Tips for using Facebook effectively
Posted by Jacque on August 19th, 2009
I mentioned in an earlier post that I am starting to use Facebook (FB) more. It is an uphill battle as far as I am concerned because I find the site a poor user experience. What a clumsy interface! But it is such a popular social networking place that one can hardly afford to ignore it.
So I have been on the look-out for information on how to use the site effectively and efficiently. This post from ReadWriteWeb offers some good tips.
You’ll want to let your Facebook friends know what you are doing frequently to maintain good relationships. Facebook calls this ‘updating your status.’ The terms FB uses seem stilted and arcane to me, but whatever…
Hopefully you will also hear what your friends are doing frequently. If you have a lot of them, you might find it helpful to group them in what FB calls ‘lists,’ such as “family,” “work friends,” “organizations,” and so forth, so you can filter messages and see the ones you most want to when you are short on time. It’s pretty easy to do this: look for the ‘create lists’ link in the left hand column. You will first have to click on ‘more.’ Did I mention clunky interface?
Brightening up your profile with photos and videos will be appealing to your friends. It was when some of my FB friends began adding photos that I started to pay more attention and to really enjoy using the site. Now I need to follow their example and upload some photos of my own!
It’s worth taking some time to explore the many options FB offers. There is a “Share Bookmarklet” which you can put in your Bookmarks tool bar in order to easily share a link (including videos and music) without opening FB.
There are thousands of apps you might enjoy using. I notice that many of my friends take quizes, play games, and so forth. The best tip here is to find apps that best suit you. You can search the directory for keywords of interest to you. I joined a “fan” site for one of my favorite TV shows. I recommend it for those who 1) don’t have enough people they know to talk to about their passion, or, 2) are doing a sociological study. It’s been fun – and crazy.
