How to like a Facebook Page as a Page

In late 2010, Facebook introduced a new feature called Use Facebook as Page which essentially allowed one to interact with other Facebook users and pages using a page (instead of a profile).

For example, when you are using Facebook as Page whenever you comment on someone’s wall your page name will be referred in that comment instead of your actual profile name.This feature was welcomed by many users who are interested in promoting their page instead of their own profile.

Ideally one would expect that when the Use Facebook as Page option is turned on, every activity you do in Facebook will be shown as originating from your page. But this is not true. For example, when you are in the Use Facebook as Page mode and if you like another page by pressing the Like button, that action is associated to the user profile instead of the page. Confused? Let me clarify with the following example.

Example:

  1. Bob logs into Facebook
  2. Bob selects Use Facebook as Page option. Then he selects Bob’s Baby Care Page.
  3. Bob likes the Facebook page of Babies R Us.
  4. Now this action is recorded as Bob likes Babies R Us, instead of it being Bob’s Bay Care Page likes Babies R Us.

So the question is how can you make one page like another page?

The solution is simple. Instead of using the Like button on the top of your Facebook page, scroll down your Facebook page. On the bottom left hand side of the page you will see a link called Add to My Page’s Favorites. By clicking on this link you are saying that Bob’s Baby Care Page likes Babies R Us.

If you are still not clear on what to do, the screen shot below will be useful. Click on the screen shot to see a larger version.

use_Facebook_as_a_Page

How to change your Facebook Vanity URL for a second time!

In 2009, when Facebook introduced custom URLs (also known as vanity URLs) for your profile and fan pages, Facebook claimed that the custom URL you choose can be only set once. Once the custom URL (example http://facebook.com/techthinker) has been set, it cannot be changed to another URL. But it looks like Facebook is giving a second chance to people who didn’t wisely choose their custom URLs for their profile page.

To change the custom URL of your profile page, simply go to Account –> Account Settings –> Username and click the link change. You will be now able to change your username for your profile page.

If you want to change the custom URL for your fan page for a second time, then you may be out of luck. I haven’t figured out how to do it.

Transferring the Profile Page URL to Fan Page URL

When Facebook introduced custom URLs last year, I secured the custom URL (techthinker) for my profile page as I couldn’t secure it for my fan page. In 2009, you should have at least 100 fans in order to get a custom URL for your fan page. Now this number has been reduced to 25.

Given that Facebook allows me to change the username for a second time, I was able to change my existing username (techthinker). By changing my username, I was able to release the URL techthinker.

Soon after I changed my username, I went to http://facebook.com/username and set the URL techthinker as the URL for my Facebook fan page!

The ability to change username for a second time gives you a chance to trade usernames with others. It also gives you a chance to transfer your profile page URL to your Fan Page URL.

Join me on Facebook.com/TechThinker

TechThinker Facebook Fan Page

I have been using Twitter as the primary social media platform to promote my blog. Awhile ago I wrote a post titled 5 Social Media Tips and in that post I indicated the importance of using more than one social media network to promote your website. It is important not to put all of our social media efforts into a single platform because no one is sure which network is going to be the dominant player in the future. As stated in my post, do not put all of your eggs into one basket.

It looks like I was not following my own advice! So far most of my social media efforts have gone into Twitter and it is high time that I get into Facebook as well.

TechThinkerPuzzle

I am happy to let you know that my Facebook fan page is up and running. I hope this fan page will allow me to communicate with my followers and peers on a more personal way.

As you may be aware you need at least 25 members in your face book fan page to qualify for a custom URL (earlier this number was 100 but now Facebook has reduced it to 25). Right now I have only 15 followers and by getting 10 more followers, I will be able to secure my custom URL.If you are a regular reader of TechThinker, please join my fan page.

If you do not know how to secure a custom URL (also know as vanity URL) for your own fan page, you can read this informative article at TechHamlet.com.

You may have also noticed that TechThinker.com now has a new logo and tagline. I’ll write about these changes and my recent efforts in rebranding this blog in another post.

See you on Facebook. Thank You!

Tips for Making the Best Profile Picture

In my last post, I provided some tips for selecting a good username on Twitter. In this post I will give you some tips to get your profile picture right. The tips in this post not only apply to Twitter but also for other Social Networks.

Your profile picture is the first point of contact for a person who is interested in knowing more about you. Therefore, it is important that you give some thought into the selection of your profile picture. As a business owner you need to project the right image to your clients.

Here are some of my tips for selecting a good profile picture. These tips are more applicable for people who use Twitter for business purposes.

