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Indianapolis Social Media – Dipping Your Toe in the Social Media Pool
Posted in: Blog, Tech Tips by admin on August 16, 2010
When others mention social media tools like Facebook and Twitter do you feel overwhelmed? Confused? Intimidated? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Technology often improves our lives, but not without a little first-time anxiety. In July, Facebook announced that membership had exceeded 500 million users, meaning that it’s not just Generation Y that is plugged into the internet’s largest network.
So you want to plug in, but you don’t know where to start. Or you’re ready to start but you’re afraid of getting immediately bombarded by everyone you ever knew. Fair enough. The good news is that you don’t have to jump into the deep end. You can wade into the shallow end of the pool and build your confidence first.
The first step: Set up a Facebook account. You need to know your name, gender, email address and birthday, that’s it.
Once your account is set up, if you really want to keep a low profile to start, click on Account (upper right hand corner) then Privacy Settings, then Application settings uncheck the box to disable public search. Doing this removes your name from Facebook and other search engines. So you can roam around Facebook and choose who you want to connect with.
Here are some suggestions on where to go from here.
“Like” a Page. Probably one of the simplest actions you can take on Facebook, clicking the “Like” button does two things. It shows support for the organization, and any posts made by the organization will appear on your personal News Feed. “Liking” pages is a great way to track your favorite places and organizations.
Family First. When you’re ready to connect with others, start with those you know best, your family. Chances are there are children, grandchildren, siblings, even grandparents that are plugged in.
Friends/Co-workers. The next logical step is connecting with those you interact with everyday. Do you have a friend you haven’t seen in a few years? Facebook is an easy way to stay informed when time and distance don’t permit.
Destinations. Do you have a favorite restaurant or watering hole? Another local business you frequent? You’d be surprised how many businesses are now on Facebook. A great example is Schuler’s Restaurant, a family-owned establishment in Marshall, Michigan that has served the community for more than a century. Close to 900 customers and fans stay informed on upcoming Schuler’s events, activities and specials via Facebook.
Don’t be afraid to experiment. Go to your favorite website(s) and find an interesting story, “like” it and see how it is added to your Facebook wall. Post a comment that includes a url, or better yet, use your newfound knowledge of bitl.ly to post a shortened url! Practice makes perfect. Before you know it, you’ll be well on your way to turning laps in the social media pool.
