Do:
Don’t:
*Quality Content: Facebook users frequently share content they find meaningful: photos of friends, news stories, cool videos, interesting websites, etc. (It’s okay to share your own content, but just don’t do it too often or you’ll look like you’re bragging or spamming, neither of which are particularly appealing!)
**Jerk: A person who sends out meaningless messages to strangers, adds noise pollution to the online world, demands that you become a fan – or sends mass messages out telling friends to become a fan of their page, posts their URL on other people/group/businesses walls, excessively pokes, sends wall posts on every occasion, adds every application and invites 20 friends to join, posts too much information, copies too many people who don’t know each other on direct messages, responds to direct message when strangers are copied – resulting in including them on un-needed messages – or otherwise, disrespects the inbox.
A consultant and entrepreneur based in Silicon Valley, Hazel Grace Dircksen helps companies leverage social networking tools to expand visibility and reach new audiences. Her most recent company, Socialbees, specializes in crafting optimized Facebook page
Learn more about the author, Hazel Grace Dircksen.
Thanks HG. Great article. Every new FB-er should receive your FB Etiquette handout.
Great to see you tonight at our Biznik event. I am so excite you are hear to share your expertise and promote Socialbees! We're lucky to have you and your knowledge.
Thanks so much, Chrystal
Thanks, Chrystal. This is definitely mandatory reading for all my clients. Understanding how to play the game properly is very beneficial for everyone in the long run and helps us preserve our fertile online networking grounds... we're really seeing far too many social networks go downhill because of various forms of business spam.
Hi Hazel, love this article! I've just barely started using FB for business and am definitely noticing the abuses. Thanks for the hard and fast rules!
Thanks for reading and for your feedback, Katie. Facebook has some solid algorithms that weed out repeat offenders, but as good users, we also must take it upon ourselves to flag bad users to help improve the system so that Facebook continues to be a great social and marketing tool for us.
Also, if you haven't already, make sure to take advantage of the super flexible privacy options on Facebook. These will ensure you are always in control of who can see your content or contact you and how they can do so. (I'll be posting details about how to use fb privacy soon!)
Have fun on Facebook :)
I have never thought of FB for business... I will be interested in seeing what you say aobutit in future articles!
While I appreciate your well-written article, my basic view is if a person is lacking common sense to the point of having to follow rules of engagement in social media, then perhaps it's best he/she doesn't participate.
Useful in a concise way. I always fear spending too much time on online networking and as a result have dead pages updated like 2-3 times a year. Pointless to say the least. I am motivated now to perhaps set up a structure of like 1 hour/week (what do you do?) devoted to online networking so I don't feel guilty during that hour that I should be doing something else.
Great post. Simple, basic, and very how-to (which I love). I am fairly new to using the social networking sites for actual social/business networking. From someone who is just new to these sites, some of your tips leave me wanting a better definition. Although your definition of a jerk was spot on! Keep up the good work of helping your fellow networkers out. Thanks
Thanks Hazel for sharing! Great advice and tips!
Almost OK on what you said on SN 'savoir vivre'. However, leveraging on facebook (and the others like LinkedIn & co) isn't enough for transforming awareness to new business and orders.
Building up its own SN by attracting and transfering mainstream consumers' SN like facebook is the next step that any company should heading to.
What for? You (or your company) will own the members database which will be always up-to-date.
Hi Hazel! I am so sorry that I missed Chrystal's Biznikker event last night-I didn't want to pass my cold around! I would have enjoyed meeting you, but look forward to the next one. I love your article about FB and wish that everyone would read it. Thank you for making it fun, yet valuable, to read!
Great article. Sometimes I think social networking is out of control. I spend the majority of my time on LinkedIn (business) and Facebook (pleasure), but I have friends who are on a zillion others. Facebook can be a tremendous timesuck, but for me, it's a terrific way to stay in touch with friends.
Thanks for the insight, I am relatively new to facebook - these are great rules of the road.
Thank you for your article on do's and don'ts for facebook. I am new to facebook and linkedin. I'd like to know more about what you mean when you mention fanning.
Hazel Grace - FABULOUS ARTICLE. Easy to read & "digest", and actually use as a real checklist to see how I'm doing in this arena. AND more importantly, to see what I HAVE YET TO DO! I've only had my computer for 9 months, so I was "Late to the party, yet first to the dance floor....... and I'm DANCING AS FAST AS I CAN!" Mary E. Rossow, Rossow Resources
Mary, I love that you use a checklist! That's so organized of you! It would be great to share something like this with the group. Please let me know if you have any questions about social networking :)
Also, is that a puppy you're holding in your profile picture? I'm completely insane for dogs.
