Facebook - Friend or Foe?

Firstly, just want to say a huge thank you to everyone for the really positive feedback about my first blog post 'Twitter - whats the fuss all about?' really appreciate all the lovely comments I received on here & through Twitter!

So following on from that, I thought for this post I would look at why I have fallen out of love with Facebook and why I don't really use it for 'networking' for my business! Said whilst listening for a sharp intake of breath from all the Social Media experts out there though ;)

Ok, my main problem is its functionality and the whole thing of pages, profiles, groups, events and all those other little icons down the side that the general user probably doesn't have a clue what to do with.

The whole issue of 'liking' pages is too long winded. Unless you know what you are looking for or have a link, I find it really difficult to search anything and if I want to check out my friends 'likes' it looks like this:

Hardly easy reading is it? Especially that last bit on the end 'and xxx more' who is really or has the time to go through that? I know I don't! Why they ever got rid of the panel down the left hand side of peoples profile's with their likes (and the company logos) I will never know.

I think that is another really important point, as a business you need brand awareness & that list hardly promotes you does it?! You are just in a list with everyone else!

Then my other major gripe is, that if you want to like a page to your own page, you have to go right to the bottom left hand side and then smuggled in there somewhere is 'add to my pages favourites' why not have a' like to my page' button next to the normal like button?!

Then there is the whole issue of sharing posts - I know from looking how my friends use Facebook they very rarely post about products or services, its normally funny You Tubes clips or music videos. When I set my page up for my business only 2 of my friends went on 'share' my posts to their walls. Now, I seriously don't think its because my friends don't like me (I hope, lol!) but I genuinely think it is because either people don't know how to or its just too long winded! Especially when confronted with this & all the options of where & who to share with!

So, from my business point of view, I just don't think it works. I could post as many lovely things as I want & have a brilliant page, but what is the point if no one sees it or shares it with others?

I am sure there will be Social Media experts who can tell me all the tricks I am missing with Facebook (and I would love to hear them, lol!) but from a users perspective it is not the easiest format to navigate & explore.

I think what I am trying to say is I think Facebook has become its own foe - it is trying to tick so many boxes to keep up with all the other social media, I think it has just lost it's way and over complicated things. I think I read somewhere the other day, or was told by one of my twitter pals that there are over 40 different social media platforms - and Facebook cant be all things to all people!