How To Block Facebook Applications From Posting On Your Wall

Since the recent changes in Facebooks privacy settings they have inadvertently removed your ability to control how applications can post to your wall. If you have a lot of friends on Facebook then I suspect that your wall is probably starting to look like mine and getting overloaded with spam. There is a solution but it means manually blocking each offending application. This quick tutorial will show you how to get your wall back to the way it used to be so you can actually see things that are more relevant

Is Your Facebook Wall Becoming Cluttered With Spammy Apps?

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You Have To Block Each Facebook Application Individually

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Click on the link that takes you to the Facebook Application that made the post on your wall

You Need To Go To The Applications Profile Page

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When you are asked to allow access to the Application DO NOT click on the “Allow” button. Instead click on the hyperlink for the actual application.
This will now take you to the applications main profile page

You Can Now Block The Facebook Application

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Click Again On The “Block” Button To Confirm Your Choice

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When you block the Application it will no longer be able to post on your Facebook wall. You now have to repeat this process for all the offending applications. Once this is done you will soon see that the amount of spam on your wall is greatly reduced.

Another Way To Block Applications

Another way to prevent applications from sending you invites it to block the application and to also ignore all further invitations from the person who sent them to you. To do this you need to go to your Requests found on the top right of your Facebook homepage

Go To Your Facebook Home Page

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Select the “home” link when you are logged into Facebook. This should take you to your main Facebook home page. Your requests are located on the right hand side of the page

Select “Other Requests”

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When you select “Other Requests” you can scroll down to the very bottom to see any unwanted application invites that you have received

You Can Now Block This Application

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Select “Okay”

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Just Click on the “Okay” button and the application will no longer be able to send you invitations or post to your wall

You Can Also Ignore All Invites From This Friend

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If a particular person is sending you a lot of invitations for Facebook applications and you don’t want to remove them as a friend you can just choose to “Ignore All Invites From This Friend” the person will not know you have blocked them.

Privacy Settings

I hope that in the future Facebook will give a simpler one click option for managing how Applications can interact with your profile instead of having to do it in this more tedious way. I spent a while trying to discover if there was an easier way. I hope this blog post will helped to improve your overall Facebook experience so you can focus on what your real friends are actually doing.

Facebook Spam – The Human Face Behind The Menace

Raising The Bar

Spamming seems to becoming a hot topic again. Not the type
of Spam you get in your inbox asking you to buy Viagra or
letters from an African Lawyer who wants you to share the
inheritance of a milionare client. What I want to talk
about today concerns ordinary well meaning people who
though ignorance or lack of awareness end up becoming
perpetrators of this social menace and end up damaging
their reputation at the same time

I Don’t Like Spam

[youtube]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE[/youtube]

Most people don’t like to eat Spam all the time so make
sure this isn’t what you are serving to all your friends.

Do You Want To Make The Right Impression?

Part of this blog post was written in the summer but I
thought I would re-edit it and include some recent
conversations and share it with a whole new audience.

My latest book, The Facebook Strategies Guide addresses
these sames issues and from my own observation. 95% of the
people using Facebook for Business are needlessly making
themselves look like spammers.

Attention Grabbers

If a complete stranger came and knocked on your front door
and demanded that you go with them to look at their new
car or dragged you out of your house and forced you to go
inside their new shop, don’t you think you might get a bit
upset. Why is it then that so many people act that way on
Facebook

Why Should I Give You My Attention?

How many times have you had someone send you a friend
request on Facebook and then straight away before you’ve
had time to take a second breath they have asked you for
something, demanding your attention, whether its to check
out their group, look at their website, join their MLM
program or Get Rich Quick scheme.

What these people maybe fail to realize is their approach
is getting them entirely the opposite results than they
might expect. The reason being is they fail to see the
message they are sending from the other side or think a
little bit about who they are sending to. Without having
this view you assume that the whole world will naturally
be interested in everything you are doing and you demand
that they give you attention.

Relationships First – Deals Second

Trying to sell yourself or your products without first
taking the time to build some sort of relationship is not
going to be the most effective strategy in today’s web 2.0
world. In a world where word of mouth is the new marketing
force to reckon with. Adopting this aproach is effectively
shooting yourself in the foot.

Serve Others First And You Will Be Rewarded

When you friend someone don’t ask them for something
straight away, take the time to send a personal message
and ask what you can do to help them. If you want to get
your self really noticed then you are going to have to
learn to give before you receive.

