How to Use Facebook: A Beginner’s Guide

Since I first signed up for an account in 2008, Fb has modified fairly a bit. Again then, a big majority of individuals have been nonetheless asking, “What’s Fb?” and my bio actually mentioned, “Try my MySpace; it’s method higher than this.”

Over time, the social media big has advanced at breakneck pace and certain will proceed to adapt swiftly for so long as it exists.

Should you want a refresher on methods to use Fb for advertising your online business otherwise you need to enroll in a private account, check out this in-depth explanation of methods to use the most popular social media network on the planet.

Right here, we’ll concentrate on the fundamentals.

Desk of Contents:

Along with sharing their very own concepts, customers can have interaction with the content material others share on Fb with likes, feedback, shares, and reactions corresponding to amusing, disapproval, and even a hug.

Fb works equally for advertising, besides companies have Facebook Pages, not profiles like particular person customers do. Companies can use their Facebook Pages to have interaction with present clients, goal new clients, and administer buyer help.

Why use Fb?

All of us probably know the stature of Fb, however does it dwell as much as the hype? For entrepreneurs, it definitely does. Let’s break down a few of its greatest advantages.

It’s value environment friendly.

Anybody with web and an e-mail deal with can join Fb and make the most of Pages, Teams, Occasions, Market, and every part else it provides.

It’s free and pretty straightforward, however optimizing it for enterprise does take a bit extra time and a focus.

Study extra about organising a Fb Web page in The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Marketing.

You might have entry to a large, various viewers.

As of April, Fb has over 3.06 billion monthly active users worldwide, making it the preferred social media platform by actually hundreds of thousands. That’s roughly 40% of the world inhabitants, so, as a enterprise, there’s a very good probability your target market will probably be on Fb.

Source

Our research found that older generations, like child boomers and Gen X, think about it considered one of their high two favourite platforms general. In the meantime, youthful shoppers, like millennials and Gen Z, frequent it for occasions and Facebook Marketplace.

It helps quite a lot of content material mediums.

Along with useful connection instruments like Teams and Market, Fb additionally permits customers and companies to put up quite a lot of several types of content material.

Totally different folks prefer to devour content material in numerous methods, so diversifying your content material combine will be integral to getting your advertising messages heard.

Fb helps sharing:

• Textual content
• Photograph/Photos
• Video
• Reside Video
• Gifs

As they share the identical mum or dad firm, it’s additionally straightforward to share Instagram posts on to a Fb Web page and incorporate conversations through Messenger right into a advertising technique.

Clearly, HubSpot shouldn’t be shy about exploring all the choices:

There are strong advert capabilities.

Regardless of sturdy competitors from TikTok and even its sister community Instagram, Fb stays the social media platform with the second-highest advert ROI for entrepreneurs, according to our recent report.

Entrepreneurs additionally mentioned Fb Advertisements provide the second-best viewers focusing on instruments out of all social media platforms, shedding out to YouTube by just one%. That is no shock, contemplating it lets you target folks based mostly on behaviors on and off the platform.

With natural influence on social media turning into more and more tough, companies want inexpensive and efficient advert choices, and Fb provides a few of the finest.

Study extra about Fb Advertisements and methods to do them efficiently in these assets:

However is Fb nonetheless widespread?

If its large variety of month-to-month energetic customers hasn’t already answered this query — sure, Fb continues to be very talked-about.

Whereas its utilization might wane amongst youthful generations who go for visual-focused platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, Fb nonetheless welcomes about two billion users daily.

Many of those customers are members of older generations with extra monetary stability and disposable earnings than their youthful counterparts, which is nice information for companies. Fb can be the third most visited web site on the planet, following solely Google and YouTube.

However why precisely?

Why Folks Like Fb

Fb is interesting to most people for lots of the similar causes it’s interesting to entrepreneurs and companies.

It’s free and fairly straightforward to make use of, and it permits them to share and have interaction with all kinds of content material from each their family members and folks around the globe.

Along with these, considered one of my favourite options of Fb is the power to get granular in regards to the viewers of each single factor you put up. You can also make posts:

• Non-public: Seen to solely you
• Public: Seen to anybody who visits the web page, on or off Fb.
• Seen to buddies
• Seen to buddies minus particular people
• Seen to particular buddies
• Seen to particular lists you create

In my expertise, it provides the most customizable put up privateness settings of any social media community.

In fact, Meta itself will at all times be capable of entry your knowledge — which has gotten it into scorching water over the years — however it definitely permits you to management what different customers can see.

