How to easily stay connected after a conference (using Facebook)
You’re at a conference and meeting tons of awesome people. You’re collecting business cards. You’re adding your new friends on Facebook. And, after a few weeks (or even just days), those new contacts blend away into your newsfeed, slowly forgotten.
This has happened to me again and again. And, like I tell my clients — any time you’re frustrated about something and think “there has to be a better way!” — there usually is.
How to Create a “Custom Friend List” on Facebook
This gem of a feature is a bit buried and takes a little time to set up, but it has infinite applications.
I used this to catalog my new friends from two conferences, but I also have lists for my clients, family members, and closest friends.
Pro tip: It’ll be easiest to do this from a computer.
Step 1: Create your new list
While you’re logged in to Facebook, go to https://www.facebook.com/bookmarks/lists and click on the “Create List” button.
In the dialogue box that pops up, create a name for your list. If you already know the names of people you want to add, you can do that here. (If you don’t, it’s okay. Keep reading.)
This list (and the name of it) is visible just to you, unlike when you create lists on Twitter.
Step 2: Add people to your list
Again, if you already know that names of the people you want to add, this is pretty easy. In the sidebar on the right, start typing the names into the “+ Add friends to this list” box.
Networking and remembering names is not one of my strengths. Thankfully, Facebook has me covered. You can view a list of your most recently added friends to help jog your memory. To find that list:
- Go to your profile page (click your photo and name in the top blue bar)
- Click on “Friends”
- Click on “Recently Added”
From here, you can make note of the names and then follow the beginning part of this step by typing the names into the sidebar box. Or, you can hover over the “Friends” box next to the person’s name and select “Add to another list.” Then, just select the list you’d like to add them to (you may need to scroll down)
Step 3: Add your list to your Favorites section
Once you’ve added your contacts to your new custom friend list, you’ll want to add the list to your Favorites section for easy access. (Your favorites section is located in the column to the left of the newsfeed when you’re on a computer.)
Now, you should see your new list at the bottom of your favorites column.
When you click on it, you’ll get a custom Facebook newsfeed where you only see updates from the people you’ve added to your list.
TA-DA!
Now you’ll be able to quickly filter and stay up-to-date on what’s going on with your new conference friends.
