Facebook Changes: Subscriptions

Another guest post from David Hansen (@rev_david) who, if you read through last night's #ChSocM chat transcript, shared all sorts of tips and tricks about the latest iteration of Facebook. I asked him to explain the "Subscribe" function. Funny he should choose the "anchorite" reference. I think of myself that way at times.

If you’ve been living the life of an anchorite for the last two weeks, this will come as big news: Facebook changed a few things last week. Kind of a big deal for people who view Facebook as an unchanging, immovable object.

Lost amid all the hubbub over recent changes like the news feed and live stream is a little gem for people who use Facebook for ministry: Subscriptions. This bit of functionality basically eliminates the need to set up a Facebook page for yourself or your ministry. Once turned on, Subscriptions allows anyone (unless that person has been blocked) to subscribe to your public updates.

Posting a picture of your child’s school play? Just share it with your “friends” (really, please). An update about your congregation or ministry? Share it with the public. People who subscribe to your profile (but who are not among your official Facebook friends) will receive that public info in their news feed.

This functionality moves Facebook out of the realm of (mostly) private sharing, through the land of Twitter (mostly) public sharing, and into the land of Google Plus' targeted sharing, both public and private. The difference between Google+ and Facebook, at least in this regard, is audience.

How to turn on Subscriptions:

1. Go to this link: http://www.facebook.com/about/subscribe 
2. Click on the “Turn on Subscriptions” button.

You can then change your settings. On your profile, there’s a link for “Subscribers”it’s a large button on the new Timeline. In the old-style profile, it will be a link in the left hand column. Click “Edit Settings” to change which notifications Facebook sends.