Social 101: Facebook changes and the currency controversy

Facebook has gotten pretty huge. And pretty complex. With every revision to the site, users push back and demand that the design go back or at least have the option of going back. If you're one of those feeling this way, let me point out a couple of things:

Creating the architecture for a site like Facebook isn't simple. There are massive numbers visiting the site daily. In February 2010 (a mere two years ago), TechCrunch published a story that 175 million Facebook users log in daily (this blog you're reading couldn't handle 1/10th that number in an entire year without crashing).

In January 2011, DigitalBuzz posted an infographic that 250 million log in daily. Facebook's newsroom was updated in December 2011 to say that there are now a whopping 483 million users logging in daily- that number nearly doubled in less than a year! Because Facebook regularly updates that page, I'm going to paste the numbers here for you:

Statistics

We had 845 million monthly active users at the end of December 2011.
Approximately 80% of our monthly active users are outside the U.S. and Canada.
We had 483 million daily active users on average in December 2011.
We had more than 425 million monthly active users who used Facebook mobile products in December 2011.
Facebook is available in more than 70 languages.

Because of the complexity of the site - and it's offered up to users at no charge (more on that later) - it's not reasonable to run two versions simultaneously on a permanent basis. Not to mention that there would be roughly 7 versions running if everyone had their way. Even Microsoft, Apple and other software developers stop supporting old versions. That's the way software works. There's a development cycle that exists to keep everything efficient and up-to-date with current advances. Facebook is a network, but its foundation is a complex piece of Web-based software which is the key. Multiple versions don't work well on the Web.

Facebook is free to its users. This is an interesting argument, because it's not strictly true except in a monetary sense. Facebook built a platform that is ingenious because we like connecting with friends and family. The currency we use to pay for Facebook is our "privacy". Your data. My data. (Not to mention time.) The demographic information you put in on the back end. The status updates that mention various subjects. The comments we leave. The pages we like. Facebook is making money off of the information that you and I voluntarily enter on their site. That's why I put privacy in quotes. Users need to be educated on this so they know the impact of what they say when they log in. Want to know a secret?

Facebook isn't the only site you use that does this. Google does it. Bing does it. Twitter is trying to do it. Klout does it. That's just naming a few. This is why it's so important to view the Internet as a place where your every action and word is being recorded - because it is.

Business owners get value out of Facebook that is worth sharing data. Many - including myself - use the Facebook platform for business and the value is proven in the traffic I see to my sites from Facebook, which leads to revenue-generating opportunities. For those of us using Facebook for business, it's a no-brainer to be there. The return on our time investment and data sharing is worth it. I'm selective about what I say on my personal profile and what I populate in Facebook's back-end (phone numbers, address, etc.). I'm also not bothered that Facebook delivers ads to me based on what I say and pages I like. Why? Because it's all automated. I know there's not some room in Facebook's basement where a bunch of creepy people watch our profiles and send ads to my Facebook page when they see me say certain things. That isn't the way the Web works - at all.

(BTW, again, Facebook isn't the only or the first site doing this - millions of sites we visit every single day use data that deliver ads this way.)

It does bother some people when ads show up on Facebook that match a topic they've mentioned, so I'm going to talk about privacy as we go through the month and point out some of the issues that exist and how users can protect themselves from sharing more than they're comfortable with on Facebook.

Are you concerned about your privacy on Facebook or do you feel confident that your own usage boundaries will protect you?

Social 101: The 5 Ws of Facebook

Everyone has a different opinion on Facebook. These days, with changes on the horizon, many users are once again resistant and pushing back against further changes. So, if it’s so bad, why do we keep logging in? What keeps us coming back to this Web site that inspires such frustration?

Our friends. Our business. Our interests.

What?

Facebook is the quintessential social network. It started out as a two-way connection - reciprocity required. This is still the primary focus of the network, though they have since added Pages, Groups and most recently Subscribers which are not reciprocal connections.

Who?

From a personal perspective, I think that anyone who wants to connect with other people can get value out of Facebook. From a business or entity perspective, it’s a marketing tool that packs quite a punch. 845 million active accounts to spread your message to - what marketer can resist that concentration of audience? (Side note: I refuse to say “users” as I know - and you probably do too - that not all of those 845M accounts are unique users.)

When?

Post at least daily, but not too often. There’s a fine line on the slower-paced Facebook (as compared to Twitter) that some cross regularly. Rule of thumb? No more than two to three status updates per day and make sure you space them out. Facebook users will “unlike” your page if you annoy them. I know I have.

Where?

Facebook’s mobile apps keep getting better, but it’s still a better experience in a Web browser. For quick status updates, check-ins or mobile photo uploads, mobile is great. If you’re considering live-Facebooking an event? I’d recommend against it. Twitter is a much better venue for that kind of discourse.

Why?

Recently, I’ve noticed a lot of my friends looking back at their first Facebook status. I didn’t use an app, but I did scroll down my timeline to see what my first update was. It took me four months to say anything after I joined and I think the primary reason is that I didn’t really know what I wanted to say to these people who were not exactly a part of my daily life. I’ve since caught on to the power of those connections, interacting with other people and getting a glimpse into their daily lives. Seeing what brands and other entities are doing for their customers. It can be a pretty heady experience to be in-the-know.

What would you add to the 5 Ws of Facebook?

