How to Link Facebook Wall Entries to Twitter

You might be wondering how you can automatically post your wall entries on Facebook to Twitter.   You want anything new happening on your fan page to be shared on Twitter.  Its really quite simple.  First go to http://www.facebook.com/twitter  You will see a simple page that directs you to make the connection.   After clicking you will be taken to a page showing all of you fan pages that you have control over.   Find your fan page and click the button that says "Link to Twitter". 

This takes you to the standard page where you get to "Allow" or "Deny" access to Twitter.  You have the option here to login to Twitter or signout and login into a different Twitter account.   If you are Twittering for a business - you will want to log out of your personal account and sign into the target business account. Once that is complete you will return to your list of fan pages and you will see some check boxes.  If you dont want to share new photos then uncheck that box and save your changes.

I havent found a way to control the format of the tweets going out on Twitter from Facebook.  Sometimes you want to customize your tweets by adding hashtags so your followers can find you. 

Another issue that I find troublesome is that wall posting is shared on Twitter using bit.ly with the shortened url pointing back to the Facebook page.  This is OK some of the time but when you just want to share your new blog from your website you want to be able to post only once to Facebook and then let Facebook autopost to Twitter without your visitors having the intermediate stop on the Facebook page before getting to the blog posting. 

Another thing to notice is that when you share a link in Facebook it will include a nice thumbnail and text without you entering anything.  However when this gets sent to Twitter - only the link is visible.  Meaning that you need to add some text that does show up on Twitter.  I would advise playing around with this a bit to get the hang of it and make sure you are happy with the result.

Business Writing Rules

Any time you write for your business - in a blog or on your website - the message must be easily understood.  Here are a few rules you can use to stay on track.   You can be your own copywriter.
  • BE ON TARGET - Your business message should have a target audience in mind.  When you write for your business its not about you but about who you are attempting to reach.  Knowing your audience for the message is the first step.
  • ADJUST YOUR READING LEVEL - Im not saying dumb down your message, but make it easy to read and consume.   Even your genius friends will be able to read your copy.   Your message must be written in language that your customer is familiar with.  Use short words.
  • HIT SOME HOT BUTTONS - Your business message should answer something that the customer is concerned about.  Your text must address some emotional need right up front.
  • USE POWERFUL STYLE - Read the "Elements of Style" by Strunk and White.  A small book but jam packed with style tips.  Use simple sentences with action verbs.    As a start - just avoid the passive tense.
  • COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE - Never forget to weave in the reasons you are better than the competitors.  This is your basic reason for being in business.
  • USE GOOD FORMAT - The message should be easy to read.  Use bullet points and bold some sentences to draw the reader into your message.  Appeal to both the skimmer and deep reader.
  • CALL TO ACTION - Like any good landing page - business messages need to tell the reader what to do next. Dont miss the opportunity to get them into your sales funnel.