Fb Phrases to Know

To completely perceive Fb and the way it works, you’ll need to develop into accustomed to widespread phrases used on the platform. Here’s a checklist of key Fb phrases and what they imply.

Profile

Even in the event you solely need to use Fb to market your online business, you must arrange a private profile.

A profile is the place a consumer’s private info lives. It consists of their identify, picture, hometown, office, schooling historical past, and so forth relying on their privateness settings.

You can also make your profile as public or personal as you need utilizing the identical viewers choices we talked about earlier.

Pages

Pages should not particular person Fb customers however slightly profiles designed particularly for companies or organizations. They embody fundamentals like your:

• Business/Class
• Enterprise Overview/Historical past
• Contact Data (i.e., web site, cellphone quantity)
• Enterprise Hours (if relevant)
• Emblem and Branding

Relying on the category you choose when organising your web page, Fb will suggest sections (the tabs on the high of your web page), however you’ll be able to usually add or take away further ones as you want.

That mentioned, whether or not it’s a restaurant, an internet pet weblog, or a software program firm, any and all companies, manufacturers, and public figures can arrange a Fb Web page.

Like private profiles, companies can use Fb Pages to put up textual content updates, pictures, movies, hyperlinks, and occasions. They’ll additionally connect with Facebook for Business and run ad campaigns.

Observe: Already a HubSpot buyer? Click here to integrate your HubSpot account with Meta Ads.

With it, you’ll be able to:

• Create focused audiences that sync together with your Fb Advertisements
• Generate Fb Lead adverts inside HubSpot and routinely sync results in the CRM
• Monitor advert success and affect in your backside line utilizing numerous attribution views
• Managing advert campaigns alongside your different advertising efforts ensures a constant narrative to your viewers.

Newsfeed

That is the place all the posts from your pals or companies you “like” or comply with” will seem. What reveals up right here is usually determined by Facebook’s algorithm, which considers previous engagement, put up reputation, and adverts. (Extra on that shortly.)

Your posts will even seem within the newsfeeds the place your pals and followers can see them.

Timeline

Usually confused with a newsfeed, the timeline is a document of all of the posts made or interacted with particularly by an individual or enterprise. It seems on Pages and profiles as “posts.”

If another person tags you, it’ll seem in your timeline as effectively. Nevertheless, if somebody tags your online business, it would seem on the “Mentions” tab in your Web page.

Your folks can see your timeline by default in the event that they search your identify except you’ve set your privateness settings to do the opposite.

Algorithm

The algorithm is an elusive idea. Basically, the algorithm is a sequence of computations that Fb’s servers do each second to find out what content material you need to see, work together with, and click on on subsequent.

The algorithm makes use of dwell time (how lengthy you view a put up), engagement, web page likes, posts, and extra to find out the kind of content material you need to see.

Over time, the algorithm supposedly will get higher at figuring out what content material to point out you, however with all of the noise on the platform, most companies discover it is best to run adverts for content material they really need seen.

Submit/Standing

“Submit” is the time period Fb makes use of to explain one thing you share on the newsfeed. Textual content, pictures, movies, and site are just some kinds of posts you’ll be able to share on the newsfeed to your buddies to see.

Posts advanced from “Statuses,” which initially solely allowed customers to share textual content updates about what they have been doing or what was on their thoughts in that second.

Mates

These are folks you’ve both despatched a request to they usually’ve accepted or individuals who have despatched you a request and also you’ve accepted.

Not like different social networking websites that enable somebody to comply with you with out you following them again, Fb Profiles require each you and the opposite particular person to be buddies with one another as a way to have interaction.

A private account for a person can’t have greater than 5,000 buddies (and it’s not a good suggestion to make a second Facebook profile to get round this rule).

Followers

Followers are individuals who have opted to obtain updates from a particular web page or profile.

Whenever you add new buddies, you routinely comply with them (they usually comply with you, too). That is Fb’s method of including this new good friend to your newsfeed and ensuring you see their posts (at the very least for a short while except you cease participating with them).

Fb additionally permits you to “unfollow” people with out unfriending them.

This motion merely removes that particular person’s posts out of your newsfeed. Should you do that, you’ll want to look your pals individually and surge their timelines to make amends for their newest posts.

For people who exceed 5,000 buddies on their private Fb profiles, folks can decide to comply with them as a substitute to remain updated on their posts.

For enterprise pages, anybody who connects together with your web page is a Follower. Up to now, these could be individuals who “preferred” your web page on Fb.

Teams

Fb customers with related pursuits would possibly discover it useful to create or be part of a gaggle on the platform.

