Tag Archives: news

Google+ changes are live, Facebook changes coming soon

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googleupdatedLast week, Google rolled out some major changes to the size and layout of cover photos on users’ Google+ Profiles, resulting in cover photos no longer displaying correctly.

But they also added interactive menu items and the ability to add hypertext links in the “Bio” section of Google+ Profiles (a great place for keyword-rich links).

Changes like these can happen several times a year as social networks continue to innovate and upgrade their platforms (Facebook is reportedly planning more changes to their Profiles/Pages in the coming weeks as well).

Fixing Your Google+ Cover Photo

  • The new Google+ cover photo size is 2120 x 1129 pixels, and it takes up about 95% of the viewable screen area.
  • Images need to be higher-resolution – you can’t just stretch low-res images to make them bigger. This will pixelate the image and make it look blurry.
  • Don’t jam too much into your cover photo; keep it simple.
  • Make sure your logo doesn’t conflict with the cover photo. Your logo needs to stand out and not get lost in the patterns, colors, or textures of the cover photo.

If you would like help updating your Google+ account and creating new cover images, you can find more information (and a special offer) HERE.

Always monitor your social profiles (on all social networks) to make sure that new  features, updates, or changes haven’t affected the way your pages display to visitors. As of last week, Google+ has changed the way your profile looks – so make sure you update your Google+ Profile and Business Page to conform to the new specifications.

Tip of the Month: Twitter’s New “Vine”

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Twitter VineJust last month, Twitter introduced Vine, a new app for the iPhone and iPod Touch (with more platforms coming soon) that lets users create and share short, 6-second videos that play in a continuous loop.  It is a brand-new platform, but early adopters are already using it to create interesting, imaginative short videos, like this one from Major League Baseball.    

The app is extremely simple to use, with an intuitive interface that lets users create their own short videos.  The first time you log in to Vine, there is a short 30-second tutorial that plays, which basically gives you everything you need to start creating your own short videos.

It’s not yet clear how Vine will shape the future of Twitter or its tweets, but initial reports indicate that Twitter users love it.  In terms of using Twitter as one of your marketing channels, if users already love it, you may need to consider using it as well.

Pay With a What?

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Social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, G+, etc.) can affect everything from search engine rankings to online reviews to customer engagement to website traffic and beyond.  It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway – on the web today, a social presence matters – a lot. 

But how much is a Facebook “like” or a Twitter “tweet” really worth?  Well, the answer of course depends on many factors, but we do know that social sharing is worth something.  In fact, the more followers a person has, the more valuable his or her sharing becomes.  So imagine one of your customers with a few hundred Twitter followers is ready to make a purchase, but instead of paying with actual money, you offer to let her pay with a single tweet that goes out to all of her followers.  Oh yeah, and the best part? YOU get to write the tweet that gets sent out to those followers!

Here are some examples of how pay-with-a-tweet is already working:

  • Bands that offer a free download of their newest song for the price of a single tweet
  • Authors that let you download a free chapter of a new book for the price of a tweet
  • Hotels or restaurants offering a free drink in exchange for a tweet
  • Downloadable how-to guides, webinars, or videos for the price of a tweet
  • A percent-off discount in exchange for a tweet
  • Free gift with purchase in exchange for a tweet

So How Does It Work?

Pay with a Tweet’s website (www.paywithatweet.com) makes it easy to create your own Pay with a Tweet button and unique URL.  When creating the button, you will also be able to write the outgoing “tweet” that will be sent to your customer’s followers when the button is clicked.  Simply add the button to your website’s checkout page (or download page, etc.) to give users the option to Pay with a Tweet.  Currently, the Pay with a Tweet button can be created for free – for the price of a tweet, of course.

