In the last six months or so when I have met with business owners, I’ve consistently heard the same complaint from them. It’s this: “Yes, I know my business needs to be on Facebook, but I really don’t like it personally.”
For some, the negativity on the site turns them off. I’ve seen some business owners walk away from Facebook because of it.
As a professional who works with Facebook daily, I see their point. However, I also see the tremendous advantages of this site for both individuals and businesses. Rather then let a few obnoxious, pushy individuals sour your experience, alter it and change it to your liking. You have the ability to do that.
Facebook is the New Town Square
In decades past, people would gather in their town square to talk, get reacquainted and share news. It was a place to be social.
Today, with our busy, hectic lives, Facebook has become a virtual place to do the same things. We connect with family and friends that we don’t see often or who live in other areas. We also get news and gossip from friends.
Of course, just like in the real world, there are some pushy and obnoxious people on Facebook. In real life, we take steps to isolate ourselves from those with whom we don’t get along. You can do the same thing on Facebook.
Remake Your Experience
One of the great things about the site is you can decide what you see in your timeline, and thus tailor the experience to your individual desires. You can literally decide not to see posts from certain businesses or “friends” if seeing them annoys you. By doing this, you can make your timeline into a more positive experience by only letting in those posts you enjoy.
If you’re seeing too many ads, for example, click on the drop down menu at the top-right of the ad and select “Hide ad.” This action will reduce the number of similar ads you’ll see in the future. If you don’t want to see any ads from a certain business, click “Why am I seeing this,” then click the “Options” button and select “Hide all ads from this advertiser.”
Let’s say you have a Friend on Facebook that continually posts about things in which you have no interest. Go to the drop down menu in the upper right corner of the post and select “Hide post.” You will see fewer posts from this person in the future. You also have the option to “Unfollow.” This selection will stop posts from that person appearing in your timeline, but you will remain Facebook Fiends with them.
Of course, if you really need to disconnect from someone, you can go to their profile, hover over the “Friends” button and choose “Unfriend.”
These steps can minimize your exposure to things you don’t want to see and remake your Facebook experience.
The Wrap
We should all treat each other online as if we were talking in person. If each of us could do that one simple thing, then we could all begin to change the social media experience.
Just as we do in the real world, each of us has a responsibility to behave appropriately online. That goes for whether you are posting as an individual or as a business. The rule for both the real world and the online one is simple: Treat people the way you want to be treated.
But when that is not enough, don’t allow others to ruin your experience. Use the power you have to remake it into one that is enjoyable again.
If you have questions about digital marketing, call me at 513-237-5530.
Bob Turner is a Digital Marketing Consultant in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Bob Turner - Digital Marketing Thoughts 
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