This will instantly set you apart from everyone else and
will show that you are actually interested in them and not
just in serving yourself or your business. Serving others
is one of the highest virtues you can adopt and is one of
the quickest ways to have your own needs met as well.

People will always remember you in a positive light and
that is what can influence them to open your emails,
listen to your sales messages and buy your products or
services in the future. Attention is one of the most
valuable commodities that all businesses are competing for.

Don’t Be Too Aggressive

Once you have their attention and you have started a
conversation you can decide if you want to mention what It
is you are promoting. If you are too aggressive in your
marketing or sales approach you can turn people off very
quickly.

It’s easy to spot people who are not genuine so be very
careful here and make sure you do this in a skillful way,
a casual mention of what you have to offer can be much
more powerful than the direct approach.

People hate being sold to but they do like to buy. If you
position yourself in the right way, you can be the person
they choose to go to when they are ready.

Consider Starting Your Own Group

If you want to get a targeted group of people all in one
place then consider forming your own group, you can invite
all your friends and in this way, only the people who are
interested will be subjected to your marketing messages
and they have the option of leaving the group at any time.

Selling directly to new friends via their profile, instant
messenger or wall is one of the quickest ways to start
losing friends and as spam becomes more widespread more
people are becoming less tolerant of unsolicited messages
in their inbox.

I join a lot of groups to see what they have to offer, one
thing I have noticed is the difference between how some of
the group leaders treat their members.

The Trusted Friend

Some Facebook groups send me a continual stream of
messages promoting this product or that service, I have to
admit that I tend to ignore most of them, Its like I
almost don’t see or hear anything of what they are
communicating, I filter it out and it just goes in the
noise and distraction file.

There are however a few group leaders who have adopted a
different strategy, they keep sending me useful
information and good links to things I am interested in,
and they have a totally different way of communicating.

It’s not that they never try and sell me something its
just they do it in a different way so I don’t mind because
I have placed them in a different file,that of the trusted
friend.

If you are networking, planning on using Facebook to promote
your business or you would like to start your own Facebook
group in the future,I think there is an important lesson
to learn here. Becoming the trusted friend gives you great
power and influence. It is a position that is  earned
through service and through consistency and congruency in
your message.

A Real Life Example And Lesson

Tim Somers one of the members of our Social Traffic group
talks about his own experiences in his recent blog post

“I’ve been in the promotional product business for 19 yrs.
and networking has been one of the keys to the success
I’ve had. Being fairly new to the whole Social Networking
gig I had been crossing the spam line and did not realize
it at all.

Seems I was putting the “cart before the horse” if you
will, jamming me and what I do down the throats of
everyone and anyone I’d connected with online via
Facebook, LinkedIn as various other networks.

I guess I was really excited about all the people I’d been
connecting with and lost focus on all the successful
networking I’d accomplished over the years at local
chamber events, BNI meetings and such. Where I listened,
and didn’t really give to much information on me or my
company – and focused on building a relationship first and
letting the natural transition of getting business and
referrals grow an flourish with time.

I didn’t know I was borderline spamming online because
know one was honest with me, I kept doing it until someone
finally brought it to my attention…and I “got it”.

It was Simon Ford that put me on the straight and narrow.
His words of wisdom could have been taken the wrong way,
but the message he sent me was crystal clear and I took it
to heart and have and will be working on becoming a better
Social Networker for sure.”

Simon Ford’s Message To Tim

Tim,

Please take this message as feedback, not criticism…

There are over 500 million pages indexed in Google for the
word cards, each page means nothing to me. Why do you
think your pages are any different? Is it because we are
members of the same Facebook group?

When I need a solution for cards, I will turn to my
network of people that I like and trust to find it.

Likewise, I listen to people who I like and trust. Only
they could ever convince me I may need a {offenders key
word} solution, when I didn’t otherwise know it…I could
only ever consider doing business with someone I really
liked and trusted..

That said, if the desired outcome of you introducing
yourself to me was to have me buy from you, do business
with you, or in fact collaborate with you on any level,
from where I sit, as your target, your strategy is counter
productive.

I will never listen to anyone who tells me they are
interested in building a relationship with me followed by
shoving a self serving link in my face. The approach
instills distrust in fact, making it even harder for you
to become someone I like or trust beyond such an
introduction.

