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Banned by Facebook!

Reblogger
Education & Training with REALTOR & CEO The 3B Method Seminars

All credit below for the reblog of Mike Mueller! Great Stuff Mike! Well worth the read!

Original content by Mike Mueller


PALO ALTO, CA - APRIL 21:  (L-R) Facebook VP o...

Straight from my email Inbox

Q. “Mike, if I am in business (let’s just say I’m a real estate agent) do I set up a Facebook profile for my business or do I setup a Business Page?

A. Looking just at the Facebook Terms of Service (TOS) Section 3, Point 1:

3.  We do our best to keep Facebook safe, but we cannot guarantee it. We need your help in order to do that, which includes the following commitments:

  1. You will not send or otherwise post unauthorized commercial communications to users (such as spam).

Mike, that’s easy!  I NEVER send out Spam!  NEVER!”

Hold on there Buttercup…   Do you ever

  • Update your FB status or post listings on your Wall?
  • Have your Twitter Stream show up on your Wall.  Do you tweet links to listings?
  • FriendFeed blog posts to your Wall or Notes?

My guess is you answered Yes to at least one of them (I even did).  Is your stream as clean of Commercial Communications as the pure driven snow?  (not sure what driven snow has to do with it).  Yeah, mine isn’t either.  In fact this very blog post which is commercial in nature will soon be tweeted, which will be FriendFeeded to my very own Facebook Wall.  Some grumpy old guy in across the country who haphazardly added me as a “friend” might just very well interpret that as spam.  I’m Guilty as Charged!

Technically speaking that’s a violation to Facebook TOS and your profile could be wiped away in a heart beat with no prior notice.  All your “Friends” gone!  Could it happen? Would it happen?  Maybe, maybe not – but then again, why risk it?

Breaking News:

Facebook Site Governance: Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (updated 8/11/09)

Section 4, Point 2 states “You will not use your personal profile for your own commercial gain.

“But Mike, I see everyone else is doing it.  Facebook wouldn’t start deleteing profiles”.

While Facebook isn’t Flickr and isn’t Vimeo  (both are actively deleting accounts that have commercial content)

Ask Matt Stigliano about his Flickr Account.
See: http://www.rerockstar.com/2009/technology/an-answer-to-where-did-the-photos-and-slideshows-go/

and http://www.socialphototalk.com/flickr-permanently-deletes-yet-another-user-without-warning/

Ask Tim Ayers about his Vimeo Account.
See: http://642blog.ca/2008/07/08/vimeo-online-video-sharing-sucks-video/

There’s nothing stopping Facebook from doing the same thing in the future.

As a matter of fact - Meet Jim Calabrese who left this comment on my blog

Jim Calabrese Comment


 

Consider the alternative.  The Facebook Business Page.  It’s easy to start, free to setup.  And on Facebook’s site (http://www.facebook.com/advertising/?pages) they even encourage page owners to

STEP 4: MAKE IT RICH AND ENGAGING

The more rich content you add, the more ways users can interact with it and spread that connection to their friends. Post photos of products, employees, and customers. Add video clips of your bar or restaurant in action. ‘Behind the scenes’ content often works well. List an event for your grand opening or in-store sale. Write a note about upcoming promotions. The choices are yours and all these features are free and unlimited.

and

STEP 6: UPDATE REGULARLY

Updating your Page regularly with fresh photos, upcoming events, and thelatest promotions means your Page won’t just look like a profile, it will feel like one, and that will keep users coming back. Facebook users are used to getting information sorted by what happened most recently. If you keep your Page active, which you can do through mobile integrations and applications, you’ll find that your fans are more engaged and more interactive.

You can also send some or all of them messages by clicking “Send an Update to Fans” in the upper-left of your Page (under the profile picture). Updates are useful for sending out announcements like promotions, sales or events.

What’s the difference?

A Fan Page (Facebook Business Page) has Fans.  Those “Fans” have “authorized” you to send them commercial communications – a “Friend”  has not.  There’s so much more reason to have a Page than just this single legal technicality.  However it’s vital as Facebook, and doing business on Facebook grows that marketers understand what is legal and what is not.  So the real answer is that you need to start with a Profile. That profile should be for you, your true friends, and your family.  That Profile then can create a Business Page to promote you the “Professional” side of you.

