032: Facebook Isn’t the Problem — You Are: Interview with Joshua Becker [Podcast]

Everyone seems to be complaining about Facebook these days. Too many ads. Too much clutter. Too little interaction with the people you want to reach. But what if Facebook wasn't the problem? What if you were?

Mark Zuckerberg and company have given us an opportunity. An opportunity to reach people and interact with others. And maybe it's up to us to make the most of it.

But let's face it. Facebook is a busy place with lots of people vying for your attention. So is it really possible to stand out and get noticed in the crowd? I brought that question to someone I consider an expert on the subject.

In this episode of The Portfolio Life, Joshua Becker shares his specific formula for using Facebook to reach more people. If you're a content creator or just someone who wants to reach and help more people on the largest social network in the world, you won't want to miss it.

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About my guest

Joshua Becker is the founder of the super popular blog Becoming Minimalist. He's also a good friend and incredibly nice guy (last time we hung out together, he bought everyone's lunch).

In less than three years, Joshua followed a few simple strategies that took his Facebook page from 4,000 likes to over 190,000 likes. He describes being on Facebook as a small storefront in the middle of Times Square. It's busy, crowded, and filled with people. You have an opportunity to connect with people.

But how do you stand out and be seen? His advice was simple:

Give people the content they are interested in seeing.

Simple, but not so easy. How do you know what people want? And how do you give Facebook the kind of content that it thinks people want? You have to find out what people want to see and then deliver that content to them in a way that resonates.

His basic process is:

Post consistently to your page (a few times per day).
Share relevant links with good descriptions and images.
Use interesting images that people can immediately connect with (image quotes work well).

Following these principles that Joshua lays out in our interview will give you better engagement results with Facebook. I know, because I've started following his advice and have seen unexpected growth in my own Facebook page.

Interview highlights

In this interview, Joshua and I talk about:

The switch Joshua made in how he viewed Facebook and why it made all the difference.
The specific formula Joshua follows (and that I have started following) for posting on Facebook.
How to get out of a rut when your engagement declines.
His thoughts on Facebook ads (and why he rarely uses them).
How Facebook rewards people who are posting great content and penalizes those who don't.
And a lot more!

Resources mentioned

Joshua shared some important resources, including where to find free, high-quality photos, and how to edit them. Here are some resources to check out: