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How I got Banned from Facebook

When I was booted, I received no email, no msg, no confirmation. Just a generic link to the Facebook Terms of Service. For 3 weeks, I received no responses to any of the Facebook email addresses for disabled accounts. And then 3 weeks later, I get 1 email (see below), and my account is turned back on.

Since Facebook is a we-learned-from-myspace’s-mistakes kind of site, they are super, super, super paranoid about Spam. So the have a few strict published rules like:

1. No non-person profiles (you have to make a “fan page”).
2. No porn.

And then, they have serveral internal rules, which will cause you a lot of frustration if you don’t know about them.Those internal rules are:

1. No repeat messaging.
2. No over-inviting.
3. No scraping (copy/pasting emails from facebook).

Overall, I agree with these policies. Here’s the problem: They can’t manage 6 billion people’s behavior. No freaking way. So they have all these little internal Facebook Robots that are set to attack upon certain conditions.There’s no robot that can tell a business profile page from a personal profile page, which is why businesses still have profile pages. They can’t write a robot smart enough to figure out real person names from busines names. But for all their internal rules, here are the Bots!

The Facebook Robots

After researching other Facebook bans, here’s the robots I know about:

1. The Inbox Protector Robot: If you send messages to too many people using the compose tool within a 24 hour period, this robot boots you from facebook after you send to certain magic number of people. He causes problems when you are communicating the same information to a large number of people who really want the information.

2. The Friend Protector Robot: If you click the “Add a Friend” button on too many people within a 24 hour period, this robot boots you from facebook. She causes problems when you really do need to connect to a large number of people in a short period of time.

3. The Scraper Robot: If you copy (Cntl-C) information from too many friends’ profile pages within a 24 period, this robot boots you from facebook. He causes problems when you are not a spammer, but need key information from your friends’ pages.

4. The Anti-Porn Robot: If you post inappropriate material that gets flagged, this robot boots you from Facebook. She causes problems when you have a profile set to Adults only and someone still flags you, or if you are flagged by a jerk.

How Long Till You Get Back on Facebook

The best part is that the robots are set on timers. So after exactly 3 weeks, your profile is automatically turned back on. The email is signed from someone in Support, like “Bob.” I’m sure that for each bot, you receive a different kind of message. This is a generic email programmed to be sent out when they automatically turn your profile back on.

How to Avoid the Robots

You will get a Warning message as you approach the limit on the number of messages or friend invites. Heed that Warning! That Warning is also a cue to the timer in the robot to start watching you. If you proceed to hit okay, everything will seem fine for a little while, then suddenly, your login ability will be taken away. And you will have gotten banned.

How to Play with the Robots

You can safely test the waters by continuing to add friends (maybe 50 or so) until you get the Warning message. When the Warning appears, hit Cancel, do not hit Okay. Then, do not add any more friends for 24 hours. This will successfully navigate you away from the robots, and allow you to continue with normal profile activity. If you try to add a friend later and you see the warning, you’ll know that it hasn’t been 24 hours.

I suspect the Robots will continue to get smarter, and eventually control your every thought. In the meantime, you can enjoy playing with them on Facebook.

For more business coaching, contact Mark Berry at mark@littlelovecoach.com

Maybe you don’t know how social media can be used to build your Consulting business. Maybe you feel its just a big waste of time, with no real way you could consistently get clients, build brand or name recognition from using something like twitter.

Lets take a little time here, and let me show you how to build a successful Consulting business using online social media services. Begin with looking at how you already or might be able to use these services. If you spend time speaking to business professionals, or talking to people about business than were on the right path.

Because the social media world is a perfect pool of prospects and professionals.

“The Society for New Communications Research, conducted research which looked at 17,000 Internet users in 29 countries” and found that social media can have a dramatic impact on their brand’s reputation.

“34% post opinions about products and brands on their blog and 36% think more positively about companies that have blogs.”

What impact could that have on your business?

There is no faster way to create credibility and brand recognition than through social media. A valid reason alone for using sites such as Twitter and Face-book. Once you have begun to collect followers who seem interested in you and your business you will be in position to offer real value to those seeking more info on you and what you have to offer.

That usually comes in the nature of questions in a post. These questions get speared throughout an entire network, and how you answer these questions will reflect your professionalism and personal touch.

Through these occasions of interaction you will be building a “case history” of sorts. You can create a FAQ, list, you can conduct a Survey, invite others for Interviews, and even do some advertising by posting titles and links to helpful articles that you write.

As you can see this is the probably the fastest and most efficient way to interact with prospects. You will very quickly be able to connect to hundreds of thousands of real live people who can contribute to your business. By sending you valuable content and leads.

