How to Use Facebook to Bring in an Extra $10,000 a Month Without Running Ads Making sales on Facebook is easier than it sounds.
By Luis Congdon Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
By simply using Facebook Messenger, I was able to friend request and go deep with the owner of a fast-growing company. With just a few Messenger chats, our talks turned into multiple sales where I helped the company with its podcast, website and digital marketing strategy.
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Since then I've gone on to cut multiple five-figure deals with a few simple methods that anyone can use to make money with their personal Facebook profile. Since it's likely you're spending at least 50 minutes a day on Facebook, why not use some of that time to help your business grow?
What I'm going to show you may seem novel, but I'll tell you now -- there are plenty of business owners who use Facebook organically to generate millions in sales. If you're not using your personal profile for business, you're leaving money on the table, and you're missing out on a method that is very simple.
No ads needed, no funnel or complicated techniques -- just my personal Facebook profile, posts and regular, old-school conversations. This is the way sales used to be made -- people meeting at networking events, conversing and talking shop. Now that we have Facebook, we don't have to leave our home; we can tap into a network that has over 2 billion users every single month. In fact, Hubspot found over 74 percent of people say they use Facebook for professional purposes. In other words, a large group of users are on Facebook for business-related reasons.
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The methods outlined below are not about having more than the average of a few hundred friends on Facebook, going viral or even spending more time online. Instead, these strategies are about being more strategic with what you already have.
Facebook moneymaking tip No. 1: Delete your unprofessional photos.
Setting up your profile to make money is all about creating an appearance. It's about being the kind of person your clients and ideal customers would look at and think, I'd like to work with him.
If you have any conflicting feelings about sanitizing your profile and making it look appealing to your ideal client, remember this -- people do judge a book by its cover (and people will judge you by your photos). Now, I am not telling you to doctor up your profile so it's fake; just clean it up so it reflects the sides of you that will help. In a world where people Google you, research you and scroll through your private profiles -- your Facebook page is another part of your digital resume.
Keep some silly pictures and family shots, and delete the distasteful photos you may have posted when your personal Facebook profile was just for your fraternity friends, bros and amigas.
Related: Why You Need to Stop Worrying About Facebook 'Likes' in 2018
Facebook moneymaking tip No. 2: Write posts that appeal to your ideal clientele.
When your viewers read your posts, they're creating opinions and judgments about you. Some of the people reading your wall are people who found you via Google, and some people who are connected with you are looking for exactly what you offer.
Since social media is about being social, you don't have to "sell." Instead, mix it up and focus more on engagement. By sharing personal stories, wins of your clients and vulnerable posts about losses and wins in life, you will endear yourself to your Facebook readers and win their trust -- which will lead to increased sales.
One post that I wrote attracted the attention of copywriting legend Bob Bly -- and he shared it to his 60,000 readers, which added several hundred new leads to my email list. Another post drew the attention of an editor from a major publication, and I was invited to become a writer for the magazine -- all because I wrote an intriguing post. A third post was a direct sales pitch, but because of the early work to build trust and create engagement, it earned me lots of organic sales. My point here is, share a variety of posts, and sprinkle into your content information about your business, services and offers.
Related: If You Use Facebook for Business, Don't Make These 3 Mistakes
Facebook moneymaking tip No. 3: Land clients with Messenger.
When approaching an influencer or a potential client, it's best to avoid going in like a hungry hyena. Instead, smooth and slow is the best approach.
Send a friend request, and engage the person via their posts. Make some comments, interact with light touches and after a few quality touch points, start a chat with the person. Don't focus on the sale -- just be personable.
Later, you can ask the person about her business, and in turn, she'll ask you about your expertise. And quite often that alone can lead to business.
Given that most people now use Facebook, it's likely that many of your potential clients are looking you up on Facebook, scrolling through your profile and deciding whether to hire you. Make these changes and help yourself be more attractive to your ideal clients.
