How to Use Facebook
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Contents |
[edit] Facebook Profiles
- coming soon
[edit] Facebook Pages vs. Facebook Groups
Facebook Pages and Groups are similar in many ways. Here are some of the features that are different:
| | | |
| Limit Membership | Yes | No |
| Invite Friends | Yes | No |
| External Blog Updates | No | Yes |
| Visitor Stats | No | Yes |
| Extra Applications | No | Yes |
| Social Ad Targeting | No | Yes |
If unsure, start with a Facebook Page.
For comparison, here are some hostels who use both Facebook pages and Facebook groups:
| | | |
| Rising Cock Hostel | http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lagos-Portugal/Rising-Cock-Hostel/24180625406 | http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2216028740 |
| Loki Hostels | http://www.facebook.com/pages/Loki-Hostels/7691553025 | http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2316282890 |
| Green Tortoise, SF | http://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Francisco-CA/Green-Tortoise-Hostel-San-Francisco/14923415511 | http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6028057140 |
| Hostels Alessandro - Rome, Italy | http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rome-Italy/Hostels-Alessandro-Rome-Italy/9252671241 | http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12323375358 |
[edit] Facebook Pages
A Facebook page is a page for your hostel or business. Other Facebook users become "fans" of Facebook pages.
Read the official explanation of Facebook pages here.
Here are some sample hostel-related Facebook pages:
- Green Tortoise Hostel, San Francisco
- Sir Toby's, Prague
- Rising Cock Hostel, Portugal
- Euro Hostels
- Hostels Alessandro, Rome Italy
- Pax Hostel, Buenos Aires, Argentina
[edit] How to Make a Facebook Page
When you're ready to create your Facebook page, click here.
Choose the category Hotel / Lodging. When adding your business name, try to include the word "hostel" or "hostels" as well as the name of your city. Google spiders and indexes Facebook pages and the page will appear in search engine results if it has the word hostel and your city in it. (See also the Piggyback SEO page for more information about this concept.)
Once you click "Create page" you'll have the options to add information, upload photos, videos and events.
[edit] Advertising Facebook Pages
You can advertise Facebook pages so that they appear in the right sidebar of the screen for targeted users:
Facebook ads can be highly targeted. In this example, I'm targeting people between the ages of 18 and 30 who are interested in men or women and are single or in a relationship in the United States:
Read a case study of how a hostel used Facebook ads.
[edit] Facebook Groups
A Facebook Page has "fans"; a Facebook Group has "members".
Here are some sample hostel-related Facebook groups:
- The Point Hostels
- Rising Cock Hostel
- USA Hostels Hollywood
- Bambu Hostel
- Loki Hostel, Cusco
- Kabul Hostel, Barcelona
- Hostels Alessandro, Rome
[edit] Facebook Friends
There is a limit to the number of Facebook friends you can add per day. Facebook will warn you if you reach the limit.
Your Facebook home page will show updates of what your friends are doing, and your friends will see updates about what you are doing. If you do interesting things, your friends may click through and check out what you're doing.
[edit] Facebook Events
- coming soon
[edit] Facebook Status Updates
Facebook status updates let your friends know what you are doing. The image below shows the user's last status update along with the box where a new update can be added.
[edit] Facebook Walls
If someone writes on your Facebook wall, reply to them by clicking the "wall to wall" link under their message. By clicking "wall to wall" you will create a threaded conversation between you and the other Facebook user.
[edit] Facebook Applications
Facebook applications are usually 3rd party programs that can be added to Facebook profiles or pages.
One example application that you could add to a Facebook page is the Reviews Application which allows fans to leave reviews of your hostel on your Facebook page.
[edit] Facebook Connect
- coming soon
