How to Make the Most of Facebook

So you’ve decided to sign up for Facebook, currently the social-networking site du jour. At first, it may seem like no big deal, a waste of time even. But using the site to its fullest capabilities can have benefits in you social life and even in your professional life. You just need to make the most of Facebook.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Internet Access

Instructions

How to Make the Most of Facebook

1. Choose the name you’re known by when registering your name for the first time on Facebook. If your full name is Michael Smith, but everyone calls you Mike, register your name as Mike Smith. This will help people narrow you down when they are searching for you. If you are a married woman who has changed her name, be sure to enter your maiden name in the provided field. It will make reconnecting with former classmates a lot easier.

2. Search for “friends” by using your email address book. To do this, go to the “Friends” tab at the top of the page, then click “Find Friends." The email you registered with Facebook should appear, with the option to enter your password (sometimes your password may already appear, albeit grayed out, as well). Click “Find Friends” and a list of already-registered Facebook users who are included in your address book should show up.

3. Invite non-registered friends to use Facebook. To do this, follow the process detailed in Step Two, and then click “Invite Friends” at the end. A list of the non-registered people in your email address book should appear. Click the names of the people you wish to invite, and Facebook will send an automated email informing them you have invited them to join the site.

4. Enter as much personal information as you feel comfortable with. At the very least, you should enter any schools you attended and the years you attended them. This will allow people searching for former classmates to locate you.

5. Join as many groups as possible. There is a group for just about everything on Facebook, from political leanings to favorite foods. Search for the topics you are interested in and sign up to join the group, this will expose you to many more friends.

6. Frequently update your profile and your status. Keeping your profile current will boost it to the top of your friends’ Live Feed page so they can’t forget about you.

7. Post pictures or videos on your profile page, or include links you think your friends might be interested in. This also keeps your profile current and boosts it to the top of the Live Feed page.

8. Search through any photos your friends have posted and tag yourself in any pictures you appear in. Depending on the privacy settings, this will allow your friends to see the pictures even if they are not friends with whoever posted the pictures.

9. Comment on the photos your friends posts. As with Step Eight, this will allow your friends to view the pictures even if they are not friends with the person who posted them (again, this may depend on your friends’ privacy settings).