Guide to using Facebook
What is Facebook?
Facebook is an online social networking platform that allows users to interact with others of their choosing, including “following” their activity or joining interest-based communities known as “Facebook groups”. Facebook allows friends or groups to view, share and comment on “posts.” Posts can include simple text from users, but often also include photographs or links to news, videos or other interesting content on the web. Facebook users also can engage in person-to-person “chats” with groups of friends or others in the community – these can be both informal, within individual groups, and formal, in the form of live chats, etc.
Facebook is a good way for scientists and science communicators to connect with a number of audiences, to alert friends of new information on other websites or blogs, and to interact with other people or groups who are involved in similar research or communications activities.
Other considerations for using Facebook
Use Facebook if you’re looking to invest a minimum of 10 minutes per day and want to share and comment on news or other items on the internet you find interesting.
While many Facebook users check in several times a day, information tends to flow at a slower pace than on other social media platforms.
If you want to react to events more immediately, consider Twitter or Instagram. If your posts mostly involve images, consider Tumblr or Instagram.
- Post often. Post at least once a day in order to keep people’s attention.
- Comment often. The best way to get people to pay attention to you is to comment on posts made by others/posted in other groups.
- Links are your friend. Keep your posts short and link to longer blog posts, articles, or websites.
- Consider adding a Facebook button. If you are using Facebook to link regularly to a website you manage, add a share button to Facebook to that website to help direct traffic.
