Question of the Week: What the heck is the point of Facebook for bloggers?

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I have posted waaaaayy too much this week! lol Just realized that.

Anyway, I have a question. It’s been lingering… I’m wondering, in your opinion,

What kind of value do you think Facebook really provides to bloggers?

This got sparked after I saw an update from @johnaguiar of Money Dummy come through on my news feed (in Facebook) and it said NetworkedBlogs. Being the incredibly, surprisingly, out of the loop person that I am, I wondered, hmm, what is that? (Note: For years, I had a major issue with using Facebook for anything other than true, real, social connection with people that I already knew in real life, so I think I just put up a mental block to anything that went outside of that).

So I followed the link back to NetworkedBlogs and up went the flag that said, you should be here (and so I joined). But the question is, why?

And that question brings me back to, what the heck is the point of Facebook for bloggers?

I already have a fan page. I like it. I had to warm up to it, at first. But now I enjoy connecting there.

It’s much better than leaving 50 back and forth comments on someone’s blog, for one thing.
The second reason is that I’ve actually connected with people via my Facebook page who read my blog but have never left a comment – ever – here. It helps me to know that there are more readers out there than just the ones I can see.

Beyond that, it’s difficult for me to see the value. When I googled NetworkedBlogs, I found an interesting post on Fan Pages vs. NetworkedBlogs by Matt Stratton. Have a read. There’s not much of a difference, really, anymore. It seems that fan pages are more visible (seeing as though I had no knowledge of NetworkedBlogs prior to today).

What do you think?

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seospidy@Internet marketing

I got very decent answers for awesome question great post dear. :)

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Theresa Bradley-Banta@bigfishtopdogs

Hi Tia,

I have to say getting around FB drives me crazy. I have a personal page for friends and family and a fan page for my blog. I know a gazillion software programs, really well, and FB baffles me sometimes.

Once I added networked blogs to the mix, it was even more confusing. I definitely prefer Twitter for simplicity, ease of use and traffic :)

I appreciate your link to Matt Stratton's post... it helped shed some light on this.

Thanks for the post, glad I found my way here!

Theresa

Tia Peterson

I'm glad you found your way here, too, Theresa!

Cars Blogger

Many of my friends are reading my personal blog and never comment. And many of them (actually the same persons) are facebook active and they are not shy to post links to comment or to join groups and causes.
Many of them are not visiting my blog every day, but when I post an update on my facebook wall they see and come to read.

Hi there - You make great points. I have discovered the same thing, especially recently, after I published this post (go figure). lol

Lucas, Miami Web Design

This is a very nice blog, I always persuade my clients to start a blog because of all the benefits they can bring to their own websites specially when it comes to search engine traffic and SEO tactics. of course; not every one has the ability to write but with a bit of imagination they can make it happen. Great blog!

And as for the Facebook statement, you are so right!

Katy @ crock pots

I am new to all of this. It is all so very interesting and I am learning alot. Thanks for these questions that I would not have known to ask.

ashok

I've had great success at times with Facebook from people who are heavily networked there (1000 + friends, regular updates) and liked my content.

I think the value of Facebook is this: a lot of people use Facebook to avoid the rest of the internet. You're reaching a lot of people who might promote or engage your work in other ways, who might in some cases be inclined to print out entries and read them as a book (as one fan of mine has done).

Tia

True! I have noticed this - I get far more visits and traffic from putting stuff on my profile than I do on my Facebook page. It will be awhile before I amass the 540+ followers I have currently have on my profile on the BCB page; it's true that numbers count.

Daniel Sharkov@Marketing Product Reviews

Recently I have been reading a lot of articles, claiming that Facebook marketing is a very effective method when it comes to bringing quality traffic. I have tested that approach, but unfortunately the results war far from satisfying. I would prefer using social media sites, such as Digg and Stumbleupon.

