What is Facebook? How do I set up a Facebook account or sign up for Facebook?

What is Facebook?

Facebook is a social network that connects people both personally and professionally through messages, status updates, photos and videos.  Facebook allows both personal and company profiles (page).

How do I set up a Facebook account or profile?

To use Facebook for social media networking, you first need to set up your Facebook profile. First, go to www.facebook.com.

To set up a personal Facebook profile or account, click on the Green 'Sign Up' Button.  You will then see a page that looks like this, and you go ahead and fill in your personal details.

You will then progress through 3 'getting started' steps.  Firstly, you will be asked to find your friends. You need to select gmail, hotmail or other. When you enter your email, Facebook will invite people in your email contact list to be your Facebook friend.  If you don't want to at this point, just click on 'skip this step' at the bottom right of the window.

Secondly, you will be asked to enter your profile information, which includes your school, university and employer. Carefully consider sharing emplyment details, and check with your work if there is a social media policy that you need to be aware of and follow.  Again,, if you do not want to share this information, you can 'skip'. Otherwise, enter your information and click 'Save and Continue'.

The third step is for you to upload a photo. You can either choose one saved on your computer or take one with your webcam. To upload a photo from your computer, click 'upload a photo' and then click 'browse'. You will be able to choose the photo from your computer files by clicking on the file, then click 'open' (bottom right). If you prefer, you can choose Take a photo with your webcam.  If it asks you to allow flash, just click the green button to allow.  Then you can click for you photo and press save.  Again you can 'skip' this step if you wish.

You will then progress to a screen that shows your Facebook personal profile.  The final stage of the Facebook sign up process is to verify your account through your email. Log in to the email account that you signed up with, and you will see an email from Facebook asking you to verify your account. Open the email from Facebook, click the link to verify it, and the process is complete!

You can now start to learn how to use Facebook to contact friends and family, and find and share information!  See, social media is easy!  Look out for my next blog on Using your personal Facebook Profile.