Do many of you use facebook to promote your blog?
Up to a few months ago I had about ten friends on facebook, and they really were my friends or family, and a few fellow bloggers who took pity on me when I asked them to ‘like’ my page.
I really didn’t ‘get’ facebook. I thought the status update was where you wrote whether you were married, single or the more modern version, ‘in a relationship’. I had no clue what was private and what others could see, so I was terrified to post anything. The first time I realised my friends could see my blog posts I panicked and quickly had my posts made private. So that defeated the purpose of self promotion.
As for the photograph, that was a nightmare. I remember very late one night deciding to change mine. I clicked on a photo I thought was okay and sweet Jesus! The apparition before my eyes was a really, really, really close up picture of my face. So close it didn’t even show my neck. I was in shock, but because I’d had a glass of wine I also found it incredibly funny. The problem was I couldn’t figure out how to delete it or change it. As I was giggling away at the vision before me I saw a notification. My brother and his partner ‘liked’ my photo. WTF you mean they can see it! I was panicking now pressing all kinds of keys in an attempt to delete it. Then the comments began, including one from my best friend asking how long had I been drinking?
Eventually I managed to get rid of it, and the comments ceased. However I’ve been a little afraid to go there again, even though my alternative photo is woeful.
However over the past few months I’ve got used to facebook and to be honest I am now a total convert. A few months ago, I was messaging my best buddy from when I was a
student nurse, not today or yesterday. Such was our friendship she went on to be my bridesmaid, and my soulmate during the sadness of my Dad dying. We were catching up that night as if we were in touch every day, when in truth she lives in America. Through facebook I discovered she was coming home for a visit and we arranged to meet up. That same night, out of the blue, my oldest friend also got in touch. We had been friends since we were young children, and had not had proper contact for many many years.
Yes that night I was in love with facebook and how it can bring people together.
Since then I have slowly increased my number of friends on ‘my thoughts on a page’, and have begun to enjoy reading what they are up to. I have lived long enough to know that all is not as it seems, so I take a lot of the photos, status updates and comments with a pinch of salt. I do however enjoy being a voyeur and am greedy for their ‘news’, although some people do definitely overshare.
The other serious advantage of facebook is the number who are reading or finding my posts. It is blog sharing for lazy bloggers, and yes I’m not proud, that is me. In keeping with that laziness, and just in case you too are ‘laid back’ like me, if you want to be my friend on facebook, just push the button here and like me. In return I’ll’ like’ you too. This is what you could call a very lazy recruitment drive.
If you are not a facebook fan I’ll forgive you, we can still be friends just the way we have always been.
…..And the brief synopsis of this post is… If you have a facebook page can you please like me... Here on my facebook page.
photo credit: Thomas Hawk via photopin <a
photo credit: MailChimp® via photopin cc
My thoughts on a page. 
In my humble opinion and unsolicited, if one is writing/creating/blogging to gain numbers or acquire friends, they might want to consider why they’re really putting in the effort. 🙂
I do often wonder that Eric.
I love writing beginning, middle and end. I write almost every day, because I want to, and can’t not.
However I do enjoy being read and particularly the interaction and connection with blog friends and new bloggers regardless of their content.
I have found recently that facebook is an easy way to read other blogs, easier than using the reader,or email, and a great way of sharing my writing with others too.
I’m not sure there is anyone who writes a blog which is not private, and says they don’t wish to be read and hopefully have their writing enjoyed by as many as possible.
I hear and warmly appreciate your perspective. Personally, I have become disillusioned with the Facebook community. My experience finds many (possibly most) in that arena to be shallow, trite and cursory. Few, again in my experience, seek writings or posts of depth or substance. It seems a simple forum in which to recycle posts, sometimes over and over. And the ‘platitude pasting’ (my term) is sadly unoriginal. It won’t be long before I pull my Facebook plug. The WordPress community is vastly more valuable and to me, appreciating.
Off my soapbox. 🙂
I do know what you mean about facebook, but sometimes I want to read classics and poetry and other times I want to read the complete opposite.
I agree you cannot compare wordpress and facebook, both are very different and serve different purposes. It is like comparing apples and oranges.
There are however many good blogs who have facebook pages and whom I have already connected to.
It’s a bit like comparing a really good drama and soaps. I love drama, but I do also like some soaps.
🙂
Throw us an auld link to your Facebook page there
You mean all my pleading and pestering and you missed it in the post. I’ll have to re edit but until then here it is….https://www.facebook.com/mythoughtsonapage
Currently I am logged in all day but I only check in a few times a day. I give parents support through the instant message feature. I set up a separate Facebook page for parents where I post various resources for parents all over and especially those in New Jersey. You are welcome to share the link to parents if you wish.
https://www.facebook.com/ParentRapSoupToNuts
Your facebook page perfectly illustrates what I love about facebook, interesting posts at my fingertips. Thanks Jackie.
