7 Ways to Generate Leads and Make Money Using Facebook

By Tricia Andreassen

RISMEDIA, January 28, 2011-A few years ago it was enough just to be on Facebook. That alone might have made you stand out. Nowadays, however, everyone-from your fiercest competition to your dear old Aunt Susie-is on the social networking giant, so it's imperative that you maximize your presence. Here are seven ways to stand out among the sea of site users.

1. Most of us have a profile page on Facebook but it shouldn't end there. You should have a page for your business as well. Having a business page will allow your existing clients to stay in touch with you and also refer you more easily to their friends and family. In addition, people who are interviewing you to choose you as their REALTOR® may also "check you out" on Facebook. It allows them to see you on a different level and connect with you more personally.

2. After you have created your business page, take the next step and create a page that is specific to a niche or specific target market or a specialty you service. For example, if you are experienced in working short sales, create a page like Knoxville Short Sales. On this page, post what is happening in the industry, the short sale process or learning about the HAFA program.

3. Invite your friends to "Like" your page. Once you have 25 friends, you can create a branded Facebook domain name. Just go to www.Facebook.com/Username to name your page. This will create an easy to remember name like www.Face-book.com/AvoidForeclosure.

4. Once you have your page created, convert it to work like an additional website. Create a welcome page that looks and feels like your brand and your website strategy. Include clickable sections and calls to action that get the visitor over to the lead generation elements in your website. Include buttons like "Search Properties Now," "Hot Property Alerts" or "Foreclosure Deals." New friends or leads that you send to your Facebook page will land on this page first, which is why it can be a powerful lead generator for your website.

5. Now that you have your page and an easy-to-remember domain name, focus on "waving the flag" and driving traffic to your Facebook page. Add your Facebook domain name to every single marketing element you use in your business. Whether it's your business card, postcards, listing flyer, magazine ad or your website, don't forget to include it with your contact information.

6. Ever notice the ads on the right-hand side of Facebook and also how those ads seem to relate to you? This is target marketing in action. Run Facebook ads that drive traffic to your main site or to specific landing pages that focus on lead capture. When running these ads, you can hyperfocus down so those ads will only appear to those who share certain interests or in a certain age bracket or a geographic area.

7. Track your lead generation and conversion stats on what works. When running ads on Facebook, you can see the percentages of "click throughs" and see which ads generate the most interest. Also look in the backend stats of your website and track how many hits are coming from Facebook. This will allow you to know where to focus and continue your marketing efforts.