If you’re ready to go to the next step, and become a High Priced Expert than go to Adapt on a Dime.com http://www.adaptonadime.com Get your FREE audio download called “Get 50 Clients Worth Tens Of Thousands In 2 Minutes Each”.

Here’s a little tip. If you’re the daughter of a presidential candidate and you decide to support the opponent, don’t make it public through social networking.

Back when the election was in its infant stages, Rudy Giuliani’s daughter, Caroline, decided it was time to update her Facebook profile. She set her political views as “liberal” and joined the group “One Million Strong for Barack” a fan page for Barack Obama supporters.

The media was all over the social networking profile like flies to a picnic.

We could go through all the do’s and don’ts of social networking but the overall message in all of this: social networking websites are an effective way to get your message across and meet other people with similar interests.

According to comScore, a marketing research company serving many of the Internet’s largest businesses, Facebook is the leading social networking site based on monthly unique visitors, having overtaken main competitor MySpace in April 2008. ComScore reports that Facebook attracted 132.1 million unique visitors in June 2008, compared to MySpace, which attracted 117.6 million.

And to clear up the myth that Facebook is just for “young people,” the website boasts membership that includes the likes Fortune 500 businessmen, celebrities, political leaders, musicians and everybody in between.

While on Facebook, you can join fan pages for your favorite television show, celebrity, musician, local celebrity. There are groups for people interested in everything from fly fishing to reading the Harry Potter series. And on the more professional side of things … there are countless opportunities for networking.

There are other “business social networking sites” the most common of which is Linkedin, which is good but strictly business. The site lacks the ability to show your true colors. While this may be good when looking for a new career, ultimately your true colors will eventually shine through anyway, so if you lead a relatively normal life, networking and expressing your individuality on Facebook shouldn’t pose too much of a business risk.

To navigate your way through this economic storm will require creativity, determination, innovation, strong communication skills and the ability to do some very clever networking. Using social networking tools is the perfect launch pad from which to present yourself to the professional world. As a matter of fact, the HR recruiter who initially brought me to Denver first met me … on Facebook.

So are you ready to catch the Facebook frenzy? Be sure to add me as a friend!

Here’s a little tip. If you’re the daughter of a presidential candidate and you decide to support the opponent, don’t make it public through social networking.

Back when the election was in its infant stages, Rudy Giuliani’s daughter, Caroline, decided it was time to update her Facebook profile. She set her political views as “liberal” and joined the group “One Million Strong for Barack” a fan page for Barack Obama supporters.

The media was all over the social networking profile like flies to a picnic.

We could go through all the do’s and don’ts of social networking but the overall message in all of this: social networking websites are an effective way to get your message across and meet other people with similar interests.

According to comScore, a marketing research company serving many of the Internet’s largest businesses, Facebook is the leading social networking site based on monthly unique visitors, having overtaken main competitor MySpace in April 2008. ComScore reports that Facebook attracted 132.1 million unique visitors in June 2008, compared to MySpace, which attracted 117.6 million.

And to clear up the myth that Facebook is just for “young people,” the website boasts membership that includes the likes Fortune 500 businessmen, celebrities, political leaders, musicians and everybody in between.

While on Facebook, you can join fan pages for your favorite television show, celebrity, musician, local celebrity. There are groups for people interested in everything from fly fishing to reading the Harry Potter series. And on the more professional side of things … there are countless opportunities for networking.

There are other “business social networking sites” the most common of which is Linkedin, which is good but strictly business. The site lacks the ability to show your true colors. While this may be good when looking for a new career, ultimately your true colors will eventually shine through anyway, so if you lead a relatively normal life, networking and expressing your individuality on Facebook shouldn’t pose too much of a business risk.

To navigate your way through this economic storm will require creativity, determination, innovation, strong communication skills and the ability to do some very clever networking. Using social networking tools is the perfect launch pad from which to present yourself to the professional world. As a matter of fact, the HR recruiter who initially brought me to Denver first met me … on Facebook.

So are you ready to catch the Facebook frenzy? Be sure to add me as a friend!

It seems that today there is no limit to how we are able to connect with people via the internet. Most of the people Facebooking and Tweeting on a daily (or hourly) basis have a vested interest in connecting. I am speaking about those of us that make our living selling online. If you run an online business, you know about social media.

