Connie Bensen

… for finally valuing my time. (It’s about time, too!)

I love my friend requests & add them all. This is my system:

• friend request with no note – just add them
• friend request with reason – add & respond
• friend request with comment about my blog – add & thank them
• friend suggestion – only add if I know them personally

Periodically I have to delete all the other requests. It was SO time consuming because I only do it when they get up around 200. This morning I spent 30 min’s & then complained on Twitter about the waste of my time. @degeeked told me that there is an "Ignore All" button!!! WAY TO GO Facebok! but in true Facebook fashion it’s not easy to find.

Click on Home | other requests

Scroll to right & there is the magic button -  ‘ignore all’!

That will give you the option to happily mass delete!

And @degeeked suggested that in the future I should use the saved 45 minutes for a nap! My recommendation is that you follow @degeeked for their smashing ideas! And check out degeeked.com for oodles & oodles of ideas!

What is your favorite Facebook tip or trick?

Mack Collier asked if I was going to post my presentation from the Web Community Forum. Is it ironic that I met Mack in a group in Facebook? And later I learned that he has a smashing marketing blog called The Viral Garden.

It was a panel so we didn’t have a formal presentation. Instead we started by asking the audience what their questions were to mix it up a bit because we were a day & half into the conference. I did put up some main points on the screen:

Sociology: It’s about relationships

For Facebook Groups to be effective there needs to be efforts towards building community.

Strategy: Have a plan & outline your goals for visitors & those joining

• Add Value
• Contribute to the conversation
• Be Creative
• Be Dynamic
• Be Relevant (in my case I have to remember succint too! )

We also talked about rejuvenating a group that’s dismally quiet. Ask yourself what you can do to regain interest? In a smaller group an email can be sent to the membership.

One question that was interesting was from a representative of T-Mobile asking if they should have a group? and what it should be. They were offered some suggestions. First check to see if fans have created groups around the brand already? If there are then join those conversations. If not, then create a strategy of what the objective is? They have a popular character in their ads so it was suggested that maybe a group could be formed around that character?

One main point that was made early on was that Facebook Groups were originally created to band people together to express ‘I Hate. xyz brand” or I love xyz brand! But another segment is using Facebook & we’re using Groups in quite a different way. We’re exchanging information, sharing & learning things & networking. Imagine how this appears to college students?

One of my main points in regard to Facebook groups is that Facebook Groups only provide value if you interact & get involved. I have heard many criticize them & question their worth, but they have been invaluable to my networking. And if you ask questions & listen to others you’ll find out that there is a world at your fingertips!

Some groups that I’d recommend checking out:

• Community Manager
• Web Strategy

Teresa Valdez Klein, Steve Broback, Jason Preston & Kim of Parnassus put on a great conference. It was wonderful to meet so many bloggers & Facebook aficionados!

Tris Hussey was live blogging & provided great commentary on the following sessions:

Jeremiah’s Keynote was excellent. He put his slides up on his blog.

Mari Smith also provided comprehensive coverage on his keynote

There was a session on Recruiting on Facebook

Lee Lorenzen says Facebook is worth $100 billion

Facebook for Professionals

Facebook App’s – it was noted that we had the most talented FB app developers congregated in one place

My photos are in Facebook.

*Update* Jeremiah also posted 7 key learnings from the Web Community Forum

That was the topic of my first presentation as a Community Manager/Social Media geek at Web Community Forum 07 in Seattle. It was also my first opportunity to meet bloggers in person. (more on that to come).

Tris Hussey of BlogNation did some great live blogging. He covered our session on Facebook Groups. Jake McKee & Monica Guzman joined me on our panel & were awesome!

Monica is totally passionate about her blogging & online ventures. She said – everything she does is an experiment! (My sister & I know how that is – and we love the adventure). She’s a journalist & it was fun listening to her vent about other sources posting news before her newspaper did. She was like – ‘how in the %&*# does Twitter get it immediately’? It made me smile to listen to her wanting to be the best! Rock on Monica!

Jake McKee is known as the Community Guy for a reason – he’s been building community before it was in vogue. I love his firm’s name, An Ant’s Eye View because it’s SO perfect! Aren’t we all just looking up as little beings at the world at large? I certainly feel that way being situated here in Minnesota. But thanks to web 2.0 those skyscrapers aren’t quite so tall!

It was great to meet these two & present with them!