Karen, Businesses can create a special business page (essentially a fan page) on Facebook that is different from a Facebook profile (which should only be used to represent a person and never a business).
Here's a link to my Facebook business page to show you what this looks like: http://www.facebook.com/socialbees
You'll also notice, I've added a sign to the top of the page with an arrow pointing to the link that will allow users to become a fan.
By becoming a fan of my business page, Facebook users can stay informed about events, specials, partner promos and blogs I post. This is also an easy way for my fans/clients to tell their contacts about Socialbees - when they become a fan their Facebook friends will see a story about it in their new feed with a link to my business page, which works like a super powerful free advertisement for Socialbees!
One more tip - I've been using the little + and - signs on the Facebook "feed" lately (hover your mouse to the right of the feed to see) to indicate that I'd like to hear "more" or "less" about certain things.
You can indicate you'd like to hear "more," for instance, about your friends and main interests or "less" about people you met once or just know from online (unless they're really interesting!) It's a great new tool FB designed to make it less overwhelming and more useful!
Kate, I'm glad to hear you're taking advantage of your Facebook news feed options. I'll be posting more about various features and how to use them best soon :)
Yup, it's a pup....... well, actually "SquirtyPants" will be 4 years old on Christmas Eve. He travels with me 24/7....... all client appointments, conferences, keynote speeches, social events, doctor, dentist, airplanes. This photo was taken at 20th Anniversary event for NAPO-SFBA. He has quite a following, and receives his mail online- FanClub@SquirtyPants.biz. We go caroling at VA Hospital, etc. He sings in the key of "D." I'm always happy to share him. Let me know if someone needs a tear licked away! ;) MER
Not impressive.
A "do and don't" list should not list the same basic point in both sections -- either say "do fill out the profile" OR say "don't leave the profile blank". Putting in both is redundant and reads like you're trying to pad the article.
Leave the exclamation points in middle school. Overuse comes across as juvenile.
I'd have preferred a shorter list with more content, and some reasoning -- the "why" behind each recommendation.
Hi Hazel,
Great. Thanks a lot. I posted a link to your article in my new handbook.
Mike
Messege for Thomas Cox of Beaverton, Oregon. So sorry to read that you found Hazel's wonderful article "not impressive"!!! I myself have not yet written any stuff for Biznik, though I can guarantee if you don't appreciate her style....... you will absolutely hate mine! In my missives, I'm sure you will find tons of overused and/or misused puncuation, dangling participles, possibly poor spellin' and any # of terrible associated "sins of the keyboard". On the other foot, I do enter my world each day with great enthusiasm for how I might coach, teach, support, or generally contribute to another human being's life. Sometimes I do, sometimes I miss the mark. Ain't it jus' the pits when some perfectionist picks apart your contribution!!! (Though I'm sure that's never happened to you!!!) Warm Socks, Mary E. Rossow, Rossow Resources
Great tips for FB users. Thanks! :)
Hazel Grace, For the past week I've been using the tips I learned from this article (in all of my networking groups, both virtual AND in person)....... so far, so good! ;) Rossow
Good reminder for all of us using FB. I think everyone should forward this link to the ones that are just starting to use it. I did. Thank you Hazel!
I found this very helpful Hazel Grace. I'm always looking for ways to improve how I'm preceived when networking and being an introvert makes it even harder because I ask am I not sharing and communicating enough. Thank you!
HNY Hazel Grace!
It's now 2 years later, and I just re-read your wonderful "Socialbees Guide to Saving Face on Facebook"... and guess what? It all 'still holds water'.
Thanks for this early guidance, as I was very new to computers when I first read it, and I'm sure you saved me from some miserable mistakes. I've now jumped in w/ both feet, and am really enjoying both Facebook & LinkedIn alot.
The worldwide connections are amazing, and I'll be writing a blog post soon about a Grantree Furniture company reunion in Las Vegas... it was magical... and all thanks to Facebook & LinkedIn & YOU!
Warm Connecting Socks, Rossow
it is a useful article,it tell me more about facebook.
I'll be in Seattle to speak about social networking at the Crave Shop Syposium event (sponsored by Biznik!) this month and have decided to host...[more]
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