Let's admit it, these days Facebook is kind of the pits. Tonnes of crappy ads. People we like in real life who post obnoxiously all the time. More crap than you know what to do with. And yet you probably still spend loads of time on it? Well, there's every chance you're part of the problem. As follows are a few ways to improve Facebook... for both yourself and your friends.
1.Be a curator
Think about Facebook as being kind of like the TV guide channel. When you log in to Facebook and check out your minifeed, every friend or page that comes up is like a TV channel. Each person or page posts content, again, just like a channel. And you scroll through all the channels looking to see what's good on today. So think about what you're posting every time you post and make your channel awesome!
2.Is this a good post?
Facebook is meant to be a way to express yourself. And this is your chance to customize your channel. Share with the world the things that you love. That crazy new Die Antword video. A picture of your dog begging for scraps. Your ever-so-cute child being ever-so-cute. This is your channel, offering you the perfect way to tell the world how you're feeling, and share your life. But every time you post, ask yourself: is this the post that I want to represent me? A picture of the sandwich you're about to eat? Maybe not. An update about what you're going to do at the gym? Probably not either. A vague complaint about something that happened that you don't really want to talk about? Don't do it. A self-portrait of you looking fierce and mysterious, very similar to the other six selfies you posted since the weekend? Come off it.
3.Less is more
Going hand-in-hand with the quality of your post is the quantity of your posts. Maybe something about variety being the spice of life? And while you make the most out of Facebook by posting the things you care about, your pets, kids, favourite sports, etc. keep in mind that most other people don't care about these people or things the same way you do. People are friends with you on facebook so that they can get a glimpse into what you're all about, and because of that you should post the occasional picture of your kids, your pets, how hungover you spent Sunday, etc. It gives your friends a great window into your life. But when you ALWAYS post about these things, it turns people off. They already know you enjoy that, but now they're subjected to reading about it every time they check their Facebook. Not interested in that channel, unsubscribe.
4.Don't spam that shit out
Don't post 15 YouTube links in a row. Don't change your profile picture ten times in a day. Don't send invites to crap just so you can get bonus whatever. When you go on Facebook and have to scroll down four pages just to see anybody else's post is really annoying and makes you kind of a jerk. Don't over-saturate Facebook with your own stuff, post great posts occasionally and people will come back wanting more.
5.Like the things that you like.
Fill Facebook with things that you love! Cull your list! I understand some people try not to like things because they don't want Facebook building an accurate identity profile about who they are. I can understand that, but it's kind of like shooting yourself in the foot. You spend so much time on Facebook, why not enjoy it?
Fill it with things and people you enjoy. Unsubscribe from people whose posts annoy you, even if you like them in real life. Click like on that band you enjoy, even if your friends make fun of you for it. The more things you like that you actually like, the better recommendations Facebook will make to you, and before you know it your mini-feed will be filled with things you're actually interested in seeing.
6.Give others a chance to decide whether they want to be on Facebook
This is a sensitive subject, but I think it's important. Your small children. I know you want to share them with the world, but it's a weird time to be online. Even if you have your privacy settings set to maximum, don't believe for one second that nobody else will ever be able to see your content. It is safe to assume that anything you ever post online is eventually going to be completely accessible to the entire world.
So give thought to others before you tag, post or publicize them online. Don't tag people in compromising or unflattering photos. Don't check people in to locations without asking them. And give thought to whether or not you'd want photos of your entire childhood posted on the internet before doing the same with pictures of your precious little ruffians.
