The Recent Changes At Facebook And Why You Should Care

A lot has been happening at Facebook HQ. In less than three weeks, Zuckerberg & Co. have allowed users to create custom vanity URLs (I’m at www.facebook/deongordon in case you were wondering), taken steps to merge profiles and Pages (aka “Public Profiles”), and have enhanced friend lists designed to make managing your connections easier and more meaningful. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Expect more changes and announcements to follow as Facebook enters into another era in their brief, yet monumental existence.

So, the question is: what do these changes and developments mean to you? Well, it goes without saying that they won’t mean the same thing to everyone. However, there are things that will impact virtually everyone in one way or another.

First, the vanity URLs. Chances are you’ve heard about the roll out of these feature. But, if you haven’t picked a name yet, go to Facebook now to secure it (visit http://www.facebook.com/username).

The importance of this should go without saying. There may be a feeling among some that there’s no rush.

Actually, just the opposite is true. There are already tales surfacing of well known marketers having their names squatted (read stolen) by unscrupulous characters looking to make a quick buck or two by selling it back to them.

And if you’re not a prominent marketer, waiting to get your name still exposes you to the risk of having someone else with your name claim it first. And unlike the first example, they’ll have a legitimate claim on it.

If you own a Page, you’ll also want to secure that name too in order to protect your brand.

Moving on to Facebook’s efforts to merge profiles with Pages, it’s worth nothing that this will open up the social utility in ways never seen before. At this very moment, Facebook is reworking their privacy options and TOS to accommodate this impending change.

Of course, you’ll always have control over who sees your profile or not (well, at least we like to believe we do), but this move will allow you to connect with potential customers, clients, and peers in a manner that more resemble the methods of Twitter.

In essence, people will be able to “follow” you (a la Twitter) by adding you as a fan. Needless to say, this is HUGE!

So, again, what does all of this mean to you? What are the implications? Well, in so many words, it should be a crystal clear call to you that encourages you to interact on Facebook more — assuming you’re already on it.

Sure, there’s a lot of buzz and attention being paid to Twitter, and rightfully so, but let’s not forget the fact that Facebook is over 200 million strong.

That’s a number that you, and your business, simply can’t afford to ignore. Now is the time to start polishing off your Facebook skills because more and more people will be looking to connect with those who offer what you want — and if you’re not available to be found, chances are, your competition will be.

About The Author

Dali Burgado, also known as "The Dali Blogger" teaches creative entrepreneurs how to carve a web presence that connects with their Inner Guru and their target audience. Her first online marketing love is SEO. She's an avid connector on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. When she's not coaching or teaching, she's tweaking sites for Search Engine Visibility, working on her PHP and Javascript coding skills, Singing Opera, or learning about gardening. Circle Dali on Google+