I love facebook, but there are not many things more annoying than being bombarded by people that want to sell something – anything on YOUR personal facebook profile. This post will discuss some of my frustrations [and I am betting yours] as well as show you how to remove those that are intent on pushing an unwanted marketing message upon you.
I see a lot of things when I look at the back end of my website. A lot of things. One of the things you quickly notice when you track search terms on your website [if you are so inclined to do so] is that consumers ask search engine’s like Google, Yahoo and Bing the darndest things. Not only do they ask search engines funny things, they usually do so conversationally. Meaning, they often type as they would speak.
I have seen all kinds of searches on my website – it’s one of the benefits of getting “FOUND” online. I am a former title rep, I spent 10 years helping real estate professionals grow their business. Most real estate agents use facebook the right way – sadly, many others do not. When consumers ask Google questions they don’t usually pick keywords like “Short Sale Arizona” [I’m sure some do, but the majority don’t]. No, they ask things like “Should I short sale my home in Arizona “ or “How long can I stay in my house after foreclosure”, or short sale vs foreclosure or “Title Company Mesa Arizona”
Often times, when I monitor searches on my website I can get a feel for what consumers are thinking. For instance, it would not be unusual right now to see searches in Google for “Royal Wedding”, it’s something that many people are thinking about because it’s on TV and the Radio and the Internet and it’s top of mind. [Why, I have no clue]. Which brings me to the topic of this post.
I’ve noticed several variations of the title of this post on my website lately - “How To Remove Real Estate Agent” from Facebook news feed”. And I literally LOL’d, ROFL’d and said OMG. It’s hysterical to me. It means that somewhere, another person, another potential client of yours, another CONSUMER is annoyed enough by another real estate agent occupying their precious news feed with real estate stuff. These people were so annoyed, they did what consumers do when they have a question or problem – they asked GOOGLE. I quickly noted that the search on my site was not “How To Remove PERSON From Facebook News feed” it was clear as day “real estate agent”.
Ever since Facebook became mainstream, meaning your mom and dad are on it – as well as your grandparents, real estate professionals have taken to it like a moth to a flame, like a fat boy to an all you can eat Chinese Buffet. I have noticed it too. Have you? My precious news feed once occupied with “check this movie out” or “just had the best sandwich” or even motivational quotes [which I hate by the way ] is now overrun with “new listing!” “Check out this beauty”, “Beat The Bank”, “I just sold X homes” “Homes for sale in Chandler AZ 85248″ and so on. It bugs me. I can only imagine how much it pains the traditional consumer that just wants to unwind from a long day at work with a glass on vino and their facebook friends – only to be attacked by solicitations.
You see, there is an unwritten code when it comes to facebook – an invisible social contract if you will. Facebook personal pages are for friends and family. A place people want to go to hear from FRIENDS and FAMILY. What their FRIENDS and FAMILY are up to. What’s going on in the lives of their FRIENDS and FAMILY. Facebook Fan pages AKA Business Pages are for BUSINESS. A place to go and hear about the offerings of BUSINESSES or BRANDS. Violate either one of them and you run the risk of being ignored, hidden or worse – UN-FRIENDED or UN-FANNED [if that is indeed a word].
My general rule of thumb is this: People become fans of a business to hear about that business. Mix in too much personal info on a business page and you run the risk of losing fans. Question: Do you really want to hear what BESTBUY made for dinner last night? No you probably want deals – insider information- that’s generally why we become fans of a business or brand on facebook. On the flip side, people become friends of yours to hear about your life and to tell you about theirs – mix in too much business on a personal page and you run the risk of losing friends.
Oh and one more thing: to all those businesses like “X The Plumber” or X carpet cleaning or X travel company that are using personal pages as business pages – Stop. It’s annoying. And cheesy. And a violation of facebook’s terms of service AKA Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.
HOW TO REMOVE THOSE PESKY SALESPEOPLE: [From your news feed] Place your mouse in the top right of the offending sales person and you will notice an X appear. Hover over the X and a box will open revealing 3 choices.
- Hide This Post
- Hide This Post By Said Offender
- Mark As SPAM
Of course, if someone is using facebook in the wrong way and annoying you, why be friends with them at all? Delete them! You know you want to 
To do so, click on the offenders profile and scroll to the bottom left, there you will notice one of the best options facebook has ever invented. It’s called the Unfriend button.
Delete Em!
What are some of the things people or businesses do on facebook that annoy you?
