Every couple of hours I am lured into the Facebook universe, updating my status and scrolling through the news feed and ‘liking’ five or ten items, marking my presence, like a pup.  If I forget to check in, I invariably miss a birthday and feel like a donkey.   If I’m away for longer, I fear I’ll miss a significant update or event.  I love Facebook and I am not alone. 

Who is using it?

Facebook has become the preferred media for announcements and a powerful platform for recommendations and complaints.   A whopping 67 percent of adults including your mother, your Aunt Agatha and your Elementary School alumni are using Facebook and we are all using it to communicate our Likes and Dislikes.   The typical Facebook user has settled into a routine and feels an obligation to participate regularly. 

What are we saying?

My own feed is peppered with updates from chums, news from businesses that I Like, invitations to charity and cultural events and amateur restaurant and retail reviews.  I read them all and I respond to most.

A couple of days ago I updated my own status with adulation for a Niagara restaurant that I had dined at.  As a result, a ‘friend’ of a Facebook friend made dinner reservations and posted their thanks and affirmation for the recommendation.  I don’t think it would be a stretch to assume that those two comments prompted other Niagara locals to dine there too.   This is dynamic communiqué!

What are we really saying?

This interaction prompted me to recognize that what we say on our page, through our status updates and our comments, our Likes and our photos, is powerful and pervasive.  Although this particular post created a positive reaction, the possibility for an awkward consequence is equally or more powerful.  Let’s face it; it’s difficult not to look at a train wreck!  When we use Facebook we are marketing ourselves in a very personal and often intimate manner in a very public and universal way.  I have become much more judicious about what I say and how I say it and I am grateful that I had a benign eye opener and not an embarrassing eye popper! 

How to be Facebook awesome!

Nervous about what you are putting online after the worrisome warning? Don't be! If you act authentically, obey the social norms that you do all day everyday anyways, you'll be great. It really is that easy! Share things you love, speak about your company in a positive light and don't be afraid to talk nerdy to your followers with awesome specs and news that is happening in your industry. Be the resource that they are looking for and capture their attention with expert advice and curated content.

Check out Hughes & Co. on Facebook here. We share all kinds of good things that will get you thinking about being excellent online.