Facebook Social Media Optimization Tips I have learned

So, I have been on Facebook rather than blogging for the past month and love the connections I have made. While there are all types of social sites catering to the many niches that exist out there. Facebook caters to everyone, there is something for everyone on Facebook and it's no wonder that it now has over 140 Million Active Users who use the site for at least 19 minutes per day.

That's a recent statistic I heard of from a cool Internet Marketer on Facebook. The size of Facebook is not twice the size of MySpace and it growing stronger and bigger by the day.

Just today I noticed they have rolled out a subtle little feature which allows you to ad a like/dislike to any post that comes you way. And believe me… post come your way all day becasue the design of Facebook is for it to be a very viral platform.

In case you didn't realize, every time you make a comment on someones, picture, status, wall post or any of the many things you can do to interact with others. The friends that have connected with that individual you posted will see your comment and can click on your porfile to find if you have other mutual friends. That means that by connecting with folks that have a huge friends base you are exposing yourself, your ideas and shares with them as well.

I know Twitter works the same way but for me it seems to be impersonal compared to Facebook. I still use Twitter but prefer FB because of it's personal nature.

So, as the title mentions… I would like to share some tips I have learned from using Facebook and how you can become a more popular user. Mind you these are observations as well as ideas typically applied to Twitter.

1. Make sure you use a clear picture of yourself… when someone trys to befriend me because of a common interest or mutual friends… if I can't see who they are, I hold off on befriending them. I'll actually ask why they selected me to befriend in the first place. I know it's a waste of effort but it bugs me when you can't see who that person is.
2. Posting useful status updates is super helpful and adds value to others pages as compared to stating over and over that your watching TV, going to the dentist etc… To get attention, just like in Twitter you should be sharing information, interesting genuine questions, links to good content… in general… information people will want to look at.. this includes video, images, reviews etc.
3. Swapping out you pic get's you on others pages… simple as that. Ever notice updates where there are a cluster of images of your friends who have updated their images? It's a subtle way of being out there.
4. It's my opinion that groups are both good and not so good depending on the niche. I have joined a handful of marketing related groups and some of them are really trying to suck you into their plan… it gets lame after a while if they are trying to drive you to a landing page or something like that. If done occasionally I think it's ok but some groups just keep hammering away.
5. Below your page pic you can add text as well as links, if your know anything about The Golden Triangle (Google it) then you know to have your most valuable links and info there. I'm guilty of not filling out the text area but do have my links to my blog, twitter page and a Facebook group I started.
6. Be yourself, don't just talk shop all the time… be transparent, share pics of yourself, family, friends. This is the premiere social site… social is a clue… if you have this barren page with no pics or person likes, ideas etc… who the heck are you? Why are you on FB then? It's akin to being a wallflower at a party with 140 Million people… trust me… with that size attendance there are people who will find you interesting and want to be your friend.
7. Balance your time, don't get stuck on Facebook… I have a few friends who are addicts and post all the time. Scale it down a bit, I know it can be difficult if you keep getting emails with the latest this and that from Facebook. I try to practice doing a bunch of updates and reading up in 20-30 minutes a day. Any longer and I feel guilty about the use of my time, mind you… I get sucked in because I have generated some clients and potential clients from Facebook. Balance your time, value it and manage it because Facebook can become your Crackbook… not a good thing.

That's it for now, I was itching to update my blog but have been lost in FB Land a bit, I'll be practicing more balance myself, not just preaching it. Till next time… Namaste