Tag: facebook

Google+: What’s New and Why You Should Use It
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It seems that the mediums for sharing information will never end. There is, and probably always will be, a way for you to connect to anyone, anytime and anywhere.

Are you familiar with Google+?

Google+ has a fresh new look. Looking at it – it reminds me a little bit of Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter all rolled into one. PR Daily wrote an excellent breakdown of some of the changes to the Google+ platform. A few of the items noted that I particularly find interesting include:

#3 – Infographics will display in a nearly useful size at full length in the new layout. The estimated dimensions are 503 × 930 for desktop viewing. An influx of infographic posts is likely. Keep an eye on ensuring readability.

#7 – A Hangout is now any form of group communication. This can include Video Call, Group Chat or Group Calling. This new feature means many messaging and calling products can now merge.

#8 – Google has released a standalone Hangout app that replaces Google Chat and allows for text and video chat across Android, iOS, and Chrome.

#12 – YouTube expands its live-streaming feature to all channels with more than 1,000 subscribers.

Some of these can prove very useful when communicating with business colleagues, family and friends. No need to set up multiple accounts with different service providers – you have one-stop shopping right inside Google+.

To view the entire lis , go here (http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/19_things_you_need_to_know_about_the_NewGooglePlus_14559.aspx. You may find you have more favorites that I did!

Use These Clever Tools to get Likes, Followers and Shares
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When you make the decision to use social media, you are making a decision to share what you know. You’re being “social.” You want people to read what you have to say. If they don’t, the outcome is like standing at the podium before an empty auditorium.

There are a few clever little tools out there to get your web visitors to share your content and to generate leads. My website is built on the WordPress platform. I’ll share a few WP tools, but there are other non-Wordpress tools you can research that work the same way.

Pay with a Tweet – This allows your visitors to download files after publishing a tweet on his/her twitter account. For example, you have a free eBook you’d like to give away. Once the visitor clicks the download button, a Tweet screen will appear for them to Tweet your message. Once the Tweet is sent, they are returned to your website where they can then download your eBook.

Content Lockers – There are several branded content lockers available to lock down content. You place a small code in between content and when a visitor comes to your website – they must either “follow” you on Twitter or “like” you on Facebook. A few free content lockers are:

  • Easy WordPress Content Locker – Easy WordPress Content Locker allows easy implementation of content lock gateway widget code to monetize your content. It works with code from CPALead, Leadbolt, BlamAds, Adscendmedia, Adgatemedia, MGCash, Dollarade and many other CPA Networks.
  • Facebook Like – Content Locker – With this powerful Content Locker you can lock your entire blog for a user, until he hits the Facebook “like” button.
  • Twitter Content Locker – The plugin allows the user to lock part of a post or page. The user must share it on Twitter to view the content.

If you aren’t a WordPress user, you can use Google to search for these keywords to find codes that will be suitable for your website. You may find that there is an increase in “likes” and “followers” by using one of these tools.

Six Free Tools to Help Measure Your Social Media Activities
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Some of my clients are small businesses. Does this mean they should not participate in social media?  Does it mean that return on investment (ROI) doesn’t matter? Of course not. I hear it all the time… “It’s not in my budget. My budget won’t allow that expenditure.”  If you want to measure your social media ROI, there are many tools you can use.

Some typical products used for Facebook, Twitter, blogs and websites are:

  • BackTweets.com: BackTweets is a Twitter time machine which enables you to search through a tweet history for tweets that link back to your site. It doesn’t matter if the sharer tweeted your domain name or it was hidden in a tiny URL, BackTweets will be able to find it. This can come in handy when searching for people who love your product/service or who are out there complaining about it – you can immediately address those issues.
  • Facebook Insights: Facebook Insights provides Facebook Page owners with metrics around their content. By understanding and analyzing trends within user growth and demographics, content consumption, and content creation, page owners are better equipped to improve their business and create better Facebook experiences. Only page administrators can view Insights data for the business pages they own or administer.
  • Icerocket.com: Icerocket works like a typical search engine – except it searches on Facebook, Twitter and blogging systems.
  • Klout.com: Klout for Business is a set of tools designed to help you unlock the reach and power of your most influential audience members. By joining Klout, you will have access to free cross-network statistics, tracking and measuring your audience’s influence, and discovering moments and topics that matter most to your social media audience.
  • Pinpuff.com : On Pinpuff you can measure “Pinfluence,” your popularity, influence and reach on Pinterest. It also decides monetary value of your pins and the traffic your pins generate.  It’s similar to Klout and offers perks for popularity.
  • Pinterest Web Analytics:  Pinterest helps people collect and organize the things they love. It allows you to see what people are pinning from your website.

