What I Thought About Facebook 4 Years Ago

This interview originally aired on May 25, 2010.  Today, 4 years later, my opinions about Facebook have changed, becoming less favorable. 

Fours years ago you could reach many of your "fans," on Facebook, by simply posting a link to your website.  Today with almost three times as many "fans" I do not have the same level of engagement when posting links to my website.   Even buying an advertisement (a small $20 ad) does not yield the same reach I could get four years ago with 1/3 the "followers."

It is clear that Facebook has diminished engagement for content containing links pointing to external website.  This is based upon years of collecting data and carefully observing performance. 

Anyone expecting to utilize Facebook generate traffic for their websites, without spending any money on advertising, will have a very tough time.  Successful strategies are often fleeting, working initially then becoming less effective over time.

It is different for personal posts on Facebook (without links to external websites).  You can generate a lot of traffic and engagement for these types of posts.  Indeed Facebook loves this as it benefits their website. Sharing stories about your personal life is Facebook's sweet spot. 

Facebook profits from the free content.  People who post it love the ego stroke provided by the likes.  Visitors are completely engaged by the new level of insight into other people--even if it is a completely perspective based upon what the poster wants you to know.  Of course sharing celebrity gossip and jokes is popular as well.  Facebook has been brilliant.

I also see my concerns about privacy were completely warranted and have actually exceeded anything I could have imaged back in 2010.

As a result, I rarely post personal things on Facebook.  I still post links to AALBC.com content on Facebook, but I just live with the relatively low engagement, as I refuse to invest any more time on the platform.

Besides, my "old fashioned" eNewsletter is far more effective at generating traffic.  Right now their is no intermediary between me an my eNewsletter subscribers.  No one controls access and discovery to my mailing list the way access is now controlled on search and social media.

The video included myself, Ron Kavanaugh Founder of Mosaicbooks.com and host Darryl J. Jenkins.

Also on May 19th Ron, shut down the website Mosaicbooks.com after running it for almost 18 years.  Ron decided to focus on his literary magazine, Mosaic Literary Magazine. 

(September 28, 1996 - May 19, 2014)