That's Permanent: Treating the Internet Like a Tattoo

A few folks out there are really freaking out about this whole new timeline thing on Facebook. On Google+, Mike Elgan referred to the timelines as the "Facepocolypse"--before sharing these tips on how to wipe out old Facebook posts. Maybe I should be freaking out too, but I'm not.

He can shave the beard, but that tat is there to stay.

I'm sure I have a few dumb status updates, but I doubt there's anything completely horrible out there. How can I be so confident? Well, I've pretty much been treating my public broadcasts on social media sites (whether Facebook, Twitter, message boards, etc.) as if they are permanent tattoos.

Here are a few tips for avoiding embarrassing posts (and having to hunt them down when sites like Facebook make them easier to find):

1. Think before you post. Even if it's a status update or tweet, take a moment to consider if a post will embarrass you now (or in the future).
2. Think after you post. Most sites allow you to delete posts after you've made them. If you realize 5 seconds (or 5 hours) after your post that it was dumb, take the time to hunt it down and delete sooner rather than forgetting about it later.
3. Edit each post. Before hitting the "post" button, be sure to search for errors in spelling and grammar. You don't have to be 100% perfect (because it is still social media), but you do want to avoid obvious and fixable mistakes.
4. Don't post drunk. Or mad. Or lonely. Or in some other extremely emotional state. Let the moment pass before sharing a side of yourself that you'll regret later.
5. Avoid public fights on social media sites. Public fights, whether online or offline, tend to make everyone uncomfortable, especially those who may feel loyal to both parties. Don't put your friends and followers in the middle by having big public fights. Try to resolve problems through private messages or by being the bigger person.
6. Share meaningful posts. If you want to share status updates, try sharing thought provoking comments or links to helpful (or interesting) information. For blog posts, think about how your post might help or inspire your readers. If you want to share a story about picking up pizza for dinner, try your best to make that story interesting or insightful.

Do you have any tips on how to post with care? Please share them in the comments below.

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Check out previous Not Bob advice for writers:

• Blogging Tips for Writers.
• 6 Tips for Writers to Own the New Facebook Timelines.
• Facebook Tips for Writers. (A little outdated, but still a decent read.)

6 Tips for Writers to Own the New Facebook Timelines

Like it or not, Facebook is going to be changing how profiles work and look again--in the very, very near future--and you have two options. One, you can wait for the changes to happen to you and be completely unprepared for them, or... Two, you can carpe diem your way into a slick timeline today.

Don't wait to cross over to the new timelines. Check out mine here.

Don't wait for the new Facebook timeline to happen to you. Instead, proactively take it on now. It'll make the whole process of interface change less traumatic--and this is coming from someone who has written a blog post on the effects of interface changes on users.

Personally, my first impression upon seeing the new timeline design was, "Ugh! Looks cluttered and MySpace-y. Total, absolute yuck!" However, after hearing from other first adopters about how cool it was, I decided to give it a try over the weekend--and I actually think I might like it better than the past few Facebook "upgrades."

How to Get Started
To get the whole process moving, follow these simple steps:

1. Log in to Facebook.
2. Type the word "timeline" in the search box in the top center of your home page.
3. Select "Introducing Timeline," which should pop up as you complete step 2.

Once you're on this page, you can view samples, read more on the process, and even watch some video on the whole timeline process. But the best thing to do is to just get started playing around with it.

Don't worry! The timeline won't go "live" until you click the Publish button.

Quick Tips for Managing Your Timeline
I admit that I'm still figuring things out and playing around with my own timeline, but here are some tips I've already picked up from trial and error.

