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Now that you’ve read about social media and how it is taking the hockey world by storm, you want to be a part of it – at least that’s what your being on our website reading this would indicate. If you’ve never used either of these social networking platforms, getting started can seem a little intimidating, which is why we’re providing you with a quick guide to get you started. It’s nothing too in depth – just a basic tour of our Facebook and Twitter pages so you can get involved with USA Hockey Magazine and join the conversation.
You can view fan pages on Facebook without being a member, but you won’t be able to be a fan, be eligible for giveaways, or able to comment on stories so joining is suggested… and more fun anyway. Signing up is simple and Facebook will walk you through the process.
First, go to facebook.com/usahockeymagazine. You’ll see our main page with a yellow bar above it that says “Sign up for Facebook to connect with USA Hockey Magazine.” Click the green button to the left that simply says “sign up.” You’ll be asked for basic information: full name, email address, password, birthday, etc. Once you’re all signed up, you can update your personal profile by clicking “edit my profile” below your photo, which will just be a simple silhouette before you upload a picture of yourself.
Editing your profile will also allow you to share basic information about yourself, personal information (i.e. favorite movies, music, and quotes), education, employment and contact information. None of this is required and you can share as much or as little as you like. More importantly though, you can visit the page for USA Hockey Magazine and get involved.
Navigating USA Hockey Magazine’s Facebook Page
The page is broken down into different tabs. The default page is the “wall” tab, which basically displays a feed of everything we post, whether it’s features, news, links, videos or photos. Below each post, there is an option to “comment” or “like,” which is where you come in. Not only do we love hearing what you have to say, but it’s a chance to connect with other USA Hockey fans, share opinions, and let your voice be heard.
Right next to the “wall” tab, is the “info” page, which contains basic information like address, phone number, and links to websites. The “boxes” tab, in a way, is similar to the “wall” tab except organized differently and there is no option for commenting. There is a link that takes you to the USA Hockey registration page, which is where you can subscribe to USA Hockey Magazine. There are links to some of our favorite Facebook pages, video, photo albums, and notes, which make up the bulk of our content.
If it’s the notes you’re really interested in, there is a tab for that on the right side of the “boxes.” Every story we’ve ever posted can be found here whether it’s a feature, news, or a link to usahockeymagazine.com.
Those are the Facebook basics and a quick floor map of our page, but there’s one more thing to touch on before moving on to Twitter. For many people who sign up for Facebook, a primary concern becomes their privacy. Facebook’s privacy settings allow you to decide who can see your profile. Click “privacy” at the very bottom of the screen and Facebook will give you an overview of their privacy policies and a link to your privacy settings, where you can make changes as you see fit.
Basic Twitter Dictionary
@username - a reply or a mention to aTwitter account. This either directs a tweet at someone or indicates a reply to a tweet. (ex. @usahockey) #topic - known as a hashtag, this is a way to group tweets by topic, making for easy searching RT: Retweet - basically the same thing as forwarding an email, this is re-posting a tweet that someone already sent. Give credit to the original sender by writing “RT @username” before the tweet DM or DT: direct message - a private tweet. This is sent directly to the user and doesn’t appear in the public timeline Favorite: a bookmarked tweet |
The latest buzzword in social media runs off a simpler concept than Facebook, but requires knowing a little bit more of the Twitter “lingo.” We’ll get into that in a minute – at the moment, let’s stick to getting you registered.
Go to twitter.com and you’ll land on the home page, which you’ll also use to login once you are a member. Near the center of the page is a green button that says “Get Started – Join!” Once you click on that, you’ll be directed to the sign-up page, which you’ll notice is short and only contains a few fields for information. See… this isn’t too complex so far. Fill in the required fields, click “create my account” and you’re in. Twitter will walk you through a couple more sign up processes. You’ll pick a username, the title that everyone will see at the top of your page and can fill in a short bio about yourself.
You’ll land on your home page once you login. This will feature a field near the top that simply asks, “What are you doing?” where you will type all of your updates. Twitter gives you 140 characters to work with, which they conveniently count down for you as you type. Once you enter your tweet, click “update” and it will be sent out into the “Twitterverse” for all who are following you to see. You can search for friends by clicking on “find people” at the top menu bar. Once you find a friend or someone you want to follow, simply click “follow” right under their photo and you’ll receive their updates. You’ll receive an email notifying you each time someone follows you, which you can disable through your settings if you find it gets annoying or unnecessary.
Make sure to take a look at the home page for USA Hockey Magazine’s Twitter page (above) to give you an idea of where everything is located as well as a brief Twitter dictionary (above right) to give you the upper hand on how to use this growing platform.