I hate Facebook, but ...

In 2009, I was in Vegas for a Wedding Professional's convention. That's where I met the Wiz at a Wiz Coffee Meet at Hash House.

One session of the convention talked about social media. During the Q & A part of the session, I asked, "It used to be that every business needs a web site. Then it was MySpace. Now it's FaceBook, Twitter and YouTube. And during your presentation, you got 8 social media pop-ups. What's next and how the heck do you keep up?"

The answer to "what's next" turned out to be LinkedIn.

I never got a satisfactory answer on how to keep up.



I know this doesn't really answer your question, but it is food for thought. Then again, take it with a grain of salt - I don't have FaceBook or Twitter accounts although all my DJ friends tell me that I should. When asked why, they say among other things, it helps when potential customers can talk to former customers. I wonder why a Yelp account won't accomplish the same thing. Of course, I don't have a Yelp account either. Then again, if I was a Full Time DJ, I might have a different outlook on it.

I listen to a variety of Vegas/Gambling podcasts. One of them is Five Hundy By Midnight. I use FaceBook because they set up a FB Group to allow listeners to talk to each other. It is not at all unlike the concept behind WoV, but without a lot of the functionality. For instance, there are no categories, and no way to search for older discussions. Now a small confession. I DO have a personal FaceBook account - but I have almost no personal info on it, and do not update it or post on it at all. Gotta have it in order to be part of the Five Hundy group. Check out http://www.facebook.com/groups/fivehundy/ or their website http://www.fivehundybymidnight.com/
They also have a Twitter account, but I haven't crossed that bridge yet.


Bottom line, I see no reason why you need to get a Wizard FB account going. Then again, what do I know?

NOT everyone steps onto an escalator at once, but when the do they have to know and understand certain conventions.

Its the same way with "advancing"(?) technology. Casinos in Florida all have facebook pages. Casino boats in Florida all have facebook pages. There is not just a website... there is a social site of people and groups of players sharing experiences.

Do these social pages actually "capture" customers? I don't know. Casinos now have twitter and facebook people on the job 24/7. They reach out to gamblers and particularly to groups of gamblers. Social groups are spreading. Is it good or bad? That may be a question as irrelevant as was the last spin "Red" or "Black"? Casinos now have Twitter Accounts. Good? Bad? I don't know... but if you manage a casino and decide to have a special in the Show Lounge ... you take out an ad in the local paper and you put it on the casinos blog and you twitter about it and you Facebook it and ... whatever else it takes to stay competitive.

And if you don't.... the manager of the adjacent casino will be using technology to get your customers to attend his special events!

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Bottom line, I see no reason why you need to get a Wizard FB account going.

Think though...

WoV is kind of an obscure, niche thing. You really only find it if you're looking for it, you know? How else could Wiz get publicity? That's free? That's everywhere?

I'm going through the same thing. I need fans for my race team. More fans = more sponsor dollars. How am I, a Financially Disabled person, going to get my name out for a niche sport in a very small market? I can't think of any way better than spamming all of my friends, family, and distant acquaintances on FB. And, it's free.

FB is kind of stupid. But I have friends that are involved with everything from Ebay-esque consignment shops to regional bands, and a vast majority of their notoriety started, and still continues, with FB.

Quote: Face

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Bottom line, I see no reason why you need to get a Wizard FB account going.

Think though...
etc.
etc.
etc.

Yeah, well, that's why I ended with "Then again, what do I know?"

I usually abhor defending Facebook, but occasionally the site has its benefits.

I had a dispute with a business. The details aren't important, but what is important is that the customer service rep ignored my pleas for a refund and ostensibly I "lost" the dispute. Except, I didn't give up, I just simply went public with the dispute. I posted the following on the business' Facebook page:

Quote: reno

Not happy with how you handled order number 2CXE24FZ. We’ve been long term customers who’ve placed over 30 orders with Munchery. But tonight you didn’t deliver the food we paid for. When a mistake ruins a patron’s meal, the restaurant’s number 1 priority is to figure out how to convert the unhappy customer into a happy customer as quickly and cheaply as possible. But rather than diffuse the situation with a simple refund, you want to escalate the matter. So now I’m on Facebook, next Twitter, next Yelp. Eventually, I’ll file a dispute with MasterCard to get the $29 back. Why would you want to battle a loyal long term customer? Why not just do the right thing? Surely Munchery’s reputation is worth at least $29.

As you might imagine, the Facebook posting worked like magic and my credit card was refunded this morning. Public shaming works. Incidentally, it might appear that I have 457 Facebook friends, but the honest truth is that I only know about 50 or 60 of them. ( Most of the rest are just hot girls in Taiwan that responded to my friend request.)

The bottom line is that I shouldn't have to resort to Facebook to get the damn refund.