A Fb Group is a neighborhood of customers who work together with one another based mostly on numerous matters set by the group’s admins and different customers.

Solely particular person customers or private profiles can be part of, not enterprise pages, however businesses can certainly create groups.

Members can share textual content updates, pictures, movies, and extra simply as they’ll to their private timeline, besides posts will solely be seen to different group members.

Occasions

With a lot neighborhood taking place on Fb, particular person customers and companies have the choice to put up and promote occasions.

Occasions share the date, time, and site of the occasion, in addition to description and ticket info if relevant.

They’ll additionally settle for RSVPs, present a visitor checklist, and permit customers to ask their buddies. Occasions will be digital or in particular person with a bodily location.

Messenger

Messenger is Fb’s native direct messaging platform. It permits customers to carry personal one-on-one or group conversations. Messenger will be accessed via Instagram or a separate app that may be added to third-party web sites.

When utilizing Fb.com on a desktop laptop, it’s accessible via a popup throughout the platform.

Companies can use Messenger to speak privately with people to subject questions, provide customer support, and even run adverts.

Story

Like Instagram Tales, Fb Tales seem on the high of the platform on each cellular and desktop and are seen for simply 24 hours. After 24 hours, the content material disappears.

Tales will be made straight from the Fb app or shared from present tales on Instagram.

Notification

Represented by the bell icon within the third circle under, a notification informs you when a good friend engages together with your posts, pictures, movies, or timeline; you’ll obtain a notification that explains what they engaged with and when.

Additionally, you will obtain notifications of Group and Occasion exercise in addition to good friend requests right here.

Now that you already know what Fb is and the way it works, right here’s a useful information to utilizing it.

Observe: Should you use HubSpot, it’s also possible to hyperlink your Fb account to the platform and observe engagement in social inbox.

It’s also possible to create key phrase monitoring streams to your social workforce and set off e-mail alerts to gross sales when folks point out a particular key phrase.

Quickly, you’ll additionally be capable of use AI insights to know market sentiment and keep up to date in your model fame straight out of your inbox.

How does Fb work?

Fb is powered by an algorithm that learns every consumer’s preferences and pursuits. The algorithm then shows content material like pictures, standing updates, and movies posted by buddies and companies that the consumer could be involved in.

The objective for Fb is to get customers to have interaction with, devour, and share content material.

As well as, Fb runs commercials for companies, that are sprinkled between natural content material shared by your pals on the newsfeed.

The adverts are tailor-made to your pursuits, so that you see what the algorithm thinks you could be involved in based mostly on content material you’ve interacted with prior to now. That is referred to as behavioral targeting.

How the Fb Algorithm Works

Up to now, Fb used a chronological timeline. Which means the posts in your newsfeed have been listed within the order wherein your pals most not too long ago shared them on the platform.

In case your mother posted three hours in the past and your finest good friend posted 5 minutes in the past, you’d see your finest good friend’s put up first, then your mother’s.

Nevertheless, that each one modified in September 2011 when Facebook officially announced that it was eradicating the chronological newsfeed and changing it with a extra personalised expertise.

Relatively than seeing your pals’ posts within the order they have been shared, you now see the content material Fb’s algorithm thinks you’ll take pleasure in probably the most. This newsfeed continues to be round at this time.

1. Join a Fb account.

To join a Fb account, comply with these three straightforward steps.

• Go to Facebook’s website.
• On the homepage, enter your first identify, final identify, cellular quantity or e-mail, new password, birthday, and gender.
• Click on “Signal Up.”

2. Arrange your privateness settings.

After you’ve signed up for a Fb account, you’ll be able to modify your privateness settings to regulate who can see your profile and knowledge. Observe these 4 easy steps to alter your privateness settings.

• Click on on the downward pointing arrow on the highest proper nook of any Fb web page.
• Click on “Settings.”
• Within the left sidebar, choose “Privateness.”
• Set who’s allowed to see your previous and future posts. It’s also possible to management how folks can discover and speak to you.

Odds are, there’s in all probability somebody on Fb who has the identical identify as you.

To distinguish your self from these folks and assist your family and friends discover you on Fb, personalize your profile by including a profile image, cowl picture, and a few private info.

3. Personalize your profile.

Choosing a Profile Image

• Go to your profile and click on in your profile image.
• To choose your profile image, select a photograph that you just’re already tagged in on Fb, one that you just’ve uploaded, or a photograph out of your laptop. It’s also possible to add an ornamental body to your profile image.

