Have you said this to yourself?
“I don’t understand Facebook. My son set it up for me and now he’s off to college.”
“I have no idea how to manage my Facebook account. It makes me nauseous to even look at it.”
Don’t worry. Here are some helpful Facebook hints to help you overcome your Facebook phobia.
Facebook Pages versus Personal Profiles
Most People on Facebook have a Personal Profile.
Personal Profiles represent individual users. If you have a Personal Profile, you can have Facebook friends. It is a great way to stay in touch with people you know. You can also use your personal profile to upload pictures, videos, and status updates.
NOTE: A status update is basically just writing some text in a box to describe what you are doing or what you are thinking about at the moment. You can also go to your Personal Profile and invite more people to become your Facebook friends. Think you’re popular? You’ll be glad to know that you can have up to 5,000 Facebook friends. But keep in mind that you can only have One Personal Profile.
One nice thing about Personal Profiles is that you have some control over your privacy. You can decide who you share your personal information with. That is why Personal Profiles require that you accept/extend a friend request before you are connected to another person. Profiles have features to protect your information and help you differentiate what you share with whom.
Some People on Facebook have Facebook Pages.
Facebook Pages are a little different than Personal Profiles. They are designed for businesses, organizations, non-profits, bands etc. Facebook Business Pages don’t have friends. Instead, they have fans. You can set up multiple Business Pages (formerly known as Fan Pages) with an unlimited number of Fans.
Facebook Pages can be viewed by the public, including people who do not have a Facebook account. They are not private.
On your Facebook Page, you can upload pictures, videos and status updates. You can also track metrics to find information about who is looking at and interacting with your page.
Again Facebook Pages don’t have friends. They have fans. When someone becomes a fan of your Facebook Page, they are connecting with your business or organization and will begin seeing your status updates, photos and videos.
Facebook Pages are well suited for businesses because they can be promoted with Facebook ads and can be maintained by multiple people.
Now here’s where it can get a bit confusing. Take a deep breath. This won’t take long.
- You can set up a Personal Profile and then create a Business Page through it. Then you will have your Personal Profile (where you can protect its privacy) and your Business Page (open to the public).
- Or you can have a Personal Profile only.
Here’s How to Set Up a Personal Profile. - Or you can have a Business Page only.
Here’s what you’re not supposed to do:
You can’t use a Personal Profile as a Business Page.
That’s breaking one of Facebook’s Rules of Etiquette.
How can you tell if you have a Personal Profile at first glance?
Here’s How:
Personal Profiles have “Add Friend” Buttons.
Facebook Pages have “Like” Buttons.
Facebook Pages also have Admin Panels. You can find information about how your page is doing in this admin section. It will appear at the top of your page. You can see your Admin Panel, but your visitors can’t. You can hide your admin panel by clicking the “Hide” button.
Log into Facebook right now and go to your home page. What do you see?
If you are looking at your Business Page and have discovered that you can add friends, you’ve made a mistake.
Unfortunately, people make this mistake all the time. But you can fix it. Here’s how:
How To Convert A Facebook Profile To A Page.
Adding Photos and Status Updates
Status Updates and Photo Uploads in Personal Profiles are done in the same way as in Business Pages.
The screenshots below show the subtle differences in the way the update sections look. To write a Status Update, just click in the box where it says “What’s on your mind?” Then write some text and click on the Post button. It is that simple.
It is also important to have a nice Cover Photo and Profile Picture on your Personal Profile and also your Business Page. A Cover Photo is the large rectangular photo at the top of your timeline, right above your profile picture.
Help! I’m Still Lost on Facebook
Are you saying to yourself, “Wait. I’m Still Lost. When I go to Facebook, all I see are pictures and updates that other people are posting. Where am I?”
Don’t worry. You are probably looking at your News Feed. The News Feed is a special page where you see everything that other people are adding to Facebook. It is all arranged in a timeline, where the newest posts are on the top. They slowly slip down the page over time and eventually disappear when new information replaces it. “Out with the Old. In with the New.” Most people spend the majority of their time engaging with content on Facebook through the News Feeds. So you want to get comfortable with it.
Skipping to your News Feed and Back in an Instant
If you click on the Facebook Button on the top left corner of the page you are looking at, you will be taken instantly to your News Feed. If you click on your name on the top right corner of the page, you will be taken to your Personal Profile (where it is all about you). If instead, you see your business name on the top right corner of the page, you can click on that and go to your Business Page (where it is all about your business). It is quick and easy to go back and forth.
Here is an example (slightly modified to fit here) taken from my Facebook Business Page.
The Facebook button is on the left. The Crimson Designs Studio button is on the right.
Just click and go.
The News Feed is usually the first thing that you see when you arrive on Facebook. It is a stream of updates from your Friends and/or the Fan Pages you follow. The News Feed is at the heart of the Facebook experience since it’s the place where you can view and comment on what’s happening on Facebook. As your Friends or businesses that you like post status updates, photos, links and more, those posts will appear as stories in your News Feed.
If you are feeling a bit more comfortable now finding your way around Facebook, then it is the perfect time to post a Status Update. Go ahead and give it a try.
If on the other hand, you are still feeling a bit queasy, grab a handful of crackers and a cup of gingerale to settle your stomach. Then go and check out Pinterest. Pinterest is a fun and interactive virtual pinboard. It can also be used as a Social Media Marketing tool for your business. Pinterest is much easier to learn than Facebook. It may be the perfect social spot for you.
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