Posts

Business and Brand Pages Now Allowed on Google+

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On Monday, Google+ opened the flood gates and allowed businesses to create pages on the social network. Organizations such as Pepsi, Fox News and The New England Patriots have already created Google+ Brand Pages.

This video from Google shows how a business can use Google+ Pages to create a community online.

If you are wondering if your business should create a page on Google+ this e-book, How To Use Google+ For Business, from Hubspot explains how a Google+ Page can benefit your business.

If you are ready to create your own business or brand page on Google+ this article, How to Set Up a Google+ Brand Page, from Mashable explains the process in 6 simple steps.

Have you set up a Google+ Page yet? If so, what are your initial thoughts? If not, what are your reasons for passing on this network?

Facebook’s Timeline: When It’s Coming and What You Can Expect

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Timeline is coming soon to a Facebook page near you, but if you just can’t wait and want a sneak peak of how your profile is going to look then this article How to Enable the New Facebook Timeline NOW from Mashable. The article explains with step-by-step instructions and screen shots on how obtain Timeline before everyone else does. Right now the official release date of Timeline is unknown but Facebook sources have revealed that users should be able to opt into Timeline within the next two to four weeks.

Here is a screenshot of what my profile looks like now with Timeline:

Facebook Timeline Screen Shot, Laura Chechette

I like to describe Timeline as my own personal yearbook. It includes all of the information, photos, status updated etc. that you have ever put on Facebook. It also gives you the option to add more details like the birth of a child, bought a house, etc.

The best part is that you can edit your Timeline to only include information that you want to share. So that unflattering or maybe inappropriate photo or status update from your freshman year of college year can be deleted.

The information section of your profile has also received a facelift. It is now much more structured and organized in chronological order.

Facebook Timeline, Information Section Laura Chechette

Currently the Timeline feature is only going to affect the personal profiles on Facebook, but Mashable had a few ad agency’s imagine what fan pages might look like if Facebook decided to change them as well. The article, How Facebook Timeline Might Radically Change the Look of Brand Pages [PICS] includes 12 different screen shots of what brand pages could look like if they change to the Timeline layout as well.

Do you have Timeline? Do you like the changes? Let us know in the comments section.

If you have suggestions for future Social Media News posts, want to be a guest blogger, ask questions or share thoughts, please feel free to email me. Thanks! – Laura

 

Facebook’s Timeline: When It’s Coming and What You Can Expect

Timeline is coming soon to a Facebook page near you, but if you just can’t wait and want a sneak peak of how your profile is going to look then this article How to Enable the New Facebook Timeline NOW from Mashable. The article explains with step-by-step instructions and screen shots on how obtain Timeline before everyone else does. Right now the official release date of Timeline is unknown but Facebook sources have revealed that users should be able to opt into Timeline within the next two to four weeks.

Here is a screenshot of what my profile looks like now with Timeline:

I like to describe Timeline as my own personal yearbook. It includes all of the information, photos, status updated etc. that you have ever put on Facebook. It also gives you the option to add more details like the birth of a child, bought a house, etc.

The best part is that you can edit your Timeline to only include information that you want to share. So that unflattering or maybe inappropriate photo or status update from your freshman year of college year can be deleted.

The information section of your profile has also received a facelift. It is now much more structured and organized in chronological order.

Currently the Timeline feature is only going to affect the personal profiles on Facebook, but Mashable had a few ad agency’s imagine what fan pages might look like if Facebook decided to change them as well. The article, How Facebook Timeline Might Radically Change the Look of Brand Pages [PICS] includes 12 different screen shots of what brand pages could look like if they change to the Timeline layout as well.

Timeline is coming soon to a Facebook page near you, but if you just can’t wait and want a sneak peak of how your profile is going to look then this article How to Enable the New Facebook Timeline NOW from Mashable. The article explains with step-by-step instructions and screen shots on how obtain Timeline before everyone else does. Right now the official release date of Timeline is unknown but Facebook sources have revealed that users should be able to opt into Timeline within the next two to four weeks.

Here is a screenshot of what my profile looks like now with Timeline:

Do you have Timeline? Do you like the changes? Let us know in the comments section.

If you have suggestions for future Social Media News posts, want to be a guest blogger, ask questions or share thoughts, please feel free to email me. Thanks! – Laura

 

Facebook Changes: Subscribe, Lists, Ticker and More!

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If you logged on to Facebook this morning then you know the whole layout of the site has been redesigned. We all know that Facebook changes on a regular basis, but this recent update is only the first of many to come according to this article from Mashable, Facebook to Launch “Major” Profile Redesign at f8. f8 is a conference taking place today in San Francisco for developers and innovators who are meeting to discuss Facebook. Parts of the event will be streaming live.

This video explains in simple terms a few of the most recent modifications to the site.

