A few weeks ago I had the honor of speaking at the Haven Conference with Megan, Carmel and Courtney. At first we were a bit anxious, but then realized after 3+ years of blogging each, we had a few little nuggets to share. (Read about the fun and friendship side of the conference here.)
I prefer to keep this blog my creative, happy place, so I try not to get too bogged down in the business of blogging. That said, I still want to reach and meet as many people who are as crazy about DIY, food, travel, fashion and sarcasm as I am! Social Media helps to make the world a smaller place, so we can all connect.
If you attended our class (thank you, by the way!), then you got the Full Monty of Social Media…today is just the Clif Notes.
The main point I’d like to emphasize, is that all of it should be fun! Blogging, posting on Social Media, interacting with readers, collaborating with brands, etc….if it’s not fun, then why do it?! Obviously, if your blog is your sole source of income, you have a different approach, but even then, readers can sense when it’s a chore to you…and that’s no fun to read.
Remember you are only one person, so cut yourself some slack. You don’t have to be active in every Social Media…I am present on all of them, but only really active on a few. But I do make sure to check in on the others and respond to comments and questions. If you aren’t able to respond to all of them, then you’re better off not having an account at all….because ignoring people is bad, mmmkay?
Now let’s dive in to Facebook…..
Remember I said you only need to choose 1 or 2 Social Media platforms….well, there’s really strong statistics as to why Facebook should be one of them.
- It allows you to have personal two-sided conversations, on more casual topics than a blog post.
- Analytics are provided, which show you which type of posts generate the most interest from your readers.
- Virtually every company and brand has a Facebook page, so you’re easily able to share relevant projects with them.
Okay, so now you’ve started a Public Facebook Page (not a Personal Profile)….here are a few more tips to remember…
- If you plan on having a life outside the computer, work smarter, not harder…Use Network Blogs (found under Resources) to automatically link your blog posts to your Facebook page. I go one step further and link my Facebook to my Twitter…so by simply scheduling a post, it is automatically shared across multiple platforms.
- People log on to Facebook to connect with others, not to be sold to…so keep the pimping to a minimum.
- Don’t hijack reader’s feeds with constant posts. Be concise and grab their attention quickly.
- Social influence is most important to brands, so create posts that initiate a response. Photos generate 120% more engagement than text or links-only posts.
- Remember all roads lead back to your blog, so use Facebook to peak interest in future posts and projects.
Now let’s make sure your Facebook Page looks good!
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| Are you following me on Facebook? |
- Try to name your Facebook Page the same as your blog.
- Use the same Profile Picture on all your Social Media accounts, so you become easily recognized.
- Give a brief description of who you are, and what you’re all about.
- Make sure your blog address is easily found…after all, the end goal is to get people to your blog!
- Use PicMonkey to create a catchy graphic as the header pic.
Do you have any Facebook tips you’d like to add? Feel free to leave them, or any questions, in the comment section….hopefully together we can figure them out!