• Pick an interesting cover image. This image will kind of act as the header image for your new timeline profile page. It's a horizontal image, and it's much larger than your profile pic. Most folks have been choosing landscapes and/or other non-people images, and I think that's a pretty good rule of thumb for getting started. However, don't be afraid to try something else--just realize this cover image is pretty important for setting the tone on your whole timeline/profile page.
• Shuffle your apps to match your preferences. For instance, there are little boxes for your Friends and Photos next to other information about you. But I swapped out the default Map that was displaying with Notes. And you can be sure I'll be playing around with it more to see if something else is even more appropriate.
• Check out all your posts. For some people (like myself), this sounds like an almost impossible task. But it's possible. Maybe just try to tackle one month's worth of posts per day. It might take a month or three, but you'll eventually get through everything. While you're checking things out...
• Hide inappropriate or boring posts from your timeline. In fact, since photos are so easy to find, I've been hiding posts about downloading images. To do this, hover over the right side of any post, click the "Edit or Remove" button, and click "Hide From Timeline." On the other hand, you can also...
• Highlight super important posts. To do this, hover over the right side of the super important post and click the "Feature" button, which looks like a star. I've done this for the month of December on my timeline for some of the more popular NOT BOB posts.
• View As a random Facebook user. It helps to know how others will view your timeline to make decisions about how to edit it. To do view as a random Facebook user, click the dropdown just below your cover image on the right side and select "View as..."

As others have pointed out to me, one nice feature about the timeline is that it makes the process of finding older posts easier. I mean, the pre-timeline profile isn't the easiest to search for older posts. This one allows you to go back by month, year, etc. I'm not saying it's the greatest social media profile interface that will ever be created, but I'm starting to think it's not a step backward either.

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Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.

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Check out previous Not Bob advice for writers:

• The 8 Jobs of Modern Writers.
• The Secret to Being Awesome.
• Are You Open to Failure?

7 Stages of Dealing With Facebook Interface Change

As usual, Facebook has changed its interface just as I was getting used to the last round of changes. Whether this helps or hinders Facebook's long-term success, I'm not going to hazard a guess. After all, people are complaining and venting, but they're still doing it on Facebook, which only boosts the time spent on the evil site that everyone's complaining about. (Facebook says, "Jump," and we say, "How high?")

To help others cope, I thought I'd take a moment to remind everyone of the 7 stages most folks go through when a site such as Facebook redesigns their interface:

1. Shock. This morning, I logged into Facebook and was like, "What the heck?" I didn't even know how to respond, but that didn't last long...
2. Denial. My first action was to log off of Facebook and log back in. Obviously, there was some kind of technological hiccup that caused my account to look completely goofy and entirely too busy. But then, I realized that no, this is the new reality. Of course, that brought me to...
3. Anger. What right does Facebook have to go changing their freaking interface? Don't they respect my visits that are helping with their clicks, engagement and click throughs? Yes, I posted a status update to vent.
4. Bargaining. Then, I started letting Facebook know that they'd better change their ways back or else I was going to become a Google+ user. Or Tumblr. Or Twitter. Or LinkedIn. Of course, I'm actually already a user of each of these social networks.
5. Depression. By 11 a.m., it really began to sink in that this is it: the new Facebook. There's no hope of continuing on in a civilized social media society that doesn't include a "ticker" of status updates. Might as well give up on social networking ever again. Sigh.
6. Acceptance. About an hour ago, I came to terms with the new reality. After all, Facebook is a free service that I'm not obligated to use. They can do what they want, and it doesn't hurt anyone in the grand scheme of things. Maybe life after the Facebook redesign can be productive. In fact...
7. Championing. In fact, I'm not going to let an opportunity to discuss this new Facebook interface slip through my fingers. I'm going to write a post about it now. There's no reason I can't make the new Facebook work for me, is there?

Not everyone will be able to work through these 7 stages of Facebook interface redesign in a matter of four hours like I was. Some may take a whole week. But believe me, they'll work through these steps (or just abandon Facebook for Google+ or even--gasp--give up on social media completely).

And those who wants to stick around and play social media will need to work through these 7 stages, because they need to be ready for the next round of changes.

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Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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Check out some previous posts on social media:

• 11 Google+ Tips for Writers.
• Social Media Etiquette for Writers.
• Blogging Tips for Writers.

Platform Building 101 for Writers: Planning

Of course, platform building is a huge topic, and it's certainly one of the more important topics for writers who want to "make it" who haven't yet "made it." The definition of "making it" may be changing as we speak, but the platform is pretty easy to define.

A writing platform is basically a writer's reach to their target audience on a specific subject or topic.

One writer can have multiple platforms, and those platforms can intersect and co-habitate or be completely separate. For instance, writers who deal in poetry and fiction may be able to use credits in literary magazines interchangeably for their literary pursuits, but those same credits likely won't help much in pitching a how-to book on woodworking (unless it's somehow targeted at literary types).

