Editor's note: The marriage of technology and communication has been a boon to savvy entrepreneurs. But it's also a huge challenge for those who aren't sure how to navigate through social networks. To help, Dallas-based marketing professional Shama Kabani is answering your questions. Email her at shama@marketingzen.com.

Dear Shama,

I consider myself social-media savvy, but I am an early adopter. I joined Facebook when they opened it up to professionals, I snagged an early invite for Google Plus, and I use Twitter. I realize that social media changes fast, but I am stumped by the new changes on Facebook! What are the smart lists I keep hearing about? And what is the new subscribe option? What is going on? Please help me before I decide to quit Facebook altogether!

—Lisa A., CFO from Houston, Texas

Dear Lisa,

First, take a deep breath with me. I know Facebook is changing and adding at the speed of light, but it's good for them and even better for us! Here is my take on the growth of Facebook and an explanation on the new features: the smart lists and the subscribe options. This should help you feel social media savvy again!

Facebook is in a precarious situation. They’ve managed to build a huge user base, but now comes the tough part—they have to keep the user base engaged. As human beings, and specifically Web users, we are notorious for getting bored and moving on. Just think of MySpace, AIM, and Ask Jeeves—all of which are Internet antiquities. Add to that the threat of Google Plus and other social-networking sites on the rise, and Facebook feels the need to be proactive to keep their user base. Two of their “proactive measures” include smart lists and subscriber options.

Facebook smart lists are automated lists that will showcase updates based on information that your friends have in common—city, school, company, and so on. The feature will also make it easier for you to create your own lists. So, you can get updates from the people you want to keep up with the most. If it sounds similar to the concept of Google Plus’ circles, that’s because it is. Google was lauded for finally giving people an option to “group” their online networks—friends in one bucket…err…circle, co-workers in another. While Facebook did allow you to group your connections before, this feature makes it more user friendly and offers automated lists based on your current affiliations.

The Facebook subscribe option is also a step in the direction of allowing you to customize your Facebook news feed further. Let’s say that you wish to keep up with the public updates of your favorite author. You may not be comfortable sending them a friend request, and they may not be OK accepting friend requests from a fan. But, if they have enabled the subscribe option, you can still keep up by subscribing to their updates. Based on their settings, you may even be able to comment on their updates. So, a subscribe option is ideal for authors, celebrities, and anyone else who wants to connect with their fans on a personal level. Now, I can hear your next question already: “But, isn’t that what a fan page is for?” Yes and no. Yes, it is confusing because most celebrities also have a fan page and “liking” the page subscribes you to the page’s updates as well. But there are a few differences. A page can have multiple admins, custom tabs, and applications and allows targeting based on location and language. You can even run ads for a page. So, for companies, pages still make the most sense—and are still the only option. The subscribe option is only available for Facebook profiles (reserved for individuals only).

But individuals who have a strong professional brand now have a choice. They can enable a subscriber option or set up a page or do both. The problem I foresee with this feature is that it's too late to the party. As someone who has a profile that hit Facebook’s 5,000-friend limit years ago and has a Facebook page, this feature seems like it missed its mark. However, it does give people one more option in terms of how they choose to keep up with you. If you want to allow people to subscribe to your public updates, you can do so here.

So, while it may seem like Facebook is turning your online world upside down, these are just more options within the interface. And the great thing about options is that…well, they’re optional!

—Shama