Mastering the Follow: A Comprehensive Guide to Following on Facebook
Facebook, a ubiquitous presence in the digital landscape, offers more than just connecting with friends and family. The platform’s ‘Follow’ feature allows you to stay updated on the public activities of individuals and Pages, even if you’re not directly connected as friends. This opens up a world of possibilities, from keeping tabs on influencers and celebrities to staying informed about your favorite brands and organizations. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about following on Facebook, covering various scenarios, troubleshooting common issues, and exploring the benefits of this powerful feature.
## What Does Following on Facebook Actually Mean?
Before we delve into the ‘how,’ let’s clarify what following someone on Facebook entails. When you follow a profile or Page:
* **You’ll See Public Updates:** You’ll see their public posts, stories, and other publicly shared content in your News Feed. This includes updates that are visible to everyone or to ‘Public’ audiences.
* **No Reciprocal Approval Needed (Usually):** Unlike sending a friend request, following someone doesn’t typically require their approval. However, some users might adjust their privacy settings to limit who can follow them.
* **Different from Friending:** Following and friending are distinct actions. Friending establishes a two-way connection, granting both parties access to content shared with ‘Friends’ audiences. Following, on the other hand, is a one-way subscription to publicly available content.
* **Pages vs. Profiles:** You ‘Like’ Pages to follow them. Liking a Page is essentially the same as following it. For profiles, you either send a friend request or, if the user has enabled the Follow option, you can follow them without being their friend.
## Why Follow Someone on Facebook?
The reasons for following someone on Facebook are varied and depend on your individual interests and goals. Here are some common motivations:
* **Staying Informed:** Follow news outlets, thought leaders, and industry experts to stay abreast of current events and developments in your field.
* **Entertainment and Inspiration:** Keep up with celebrities, artists, and influencers whose content you enjoy.
* **Supporting Brands and Businesses:** Follow your favorite companies to learn about new products, promotions, and events.
* **Networking and Professional Development:** Follow professionals in your industry to learn from their insights and expand your network.
* **Community Engagement:** Follow local organizations and community leaders to stay informed about local events and initiatives.
* **Learning New Skills:** Many experts use Facebook to share tips, tutorials, and insights. Following them is a great way to learn something new.
## How to Follow a Facebook Profile (When Available)
Not everyone allows followers. A user needs to enable the ‘Follow’ option in their privacy settings. If they haven’t, you’ll only see the ‘Add Friend’ button. Here’s how to follow a profile if the option is available:
**On Desktop:**
1. **Navigate to the Profile:** Open your web browser and go to Facebook. Search for the profile you want to follow and click on their name to visit their profile page.
2. **Look for the ‘Follow’ Button:** Below the profile’s cover photo and next to the ‘Add Friend’ button (if you’re not already friends), you should see a ‘Follow’ button. It might also appear as three dots (…), clicking which reveals a dropdown menu with the ‘Follow’ option.
3. **Click the ‘Follow’ Button:** Simply click the ‘Follow’ button. The button will likely change to ‘Following,’ indicating that you are now following the profile.
**On Mobile (Facebook App):**
1. **Open the Facebook App:** Launch the Facebook app on your smartphone or tablet.
2. **Search for the Profile:** Use the search bar at the top of the app to find the profile you want to follow and tap on their name to go to their profile page.
3. **Locate the ‘Follow’ Button:** Similar to the desktop version, look for the ‘Follow’ button below the profile’s cover photo and next to the ‘Add Friend’ button (if applicable). Again, it might be hidden behind the three-dot menu (…).
4. **Tap the ‘Follow’ Button:** Tap the ‘Follow’ button. The button will typically change to ‘Following’ to confirm that you are now following the profile.
## How to Follow a Facebook Page
Following a Facebook Page is slightly different from following a personal profile. Instead of a ‘Follow’ button, you’ll find a ‘Like’ button. Liking a Page automatically subscribes you to its updates.
**On Desktop:**
1. **Find the Page:** Use the search bar on Facebook to find the Page you want to follow and click on its name to visit the Page.
2. **Click the ‘Like’ Button:** Below the Page’s cover photo, you’ll see a ‘Like’ button. Click this button. The button should change to ‘Liked,’ indicating that you are now following the Page.
3. **Optional: Adjust Notifications:** After liking the Page, hover your mouse over the ‘Liked’ button. A menu will appear, allowing you to adjust your notification preferences. You can choose to see all posts, highlights, or turn off notifications altogether. This allows you to customize how frequently the Page’s updates appear in your News Feed.
**On Mobile (Facebook App):**
1. **Open the Facebook App:** Launch the Facebook app on your mobile device.
2. **Search for the Page:** Use the search bar to find the Page you want to follow and tap on its name to go to the Page.
3. **Tap the ‘Like’ Button:** Below the Page’s cover photo, tap the ‘Like’ button. The button will change to ‘Liked’ to confirm that you are following the Page.
4. **Optional: Manage Notifications:** After liking, tap the three dots (…) located near the top right corner of the Page. Select ‘Following settings’. From here you can adjust your News Feed preferences (Default, Favorites or Unfollow) and notifications (Highlights, Standard or Off).