In this post, I just want to cover the basics of planning out a platform strategy. I often find that success follows successful preparation and adaptability (to things not going exactly as I planned).

Since most online platform-building tools are available for free, let's start there.

Here are some basics I think all writers should have as part of their online writing platform:

• Buy your domain name. Preferably, buy your actual domain name. Even if you don't have any imminent plans to build a site, buy your domain name now before someone else does. For instance, I've been procrastinating on building a basic RobertLeeBrewer.com site, but I do own the domain name. Eventually, that url will point to a site. (Just ask @JaneFriedman on Twitter why it's important to snap up those domain and user names as soon as possible.)
• Start a blog. Whether you go with Blogger, WordPress, or another blogging site, blogs are free and easy to create. Start today. (Click here to read my Blogging Tips for Writers post.)
• Create a Twitter account. It's free, and Twitter is one of the fastest growing social media sites. Plus, it's a great place to share blog posts. (Click here to read my Twitter Cheat Sheet for Writers post.)
• Create a Facebook account. Again, it's free. Plus, Facebook apparently has the most traffic of any website on the Internet, including Google. (Yes, click here for my Facebook Tips for Writers.)
• Create a LinkedIn account. Again, this site is free. It's more of a professional networking site, but it's one more way for people to find you and your work. (Sorry, no LinkedIn Tips for Writers. Yet.)

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Great work! You've built the foundation of your online platform by accomplishing the five tasks above. Plus, if you've read my tip and cheat sheet links above, you probably have some idea of how to optimize some of these tools. However, building a successful platform takes time and planning.

Think about how the pieces fit together
Use one site as your central hub. Preferably, this would be your domain name url website. Or it can be your blog. Avoid making it your Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter profile--just because it's hard to predict if these sites will eventually be the next MySpace (or in other words, a social media ghost town).

However, use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other sites (online forums, etc.) to filter people to your central hub. And make sure your central hub lets people know that you exist on these other sites. (For instance, you can follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer, follow my Facebook fan page, or find me on LinkedIn.)

If it helps you visualize, get a piece of blank paper and write the word "HUB" in the middle. Then, draw 2-sided arrows out of the hub that are labeled things like "Facebook Profile," "Twitter profile," etc. Connect the dots and remember where your base of operations is located. (My current hub is this blog and my Poetic Asides blog, which as mentioned above is not ideal. Eventually, it will be robertleebrewer.com.)

Start small and build
Many writers get frustrated when they invest time and energy into platform building and don't receive the instant gratification of lots of friends, readers, comments, etc. I totally understand that. These writers are excited and pumped up to connect and then nothing happens immediately. However, building a platform is something a writer does throughout a career. It's not a get-rich-quick scheme. It's a long-term communication between the writer and his (or her) audience and readership. As a result, I advise writers to start small and build.

If you're new to blogging, don't post every five minutes. Post once a week and spend time communicating with other writers and readers on social media sites. When you think it's time to increase your blogging frequency, do so. Over time, you'll develop a feel for what works with your audience.

Also, don't stress out about how many (or few) followers and friends you have. This too is a process and will build over time.

Experiment and adapt
When I first started connecting with writers online, it was through forums, message boards and MySpace. I rarely use any of these tools anymore. In another 5 to 10 years, I may not be using the sites mentioned above. So, writers need to be open to experimentation and adapting to changes in technology and finding "where the people are."

This is why having a good central hub is so important, because it will serve as your rock solid virtual real estate that should be the same in 2010 (or 2011) as it will be in 2020 as it will be in 2030 and beyond.

A few other platform building tools to consider:

• Business cards. If you attend events or speak regularly, then you should realize that business cards are important to networking and platform building in the real world. Include your name, contact information (mailing address, phone, e-mail), and central hub.
• Events. Writers can make actual human contact with writers, editors, agents, and other publishing professionals at events, such as writing conferences, workshops, literary festivals, book signings, readings, open mics, etc.
• Mailing lists. This old school method of reaching your readership may cost more to maintain, but when done well, writers can often expect to get what they pay for--in a good way.
• E-mail lists. These are very important and powerful and can be handled in many different ways. Very important, though, make sure your e-mail list is permission-based and that you don't practice any spamming tactics, or you'll lose any of the value your e-mail list may have provided.

