But what about the Fortune 1,000,000?  What if your brand is an unknown?  What if you’re simply trying to reach your local market, not the world?  If you’re launching a start-up, opening a clothing store or are starting a charity, I would argue that your personal Facebook profile might be even more valuable than a Facebook page for your business at this point (until you outgrow your personal profile). Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not arguing against your business having a Facebook page.  I am arguing that you realize that your personal profile just might be more valuable to you.

Why? Because a Personal Profile on Facebook better enables you to:

• Showcase Your Personality (every company, product or service should have a personality.  what’s easier than being yourself?  a facebook profile allows you to be yourself and build a community of people that like that self.  you can reach them as a friend instead of as a business. which would you rather be?)
• Exhibit Your Humanity (because nothing is more human than a human being)
• Tap Your Existing Social Network (what’s your best source of referrals? your existing social network)
• Build More Meaningful Relationships (when a customer becomes a friend the relationship extends)

You should still start a Fan Page and post useful and relevant content worth of showing up in your fan’s newsfeed.  But, I would spend more time in the beginning on building your personal connections and bridging them to your business, it may pack a bigger punch for your time.

“In 2000, when he was 14-years-old, Robby Berthume started building web sites for local businesspeople. When he turned 22, the LA Business Journal featured him in its “Twenty in Their 20s” report because his company was earning healthy profits on about seven figure sales by building web sites like WhereToGetEngaged

I invited Robby to Mixergy to talk about what he learned about building profitable sites.”

To follow the series, visit EngagingConversations.com and become a fan on Facebook!

To follow the series, visit EngagingConversations.com and become a fan on Facebook!

To follow the series, visit EngagingConversations.com and become a fan on Facebook!

To follow the series, visit EngagingConversations.com and become a fan on Facebook!

So what’s taking so long?
Why isn’t your project off the ground? Why is it taking so long to build your community? And where’s the book offers and adoring fans? Most of all, why do you sometimes have the nagging feeling that you just might not be able to pull it off? Why do you feel like a kid inside of an adult costume – wondering when your time of defeat will come? Worst yet, why is their site, their company, their story succeeding while your’s is, ummm, treading water?

In a crowded world, there is only so much time in the day. You know this. Unless you are or are doing something worth talking about, no one will talk about it. Let’s be realistic, there are thousands of apps, thousands of social networks, thousands of ideas floating out there. Every category seems packed to the brim – an explosion of choice made possible by more and more efficient platforms, like the Internet, Google and your iPhone. The Internet has created infinite choice and the pickiest of picky consumers. Have we ever had as many things vying for our attention as we do now? Wasn’t it not that long ago when kids had to use their imagination, students had to go to the library and we kept in touch by phone instead of Facebook?

Yet regardless of how complicated the world becomes, the simple reality is that there are still only 24 hours in the day. Choice has increased while time has remained the same.
Despite that each of our days are limited by a clock, our choices are made based on other factors beyond just time. In fact, we all often spend time like there are no limits. Hell, some of us are even bored! Bored in an environment of infinite choice. How can that be? It is. So there is hope. For as much time as we don’t have, there is a lot of time we do have. And most of us think we could be spending it better. Maybe you provide that solution.

I believe that each one of us, in our own way, is searching for a few basic things in life. Primarily, meaning and distraction.
We strive for meaning and distract ourselves from the occasional lack thereof. We often chase meaning consciously and distraction subconsciously. Meaning is full-filling while distraction is time-filling.

Let me put this another way: I either want to be entertained and distracted from the human condition or I want to be excited about adding meaning to my life. You probably do too.
My point is this: you are like me. Whether you’re reading this from LA or Russia – we are not that different, you and I. We are more alike than you think. You may not think I care about you or your business. But I do. I just don’t know yet. You haven’t told me why I should. You’ve haven’t shown me how it will add meaning or will create distraction. I don’t yet know that your site or your service can add value to my life or can make me forget about how depressing it sometimes is.

There is hope. I am listening. We are all listening.
For as closed-minded as you and I can be, we’re still open to meaning. And we’re definitely willing to be distracted. For as complex as the world is, the simple principles of meaning and distraction remain the same. So with your business as much as your life, strive to create meaning and also don’t be ashamed to embrace or offer distraction. Because we all need it and not enough of us are getting it. A huge supply of choice has only created a stronger demand for meaning and a higher hunger for distraction.

- @epsilonc

To follow the series, visit EngagingConversations.com and become a fan on Facebook!

To follow the series, visit EngagingConversations.com and become a fan on Facebook!

Is your small business capitalizing on the free exposure available by utilizing local search tools?  Better yet, are you receiving the exposure you could be receiving with well optimized listings?  Don’t miss out on this free traffic stream of local, in-market customers! Take 15 minutes to add your business location(s) to the big 3 search engines: Google, Yahoo! and Bing.

GOOGLE LOCAL

• Most traffic of any local search product
• Easy to use dashboard for managing listings
• Validate your listing via mail or phone (phone being instant, mail taking 2-3 weeks – quicker than Bing)
• Integrated with your Google account
• Useful statistics/reporting on your listing’s effectiveness
• Coupon capabilities

YAHOO! LOCAL

• Second most traffic, behind Google
• Easy to use dashboard for managing listings (though not as great as Google’s)
• Choose from basic (free), enhanced or featured listings (enhanced and featured listings cost a small monthly amount)
• Integrated with your Yahoo! account
• Statistics/reporting on your listing’s effectiveness
• Validation period of 3-5 business days by a Yahoo! representative

BING LOCAL

• Light, but growing local search traffic
• Validated by mail only (allot at least a few weeks)
• No statistics
• Integrated with your Microsoft ID

General Tips:

• Make sure you fill out all possible fields – be thorough and accurate
• For the company name, try to be descriptive without spamming.  For instance, if you’re a restaurant that goes by “Moe’s” but your full name is “Moe’s Pizza Restaurant”, you should go with the more descriptive name.  If your company name doesn’t specify what your business does, do it here, but be careful to not abuse the Terms of Service of these search engines or go too far.
• The more information, the better – let prospects know your hours of operations, payment options and add additional details.  Add pictures and videos if you have them to engage customers.  You’d be surprised how much a picture or video can bring your listing to life in the eyes of a customer, allowing them to step into your shop virtually. Take your time with the listing and measure every word – it will pay off in the end.
• Choose your categories carefully and from top down in order of relevance/importance.
• Take advantage of coupons.
• Encourage your customers to submit reviews on your business, which can affect the placement of your listing and the credibility of your company.
• Don’t be afraid to tweak your listings – if your listing isn’t performing like you think it should, don’t be afraid to login to the respective listing center and do some tweaking.
• Back it up – a great local listing that results in a visit to your physical store or website is a free gift.  If the customer comes to a mediocre website or mediocre store, that gift is wasted.  Simple as that!