Facebook Friday #3: How to Save Time
Four tips for saving time on Facebook. This post focuses on the things that will help small businesses to raise their individual profile and brand awareness.
Make Each Status Update Work Harder
- Tweetdeck and Hootsuite are two third-party applications commonlyused by Twitter users to manage their accounts. Facebook users can also use them to avoid multiple postings of Status Messages on various profiles, including Facebook.
- Sign up for an account on either and test out the options.
- When you post a Facebook Status Update on Tweetdeck, you can now also choose to have the same message posted to a Twitter, LinkedIn or http://www.myspace.com/. With Hootsuite, you can also choose to have the message posted to Ping, Twitter, Facebook Pages and LinkedIn.
- Check Ping.fm and Seesmic for similar options. Ping.fm allows for posting to a vast array of additional profiles. It also provides a handy desktop client. Seesmic allows for slightly less options.
Encourage People Back to Your Profile and Page
- Make the posting of every Status Update count. If you’re citing someone who’s already a Friend Facebook, give them a shout-out with tags. No, this is not the same as tagging for photographs. However, it does two things:
- Places the Status Update on their wall, thus encouraging them – but more importantly, their contacts – to become aware of you, and perhaps visit your Profile and Page. The format is as follows:
- Just been chatting to @Ruth Thompson, who’s got a great blog called Behaviour Eye!
- Creates a link to that person’s profile.
- A side benefit, for the person being tagged, is that the reverse happens from your Profile or Page. People see their name with a link on your Profile/Page, click on the link and are directed to their Profile/Page.
- Places the Status Update on their wall, thus encouraging them – but more importantly, their contacts – to become aware of you, and perhaps visit your Profile and Page. The format is as follows:
Rate and Link Your Blog with Other Facebook Users
Use Networked Blogs to share your blog and rate and comment on others’. It’s often difficult to know how people prefer to connect. Facebook, email, in person? Give people options!
- Add to My Page
- Set up Options
- Follow and rate the blogs of others
Networked Blogs offers you the opportunity to meet other bloggers via Facebook,without necessarily sharing everything else. You can rate, comment and help promote their blog among other users, helping to raise the profile of your blog, and in turn, your business.
Once Networked Blogs is set up, it helps keep you in the viewfinder of other bloggers, with little effort.
Promote Your Facebook Profile with Facebook Widgets
There are multiple widgets and ways to share your Facebook Profile with those who may not know it exists. Explore the options:
- Profile, Photo and Fan badges
- Share pages help people spread your business news
- Developer options
This will effortlessly encourage people to connect with you on Facebook on an ongoing basis.
Update: recently, I also wrote a Guest Blog for Jordan over on PPCNI about Facebook Pages and Fan Interaction.
