Using Recent Facebook Changes To Build Your Social Media Presence

If you’ve been keeping up with Facebook lately, you’ve certainly been noticing quite a few changes.

However, many of those changes have brought displeasure and criticism to the company’s doorsteps.

Literally millions of users voiced their complaints by using Facebook apps, groups, and message boards. The universal consensus seemed to suggest that the latest round of changes was a disaster.

So, what does that mean for you — the entrepreneur, the real estate agent, the small business owner — who uses Facebook to communicate with your fans, friends, and followers?

If I can be blunt, the answer is absolutely nothing. Facebook’s core principle — to serve as a social utility that helps people to connect and build relationships — has not changed.

However, the way you can go about doing those activities has. Despite the public outcry and barrage of digital pitchforks, many of those changes are actually beneficial on your end.

I’ve discussed some of the recent changes previously, here and here, so I won’t rehash them now.

But, suffice it to say, from a marketing and brand-building standpoint, you’re in a much better position than you previously were.

So, now the question is: how can you take advantage best take advantage of these changes? Well, for starters, I’d use this as a prime opportunity to build your outside networks.

I’m sure it sounds weird, to say the least, but now that you have greater access to the lives of your friends and followers, it’s a perfect time to start building and promoting your other “online presences.”

It’s important to recognize that, despite all of Facebook’s positive attributes, they’re still a company who owns the access to YOUR information.

Now, I don’t say that in a disparaging manner. However, don’t fool yourself into false sense of security… if Facebook closes your account or denies you access, that becomes a MAJOR problem for you very quickly.

So, how do you insulate yourself from such potential problems? It’s simple… promote your other social networking profiles, and social media presences to your Facebook network.

And, what’s perhaps the most important activity of them all, make sure you get people to join your email list and/or newsletter.

Your emphasis should be on getting your current Facebook fans and friends on things/services that you own — or at least have unrestrictricted access to (e.g. a newsletter, your blog’s RSS feed, etc.).

Promote those “presences” everywhere (within reason, of course).

Doing this will ensure that it is YOU who has access to your valuable customers, clients, and friends — not a service that controls the keys to YOUR information.

About The Author

Carol Hansen, a Twitter specialist focusing on building and monetizing your network. You can connect with Carol on Twitter or Facebook and follow her latest projects, blog posts and cool tips on building and monetizing your Twitter following.

If you enjoyed this post feed yourself updates!