This is not social networking, It’s spamming Tim.

To think that the caliber of people who have all
congregated in our social traffic group see your approach
other way is miss-guided.

I have done you a favor and deleted your wall post off the
group wall and from my personal feed so not that many
people have seen them. This provides you another
opportunity to introduce yourself with a mind set of being
“Interested”, not “interesting”.

I am confident if you make the most of the opportunity you
will be enlightened by the results. I would love to hear
about your journey of discovery when you have arrived…

That’s when I can see us building a genuine relationship
that will deliver your desired outcome and a hell of a lot
more.

I look forward to that day.

With respect,
Simon Ford

Education Is The Only Viable Long Term Solution.

As an individual you have a responsibility to your wider
network to educate all its members. If you see  a person
doing something that is damaging their reputation take the
time to let them know.

Do it in a way that encourages them to change without
being too critical, give people the benefit of the doubt,
especially those who are new to Social Media and are only
just getting started, you can point them to relevant notes
and blog posts and show them by example how you would like
to be treated as a friend and business contact.

Be Respectful

It’s clear from most discussions that talk about Spam that
each person has their own personal definition. You might
be the type who gets outraged and angry when someone
abuses your trust.

Publicly humiliating someone who transgresses your social
code might feel good momentarily, but it’s not the best
long term solution. Instead of creating an enemy why not
do what Simon did an tell them how you feel.  Treat them
in a respectful way even if you feel like you are the one
who is the victim. This kind of pro-active approach will
win you loyal friends and the respect of all those who you
communicate with.

Want To Learn More

For those who would like to learn more about using
Facebook  in the right way you can check out  my new book
The Facebook Strategies Guide. It’s a valuable resource
packed full of information that will take your social
networking to a whole new level

http://www.thefacebookguide.com

I hope you have enjoyed this post, If it’s been of some
value to you please share it with your network, send it to
your Tweeps on Twitter or press the share button on
Facebook.

you can also follow me on Twitter

http://www.twitter.com/iandavidchapman

Membership Websites – Who Do You Spend Your Time With?

Why Should I Bother Joining  A Paid Membership Site?

This was my first thought when I first became interested in using the internet for developing my business. I couldn’t understand why I would need to pay someone to have access to a community , especially since there was a free community that I can access all the time on sites like Facebook. After joining several paid membership sites I soon realised there were very good reasons for being part of an exclusive club.

Who Do You Spend  Your Time With?

Who you spend your time with can greatly determine your level of success .  You are influenced by other peoples beliefs and ideas. If you have no money and you spend  everyday in the company of millionaires it won’t be long before their financial success start to rub off on you. Equally if you spend most of  you time with happy positive people you will tend to develop the same positive outlook on life.

Putting People In Boxes

While I generally don’t like to put people into boxes, from my observations  I have noticed distinct categories of people emerging .  I have been forced to generalise and exaggerate in order to define these categories more clearly. In reality the boundaries are quite permeable and  you might identify with several at the same time or observe your own transitions through a number of  phases.

Different People Join Different Types Of Membership Sites

Different people   tend to join different types of membership sites and I wanted to examine the reasons behind this and understand the key factors to consider before joining a membership website. Who owns and runs the membership site is equally as important as who  the other members are and it pays to do a bit of research before parting with your money.

1. The Well Established

These people are already successful and have an established online presence.

They tend to own multiple  websites, usually in targeted niches and have a solid sales funnel in place that attracts people to become their customers . They have back end products and services to offer and  they tend to be quite visible and promote themselves and their business in an active way. These are the types of people who set up membership sites, coaching programs and other types of continuity programs.  They are highly networked and work together with other successful people leveraging each others talents to grow  each others  businesses. They look at their customers and clients from a lifetime perspective and therefore place a high value on their reputation.

2. Just Arrived And Learning Fast

These people are successful offline and want to  realise their full potential on the Internet

They want to learn how to expand their business and leverage their time more effectively. They don’t have much time to learn the best strategies through trial and error so they pay experts  to help them achieve their intended results much faster. They have a lot of existing commitments to their offline business and feel that there is a lot  they need to learn. Because they already have many of the necessary business skills and available capital to invest in their online business they will rise quickly to join those already established. These people will join paid membership sites because they want to mix with other serious people who are moving in the same direction. They have valuable talents and experience to offer and an established network of offline contacts, the  benefits travel in both directions. These people always have a competitive advantage because of the people they have access to. Their reputations give them instant credibility and they would survive and flourish whatever environment you throw them into.

