ActiveRain Blogs | Social Networking ~ How to use Facebook to promote your blog

Facebook is one of the hottest properties on the Internet right now.  It is the subject of two recent articles in Business 2.0 and Newsweek.   It was also on Headline News recently due to many workplaces creating policies for their employees that spend too much time socializing online instead of working!!

That being said, it is a truly amazing social networking site.  Unlike MySpace, Facebook has a lot of business applications.  Personally I feel it falls somewhere between ActiveRain and LinkedIn for the way I use it.  It is like ActiveRain in that there is interactive social networking... like LinkedIn in that you can connect and add people to your network that have similar interested, careers, alumni credentials etc.

The issue I want to discuss in this Facebook post is promoting your blog to your network of friends.

First, you need a network of friends.  You do need to invest some time finding your connections and making new ones.

Then you need to begin interacting with them.  There are all sorts of silly things like Vampire Attacks and SuperPoke... they're stupid but they do build camaraderie.

One function I am particularly fond of which I believe all AR Bloggers should be using is called POST

"Facebook allows you to post profiles, photos, photo albums, notes, News Feed stories, and external content. An example of external content would be that interesting article, photo, or video that just got posted on your favorite Chuck Norris website." ~ Facebook Posting FAQ 

There are two ways to share posts that I use.  The first way is via your profile page.  On the left side, there is a stack of icons...

1. click on More...
2. then click on Posted Items.  
3. A new page will come up called Posted Items.  On the right there is a box that says Post a Link. 
4. Cut and paste the URL for your post into that box and click on the POST button.
5. You will be prompted to comment on the post you are creating.
6. Facebook will format a teaser post of your post (so make sure your blogs have good first paragraphs!) and a thumbnail of your blog.
7. Click on POST again and you're done!

What will happen next is that your link with thumbnail, etc will show up on the Facebook Homepage for all your contacts/friends on Facebook!

The other way to add a post is only accessible from Facebook.  You must click on a link that adds a favorite bookmark to your Internet Explorer.  When you are reading a post you would like to share, you go to that bookmark and it automatically shares whatever page you were just on!  Really cool function...

Now... why would you want to do this in the first place?  Well... first of all you'll get people from outside ActiveRain to see your blog... extend that marketing vehicle as far as possible!  Another reason is because even the people you know that know you blog don't always know when you've posted something new.

For Realtors, this is a great way to promote listings.  Especially if you're Facebook networking with as many people in your local area as possible.  This is another place you can promote your featured properties!

For anyone else... why wouldn't you want another way to promote yourself??

Get on it people! this is good stuff...

Just FYI - there is a competing site to ActiveRain that promotes ALL its bloggers posts on Facebook!

When you get on Facebook - add me as a friend! I'm happy to connect and share!