It’s time for me to get off the fence about whether to have a Facebook Page for my business. I think I need to write a blog post to help me land on one side of the fence.

Perhaps by the end of writing this, I will have launched a Page that you can check out. Let’s see how it goes. I honestly don’t know yet as I write this line.

Reasons I’m Hesitant About a Facebook Page

1. Hello, there’s only so much time in the day. Obviously. I already feel spread thin.
2. I already interact on Facebook with business contacts via my Facebook profile. So, why add one more thing? Won’t people get confused, especially since my business name is the same as my name?
3. Separating business and personal feels false somehow. It’s all me.
4. Some people tell me they aren’t getting as much out of having a Facebook Page as they hoped.
5. Twitter, LinkedIn, and some local networks are already good referral sources for me and maybe I should stay focused on those.
6. I’m skeptical about how much longer Facebook will last given all their glitches lately. Hmmm.

Reasons I Want a Facebook Page

1. Practically everyone is on Facebook and I should go where they are.
2. I want my audience to have easy access to me in a format they are familiar with.
3. It’s fairly easy to set up and post to it on a regular basis, especially if I integrate it with what I’m already doing on other social media sites.
4. I’ll probably draw in new people and new ideas.
5. It will be a great learning experience especially since I help my clients with these things.
6. It could be a way for my Facebook friends to opt in to my business-related communications instead of my wondering if they want those updates in my personal feed.
7. I asked a few clients and colleagues and they think I should do it.
8. I believe in being heart-centered with communications and marketing, and Facebook feels like an opportunity to expand that.
9. What’s the harm in an experiment? Just because I start, it doesn’t mean I can’t quit if it doesn’t make sense any more. Somehow I feel locked in but actually I’m not.
10. Despite people claiming they don’t get much out of a Facebook Page, most of them are only adding an update once a week, but that’s not enough to matter. I could get more out of it.
11. I think I would like it. And enjoyment is an important factor. Give that 20 points.
12. It feels like the responsible thing to do to have a Facebook Page for my business, not just a personal profile with everything mixed together.
13. I’m about to host a free community workshop and I want a fun, easy way to stay connected with the attendees. Now is the perfect time.

Decision and Action Time

OK Val, you must admit those positive reasons are winning. I can feel myself starting to jump off the fence onto the side of experimenting with a Facebook Page. It finally feels right. Aaah, thanks for listening.

Now, I’m off to get it going and will be back with my link so you can see the result. <pause>

So, couple hours later, I’m working on my Page and I must say there are many glitches in their Page system. But I’m still plugging away. <pause again>

Ta Dah! It’s Live Now.

After some fussing, the Val Nelson Facebook Page is ready. I announced it to lots of Facebook friends and within a couple minutes, I have some fans.

The experiment has begun. I hope you “Like” it.

And You?

What are your Facebook Page deliberations?

Or, in a broader sense, what are you on the fence about? How are you going to get off the fence?

Please comment below.

Update: Two Weeks Later

It’s now two weeks later, and I’m happy with this experiment already. I have 131 Facebook “fans” and they are interacting with me in a much more visible (and “viral”) way than here on my blog. They’re also telling their friends about it.

I have made new contacts as a result and have a lot more buzz about my business and my blog. The first blog post I wrote after starting my Page was the most popular ever, thanks to Facebook.

All those positive reasons I listed above are coming true.

Update 2021…. Things Have Changed.

I wrote the post above in 2010. Since then, my Facebook page and I have had a good run for 11 years. In the first few years it definitely meant more visibility, more connections, and some enjoyment.

A few years in, I also started a Facebook group for my community and that was even better. More interactive.

Then a few years ago, it came clear that Facebook was requiring advertising payments for Pages to get seen enough to make a difference. I found myself posting less and less and feeling drained by the idea of managing ads in there. I know it works great for some but it’s not how I want to spend my time, at least not right now.

One thing that continues to feel true is that I like posting there occasionally when a flash hits me and it’s an easy place to share a new idea. Even if only a few people see it, that’s OK because it still helped me form my thoughts that might turn into blog posts later.

So here I am, on the fence again about having a Facebook Page. I’ve come full circle. The decision for today is to keep the Page but in a somewhat light or dormant mode.

I’ve been into digital minimalism so it feels good to let go and focus on other things.