Facebook Articles

Article / Updated 11-04-2022

Listen to the article:Download audio The search box at the top of Facebook's site allows you to search for a specific person by name. You can use it to find people you're already friends with and you just want to go to their timelines, or to find people you aren’t friends with yet. But basic search can be a little confusing because Facebook auto-completes the names that you type and assumes you’re trying to get to your friends’ timelines. If you’re the type of person who is used to pressing the Enter key to begin a search, this can send you to friends’ timelines when you meant to search for someone else named James, for example. Read on to learn better strategies for finding people on Facebook. You can also use the search box at the top of the site to find posts, pages, groups, events, and even things your friends have liked. Two basic ways to use Search in Facebook You’ll wind up using search two basic ways. The first way is if the name of the person you’re looking for (or at least someone with the same name) appears in the auto-complete menu. You can accomplish that sort of search following these steps: Begin typing the name you're looking for in the search box. Pay attention to the people who appear in the autocomplete menu. Facebook displays first your friends and then friends of friends. There’s a good chance that you may find the person you’re looking for in this menu. If you see the name in the autocomplete menu, use your mouse or arrow keys to highlight the person you're looking for. Click the name or press Enter. This brings you to the person's timeline, where you can verify that you know the person and add them as a friend. Use "See More" for a further search Type the person's full name in the search box. Click See More at the bottom of the search menu. The search menu expands to reveal new options for search. So, if you type Jane Smith and then click See More, you can now either search People Named Jane Smith, Pages Named Jane Smith, or Places Named Jane Smith. Click the People Named option. A blue friend icon is next to this option. A search results page appears with larger previews of people’s profile pictures and timeline info. The right side of the page also has options for narrowing your search using fields such as Gender, Employer, Current City, and so on. Use the fields on the right side of the page to zero in on your actual friend. This might be information like where your friend works or where they're from. When you find the person you’re looking for, add them as a friend.

Article / Updated 03-15-2022

There are good marketing reasons to have a Facebook profile with the Follow button activated. If you already have lots of Facebook friends who are more like potential customers or clients, and you haven’t taken the time to create a business page (and probably won’t), this approach is for you! Here’s how to turn on the Follow button on your personal profile: Click the down arrow in the upper-right corner of Facebook. A drop-down menu appears. Select Settings. Click Followers on the left sidebar. Select Everybody from the drop-down menu next to the Who Can Follow Me section. Adjust the settings to your liking for Follower Comments and Notifications. Enabling the Follow button is optional. You can enjoy a profile and share with only friends and family; you don’t have to turn on the Follow button. But a profile’s Follow system offers these benefits: After someone follows you, that person sees your Public updates in their News Feed. People may also discover your profile through the People to Follow box on the right side of their News Feed or through their friends’ News Feed stories. Followers can share your Public posts, which broadcasts your post and profile to a larger audience. You can have an unlimited number of followers (no more 5,000-friend limit). You're still able to block potential followers by adjusting your Privacy Settings Block List. You can connect with people on Facebook who prefer subscribing to a business page to liking it. When your Follow button is open, anyone who requests to be your friend automatically becomes a follower unless you block them. You know they’re getting your public updates; you don’t have to friend them unless you want to also get their updates. When you unfriend someone, they remain a follower unless you block them. You can unfollow a friend. You are still friends, but you do not receive their updates in your News Feed. Personal profiles get more exposure in the News Feed due to Facebook’s News Feed algorithm. You have a better chance of being seen if you’re also using your personal profile to post about your business. For more information about the Follow features, see Facebook’s Help section.

