Facebook Privacy Made Simple

Privacy, or more specifically the confusion surrounding privacy, on Facebook has been the focus of much media attention and user distress in the past few months.  Facebook has changed settings and auto-enabled features without notifying its users and left many feeling their privacy on the social network is in jeopardy.

In response, Facebook has launched new privacy settings that give users significantly more control over their personal information.  Not only do users have more control, but these controls are also a lot simpler. The changes focus around three things: a single control for user’s content, more control for user’s basic information and easy ways to control and turn off applications.

In Real Estate, these security settings are important for us, and for our business. These settings will allow us to better control our brand messaging, and to separate our personal information and posts from our business/professional content and posts.

Facebook is introducing these changes in phases to the 400 million plus users.  When the changes are activated on your account a message will appear on your home screen alerting you of the new settings.  Click the link to find out more and view your settings. If you’ve already seen this note and “X’d” it, you can access the new settings by clicking on “My Account” and then choosing “Privacy Settings”

You’ll notice right away the settings page has been redesigned and is much simpler to navigate.  With one click you can set up a broad based privacy setting just by deciding if you want to share all your content with “Everyone”  “Friends of Friends” or just “Friends.”

Already have privacy settings in place and want to review or update them or have total control over your content? Just click on “Custom” (then click on “Customize Settings”) and you can decide on each piece of content individually.  This choice is the most complex of choices, but gives you the most options.

Want to pick and choose who can see what but don’t know where to start.  Click on “Recommended” (which personally Idon’t recommend) and Facebook will give you their suggested settings to use.  I’d only suggest using this setting if you are comfortable sharing a large amount of profile information with “Everyone.”

The BEST part about the new settings– once you set up these controls they will apply to all new products launched by Facebook, keeping YOU in control of your information and what is being shared.  Hooray!

The new settings page also provides you with easy to find links where you can edit what basic directory information you share, block people or block applications.  You can turn off the “instant personalization” application (allows Facebook to share your information with their third party partners) under the “Applications & Website” section.

Still need a little more guidance?  Click on “Learn More” under the “Controlling How You Share” icon and Facebook will break down the options even further.  Facebook also created a Fan Page for “Facebook & Privacy.”  You can “like” this page and have updates they post included in your news feed.  Avery-Hess Agents also remember that I’m just a call or quick visit away to help you out if you ever have questions or need assistance.  Happy & Safe Facebooking!

- Kristin

Use Caution When Merging onto the Social Media Highway

This weekend, as I logged in to my Facebook account, I was both shocked and surprised at one of my friend suggestions.   I discovered, via a ‘mutual friend,’ that my 82-year-old Grandpa is now on Facebook!  I don’t know about the rest of you, but for me this confirms that EVERYONE now utilizes social networks as a means to connect and reconnect with the people around them.

After this discovery, while I was still a bit baffled after seeing my grandpa’s profile picture (which is from about 50+ years ago), I ran across an interesting statistic from a recent Consumer Reports study.  It stated that 2 out of 3 online US households use social networks such as Facebook and MySpace, which is nearly twice as many as a year ago.   One in four of these households with a Facebook account have users who either don’t know about or don’t use the privacy controls.

This got me thinking about my Grandpa… if people can find ways to hack the profile of one of Facebook’s very own Board Members, what’s stopping them from coming after my unaware,  little old Grandpa?  Or me?  Or YOU?

As Real Estate agents, it’s important to be friendly and approachable public figures, especially when utilizing social media. However, you still need to be smart and safe with what you choose to disclose to others online.

