We have experimented with this marketing model for almost two years and the results have been tremendous.

We are finding that by combining multiple region-specific restaurants or small businesses onto one single facebook fanpage, participating businesses gain customers dramatically when compared to the results of having their own private fanpage.

By only accepting a limited amount of restaurants into the Tasty Legend model, these businesses can also market their exclusivity as a selling point to their target market.

Growth results to date vary from 15% increase in new customers all the way to 75% increase.

This model is proving to be the most cost efficient marketing method for a small business with limited marketing or advertising dollars available.

Watch the Tasty Legends project unfold at TastyLegends.com

Well there is a way that Facebook allows you to customize your profile to show information only as you are feel comfortable with others that you are connected to on Facebook. You can make decisions about your Facebook profile with each information area separately which is great.

So you can share your status updates with your friends but only you see the pictures you are tagged in.

Let’s walk through the process so you can customize the privacy settings to meet your networking and personal needs.

You will need to first log into your facebook account. On the top right side you will see the ‘setting’ tab. Highlight this tab and it will bring up 3 options. Choose the privacy settings. Then choose the profile option.

Once you are at the profile privacy page you have all of these options.

Facebook Privacy Settings

You can change your privacy settings on everything from your status updates to pictures to education information.

Choose the area you want to change. You will then see this screen.

Facebook Privacy Custom Options

This screen will allow you to customize all of Facebook account settings to your what you need.

But the use of a facebook page really goes beyond communicating your message through text.  With a facebook page you can put an opt in box to collect email addresses to grow the reach of business and to create relationships with those people on your list.

You can also highlight your facebook page directly on your website.  This facebook page badge can be created within your facebook page.  This badge allows website readers to connect directly to your facebook page, shows the latest feeds on your facebook page, and displays the pictures of those people who are your fans.  A very cool tool!

Here is an example of the tool for a pickleball page.

You need to go to http://www.facebook.com/username and follow the directions.  I have listed below the process you will go through to make your facebook url.

You then follow the directions given. Facebook will give you suggestions for a username. If you decide you do not like the suggestions you can create your own.

You then choose the ‘check availability’ option to be sure the username you want is available. If the username you want is available then choose ‘confirm.’

And now you have a personalized facebook url that will read www.facebook.com/usernameyouchoose.

In the future if you change your mind, you can change your username only once. You can make the facebook url change through the Settings tab of the Account Settings page. Choose “username” and click “change.” Facebook will then give you step by step instructions for the change. After this change this the username forever, so be sure you really want to change it.

In contrast, you have 3-5 seconds to connect with a person on your site.  In this3-5 seconds the person will decide whether or not he/she wants to spend more time on your site.

So 1140 seconds is 19 minutes that is proven an average facebook user is online at Facebook.  Yep, the person is most likely looking at new pictures, new videos, and seeing the new stuff put up by their friends.

But what if one of the ads on Facebook in 3-5 seconds of the 1140 seconds a person is there catches their eye and they click the ad?  What if a fan page of a friend catches their eye and they click through to see what that page is all about?  What if a helpful hint in their newsfeed is really helpful and they click through to a blog post?

There are so many ways to connect with people of Facebook.  And to have a person’s concentrated attention for 19 minutes a day online a bit mind boggling.

With your facebook account you can only have one personal profile.  Which means that you are communicating with all your friends at one time no matter which ‘circle’ of life that person is involved with you in.  Well that is true unless you know how to set up friend list.

Friend List

So you can have a friend list that only gets your personal information and another friend group that sees your updates on a professional level.  Set up as many groups as you need and yes, just like real life friends, friends can be in more than one group.

This function is super practical for business networking as you can ‘remember’ with a small hint of the list where you met the person – what function or event.

To Set up a Friend List

It is easy!  Log into your facebook account, click on the friends link at the top then choose ‘all friends.’  You will see  the list of your friends.  Towards the right side there is a ‘add to list’ option.  Choose the down arrow, and type in your new list.  Or at the top of the friend list, there is an option to create a list, edit a list, or delete a list.

Have fun building your friend lists on Facebook!