People first have to "buy you" before they buy the product. This means they have to see you as trustworthy and reliable, especially when marketing online makes everything virtual. They don't get to meet you in person (except if you arrange for a meet up) and don't know who you really are--even if you've been FB friends for years. I have a lot of FB friends I laugh and chat with but who nonetheless are still total strangers to me.
Online, we have to sell ourselves to prospects before they buy our products. Often, they may not buy immediately. But if you're able to sell yourself well to them, there's a good chance they may buy the next time around. They "buy" you when they have proven your worth, especially your good character and friendship. But good character starts somewhere. How do you project good character online?
Because Facebook is about faces and pictures, you start with your profile picture. It's not about posting your best, most handsome or prettiest or sexiest picture on your profile but posting a decent picture that really and honestly projects the real you. It doesn't mean wearing long sleeves or suit or barong and appearing so formal like someone from a funeral parlor. Just a decent you.
If you're naturally very formal and business-like then do appear so. But if not, don't pretend. But neither should you look messy, clumsy, awkward, graceless or nondescript (unremarkable) just to be down-to-earth and claim that's you're natural self. Natural self is good but we're destined to change and improve ourselves (part of personality development and maturity), no matter who we are or what our profession is. It's okay to stay as we are if we're not doing an online business. But if we are, staying unchanged won't work unless we're a celebrity or a superstar who people accept even in their worst appearance.
So use a good profile picture where you look naturally friendly, formal enough, backdropped against an inspiring background and with your natural smile. Don't "hide" yourself always using a background that makes you look rich or big-time, or anything like that, like a posh car, mansion, or luxurious places, especially if it does not yet define your lifestyle. You're like fake news. You're a big lie trying to impress people the wrong way to make them think highly of you.
Just be yourself. If people buy you just the way you are, then it's good marketing. You didn't fool anyone. If they don't buy you, much better. Don't run after people. Marketing is not running after people anymore but giving them reasons to like you. I hate the idea of making money by prostituting yourself to people, begging them to like you.
Anyway, if you have a clean and pure heart, God will take you to the right customers who'd "buy" you because you're you, and patronize your product because they see you as honest and trustworthy. There's nothing false in you. They first buy you, bear that in mind. Then they might also buy your products. If they don't, at least they bought you as a person and friend, and a lot of promising things may happen after that in time.
So fix your profile picture first, not to give false impressions but to project a justified look. Your real, decent and improved you. Since people do not really meet you in person when online, it's your face and pictures they more strongly relate to, not your actual person. Then they build your "person" in their minds by what they see on your wall. So build your profile picture and profile page. Selling online all starts with your face.
Next topic: How to project yourself on your FB wall.
