This week the IMTW Podcast was broadcast live on Ustream to discuss the new Facebook updates. There were over 900 people logged in live at one point, by the way - what a turnout!
I've not really been a huge fan of Facebook up to this point, often joking that "I'm in and out of there quicker than a public restroom!" 😆 . 175 million people disagree with me on that point, and I've been happily enjoying Twitter instead - home to a measly 6 million users.
There was a small private discussion after the live broadcast, full of feedback opinions & questions, which inspired me to share a couple of points...
The reason Facebook is such a hot topic this week is because they are rolling out a new update. TechCrunch called it Facebook's Response to Twitter - which is why this particular update got my attention. (That link explains the update best, by the way - much clearer than the update on Facebook's blog).
Twitter is currently my personal favorite when it comes to social networks. I have ten times more followers there than friends on Facebook, and Twitter has proven to have the highest response & conversion rate. For me, I should say. It's worth pointing out that I invest a lot more time & energy into Twitter than I have Facebook.
If you've read the TechCrunch article that I linked to above, you'll see that the biggest change to Facebook is the speed of updates (real-time vs every 10 minutes) and the new 2-way communication with Facebook Pages - which makes them operate similar to traditional Facebook Profiles.
There is also a redesigned home page which helps you organize your friend feeds & your content publishing. All very welcome updates in my opinion!
Do You Need A Facebook Page?
The average person does not need a Facebook page. Pages are specifically for public figures, organizations or products/brands. It's a way for a local coffee shop owner, for example, to create a Web 2.0 presence online and interact with their fans & customers.
I have a Facebook Profile which is very much like my MySpace Profile - a mash up of my personal and professional self. Basically... my profile. You'll find photos from business trips alongside family vacations, pictures of my kids, goofy quotes, my favorite movies, a link to my latest blog post, personal thoughts, etc.
My primary business operates under my name, and being personable and real is all a part of my business model. In other niches where I use a pen name, and the niche is completely unrelated to my real world personality, I set up separate social networking profiles and keep it "on topic".
Given the buzz about the new Facebook update, and the discussion on IMTW this week, I decided to set up a Facebook Page for ClickNewz. While my personal profile will remain... personal... this new page will be a place on Facebook that people can skip my friendly chatter and family photos, and still interact with me on the latest Internet Marketing topics.
I've seen several people set up a Fan Page under their name, placing them as a "public figure". Ed Dale is one example, and he is deleting all of his "friends" from his personal profile and asking them to become a fan of his Page instead.
This works best for Ed Dale, because his friend feed on Facebook is so cluttered with "internet marketing friends" that he can't easily see updates from his brother or his best friend. I use Facebook mainly for professional networking, so that isn't a huge concern for me.
My point being that you should set up your profiles and pages according to how you want to use them. Ask yourself: What is my objective? Who do I want to connect with? Who do I want to share content with?
I'm keeping my Facebook Profile as is, and keeping my friends. And I'll continue to publish both personal and business-related updates through that profile. Which is the reason I decided to also set up the separate Facebook Page:
There was some confusion on the IMTW broadcast regarding the difference between profiles, pages and groups. I was confused at least *g*. After some digging around this morning, it turns out that you can message all of the "fans" for a Facebook Page - so Groups is not the only way to communicate with your network via inbox messaging.
That is one of the major differences between a Profile and a Page - the option to mass message your network. Not to mention a Facebook Page is an opportunity to present a more professional and/or focused image.
If you're interested in setting up a Facebook Page, see this guide. It's a simple 10-page PDF file that explains how Pages work, and how the new updates affect Pages.
To set up a Facebook Page, log in and click on the Advertising link at the bottom of the page in the footer menu. From there you'll see a menu across the top of that next page: Advertising > Pages.. Click on Pages. Or, you can go straight to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php.
I have been getting more and more involved with Facebook lately, and see this newest update full of possibilities. 2008 was definitely a Twitter year for me. Perhaps 2009 will see great results from both Facebook and Twitter 😉
Best,
About Lynn Terry
Hi Lynn,
Looks like I'm your 5th fan 🙂
I'm not a fan of becoming a fan but in the case of Clicknewz will make an exception.
