Facebook - What It Is All About by: Frank Breinling

Remember when a social networking site was the conference center where you endured  endless facts and figures with fellow colleagues or it was the corner cafe for a drink with coworkers after five? Enter technology and the 2000's.

Social networking sites are now online. With just a click these sites are accessible in the comfort of your own home, at the office and coffee shops. Wherever there's a connection, there's a connection. Basically a social networking site is designed to connect with people: family, friends, co-workers, etc. One of the sites that has been gaining notoriety and becoming more popular today than body glitter in the '90's is Facebook.

This is a free site anyone can join. Begin by setting up your account and creating a profile. A profile is just that, you fill in the blanks with some info about you, a little or a lot, whatever you want people to know. You can download a profile picture that stays on "your page". If you opt out of downloading a picture an icon appears instead.

Once on Facebook you can begin searching for people and asking them to be your "friend". You'll quickly get over the initial "this is so third grade asking people to be your friend" realizing the site is one of the coolest tools to use for contacts. You can search not only for people but by interest group as well. With most interest groups you follow them as a "fan". Once you and someone agree to "be friends or fans" you are able to read each other's pages.

Pages contain news feed (info on your friend's newest friends), status updates (info posted by your friends), posted photos and applications (games). Your page also provides an email account and instant messenger should you not want to converse with someone via a status update in the public eye. Facebook allows you to comment on a friend's status update, or if you are at a loss for works you can simply click the "like" button letting them know you agree.

Using Facebook to Your Advantage

Pay per click is an advertising method used by various content sites and search engines to marketing websites to users through keyword searches. Every time a user clicks on your like you pay the host company a fee. Unlike most advertising prior to, PPC forces your customer to act prior to your paying any money. If they only view the link or ad then you don't pay.

Using Facebook's PPC program is one method of continuing your social media momentum and effectively promoting your product or service through creating and maintaining your social buzz. All Facebook advertisements are relegated to the left of the screen, clearly visible to users and visitors of Facebook. PPC programs and their strategic placement help ensure that your advertisement will receive the attention of as many viewers as possible.

Facebook's easy to use PPC tool allows you to get your social ads up and running quickly. Keyword ads grab the consideration of only appropriate Facebook users and help to reel them into investigating your personal Facebook page or that of your business. When a Facebook patron connects with an individual or business all of their friends see this connection in their news feed and here is where you can harness the power of social media as they will most likely check out your profile as well.