I have only “one” FB. I do ‘post’ my blogs there for friends and family who dont have a WP account and don’t want to follow by email. They say it’s easier to just go to FB to get them. Though I don’t put ALL blogs on FB. I’m torn on this one……
I’m exactly the same. I have a good few who wouldn’t know how to even find wordpress, so they read on facebook.
I must admit I don’t actually post all my posts on facebook either. I am definitely guilty of censorship.
I have struggled with the idea of linking my blog to FB. At first I didn’t, but then I sort of tried it out. Right away, I was happy because I started to have friends (old and current) and colleagues commenting, mentioning it to me, sharing it with friends. Then I started to feel self-conscious about the shameless self promotion and I took down the link. After a while, a few friends asked me to put it back! They don’t regularly read or follow blogs, but wanted to read my thoughts. As one put it, “if people don’t want to read your posts, they won’t click on the link.”
You are a good writer, and people (like me!) enjoy reading what you have to share. Keep your writing out there! I’ve come to realize that there is no shame in wanting to be read. Musicians want to be heard and appreciated, dancers want to be seen and appreciated, writers want to be read and appreciated!
It looks like the two of us went through identical experiences of facebook, and you are right, at times we may be embarrassed but anyone who writes publicly does want to be read.
I haven’t mentioned my blog on FB. The chances are I won’t. I am happy enough so far and I don’t want to risk bursting my own bubble by ‘running the gauntlet’ on FB.
I don’t have too many on it to feel I am ‘running the gauntlet’ and those who are have signed up to read it so I don’t feel too bad.
However I was blogging over a year before I began to promote on facebook and even then I only whispered.
I am chicken. 🙂 Maybe someday I will.
I’ve liked you with my private page. You can choose to like me back (if you like) or you can like my It Goes on Page that just posts my blog posts there. 🙂
Thanks I will do. Thanks a million my ‘friend’. 🙂
facebook
is my personal
connection to family
and old friends
~
wordpress
is my private
anonymous journal
within our caring
community
I was going down the’ anonymous around my family and friends’ route, but then they found out about my blog and slowly but surely I became more comfortable sharing.
An anonymous blog would be a real joy.
I don’t get many views
per day
~
it makes being
anonymous
way easier ;-P
I’m surprised to hear that. I love your writing and the honesty in your posts.
small sacred space
~
I’m enjoying my private time
I create
for myself now
~
20 years
I designed
art directed
coordinated
other illustrators and photographers
~
I enjoy being a small blip
in a big pond now
~
time for others to shine
i’m on Facebook too, and use it now to keep in touch with family and friends who are far away, and as a blog post location too, for those not on wp. i appreciate the feedback and give and take when posting –
In some ways it is a lot like wordpress, the interaction and sharing.
Thanks Beth, and thanks for the ‘like’.
I post on Facebook, Twitter and email. I have posted my blog on these since I started but that was because my son (whom also blogs) suggested it way back when as he was helping me set up my page. I have people that read it on one or the other and I also have people that only read it in email. Since I have been sharing this way from the beginning I guess I never thought about being nervous if my friends or family read it because I knew they would.
I did love you’re reaction to the first comments, gave me a little chuckle.
Your son started you off on the right track, the rest of us were a bit slow!
Ha ha. I am not sure if he meant it as barbed a comment as it seemed, but I think I got my own point across too!
I have been considering setting g up a Facebook page for my blog but just haven’t made the commitment to do it, maybe I will soon 😉
It is worth it, well I have found it to be worth it anyway. If you do, just pop over here and I’ll make sure to give you a ‘like’.
ok so I made the page 🙂 here is the link and i will soon figure out how to place in my side bar lol! https://www.facebook.com/Diapersandtutus
Nope, won’t do it. Naptimethoughts and the Facebook me don’t live in the same universe.
Ha ha. I so understand this. Months ago I was just like you, but I don’t regret going joining up.
I just feel like I would feel very exposed posting on FB. And worse, that I wouldn’t feel free to write whatever I wanted to anymore because I’d have to think if I’d offended anyone I know.
I suppose I tackled that problem when I first began to be read by people I know, and worse they told me they read my blog.
However over time I’ve begun to relax about that, but it is not the same as before, but facebook was no big deal compared to that, although admittedly I do not share all my posts on FB.
If your blog is still semi anonymous enjoy it.
Only my husband and a couple of ladies he used to work with know my mild mannered alter ego, and as long as I can keep it that way, I shall.