As one involved with "local search" I did like your comment about how the small, offline, biz owner can take advantage and create a Web 2.0 presence.
Marketers should give careful thought to planning and setting up a page and make sure that it's the right time for them to do so.
They should be sure to read Facebook's 10 page guide you mentioned and supplied a link to as well.
Well that explains why I like Twitter: it's that cozy home-town feel of it with only 6 million tweeps. Nothing like spending the day in Twitterville among friends and business associates. 😛
Facebook is the big city, by comparison. I'm more of a small town girl I guess. Twitter suits me better. 😉
Of course, doesn't mean I don't 'get out' sometimes to see the 'big city lights' and marvel at what Facebook has to offer: I mean who could pass up a 'Care Bear hug' or 'green beer invitation' from your nearest & dearest friends & family.
That said, I'd like to try the other side of Facebook, the business district. Might be worth a look. I'm still proceeding with caution & my super soaker in hand to shoot down those crazy apps.
LOL Traci - I'm not much of an apps person myself 😛
Lynn,
Have you seen Michelle MacPhearson's new Crowd Mountain? Will you be reviewing it?
Yes, facebook tends to mix you up with friends and business and honestly you end up avoiding it for the funny reason of wasting hours just in the reads and the replies when you could have done something more constructive in that time.
I need to in fact make another profile right away if I see any sense in it for the networking part
Haven't really delved too deep in either. I have a few friends on Facebook and haven't used twitter to it's full capacity.
Ed's Ustream presentation was interesting. Does everybody give him that much grief in the chat room? Poor Deb got shushed by someone who didn't even have the courtesy to login.
I knew when Ed started to ramble a bit that Lynn would clear everything up in one of her posts. Because that's what she does. Makes everything understandable and makes you think about it's importance.
Thank you Lynn!
I'm not a big user of facebook up till now myself and I always thought facebook was a waste of time. Now I would definitely want to go and start using it for networking. Thanks for your post here...
I am like you, I have a Facebook profile but quickly login and out. I just recently setup a group for my site Mommy Enterprises though.
A few of us have been discussing details about Facebook Pages on the new ClickNewz Page - just look under the discussion tab and you'll find it there.
Martin - I've heard great things about Crowd Mountain but I havent had a chance to check it out for myself yet.
Steven - Thanks 🙂 And yes, it seems the larger the crowd, the more grief you can expect. Especially on a platform that allows anonymous users. It's a shame really, as it takes away from the experience for those actually interested in the topic being discussed.
I mean why should face book compete with twitter, I think facebook is way ahead in terms of features and the usefulness part of a network. You gain absolutely nothing by spending time on twitter at least facebook gets you tools to have a conversation a real one..numbers dont matter
Twitter is currently my personal favorite when it comes to social networks. I have ten times more followers there than friends on Facebook, and Twitter has proven to have the highest response & conversion rate.My primary business operates under my name, and being personable and real is all a part of my business model. In other niches where I use a pen name, and the niche is completely unrelated to my real world personality, I set up separate social networking profiles and keep it “on topic.
Just recently, I set up a facebook group and a facebook page. I found the group did not allow enough customization and it was rather difficult to update group members on what was new. On the other hand a facebook page is much better if you want high level of customization.
My advice is, decide what your objective and needs are. Then, test groups, pages and different settings first. Once you are satisfied, then start using it. I did it the other way at first - not a good idea 🙁
Excellent post Lynn! One thing I personally like Facebook over Twitter for, is that you can add video, images and much more along with the message, whereas in Twitter you have to wrap up everything just in 140 chars (including a link, if any).
Do you have an update version of this PFD to help with current day FB PAGES?? I'm having a horrible time setting mine up.
Hi Aiyana,
Check out: http://www.how-to-make-a-fan-page.com by Todd Wilson 🙂