There has been much written about how to use Facebook properly and effectively, and still many people miss the very fundamental items that make being on Facebook worth the time and effort.  So here are what I consider the “basic basics” of a Facebook personal profile:

• You must have a photo.  If you don’t, you might as well not have a profile in the first place.  If you don’t have a photo, you’re not even in the game.
• Your main profile photo should be of you – not your significant other, your kids, your dog, your motorcycle, or your favorite sunset.  There are other places in your profile to put photos of your favorite things.
• Your photo should be of your face, not some long-distance shot where no one can even see your face.  And no sunglasses, hats, other people or other objects in the photo.
• If you can, having a professional photographer take a professional headshot is a fantastic idea, and very much worth the money.
• There’s a text box in the left-hand column right below your profile photo – use it for a quickie synopsis of who you are, what you do, the name of your business if you have one, and your website or blog address.  While your personal profile is not the place to actively promote your business, it’s OK (and a good idea) to mention your business in this space.
• Put a lot of information in the Info section of your profile.  Information about people is interesting to people.  You want people to get to know you, and limiting this section to your basic contact info does not further that cause.  They want to know your interests, hobbies, favorite things, affiliations, and so forth.
• Be active.  Posting once a week will not garner much attention.  It doesn’t take long to make a short post.  Do it at least once a day, maybe more.

More “basic basics” in a future post…