Article / Updated 10-26-2021

Facebook has a feature that enables you to send private messages to your friends. Think of it like Facebook email, only your personal email address is not revealed. Even better, you can email people on Facebook whose email addresses you don’t know. Sending messages to non-Facebook friends is built into the system, allowing for private chatting (instead of posting on public walls). It’s important to note that while you can follow the easy process outlined below to privately message friends on Facebook on desktop devices, messaging on your smartphone is a bit different and requires the Messenger app. There are a few different ways to access the messages function on Facebook. Using the Messenger page to send a message One way to send a message to a friend is from the Messenger page. Here's how: Click the Messenger link in the menu along the left side of your home page (you might have to click on "See More" to find it). Facebook takes you to your Messenger page. Along the left side of the Messenger page is a Chats column with a list of your Facebook friends. You can click on one of these names, or search for a person in the Search field at the top of the column (see the figure below). When you click on a name, it will appear to the right, at the top of the page. If you've already had correspondence with the person, you'll be able to scroll through those messages in the middle of the page. At the bottom is an empty text field (see the arrow in the figure above) for you to type in a new message. After you've typed in that field, a Send icon will appear to the right ― click that to send the message. Another way to start a message on the Messenger page is to click on the New Message icon (it looks like a tiny notepad and pen) at the top of the Chats column. When you do this, a "To:" field appears to the right at the top of the page. Begin typing a person's name and Facebook begins to auto-fill names from your friend list as you type. When you find the correct friend, select the name by clicking it. Again, use the text field at the bottom of the page to type your message. When you’ve completed your message, simply click the Send icon to the right of the text field. To the left of the text field is a plus-sign icon. Click on that and several icons appear above the text field, offering you the ability to attach files, photos, videos, and links to your message, as well as a variety of other options, depending on whether you subscribe to any Facebook applications. Sending a message from any Facebook page You don't have to go to the Messenger page to correspond with people. There are two icons you can click to access the message function from any Facebook page: One of these is the Messenger icon on the navigation bar in the top-right corner of the page (circled in red in the figure below); it looks like a tiny speech bubble with a squiggly line in the middle. When you click the Messenger icon, a small window pops up that includes a list of your friends and a Search field at the top. Search for a friend, or click on a name in the list ― another small window will open up, where you can see past correspondence with your friend and type a new message. The other icon found on every page is the New Message icon (tiny notepad and pen) in the bottom-right corner (circled in red in the figure above). Click on this and a small message window will pop up. Begin typing a person's name in the "To:" field and Facebook auto-fills names in a list below the field. Click on a name to select a person. Send a message on a friend's Facebook Timeline Alternatively, you can visit a friend’s Facebook Timeline page to send a private message. Click the Message icon just under the cover photo, or click the Messenger icon on the navigation bar at the top of the page.

Article / Updated 10-22-2021

Facebook Messenger is an instant messaging feature built into Facebook. Messenger originally launched in 2011 and its success gave rise to a dedicated application and website that emerged in 2014. The application and website is an instant messaging service that connects to the Facebook database and replaced the in-app Facebook messaging service. It allows Facebook users to connect with each other and send instant messages, photos, videos, and perform other tasks. With a recent update you can now send money to friends within Facebook Messenger. You can get the weather and place product orders with the help of Facebook Bots, and you can also get a quick ride with the integration of Uber and Lyft. How to get Facebook Messenger In order to use Facebook Messenger you must first have a Facebook account. You can sign up through the Facebook mobile application or by visiting Facebook.com. If you already have a Facebook account, or just created one, you can continue by downloading the Facebook Messenger application from Google Play, App Store, Windows Phone Store, or by visiting Messenger.com. How to use the Facebook Messenger website Using the Facebook Messenger website is like using any other instant messaging application. Simply click or tap on the compose button and select the person/s you would like to chat with and then start typing. To send photos or videos: Tap or click on the photo icon along the bottom of the screen. To send stickers: Tap or click on the smiley face icon along the bottom of the screen. To send moving GIF files: Tap or click on the GIF icon along the bottom of the screen. To send emoji: Tap or click on the four smiley face icons along the bottom of the screen. To send money: Tap or click on the dollar icon along the bottom of the screen. To send a quick like: Tap or click on the thumbs-up icon along the bottom of the screen. To change the color of the message bubbles: Tap or click on the Change Color link along the right side of the screen. To change the names of the people chatting with you: Tap or click on the Edit Nicknames link along the right side of the screen. To change the main emoji for the conversation group: Tap or click on the Change Emoji link along the right side of the screen. You cannot use the call feature through the Messenger.com website, but it is available through the Facebook.com. How to use the Facebook Messenger mobile application Using the Facebook Messenger Application is a bit different from the website version. When you first launch the application you will be presented with a home screen that shows your contacts, messages, and favorite threads. Along the bottom of the application screen is a navigation bar that includes five icons/buttons: Home: The Home screen allows you to send new messages to friends and family and displays all of your message threads. Here you can create favorite threads, send emoji and stickers, send and receive photos and/or videos, get a ride from Uber or Lyft, or send money to friends. Calls: The Call screen allows you to place phone calls to people in your contact list and displays a call log history. Groups: The Group screen allows you to group people by category. Friends, Family, Dinner parties, Work or social events – no group is too big or small. People The People screen allows you to find people in your contact list and indicates which ones use the Messenger application. Here, you can send invites to others to start using the application or connect with people who already use it. Me: The Me screen is where you can view your profile information and share your Messenger link and phone number. Here you can also scan QR-codes to quickly add others to your contact list. The Facebook Messenger app has all the same functionality as the website, with two additional icons. To get a ride from Uber or Lyft: Tap on the car icon. To user more features such as Dropbox, Bitmoji, GIF keyboard, and more: Tap on the more/message bubble icon. How to use Facebook Messenger Bots Using the new bot (short for robot) feature is easy. Simply open a new message thread and perform a search for the bot of your choice or add the link from their website. For example, if you choose Burger King, you can send a message that you are hungry and the bot will take your order. There are bots for companies like 1-800-flowers, CNN, eBay, Expedia, and many more with additional options added daily. Simply follow the conversation to complete your task. You can also get information on the stock market, view the weather, plan vacations, and chat with customer support.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 08-30-2021

Facebook is one of the dominant social networking sites in the world. Facebook lets you share photos, videos, links, status updates, and much more with your friends. As you discover how this social networking site works, use this handy reference to help you find people on Facebook, communicate with friends, and figure out what to do as soon as you log in.

Article / Updated 10-15-2020

It happens to everyone: After a while, you start to feel like a few people are cluttering up Facebook for you and want to unfriend some. Maybe you just feel like you have too many friends, or maybe you and a friend have legitimately drifted apart. Maybe you had a big falling-out and just need a break. Don’t worry; you can unfriend just like you friend people. Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Jürgen François To unfriend someone, do the following: Go to the person's Timeline. Click the Friends button. A menu appears that is for assigning people to Friend Lists. The last item in this list is Unfriend. Click the Unfriend link. A window pops up asking if you're sure you want to remove this friend. Click the Remove from Friends button. Take a moment of silence. Okay, that was long enough. People aren’t notified when you unfriend them, but people who care about you (that is, family, close friends) have a tendency to notice on their own that, hey, you’re not in their list of friends anymore. This can sometimes lead to awkwardness, so it might be worth using your privacy settings to further limit these people’s knowledge of your life before you unfriend them. Lots of people go through periodic friend-cleaning. For example, after changing jobs or moving, you may notice that you want to keep in touch with some people from that chapter in your life; others, you just don’t. Unfriend away.

Article / Updated 08-05-2020

You can use Facebook Messenger chatbots to help you stay in touch with your customers. You may have heard the term chatbot and wondered what it is. A chatbot is a piece of interactive software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to respond to chat in a conversational way. If you have created a chatbot for your Facebook Page, your customers will be able to type questions into a chat window and receive preprepared content that answers their questions. The content can include text, video, links, and images. One good example of a chatbot used to educate and entertain a company's users appears on the Food Network Facebook Page. If you click the Send Message button, you see preset text saying that a company representative will instantly respond. It asks you to click the Get Started button. When you click that button, you are asked whether you want fun food facts sent to you; you can also ask for a recipe. This entire exchange is done by the chatbot. Another great example is the chatbot used by 1-800 Flowers. Its chatbot lets customers order right from the Messenger app on their Facebook Page. You can see how this encourages people to make a simple order. Facebook has built-in settings that you can use to provide two-way customer service to your users. There are two Settings links that you need use to configure Messenger: Messenger Platform: Select this radio button to go to the page where you set up how your chatbot will look. Subscribed Apps: The Apps that are connected to your Page will be automatically displayed here. Link Your App to Your Page: You need to enter an Apple ID to connect native apps. Allowlisted Domains: These are third-party domains that you say can be used with Messenger. Discover Settings — Discover Visibility: This setting allows your bot to be searched along with other bots. The default is Show. Unless you have a reason to make your bot harder to find, leave the default setting. Consult your webmaster or developer to ensure that your Messenger app performs correctly. Messaging: This section lets you set up how people can message your business Page and what messages they will receive in return. To set up Messaging, go to Settings at the top of your Facebook Page and follow these steps: Click the Messaging link. Go to General Settings and click Yes or No to the following choices: Use the Return Key to Send Messages: The default is Yes. Leave the default choice if you're used to hitting the Return key after typing a line and want to do this when using the chatbot. Prompt Visitors to Send Messages: The default is No. If you click Yes, Page visitors will see indications that you are responsive to their messages. Go to Response Assistant and click Yes or No to the five choices you see. Send Instant Replies to Anyone Who Messages Your Page: The default is No. If you click Yes, you see a prewritten message that says, “Thanks for messaging us. We try to be as responsive as possible. We’ll get back to you soon.” You can choose to edit this message by clicking the Change button.When you click the Change button, a window pops open, showing you how your message will look on a mobile device. You can refine the message and click the Add Personalization link, which gives you the option to insert the person’s first name, last name, or full name, as well as your Facebook URL into your reply. When you're done editing, click the Save button. (Optional) Personalize the name for each of the following settings.The name is pulled from the person’s profile. Displaying people's real names may make them feel more welcome. Decide what you think your target audience would prefer: Stay Responsive When You Can’t Get to Your Computer or Phone: The default is No. If you click Yes, you see a message that says, “Hi [customer name], thanks for your message. We are not here right now, but we’ll get back to you soon!” You can choose to edit this message by clicking the Change button. If you do, a window pops open, showing you how your message will look on a mobile device. You also see a Schedule link that lets you set up the days and times on which the message will show when you are Away or Available. When you're done editing, click the Save button. Show a Messenger Greeting: The default is No. If you click Yes, you see a message that says, “Hi [customer name]! Thanks for getting in touch with us on Messenger. Please send us any questions you may have.” You can choose to edit this message by clicking the Change button. If you click Change, a window pops open, showing you how your message will look on a mobile device. The greeting message is displayed and then the visitor’s question appears. When you're done editing, click the Save button. Pre-Appointment Reminders: The default is No. If you click Yes, you will see a message that says, “We’re looking forward to your next appointment.” You can choose to edit this message by clicking the Change button. If you do, a window pops open, showing you how your message will look on a mobile device. When you're done editing, click the Save button. Send Follow Up to Anyone Who Books an Appointment: The default is No. If you click Yes, you see a message that says, “Hi [customer name]! It’s been a while since we last saw you. We’d love to have you back!” You can choose to edit this message by clicking the Change button. If you do, a window pops open, showing you how your message will look on a mobile device. If you click the Schedule link, you can choose the number of times and the hour, day, week, month, or year that the follow-up message is shown after the previous appointment is booked. For example, if you're a dentist, you may choose to have the message pop up 3–4 months after a person's last appointment. When you're done editing, click the Save button.

