How to Customize Your Facebook News Feed: What Marketers Need to Know

Do you struggle to keep up with your Facebook news feed?

Interested in an easier way to quickly see what's most important to you?

Adjusting your Facebook settings can help you save time, stay on top of trends, and reach more of your audience.

In this article, you'll discover how Facebook marketers can customize their Facebook news feed to improve productivity.

Discover how to customize your Facebook news feed to improve your productivity.

Facebook is a wonderful tool for business owners, marketers, and consultants to find and respond to industry news, important updates, and relevant posts. Facebook customizes your experience based on your engagement. Adjust settings so you see what you want to so you can respond, interact, and share in a timely manner.

Choose What to See First

Decide which posts you want to see at the top of your personal news feed. You can set this for any page, friend, or person you follow. You can select up to 30 people or pages to see first, but your selections aren't ranked. For instance, your first selection isn't shown first, your second selection isn't shown second, etc.

The typical setting for your news feed is Default, which is subject to Facebook's algorithm.

It's easy to enable See First for a page on desktop. When you see a post by a page you've liked in your news feed, hover over the page name. Then hover over the Liked button and select Posts in News Feed in the little pop-up bubble.

In the news feed, hover over the page name and then hover over the Liked button.

Then click See First.

After you click Posts in News Feed, select See First.

You can also change this preference by going to the page. On desktop, hover over the Liked button on the page and select See First.

Hover over the Liked button on a page and then select See First.

Another way to make this change is to hover over the Liked button and click the edit pencil next to In Your News Feed or Notifications. You then see the options below.

Another way to change to See First is to edit the news feed settings from the page.

To get specific notifications on activities such as events and live videos, click the edit pencil next to Notifications (or click the Notifications section if you're already on the screen shown above). Then check the notifications you want to receive.

Edit Notifications to choose what notifications you want from a specific page.

Facebook will show the approximate number of posts that particular page publishes per week, and also indicate the maximum daily notifications a user will receive on any given day.

To enable See First for friends or people you follow, find one of their posts in your feed on desktop and hover over their name. Then move your cursor to hover over the Following button and click See First. You can also do this from a person's profile by hovering over the Following button.

If you want to enable See First on your mobile device, just tap the page or person's name, tap the Following button, and tap See First.

News Feed Preferences

To further adjust your news feed settings, click the little drop-down arrow at the right of your blue menu bar on desktop and select News Feed Preferences.

Select News Feed Preferences from your settings menu on the right.

In the pop-up, view and edit the settings in each section to your liking.

Customize your news feed preferences.

To access these settings on mobile, tap the More icon in the lower right. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and tap Settings. In the pop-up, select News Feed Preferences. You'll then see the same Preferences menu shown in the image above.

Note: Whether you adjust your See First settings on desktop or mobile, the settings are universal. In other words, your news feed settings are the same on both desktop and mobile.

Define Interest Lists

Put your go-to experts and resources on a Facebook interest list to curate the content you want to see, share, and interact with on a regular basis. You can search for and subscribe to other people's lists, as well.

To get started on desktop, scroll down to Interests on the left side of your news feed. Hover over Interests and click More.

Find your interest lists in the left column on Facebook.

This is where you'll find all of your interest lists. To create a new interest list, click Add Interests.

Click Add Interests to start a new list.

You're then prompted to click Create List.

Use the search box at the top of the window to look for the people and pages you want to add to your list. You may also want to use the categories on the left to browse. After you select the people and pages you want to include on your list, click Next.

Search for people and pages to add to your interest list.

Now add a name for your list and select a privacy setting. Choose Public if you want others to be able to follow the list you've created. When you're finished, click Done to create your list.

Name the list and select a privacy setting for it.

Note: You don't have to like a page to add it to a list. Also, when you add people and/or pages to an interest list, they don't get a notification. However, depending on the privacy settings you select for your list, others may see what people and pages are on your list.

You may want to create a private list of your competitors, especially since you don't have to like a page to put it on a list.

If you think your friends would enjoy seeing the information featured on one of the lists you've created or followed, you can share your list. Scroll down to Interests on the left side of your news feed. Hover over Interests and click More. Select the name of the list and then click Share at the top of the page.

For example, one of my own popular public interest lists is Facebook Experts & Resources. This list is public and has 152 sources and more than 38,000 followers. I monitor the list feed regularly to spot industry news and trends, as well as to ensure the content from the selected pages and people is highly relevant.

Select Your Favorites

Favorites are the bookmarks on the top-left side of your news feed on your desktop. To find your favorites on mobile, tap the More section. These are the pages, groups, interest lists, friends lists, and apps you want to access most often.

Click More to see interests (or pages, groups, and apps) and add to Favorites.

On desktop, if you see something you want to add to Favorites, hover over it and then click the gear icon to get the option to add it.

If you want to add something but don't see it, hover over the section (pages, groups, etc.) on the left side of your news feed and then click More. Next, click on the gear symbol to add an item to Favorites.

You can also easily add favorites on iOS devices. Tap the More icon on the bottom right of your home screen, scroll down slightly to your Favorites section, tap Add Favorites, and select your choices to favorite. You'll see all of your groups, the pages you manage, and interest lists shown as feeds.