I’ve compiled a quick checklist of things you should avoid doing on social media to help keep you and your information safe:

Using a Weak Password

We’ve all been guilty of this one – with so many passwords to remember, it’s easy to give in!  Using a password like the name of your pet or your child’s name is big NO NO.  Hackers create programs that can easy crack these simple passwords in a matter of seconds, granting them full access to your account.  To help prevent this, I suggest using a password that incorporates each of the following:

a) use a password not found in the dictionary
b) include UPPER and lower case letters
c) include least one numer1c symbol or ch@racter

Posting Your Full Birth Date

When Facebook first started, I know I did not think twice about putting up my birthday to share with my fellow college classmates.  However, Facebook and other social media networks are now open to the public, and your information is out there for everyone to view.  Giving a stranger your full name and full birthday, along with other commonly posted facts about yourself, can leave you open as an easy target for fraud.   To counter this, many of these networks have the option of keeping your birthday private or showing only a partial birthday without the year.

NOT Using Privacy Controls

An important thing to remember when using any social media network is that they are run by a profit seeking company and are looking out for THEIR best interest NOT yours.  Privacy controls are available for users, but many require you to a) know about them, b) understand what they do and c) USE them.

Facebook has become notorious for changing their privacy controls and “auto including” their members in new features/settings.  It is your responsibility to make sure that you take the time to learn and set up these controls in order to ensure your content and information is only disclosed to those that YOU choose.

Facebook has recently redesigned their Safety Center which they claim has quadrupled their safety content and made it easier to navigate and find answers quickly.  It’s a great place to start to learn about what you are sharing/how to make things private.

Also, Mashable just posted a “How To” on reclaiming your Facebook privacy and suggested trying the product “Reclaim Privacy.”  It’s a simple open-source scanner that will quickly and easily scan your profile to see if any of your settings are “risky.”   This can help you determine if you are making content unexpectedly public and take the necessary actions to correct it.

Mentioning That You’ll be “Away”  & GPS “Tagging”

Telling people on Twitter or Facebook that you, “Can’t wait for vacation next week!!”  or that you “Miss the wife and kids at home”  or that you just “checked-in” to your favorite watering hole using foursquare, all seem innocent enough, but this “over-sharing” opens up the possibility of telling people where you AREN’T – at your home or with your family.  It could also invite unwanted persons to where you ARE.

Many people were first made aware of their “over-sharing” on social media by sites like pleaserobme.com or  by watching tv news specials, but quite a few of us are still sharing too much.   To protect yourself and your loved ones, be sure that you are properly using your privacy features on EACH and EVERY social media network you use.

It seems like every time I turn around privacy controls and settings are changing in the world of social media, making it even more critical that we stay informed.  I’ll be sure to help keep you and my Grandpa Joe informed and up to speed… if you promise to do the same for your Grandpa – I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.

-Kristin

I Like Avery-Hess, and I think you should too: www.facebook.com/AveryHess

How To Make People Care About What You “Share”

It’s quickly becoming a fact that Facebook is no longer just part of our personal life.  Companies, large and small, are now using the social media platform as a means to engage and build relationships with potential clients, and are utilizing social media to close business.

This leaves many of us in Real Estate asking, “What should I be ‘sharing’ on Facebook?”

Last Friday, I met with an agent looking to utilize Facebook as part of her marketing plan.  A good rule of thumb would be  to “share” at least one thing on Facebook every day utilizing our “80/20 Rule.”  Eighty-percent of the time, share something personal; twenty-percent of the time, share something professional.

The most important part of using Facebook professionally is not just to attract new “friends” or “fans”; it serves no real purpose to have the most “fans” or most “friends” if these people are not engaged with you.  Rather, carefully build your social capital and constituency.  Engage your following and encourage interaction to create a lasting relationship.

To help you get started on building these relationships, I’ve come up with my top 3 topics to “share” on Facebook:

1) “Share” Something of Value

• Think about what YOUR clients would want to know about and be their maven of useful information.  Discover a handy tip or trick for home improvement?  Find an interesting fact or news story about what’s shaking in the industry? Share this valuable information with your clients. Over time, they will look to you as a trusted source of knowledge.

2) Ask Questions

• The key here is to encourage your Facebook friends to engage in a conversation.  Asking a question as simple as “What they thought about last night’s episode of LOST” or something more meaningful like “What do look for in a new home?”  When you start to receive responses, be sure to thank them and use this as an opportunity to reach out and start a personal conversation.