Selecting a Cowl Photograph

• Click on the digicam button in your cowl picture in your profile.
• To decide on your cowl picture, you’ll be able to decide a photograph out of your Fb profile, choose Fb’s personal cowl art work, create a collage, or add a photograph out of your laptop. It’s also possible to reposition or delete your present cowl picture.

Updating Your Profile

Click on the “About” part in your profile web page.

On this part, you’ll be able to fill in details about your work and schooling, the locations you’ve lived, contact and fundamental information, household and relationships, and life occasions.

One of the simplest ways to do that is by trying to find them on Fb and “liking” or “following” their public web page, which may have a blue verified test mark subsequent to their identify.

After you “like” or “comply with” their web page, you’ll begin seeing their updates in your newsfeed.

5. Overview your timeline.

Your timeline is a digital log of your Fb exercise in reverse chronological order. Your standing updates, uploaded pictures and movies, and the pictures you’re tagged in will seem in your timeline.

6. Add buddies on Fb.

There are 3 ways you’ll be able to add buddies on Fb.

You’ll be able to both seek for them, discover them within the “Discover Mates” tab, or import a listing of contacts out of your e-mail, iCloud, or cellphone.

To seek out buddies on Fb, go to your profile, choose the “Mates” tab, and faucet the “Discover Mates” button. You’ll see a listing of good friend requests from different folks and a listing of individuals you might know that you could add as a good friend on Fb.

Should you add a listing of contacts onto Fb, you’ll be able to add your pals as you kind via every of your contacts.

7. Submit on Fb.

The primary goal of Fb is to assist family and friends join with one another. And the easiest way to attach together with your family and friends is by updating them about your life with standing updates.

To share a Fb standing, go to the textual content field on the high of your newsfeed or profile.

With standing updates, you’ll be able to share textual content with 15 totally different coloured backgrounds, pictures, movies, GIFs, stickers, and hyperlinks.

It’s also possible to share different kinds of posts, like:

• Feeling/Exercise: Share the way you’re at present feeling or what you’re at present doing.
• Test-In: Whenever you go to a metropolis, location, or place, check-in and let your pals know the place you’re at.
• Tag Mates: Should you’re hanging out with your pals, tag them in your standing and share what you’re doing.
• Tag Occasion: Should you’re at an occasion, you’ll be able to tag it in your standing and share what occasion you’re attending.
• Ask for Suggestions: Should you simply moved someplace otherwise you’re about to go to a location, you would ask your Fb buddies for suggestions on the place to go.
• Ballot: Ask your Fb buddies what their opinion is on a sure matter.
• Help Nonprofit: Select a nonprofit group of your alternative and share it via your standing. Your Fb Mates can then choose the donate button to help the chosen group.
• Reply a Query: Select a predetermined query to reply or create your individual query to reply and share it together with your Fb buddies.
• Lists: Select a predetermined matter to make a listing for or create your individual matter and share it together with your Fb buddies.
• Fb Tales: All of the content material that you could share via a standing replace is shareable via your Fb story. It’s also possible to add content material to your tales by clicking the “Add to Your Story” button on the appropriate sidebar.

Moreover, you’ll be able to watch all your pals’ Fb Tales by clicking on their photos within the “Tales” part, which can be positioned on the appropriate sidebar on your house web page.

8. Add pictures and movies.

Along with textual content statuses, you’ll be able to add pictures, movies, albums, and dwell video broadcasts to your profile.

Importing Photographs or Movies

To add pictures or movies to your profile, comply with these 4 easy steps:

• Go to your profile.
• Choose the “Photographs” tab.
• Choose “Add Photographs/Video.”
• Add photos or movies out of your laptop.

Creating Photograph or Video Albums

To create a photograph or video album, comply with these 4 easy steps:

• Go to your Profile.
• Faucet the “Photographs” tab.
• Faucet “Create Album.”
• Add photos or movies out of your laptop.

Fb Reside

To do a live broadcast on your Facebook account, comply with these three easy steps.

• Within the field that claims “What’s in your thoughts?”, choose “Reside Video.”
• As soon as you choose “Reside Video,” you’ll be able to write an outline about your broadcast, tag folks in it, add a sense or exercise, test in to an occasion, help a non-profit, or add a ballot. It’s also possible to title your dwell broadcast or tag a online game in the event you’re live-streaming gameplay.
• Choose “Go Reside.”

9. Interact with buddies.

In your newsfeed, you’ll see updates from your pals, household, or public pages you comply with. You’ll be able to have interaction by liking and reacting to their posts, sharing content material on their timelines, and speaking with them via textual content or video chat.