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Just remember: Platform building is a process, not a goal. There is no finish line. So try to incorporate it into what you do as a writer, and you'll likely be more successful with both your platform building and actual writing activities.

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Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer

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Here are a few great platform-building related resources to check out:

• Get Known Before the Book Deal, by Christina Katz
• Internet Book Marketing: An Author's Guide to Building an Online Marketing Platform, by Morris Rosenthal
• Guerrilla Social Media Marketing: 100+ Weapons to Grow Your Online Influence, Attract Customers, and Drive Profits, by Jay Conrad Levinson and Shane Gibson

Facebook Tips for Writers

According to MostPopularWebsites.net, Facebook is the second most popular website on the net (after Google.com). If you're reading this blog post, the odds are pretty good that you've got a Facebook profile yourself. (If you don't, then you should create one now, since they're free.) However, you may or may not be optimizing your Facebook use.

Here are some tips for writers who are either new to Facebook or who aren't sure if they're using it the correct way:

1. Complete your profile. You don't have to include EVERYTHING, but I'd suggest at least covering these bases: Current City, Birthday (you don't have to include the year), Bio, Education and Work, Contact Information.
2. Make everything public. As a writer, you should be using sites like Facebook and Twitter to connect with other writers, editors, agents, and your audience. So make it easy for them to find you and learn more about you by making everything available to the public. That said...
3. Think about your audience, friends, family, boss, former teachers, etc., in everything you do on Facebook. Like it or not, you have to understand that if you are completely public on Facebook (and you should be if you want to connect with your audience) that you need to think about what you do on Facebook before you do it. Because Facebook ain't like Vegas: What happens on Facebook could easily go viral. But don't get paranoid; just use common sense.
4. Include a profile pic of yourself. Don't use a picture of a cute animal, house pet, your children, an animated character, a famous celebrity, a model, etc. Just a nice pic of yourself. Even though it's virtual, you want your profile to be as human as possible so that you can connect with others.
5. Update your status regularly. You shouldn't update your status every hour, but once a day is a good pace. This just lets others on Facebook know that you are actively using the site.
6. Communicate with friends on Facebook. Don't stalk your friends; communicate with them. If you like a friend's status update, comment on it--or at the very least, click the Like button (to acknowledge that you liked their update). Speaking of friends...
7. Be selective about friends you add. Don't blindly accept every friend request, because some may be bogus, and others may be from serial frienders (people who are trying to hit their friend limits). You want quality friends who share your interests or who you know from the "real world."
8. Be selective about adding apps. I'm not a huge fan of apps, because they are a distraction and time killer on Facebook. But there are some that could be useful. However, don't waste a month of your life playing Farmville or Mafia Wars; you'd be better off completing a crossword or sudoku puzzle.
9. Join relevant groups. For writers, there are an abundance of groups you could join, from professional organizations to those based around magazines, publishers and literary events. These are great places to connect with other writers. On that same note...
10. Follow relevant fan pages. There are many who once had groups that migrated over to using fan pages, so there are fan pages for writing organizations, magazines, publishers, literary events, and more. (Click here to check out my personal fan page.)

Bonus tip: If you have a blog, you can feed your Facebook profile automatically by using the Notes function. All you have to do is go to Notes, click the "Edit import settings" link, and enter your blog url in the correct field. (Note: I had to enter my full url, including the forward slash at the end, before the Notes function accepted my url.)

If you've found other great ways to use Facebook, I'd love it if you'd share them below in the Comments. Also, I'd be glad to try and hunt down answers to any Facebook questions you might have.

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Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer

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For more on Facebook, check out these resources:

• Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day, by Chris Treadway and Mari Smith
• Facebook Marketing for Dummies, by Paul Dunay and Richard Krueger
• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Facebook, by Joe Kraynak and Mikal E. Belicove
• The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World, by David Kirkpatrick

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Some other posts that might be of interest include:

• Twitter Cheat Sheet for Writers post
• Blogging Tips for Writers post
• Changes in Publishing post