To add favorites on iOS, go to the Favorites section and search for items to add.

If you want to reorder your favorites on mobile, just tap Edit next to Favorites, and then drag and drop to change the order. When you're finished, tap Done.

To rearrange the order of your favorites on desktop, click the gear icon next to any of your favorites, select Rearrange, and click and drag your favorite to where you want it to go.

Click the gear icon and select Rearrange to rearrange your favorites.

Once you have the item where you want it, click Done below your favorites.

Remember, anything you favorite on your desktop will also show up on your mobile experience and vice versa.

When you customize your personal news feed, you can easily follow people and pages, make comments, and increase visibility. This also allows you to keep your finger on the pulse of what's new and keep your name and brand top of mind.

Each page you admin has its own pages feed. This is where you can view, share, and comment on stories from pages you've liked as your page.

You can access your pages feed on the right-hand side of your page.

View your pages feed to engage with other pages you've liked as your page.

When you view your pages feed, it will default to comment, like, or share as that page.

However, each post, share, like, and comment can be from any page you admin, or from your profile. To switch post attribution, click the drop-down arrow next to your profile/page image.

Click your profile picture to change engagement attribution.

Then select the account you want to use to engage.

Select the account you want to use to share, like, or comment.

Use your page's feed to easily find content for research or to share or comment on as a page. This helps you stay on top of mind through thought leadership and engagement.

Now that you've set up your feed to be user-friendly, encourage your fans to do the same. Here are some things you can do.

Ask Fans to Set Notifications

Periodically publish a post encouraging your fans to change their notifications to see your page's posts first. (As we discussed in step #1.) Incorporate screenshots so fans know what to do.

Remember, if See First is not enabled, the way the algorithms work is that fans need to engage with your content to see it. Otherwise, paid placement is the only way to reach them. And those who unfollow you are still fans of your page. While it's possible they might come to your page, it's not likely. Fortunately, you can also reach these fans via promoted posts. It's in your best interest to see not only your favorite pages first, but also encourage your fans to do that, too.

Ask Fans to Subscribe to Videos and Events

The top notification to encourage your fans to enable is for Facebook Live. Create a live video asking them to do this, share how-to pictures, or write a post about how to subscribe.

Here's what they need to know: Users can subscribe to Live video as described in step #1 above: Hover over the Liked button on your page, click the edit pencil icon next to Notifications, and select New Live Posts. Or people can sign up to get future Live notifications during your Facebook Live broadcast on desktop or mobile. They can also subscribe from a previous Live video.

Click the arrow on the right of a previous Live video to get to the subscribe settings on desktop.

On desktop, click the gray arrow in the top right of any Facebook Live post. Then click See More Options.

Now click Turn on Live Notifications. Fans will then be notified when the page is broadcasting on Facebook Live.

Turn on Live notifications to subscribe.

Depending on how frequently you broadcast via Facebook Live, your fans may or may not receive all notifications. Just as with post notifications, Facebook shows the maximum number of daily Live notifications a person would see.

On mobile, it's even easier to subscribe to Facebook Live videos. Tap the top right of a page's previous Live.

Tap to subscribe.

The subscription will be confirmed.

The subscription confirmation shows on the video.

A checkmark shows you're subscribed.

A checkmark shows you're subscribed.

Also, if you host regular events, encourage your fans to sign up for event notifications.

Final Thoughts

Facebook notifications make for a better experience for you, your business, and your fans. You need to be active and organized, and the right settings will help you do that. You have the resources you want at your fingertips and so do your fans.

What do you think? Have you created interest lists and set your favorites to your liking? Do you set your notifications for a better Facebook experience? How do you encourage your fans to set their notifications? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Tips on how marketers can improve productivity by customizing their Facebook news feed.

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Original source: How to Customize Your Facebook News Feed: What Marketers Need to Know.
http://www.jretechnology.com

10 LinkedIn Tips for Connecting With People at Live Events

Do you want to strengthen the connections you make at conferences?

Have you considered using LinkedIn to develop relationships during events?

As a business-centric social network, LinkedIn is valuable for connecting with peers, colleagues, and prospects before, during, and after conferences.

In this article, you'll discover 10 tips for using LinkedIn to connect with people at conferences and events.

Discover 10 LinkedIn tips for connecting with people at live events and conferences.

Before you attend a conference, make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and you have all of your LinkedIn groundwork in place.

1. Update Your LinkedIn Profile

To put your best foot forward, update the following details on LinkedIn:

Give your profile a once-over before you begin your conference engagement. You want your profile to be up to date, since it's likely to be viewed by a lot of people. Look through all of the sections, but pay close attention to where you work, projects you've done, and awards you've received.

Make sure your profile picture is recognizable, so people will know who you are when they meet you. When people recognize you, it instills a sense of trust, and people do business with those they know, like, and trust.

Update your background image to reflect your current projects, your industry, or the focus of the conference.

Customize your LinkedIn background image prior to the event.

