You want to build your network on Facebook. What’s the best way to get started?

One thing that I have found helpful is to actively engage with relevant Facebook groups and pages. Look for industry associations, thought leaders, conferences, and companies related to transportation and logistics. Follow their pages, join group discussions, and share valuable insights. This raises your visibility as an expert and gets you noticed by peers and prospects. Over time, reacting and responding thoughtfully allows you to organically expand your network. Another key step is to actively grow your list of Facebook connections. Search for and add professionals in your industry, colleagues, clients, vendors, alumni groups, and more. When sending invitations, customize each request with a note explaining who you are.

Regardless of the industry, if you join Facebook groups related to your niche, interests, and goals, you need to actively and purposefully add to the group conversations. Start off with an initial post thanking the admins for the add to the group and introducing yourself. Then start commenting on various posts and potentially adding posts yourself to the group. If you find someone that shares similar interests, send a connection request first on Facebook, and then as the friendship builds, send requests on other social platforms. But be genuine about the relationships you build so they have a strong foundation. Look to grow within the community versus seeing what you can get out of it. Credibility is a slow build, but a fast fall.

One thing that I have found helpful is to make connections outside of just commenting on posts. When you see a thoughtful contributor or someone with common interests in a group, send them a message introducing yourself. This allows you to start more meaningful conversations that build rapport. You can also invite them to connect on Facebook or LinkedIn to continue the relationship beyond the scope of the group. By reaching out directly, you're more likely to form actual relationships that stand the test of time versus just surface-level interactions under posts. Making personal outreach a regular habit will lead to a diverse network full of strong ties over time.

You make an excellent point about being consistent and authentic when networking on Facebook. Building trust and meaningful relationships requires showing up regularly and interacting thoughtfully over time. Retaining people's interest calls for revealing your true self - your passion, values, and purpose - not just a manufactured persona. Letting your guard down too much risks harming your professional reputation. There's a balance to strike. I would add that it's important to nurture the connections you make by continuing conversations from your initial encounters. Check back in with people you've met in groups or commented on their posts. See how you might help them based on things they shared previously.

Leverage Facebook's algorithm by going live or posting video. I've found that when I occasionaly broadcast live video or post prerecorded video updates, the engagement and reach of my content increases dramatically. The algorithm seems to favor video over plain text posts.