## Managing Your Following List
It’s important to manage your following list periodically to ensure that your News Feed remains relevant and engaging. Facebook provides tools to help you unfollow profiles and Pages, adjust notification settings, and prioritize content.
**How to Unfollow a Profile or Page:**
**On Desktop:**
1. **Navigate to the Profile or Page:** Go to the profile or Page you want to unfollow.
2. **Hover Over ‘Following’ or ‘Liked’:** If you’re unfollowing a profile, hover your mouse over the ‘Following’ button. If you’re unfollowing a Page, hover over the ‘Liked’ button.
3. **Click ‘Unfollow’ or ‘Unlike’:** A dropdown menu will appear. Select ‘Unfollow’ (for profiles) or ‘Unlike’ (for Pages). You will no longer see their public updates in your News Feed.
**On Mobile (Facebook App):**
1. **Go to the Profile or Page:** Open the profile or Page you want to unfollow.
2. **Tap ‘Following’ or ‘Liked’:** Tap the ‘Following’ button (for profiles) or the ‘Liked’ button (for Pages).
3. **Tap ‘Unfollow’ or ‘Unlike’:** A menu will appear. Select ‘Unfollow’ (for profiles) or ‘Unlike’ (for Pages) to stop seeing their updates.
**Accessing Your Following List (Desktop):**
Unfortunately, Facebook doesn’t offer a single, consolidated list of *all* the profiles and Pages you follow. However, you can see the Pages you’ve liked. Accessing and managing the *profiles* you follow is a bit more indirect. Here’s how you can manage your *Pages*:
1. **Go to Your Profile:** Click on your profile picture in the top right corner of Facebook.
2. **Click on ‘Friends’:** On your profile page, you’ll see tabs like ‘Posts,’ ‘About,’ ‘Friends,’ etc. Click on ‘Friends.’
3. **Click on ‘Following’:** In the left-hand sidebar, you might see an option labeled ‘Following.’ Clicking this *may* show you a list of Pages you’ve liked and some profiles you follow. However, this list is often incomplete and primarily focuses on Pages. The more reliable way to manage *Pages* is described below.
4. **Accessing Liked Pages through the ‘Pages’ Section:** In the left sidebar of your Facebook homepage, look for the ‘Pages’ section (you might need to click ‘See More’ to find it). Clicking on ‘Pages’ will take you to a section where you can see all the Pages you manage *and* all the Pages you’ve liked (followed).
5. **Click the three dots next to the page you want to unfollow/unlike**: A drop-down menu will appear, and you can click on the `Unlike` option to unfollow the page.
**Accessing Your Following List (Mobile App):**
Similar to the desktop version, the mobile app doesn’t provide a comprehensive single list. You can best manage your *Pages* as follows:
1. **Tap the Menu Icon:** Tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) in the top right (Android) or bottom right (iOS) corner of the Facebook app.
2. **Scroll Down to ‘Pages’:** Scroll down the menu until you find the ‘Pages’ option. You might need to tap ‘See More’ to reveal it.
3. **Tap the three dots next to the page you want to unfollow/unlike**: A drop-down menu will appear, and you can click on the `Unlike` option to unfollow the page.
4. You can also access all of the pages by tapping the `liked pages` option to see all of the liked pages in one place and manage them by tapping the three dots and clicking the `Unlike` option.
**Tips for Curating Your News Feed:**
* **Unfollow Actively:** Regularly unfollow profiles and Pages that no longer interest you or whose content you find irrelevant.
* **Use the ‘Snooze’ Feature:** If you want to temporarily stop seeing posts from someone without unfollowing them, use the ‘Snooze’ feature. This allows you to hide their posts for 30 days.
* **Adjust Notification Settings:** Customize your notification settings for each Page or profile to control how frequently you receive updates.
* **Prioritize Content:** Facebook allows you to prioritize certain profiles and Pages in your News Feed. You can tell Facebook that you want to see their posts first.
* **Engage with Content You Enjoy:** Liking, commenting on, and sharing posts signals to Facebook that you find the content valuable, which can improve the relevance of your News Feed.
## Understanding Privacy Settings and Following
It’s crucial to understand how privacy settings impact the ability to follow someone on Facebook. Users have control over who can see their posts and who can follow them.
* **Public Posts:** Only posts that are set to ‘Public’ will be visible to followers who are not friends.
* **Friends-Only Posts:** If a user shares a post with only their friends, it will not be visible to their followers who are not friends.
* **Custom Audiences:** Users can create custom audiences to share posts with specific groups of people. These posts will not be visible to followers outside of those groups.
* **Limiting Followers:** Users can restrict who can follow them. They can set their follower settings to ‘Friends of Friends’ or even disable the Follow button entirely, forcing everyone to send a friend request.
**How to Enable Followers on Your Profile (If You Want Them):**
If you want to allow people to follow you on Facebook, you need to enable the ‘Follow’ option in your privacy settings. Here’s how:
**On Desktop:**
1. **Go to Settings & Privacy:** Click the downward-facing arrow in the top right corner of Facebook and select ‘Settings & Privacy’ from the dropdown menu.