  1. Be yourself. Do not fake your personality. It is very important that your clients’ expectations about you are met if both of you had to meet face to face.
  2. Take the picture in a relaxed position. Wear clothes that your are comfortable with and ones that reflect your style and personality.
  3. Take the picture in a brightly lit environment.
  4. It is preferable to have a neutral color background.
  5. Do not have other distractions in your photo. For example, do not take a picture with your dog. Your clients are not interested in your dog. They are interested in getting to know you better.
  6. Only have other people and objects in your picture, if they are related to your business or profession. For example, if you are a professional Dog Trainer then you got to have a picture with a dog!
  7. Make direct eye contact on the picture, it is important that you come across as a confident person in the eyes of your prospective clients.
  8. Avoid Logos! If you own a business or a brand, do not use the logo as your profile picture. In social networks people are more interested in making connections to people, not organizations. Even if you use your company name as the username in your Twitter account, it is important to show your face in the profile picture.
  9. Keep your profile picture consistent across different networks such as Twitter, Facebook etc. This allows potential clients to easily recognize you.
  10. Take multiple pictures in different postures with varying smiles.
  11. Ask family and friends for their opinion. Get a vote. Choose the picture that gets the most number of votes.

I hope you found the above tips useful. Add your own tips in the comments section. Thank you.

No Social Media Saturdays

The following is a guest post by Zack Shapiro.

Zack Shapiro is an entrepreneur, tech blogger, journalist and world traveler. You can find him on Twitter @ZackShapiro and on his blog at ZackShapiro.com.

Over to you Zack:

Humankind has never been more linked together than we are today. And tomorrow, we’ll be even more connected.

With the increasing levels of connectivity, we became slaves to our means of digital outreach. Facebook, blogging, Twitter, email, Skype and the list goes on and on.

Chances are you suffer from being incredibly over-connected to at least one of the tools listed above.

It’s time to begin to break away. If it sounds scary, don’t worry. We’ll take baby steps.

As with any change in habits small steps are important towards reaching your goal of being digitally free. Jumping into things cold turkey often leads to a relapse because we can’t mentally commit.

My foray into digital relaxation began with No Email Saturdays, where, as the name suggests, I take a break from email for one-seventh of the week.

At first it was harder than I imagined it would be. I had no problem leaving Mail alone on my laptop but I forgot to turn off the email on my iPhone. That meant I was constantly checking my phone not to see what the email was but to see if I had gotten anymore. As the day went on and the number of unread emails climbed higher I was no better off than digging into the actual emails themselves.

There was still digital weight on my mind. This you do not want.

If you’re apprehensive about cutting the cord remember this: unless you work for an organization that requires you to be connected all the time, you don’t need to be.

Sure an email on Wednesday morning about Friday’s meeting may be an important one but ask yourself this, “What could I possibly get on Saturday that can’t be taken care of on Sunday?

Leave the Mail our Outlook icon alone, don’t go to your webmail and turn all email on your phone off. Every phone has a way to switch it off without deleting precious accounts or stored email. Leave it all alone.

If you find yourself itching to see what’s waiting in your inbox remember this: You have to physically allow yourself to check your email. Be strong. I believe in you.

It has been a little over a month now with No Email Saturdays and I love the concept. It frees my mind from whatever’s coming up and I trust that whatever I get on Saturday can be dealt with later. It’s unrealistic to expect yourself to be connected at all times.

Now I’m ready to take the next step: No SocMed (Social Media) Saturdays.

You may not be able to get to me by email on Saturdays but you can still get my attention through my blog, an @reply on my Twitter account, a comment on Flickr, etc. So I’m still connected; I’m still checking.

Next Saturday I plan to cut out the blogging. The following week, Twitter. Those are my big two. Identify yours and make a plan. Set goals based on your level of comfort after realizing what the extra free time means.

Go outside. Spend time with friends. Watch TV without your computer around. Read a book. Go for a run. Have some fun.

5 Social Media Tips

social_media_tips

In recent years Social Media services such as Twitter and FaceBook have seen unprecedented growth. Everyone is jumping on the Social Media bandwagon to make use of this new and powerful medium of communication. In this quick post, I look at some very basic Social Media principles that you have to follow in order to get the maximum out of this medium.

1. Consistent User Names

It is very important that you have consistent user names (or logins) across all Social Media networks. For example, if your Twitter Id is called “VeryCoolGuy” it is good to have the same user name on FaceBook (i.e FaceBook.com/VeryCoolGuy). Using consistent user names will allow people to easily find you. It is also important that you have consistent profile images across all Social Media sites that you participate. A consistent profile picture will allow people to easily recognize you or your brand. Most Social Media sites also allow you to write a few lines of information about you. Make use of these profile description to tell your audience who you are and how you can help them.

[Read more...]

10 Things to know about FaceBook’s Vanity URLs

  1. The name you choose has to be at least 5 characters in length.
  2. The name can contain periods (.) or numbers.
  3. The name cannot be changed once it is set.
  4. You own the URL for life.
  5. The URL cannot be transferred to another user.
  6. Cannot contain generic keywords like “pizza”, “flower” etc
  7. Anyone who registered on FaceBook after May 31, 2009 has to wait until June 28, 2009 to get their vanity URL. FaceBook did this to prevent squatters from creating new accounts to grab a URL.
  8. FaceBook Fan Pages should have a minimum of 1000 followers/fans in order to qualify for a Vanity URL.
  9. The above restriction on minimum number of fans or followers will be lifted on Jun 28, 2009.
  10. Can you get a vanity URL for an unpublished FaceBook page? If you know the answer please let me know.