It’s been 15 years since I joined Facebook and eventually turned it into a career! Even though people joke about it, it’s true. People also joke about their friends and family reading their blogs. Most of my website traffic comes from Facebook and search, which is great!
How I Use Facebook
No matter how much internet culture changes, I suspect I’ll continue going to Facebook out of habit by typing “f” in my browser. I tend to use Facebook on my laptop and follow more publishers on Facebook so I can read their articles on a bigger screen.
I’m a little bit more comfortable posting on Facebook. Even though it’s public, it feels more intimate knowing that I’m reaching people I personally know. That means I might discuss topics (like religion) that are off-limits on other channels unless you go deep into my archives. I don’t necessarily post more often on Facebook than other channels, but I give myself more flexibility to be myself.
Knowing my Facebook friends better also lets me target posts to them that wouldn’t be interesting to my other audiences. In other words, I can anticipate what my Facebook friends will like more effectively! For example, I got lots of clicks years ago when I announced Limewire was shutting down and Tim Hortons was changing their cup sizes because my friends really cared about those things.
Finally, Facebook Messenger is helpful to stay in touch with friends and family around the world. Now the question is if I want to send someone a private message, what’s the best platform – Facebook or Instagram?
The Shift To Instagram
I couldn’t talk about Facebook without discussing the shift to Instagram. I recently shared my tips to grow on Instagram and my wish list for Instagram. Last year, my best friend got engaged on my birthday and she didn’t even announce it on Facebook! That really stood out to me, especially because people who use Facebook less still tend to use it for major milestones like weddings and pregnancies.
The New York Times wrote a great article about how celebrity pregnancies became big business with sponsored posts on Instagram. Those stars must also skip the Facebook post and go straight to Instagram, at least to tell their fans.
I’ve been on Facebook since March 2006 and I never see myself quitting! It’s funny how I ignored all those FarmVille invites and ended up working in gaming. Now I appreciate everyone who invites their friends to play! Kim Kardashian: Hollywood has 1.5 million Facebook fans, which is incredible.
My Facebook experience has definitely evolved from sharing photo albums to working on ads and I’m curious to see what’s next. My #1 complaint is that Facebook discontinued Notes last year without enough notice. I didn’t get a chance to save my notes about Britney Spears and Kelly Cutrone, which were written before I launched the blog!