Cracking the Facebook code – help!
Facebook.
Does that word stir up feelings of frustration for you? Elation? Or, if you are like me, confusion?
I was almost going to say, “if you’re a person of a certain age,” but I’m pretty sure that Facebook confusion isn’t age specific. (And, don’t you love how baby boomers say “of a certain age” -it’s just like us to keep warding off the inevitable — words like mid-life, middle aged, or dare I say it, old)
I not only use Facebook, as you can see by the trusty button to the left of this, I advocate its use to authors and clients. If I’m confused, how can I do that? Easily. As a subscriber to the “no publicity is bad publicity” school of thought, exposure on Facebook (of the right kind) can’t hurt.
Or can it?
A few of my (HCI’s) authors are on Facebook and seemingly in constructive ways. Probably the best Facebook-er is Jess McCann, the young dating guru person, who posts mostly items that connect people to either her blog, her website or directly to her book. She’s built up a sizable “friends” list and seems to manipulate the system toward a good, professional end. I’ll have to ask her how Facebook is paying off for her and let you know.
When I post notices to my meager list of friends to head over here to read my blog posts, I find little reaction. Probably my biggest problem is that I am very leery of adding strangers to my friends list. I’m sure that is counter-intuitive but at this point, my uncertainty prevents me from making it a free for all. In fact, when someone I don’t know invites me to be their friend, I almost always send a suspicious, but kind, note back asking either if I already know them or how they came upon me. Finally, one guy wrote back, this is a networking site (postscript: “you idiot!”) , your friends are in your phone book.
I accepted his invitation out of intimidation. I’m pretty sure he’s harmless.
I do know that Facebook is yet another deep internet well where one can easily drown. It’s an energy suck that can keep you from more important life matters. As far as I can tell, it’s a place where people say a lot of stupid stuff in between some poignant announcements. Do I really care that you’re up early, stretching and drinking coffee? That you’re off to a meeting?
Are we all really that starved for attention?
And, the causes. The gifts. The virtual flowers. What is that all about? Is anyone being helped by this? If it’s so, please someone tell me. I can only hope that all this computer screen time is constructive.
Facebook is a force to be reckoned with. It’s a brilliant device that has me at once baffled and intrigued. I especially like the possibility of renewing relationships with people we lost from our past. That’s nice. Even, at times, heartwarming.
I really and truly want to understand this social networking world.
If anyone out there is as confused as I am, or better yet, if you feel like you have a good grip on this brave new world of social networking, can you give me (us) some clues? How is it working, or not working for you? Some words of wisdom?
Just think, you’ll get some free publicity here on KWTB&B.
And, you can be my friend.
Please comment!!
UPDATE: Some really informative comments have come in. Please be sure to read them – and learn somethin with me!
15 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
The only reason I joined Facebook was to connect with a long lost friend. Frankly, I think it’s a PITA (pain in the a**.) Kind of like having too many cooks in the kitchen. Plus I spend enough time on a couple of other sites (flickr.com and expat.ru) that I can’t find a good reason to spend even more time online sludging through facebook.
Hi Kim,
Great subject! I’m new to FB completely lost. I’ve been reading some of these posts, I had no idea that there were so many marketing opportunities here… I guess I’d better get back to reading the posts. Thanks for the invite.
Troy
I’ve been urged to join facebook, but for those of us who are therapists it could create some ethical dilemmas. What if clients see my name online and then want to join as a friend? If I deny them access…does that then become a therapy issue? Will they feel abandoned? If I accept, will they now learn things that are inappropriate about my personal life? I think too many people jump on something and might not think of all the ramifications of such social networking options.
Kim!!
I just joined Facebook last week and I LOVE it. V. entertaining. I have 27 friends or so already, plus I’ve been able to find some of my authors from my former publishing job. It’s v. nice to be back in touch with some of these folks. One of my college friends has published several books, and he uses Facebook for supplemental marketing…after all, he has more than 1,000 “friends” — possibly a third of these will buy his books. So that is my two cents! –Becky
Hello Kim et al,
This is a subject dear to my heart. A true baby-boomer, I have come to the time in my life where face-to-face friendships (old or new) have more meaning than anything. So the idea of making “relationships” on Facebook seems contradictory to me. I also cringe at the “look-at-me” quality that it seems to bring out in people.