3. In Transition

These people are facing major changes in their lives, its like they are riding two horses at the same time and haven’t decided which one the prefer

You often find people who want to change careers or who are  retired in this group,  they want to create a supplemental income. These people tend to  view their business as a hobby, they like to dabble and experiment,  to get their toes wet and feel the temperature of the water.  They  place  their own security as  a high priority and are cautious about investing their hard earned money in training and coaching and  although they feel this would benefit them they tend to be procrastinators and conservative by nature.

The lucky ones will  be attracted to join the right membership sites that will nurture and develop their talents, by associating with people who are successful they are pulled up to the same level, a good membership site will push them out of their comfort zone and challenge their limited thinking with new Ideas and potential opportunities

The unlucky ones will join membership  sites that often start out well and then fade into nothing. Because these people tend not to be leaders themselves they often join membership sites that are run by a sole charismatic individual , they want someone to tell them what to do  but they don’t always follow the advice. These types of membership sites often fizzle out because they are fuelled by the members enthusiasm which soon fades after the initial excitement.

4. Strugglers

Strugglers are people who have already  taken the plunge, they have put their lives on the line and often take serious financial  risks. Many have lost money, investing in products that don’t work or in teachers who don’t come up with the goods. Their online business is doing poorly, they tend to be unorganised and suffer from self doubt and limiting beliefs. They aspire to be rich and live the Internet life but seem to be putting hours into their business and  never getting anywhere.  They spend more time working in their business than on their business. They tend to join the wrong types of membership  programs, They are either out of their depth or their  poor working habits are  unconsciously sabotaging  themselves. 70% of internet marketers fall into this category and unfortunately many unscrupulous  “Guru’s”   prey on these types as they have money and  are willing to spend. These types of people will fall prey to the scarcity tactics and high pressure selling. They want to belong to the elite but deep down don’t feel they are not worthy and don’t deserve to be rich. They are often jaded and  negatively  criticise others who are more successful. These types of people often have debt problems from poorly managing their finances. They can seem  like a desperate person drowing,  because they will grab onto you and might pull you under if you let them.

Expect Unreliability

If you are serious about growing your business these can be  the worst types to associate  with. They  will suggest  JV partnerships and expect  you to do all the work or they will promise to do something and then let you down and  will waste your time and energy because they want you to solve their problems. Unless you are a life coach and your actual  job is too help these people I would suggest avoiding  them  for businesses purposes.

Don’t Let Them Drag You Down

Its  O.K.  to be this way and I am sure many of us can recognise it as a phase we might have gone through at some point in our lives . We either sink or we learn to swim. I am  not making any judgements here only to suggest that associating with people like this can bring you down especially if you are not firmly established in either of the first two categories.

5. Hopefuls

These people are total newbie’s and who have  never run a business before, they are bright eyed and exited about all the possibilities available to them, They don’t have the experience to tell the real from the fake and often become targets for unscrupulous marketers who promise to fulfil all their dreams and then don’t deliver the goods.

They will tend to join all the free membership sites and won’t understand the true value of a paid service.  This is good for you if you are a member of a paid membership site you know that everyone there is probably past this stage in their development. One of the reasons a paid club is so useful is that it creates an entry barrier. The higher the price  ypu pay the more serious you can expect the members to be.

Can You Spot A Rising Star?

Many membership sites have tiered entry levels so the newbie is not excluded. They might  have  bronze, silver, gold and platinum membership levels. It acts as a filtering process, not all hopefuls and newbie’s are  a problem, many of them will become the next generation of leaders and its good to have a way to spot who these people are.  If you help a rising star you can be sure that they will repay that loyalty in the future.

6. Pyramid People

MLM type people focus on recruiting  people into their down lines  or promote viral traffic schemes and get rich quick offers. The ones that succeed and do well are energetic, charismatic and brag about the lifestyle and success  that they have achieved. They neglect to tell you about the people under them who spent money on training and buying leads only to discover  that they don’t have the right personality for network marketing and have burned out all their friends and contacts. This industry uses the 99-1 principle. For every 1 person who succeed there are 99 who fail.

