Facebook…….I get it….finally!

I’ll be honest about Facebook.

When I initially set up my profile several months ago I didn’t find it useful, interesting, or fun. I promoted it as another web site our Loan Officers needed to have in order to increase their ability to connect with someone.

I didn’t know as many people on Facebook as I did on Linkedin. I couldn’t figure out how to customize my profile so that it was fun, interesting, relevant, or something that someone would come back to again.

A few weeks ago I decided to go back and poke around. I was intrigued with the variety of applications I saw on peoples pages. Applications for literally everything, links to blogs, pictures, lots of things that I found very interesting. The individual profile pages of people that I know had matured quite a bit and were very interesting.

In short, I think I’ve become a bit of a Facebook junkie……so much so that my boss might have to occasionally remind me that I do have another job.

Here’s what I like about Facebook:

It gives me an easy way to keep people informed about what is going on in the mortgage business with out it being to technical or boring.

I can personalize it to the point that people know “me”. In the mortgage business we sell a somewhat homogenous product, rates, fees, and term. Facebook gives me a chance to let people know me a little more personally.

It gives me a chance to connect with other people and refer them in a more viral fashion. For example, a very close friend of mine added me as a friend. I, in turn, introduced her to my group of friends.

It gives me a clean slate to promote things that other people do that I find interesting. I like to promote some podcasts that we create. Also, the ability to bookmark a home for sale listing from har.com to my Facebook account helps me promote things that are important to my friends.

I love the events feature. It gives me a quick way to find networking or charity events, or activities for my kids. Also it lets people around me know where I might be on any given day..

I am really fascinated by the “causes” feature. I don’t get to do enough charity work but enjoy doing it if I am invited.

The Facebook application for the blackberry is simply amazing. If I can’t run something on my blackberry, I quickly loose interest. The application downloaded quickly, was easy to use, and feature rich.

Also, I learned a great new term which is “Friend me up!”

The bottom line is that Facebook allows me to quickly and easily stay connected to many people and expand my sphere of universe at the same time. Unlike other sitse which I consider to be “static”, Facebook is a living, breathing thing that changes as I do.

As chaotic as our lives can be, Facebook seems to be very good at letting people learn what we do, who we are, what we find important and what is going on in our lives.

My Facebook page is still a work in progress, but feel free to “friend me up”!