Your Outgoing Tweet

You should also let your customers know what the outgoing tweet is going to say, so add your tweet to the page somewhere near the Pay with a Tweet button.  Make sure the content of your tweet is friendly and engaging – remember, it will be sent from your customer’s Twitter handle – all in 110 characters or less.  Messages like “I just downloaded an awesome song by this new band” or “Free dessert on Wednesdays at Joe’s Café” (with links to more details) are quick, friendly, and enticing – the idea is to get those followers to click to your landing page or otherwise engage with you.

When you offer customers the option to Pay with a Tweet you are trading actual money for instant exposure on the web.  But that exposure can be extremely valuable.  For example, when a tweet goes to all the people connected to your customer (hundreds or thousands, perhaps), it could then be shared even further as those recipients share with others that they are connected to.  Pay with a Tweet could be a very powerful tool that gives your business exposure to a brand new audience every time a customer chooses the option.

Tip of the Month: So-Lo-Mo, What It Means for You

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If you haven’t yet heard the term “SoLoMo”, don’t worry – it’s a new term that’s gaining popularity in our ever-changing tech-enabled world.  SoLoMo is short for Social-Local-Mobile, and it refers to how today’s consumers are using social networking, local search, and mobile technology together in their every day lives.

For instance, Nieman Marcus now offers shoppers an app that can recognize a customer’s smart phone when he or she walks into the store.  It can then notify them of special store events, new products in the store, emerging fashion trends, or a number of other features personalized specifically for the user. 

For small businesses, a great example of SoLoMo is the Foursquare app, where customers go into a local business and “check in.” Then, the business can send special offers, coupons, or discounts right to customers’ smart phones that can be used while they are still at the location.  This is a great way for local businesses to reach customers using social apps on their mobile devices. SoLoMo.

SoLoMo is still a fairly recent development, and most small businesses aren’t yet implementing it into their marketing strategies.  But with the huge growth of the mobile web and smart phones, watch for SoLoMo to be included in lots of small business marketing strategies very soon.

Facebook’s New Look for Business Pages

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By now, you have probably noticed the new look of Facebook Business Pages, which were officially changed on March 30, 2012.  The new “timeline” design has replaced the old page layout, leaving many Facebook Business Pages looking a bit “broken” in terms of layout and branding.  If you haven’t updated your Facebook Page to work with the new layout yet, here are three things you will need to update to keep your Page in synch with Facebook’s new look.        

Update your “Wall” design
The new Facebook layout now features a nearly screen-wide image at the top of the page called a “cover photo.”  This image is a great way for you to graphically display at-a-glance branding messages such as logos, products, photos, graphics, etc.  Be sure to use a cover photo that is strong and compelling, since this is a powerful way to brand your business and tell your company’s story. 

 

Update your “Custom Tabs/Pages”
Before the new design took effect, most Business Pages included custom tabs for things like an About Us page. These Pages are a bit different from before – the dimensions have changed, and there is now more usable space to work with. Also, the default “left-column” with your Facebook Profile Picture is gone, so be sure to update your design to keep these pages from looking “broken” or distorted.   

 

Get rid of FBML
Initially, custom tabs were coded using something called FBML (Facebook Markup Language). Now, Custom Pages are created using iFrames, which allows for more flexibility in the design, layout, and coding of Facebook Business Pages. 

If your custom tabs were coded in FBML, they will still work in the new version.  However, the visible icons for new Custom Pages that use iFrames will carry over the branding used on the page, while FBML-coded pages will display a default Facebook icon. 

 

Change is Good
According to Facebook, the updated layout is intended to make Business Pages more engaging and easier for users to navigate, while behind-the-scenes updates (like iFrames) provide businesses with more control and flexibility in the design, layout, and coding of their Pages.  As Facebook continues to make updates and improvements, it’s important for companies to keep up. 

 

Because the new “timeline” layout has affected all Business Pages, visitors can instantly tell which companies are keeping up with Facebook and which ones are not.  By updating your Business Page to work with the new layout, you can demonstrate to users that your company is paying attention to social networking, and cares about a professional, quality experience for customers.