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Kickstart Your Blog Community with Facebook Connect

By NikNik · December 17, 2008

My household lives and breathes tech, so I’m sure it comes as no surprise that we take advantage of every opportunity to geek out. In fact, I take the kids to the “Gym Park” (as we call it) so I can burn off my diet of ice cream and peanut butter via kickboxing, the kids get to run wild in Fitzone, and most importantly…Reggie can stay home and DIG! He’s the best Webdigger I know. And if left completely alone on a Saturday morning can turn up some valuable Webgems! This Saturday morning was no different. And when I got home Reggie was working away on integrating Facebook Connect with both MTO and the Cyberhomes Industry Blog.

If you’re not familiar already, FB launched “Facebook Connect” similar to Google’s Friend Connect. The goal of these utilities is to make your social profiles portable. Many social networks, like Twitter, have already taken sides and aligned themselves with Google.  But the power of Facebook’s enormous network still impresses me.  Even the “non-technicals” are investing time in their profiles and connections. And with more than 110 million users, Facebook’s Webprint is making for an obvious social alliance…for your blog!

Facebook Connect can kickstart your real estate blog community ON YOUR BLOG! WordPress users are in luck and can add FB Connect to their blog by downloading the Facebook Connect WordPress Plugin. Your FB friends can instantly become members of your blog using their FB login. FB Connect adds your profile into the site that you’re on bringing your network of friends with you.  Your FB friends that visit your site will appear in a “recent reader” type widget. You can view people in your Facebook network who also belong to the same blog community or newbies with similar interests (to add to your network). FB Connect routes comments made on your blog back to Facebook profiles.  AND, because FB Connect is integrated with your blog you are also able to grow your database for blog newsletter distribution.

Getting started:

(1)    Create a Facebook profile, if you don’t already have one

(2)    Sign up for developer account at Facebook

(3)    Download the Facebook Connect WordPress Plugin

(4)    Upload and activate the plugin for your WordPress blog

(5)    You will need to paste the API Key and Secret from Facebook and set other features

(6)    Then click “Design” and then “Widgets” to add to FB Connect to your sidebar

(7)    Further customization will need to be done through the CSS

 

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Comments

31 Responses to “Kickstart Your Blog Community with Facebook Connect”

  1. Very cool stuff. Talk about a great tool for building communities! Thanks for giving me more ideas. Hopefully, I will make time to use all of the great information that you guys share!

  2. Thanks for sharing this, I’ve been curious about using FB Connect for blogs.

    Nothing makes life easier than 1, 2, 3 ordered lists with simple instructions!

  3. Nik… do you know if this works on the blogger platform??

  4. FB Connect or GF Connecty? Choices, any thoughts on combining both?

  5. Nick- I know you’ll make time….you know how to rock the blog! :)

    Joe- I hope it all makes sense. I usually look for the smart people to write it first and then I create my own version. This time, the only helpful resource was in another language. Anyway, we experienced a fluid integration with the Cyberhomes blog (launches next Friday). But ran into some complications with our theme template…but if I know Reggie, he’ll have an example up sooner than later. :)

    Todd- No dice on Blogger :(

    Jason- Choose one or the other. Facebook Connect seems a lot like a mainstream MyBlogLog (but larger w/more features). And not just bloggers and techies….all types of peeps on Facebook….bringing with them their profile info and network. With 110 million users…seems like you have a good chance of making new friends easily on your blog.

  6. [...] RSS subscriptions to content right from the Widget. WordPress users can monitor their social Kickstart Your Blog Community with Facebook Connect - mytechopinion.com 12/17/2008 My household lives and breathes tech, so I’m sure it comes as no [...]

  7. Great post Nik. Btw as I said I did started using that too,but don’t see much advantage tho.

    Anyways let me know if u need anything :) except drugs! :)

  8. I have the Google Friend Connect up and running,
    Working on the Facebook version.

    I’ll have to say, as a non programmer, this is a lot harder to do than the Google version.

  9. Thanks for the tip! The hair pulling will be worth it once it is up and running!!

  10. @Mike

    I got the GF up as well, it just seems like another mybloglog which on my blog is shoved in the footer. I will try it out for a little while.

    Does anybody know if the FB Connect plugin works like they have on Techcrunch which is in the comment section instead of the sidebar?

  11. Hey Jason,
    If you are using the WP Plugin listed in this article you should be able to add the following to your comments.php file:

    <fb:login-button length="short" autologoutlink="true"></fb:login-button>

    If you are not using this plugin, try here:
    http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/Facebook_Connect_Tutorial1

    or

    http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/WP-FBConnect

  12. I can’t wait to go WP - it kills me that i can’t use a lot of these amazing plugins - you guys ROCK! (now I have a little homework to doL)

  13. The integration looks great; did you write the MyTechOpinion community box yourself, or is that using a Wordpress extension?

  14. Ines- I’ll let you know my all FAVS once you get your WP blog up and running. BTW-I used to do all my cheerleader peeps’ homework back in high school! :)

    Luke- The plugin does most of the work for you, however we did a series of customizations for MTO. We’re working on a step by step video tutorial. :)

  15. My FB Connect is up and running right alongside Google’s Friend Connect.

    Can you run them both? You Betcha!

    Which one was easier to install? GFC by far!
    Which one will provide the most value in the end? I’m guessing it’ll be FBC.

    As soon as GFC allows a smaller size box I’ll drop them down side by side.

  16. Right on Mike! I’ve heard that GFC is much easier to integrate but I’m with you on the VALUE that comes with FBC. I’d say that it’s absolutely worth the time and effort!

  17. Nik- I love it! It is now installed on my blog (on WP). Thank you for the post!

  18. Very cool. I had been using the widget link to the profile but this seems so much easier. Thanks for sharing.

  19. [...] their profiles portable which means next year will be huge for niche communities. You can create or expand your own online community by integrating with either option-then connect with your visitors on a new [...]

  20. Doug & Jessica- You will undoubtedly find that FB Connect adds the missing community connector that will bring your blog readers and FB friends together! WOOT! See you in 09!

  21. Hey there NikNik,
    Thanks for sharing this, I am going to install this weekend per Chad’s suggestion on http://www.looloosfavoriterecipes.com. Also, congratulation to you, Reggie, and Chad on ALL your success with MTO!! You guys ROCK!!

  22. Finally got it set up, thanks for the tuturial NIkNik and Reggie for the html for the comment

  23. quick question, I just added fbconnecter and when you click on user profiles. I get an error. did anybody else have this problem?

  24. Hey Jason try going into your wp-admin > Settings > Facebook Connect and then uncheck “Facebook Connect Via SSL”…I think that will fix.

  25. weird, tried that but still got the same error

  26. Did you move the following files from the fbconnect plugin folder to your active theme folder:
    1.) userprofile.php
    2.) usercomments.php
    3.) myhome.php
    4.) invitefriends.php
    5.) fbconnect_widget.php
    6.) fbconnect.css

  27. Jason, I have the same problem. Tried changing the SSL and it wouldn’t bring up anyone. Changed it back and I’m back to having the same issues.
    http:areweconnected.com
    It’s when I “click to view more”
    What site are you putting it on?

  28. This does not currently look like an SSL issue, rather it mentions missing includes. Please verify the files I listed are in your active theme folder.

  29. That worked, thanks for all the help. The best in the biz, you guys continue to amaze and deliver the best info

  30. @Mike

    I am using it on http://www.livingtwincities.com , Reggie nailed it right on the button about copying files over. Everything works now.

  31. Hey Nik! Thanks for the post. I will be waiting to see this on Blogger too!



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