I haven’t used Pinterest yet, but I hear a lot of great stories about it. I think I will make that one of my work-weekend activities – to think of things I may want to “pin,” join Pinterest and start pinning.

What about you? Are you on Pinterest? Let me know so I can see what you’re pinning!

Are You Interactive on Social Media?
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If you’re like me, you have heard over and over again that you have to engage your audience. It’s not enough to push information out to them, you have to respond. I’m just learning about and getting used to this process too. I could be much, much better.

To help us out, Mark Ragan, CEO of Ragan Communications, answers a PR Daily reader’s Facebook post on how to increase engagement on social media channels–without being annoying.

He uses the term, “communitainment.” He suggests that we can get more interaction with users on Facebook pages and Twitter feeds by providing compelling information, fun compelling videos, humorous news, that is relevant to your audience. People want to be engaged with great content. You don’t want to bore them.

Click here to view his short video. I am going to work very hard incorporating his suggestions. How about you? Let me know what you think.

Are Your Company’s Social Media Accounts Safe?
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I use Hootsuite regularly. It helps speed the sharing process to all of my social media accounts. What I enjoy most are the informative blogs I receive in my inbox from Hootsuite.

Most recently, they shared, “7 Ways to Hack-Proof Your Company’s Social Media.” The company highlighted was Burger King. They shared how their Twitter account was hacked. The perpetrators renamed it McDonald’s and the background image was replaced with Fish McBites. (I can sense a bit of smiling and giggling right now!) They went on to share a similar incident that happened with Jeep.

So… what can you do to keep your company’s social media safe?

HootSuite’s CEO Ryan Holmes provides this:

  • Get creative with passwords
  • Centralize social media channels
  • Put a buffer between you and the bad guys
  • Control who can post messages using limited permissions.

For each tip, he provides greater detail in his blog. You can read it in its entirety here.

If you aren’t using Hootsuite, why not give it a try. It will save you a lot of time when sharing your valuable content.

When you do, let me know what you think.

Social Media Content Accessibility Wars – Who Is Winning?
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Somebody’s got to win. Somebody’s got to lose. In the current wars between sharing social media across platforms, the loser is often you – the user.

First, LinkedIn stopped sharing tweets on user profiles in order to comply with Twitter’s API rules, which meant no more streaming of Twitter posts within your LinkedIn profile.

Then, there was the feud between Twitter and Instagram and more recently Facebook and Vine.

A few days ago I read an article on Business Insider detailing how TweetDeck was discontinuing support for their Facebook integration which means that TweekDeck users will no longer be able to access their Facebook accounts.

Won’t somebody please play nice?! It’s making the word “share” all the more difficult.

I use Hootsuite (similar to TweetDeck ) on a regular basis. This social media management system allows me to share content across multiple social media accounts. What’s going to happen when one of my profiles is cut off from Hootsuite?

To read more about this drama and how it could affect your social media strategy, visit the blog from Ryan Holmes, the CEO of Hootsuite – “Why Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Put Up Roadblocks to Each Others’ Content.” It’s a good informational article that explains the “Whys” and how to fix it. http://www.businessinsider.com/fragmentation-in-the-social-media-war-2013-4

Pack a Punch Using Twitter
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“Tweeting” is the new email. With smart phones in abundance, millions are using Twitter to communicate around the world and even to people sitting next to them. How can you use this great communications tool to benefit your business?

Using Twitter to market your business in 140 characters or less can be very challenging. Given that you may want to share a link and add a few hashtags, your message will be greatly shortened. So what can you do to make sure your tweet is read and re-tweeted? You need to be very creative and selective about the words you use.