Article / Updated 07-27-2018

The Local report on Facebook shows you the activity going on around your business location. You can see peak hours of action, demographic info, and Ad performance as it relates to people who are near your physical location. To view the Local report, click the Local tab within Facebook Insights. You see a visual of your business location. You can choose to view data within a specific date range (One Week, One Month, and One Quarter) and Region. (All the data is anonymous, so you're not invading anyone’s privacy.) Next, you see a breakdown of age and gender for the people nearby. You also see the hours of the day and the day of the week when activity near your location is highest. This helps you determine what hours your store or service business should be open for business. The Ad performance graph displays the percentage of people who saw your ad on Facebook who were within 165 feet of your business in relation to your ad spending. This shows you which days were high-performing days. The People Nearby graph shows you data concerning people within 165 feet of your location hourly (for a 24-hour period), weekly (days of the week for one week), overall (trend data that shows you people nearby in relation to people nearby who saw your ads) and by check-ins (the number of people who checked into your business). The Demographics graph shows you people within 165 feet of your business within the last month. You can display this information in a bar graph or line graph format depending on which display button you choose. The data is broken out by Age: Gives the percentage of each age range of people nearby Gender: Gives the percentage of each gender of people nearby Home Locations: Shows people who live within 165 feet of your business, or people who travel from 165 feet to get to your business Age and Gender: Shows the aggregate of age and gender of people nearby

Article / Updated 07-27-2018

The Followers report shows you the number of Facebook followers you obtained within a specific date range. You can select a custom range to analyze, or choose one of three predefined segments of time: one week, one month, or one quarter. To view the Followers report, click the Followers tab within Facebook Insights, which also shows you the Total Page Followers As of Today. This graph gives you a big-picture look at the followers you have gained over the most recent period. You can assess whether your current strategies are successful. The Followers report also shows you: Net Followers: Here you see a breakdown of the Unfollows, Organic followers, and Page followers so that you can evaluate such things as whether your paid advertising is effective and how may followers you are losing. The term Organic Follower refers to someone who sees and likes your content whom you did not reach via an ad or other paid content. Notice that for each of the measures for Followers, you can choose to compare your average stats over time using the Benchmark tool on the right side of the chart. This tool helps you see how well you are growing your audience so that you can adjust your choices. Where Your Page Followers Happened: This chart shows you how often your Page was followed and where it happened. The venues tracked are Uncategorized Desktop; On your Page; Page Suggestions; and Search.

