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!
Where is the "Resources" you are talking about to have it automatically post to FB? I just tried looking for it and couldn't find it! Facebook is my most neglected social media and I want to make it better!
Thanks!
Sarah
limitedspaceorganizing.blogspot.com
Hi Sarah! It's hard to describe where to find the Resources tab…but you can go directly to the Network Blogs page and register there:
http://www.networkedblogs.com/
Hope this helps!
So proud of you momma.
Thanks, momma!!!
I love your tips! You are exactly right about how blogging shouldn't be stressful and that you should be 100% authentic. This is why I love your blog so much!
Right back atcha, Shay!!! xo
Great tips! I'm definitely not as active on Facebook as I should be. I need to work on that…
Thank you for the advise. I recently started a blog and this will come in handy!
Such a great post Cassie- I need to give my FB page some love!
Great post! You rock on FB!
Thanks for the tips, Cassie. FB is my favorite social media outlet for my blog. I've been using it for so many years—it just feels the most natural to use.
Great tips but unfortunately I don't have a FB page for m blog. Big oops there but I've been so hesistant. :/
There's no rush, Debbie — you'll get to it, if and when you're ready! 🙂
THANKS CASSIE!!
That was so helpful! I'm somewhat frustrated with my public profile on Facebook. It's a "company" page, which (I didn't know when I created it) limits me more than I'd like. I can't comment on other people's FB pages or add apps.
I wish I could change it to something other than a "company page," but all the research I've done says it can't be done. I feel like I have my hands tied! If anyone knows different, I'd be so grateful if you'd let me know!
Thanks for all the helpful info!
Annie XO
Sadly, I don't know anything about Company Pages. I'm sure you've reached out to the Facebook Help Desk?
Yes, but they've come up short on help.
Anyhoo, on the bright side, no commenting on other pages and no apps only means less work for me! 🙂
Annie XO
Thank you for the tips! I am new to blogging and it is hard for me to prioritize which site is better. Now I have to choose between Facebook and Google+. What do you think about Google+? Thanks!
http://liveitinerantly.com
I finally had to draw the line for my sanity, and home life, and not add any more outlets or platforms. So I've steered clear of Google + (so far)…not that it's not good, I just don't have the time and energy to dedicate to a new one.
Im new to blogging too. Blogspot really seems to promote Google+.
That's because blogger is owned by Google…so they're always going to promote their own. It just came along after my plate was full, so I haven't dived in to it. 🙂
Awesome post, Cass. Miss my roomie, too. I had such a blast.
Thanks Cassie. This post was very helpful and well written. Wondering what your thoughts are on using a brand logo as your default social profile pic?
I'm all for that, too…just use it universally. I prefer to use my headshot bc it helps foster a personal connection.
Wow this was great and full of things I hadn't thought of for my FB page! I didn't know about Networked Blogs either!! Thank you!
Tip #12, be a fashionista, DIY queen, and hilarious.
That's been your winning formula, for sure!! xo
Such great tips thanks Cassie! I really need to create a collage on Picmonkey for my cover. And thanks for the info on networked blogs!
Cassie does Networked Blogs publish automatically as soon as I publish my post on my blog? Or is there a set time it published to FB?
I believe it's virtually seamless at the same time. I typically write my posts the night before, and schedule them to go live at 7am the next morning. By the time I check my FB page, my post is already there.
But if you're wanting to schedule your FB posts at a different time, you can do that manually on FB. (click that little clock next to the status box)
Awesome! I figured that's how it worked since I didn't see a place to schedule a time, but wanted to verify. 🙂
Such a good post!!!
thanks for the recap of your awesome Haven class! My FB page is a work in progress, but this info helped soooo much!
xo Heidi
Great tips Cassie! We use Facebook, but I'm always looking for ways to utilize it more!
Thanks heaps for this post! Im just starting off in the blogging world and loving it by the way. Does the networked blogs put the fb icon on my blog or is it just for sharing posts? I see the fb, instagram icons on your blog and can't figure out how to get them on mine. Help! (hopeless with computers). Thanks 🙂
Hi Renee! Those social media icons on my blog page were created and placed by me (or my blog designer, actually) …but free ones are available online. Just link each one to your corresponding social media page. The FB icon on my blog takes you to my FB page…network blogs is just a service I use to pull my posts from the blog, and publish on FB.
does this help?!
Yes thanks! 🙂 im slowly learning. But it is lots of fun!
Great post! I have learned a lot from you over the last year, you are an inspiration! Tasya (My House and Home)
Thank you Tasya!!!!! So glad the post was helpful!
xo. C
Thanks for the tips!
Great tips girlie!
Thanks so much for this, Cassie! I love any tips that help make blogging more seamless and keep it fun 🙂
We really appreciate the fabulous tips!! Thank so much!!
Michelle Carles, IIDA | Purehome.com
Awesome, awesome tips, Cassie! I wish I could have been at Haven to hear you girls' presentation in person. I'm sure you rocked it! Thanks so much for the info!
~Abby =)
Great post! Unfortunately Facebook does have a crappy side to it and that's the fact that when you publish a post it only reaches about 17% of your likers newfeeds! BOO to you Facebook! That's why there is the option to "promote" your post. This way you pay them to send your post to all of your likers and then some. It's so annoying, especially for people who use Facebook as their website to promote their business but I do still use it! It might help some people understand why when they write a post the stats show that quite a few hundred people saw it even though you may have thousands of likers. Here is an article I came across awhile ago.
http://allfacebook.com/facebook-page-17_b73948
Hopefully things will change soon. I'm pretty sure FB has enough money!
P.S. you rock my socks 😉
xo Cindy
girl, YOU rock my socks!! Thanks for the great info and link!!!
With Facebook, it's best to post at 3 hour intervals, that way you are a constant enough presence in people's newsfeeds, but not so constant that they feel spammed by your page. 🙂