Like, Remark, or Share

Should you like somebody’s put up, give them a thumbs up, touch upon their put up, or share it.

Different Reactions

In case your Fb good friend’s put up evokes a stronger response in you than a like, it’s also possible to categorical that you just love, laughed, are amazed, unhappy, or indignant at their put up by holding down the Like button.

Sharing Content material on Your Mates’ Timelines

Something you’ll be able to put up in your standing, it’s also possible to put up in your good friend’s timeline.

Fb Messenger

To speak with your pals or public pages on Fb, use Fb Messenger. You’ll be able to entry it by tapping the “Messages” button on the high proper nook of any Fb web page or choosing the “Messages” button on the left sidebar of the house web page.

Subsequent, choose “New Message” and sort within the identify of the good friend or model that you just need to join with. Fb Messenger additionally permits you to create group chats by clicking on “New Group.” After that, all you must do is identify your group and add the buddies you need to embody within the group.

Whenever you message your pals or group on Fb Messenger, you’ll be able to add photos, movies, and information out of your laptop, stickers, GIFs, and emojis, and take photos and movies out of your laptop’s or cellphone’s digicam.

It’s also possible to view Messenger by itself web page, the place you’ll be able to seek for previous conversations and handle your settings. To view Messenger by itself web page, faucet the “Messages” button within the high proper nook of any Fb web page after which faucet the “See All in Messenger” button.

To prompt message your pals who’re logged onto Fb similtaneously you, faucet the “Chat” button on the underside of any Fb web page and strike up a dialog with your pals who’re on-line

Telephone and Video Calling

When Messenger is open by itself web page, you’ll be able to seek for any of your pals or teams, click on on their names, and faucet the cellphone or video chat button to name them.

10. Overview your newsfeed.

Your newsfeed is a curated feed of posts from your pals, household, and public pages you comply with that Facebook’s algorithm thinks you’ll be involved in. You’ll additionally see adverts from manufacturers who suppose you’ll take pleasure in consuming their content material or merchandise.

To customise your newsfeed, faucet the downward pointing arrow within the higher proper nook of any Fb web page and faucet “Information Feed Desire.”

From there, you’ll be able to prioritize whose posts you’ll see first, unfollow folks and teams to cover their posts, reconnect with folks and teams you unfollowed, uncover public pages that match your pursuits, and conceal apps out of your newsfeed.

It’s also possible to “mute” or “unfollow” people, teams, or pages straight from particular person posts.

11. Uncover further Fb options.

Fb isn’t only a platform for viral content material and connection. It’s additionally a hub for neighborhood communications, video streaming, marketplaces, and video games.

Occasions

The Occasions web page on Fb will present you any upcoming occasions which might be widespread together with your Fb buddies or have been arrange by the teams you belong to. It’s also possible to discover occasions based mostly on their date, location, and class.

To seek out the Occasions web page, choose the Residence button. Then, on the left sidebar, you’ll see the “Discover” part, the place you’ll be able to choose “Occasions.”

Teams

The “Teams” web page on Fb will present you which of them teams you handle and belong to. It’s also possible to uncover teams to affix based mostly on Fb’s recommendations and lots of different classes.

To entry the “Teams” web page, faucet the “Residence” button. Then, on the left sidebar, you’ll see the “Discover” part, the place you’ll be able to click on “Teams.”

Fb Watch

On the Fb Watch platform, you’ll be able to watch movies from the reveals you’re following and seek for different reveals and movies.

To entry Fb Watch, choose the “Residence” button. Then, on the left sidebar, you’ll see the Watch button below the “Market” button.

Market

Not solely does Fb compete with Netflix within the streaming business, however it additionally competes with eBay within the market business.

With Fb Market, you’ll be able to browse for all types of merchandise, be part of teams to purchase and promote merchandise with folks in your space or who share related pursuits, store for merchandise offered from totally different retailers, store by class, and promote your individual merchandise.

To entry Fb Market, choose the Residence button. Then on the left sidebar, you’ll see the Market button proper below the Watch button.

Video games

Fb Video games is considered one of Fb’s finest options. They host an enormous assortment of massively widespread video games, and you may browse the preferred video games on the platform by high charts and classes. You’ll be able to even play many of the video games with your pals, too.

Make buddies with Fb.

Even in the event you’re not utilizing Fb personally, Fb advertising will be immensely highly effective for companies of all types.

Use our information to get comfy with the platform and begin exploring how you should use its numerous options and extensive attain to make contact together with your target market.

Editor’s observe: This put up was initially revealed in October 2018 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.