Facebook

I love Facebook, you love Facebook, we all love Facebook. So let’s all jump for joy…or not.

“I am, I said:” Be smart – think about what type of Facebook user you are and your own personal brand.

Yes, believe it or not, you have a personal brand. It is how you look, what people think about you, why they think the things they think etc.,

You have two choices:-

1. You could choose not to care and deal with whatever consequences befall.

Or

2. You could be a self-socially-aware social media user.

Simple.

Just because you are a public relations professional, advertising executive or money-making model, doesn’t mean your Facebook needs to be public.

Private Facebook users, like myself, for my personal page, have strict privacy settings on their pages and only “connect” with people (friends, family etc.) they know.

Public Facebook users, like myself, for the Little Pink Book’s page, have open settings on their pages and “connect” with everyone.

Take it from someone who has been on Facebook for what seems like eons (probably because it has been five [5] years since I joined back in 2004 [is it to early for a Milennial to feel old?]) – know how far you are willing to set your parameters.

I’ve seen Facebook go from a selected number of universities having access to Facebook (only available via a specific “@[xyz].edu” email addresses,) to the welcoming of high school students, to the initiation of the entire world.

Times change, we as people change – but there are some inherent things that simply do not:–

Old Skool Facebook -- Bring it Back to 2004 y'all

Close PR Encounters of the Facebook Kind

• Facebook isn’t Twitter, take it easy on the status messages.

I’m so excited that you are going to the beach with your cousin, who lives on the other side of the planet, who you haven’t seen in ten years and you both have kids the same age.

But I really didn’t need to know that your kids just vomited all over the boardwalk, you forgot your mosquito repellent, you think $10.00 was too much to pay for all day parking and you grabbed the sun tan lotion instead of the sun screen.

It’s like status message city on your page and I hate to burst your bubble — but it’s annoying. Don’t make me regret keeping “in touch” with you.

• AIM isn’t so yesterday.

Facebook has integrated chat, but limit how much you use it. Some people hate it with a passion and keep themselves “offline” for a reason. This is because when they do end up “online,” some people send SPAM. When that happens, people like me want to take off our stiletto shoe and knock you upside the head for cluttering our window on a whim with an automated-looking chat message.

People go on Facebook to “connect” randomly throughout the day, check messages and respond to wall posts. Some people don’t have time to “chat” – thus, they utilize their walls.

If I wanted to have an entire online conversation with you, I would have gone onto my AIM, Skype, Google Chat, Meebo or MSN messenger. But I didn’t — so, umm leave me alone.

Better yet you have my phone number — pick up your mobile and call me!

• Poke, Poke, Poker Face!

If you poke me and I poke you back – by all means.

If you poke me and I do NOT poke you back – absolutely not.

It’s not for everyone.

• Like, OMG, it’s quizzie time!!!

Yea, yea, I know. I’m guilty of it too. But seriously, think before you hit ‘send.’

If you take a quiz on Harry Potter – don’t send it to everyone on your friends list. Be smart, pick and choose those who, like you, would actually care which Hogwarts house they were sorted into.

I’m sure you want to know if that dude you’ve been crushing on is a Slytherin too – but maybe if you just got to know him, you’d find out the old-fashioned way[...he's a Hufflepuff no less.]

It’s called “Skip this step.”

Otherwise, it’s just SPAM and you’re one more step to being demoted somewhere on my privacy settings.

• Serial Groupist, the Event stalker & the Page fiend

If it is something new you are truly fascinated by, something you created or something you plainly think I need to know about – then please send me an invite to the group of your choice. If you created it and I think it pertains to me, I will support you, as your friend, and join.

HOWEVER! 

For example, if you are a member of a fraternity and your organization just started a new chapter on another campus other than the one I attended – if you send me an invite, and send it to me over and over again, I will not only report you for spamming, but I will de-friend you. Just because I was in a sorority does not mean I need to know about your mixer/social going on next week either.

Guess what? I graduated.

End of story.

• P to the A to the R to the T to the Y – time! *wheee*

Same goes for you event promotions people. Yea, I’m talking to you [XYZ] Events and alike – I live in Miami, so seriously why are you sending me invites to your “freakin’ amazing blow out party” in California?

I mean really. I know you weren’t thinking of “just me.” If you were, there wouldn’t be 2,000 other people on the “have not responded” list.

Having the availability of particular features on Facebook, easily accessible to you, free of charge and at your fingertips (literally) does not give you free reign to SPAM the hell out of me.

It’s rude and it’s obnoxious.

Words to become wise: if you own a business or brand, do not create a group. Create a page and invite people to it.

I think I am a business, therefore I am and I act like a business. Period.

• Did you see what she was…

Think before you upload. Not all photos are flattering, we all know this.

Take a group photo and everyone is fabulous besides one person? A) do not tag them or b) crop it. Your friend will respect you more and return the favor.

That being said, do not be embarrassed to ask your friends to remove pictures you don’t like. Also, give them a reason. Don’t be the photo police and hound them to get rid of pictures. You were there at the event/party, it wasn’t against your will to take the photo – don’t, for lack of a better term, be a photo-b*tch.

Be kind to get kind.

You want a photo removed? Ask. Your friend looks bad in that picture from last night? Crop them out.

• Tag you’re it!

Umm, no. Some people may not mind that you post pictures of them online…but they don’t want to be tagged.

If they untag – leave it untagged.

If you aren’t sure – ask.

• No, actually, I DO NOT know you.

I get that you think I’m networkable, or pretty, or that we both are totally into Star Wars. But if I don’t know you … literally, don’t take this personally, but I won’t accept your friend request.

Why not send me a message, connect with me via my Twitter or comment on my blog first – instead of trying to Facebook me with, “Hey Ma, Darth Vader’s pretty sick yo!” in the friend request message.

“Darth Vader” and “yo” should never be used in the same sentence. *shudders*

On the flip-side if you want to “friend” a stranger – tell them why: “Hi, I saw that you work for [xyz] and I just applied there. Wanted to network,” “Hi, I see that you know [person], so do I and we went to school together, wanted to say ‘hello.’” etc., etc., etc.,

Be smart, keep it clean, keep it cool and the third kind encounters to a minimum!

–

Sasha Muradali runs the ‘Little Pink Book’ . She holds a B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Florida (’07) and an M.A. in International Administration from the University of Miami(’08). She loves Twitter and all things social media, so you should find her @SashaHalima.

Copyright © 2009 SashaH. Muradali. All Rights Reserved.