Social Media Monday—Add a FOLLOW Button to Your Personal Profile on Facebook

by Edie Melson

NOTE: Facebook has updated the interface since I wrote this post. The information is accurate, but the screens will look slightly different.

There’s a movement away from the necessity of having a professional Facebook page. For those of you who have growing and active professional pages, this post does NOT affect you. Keep doing what works. But for those of us who haven’t had much success migrating our professional connections over from our personal profile it’s a gift from Heaven!

Facebook now allows personal profiles to have FOLLOWERS as well as FRIENDS. This means we can utilize the success on our personal profiles in the professional world.

It’s easy to set this up and here’s how:

• Click on the Cog icon on the blue FB bar.
• Click on Account settings. (see screenshot below)

Once you’re there, on the left column, click on FOLLOWERS.

From the menu that appears, check the box for TURN ON FOLLOWERS.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You will NOT be able to see the follow box on your own profile. I know it’s stupid, but it just doesn’t appear. If you’re worried it’s not there, email a friend and ask them to double check. But as long as that box is checked you will have the follower option on your personal profile.

How it works: People will now have the option of sending you a FRIEND REQUEST or FOLLOWING you.

If someone sends you a friend request, and you don’t want to accept them as a friend you don’t have to do anything. Once you have the follower option enabled they will automatically become a follower. You don’t have to do anything.

SECOND IMPORTANT NOTE: Your followers will ONLY have access to the posts that you designate as public, not anything you share privately.

Changes You May Want to Consider

If you’re going to use your personal profile professionally, I recommend you designate your posts as public as the default setting. Here’s how to do that:

• Again click on the cog icon and Account settings.
• Once there, click on PRIVACY.
• Under WHO CAN SEE MY STUFF?, click on EDIT and choose PUBLIC. (see screenshot below)

You always have the option to designate individual FB updates as PRIVATE.

To do that, go to your timeline and compose an update. Click on the small arrow on the bottom of the update window and choose who you want to see the update. (see screenshot below)

People who are following you will be able to comment on your public posts, but they CANNOT post on your wall. Only your friends can post on your wall. If someone is following you and you don’t want them to, you’ll have to BLOCK them. I only do that with creepers and scary people.

Now it’s your turn. If you have any questions about Facebook, post them in the comments section below.

Don’t forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

Tweetables:

Learn how to enable LIKES on your Facebook Personal Profile! (Click to Tweet)

Professional Facebook Page or Personal Profile? You can have the best of both! (Click to Tweet)