For many of us who have been using social media for a while, it is hard to believe the whole world isn’t using it.  I have found some of my clients are just getting started.  They are just thinking of setting up their account and need some help.   So help is here….step by step instructions to get started with Facebook.

Getting Started With Facebook

1. Sign up! Provide your name, mobile phone number or email address, and your date of birth to get started. You’ll need to confirm your phone number or email before moving further. You can also create a business page with Facebook! (We will go over that in another post!)

2. Add your friends. Facebook uses its superpowers to determine who you may already know. Check out its list to see if you find any familiar names. Click on “add friend” to send them a friend request. Once they accept, you’ll become “friends,” and their activity will show up in your News Feed! If you don’t find your friends here, don’t worry. You can search for them by name later!

3. Customize your settings. At the top of your screen, there is a drop-down arrow in the top right corner. Click on “settings.” Edit general settings, privacy settings, notification settings, and more in this screen.  (This are pretty easy and it is your preference.)

4. Add a profile picture. To upload a picture, click on your name at the top of your screen (unless Facebook prompts you to do this first). Either click on the blank photo or the word “photos.” Upload a picture you have on yourself that you have in your computer files.  If you don’t have one, have someone take a quick photo with your phone.  Doesn’t have to be high quality, but a clear photo where we can see your face.

5. Update your “cover photo.”  This is the banner-like photo that appears at the top of your profile page.  You can upload any horizontal photo.  It will automatically crop the picture to fit.   We will go over exact sizing for fancier pictures in a future post.

6. Tell us who you are. On the same screen, click on “About.” Here you can update your education information, contact information, personalized “about me” section, business hours, family and relationship information, and more. If you have a business,  you may want to add your business website address here as well.

7. Reveal your big news. To update your status, click in the text box at the top of your home or profile screen. Upload a picture, paste a link, or just use text to let your friends know what you’re up to.

Now your account is set up and you are ready to start using Facebook to connect with your friends and relatives.

Navigating the Home Page…

 The main page that Facebook takes you to after you login is the “News Feed.” Here, you can find your friends’ recent status and photo updates.

At the top of the page, you’ll find a search bar, a link to your profile page, a link to your messages, and your notifications.

The little world is the “notifications” button. If you see a little red number by it, that means you have new Facebook activity that you haven’t seen yet.

You can also see which current events are trending on the right-hand side of the home page.  It is sometimes fun to see what others are talking about regarding world events.

So there you have a brief overview of getting started and navigating your home page. Check back every couple days to learn more! We will cover other important information about Facebook in future posts.