Social media marketers are always looking for short-cuts. If there’s a way to save time, money, or both, we’ll find it! Luckily, many sites have built integration into their platform, allowing content to be automatically shared. One such integration is the Facebook + Twitter link, though it has decreased in popularity over the past few years. As the traffic on social media increases, the need to stand out becomes more urgent, which has prompted many to only produce updates the “hard way.” Because the two sites are so different, we at Eustace Consulting generally recommend that they are updated individually (or with a social media editor that respects this distinction, like Hubspot), which ensures that content will be displayed to the fullest of each sites’ capacity. That said, there are some cases in which linking may be more beneficial than not.
Here are some circumstances in which we recommend linking your Facebook + Twitter accounts:
- When you know you won’t update often enough. Even if you have a solid social media plan and the best intentions, if you’re not updating often enough or on a consistent basis, you won’t see the results you’re after. Be honest with yourself, and if you should be tweeting or posting more, activate the integration in the name of frequency. In this case, it’s the lesser of two evils.
- When you don’t tweet often. If you tend to use Twitter only for brief interactions with other users or RTs from industry leaders, linking your accounts is an easy way to get a greater number of diverse tweets. (Remember: This will only display FB updates on your Twitter, not tweets on your FB wall. If possible, keep it that way, and just use the Twitter –> Facebook integration, below.)
- When you’re a one-man/woman show. If you’re the only person running your business, including all of your marketing and social media efforts, a short-cut may really help you. While you’re getting established in social media, short-cuts like this one can make the process easier to manage.
If you’re sure you want to link your accounts, here are easy directions to get you started:
Facebook –> Twitter: (This will display all tweets from Twitter on your Facebook page/wall.)
- Go to this page
- All pages you manage, including your personal profile, should appear with a Link to Twitter, choose the appropriate page.
- You will be taken to Twitter and asked to sign in, if you have not already done so. Click “Authorize app” to perform the integration.
- You should then be taken back to Facebook, which confirms that your accounts are linked. Check-boxes appear to allow you to specify which types of content you share with Twitter–edit if desired, and click Save.
Twitter –> Facebook: (This will display all posts from your Facebook wall/page to your Twitter feed.)
- Sign into your Twitter account and click the Settings cog/wheel in the upper right-hand corner.
- From the menu that appears on the left, click on the Profile tab (4th from the bottom).
- Scroll down to the bottom and click the Connect to Facebook button, which is in Facebook’s colors and style.
- A new window will open, which will prompt you to log into Facebook if you have not already done so. Click Okay twice to allow Twitter to post on your behalf.
- Your Twitter is now linked to your Facebook. Check-boxes (indicating what is posted to Facebook) now appear where the Facebook prompt was–check/uncheck if needed.
- NOTE: This connection is automatically performed between your Twitter and your personal Facebook profile. If you want to link a specific page you manage:
- Within the Settings, Profile screen, de-select the post to my Facebook profile check-box.
- Below that check-box is a mouse-over link that says Allow posting to one of your pages. Click the word “Allow.”
- Click Okay once in the window that pops up, then choose from the new drop-down list of pages you manage.
And to undo this integration:
From Facebook:
- Go back to the above link for the integration. All of the pages you manage should be listed, but those that are linked to Twitter have no gray button, only blue links under the page’s name to “Edit Settings” or “Unlink from Twitter.” Click “Unlink from Twitter” once to undo the integration.
From Twitter:
- Go back into Settings, Profile, and down to where the Facebook prompt once appeared. It should read, “Your account is now connected to Facebook. Disconnect it.” Click once on “Disconnect it.” to undo the integration.
Need help with your social media marketing, including sites like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, and more? Give us a call, we’re always ready to listen!