Some have embraced this marketing trend to the fullest, while others have shunned it. Think you don’t want to reconnect with schoolmates you haven’t seen in decades? Think again. These people knew you before you were a wife, a husband, a mom, a dad… a business owner. Unlike the dreadful small talk we are forced to endure at awkward business networking functions, ‘catch-up’ conversation with old friends comes naturally. Sharing a common point of reference from your past, you are able to reach out and share ‘good old days’ stories. This is not only refreshing personally, it can be the start of a casual, yet profitable business networking relationship.

You have a greater chance at developing strong networking connections with old classmates, be they former BFFs or just mere acquaintances, than a stranger at a business mixer. To ignore a networking tool like Facebook is to turn your back on a free, easy and fun connection to hundreds of potential customers, investors, partners and consultants. It is worth the time and effort setting not only yourself, but also your business up with accounts on these social media/social networking websites.

It is important, if not urgent, to note that there is an unspoken code of ethics when it comes to marketing your company via social media. You should be ‘you’ and not a weird, unfamiliar salesman version of yourself. When alerting your list of friends or followers to the fact that you even own an online business, you should do it in the same manner in which you might recommend a great restaurant. In other words, take care not to seem pushy or greedy. Mention that you have set your business’s page up on Facebook and you’d love it if everyone ‘became a fan’ (which is the terminology used on Facebook for business pages.) On Twitter, include a link to your site (preferably by first visiting a site like tinyurl.com to condense the URL) and let everyone know that you would love for them to check it out.

If you get lousy results (no one ‘fans’ your page on Facebook and you can see from your Google Analytics that no one came over to your website via the link you ‘tweeted’ on Twitter) be patient. Bulk up the content on your company’s Facebook page. A couple of times a month (between casual personal FB communications) update your status with something relevant to your business. The same thing goes for Twitter - tweet to your followers that you have added new products, services or content to your website. These things are all acceptable, but in moderation. Do NOT tweet each time you get mentioned in the press. Do NOT update your status on Facebook letting everyone know each time a ‘great new product was just added to your website.’ If all of your communications to the FB or Twitter community are business related, be prepared to see nothing but lousy results.

I have followed these ‘rules’ and had a nice amount of success on Facebook. I now have repeat customers that were once fellow Girl Scouts. I have also secured some great exposure for my site on prominent product review blogs through Twitter.

Since I found that social media sites work well for my business, I have since connected my Wordpress blog to Facebook. This way, each time I add a post to my blog, a new note pops up on my business FB page. This casually shows up in a box on my personal FB page - not as a headline/status update - but literally as a side note. It is prominent, but not in their face. So, relax, have fun with social media and you can’t lose, as long as you remember to be ‘you’.

Where have YOU been?

Unless you have lived in a cave the last 4 years, you have probably heard of this. It is a rocking hot social networking site that seems to be almost everywhere today. It is on the news. It is on the radio. It is on the minds of millions of folks a day.

It is called “Facebook” and over 175 million people are active on this site.

Ok- I know that you may be asking,” A LAW about Facebook?” Yes, 10 of them for marketing and business success in what you do. I am a marketer and have been for 20 years. I built a training and consulting business that does business in over 20 countries, because of social media and the internet. And there are marketing laws that all marketers and business professionals must follow if they are going to have Success in the marketplace online.

It is the same for Facebook.

Lets cover them briefly:

1) The Law of Visibility on Facebook.

You MUST be visible on Facebook of you are going to get your message out. You must spend time on Facebook and get to know people. You must put yourself together a “Facebook blueprint” and work it. How many hours a week are you going to be seen on FB? How many times are you going to befriend someone this week? How many times are you going to upload photos this week? All of these things put you in the ‘Visibility Zone” on Facebook, and on the radar as far as people on Facebook. Be SEEN and be THERE on a daily basis.

2) The Law of the Powerful Facebook Profile.

Why would people want to get to know you? One of the first things they check out is your Facebook profile. What does it say- but better yet- what does it DO? Does it make people curious and want to get to know you? Does it make them think? Does it make them smile? Does it make them see that you have Value for their life and can help change it?

Powerful Facebook profiles are NOT based on what is said in your profile- but what it DOES.

Does it direct them to DO something? Does it tell them you are person they MUST know? Or someone that has a nice picture and a nice profile- with no magnetism? Put yourself OUT THERE and tell the world WHY they need you as a friend, and get them to take action towards YOU.

3) The Law of the Facebook WALL.

