Facebook Finally Got Me

After months of deleting requests to be a Facebook friend to someone or another, I finally gave in last night and set up my Facebook profile. As I suspected, it sucked up a lot of time while I poked around, figured things out and then found people in my network who were already on Facebook.

The scary part is how many people were online reading their email on New Year's evening! Dozens of my "friends" responded within seconds to confirm me as their friend. And then the posts on the Wall started coming, and the private messages. And then I had to figure out how to set up a photo album and then how to grab my blog feeds...

I'm definitely going to go through Mari Smith's free online program called Facebook Fortunes since it is all about how to use Facebook for business.

I want to hear from you:

1. Are you on Facebook?
2. Are you using it to promote your business?
3. If you answered "yes" to #2, how is it working for you?
4. How many friends do you have?
5. Is quantity or quality more important (I think I know the answer to that one!)

Comments

[John Trosko]

Hey Denise!

Okay, I was one of those people who checked their email... and okay'd your friend's request... I think. I can't remember. Maybe too much champagne.

Facebook has been fun. I am enjoying it. But it is a huge timewaster! But it's died down somewhat since I joined months ago. I've been able to see old blogging friends, which I love!

- John

[Shama Hyder]

Yes-I am on Facebook.

Yes, I use it to promote my business.

It's been a great tool to network with others.

Over 700 friends.

In FB's case-quality and quantity are important.

[Mari Smith]

Thanks for the plug, Denise - glad to have you in the class.

You're absolutely right about the time drain part. I usually recommend taking 45-90 minutes to set up your profile page properly and just get a feel for Facebook in general.

After that, I suggest 5-10 minutes a day can yield amazing results as Matt Bacak shared with me! He got a $12,000 sale just from acknowledging someone's birthday.

I do recommend ignoring 90% of the "visual noise" - all the extraneous applications. Don't install too many. If someone sends you a message and you have to install an app to be able to read it... forget it. I figure if it's important they'll write to your PMB.

BTW, I thought at first quantity was optimal and was in a hurry to get to my 5,000 max. But I quickly realized it's far better to focus on quality!! FB is a great door-opener. You'll find some amazingly successful speakers, authors, trainers, actors, singers - you name it - on FB.

[Denise aka The Blog Squad]

Mari's advice is good, especially if you're just starting out on Facebook. I keep finding myself checking to see if any new friends have been added and then get lost looking my friends' friends to see if there is anyone we know in common so I can invite them to be my friend.

I've really got to focus on being productive on FB.