Please talk me through creating a Facebook profile/account/whatever for freelancing

[Facebookphobic]

I've been wondering for a while about dipping my toe in the water of freelancing in the field that I work. I currently have a part-time employed role, but as DD gets older - and especially once she starts school - I hope to have more time to do some additional self-employed work on the side. (My employer is happy with this.)

I'm in a couple of email-based professional networks, but I keep hearing there are good Facebook groups for networking, advice, freelancing in my field - and I'm holding off with joining these because I can't work out how to get set up to join in.

I have a personal Facebook account but very rarely post or look through the news feed; it's handy though for a few groups I'm in. The difference with joining these professional groups is that I don't want to join in the capacity of my personal Facebook account/profile.

I've had a Google and yet still can't work out if I should set up a separate Facebook account altogether for my work, or a sub-profile within my personal account, or a business account - or what.

Other freelancers/consultants out there, how are you set up on Facebook with your professional hat on - totally separate from your personal life? How much information do you include? I'd quite like to just lurk/be a bit anonymous initially while I get the measure of it.

Thanks for tips!

Can you say what field you're in? It's tricky to advise otherwise.

Most people I know set up a separate profile with their area of work in their name.

"Jodie Thomas Artist" or "Caroline Fisher Copywriter"

And lock both profiles tightly so there's no crossover.

Thanks.

I work in the third sector - my market would be charities.

But I wasn't thinking of using the profile so much to market myself, but just as my professional face on Facebook when networking with others in the field. There are a few support groups specifically for freelancers that I want to join - not where people are promoting their business so much as sharing and gaining tips.

But maybe it needs to be able to do both?

Thanks again.

What about just using a version of your current username? So if your personal profile is "Anna Smith" Call your professional one "A C Smith" or "Anna S"

And you probably do need both...but for your line, I'd say LinkedIn is more important. And Google.

Thanks again. Does it need to be a whole separate account - separate login? Or a sub-profile? I read somewhere as well you can have a business profile. It's a bit confusing for someone like me who doesn't use the platform much at all.

I'd have a business page for your business, unless you're going to be very careful about what you post on your personal page or don't mind your clients knowing the minutiae of your life. If it's not your area of expertise, you may be best paying someone to set it up for you, it's something a skilled virtual assistant could do I think.

Thanks, Clavender. When you say you'd have a "business page", is that a sub-page of your personal account? This is what I don't understand - where it sits, IYSWIM.

I could simply create a whole new login - new email address, new password, etc. Is that what you mean?

I'm not fazed about creating it, if I just know the pathway and the correct type of page I'm creating. If it's a business account, does that incur costs? I don't have any income yet!

I definitely don't want overlap between my personal page and whatever I end up creating for freelancing.

Thanks.

You'll need a separate account if you want to join groups. You can set up a sub account as a business page from your existing personal account but you won't be able to join groups or comment as that account.

It's worth noting that your phone number alerts people to who you are on fb so regardless of the name you use you'll need to make yourself unsearchable by mobile number if you want to remain anonymous.

Clients can't see your personal page unless you allow them to.

Most businesses are set up as 'pages' which is different from your personal profile. I'm not an expert on what the differences are I'm afraid, I just know they're different! If you click on 'pages' in the left menu option from your personal profile you'll see everyone you're following who has set up a 'page' - if you've liked any businesses they will probably be in this list, it looks more professional for a business to be set up as a page.

I just use my usual account for the freelance Facebook groups. If your profile is locked down to friends only and go through all your security settings then people in the group can't view all your posts unless they befriended you.