You MUST use your Wall to market or message. many folks regard their Wall as a communication utility like email. It is not that. You already have a Facebook email. The Wall is for you to BUILD- BRICK BY BRICK- MESSAGE BY MESSAGE- NOTE BY NOTE- VIDEO BY VIDEO- your Brand on Facebook. Every time something happens with you- it goes on your Wall. Don’t stare at the wall- CLIMB THE SUCKER and make your message the PEAK of the page- and keep yourself out there with the Wall. And answer the messages on your Wall. Thank people for sharing with you their visit or message. This will show up on THEIR wall. This will set you apart from most on Facebook. The Wall is simply a BILLBOARD of what you are doing and your friends are doing on Facebook. Use it often and wisely.

4) The Law of Your Facebook Network.

You are part of a local Facebook network and you have access to that network to befriend them. I live in Birmingham Michigan, and the network i am a part of is the Detroit network. There are 640,926 people in my network that I could potentially MEET LIVE in a local place and get to know them and connect with them. You have local folks as well. Where do you find your network?

Click on “settings” and then click on “network.” You will find it there. This is a GOLD MINE of people in your local area to CONNECT and Construct new trust bridges that may lead to business down the road.

5) The Law of the Facebook Notifications.

This is an overlooked and rarely talked about utility. Notifications are part of your “Facebook email system.” Go to “email” at the top of your Facebook profile page, and then click on “notifications.”This is list of who is thinking about you, talking about you, including you in tags, and generally is pointing to you. This is a GOLD MINE of people that have PROVEN they are behind you and willing to make you a part of their Facebook experience. Pay attention to the Facebook notifications. Thank them for their thoughts of you on their Wall and let them know you appreciate it. Include them as well on your tags and other activity on Facebook. The notifications are GOLD and is a prospecting Vault of Leads. And make sure you stay CONNECTED to them.

6) The Law of Facebook Link Love.

The Link application on Facebook is a HOT commodity. It allows you to post a link that you like and then sends it out on the news feed that is on your home page. It picks up the image that you want on the link page, and allows it to be a LIVE link. Send out other people’s LINK and givem some LOVE. Do NOT just send out your own links. Let others do that. Find interesting links of others and send them out.

WHY? EXPOSURE for you. You will be given credit for the link. People LOVE link love. If you send out a LOT of other people’s links on Facebook, they will start sending out YOUR links. Been there done that.

7) The Law of Facebook Groups.

Join groups. Join a LOT of Groups. Start your OWN groups. The join MORE groups. Why? Here are a few reasons: EXPOSURE. CONNECTION to other Group members. AUTHORITY. Start your own and be a Leader. INCREASE YOUR REACH.Groups extend your reach into Facebook. MULTIPLIED PROSPECTS. There are more people in a group - then on a profile page.

Duh. Build a list in your own group and then you can become an admin and email messages to them. Make them messages of VALUE and interest.

The Law of Facebook Events.

Attend events. Attend more Events. And then attend many MORE events. Why? It allows you to leave a message on the events page wall, and create exposure. I attend at least 2 Facebook events every week- to learn- and to network. Events can be found on the new Facebook page in the upper right under “Upcoming”-these are the events that are upcoming. There is one unique twist: You have birthdays under the “upcoming” tag- and you can send presents to folks. THIS will get their attention as it shows up on their wall and the news feed as well. Attend as many events as you can. make them worth your while- learn and grow from them. BUT’always leave a RSVP message about attending or not- with an encouraging message. This will show your professionalism, and caring.

Event UP! This will do you well on Facebook. Put the term “events” in the search box, and it will find every event that is going on in your network of friends. It is a GOLD MINE of new possibilties of business. Become a master of events!

9) The Law of Facebook Multimedia- Videos and Photos.

People LOVE photos and videos. They are the most looked at and watched pages on Facebook. Make some videos and upload them. Upload some photographs. Not only will the be seen on your wall and the Facebook news feed, but also will allow you to “tag” others on these. This means that you can pick out people you have befriended and let them know you are thinking of them. And when you tag someone- it shows up on THEIR wall. Not isn’t THAT cool? It is called EXPOSURE!

10) The Law of the Facebook NEWS FEED.

This is the big kahuna of Exposure on Facebook. This gets you out to ALL of your friends and creates a massive exposure vehicle that can keep your brand in front and recognized. You also will be many times on the “featured” part of the new news feed on the right. This gives you HUGE exposure. Whatever you do, like change your status, upload a video, write and publish a note, or just comment on another person’s message on the Facebook news feed- it SHOWS UP in the news Feed. Be seen- and be seen often if you are trying to brand yourself on Facebook.

Yes, you need to establish relationships, and build community. But if you are going to MARKET on Facebook-then you need to at least get a guideline of what and how to do it. The 10 Social Media Laws of Facebook hopefully gave you some idea in your social media marketing.

blessings…Doug Firebaugh