Facebook has become one of the most addictive social media phenomena to sweep the world! It has over 400 million users to date and is growing every day. These days Facebook is growing at the rate of 450,00 to 600,000 new users per day. That was around 700 new people while you were reading this.

Not only is Facebook a great way to hook up with friends and family, it is an excellent tool for businesses. The Facebook Fan page is a definite must.

Why do I need a Fan page?

1. Pages are public. Some Fan pages are not behind a login therefore search engines can index the page. Hopefully, people will stumble on the result in SERPs, visit the Facebook page, and then get to your site via the link.

2. Pages include links. Because the pages are public, you can get some nice facebook.com link credit.

3. Send “updates to Fans”. One of the greatest features is that you can send “updates” to fans whenever you want. It’s a nice way of building a database of interested users. Send messages about new products, updated website, etc.

4. You control the page. Making the page before a Fan or a competitor is critical. You want to be able to send the messages, edit or remove sections, and control the information to an extent.

5. News feed. When someone joins a Fan page, it’s published in their News feed for all their to read (unless they have turned this off). It makes someone joining your Fan page somewhat viral.

6. It’s free and easy. Making a Fan page takes just a few minutes – add some information, URL, and upload the logo and you’re done.

So, if you are interested in creating an awesome Facebook Fan page, continue reading the Essential Facebook Fan Page Resources. It is full of great information to get you on your way.

The 2010 Olympics were great. I really got involved in sports that I have never watched before such as the Skeleton and Curling. Since I have begun my internet marketing business, I have been blogging like crazy and that has pushed me to research and read about new and exciting things. I never thought I would have anything to say about the Norwegians and their crazy pants , but I found myself writing about them and then joining their Facebook fanpage!

One thing I have always wondered about but never had the motivation to look up is how the host city is chosen for the Olympics. Of all the cities around the world, how do they choose one? So, I started researching and this is what I found.

Any city that feels they have what it takes to host the Olympics can apply to the International Olympic commission (IOC).  The IOC will then investigate that city over the next ten months.  They will look for things such as:

1. The city must prove that it is big enough to handle Olymp ic games and the huge number of tourists, athletes, journalists and politicians. They must be able to host the games in new stadiums and must be able to house all the people in hotels and provide transportation. They must also be able to provide adequate security.

2. The residents of that city must be convinced that the expenses of covering the Olympics are worth it. The city may raise taxes in order to  cover this endeavor.

3. The media coverage in that city must be highly positive.

If the IOC decides that the city has fulfilled all three points above, it is considered a “Candidate City” and it will move on to the second phase. In this phase, the city sends in an application and fee which can cost up to $150,000. If a city is chosen to host the Olympics, it is a great honor. The city not only is able to show pride for their city and country, they are in the international spotlight and they have the opportunity to bring new jobs to the community and build up tourism.

The 2012 Summer Olympics will be held in London from July 27 through August 12, 2012.  They will be the first city to host the Olympic games three times (it was previously held there in 1908 and 1948).   Applications were submitted in July of 2003 and there were nine cities that submitted bids. These cities were Havana, Istanbul, Leipzig, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris and Rio de Janeiro.

By July of 2005 it was narrowed down to Paris and London. At the end of the fourth round of voting, London won the right to host the 2012 Games with 54 votes, defeating Paris’s 52. Various French publications blamed the Paris loss on French President Jacques Chirac‘s statements before the vote that “We can’t trust people [the British] who have such bad food. After Finland, it’s the country with the worst food.” Two current members of the IOC are from Finland!

I began using Facebook almost a year ago, and it has proven to be one of the best things I have ever done. At first, my two teenagers didn’t think it was cool for a 43-year-old mom to set up a Facebook account. They said I was too old and that it was just for the kids to use. Well, did I ever prove them wrong!

I got everything set up; my interests, my views on religion and politics,
hobbies, and my home town. I found a nice picture of myself and loaded that up too. My account was set. “But now what do I do?” I thought. It was all blank andI had no idea what came next. My daughter Haley finally broke down and helped me out.

We looked up names of friends and sent out friend requests. But at that time not many of my “old” friends were on, so I had to add Mark and Haley’s friends at first. They were thrilled that I was on Facebook and gladly accepted my friendship.

My list started growing. Friends from high school started popping up with notes such as, “Hey Tracy, remember me?,” and “What have you been doing for the last 25 years?” It was great! Friends I haven’t talked to for over twenty five years started pouring out of the woodwork and friending me. It was like a huge class reunion on-line.

I now have almost 300 friends and more keep coming. I love reading their statuses and quickly finding out important things going on in their lives. I send a comment here and there and love to get responses. It is a great way to keep in touch with people that you never would have normally. Posting pictures is also a wonderful way to share your family and fun things you have done with your Facebook friends.

Facebook is where my boyfriend Mark and I found each other again. We were friends in high school and we hadn’t talked in over 25 years. But one day…. there he was on my screen saying, “remember me?” Well, I’ll save that story for a later time, but it just confirms to me how great Facebook is.

My advice, “Get started!” Don’t be afraid if you don’t know exactly what to do. Play around and you will get the feel for it. You will be amazed to see how many people are out there waiting to talk to you. Who knows? You may find your high school sweetheart who has been thinking of you for all those years and now has a chance to talk to you once again.

I would love to hear your stories about friends and Facebooking. Leave me an email about your experiences! tracy@tracysworld.com