How To Use Facebook Effectively

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It’s been very busy at Facebook since John Reese sent out his requests to add him to your friend list. It seems as if suddenly everyone has discovered all the different applications that are available at Facebook and trying them out.

At least, that’s how it looks to me. I’ve been added in Top Friends, More Friends and Coolest Friend Contest, I’ve received Karma, Trust and More Trust, Drinks, Ribbons, Fun Walls, Smiles and some other kind of stuff. And that’s only a tiny fraction of the more than 7,000 apps that are available on Facebook.

One of the most stunning discoveries was a picture of the Warrior forum owner Allen Says. Until now, as far as I know, no one knew how Allen looks like, since he never published a picture of himself. He’s on my friend list now.

While it’s a lot of fun to play along, add some REAL friends and write on their walls, it’s also very distracting, specifically answering all the notifications to join just another app. And with most of them, you’re also asked or even obliged to invite some of your friends, which makes these apps highly viral, but at the same time annoying.
I also find the pages loading slow and therefore limit my precious time on Facebook.

While Facebook is a rather new social networking medium, their members count is increasing quickly. It seems, that Facebook users are more active than others, because they have to visit the site in their first month to be counted. That means there are hardly any dormant accounts.
Plus Facebook allows external developers to create new apps all the time which attracts huge numbers of people doing just that.

For as long as the social media hype continues, Facebook is a good option worth using to increase your network contacts. You may even try driving traffic to your commercial websites but like so many sites, you need to be careful what you are doing. Facebook is not about Internet marketing so you may get involved in counterproductive activities or even being banned from the site.

When you sign up for Facebook, use your own name, so it can be recognized and branded. As with other social sites, it’s important properly set up your profile. Make it look professional and business like, not of someone just looking for dates (which you can do too on Facebook). Include what you offer to your potential customers and link back to your most important commercial site.

Once your profile is set up, it will act as your sales page. Don’t make the mistake of using your business name as your profile name, as this is against Facebook’s terms of service.
You are allowed to create other pages to brand your company, products or websites. There’s even an option to create targeted ads and have them displayed across the platform.

With social networking sites, it is all about … networking.
Therefore, you should respond to any friend requests and carefully send your own invitations. Make them personal, showing real interest. Developing a great network is your long term goal to generate a slow, but steady traffic stream to your websites.

Once you get going and become friends with someone well known, you will receive a lot of requests from people you don’t know. It’s Facebook’s viral aspect in progress, as these people browse the friend list of the well known person and send invites to that list.

If you receive a request from someone you don’t know, check out their profile and website. Make an honest attempt to learn about this person so you can respond with an honest answer. Showing interest in one of the best ways to make new friends.

To find out what people are exactly looking for concerning your niche, there’s an interesting and powerful app available called My Questions. You can relate experiences about other people you have done work for, or sold products to and then if they are interested they will ask you. At the very least, these people will visit your profile and from there it is only one further link to have them on your commercial site.

If you want to get in touch with me on Facebook, go here: Profile Case Stevens.
Here’s a small page I created for Affordable Internet Marketing. Just as an example.

I think Facebook is a powerful social network platform, well worth trying. As I said, I played around a bit, but I quit experimenting as the options are endless and I very well may annoy lots of my friends inviting them for the latest hype.
I’m just trying to make some sense now.

Let me know what you think.
Post your comments below!

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