Your Headline

Using techniques like the ones provided below can definitely draw attention to your tweet:

  • Don’t Make These Mistakes on Twitter or Do You Make These Mistakes on Twitter?
  • How to Attract and Influence People on Social Media (or replace the words Social Media with Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn)
  • How to _  [blank]  __ on Twitter
  • Little Known Ways to _     [blank]_____ on Twitter
  • _[add a specific number]_ Ways Twitter Can Help _[add a subject]__
  •   [blank]   Ways to Get the Most Out of    [blank]    
  •   [blank]   Reasons Why    [blank]      
  • Last Chance to ___[blank]     

Attaching a Link

Twitter links to your blog and news stories can be long. If so, to get the most out of your 140 characters, you should use a URL shortening service. URL shortening is a technique on the World Wide Web in which a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) may be made substantially shorter and still direct users to the required page.

A few of the services available are:

If you decide not to use a shortening service, Twitter will use its own which could leave you with less characters with which to work. See Twitter announcement here. https://dev.twitter.com/blog/upcoming-tco-changes

Adding Hashtags

Keep hashtags short. There is no need to overwhelm the reader. Pick one that best fits your blog and headline so that it reaches your target audience. Don’t use a lot of random words that mean nothing to your message.

Twitter can be a great business tool if used properly. Make sure you are following businesses in your industry and others that are complementary.

Try it and document your results. Let me know what happens…

Many thanks to Media Creations Group for contributing this blog.

Your Facebook Data – Who Has It?
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During a business conversation with a colleague, the topic of Facebook data came up. Did you know that Facebook users have the ability to download their profile information? At first I thought this was a wonderful idea. What if I lost valuable photos on my computer? If I had them uploaded to Facebook, I could download them. Or, what if I had other content such as Notes, lists of Facebook friends or other special things on my profile – I could just download my profile data and I’d be able to keep it.

The problem with this, she told me, is what’s included in the download. What I found most interesting was how I was being tracked for advertising purposes. For example, did you know that…

  • Ads Clicked – this information shows a list of dates, times and titles of ads you clicked.
  • Ad Topics – this is a list of topics that you may be targeted against based on your stated likes, interests and other data in your timeline.

The European Government has begun to build regulations that would protect consumers’ privacy when using social media and visiting websites, including tracking methods and cookies. The EU Cookie Law, or e-Privacy Directive, is a law which applies to how cookies and similar technologies are used to store information on a person’s equipment such as a computer or mobile device. The law goes into great detail about cookies and personal data; confidentiality of Ccmmunications and spyware; information to be provided; responsibility for providing the information and obtaining consent; exemptions from the right to refuse a cookie; and wishes of subscribers and users.

Large websites, especially those that provide free services, make money by tracking and targeting users and delivering targeted ads. The European Government has been trying to get Facebook to comply with the EU privacy laws for quite some time. The US is far behind the Europeans when it comes to this type of online privacy.

For more in-depth information about this subject, you can read The New York Times article, entitled “Facebook Offers More Disclosures to Users” and  C|Net’s article, entitled “Facebook Profile Download Tool Comes Up Short.”

What do you think?

Double for Your Trouble – 5 Easy Steps To Get More from Your Blogs
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There’s so much more to the Internet than even five or six years ago. Many new businesses, websites, bloggers, news feeds…not to mention the popularity of social networking like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

There is a lot to absorb. Many people are not reading everything they receive in their email. They aren’t visiting all the great websites and blogs. It’s too overwhelming.

Think of your newsletter as mini websites. Businesses created hard copy versions and mailed them. Then came the electronic versions via email (e-newsletters). People are now blogging the information – writing and sharing via social media tools.

If you are a blogger try these five easy steps for getting two for one…:

  1. Why do the work twice? Create an e-newsletter out of the blogs you’ve written the previous month.
  2. If you have upcoming events, add in a calendar.
  3. Include an RSS feed to your blogs.
  4. Include links to your social media pages and links to past newsletters.
  5. Include photos from the previous month, and a list of upcoming topics on this month’s blog.

Get double for your trouble. The information shared is always valuable. Just because the blog was written, doesn’t mean it was read. Create an e-newsletter and get it back out there in a different way.

16 Ways To Be More Visible
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Tip: Always stay top of mind. Never let them forget you.

