I was making a presentation recently on how to stay top of mind using Facebook and I wanted to share my findings with you.

Facebook is a great tool to use for business, and most people get the idea of Pages, etc. But sometimes it’s worth it to use your personal Facebook profile to generate leads and forge new or stronger relationships with your clients. This strategy is particularly valuable for information companies (coaches, consultants, etc.) and anyone in the relationships business (real estate, insurance, mortgages, personal finance).

Staying top of mind means that when someone needs you, you’re the first one they think of. Do it right, and it’s nearly automatic that you’re the name that pops into their heads. Most businesses run on referrals, and so in order to be referred, you have to be remembered. Part of this is posting great content, running ads that deliver value, etc. But there’s a whole other method to the madness that you can use to really make yourself stand out.

The first thing you have to get comfortable with is having your clients as friends on Facebook. I suggest that if you’re not doing this, you’re totally missing out on a massive opportunity. With just a little filtering of your life on Facebook (which isn’t a bad thing), and ensuring there aren’t any incriminating photos, you’re good to go.

So now that you’re good with that (I know you are!) let’s get into the strategies you can use to turn more of your Facebook friends and clients into referrals and repeats!

1. Facebook Messenger

If you’re targeting anyone under the age of 30, you’ll want to use Facebook messenger in some way, shape or form. This demographic primarily uses Facebook for two things: 1) Groups and 2) Messenger. They don’t always troll their news feed as often, so your ads might not be reaching them.

When you privately message people they feel like you really have singled them out for some special message delivery. Send them something that you think would be particularly relevant or valuable. Don’t just fire a marketing message at them. Sometimes the best selling is NOT selling, if you know what I mean. I’ve generated tons of leads for my business by doing simple things like that. Give them a tip, an article, or an idea that they can use immediately. They’ll thank you for it!

Oh, and DO NOT send a “group” private message. That totally negates the value you are trying to provide in making it intimate and personal.

2. Groups

Groups on Facebook are great, particularly community ones. These are high-referral engines, but beware: they’re not the place to market your business. Join in on conversations, or start one that’s relevant to the topic of the group. Be present, and helpful, and people will take note. Not everyone who is a member will contribute, but most of them will at least troll the feed. So the more you’re out there chatting and contributing, the more your name shows up…and the more you’re remembered.

3. Client Lists

One of the greatest challenges with Facebook is keeping up with the news feed, and trying to ensure you’re being responsive to your clients’ posts. But there’s a problem: Facebook only allows 17% of your friend’s content to even MAKE IT into your news feed! So what to do?

Easy! Create a client list! Scroll down on the left navigation of your Facebook home screen, and hover over “friends”. The word “MORE” will appear, click on it. Then Choose Create List and start building one called Client List (or whatever). No one else will see that they are on this list, and the good news is that when you create it, you’ll be able to click on it when you log into Facebook and see ONLY the posts from the people in that list.

Considering very few people in Facebook as a whole participate, you liking, commenting and sharing will really stand out. Don’t be crass about it, or inauthentic, but do participate when it makes sense (and it usually does).

So try these out. My personal fave is #3 because it’s easy, and it’s super effective.
Have fun!