Article / Updated 07-27-2018

Facebook is a useful way to engage your customers. Talking directly to your fans and prospects will help you maximize your attempt to build a stronger customer base. Lots of interesting things are happening during your workday, and new products and services are being developed and introduced. Pick something you feel passionate about and stream it live to your audience. To get started, you need to set up Facebook Live. Go to the Facebook Live Creation page. On the page that appears, you're prompted to give Facebook access to your camera and microphone. (Facebook requires this only the first time you set it up.) If you don't use a Chrome or Firefox browser, you see a message that says, “Please try broadcasting on the latest desktop version of Chrome or Firefox to go live with your camera.” Next, a screen called Go Live With Your Gear shows you settings for your broadcast. You can also set up a Facebook Live broadcast on your mobile or desktop from your Page in the section at the top that says Write Something. Click the live video icon and follow instructions. You may want to choose this option as you become more familiar with broadcasting. These settings may look different depending on the entity you are broadcasting from — profile, Page, or public profile. When broadcasting from your profile, follow the three items listed on the screen under Getting Started. Facebook Live set up Follow these steps to select the live streaming software you intend to use: Click one of the three choices, OBS, Wirecast, or XSplit (or your own choice). Follow the instructions to download and install the software and then return to the broadcast screen. Click the Create Live Stream button. Connect with Facebook Live Facebook asks you to choose where to post your live broadcast. From the drop-down menu on the right, the choices are as follows: On your Timeline: You can choose to broadcast directly from your News Feed. In a Group: If you have an ongoing group, you can create a broadcast directly for them. In an Event: Broadcasting live from an event is a great way to generate excitement. It also lets you interview participants and show engagement. On a Page You Manage: If you have more than one Page, you can choose the one you want here: Public: This includes anyone on desktop or mobile who tunes in. Friends: You can choose those listed as Friends on Facebook to show your broadcast to. Friends except… : You can eliminate some friends from the broadcast. Specific friends: You can select individual friends who will see the broadcast. Only Me: You can use the Only Me setting to practice your broadcast. It’s a good idea to give yourself a practice run to smooth out all the wrinkles. Custom: This setting allows you to mix together several of the preceding options. Acquaintances: The acquaintance list is one that you set up separately that allows you to see less from these people but doesn’t unfriend them. Choose this to include them. Next you are asked to add a description, title, and the choice of several icons. The fields are as follows: Say something about this live video: In this field, enter a description of your broadcast that tells viewers what benefit they will get from watching the broadcast. You can edit it after the broadcast if you want. Beneath the description, you see icons to insert an emoji, add a tag, insert your mood, and let people know your location. Don’t overlook tagging as a way to help people find your broadcast. Title: You are required to create a title for your broadcast. Make sure to include keywords that your audience cares about. Video Game: In this field, you can tag the name of a video game, if applicable. Facebook Live broadcast Copy and paste the Stream Key and URL into the settings of the streaming software that you chose previously. After copying, you see a preview of your screen with your choices. You can use that Stream Key for the next seven days. You’ll need a new one if you choose not to go live within five hours of previewing your screen. Make sure that you have a strong signal (Wi-Fi or 4G) before you broadcast because if your signal isn’t strong enough, Facebook will disable the Go Live button. Scheduling Facebook Live streams If you want to schedule an upcoming date instead of going live right now: Click the Schedule button next to the Go Live button. A schedule screen appears with important instructions and tips. Make sure you read them. They include two important caveats: Make sure to verify your live feed 20 minutes before the broadcast to ensure that everything is ready to go. The broadcast starts at the time you scheduled it. If you are not there 10 minutes before the start, your broadcast will be canceled. Choose the Scheduled Start Time by selecting a date on the drop-down calendar and setting a time in the Time field. If you have a Custom Image that you want to use for the broadcast, click Upload Image and choose an image. After you have chosen your image, you see a preview of your broadcast on the right side of the screen. Make sure everything is correct. Click the Schedule button when you are finished. Your broadcast announcement post will be published when the Schedule button is clicked. You can choose to boost your broadcast announcement post as an ad if you want to ensure a larger audience. You can also boost your content after a broadcast. Experiment with your most important broadcasts. Click the Go Live button when you are ready. When you have completed all your tasks, you can click the Go Live button. As noted above, if you have scheduled the broadcast for a later date and time, your broadcast will go live at that time and you need to be there 10 minutes before the broadcast starts.