PS: ActiveRain has it's own TOS - when was the last time you read that?

 

 


This post brought to you courtesy of Mike Mueller.
Feel free to ReBlog or ReTweet as you like as long as you
credit the source (him).
Did you know?  He's for hire! He builds
Blogs, Graphic Images and Widgets and Facebook Pages and besides… He knows lots of really cool stuff.

Hire Mike (925) 456-4567

 

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Comments (13)

Lisa Elrod
Prudential Alliance Realty - Oklahoma City, OK

Wow, I had no idea.  I post both personal and real estate stuff all the time.  So, if I keep posting real estate information I risk being banned?  I thought that's what FB was for, and I'm certainly not the only one doing it!

Sep 22, 2009 04:07 PM
Tony Grego, 317-663-4173 #1 Trade Association for Alternative Inv
REISA - 317-663-4173 - Indianapolis, IN

What a great post. Will be hard to change policy. FB has just become way to big.

Tony

Sep 22, 2009 04:07 PM
Ally Wangsness - Seattle Real Estate Broker
RE/MAX Metro Realty, Inc. - Seattle, WA

Hm. I just created my "business account". Now. How do I find it? Facebook can be so messed up sometimes.

Sep 22, 2009 04:12 PM
Elizabeth Ward Small
REALTOR & CEO The 3B Method Seminars - Burlington, NC

I am not a big reblogger but this material again, not mine but by Mike Mueller is a must read for all professions...

Lisa - Glad you posted!

Tony - They are getting big and I do all business very little personal...I use my fan club and groups and drive people there to join...it has worked well but I would be crushed if I lost my FB history! It is my lifes journal and I love that!

 

Ally: Search it in the search bar and it should be posted as a link on the side of your FB page! :)

 

Sep 22, 2009 04:15 PM
Kent Anderson
Coldwell Banker Resort Realty, Sandpoint, Idaho - Sandpoint, ID
from Schweitzer to the Lake

Wendy - Great info.  My FB page is all over the map.  I'm going to check into a fan business page.  Thanks!

Sep 22, 2009 05:08 PM
Kent Anderson
Coldwell Banker Resort Realty, Sandpoint, Idaho - Sandpoint, ID
from Schweitzer to the Lake

Why did I call you Wendy?  I meant Elizabeth...sorry!

Sep 22, 2009 05:09 PM
Charles Perkins
Charles G. Perkins, CPA - Burien, WA

Thanks for the information.  I just setup a business account on Facebook.

Sep 22, 2009 05:30 PM
Susan Neal
RE/MAX Gold, Fair Oaks - Fair Oaks, CA
Fair Oaks CA & Sacramento Area Real Estate Broker

HI Elizabeth - I don't put commercials on my personal profile page on facebook, but I do post listings and links to my blog posts on my business page.  It is just the personal profile that they are concerned about.  I mention what I'm doing and might say something like: "Had a great open house today, with lots of interested buyers."  I don't consider that a commercial, but it does remind folks that I'm in real estate.  All bets are off, however, on my business fan page - there I can promote properties and myself.

Sep 22, 2009 06:44 PM
The Somers Team
The Somers Team at KW Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA
Delivering Real Estate Happiness

Great info !  Mike rocks !  Is another reminder that we need to set up a business account on FB.

Sep 23, 2009 12:00 AM
Elizabeth Ward Small
REALTOR & CEO The 3B Method Seminars - Burlington, NC

Mike does Rock! This post shares the true need of a business media site...oh gee...like we have right here in AR! lol

Sep 23, 2009 04:02 PM
Elizabeth Ward Small
REALTOR & CEO The 3B Method Seminars - Burlington, NC

Kent - I will answer to anything as long as it nice!!!

Sep 24, 2009 02:07 PM
John Novak
Keller Williams Realty The Marketplace - Las Vegas, NV
Henderson, Las Vegas and Summerlin Real Estate

Glad you reblogged this, Elizabeth. It's a reminder that I need to make some tweaks to my Facebook profile.

Sep 24, 2009 02:08 PM
Elizabeth Ward Small
REALTOR & CEO The 3B Method Seminars - Burlington, NC

John! Tweak away and go tweet!

Sep 24, 2009 03:50 PM