Linda Sherman

Social Media Tool Tips, Health and Well-Being Fitness Tips, Twitter Extensions

Facebook Changes Post to Status Today

Following up on recent Facebook changes, Facebook today slightly changed the interface where you update status on your Facebook personal profile or Page.

Facebook changed Post to Status.

I believe they are reacting to complaints from users that it felt like "status update" had disappeared during recent changes so they decided the word status was better.  What you do there is the same, post something on your or someone else's wall.

Yesterday:

Changed_from_post_to_status

Today:

Change_from_post_to_status

Facebook is About to Make it Easier to Make Your Page About Them

I've been telling my clients not to use the "fan" word for some time. The ideal scenario is to use a Facebook Fan Page like a "group". Make it about "we" instead of "me".  One great example is Bruce Sallan's Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/aDadsPointofView  In just four months, it is up to over 1500 members.  There are active discussion groups and interaction on the wall is excellent.

Facebook is about to make it easier for members to join your Facebook Page. Facebook users are already accustomed to giving a thumbs up "like" to things they like on Facebook. Now instead of having to declare that they are a "fan" of a brand,  organization or person, they can join a page by saying they like it. The language would change but the results would be the same. The Facebook Page icon is listed on the members profile. 

The move is apparently linked to a desire for getting more Facebook ads for Pages. Oh I'm sorry - are companies not supposed to monetize?  Does that make them evil? Is Facebook supposed to belong to "the people"? You will definitely see that reaction but whole families will continue using Facebook because it's still a great platform.

I very much LIKE this CNET analytical article on the move published today: Twitter Pokes at Facebook's Marketing Future April 1 by Caroline McCarthy
I'm glad to have discovered Caroline (apparently the last on my block).

Caroline_mccarthy

Also at:
Inside Facebook March 29 by Eric Elden
Yahoo News   March 30 by Barbara Ortutay

Well done FBML Facebook fan page tab by @illig

I got an invitation to a Facebook event this morning from Ed Illig, CEO of Brainstorm, which ultimately brought me to a nicely done FBML page on their fan page at http://bit.ly/6g84M4

This is a clever way to add fans to their fan page. Not that I am begging to be deluged in contests or flash animation my friends.....

Facebook_fbml_brainstorm

Their campaign is supplemented by a video. This is the link from the video post on their event page:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=204616766677&oid=194500072088
It should be on youtube but I couldn't easily get to that. The video is well executed. I would drop the volume on the music though.

The Facebook invite:

Ed invited you to "Win "Cool or Tool"" on Thursday, December 3 at 3:00pm.

Event: Win "Cool or Tool"
"A Drawing for Brainstorm Fans on Facebook"
What: Ceremony
Start Time: Thursday, December 3 at 3:00pm
End Time: Thursday, December 3 at 3:30pm
Where: Brainstorm and around the globe