3) Ask for Help

• Utilize your friends to help you make a decision.  Asking for ideas of what to do that weekend, reviews on a new restaurant in town, or input on a product you are considering purchasing.  These questions open up the lines of communication to start a personal conversation about the topic that could lead to a business discussion.

I have found, personally, the “Ask for help” type of “share” gets the most feedback, but all of the aforementioned techniques can be utilized to build relationships and start personal conversations, the bread and butter of the Social Media game.

-Kristin

I Like Avery-Hess, and I think you should too: www.facebook.com/AveryHess

We “Like” Facebook, and Here’s Why

I can think of a lot of things that I like. Pizza. Dogs. Virginia Tech football. Tecmo Bowl (the original, not the SNES remake). I also think I like the Facebook “Like” option.

I actually think I REALLY like the “Like.”

Admittedly, I was a bit fuzzy about the transition from “become a fan” to “Like this” on Facebook until I read this great piece on WellcomeMat. I agree with a lot of what was written in the WellcomeMat piece; I think Facebook has really nailed how to serve up relevant ad content to consumers who are in the market for a particular product or service offering.

What does this mean? Talk sense please.

About a month and a half ago, Facebook eclipsed Google as the most heavily trafficked place on the web. Even if that event manifested itself as a one-time occurrence (which while I do not have the data at hand, I doubt is the case), it certainly signifies a shift in web browsing habits from a linear paradigm of “input query >> get results” to a more conversational paradigm weighted towards opinions, shared experiences and user insight.

Facebook has figured out a way to deliver terrific, focused content that is tailored to you. Content that satisfies your every need with the insertion of a 4 letter verb in the form of a button. “Like.”

The creepy idea of silent data aggregation/privacy notwithstanding, the Facebook platform is a boon to advertisers and companies of all shapes and sizes. Facebook gathers data about what each one of their users “likes.” Facebook creates a consumer profile for each of its users based on profile comments, data and “likes.” Facebook delivers ad content to user based on this algorithm – creating a very highly targeted, and presumably effective, ad campaign. This model is not terribly dissimilar to many other behavior-based models out there in the advertising stratosphere, but Facebook is taking this one step further.

By allowing the usage of the “Like” button on websites, blogs etc., Facebook delivers visitors directly to advertisers tiny slice of revenue heaven – their owned media assets – complete with an inferred recommendation from their peer group. Facebook has created an advertising platform that ROCKS.

Great. So what does this mean for me?

This means a lot for you, so I am glad you asked. Here are a couple of ideas:

1. You have a listing, freshly minted and new on the market. You have a website specifically created to market that listing for your seller. Now you can incorporate a “Like” button onto your listing site and share that with the Facebook universe that is 400 Million strong and growing.
2. You have a unique skill set and specialization in assisting homeowners through the short sale process. You can place a “Like” button on this section of your website or associate the “Like” button with posts about short sales on your blog, and share all of your knowledge and content with your sphere on Facebook.

And best of all, when interested parties decide that they want to learn a bit more about your product or service, they go straight to the on-line you, your website, blog, etc., not some 3rd party “lead aggregator.” When coupled with Facebook’s burgeoning “Facebook Ads” platform, you have a recipe for a tremendous, highly targeted advertising platform on the social web.

With other content and advertising platforms gathering content from users, and selling advertising on it, Facebook is taking a GIANT step in the right direction by leveraging its users/advertisers contributions to help the original publisher. I think this model is setting up Facebook to become an advertising platform behemoth in the mid-to-long term, and certainly something all of us here in Real Estate need to be cognizant of.

Real Estate is a social business. Facebook is a social network – the largest in the states. Seems like a match made in heaven, a match that I think I really, REALLY “Like.”

-Amit

I Like Avery-Hess, and I think you should too: www.facebook.com/AveryHess

The Champ has been Dethroned. Pay Attention.

Something seismic occurred in the on-line space last week. The tremors reverberate still. It has nothing to do with Real Estate. It has everything to do with Real Estate.