If you are interested in learning more about the subscribe feature, this article Facebook Subscribe Button: What it Means for Each Type of User from Mashable, breaks down the changes and how it may affect users. So whether you’re a Facebook “super user” or a grandmother trying to log on to see photos of your grandkids, the ability to “subscribe,” instead of “friend” may change the way you use Facebook.

Last but not least, earlier this month Facebook made life a lot easier for people creating a Facebook Page. According to AllFacebook.com You No Longer Need 25 Fans to Get a Custom URL. So instead of having a URL like this www.facebook.com/pages/Make-It_Happen-City/207334002619825 which no one can remember, it can become www.facebook.com/MakeItHappenCity even though the page has less than 25 fans.

What do you think of the new Facebook redesign and subscribe feature? Let us know in the comments section.

If you have suggestions for future Social Media News posts, want to be a guest blogger, ask questions or share thoughts, please feel free to email me. Thanks! – Laura

7 Tips to Boost Your Twitter Followers

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The more Twitter followers the better. The more followers you have, the more likely your tweets will be seen. These 7 tips will help you gain followers on Twitter:

1. Post engaging content, such as links to articles, videos, photos, etc.
The world does not care what you had for lunch or when you are going to bed. Post information that you find interesting and you think others would find appealing too.

2. Retweet and @reply often.
No one likes when people only talk about themselves, so why would it be any different on Twitter? By retweeting others you are saying that their content is worth sharing. By having conversations you are engaging with your followers to create a personal connection with them.

3. Use tools like Crowdbooster to determine the best days and times to tweet.
By tweeting when your audience is listening you are more likely to get retweets and therefore have your message spread.

Crowdbooster Screen Shot-Best Times to Tweet4. Include your Twitter handle on business cards, your email signature, your blog, website, etc. Link to it anywhere you can.
People can’t follow you if they don’t know your Twitter Handle so make sure it is widely available.

5. Upload a picture of a person, not a logo as your photo.
Only spammers still use the egg as their photo. People want to see who they’re connecting with. Even big brands like @Mashable have a photo of a person and not a logo. This leads to my next point…

6. Create a custom background for your profile.
A twitter background is a great place to include a logo, additional URLs, and anything else that won’t fit into a  140 character Twitter bio. If you have a graphic designer who can create a custom Twitter background, awesome, but if you don’t, there are tons of free tools available. For example, we are currently testing TwitBacks.

7. Run a contest.
Everyone loves free stuff, whether it’s a t-shirt or a download of an e-book, you can’t lose if it’s free! No one wants to “buy” followers, but holding a contest every so often is a great way to reward your current followers and attract a few more.

Bonus Tip: Don’t use auto-bots to direct message new followers!
This is annoying and many people will unfollow if they receive a message from a robot.

Any other tips or tools you want to add to the list?

If you have suggestions for future Social Media News posts, want to be a guest blogger, ask questions or share thoughts, please feel free to email me. Thanks! – Laura

Will You Be In My Circle? Google+ Mashup

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Google +Google+ debuted as a private beta platform on June 28 and only select people received invites to join. Now three weeks later, I finally managed to get a hold of a Google+ invite only to find out that “Google+ About To Hit 10 Million Users” according to Mashable. This number should be taken with a grain of salt however because it is coming from a third party and Google has not verified it.

My limited experience with Google+ has been pretty uneventful because very few people I know are on it therefore my stream is fairly empty. I am still learning how to use the platform and take advantage of all the features it offers. The article Google+: The Complete Guide from Mashable includes screen shots, videos, and just about everything you would need to know to start using Google+.

One aspect I have had the chance to test is the Hangout feature. Hangouts are meant to directly compete with Facebook’s new Skype Video chat, but hangouts are better in my opinion because they allow up to 10 people to be included in the same video chat. As of right now Facebook doesn’t offer this capability. If you want to learn more about the two services read Facebook Video Chat v. Google Hangouts: It’s No Contest from TechCruch. My vote is for hangouts and I can see them playing a big role in Google+’s future.

Do you have a Google+ profile? What do you think of Hangouts or any of the other features? Are you still looking for a Google+ invite? Email me if you want one!

If you have suggestions for future Social Media News posts, want to be a guest blogger, ask questions or share thoughts, please feel free to email me. Thanks! – Laura

How Twitter is Becoming Part of TV on #TheVoice

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Although I’m not normally a fan of reality TV or singing competitions, The Voice on NBC has gotten my attention because of its use of social media, and Twitter in particular. When I watch the show, instead of a bowl of popcorn in my lap, I have my Macbook open to Twitter so I can interact with the show’s contestants, coaches, and viewer’s all over the country. By following the hashtag #TheVoice I can see what other people are saying about a singer’s performance or the ridiculous outfit that a coach is wearing and add in my two cents.  The show goes a step further by incorporating viewer’s tweets into the show live with the “V correspondent” Alison Haislip. Alison reads tweets on air as well as asks coaches and contestants questions posed on Twitter. If a tweet isn’t read it still has the opportunity to appear on the bottom of the screen.