If I think of Facebook and other social networking forums as less personal spaces and more for people connecting over particular issues, I breathe more easily. On that basis, who knows, you may see me there before long.
Warm wishes to all readers,
Lynn
Oh, we’re showing our age. Twitter is where it’s now at. Facebook is so Old School. And Facebook has become a marketing tool more than a social network.
Great question, Kim. And you’ve received some wonderful responses.
I thought Facebook was for kids. Not true. I’m on LinkedIn but I find that it’s not all that useful. Not bad, but not what I’d hope for so I guess I need to find out how to make it work for me. I’m on Twitter and blogged about it (http://www.redroom.com/blog/darlene-arden/to-tweet-or-not-to-tweet) because I’m still not convinced that it’s useful.
I have over 1000 Facebook “friends” at the moment. I started a Group there with the title of my H.C.I. book (Fans of Rover, Get Off Her Leg!). It’s an active group and is growing daily. Is it selling books? Yes! How many? I have no idea of the specific count. I also have a fan page that needs promotion but there are only so many hours in each day. My “friends” range from authors and dog and cat breeders and pet owners to an assortment of show business types, and people in various occupations from around the world. I find it fascinating. That said, I don’t accept everyone who requests a link.
I’m not at MySpace. When I surfed over, all I saw was a bunch of garbage written by teenagers, saying all of the things their parents probably wouldn’t allow them to say. A skewed view? Perhaps. But I clicked away from it. And there are only so many hours in each day.
My updates are seldom personal at Facebook (and Twitter). Often I use quotes or a link to one of my two blogs.
I think the interaction with people on Facebook has made them more interested in my work.
In some ways yes as all of these social networking pages are generational if you will. I was also really aggressive with My Space marketing. I spent hours upon hours scouring various groups that I thought would connect with my book i.e. recovery groups, groups for similar books like Go Ask Alice etc. I guess many of those who I have reached out to where my age or younger. However, I also found A LOT of parents on My Space who were engaged with my book as well. Additionally the media folks were all ages as many magazines, radio shows etc. have My Space pages as well advertising their own stuff. It makes it easier to reach people who you would normally have to blind mail a PR kit to or that you wouldn’t be able to find otherwise. I learned of publications and webpage that I never even knew existed by searching on My Space.
I even have engaged celebrities on My Space and brought my book to their attention—which got me a first name and email of a producer in California with whom I have now had contact with. Nothing has come of this connection yet but it was legit and as a result a large production company in LA now has my book.
Thanks Jennifer. Do you think the myspace book success has something to do with your younger demographic?
Hello Kim!
You raise some excellent points here about Facebook. I use it myself to mainly connect with my old high school friends and I have a fan page set up for my recent book. It is a great way to get the word out about events etc. However, in terms of causes–yes they actually can help non-profit organizations raise money. I have my own non-profit organization on Facebook to do just that and have raised some money from new donors–which in this age of horrible funding, is a blessing.
Otherwise, yes it is a brain drain of sorts!
I actually find My Space to be a much better marketing tool for my book related needs. I maintain a blog there and have seen tangible sales from my networking. I have also gotten incredible media hits off My Space that has lead to interviews and placement in magazines, radio shows etc. I have also gotten some speaking events booked directly from My Space; it has been a HUGE benefit to my overall marketing efforts!
Love the blogs, keep them coming!!!
Jennifer Storm
Author of Blackout Girl: Growing Up and Drying Out in America
http://www.jenniferstorm.com
From Pam Kassner (a really informative comment):
http://www.linkedin.com/in/pamkassner
The way I am starting to look at social media is that LinkedIn is the office, Facebook is a backyard BBque, MySpace is a bar and Twitter is a networking lunch or reception. (The first part of this is actually from the CEO of LinkedIn and I added the view point about Twitter.)
I advise clients to use LinkedIn status update as an opportunity to promote accomplishments or point of views. For Twitter, I advise use that medium to showcase your issues leadership but also reveal a little about who you are. Spend more time telling me what you think, not what you are doing.
As an author, if you target more of a consumer audience than include Facebook, but if you are more B to B, I would skip Facebook unless you are “famous” enough that others will want to “peek behind the curtain” and see how you spend your time. (Even if you don’t have a professional use for Facebook, if you have the time, it is fun to indulge in for purely social reasons, but it can be time consuming, so be careful.)