Social 101: 5 Tips for Facebook Engagement

This post is the second in a two-part series on Facebook that originally appeared on LaraWellman.com. You can read the first part here. I thought it was a great way to kick of this month of Facebook posts. 

*****

In my first post for Lara, I talked about the big question of whether to use Facebook pages or groups for your community. Now that you’ve set up your Page or Group, here are five strategies that you can use to make your content professional, useful and promote engagement with your followers:

1) Watch other pages.

Are they good at engaging? Do they have engaged followers? What are they doing that works well? What doesn’t work as well? You can get ideas for your own Facebook strategy by watching what works for others. One size doesn’t fit all, so if a technique doesn’t work, move on and try something else.

2) Link to Content

Here’s a little secret - the content doesn’t have to be yours every time! In fact, you should share others’ content. Do you have a question or opinion based on something you read? Link to it! Make sure your FB followers can see what prompted your query so they get the full context. If you want people to give opinions about something, link to it so they don’t have to go looking for it. The easier you make it for your followers to engage, the more likely they are to jump into the conversation.

3) Post to your page daily.

If you’re wondering when, you might be interested in this article from Mashable. Or this one from Social Times. All I get from these, and countless other similar articles, is that the perfect time is a moving target and probably depends on your audience anyway. Who are you targeting? When are they most likely to be on Facebook? Answer those questions and then do your own research of the trial and error variety.

4) Don’t spam your fans.

The average lifespan of a post on twitter is 10 minutes (this can vary a great deal based on how many people you’re following). Facebook doesn’t move nearly as fast - the lifespan is roughly 3 hours for a single post. Some Facebook pages can get away with quite a few posts by updating followers with up-to-the-minute information (news organizations). Most other pages don’t need to post updates more than two or three times a day - more than once in three hours can be a turn-off for some users.

5) Ask questions.

What’s the best way to start a conversation? Ask questions:

• Input about products and services.


• How your fans’ day is going.


• How they spent their long weekend.


• Topics, current events or news items relevant to your page’s purpose.

But whatever you ask, be sure to show an interest in the answers. Interact with your audience and be engaged.

There is no magic formula for growing your page following. Pages grow at different rates, but having good content and an actively engaged page will go a long way toward growing your audience.

What are some innovative ways that you’ve seen pages successfully engage with followers?

Social 101: Should you use Twitter? {Infographic}

In a move that's slightly out of order, I'm concluding my Social 101: Twitter series with the question of whether you should use Twitter. It's my opinion that, while most of my audience could easily justify their presence on Twitter, there's always someone whose situation isn't going to work quite as well. This is true of every social network.

There are hundreds of social networks out there and picking the right ones to deliver the best value to an individual or business is not necessarily a straightforward question. The infographic below gives some guidelines for whether Twitter is right for you. Some of it is a little tongue-in-cheek - and yet, it's not. There's absolutely room for different uses of Twitter that aren't shown on here, but from a business standpoint, this is a pretty good starting place of questions to ask yourself.


Flowtown - Social Media Marketing Application

Please join me back here next month as I tackle Facebook! With all the changes and controversy of the last six months, I have plenty to share with you. If you have any specific questions about Facebook, please let me know:

Social 101: Managing the flow of information with Twitter Lists

If you’ve ever wondered how some Twitter users follow tens of thousands of people - or even just a few thousand - the answer is lists. No one follows thousands of people - not in an engaged way. But they may click follow and go back to looking at the lists they’ve created to filter out all the noise.

Why do we need lists on Twitter?

One of the challenges in social media is filtering content so that it’s easier to manage - and more valuable - to users. Every network has incorporated methods for users to accomplish this, with varying levels of success. Some of the better features out there exist on Twitter: hashtags (which I’ve discussed before) and lists. Hashtags allow users to to search tweets related to a hashtag at the click of a mouse. Lists give you the ability to group users into segments and isolate content so that it isn’t lost in the full timeline.

There are three basic reasons to use lists:

1. Users who follow many accounts can use lists to help pull out the information they deem most valuable.


2. Users who like to keep an eye on certain accounts can use lists to do so without having to follow them.


3. Users who want to arrange the people they’re following into categories for reference/smaller groupings.

Twitter allows you to create 20 public or private lists with a maximum of 500 accounts on each list. My primary list (and the one I’m best about updating) is private. It’s the list that I add the twitter accounts for the blogs I read. I use the list to retweet the posts from those people whose content I know and like enough to add to my RSS reader. This allows me to see other content that this group of users share.

There’s no right or wrong way to use lists, but having meaningful lists will enhance your Twitter experience. Meaningful lists with appropriate names. I wouldn’t recommend creating lists with names such as “people who suck” or similar. No one wants to be on that list.

Customize Your Experience

How you organize your lists is completely up to you. Many people use geographic regions as a categorization. Industry/expertise is another popular method. As are interests, like writing, blogging, photography and more. Choose the method that suits you best and creates the experience you want out of Twitter.

Managing lists - if you’re starting out when you follow thousands - is a big job. I wish I’d figured out how I wanted to use lists about 2,000 follows ago. If you’re like me and you haven’t kept it up, spend 10 minutes a day going through the people you follow to curate your lists. And throughout each day, be cognizant of lists and add the people you interact with or see in your stream as you go. Most mobile Twitter clients make it quick and easy to manage lists on the go.

Do you use Twitter lists? How have they improved your Twitter experience?