Right. Well, I wouldn't include Digg or Stumble personally but I'd include Twitter. And places like BlogEngage and SocialMediaToday (if your article gets picked up).

Facebook has its benefits; I think the key is in the secret sauce. I just don't have the energy to try and work it like that. I suppose I'm a Facebook purist. :)

Febap Liew @ Making Money Online Today

hey Tia,
how does facebook fan page differs from a twitter account? i must ask as i am not really 'fluent' with such sort of social media just yet.
i have come into terms with various internet marketers before and apparently majority of them gave me a point of which extent will it be better for you to have your own facebook fanpage as per say.
they inevitably agree that facebook fanpage will essentially be useful once you have an extensive amount of loyal/targeted readers within your blog. Facebook fanpage is a way of providing an exclusive 'platform' for your readers to communicate with you much more openly as compared to do it within your blog.
so i presume having such social medias embedded and opting for your readers to subscribe is an effective way of 'prolonging' or maintaining your presence with them. In a way, they get to catch on your updates that may well be non related with what your blogs have to say. =\
ah~ i have had a twitter account set up but facebook, most probably in the long run as it provides much more 'sophisticated' applications catered for both readers and author alike. =P

cheers

Hey Febap - I think you mentioned a lot of the key things. I like that you talk about "prolonging" the relationship with readers through Facebook.

I have to say, though, that of the blogs I read daily (like problogger.net, copyblogger.com, chrisbrogan, etc.) I NEVER visit them on Facebook. Ever. And I am a Facebook-a-holic. I just don't see the purpose of hanging out with them on Facebook.

Then again, I "hang" out with Jo from AffordableSEOTipsandTricks.com there because neither of us can stop talking. :)

Febap Liew | Making Money Online Today

Hey Tia,
=) i am glad that you see some of the points my way.
exactly, what actually made you not want to visit some of the bigger blogs out there such as 'problogger', 'copyblogger'. etc.? =\
this is surely an 'idea' to 'write' about =P.
cheers

Well, I visit their blogs every day. I just don't interact on Facebook (I don't even know if they're on Facebook).

hey tia,
infact there do,
but unlike other bloggers, they tend to hide away their tiny 'facebook' link somewhere at a much more 'secluded' area. why? i have no idea. apparently, twitter is much more preferred.=\
lol
cheers
have a great day.

Paul Tech

This is a question I have been asking myself too. Using Facebook is not as intuitive as Twitter where you tweet something and your followers may see your link.

Spamming other Facebook walls with links doesn't sound like a very smart thing to do.

Tia@Blogging Guide

Heck no! lol I agree. Definitely no spamming in Facebook. I have seen it done, though. People with pages and don't take care of their walls.

Dan Keller@ Best Career Blog

Great point that you bring up. I am still trying to figure out how to drive traffic to my blogs from Facebook. For me, I much prefer Twitter. In fact, I get 10 times for traffic from Linkedin then Facebook.

Oh yes, Twitter is far more effective for me - both at meeting new bloggers/readers and also getting the word out.

James Pruitt

Ihave had the opposite results. I get more traffic through FB. with over 1k followers on twitter I get maybe 10 visitors a week.
I have mainly stopped using it, except to tweet a new post when it first goes out.

Really? Wow. I guess it depends on the following, too.

I don't have a very large FB following so I don't get a lot of traffic there, then again, I don't spend much time on it for business.

Sorry just now seeing this; it landed in spam for some reason. :(

Onibalusi Bamidele

Really great question Tia,

What I discovered (from setting up my own fan page) is that some of your readers will NEVER comment on your blog, and many of them use facebook.
Facebook is also the second largest website in the world and it has many readers so you can tap into them.

Thanks a lot,
-Onibalusi

Thanks, Onibalusi!

Another question - maybe you can answer in a post on your blog - how do you really suggest "tapping" into the many Facebook users? I use Facebook of course, and have for years, but I'm not sure how any businesses have ever really connected with me there, without me knowing of them first.