I hate to be a miserable so and so (I really do) but this has been niggling me for the last week or two and the niggle is getting worse not better. I mentioned my feelings on exact match domains a while ago but I think this may be worse.

I have been looking at more than a few Facebook products lately and more and more of them are about how fast you can throw up a Facebook page. They are often giving you ready made niche packages, so they may include a page for weight loss, make money at home, and how to become a pole dancer. The templates look lovely they include a video sometimes and something to give away to people who “like” you.

Great idea, it takes all the work out of finding a niche, making images and a video so it seems like a must have. But it means your page will be one of a hundred, two hundred or maybe even a thousand other pages that will look exactly the same with the same images, same videos and all aimed at the same market.

facebook slap

Couldnt find a pic of him slapping anyone

So rather than having a unique page that builds your “tribe” with your own unique brand you are just shoving up a page which will be exactly the same as hundreds of others. I can’t imagine that is going to be too hard for Facebook to spot and deal with.

Didn’t we see this kind of thing with Squidoo? Then they changed the rules and everyone moaned and groaned but dont seem to have learned anything from it.

The real worry here is not that Facebook will decide to shut the pages of people who just use the same mass produced template. Although that would be bad for people doing it obviously,  the real worry is that people (you know my wife and her friends, the normal Facebook users) will get sick of seeing the same page everywhere they go when they look for diets (not that my wife or any of her friends need a diet obviously) and stop taking notice of any pages at all.

Once the public starts to distrust everything they see on Facebook then it will become tougher to make any income from it.

Facebook Is A Tool
My dad was a master brick layer (I think you call them Masons in the USA) and he always talked about looking after your tools and learn how to use them. You can be the best bricklayer in the world but it is all a lot harder with poor tools and if you have good tools but dont learn how to use them it makes everything you do hard work.

When people start with wordpress they always look for the easiest way to do everything, and I totally understand, but the problems start when something doesn’t behave how they expect. That is exactly how it is with Facebook, you can slap up a templated page that you put together using a plugin or a bit of software but what happens when they change something in the back end (notice I said when not if)?

You do not need to become a codemaster, but you do need to keep your eyes open and learn things outside your comfort zone (which is a lot easier said than done in my personal experience).

Putting a page up on Facebook is simple enough that you do not need software (although I did just see a image program designed for Facebook which I thought was good but it is not available yet) to do it for you. But really learning how to use the site is not so easy (in my opinion)

  • The privacy settings are complicated
  • How do you get real friends
  • Why do some posts get more impressions than others
  • Do I still build links to my facebook page

Becoming A Master Is Not Fast
Becoming a mechanic is not quick, lots of hands on learning and plenty of courses to do. Becoming a bricklayer took my dad years where he spent time learning what worked best. He listened to people and tried things out, he worked crappy hours and ended up drinking too much (in IM I find that many of us drink to much Coffee or Diet Coke).

Why do any of us expect to be a Facebook expert after buying one course which features a 40 page ebook (first 10 pages are all about the author and the last 3 pages are resource links) and a video telling you that you need a facebook account before you can do a page and that there are lots of people on Facebook..

You should read, you can buy courses and ebooks until you have no more money, but at some point you have to do it. Set up a page and get your hands dirty, don’t worry that it looks bad (I know mine does, but the next one will be better) and that you are unsure of what to do. That is called learning! It is not easy and it is not overnight but you can do it and once you have mastered it you will be able to just about anything.

Manual is The Way To Go
You will learn more by building your Facebook page manually than by just sparking up some software and having at it. I love software, but I try and do stuff manually first. Learn how to put a page together and then look at software, you may well realize you don’t need it.

Its About Being Real
Yes you can fake just about anything , but when you are trying to build a tribe they will smell it if you are faking. I would love to do a Facebook group aimed at American football fans, I know they are rabid and will buy things that someone they trust recommends. The problem is I know nothing about the game and have never managed to watch a full game. Sure I could do some research but it is never going to be enough to make me seem real to people who truly know and love the sport.

I am just getting into Facebook and am trying to learn how to do things the right way. It won’t be going anywhere so I do not feel the need to rush into it all. There is a right way and a wrong way to do anything and the right way is not always the fastest or easiest way.

Thanks for reading this far please do feel free to leave a comment below or even go to my Facebook page and leave a comment there. I