In this video interview, Alison Haislip, talks about her strategy and how she tries to get fans to interact with the show.

The article, The Voice: How a TV Show Became a 24/7 Social Media Conversation, from Mashable explains why this show is different than anything else on television right now. Here are a few highlights from the article as to why this kind of integration with social media could be the future of TV.

  • “70% of the tweets about the The Voice include the hashtag #TheVoice, a “phenomenal” rate that a Twitter spokesperson says is an “industry high,” said Nicolle Yaron, the show’s supervising producer.
  • “During the show’s first live performances, every contestant, coach and team trended,” said Andrew Adashek, the show’s social media consultant.
  • “When Team Christina performed ‘Lady Marmalade,’ the Facebook Page gained nearly 10,000 likes within a few minutes.
  • The Coaches tweet live throughout the show as well as the contestants. The coaches twitter handles are below if you would like to follow them and get in on the action next week!

If you have suggestions for future Social Media News posts, want to be a guest blogger, ask questions or share thoughts, please feel free to email me. Thanks! – Laura

P.S. In case you were wondering I’m voting for Javier Calon, @Javstwtr, to win it all! Who will you be voting for?

Share Buttons: Are They Worth it? Find Out In This Week’s Social Media News

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AddThis

Sharing information online is now easier than ever before because of share buttons. These buttons aren’t just there so you can “like” the picture of your newest baby cousin, but they can also help increase traffic to your website and result in a profit for your company.

This article By The Numbers: How Facebook Says Likes & Social Plugins Help Websites explains why having the ability to share your content through social media is imperative. In case you still need convincing, check out this stat from the article; “The average media site integrated with Facebook has seen a 300% increase in referral traffic.”

Although Facebook and Twitter share buttons dominate online the Google +1 button that debuted in March is starting to make some noise. Last week it started to appear on various websites such as Mashable and the code is now freely accessible to anyone who wants to use it. The article Google’s +1 Button Challenges Facebook’s Like Across the Web explains the impact this new button could have on sharing online.

If after reading about the benefits of share buttons you want to add them to your own website, we recommend AddThis. After registering (for free) you can add just about any social media share button to a website, blog, email newsletter, and more. AddThis is constantly updating and adding new services. For example they’ve already added the Google +1 button to their service. What makes AddThis our share button of choice? It gives analytics for shares, clicks, top services, the ability to track trends, and more.

If you have suggestions for future Social Media News posts, want to be a guest blogger, ask questions or share thoughts, please feel free to email me. Thanks! – Laura

Where To Find Information About New Social Media Trends

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Kevin Curley, Social Media Specialist Christian Science Monitor

Kevin Curley, Social Media Specialist Christian Science Monitor

This week’s social media news comes to us from Kevin Curley, Social Media Specialist at The Christian Science Monitor. He directs the social online engagement strategy for CSMonitor.com, the web version of The Christian Science Monitor. Kevin’s main focus at the Monitor has been to build a loyal audience utilizing email newsletter campaigns and traditional social media platforms.  We asked Kevin where he looks to find the latest social media news.

Q: What sites, books, twitter handles, etc do you read and follow to stay current on the most recent social media trends?

It’s funny to hear people talk about social media trends when I go to conferences or meetings that focus on online marketing. The speakers seem to focus on talking about the cool social campaigns they ran for some big name company with a $500K budget. Then I say I’m from a newspaper and that I was wondering what they can recommend to help me drive more fans. I hear, “buy Facebook ads for a targeted audience,” reach out to “digital influencers,” “have a contest and raffle off something big.” I sit back and get a good chuckle. They never ask, “What type of community do you have?” or “tell me more about what you’re trying to achieve.” It’s always these cookie-cutter approaches. If you’re outside the retail/consumer-based world, social media gets tricky – mainly because we’re not selling a specific product.

But there are a few people who get it. Here in Boston, I like to keep up on what the Hacks/Hackers Meetup group is talking about. A lot of the thinking is big picture, but the best part is the networking – it can always lead to collaborative thinking opportunities. Doug Haslem (@DougH) seems to have a good grip on what’s happening in the social media marketing world. As everyone knows Mashable.com is a great resource for any business trying to do social media without a dedicated staff or budget. I subscribe to a ton of newsletters, but I really like the content sent out by MediaPost. With anything, you have to be aware of your surroundings. At the Monitor, I try to think less like a marketer and more like a reader- go figure. I try to think about the tools I would like to see when visiting CSMonitor.com, and then come up with strategies to meet those needs.

Staying up on trends is great, but what’s trending doesn’t always work for our audience. The web readers that flock to Mashable.com are not the same readers that visit CSMonitor.com every day. I would say the most important thing to remember is always keep your audience in mind. Often, simply by showing the personal side of your organization can go a long way with your fan base, and that doesn’t take a big budget or creative messaging – just a genuine interest in their needs.

If you have suggestions for future Social Media News posts, want to ask questions or share thoughts, please feel free to email me. Thanks! – Laura