.
Use the “Like” feature: When you “like” other pages that you work with or who support you, you have the chance of reaching a better audience and connecting with more people. It also shows your community that you are staying up to date with happenings of your area and services.
Share Links: You can share links to specific information on your website. This is the perfect opportunity to share classes, session information, and promotions that will direct your community to your website. I love to share personal and professional quotations.
Connect to Others: In the beginning, you may just be connecting with friends and family which is great, but think about reaching out to others who offer the same services, share your professional interests or needs. This a great tool to connect with other IET Master-Instructor or students.
Create Events: Create events for your classes and share them with all your contacts who you think would be interested in attending them. I have found that at least 80% of my class attendees come from seeing my events on Facebook.
As with any form of advertising please understand the platform you are using, read the privacy policies, understand your settings, and practice safety.