Religious Fanatics?

They act in the same way religious fanatics do, they want to convert everyone  to join their church.  They will often have paid membership schemes that look identical on the outside to other membership sites. How can you tell the difference, you might not even  suspect that your membership site might be a front for an unscrupulous pyramid scheme.

Do Your Research

One thing I always do is  Google the company name and  the directors names  along with the word scam, you can be sure if they have a history there will be others who have voiced their complaints and concerns. If they have a solid reputation you can expect to find evidence to back this up. Not all MLM businesses  are out to scam you but its your own personal responsibiliy  to discover if you are dealing with a legitimate organisation.

7. Bottom Feeders

Those are people who jump from one opportunity to another,  wanting to succeed but never implementing any of the strategies and consuming internet products like McDonalds Hamburgers – they tend to be  habitual failures and spend all their money on products  and courses that they never even finish.

If You Dig A Well You Should  Keep Digging In The Same Place

Like a person digging a well they keep starting one hole and then moving to begin another, never digging deep enough in one place to reach water. They tend to be more desperate and often console themselves with excuses and poor me stories. Much like the third category these people often don’t have a business . They might have registered a few domains and have a free blog account somewhere, but their online presence is a  trail of disaster, They will be trying to sell you products from  2004 on websites that they were duped into buying and   they have the master resale right to 100 other outdated products.  They are running their internet empire form under their duvet,   never waking up and getting out of bed   or  taking the step away from their couch to put any of their ideas into practice. They want a business that they can set and forget, they want to press a button and get paid.

Internet Parasites?

These types of people spend too much time in online forums,  you will  find them in all the free membership websites pontificating and hiding behind false names and profiles, they are often likened to parasites that sweep from one fad to the next. Following 6 months or more  behind the cutting edge, coming to feed after all the low hanging fruit is taken, always hungry. They will be the ones who are desperately spamming  your inbox begging for crumbs of  your attention. They are the sort of people who you  definitely don’t want to partner up with.

Freebie Hunters

You won’t normally find them in the Paid membership sites because the know where they can get everything for free. They view paid sites as a waste of money because they don’t understand the value of forming  real relationships and creating business partnerships. They tend to be  selfish and self centred and that is why they stay stuck where they are. Sites like Facebook protect you from the worst offenders in this category but some still slip through the net.

Read Part Two – How To Choose The Membership Site That Is Right For You

If you have enjoyed this article be sure to read part two where I examine the questions you need to ask to  find the membership site that suits you best. Check out my blog http://www.iandavidchapman.com or watch your news feed on Facebook.

Be Informed

Those of you who know me won’t be surprised by what comes next. There is a reason behind me writing this article, I want you to be as informed as possible and also to point you towards a  membership website that is different in many ways.

Master Buisiness Builders Club

It’s a membership website that has cutting edge Web3.0 Video  tools and has an impressive team of experts filling it with valuable content each and every month. It was created by Travis Greenlee and Mitch Meyerson,   and its called  the Master Business Builders Club.

Click this link if you want a quick guided tour, its my affiliate link so I get a commission  if you decide to join. The first month is totally free so it’s a no brainer really.  You will  have  access to tons of training material to help you grow your business  and can partcipate  weekly teleseminars and mastermind groups, check out the notice board  for who is coming up this week.

Facebook Users Protest Against Forced Adoption Of New Design

Petition Against The “New Facebook”

Facebook announced the final rollout of their new look design and those who have avoided adopting it  it will now be forced to get used to the changes. Understandably there has been a huge outcry from those who hate the new look and are having their old much loved profiles taken away from them and replaced by Facebooks new cleaner tabbed  profile layout.

One group I looked at, Petition Against the “New Facebook” has nearly half a million members. I suspect that even if they reach their million target Facebook won’t take a blind bit of notice. Its too much work to keep two platforms running side by side forever and it is obvious to me that Facebook have a very clear vision regarding the direction that they want to move in.

The Man Who Is Responsible Speaks Out

Mark Slee the man responsible for the new look Facebook talked to Robert Scoble recently . The interview gives you an inisders perspective as you look behind Facebook’s new design. Mark explains some of the issues involved and the main reasons why these changes are necessary.