  1. Send a card. Any appropriate card.
    • Say ‘thank you.’ This should go without saying. One way to be more visible is to send a thank you card. Send a note to your employees, your boss, your co-workers. Yes, you can send an email, but since people are receiving more emails than snail mail these days, your note will definitely be more visible.
    • Sympathy. Let them know you care. At this time in their lives, all it takes is a brief moment of your time.
    • Happy Birthday! Most people enjoy and appreciate a birthday card or email that reminds them you are thinking of them and you care.
    • Congratulations! They are always appreciated.
  2. Give a compliment. People love to hear how their products or services are benefiting others. Let them know how your experience has made an impact on you or your business.
  3. Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Your friends and co-workers appreciate you taking an interest in their personal/family lives. However, know your boundaries.
  4. Send a post card. For any reason. If you have a new product or service, new or changing employees, helpful hints and tips. Send them regularly. You can begin with every month, every two weeks or every quarter.
  5. Send a newsletter. Let them know what you’re doing – on a regular basis. Tell them about your new products or services, new clients, tips and professional advice.
  6. Send an eNewsletter. Same content as above. With an eNewsletter, you’ve saved on the printing costs.
  7. Enter a contest. You become visible when you enter and even more visible when you win. It’s an opportunity to get your name, business and organization out there as a company whose work is worth recognizing.
  8. Have a contest. You create the rules. Some ideas: Ask for creative ways your clients have used your product, best photos using your product, the most referrals, the best essay on any subject. Again, let everyone know about the contest and the winners.
  9. Win something. And let everyone know about it – on your website, blog, Facebook™, LinkedIn, Twitter and anywhere else…letterhead, emails, envelopes, resume. There are many places to let others know you are an award-winning enterprise.
  10. Have a blood drive. Advertise in the newspaper and electronically. Post signs at your business.
  11. Stick it. Buy stickers to place on envelopes and folders. Yours can proclaim your awards, anniversary, new products or service. You choose.
  12. Plan an event. There are many reasons to host a networking event or celebration. Do you have a new product? Did your company/organization win a contest? Did you receive an award or a new contract? Consider the 100th customer or company milestone. Invite clients, potential clients and community members. Inform the media, your Facebook friends and Twitter followers.

There are many more ways that your company can be more visible. What are you doing to stay top of mind with your clients or future clients? Why don’t you share them on our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/VisibilityMarketingInc

Be More Visible – Create a Video
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Video sharing is becoming increasingly more popular. They’re not just for family sharing anymore, but businesses are using video to sell their products and services. Video can help you introduce yourself and your business to potential customers online via your website, YouTube, Vimeo or even in your email.

Using a video, you can include your staff, provide a walk-through of your offices, show employees working and interacting, share information to potential employees, and much more. You can also show your customers how your product or service is manufactured and/or how it works.

Are you a nonprofit organization? Do you have a story to tell? Be creative. Use video to show potential donors why their money is needed and how the funds will be used.

If you have funds to put towards developing your video, research video production companies in your area. Get links to review videos they have completed before making your decision. Ask for references to contact.

On a tight budget? Think about producing the video yourself. You are not producing a full-fledged movie – but a three to five minute video. Put together a strategy and a script and then figure out who will be the “on-air” person to present your concept. Also, keep your audience in mind and develop your strategy around that.

Need a few ideas? Go to YouTube and do a keyword search to see if others have developed a video similar to what you have in mind. This will help you create yours.

Once you have your video completed, you can use a video editing program to insert text, overlays, even music.  A free program on most PCs is Windows Movie Maker.

When your video is finally ready, you can upload it to Youtube, Vimeo or another video storage website. Most, if not all – come with additional editing functionality such as annotations (text bubbles that are overlaid on the video while it’s playing) and embed codes for embedding the videos on your website.

To take advantage of search engine optimization (SEO), be sure to complete as many fields as possible in the video information such as title, subtitle and/or captions, description, keywords, and category.

Use “share buttons” to share your video to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and  other social networks to which you belong.

Creating a video should be a fun project. Don’t make it too complicated. Do put together your strategy first so you can keep on track. Just don’t forget to have fun with it.