How to Manage Your Personal Facebook Profile if You Use Facebook Groups

Facebook groups are everywhere and you are probably already in at least one. If you aren’t, consider joining a few! They are fun, informative and can be great for networking and learning. There are groups for all sorts of niches, careers, focuses and hobbies ­ ­ I am sure you can find a few that you’ll enjoy!

Since you can only join a Facebook group as a personal account, and since you are likely using it as a way to network for your business, it’s important to make sure you have a few key things set up in order to maximize the time you spend in Facebook groups.

It is important to note that it’s against Facebook’s terms to create a “personal page” and use it as a business. So if I created a new profile and called it Merriweather Council and you could friend request it, that would be a no-no. People do this though and they shouldn’t.

The idea behind these tips is that, in the event you say something smart and relevant (which you will) in a Facebook group, and someone clicks on your profile to see who you are and what you do, you want them to actually be able to figure that out and connect with you elsewhere.

Work history

Make sure that your work history is up to date and that you list your own business by connecting it to your Facebook fan page. Then make sure your settings are such that everyone can see your work history. You can do all of this by going to your profile and clicking “update info” on your cover photo. Make your work history visible to “public”!

Caption on cover and profile photo

Because everyone can see your cover and profile photos no matter what your settings are, it’s important to make good use of the space. I use the captions on both profile and cover photos to link to my blog and website, I even go so far as to say “hi Facebook group friends…” because all my real life friends already know/ don’t care.

Profile image

In addition to informing people who you are and what you do on the greater internet, you might consider making your profile photo the same as you have it on social media. This helps people place names with faces and builds up visibility where you are trying to network.

Keep it classy + lock it up

Since Facebook is a place for friends and colleagues now, it’s important to keep it classy + lock it up. Facebook group members will see anything that is set to “public” visibility on your profile if they click over to you, it’s important to get your settings straight and make sure you know who can see what!

These small tweaks to your Facebook profile will make it easier for people to connect with you elsewhere + be better informed about what you do and who you are!