This month I am writing for people who wonder how to use Facebook for their Alexander Technique practise: if you don't feel confident in knowing the definitive difference between a timeline and a page, or a personal profile and a newsfeed, or how to use those in your business, then I can give you some important insights about that.

As usual in our secret Facebook ATSuccess group - a wide variety of topics came up for inquiry. Here is a sampling of some of my comments and answers posted to the group. Some group members prefer just to read my summaries, and not participate in the group. I think each of us needs to find a way to make mentoring work, but I am adamant that being in a mentoring group like this will accelerate, deepen and satisfy your desire to create a healthy Alexander Technique teaching practise.

Have you ever noticed how often the same person Likes your posts?

In all likelihood, it's because she is one of the few who actually saw it!

These days, most people know about Google's famous search engine algorithm: the ever-changing mystery program that decides how to rank your website when someone searches for your service. Even today the game still is: how can I get my website to rank at the top? So we hire SEO specialists to help us..

But how does this all work on Facebook?

About 6 months ago, Facebook made a huge decision.

Mark Zuckerberg finally agreed to let adds appear in Facebook's Newsfeed.

"It drives me crazy when people write stuff and assert that we're doing something because the goal is to make a lot of money," he told the Wall Street Journal. But guess what?

Facebook is going to make a lot of money.

This month I have started a workshop on how to use Facebook to gather students. You can join my online workshop anytime, but start now so you get full benefit of sharing with the teachers and students in the hidden group in Facebook. As I usually do, below are some of the messages I communicated to group members within FaceBook over Xmas and New Year. More personally directed comments are locked away for members only to respect their privacy. Some deep stuff is happening in there. Why not jump in today?

As 2013 closes off, there are lots of retrospectives being written.

Are you writing yours?

Why bother looking back when all you want to do is go forward? The past is the past, right? Wrong. The past is right here being you right now. Everything that happened is you right now. I think that all that matters now is what you do next, but you need to know what is and isn’t working for you…

Are you going to repeat 2013 or do something different?

It’s worth considering, this question.

What Happened To Me In 2013

Back in 1980, one of my key methods to attract students to our Sydney studio was to stand on the stage in Hyde Park, and declare myself the ringmaster of a $100 competition. This was the most bizarre competition that anyone had heard or seen before, and I used to attract a large crowd of bemused onlookers, curious to discover the "trick" of my simple challenge.

To win, you just had to stand up from a chair without pulling your head back.

Coming to the end of the year, and I am planning the special series of blogs for January. I will be exploring with teachers and students in my group how to use Facebook to connect to the students you love working with. Are you a teacher focused on building your practise? Then I have managed to gather together an eclectic group of teachers who are united by their passion to make this career work, and help each other doing it. There is no other Alexander Technique group of teachers and students like this in the world.

Where I live in Australia, we have three mail boxes out front. It’s at the bottom of a steep driveway, so someone needs to walk the letters up to the house. One mailbox is disused, and lies neglected on it’s side. One is usually empty - that’s mine, because I check it regularly - and the one is full of letters.

Full of actual letters: bills, a Xmas card, notices of many different kinds. Maybe there’s some junk mail there too, but not the kind of junk I would risk just throwing in the bin. However, my tenants downstairs never check their mailbox.

And here's me thinking it was a quieter week! I see from all my posts - which are always in response to requests and exploration in our Facebook group - that this has been a busy week exploring concepts and ideas to get more students, and grow your business. Membership is open any time, just go to this link to sign up.

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