Facebook SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

I wrote all about this in my epic  four part series where I made a SWOT analysis of Facebooks new design. Some of my predictions are already coming true. The shift towards monetising Facebook through mass advertising has to be balanced with user requirements. Many people who migrated to Facebook from  Myspace did so because it offered a sanctuary from the constant bombardment of advertising. They might now be faced with a similar dilemma.

Do You Love It or Hate It?

I  have gotten used to the new design, and while I mourn some of the old features and miss having my applications easily accessible and visible I wouldn’t want to switch back. The viral benefits of the merging of the wall and minifeed and the rise in prominence of Facebook Notes has made it a much more powerful tool for building community and developing relationships.

Is There A Conspiracy?

In my research I also stumbled upon an old article “With Friends Like These… “ written by a Guardian reporter that gives another insight into the real people behind Facebook . It gets quite sinister and Big Brother like and shows links to CIA interest and Government control. It reminds me of Noam Chomskys classic documentary, Manufacturing Consent and makes me wonder just who is holding the reigns of this powerhouse and what would happen if they chose to abuse their position or were forced to hand over control due to government intervention.

Democracy or Dictatorship?

I am not the type of person who wants to spread paranoid conspiracy theories or get involved in any politics but I can see a real danger if we all get too dependant on Facebook and there is no way to address these types of issues. Facebook now has as many users as the whole population of The United Kingdom. As citizens in this virtual country are we living in a democratic and free society or an oppressive controlling dictatorship?

Facebook Notes – 10 Steps To Writing A Winning Post

Facebook Notes – A New Strategy To Get Viral Visibility

Many of you have probably observed the increase in the number of Facebook Notes that are floating around these days. This has happened since the introduction of the new look Facebook. More people are becoming aware of the potential to gain massive viral exposure by writing notes and participating in discussions . They have also been responsible for bringing many people much closer together and creating a real sense of community


Build Solid Relationships

These are much more than just social events, or blog posts to get traffic or publicity, most people who are taking part are actively using Facebook for business and by exposing themselves with such honesty and transparency they are building real connections and solid relationships with all the other participants.

What is most interesting is the depth that some of the discussions are reaching and when posed with a stimulating question or issue to address the original post acts as a springboard to dive into and explore each topic.


Increase The Value Of Each Note

The value of the Note increases as more people add their own personal insights.The way Facebook have structured the system it forces the most popular notes to the top of your newsfeed so there is a huge potential to get massive exposure for yourself or your business if you understand some of the basic principles behind writing a good note and spotting the ones that are going to become popular.


1 – Choose A Controversial Topic And Get Personal

Sometimes this is the hardest thing to get right,  follow other notes and see if there is a theme emerging that you can write about. If you are stuck for ideas pick something that is happening in the world and reflect on its impact or the lessons that can be learned or find a quote or article from your favourite author and add your own personal understanding. Getting personal is the key to successful Facebook notes. All the best ones I have read have revealed something interesting about the author, this creates a real bonding and sense of intimacy.


2 – Write A Short Punchy Article That Ends With A Question

This will stimulate people to respond. If your note becomes too long and convoluted you will lose your readers. Consider breaking a long note into a series of shorter ones. Most people don’t have the time to read a 3000 word essay. The Blog Squad talk about the 4 E’s – Engage, Entertain, Educate and Enrich. Make sure your note ticks these 4 boxes.


3 – Keep To The Point, Make It Short And Sweet

Don’t ramble and discuss 2 or 3 different subjects in one note, this will confuse people. Keep it short and sweet. Respect your readers time, edit your note down and only include what is absolutely essential to get your point across. You can always add more later in the comments section


4 – Make Your Note Attractive

this means have good formatting, use subheads and break your note into manageable chunks. Pictures make the note more visually appealing and can give your note a stickiness factor.


5 – Tag People Who Want To Participate

Its no use tagging all your friends who are too shy to write something or are too busy to even read the note. Tag the people who you know like to participate and are regular commentators. Some people also like to tag those people who have big networks or who are centres of influence. This works well as long as what you write is appropriate and as long as you feel you have permission to do this . Not everyone wants you to use their wall and their newsfeed to spread your message so be respectful and consider asking permission first.


6 – Release Your Note At The Optimum Time

I have noticed that for my network, Facebook activity drops over the weekend, and is highest during the weekdays.  Its up to you to know your own network and when the peaks of activity are as it may vary considerably. Get the timing wrong and your note will get pushed down the newsfeed and no one will notice it.