My advice is develop a social media strategy with an overall communications objective (that all your marketing efforts support) and then identify which social media tactics i.e. blog, Facebook etc. support your objective. Then ID the objective for each social media outlet and give yourself guidelines on what type of content you will post.
For example, on Facebook, which I do for pure fun and community connection, I will tell you what I’m watching on TV or comment on the pasty white complexions of starlets on the Golden Globes. On LinkedIn, I will tell you what i did this past week or that my client was featured in WSJ or posted his/her blog. I might do the same on Twitter but I will also post my point of views or I might tell you about a good article I read. I won’t just give you the link though; I will try to tell you in 140 characters or less, why it’s a good article to read.
We are all experimenting and I’m using this time to troubleshoot what works and what doesn’t, in essence beta test these opportunities for my clients so they can be productive and not waste their time.
Follow me on http://twitter.com/pkassner
Pam Kassner, Super Pear Strategies, LLC
414-510-1838, pam@superpear.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/pamkassner
Follow me on http://twitter.com/pkassner
Just when I have gotten to the age of confidence, presence and expertise, social networking comes along to knock me off my complacency. The idea of learning all of this feel daunting. Yet I am reminded of my father’s advice to always stay aware of what the young people are doing and you will stay young of heart. To his credit he was listening to Michael Jackson just days before he died in 1990.
However, beyond the learning curve, I think the more compelling issue is that baby boomers are more interested in deep relationships than superficial ones. We already know about superficial.After all, we invented the sexual revolution. Younger folks are in that wonderful phase of life, where so much feels new. To the contrary, people my age are in the “been there done that” stage. I for one yearn for new conversations and new ways of thinking about things. Socials networking feels like I am going backwards as quantity without quality is of little interest to me. And as the speed of change accelerates and life gets busier, who has the time to develop networking relationships?
Still the world is turning and I know I need to keep in step as I am still interested in selling my wares. Thus,drum roll here, I am joining the bandwagon and plan to go on Facebook in order to sell my book The Daring Adventures of Seymour Dooless: Tales of What Matters. So Kim, would you teach me how to use it?
Funny you are blogging about this! I was arm-twisted into getting on Facebook by one of our vendors and finally got it going last week. Maybe it’s a boomer thing but I’ve always protected my privacy and try to preach that to my daughters, but this social networking thing is a new concept totally.
I did end up reconnecting with someone I knew for only a brief time 20 or so years ago and she has already become a customer and advocate for us.
Now I’m dipping my toe into Twitter and trying to figure this one out. You can be a bit more anonymous on Twitter, but still needing to figure out how to make it more than just a time waster.
Little by little, though, I do think us old dogs can learn new tricks!
Ironically, I just blogged about Facebook January 10th. Please read it at http://www.margaretannlembo.blogspot.com and post your comments.
I started a “Group” on Facebook for The Crystal Garden and customers are loving it! It is an interesting social phenomena. I especially enjoy finding friends I haven’t seen in 25 – 30 years and reigniting the connection.
One friend, Ginny, is a friend from 1st grade! She’s in Dubai and I was able to send her birthday greetings across time zones – when in fact, I probably wouldn’t have known it was her birthday if is wasn’t for Facebook.
I plan on using Facebook to create a buzz around my newest spoken audio CD, Think Good Thoughts, to be released within the month. And, I’ll definitely be using it for creating a buzz for my book,Crystal Consciousness, being release in early 2010 by Llewellyn Worldwide.
Blessings,
Margaret Ann Lembo
http://www.thecrystalgarden.com
http://www.margaretannlembo.blogspot.com
Kim, those are great questions you pose. The quick answer is that, yes, Facebook is an excellent “tool” for building relationships. However, like any other tool, it needs to be seen as just that; a tool. It’s NOT the relationship itself. As the saying goes, “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust.” And, of course, that transcends business.
It’s also important to know you don’t have to join groups you don’t want to join or accept virtual “anythings” that you are sent. When it comes to facebook, you need to be the master and let the medium be your servant.
This was the Readers Digest (do I need a tm after that name)
version; I hope it helps.
Bob Burg