Facebook group or page and other related issues

**Norri** · 13-Feb-12, 10:33 AM

Oh and here's the shortest version of your FB link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fo...51904608177744

**Dave A** · 13-Feb-12, 10:36 AM

I'm going to run out of thanks clicks today at this rate.

You're a star, Norri. Much appreciated!

**Norri** · 13-Feb-12, 10:39 AM

Any time

**Dave A** · 13-Feb-12, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by Norri

The major benefit of linking Facebook to forums, in my experience, is faster sign-ups - especially if you're using Facebook to advertise your forum. It's much easier to click "Connect with Facebook" than to click "Register" and then fill in all your personal details yet again.

I'm not into "easy signups" really.

Part of why TFSA works the way it does is the social progression system is designed to filter out the "noise". Only people who are interested in the primary focus area of the site (being business in South Africa) tend to stick around, and I'm not keen on messing with that.

I think for now I just want to add a button at the top of the page next to the Twitter Follow button, and then take feedback for a few days. Struggling to find the right way of doing that just at the moment - and it's going to have to wait to this evening.

Got work to do

**Jovana** · 13-Feb-12, 01:04 PM

If it's your first URL , you can automatically have a fancy URL set up (go to the options of your FB page).

If not, you only 25 likes before you can create a fancy URL

**Blurock** · 14-Feb-12, 08:59 AM

I am happy with the Forum as it is. It allows me to choose what I want to read and where I want to make a contribution. The different categories makes it easy to navigate. It is after all a forum, so if it is too much of a bother to sign up and fill out a profile...

No, I am not against change. In fact I regard myself as a change agent.

The problem that I have with Twitter and Facebook is the noise. It is almost as bad as sending SMS's. It is not categorised and it would be easy to miss a post. I am not interested in messages such as "I think I'll have some tea now". If you have nothing to say, don't say it...

**Just Gone** · 14-Feb-12, 09:04 AM

From what I understand having a facebook page is not going to affect the forum whatsoever. All tha the fb page does is advertise this forum and supply and link to this forum.

**Norri** · 14-Feb-12, 09:04 AM

Blurock, that wouldn't be the purpose of the Facebook page (it wouldn't be there for existing members to use as a replacement for the forum). It's there for folk who are already on Facebook, spot an interesting post, and then click through to interact on the forum or, even, interact on FB. Yes that will mean some of the FB people will miss what goes on in the forum and some of the forum people will miss what goes on in Facebook but, in general, there will be cross-pollination which will help build MORE people coming here and contributing advice, experience & questions

**Mark Atkinson** · 15-Feb-12, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by Norri

Once you have 100+ fans, you can have something like: http://www.facebook.com/just1.co.za

I believe it's actually 25+ fans before you can have a personalised link.

Dave, if you like I'd be happy to help you moderate the TFSA Facebook page (and yes, a page is a million times better than a group). I spend a lot of time on Facebook managing my other fan pages as well as our client Facebook pages - one extra page that interests me anyway isn't going to hurt.

Also, I'm sure people would use the feature in time. I'd venture to say that there are only a few people who are concerned about anonymity. Obviously I and many others are not.

I would love the option to be able to share TFSA posts via Facebook easily. I already tell half the folk I know that they should join TFSA - it would be a lot easier if they had something to look at straight away.

**Mark Atkinson** · 15-Feb-12, 10:24 AM

The one downside to using social media that I've experienced is that you're going to end up spreading your interaction a bit. People will end up commenting on Facebook instead of TFSA. Whether that is a bad thing or not is for you to decide.

With my new Red Giant Design blog, I share my posts via LinkedIn. These posts attract quite a few comments and other interaction. The problem is people comment on the LinkedIn discussion thread as opposed to on the blog! Obviously for a blog in its early phases you want people to be commenting on your blog as much as possible. I've even installed a plugin to break the LinkedIn frame on redirection to the website, to no avail.