7 – Comment On Your Own Note and Participate

Always get into the habit of commenting on your own notes and refer back to what other people have written. Become a regular participant in other peoples notes. Build a reputation as someone who adds value and always has something interesting to say, if you do this then other people will start to tag you in their notes. Which will increase your viral visibility.


8 – Press The Share Button

Sharing is a way to vote up the best quality discussions and expose them to the widest possible audience. The note will be posted to your profile page and will also be pushed out into all your friends newsfeeds. Pressing the share button because you feel obliged to reciprocate isn’t a good strategy. You will not build a reputation as someone to follow and pay attention to if you spread poor quality articles and information. Press it because it has added some value and you think your friends will appreciate it.


9 – Use Feedback and Build on Success

You know when you have written a good note by how many comments you receive and how many people press the share button. This is important feedback and it’s a valuable exercise to look at your notes and work out what elements made one note more popular than another. This way you can build on your success and continually strive to improve. My article If Your Headline Sucks No One Will Listen was a good example of this process. If you write a note and no one comments go over this checklist and see what areas you could improve upon.


10 – End With A Call To Action

Invite your readers to your Blog or Website, To follow you on Twitter or to check out your latest book. Ask them in a casual conversational manner in the same style as the rest of your note. Suddenly switching to a hard sell might create a disconnect and you might come across as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. This is also the case if you have too many outbound links to your own products and services. By all means include them but keep them to a minimum and be subtle about how you present them. If you comment on a note and just promote yourself without really taking part in the discussion you will might get viral visibility but it will be for the wrong reasons.


I  go into much more depth about Facebook notes in my book, The Facebook Strategies Guide available from http://www.thefacebookguide.com


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Learning To Fly – Predictions For The New Earth and the New Internet

A  Tribal Society?

We are now at a turning point through the re-tribalisation of society through social media. A reconnecting and re-organisation is taking place and the power structures are rapidly shifting to accommodate these changes .

The internet has brought us a tool to connect people together and allow a very rapid transfer of ideas and information across the network of humanity that makes up the user base.

Turning Points

The major turning points  in the history of information can be tracked  back to

The development of writing, the introduction of the alphabet, the creation of the printing press and the Introduction of the Internet.

Closer To Nature

The majority of tribal societies throughout history have had a   much greater respect and understanding  for the divine feminine, since they were living closer to nature and closer to the earth than we do today.

I see this reflected in the recent rise in awareness about environmental issues and collective responsibility for the pollution that we are poisoning our planet with.

Cyber Interactions

On a more personal level how does this translate when we are making our connections to each other through cyberspace and in an electronic form? Are we interacting in a genuine way and can it really ever replace the closeness that humans have always experienced when they lived together on a physical level.  Will we ever be able to reach out and give our friends a true cyberhug  where they can feel our heart beating next to theirs and hold their bodies in a way that  shows how much we care for them.

Heartfelt Feelings

Recently I have noticed that more people are feeling comfortable enough to express  their beliefs and heartfelt feelings in ways that would have been inappropriate before and had them ridiculed or labelled in a negative way. They are using this honesty and openness to develop trust and attract people to them for business purposes and deepen their relationships. The boundaries that separate business and friendship seem to be getting more blurred , which leads to a need for even greater transparency and honesty

I have always  looked  at the developments in technology and liken them to what is already in place and is our natural birthright as human beings. They seem to mirror our evolution as a species.

Reality Is Only What We See

We are already telepathic and operate from a global group mind its just that most of the world hasn’t consciously realised this yet . We focus most of our awareness on the narrow band of the electromagnetic spectrum  that pertains to our physical eyesight  and call that reality.

A New World Opens Up

When a child learns to ride a bike they use training wheels, they wobble and find it difficult to adjust to this new mode of transport. After a while they realise that they don’t need the extra support and can safely ride without them. A whole new world opens up and transport becomes a much faster and interesting experience.

Learning To Fly

The internet is giving us the tools to fly. We are all like children clinging to the engines of a Jet plane like they are  training wheels on a bike,  too scared to flap our own wings in case we crash down to earth.  Only when enough of us are soaring will the majority realise that they can fly too.

This post is a reply I made to a discussion that was taking place on Facebook.

To see the original post made by Michelle Castro and some of the inspiring comments click the following link Predictions for the New Earth and the New Internet

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