2. **Click ‘Settings’:** From the ‘Settings & Privacy’ menu, click on ‘Settings.’
3. **Click ‘Public Posts’:** In the left-hand sidebar, click on ‘Public Posts.’
4. **Set ‘Who Can Follow Me’ to ‘Public’:** Under the ‘Who Can Follow Me’ section, select ‘Public’ from the dropdown menu. This will enable the Follow button on your profile, allowing anyone to follow you, even if you’re not friends.
**On Mobile (Facebook App):**
1. **Tap the Menu Icon:** Tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) in the top right (Android) or bottom right (iOS) corner of the Facebook app.
2. **Scroll Down to ‘Settings & Privacy’:** Scroll down the menu until you find ‘Settings & Privacy’ and tap on it.
3. **Tap ‘Settings’:** From the ‘Settings & Privacy’ menu, tap on ‘Settings.’
4. **Scroll Down to ‘Audience and Visibility’ and Tap ‘Followers and Public Content’:** Scroll down to the ‘Audience and Visibility’ section and tap on ‘Followers and Public Content’ (it might be simply ‘Public Posts’ on some versions).
5. **Set ‘Who Can Follow Me’ to ‘Public’:** Under the ‘Who Can Follow Me’ section, select ‘Public’ from the dropdown menu.
## Troubleshooting Common Issues
Sometimes, you might encounter issues while trying to follow someone on Facebook. Here are some common problems and their solutions:
* **No ‘Follow’ Button:** If you don’t see a ‘Follow’ button on a profile, it means the user either hasn’t enabled followers or has restricted who can follow them. In this case, you can only send a friend request.
* **Button Not Working:** If the ‘Follow’ button isn’t working, try refreshing the page or clearing your browser’s cache and cookies. If you’re using the app, try closing and reopening it, or restarting your device.
* **Not Seeing Posts in News Feed:** If you’ve followed someone but aren’t seeing their posts in your News Feed, it could be due to Facebook’s algorithm. Try engaging with their content (liking, commenting, sharing) to signal to Facebook that you want to see more of their posts. Also, check your News Feed preferences to ensure you haven’t accidentally hidden their posts. Sometimes, if you haven’t interacted with a followed page or profile in a while, Facebook might silently unfollow them. It’s good practice to periodically check.
* **Accidentally Unfollowed:** If you accidentally unfollowed someone, simply revisit their profile or Page and click the ‘Follow’ or ‘Like’ button again.
* **The User Blocked You**: If you are unable to follow the person or see their profile, it is possible you are blocked by the user.
## The Benefits of Utilizing the Follow Feature
The ‘Follow’ feature on Facebook offers numerous benefits, both for individuals and businesses.
**For Individuals:**
* **Stay Connected to Interests:** Easily follow topics, personalities, and organizations that align with your passions.
* **Expand Your Knowledge:** Learn from experts and thought leaders in your field.
* **Discover New Content:** The News Feed exposes you to a wider range of content than just your immediate friends.
* **Control Your Network:** Follow individuals without the pressure of a reciprocal friend request.
**For Businesses and Content Creators:**
* **Expand Reach:** Reach a larger audience beyond your immediate network of friends and fans.
* **Build Brand Awareness:** Increase visibility and recognition for your brand or product.
* **Drive Traffic to Your Website:** Share links and content that directs followers to your website.
* **Engage with Your Audience:** Interact with followers through comments, messages, and live videos.
* **Gain Valuable Insights:** Analyze follower demographics and engagement metrics to improve your content strategy.
## Following on Facebook: A Strategic Approach
Simply clicking the ‘Follow’ button isn’t enough to maximize the benefits of this feature. To truly leverage the power of following on Facebook, consider these strategic tips:
* **Be Selective:** Don’t follow every Page or profile you come across. Focus on those that provide genuine value and align with your interests and goals.
* **Engage Actively:** Interact with the content you enjoy to signal to Facebook that it’s relevant to you.
* **Curate Your News Feed Regularly:** Unfollow profiles and Pages that no longer serve your needs.
* **Use Lists (for Friends):** While this guide focuses on *following*, using Facebook’s ‘Lists’ feature for your *friends* can help you prioritize certain friends’ content over others, creating a more tailored News Feed experience in conjunction with your following strategy.
* **Stay Updated on Algorithm Changes:** Facebook’s algorithm is constantly evolving. Stay informed about these changes to ensure that your content is reaching your intended audience (if you’re a content creator) and that you’re seeing the content you want to see (if you’re a consumer).
## Conclusion
Following on Facebook is a powerful tool for staying informed, entertained, and connected. By understanding the nuances of the feature, managing your following list effectively, and adjusting your privacy settings accordingly, you can create a personalized and engaging Facebook experience. Whether you’re an individual seeking to expand your knowledge or a business aiming to build brand awareness, mastering the ‘Follow’ feature is essential for success in the ever-evolving digital landscape.