For example, if you have a book or product that's related to the topic of the conference, put that in your background. For an accounting conference, put a spreadsheet in your background pic. If you've been to the conference before, you could use an image from last year's event.

2. Research People Connected to the Event

Look up the venue, organizers, sponsors, and speakers in preparation for the event. Also, join any relevant LinkedIn groups associated with the conference.

Relationship development starts now. You want to connect and engage with the conference organizers and any prospects ahead of time. When you send connection requests, customize your invitations to mention the conference. Also let people know you look forward to meeting them at the event.

3. Tag Your Connections

As you connect with people, add a tag with the name of the conference. Note that you can only do this on desktop.

To tag someone, choose Connections from the My Network tab and hover over the person's name. Then click Tag and select your conference tag from the drop-down list or click Add New Tags to create one.

Tag connections on the My Network tab.

You can also tag new connections from the Relationship tab of their profile.

You can also tag contacts via their profile.

After you add tags, you can easily search your network for people related to the conference.

To start to build top-of-mind awareness with the organizers and fellow attendees, comment on and share their posts. Remember to @mention them, too.

In your updates, tag people you will see at an upcoming conference to generate excitement.

Also, reach out to schedule time to meet with important new connections, as well as people you already know whom you want to meet at the conference. As your relationships develop, add notes to their LinkedIn profiles. Put in dates and descriptions of conversations and action items, so nothing falls through the cracks.

Note: If you know you'll have extra time, search your connections by the conference location (for example, San Diego) to see if there are other people you should meet with while you're in town.

4. Create Messaging Templates

Sometimes reaching out to people for the first time can be intimidating. To make communication easier and less stressful during the conference, have some messaging templates ready to go.

Write and save your templates on your phone's notepad app, so they're easily accessible. Then all you have to do is copy, paste, and customize.

Start by creating a standard invitation to connect, which can be up to 300 characters.

Create messaging templates to make it easy to connect with people on the go.

Also write a template you can use to ask a mutual friend for an introduction. If you know your mutual friend will also be at the conference, suggest meeting in real life. For instance, "Hey COMMON PERSON, I noticed you know THIS PERSON. All three of us are at/will be at conference X. Would love to all meet up. Is there a good time?" This is one you can send before or during the conference.

Other messaging templates can include a note to someone you don't know well but want to get to know better, a "great to meet you" note, and a message with a favorite resource you like to send people after you meet.

5. Download the LinkedIn Mobile App

If you haven't already done so, make sure you have the LinkedIn mobile app on your phone to make connecting and messaging easier at the conference.

Remain active on LinkedIn during the conference to reach out to and engage with your new connections.

6. Connect With Attendees

People will be more likely to accept your connection invitations if you're standing right in front of them. So if you can, connect with people in person at the conference, using the LinkedIn mobile app. When you get to your computer later, be sure to add the conference tag. This is also a good time to write any notes about your conversation.

The best time to send a connection request is when you're with that person.

The other option is to gather business cards and follow up with people later. Make a note on the card with some details so they're sure to remember you.

Use two different invitation templates: one for people you connect with immediately and another for business card follow-up connections.

Tip: Set alerts so you don't miss your must-see sessions and are on time for all meetings.

7. Take Pictures With Attendees and Speakers

During the conference, have your picture taken with speakers, influencers, and other new connections. Share these images as updates.

Take pictures with other attendees during the conference so you can post them.

Gather quotes from attendees and speakers. Also, make notes during the sessions. You can use these for updates, as well as in a compilation LinkedIn Publisher post.

After the conference, turn your notes into content and follow up with your connections.

8. Send Invitations to Connect

If you haven't already done so, make sure you send invitations to anyone whose business card you gathered at the conference. If you don't have their cards, look them up on LinkedIn.

For any good prospects, book a call or meeting online to continue the conversation.

9. Write a LinkedIn Publisher Post About the Event

Create a conference-specific LinkedIn Publisher post, using the information you gathered. Choose the best influencer quotes, images, and tips for this recap.

Create a LinkedIn Publisher post with a recap of the conference.

Tag, @mention, and notify anyone mentioned in the post, especially influencers. That way they can easily find and share your content too.

10. Stay Top of Mind With New Connections

For the next few weeks, share your conference-related updates and messages to stay top of mind with attendees. Also send the Publisher post to your tagged group of new connections.

In the months following the conference, periodically send brief private messages to your new connections. Ask questions like: Have you implemented any of the strategies you learned and what were the results? What was your favorite part of the conference and how has it helped your business? Who was your favorite speaker at the conference and what did you learn?

Keeping in touch is especially important for those who would be good prospective clients and partners.

As the next conference approaches, send a personalized message to your conference connections asking who will be attending.

Final Thoughts

When you attend a conference, you have a target-rich environment for relationship development. Use LinkedIn to connect, follow up, and develop relationships with the people you meet.

What do you think? Do you use LinkedIn to connect with people during conferences? What other ways do you use it during events? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Tips on 10 ways to use LinkedIn to connect with people at conferences and events.

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Original source: 10 LinkedIn Tips for Connecting With People at Live Events.
http://www.jretechnology.com

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Original source: Win Free Tickets to Social Media Success Summit 2016.
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