Facebook became the most visited place on the Internet last week.

Joel Burslem of 1000 Watt posted about this very topic last week, and the San Jose Mercury News reported on it. According to Hitwise, Facebook edged out Google as the Internet’s most visited site by the slimmest of margins – 7.07% of all traffic to Facebook vs. 7.03% of all traffic to Google. But this is big. Real Big. People no longer go to the web just to search. They actually go to the web MORE to discuss things. To collaborate. To share experiences. On Facebook.

Let’s all sit up straight now and pay attention. Please.

90 some odd percent of consumers begin their Real Estate experience on-line. Buyers and Sellers alike. And now they aren’t going just to Google to gather information, or your Real Estate website. They are communicating on Facebook. Searching for information, sharing stories, getting the skinny on who to use and who not to use for their Real Estate experience. We have to be there. Real Estate. Brokers and Agents alike. We all have to be there, active and engaged in an intelligent conversation.

But wait. Hold on.

Before we rush like lemmings racing towards a treacherous Social Media precipice, let’s think. Effective use of Social Media, and Facebook specifically, is an art, not a Real Estate right. There are good ways to do it, and some not so good ways to do it. Your Facebook page should not consist of an explosion of listings, and sales pitches, and price reductions and post after post after post after post of the benefits of the tax credit and why you should buy now. Too many are.

Start a conversation. Craft a message. Carefully consider every post before you post it. Engage in a conversation, and stay away from the sales pitch. Reach out to your constituency and engage them. Solicit feedback. Create a community. Have your Facebook page be a Social Media extension of your Brand.

We have to do it. Companies, and specifically Google, see that Social Media is affecting the very fiber of our everyday lives (see Google’s Buzz offering). Let’s recognize this as an opportunity and engage Facebook and Social Media effectively. If you don’t yet have a strategy to do so, and do so effectively, get one, and do it RIGHT.

Remember, this is HUGE. Google has been dethroned. I never thought I would see it, the Internet’s 800 lb. Gorilla knocked from his lofty perch. If even for only a week, the shift from linear search to conversation is undeniable. Make sure that your voice gets heard.

-Amit

Become a Fan: www.facebook.com/AveryHess

Why You Shouldn’t Give Up Facebook

I’ve heard a slew of reasons. Some users say it’s too addictive, while others complain that Facebook is too overwhelming. Then there are some who are at odds with Faceboook’s privacy issues, and those who just forget they even have a profile. Whatever the excuse, Facebook is a tool that is too valuable to simply give up.

To put things into perspective, with over 400 million users, if Facebook was a nation it would be the third largest in the world. In fact, with more than 100 million active users, even Facebook Mobile is just smaller than the entire population of Mexico. With a user base of such size, how can you ignore such a large group that’s right at your fingertips?

Okay, okay–so maybe you’re not able to reach 400 million people, but you can certainly reach 400 people that you know. And that’s how Facebook can help your business grow–by putting you on the minds of the people in your network. You can update your status to remind friends and potential clients that you’re a working agent, post links with information relevant to your area, portray yourself as an authority in your profession–all the while keeping up with your contacts and expanding your personal sphere.

Facebook shouldn’t be overwhelming. Take advantage of its built-in features. Create friends lists to filter information and control the spread of your information. You may want to adjust your privacy settings, but try not to hide too much of yourself (You’re in sales, so be comfortable in your own skin because you want people to be able to find you). Finally, be sure to remain professional, but still include a personal touch. You’re not all business all the time in real life, so don’t be afraid to joke around online and have some fun with it.

Social networking wasn’t invented yesterday. We’ve all been networking our entire lives, but now our tools are evolving. In the same way you wouldn’t surrender your cell phone, you shouldn’t ignore your Facebook account. In fact, you should keep a firm grip on it and not let go.  It’ll never replace a hand shake or a phone call, but Facebook is an incredible tool that can let you easily and effectively communicate with people you know.

Post written by David Tra, Social Media Editor at Avery-Hess, Realtors.

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