by Tori Morrison

Created on: July 23, 2010

With over 500 million users, and more joining everyday, Facebook is the hottest website on the internet. Not only can users connect with friends from afar, but they can also play games, post advertisements and share information they have found on the web. With such a broad audience, Facebook is beneficial for practically everyone. Here are some ways to best use the website:

Talk With Friends and Family

Snail mail is no longer the best way to stay in touch. Instead, people are now able to send a message within seconds to anyone who is a Facebook member. Since most people prefer informal ways of communication, there is no better source for reaching out to those you connect with than posting on their way, chatting with them or sending them a simple Facebook message. Most members get alerts through email or text message when someone sends them something on Facebook, so your message will be sure to get received promptly.

Find Old Classmates

Finding old friends and classmates is one of the main draws to Facebook. Users can search people by name and add them as friends to access their full profile. So, instead of looking up someone through a phonebook and just hearing their voice, Facebook users can catch up on that specific person’s past by looking at pictures and reading profile information. In most cases, users have their location available, and where they are going to school or who they are working for.

Promote a Cause

Facebook causes allow users to spread information about important causes to other users. For example, a user could join a cause associated with cancer awareness or sustainability. Once involved, people can then donate money to the organization or cause, and post on their Facebook page in regards to it. If any information is posted to the user’s profile, their friends will then be updated on their homepage. Talk about great word-of-mouth advertising!

Advertise

Facebook users see advertisements on the side panels of every page they come across. Although the space is small, most of the advertisements look catchy and receive a decent amount of attention. The reason? Facebook does its best to ensure that advertisements relate to the users interests and activities. If someone writes ‘poetry’ in their profile, they may receive an advertisement for a poetry contest, or something of that sort. Since there are millions of members on Facebook, advertisements are sure to receive a lot of attention.

Let Your Feelings Out

Some people just need a place to vent their feelings. Facebook users can write notes about their day, or they can use their status to update everyone on how they’re feeling. In addition, Facebook allows users to upload videos or links to a user’s profile, so people can personalize their profile anyway they see fit.

Play Games

With a wide-array of online games available, it’s hard for anyone to get bored. Facebook users can play games individually, or they can challenge friends. There are pages and pages of games to choose from, including Farkle and Scrabble. If you like to flaunt your skills, you can choose to have your scores posted on your profile. Game play is literally endless!

These are just a few of the ways users can take advantage of what Facebook has to offer. Keep in mind that most things are public, so don’t put anything on your profile that you wouldn’t want your boss or strangers seeing. Be sure to read the privacy statement and set your account settings. Facebook is a great place for connecting, sharing and having fun, so use it wisely!

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