Three Ways to Multiply Your Influence on Facebook

Posted: October 29, 2011

You’ve got a Facebook Page, you even have a few people that “like” it. Congratulations! Now it’s time to use Facebook to up your reputation and become known as leader in your field.

Here are three easy steps that will increase your reputation and help you position yourself as an expert on Facebook.

Plant this thought in your head, let it work in the background as you go through these three steps of your Facebook strategy.

Step 1: Encourage compliments and testimonials by actively, and consistently, asking people to leave their feedback on Facebook.

Remember to be specific with what you’re asking people to do. Don’t just ask people to go to Facebook. Give them some direction with statements such as…

Explicitly ask people to post on your Facebook Wall. I found this is especially useful during live talks — online or offline — as well as when giving presentations at a conference.

It’s easier and less intimidating for people to leave a comment on your Facebook Wall than to write out a formal testimonial. Going over to your Wall to leave a comment is super easy — and it’s fun. People like seeing their Profiles show up on your Wall, especially if you are in the ‘business to business’ arena.

You can encourage that by telling your audience “Post as your Page, you can get visitors for your Facebook Page by posting on my wall.” You’ll generate engagement on your page and help them get a little promotional opportunity as well.

During any live talk or teleseminar, tell people the URL of your Facebook Page and ask them to let you know what they think and ask their questions during the talk by posting on your Wall. I do this in every webinar that I give and I’ll get at least 20 comments on my Wall saying, “I love this”, “This is great”, “This is really helpful for me.”

Take screenshots of the testimonials and use them on your website and marketing materials. Although they may be short, comments left on your wall by your community have more credibility than a regular plain text testimonial. That’s one of the most important benefits about using Facebook for social proof.

The normal testimonials that many use on their websites simply do not have the same credibility. There is no real way to verify the sources of those testimonials on a website — not unless someone actually emailed or called every single person who is quoted. With Facebook testimonials, a photo and a name are shown right next to the comment.

Facebook testimonials can massively increases your credibility and reputation as an expert. Get as many of those positive, real testimonials on your Facebook Page as you can.

Step 2: Use your Page’s photo and video galleries to add pictures of you in the role of an expert.

This could be something as simple as you at a networking event, or you sitting at your desk working with a client, you practicing your craft if you’re a fitness instructor, and so on. This is a small thing, but it makes a big difference in how you’re perceived.

It goes a long way in positioning you as an expert. Facebook puts those photos in a prominent spot, so use these photo and video galleries to present yourself in the best light possible.

You can even go one step further and ask your community to post their own photos, either using your product or at an event of yours, to your wall.

You’ve probably heard people talk about the forum strategy –going to forums and answering questions as a way of building your authority. This is the same idea, but done entirely on Facebook — which is much more popular than any forum,

For example, if you’re an interior decorator, go to the Pages of design magazines or blogs, and make yourself available as a resource.

Go to Pages, answer questions, and make sure you post as your Page — not your personal Profile. It will show your community and people who are new to you that you are the expert in this field.

Make these three simple steps part of your Facebook marketing plan and soon you’ll be known the “go-to expert” in your field.