E.A. Vander Veer - Doing Business on Facebook: The Mini Missing Manual

Doing Business on Facebook: The Mini Missing Manual

by E.A. Vander Veer

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June 2010: First Edition.

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ISBN: 9781449382247

Introduction

Facebook has grown up a lot since its early days as a site where
college kids could connect. Now, everyone from your nephew to your boss to your neighbor is likely on Facebook. And the site isnt just a place to goof off and learn the latest gossip: Its a great place to network, collaborate on projects, and promote your business.

In Chapter 1 of this Mini Missing Manual, youll learn how to hunt for a job on Facebookor use it to help fill a job opening. Chapter 2 covers the various ways the site can help keep your team on track by exchanging files, sharing info, and more. And Chapter 3 explains all your options for advertising on Facebook, from the free to the super spendy.

Tip: To learn more about the ins and outs of Facebook, check out Facebook: The Missing Manual, Second Edition , from which this Mini Missing Manual was adapted.

Hiring and Getting Hired

In real life, people hire and fire based on info they get through the grapevinein other words, through their social networks: Youre looking for a programmer? My brother-in-laws the best programmer on the planet! Heres his number. Or, Theyre hiring down at my gym. You should throw them a resum.

Because Facebooks whole raison dtre is social networking, it should come as no surprise that the site can be a big help in job searches. This chapter shows you how to work the job pool from both angles: If youre looking for an employee or intern, you can use Facebook to recruit and vet prospects. If youre job hunting, you can use it to research jobs and make connections with people who might help you get hired.

Recruiting New Hires

Facebooks recruiting options range from free to pricey. Deciding up front who you want to target (recent college grads with specific degrees? Seasoned employees at rival firms? Anyone in the greater tri-state area with a pulse?) can help you choose the best options for your particular situation.

Creating a Recruitment Page

Even if your company already has a corporate Facebook Page, if you do a lot of year-round hiring, you should consider creating an additional, free Facebook Page devoted to recruitment ( shows you how).

When you create your recruitment Page:

• Put the word careers in the Pages title. Or jobs, or some other word that helps potential recruits (and employment-related Facebook applications [see ]) quickly find your Page and understand its purpose.
• Create different sections for different types of recruits. Separating info for recent college grads from the stuff for experienced hires, for example, helps your audience locate relevant information quickly and makes it easier for you to update your Page.
• Pack your Page with relevant company- and employee-related info. Dont stop with text and links to your corporate HR site; add photos and video clips that help job seekers envision themselves working for you.
• Do things on your Page frequently. Each time you post a job, schedule an event such as a hiring fair, or take some other action on your Page, would-be recruits whove liked your Page (see ) get instant notification.

Tip: If youre looking to fill a niche position, you may find it worth your while to troll the comments visitors leave on your Facebook Pages wall or discussion section and email folks who look like potential hires.

Using Facebook Groups

Theres a fair amount of overlap between Facebook Pages and groups. The difference? The point of a group is to get people to participate and chat among themselves. Pages, on the other hand, can be set up to be more like a traditional web page, with information flowing primarily one directionfrom the Page administrator to interested readers (called fans in Facebook speak). In addition, groups let you send emails directly to interested recruits, whereas Pages automatically send notifications of the actions you take on your Page and let you send mass updates (emails earmarked as Facebook updates) instead of regular emails. You have finer control over who gets to join a group than you do over who gets to become a fan of your Page, too. All of this means groups are great for specific categories of potential recruits (for example, folks interested in a certain type of position like customer service or sales), and creating a personalized, club atmosphere

To create a group, head to your Home page by clicking the word facebook at the top left of any Facebook screen. Then, on the left side of your Home page, click Groups. (If you dont see the Groups link, try clicking the word More to expand the left-hand menus.) On the page that appears, click the Create a Group button and fill in the form that appears, describing your company and the kinds of positions you need to fill.

To create a recruitment-related group thats effective:

• When you create your group, make sure you choose the Business category.
• Include careers, jobs, or is hiring in your groups name.
• Include a link to your companys website.
• Provide an email address for someone in your HR department.
• Post your job listings in the Recent News section.
• Monitor your discussion board so you can jump on potential recruits as quickly as possible by following up on discussion board leads.

Note: Facebook caps the number of group members you can email at 5,000.

Paid Advertising

Social ads let you advertise job openings to potential employees who meet specific criteriafor example, folks with certain degrees or job skills who live in specific geographic areas. Hop to to learn more about this option.

Posting a Marketplace Ad

One of the first things a job hunter will likely check is the Facebook Marketplace.

Posting a help wanted add in the Marketplace is quick and easy. To get started, click the Marketplace link on the left side of your Home page (you may have to click the More link to see it). On the Marketplace page that appears, click the Post a Listing link and then fill out the simple form Facebook displays.