Mastering Facebook (NOT!) - Virtual Assistant Forums

Jill T · #1 (**permalink**) 03-16-2009

I finally decided to join Facebook and I'm completely overwhelmed. Is anyone else new to Facebook and struggling with it? I guess I'm trying to convince myself that I'm not the only one out there struggling with this issue!

I consider myself a quick learner, tech savvy, and an all-around smart person, but this site is really throwing me! Like anything new, I expect a learning curve, but I find myself scratching my head and walking away frustrated.

Can anyone lend some quick tips to help make this experience a little more enjoyable?

Kathy Altman · #2 (**permalink**) 03-16-2009

Hi Jill,

I agree Facebook is not the most friendly site and I am still finding my way around it after a few months. To help when I first started out I googled "how to use facebook" and I found a lot of useful information. Good Luck!

Susan Myers · #3 (**permalink**) 03-16-2009

LOL! I love Facebook and find Twitter difficult to grasp.

Susan Myers

bluewaterbusiness · #4 (**permalink**) 03-16-2009

I finally signed up a week ago. I am confused by it too and I am also quite tech saavy. I can honestly say so far I really don't get the appeal of it. I thought I was the only one, you have made me feel better. I have had to have a friend and my sister both help me at different times.

Is there anything in particular you don't get?

Jill T · #5 (**permalink**) 03-16-2009

Originally Posted by Susan Myers

LOL! I love Facebook and find Twitter difficult to grasp.

Susan Myers

Hi Susan! I love Twitter and find Facebook difficult to grasp! We should trade notes!

I was a little intimidated by Twitter initially, but once I got the hang of it, I loved it. I'm sure the same will happen with Facebook, but I'm just finding it so cumbersome!

Jill T · #6 (**permalink**) 03-16-2009

Originally Posted by bluewaterbusiness

... Is there anything in particular you don't get?

I'm not really getting the hang of the customization. With Twitter, I was able to choose my colors, select my background, add a photo and BAM! I was in business.

There are so many layers to Facebook... boxes and walls on my personal account and then there are walls and boxes on my business "page." I'm not even sure how to link to my page from my website (what url to use).

Just a newbie who is extremely impatient and wants everything up and running smoothly immediately!

GladysS · #7 (**permalink**) 03-16-2009

I've by no means mastered it, but I am getting more familiar with it. Once you have a few friends on there it is a lot more fun. I haven't created a page for my biz yet, but my personal page is more about me than my biz. I see it as a way to potentially gain clients from friends and friends of friends.

Beth0813 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-16-2009

Hello!

I am on FB and Twitter. I am finally getting the hang of Twitter. I have been on FB for a quite some time. It's fun, but I don't need to be poked or have snowballs thrown at me. I created a page for my business but am not impressed with the lack of information you can put on it. Why would I want to send me one the link to this page when it looks so boring. I've just signed up for Delicious and haven't figured this out yet. My brain hurts...............

Rebecka Melson · #9 (**permalink**) 03-16-2009

I hated Facebook when I first started using it because I had trouble figuring it all out. I finally got used to it but i swear everytime I start getting comfortable with it they go and switch it all up.

They just changed the homepage and the business pages and now I have to figure it out again.

Innovative Office Support · #10 (**permalink**) 03-16-2009

I saw the topic of this and just got extremely tickled lol ... this is exactly how I felt when I joined Facebook - Kudos to you for keeping with it.. I instantly shut my account down - I will try again later - because it truly gave me a friggin headache.

Becky Noblick VA · #11 (**permalink**) 03-16-2009

I started with Myspace, so Facebook seemed easy to me. I figured out how to get your personalize url though, it's a new thing and you can do it for your business page or personal page. It's an application that you have to add-here's the link http://apps.facebook.com/webaddress/ hope it works and I added here right. The app is called a memorable web address.
You can switch between your personal page and business page by the little f icon at the bottom left hand side of the screen. Have fun

CandyBeauchamp · #12 (**permalink**) 03-16-2009

I've been on Facebook for a long time now. I still hate it. It's not intuitive AT ALL. I go on there and do a few things now and then, but other than that, I just don't bother. I also block almost all applications because they annoy the beeswax out of me.

AmandaD · #13 (**permalink**) 03-16-2009

They do keep changing facebook. I hate it, but I use it several times a day. My suggestion at first is to just use your "basics" to begin with wall, status, photos, videos, messaging, Inbox and groups. Click ignore on everything else until you've gotten the hang of those "basics".

Now all the "extras" I use are: Notes, a few games and my little green patch. You will find that a lot of people will send you request after request after request. If you don't like it - block it. Otherwise your "friends" will annoy the life out of you.

Once the novelty wears off, it is just another communication tool - an annoying one, but a necessary evil...LOL

One thing to remember is, if you don't have a separate business profile, be careful what you post - or learn about how to set up a "limited profile". You don't want anyone seeing any embarrassing pictures of you or something silly one of your friends wrote on your "wall".

virtual writing · #14 (**permalink**) 03-16-2009

Fascinating thread. So true that FB is hard to navigate. I like the quote (who said it?) that Facebook is about the past and Twitter is about the future.

The big enlightenment with FB for me was getting in touch with long lost friends. And then kinda keeping tabs in a way that hasn't been possible heretofore.

Something stumps me about Twitter - I love reading posts, but seldom tweet my own stuff. Not easy for me to deliver my impressions in tiny bites like that. Never was a chatterer!

deannatroupe · #15 (**permalink**) 03-16-2009

Okay first of all, for facebook help, you've got to check out Mari Smith! She's so awesome when it comes to Facebook. I know she's @marismith on twitter. The best piece of advice I have about Facebook is to just jump in and explore. That's the only way you're going to get it.