Hyper Arts has come up with a great article on all the things you wanted to know about Facebook’s new timeline but were afraid to ask!
There’s some good news and bad news (but mostly good) for Page admins and marketers.
First, the good news:
- Custom tabs can be up to 780px wide inside Facebook’s container which is 850px wide, with an enforced 35px left margin. NOTE: There’s likely a bug. See Bug Update, above.
- You can create your own large thumbnail (“Custom Tab Image” or “View”) for all apps, even those you didn’t create!
- Make a Status Update “sticky”: You can “pin” status updates to keep them at the top of your updates for up to 7 days;
- A big juicy Cover Photo (851 x 315px) (although no advertising or promoting allowed!) PLUS your Profile Picture;
- You can preview all your existing Pages from one location:https://www.facebook.com/pages/status/
- And lots of other cool features.
The bad news (to some):
- No more ability to set a default landing tab (all users — fans and non-fans — land on Timeline/Wall);
- Wall conversations suffer from the 2-column layout, fragmenting the flow of conversation.
- No more “Recommendations” area. I certainly can’t find it! I suspect this is a bug — When you Like a Place Page (eg HyperArts Fan Page) you get a popup dialog:
But then no Recommendations area to be seen! Here’s my Timeline Missing-Recommendations Bug Report.
- No Photo strip, the row of 5 thumbnails at the top of your Page;
- Smaller profile picture: Previously 180 x 540px, it’s now displayed at 125w x 125h px (although the uploaded image must be at least 180 x 180px!) and nested in the Cover Photo. But, obviously, with the addition of the Cover Photo it’s a net gain;
- No left-column navigation: Tabs are now located at the top of the Page — a throwback to the old Page layout! And fewer tabs are displayed, down to 3 optional tabs from 5 in the old layout.
But really the news is mostly good, and there are MANY great new features. Here are the most frequently asked questions — and answers!
Click here for lots more answers and what bugs are now fixed for the new timeline.
A great infographic on posting updates and how EdgeRank works! I love the comments below on showing how their tips work.
Click on the image to read more on the post about EdgeRank!
How are we spending virtually? How does this affect us as marketers? This infographic gives a clear picture of the virtual buying boom we’re experiencing and how to get in the game!
by Ali Brown
No matter what type of business you’re in — you’ve probably faced the challenge of trying to sell your products and services online. Maybe you have a brief description and hope the picture sells itself. Or maybe you went a little further, listing a few paragraphs, the price, and a few testimonials.
If you’re not getting the response you were expecting, it might be time try something new. And a VERY effective tool to sell online is to create a special sales page w/ a “slippery slope” sales letter.
Remember that game Chutes & Ladders? If you landed on a space that had a chute on it, you just went down. No turning back. That’s how your sales letter should be — a “slippery slope” that pulls in the reader because it’s so compelling and interesting.
Here’s a basic outline of the 13 elements you want to include in your sales letter. (To see an example of them all in action, visit the sales page for my program called “24-7 Web Sales: Get More Leads and Clients Online at Little to No Cost”.
1. Limit your navigation.
Your web visitors should not be distracted by links that take her to your bio, other products, etc. The idea is to keep her on this page, reading your copy, focused, and inviting her to order.
2. Give a powerful headline.
Your headline can make or break your sales. If it’s not compelling, your visitor will click away. Here’s an easy headline formula: “How to _________ so you can ____________.” Make sure the second part gives a big benefit, for example, “double your business” or “gain peace of mind.”
3. Discuss the problem the prospect has, or incorporate your own story.
Marketers call this “pushing the ‘ouch’ button.” First discuss the problem or pain that the reader has, and then lead in to how your product will solve it. Or share your own failure-to-success story that the reader can empathize with.
4. Tell us who you are.
If I’m going to buy your stuff, I’d like to know why you’re qualified to sell what you’re selling. Give me the feeling that you’ve learned a lot about this topic and want to share it with me.
Add a picture, video, or audio message to help the reader instantly feel like she knows you better, increasing the “trust factor.” And people buy from those they feel they know, like, and trust!
5. Use bullets like mini headlines.
Lay out everything I’ll get from your product. Don’t just list your table of contents verbatim! Turn each point into an exciting secret. For example, suppose your e-book features five tips on how to save money on groceries. That bullet could read, “Revealed: 5 ways you can save hundreds of dollars on your monthly grocery bill.”
6. List plenty of testimonials.
Show your prospects they won’t be the first to buy. It’s more effective to weave-in testimonials throughout your sales letter than to have a separate section for them. Give each person’s full name and Web address, and for extra power, post their photo, and an audio or video testimonial as well.
7. Tell us why your product is such a great value.
How does the price of your product compare if I hired you one-on-one? For example, your manual is a great value at $49 if an hour consultation with you would run me $250.
8. Throw in a few great bonuses.
Offer special bonuses (preferably created by you) that are so good you could sell them alone if you wanted to. It could be a list of resources, a collection of articles, a complimentary product, extra tips on a certain subject, or a free consultation.
9. Give a guarantee.
This puts your prospect at ease, giving her no reason to NOT buy. The amount of sales you GAIN from this strategy dramatically outweighs the risk. What, and how, and how long you guarantee can depend on many factors.
10. Request immediate action by having a limited time offer.
Some sales pages use trick scripts to make it seem like the offer always ends on that day at midnight, but I find these insulting. If you really will be raising your price soon (and you always should be), list the exact date and stick to it. Otherwise just say it’s an introductory, limited-time offer.
11. Make it ABSURDLY CLEAR what to do next.
Nothing bothers me more than when I’m at a Web site, I have my credit card ready, and I can’t find the order link! Make your order process idiot-proof. Example: “Click below to order now.” Also, you may even sprinkle in order links throughout your page—some people will be ready to buy before they get to the bottom.
12. Make one last plea.
In your P.S., right after your signature, emphasize that I should act now. For example, “Don’t miss out on this great opportunity. Remember, you can buy now and change your mind at anytime.”
13. Don’t forget your contact information!
Readers WILL have questions, so provide an e-mail address on your site that you or someone else will check at least daily. Also, don’t you feel better buying from a Web site that lists a real address and phone number?
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Your sales page is just one component of a successful, revenue-generating website. And if you’d like to learn how to transform EVERY page of your website into a fully functioning SALES machine, then don’t miss my “24-7 Web Sales” program.
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© 2011 Ali International, LLC
“Entrepreneur mentor Ali Brown teaches women around the world how to start and grow a profitable business that make a positive impact. Get her FREE CD “Top 10 Secrets for Entrepreneurial Women” at www.AliBrown.com“
This article shows how photos uploaded to popular social media networking sites could compromise your privacy. An important read to protect you and your loved ones!
“Social networking sites make it easy to upload digital pictures. It’s simple. Afterward, part of the fun is reading the reactions of your friends. Unfortunately, scammers and would-be thieves are also finding opportunities via your photos.
How? Meet the Geo-Tag. Geo-Tags add geographical identification to various media such as video, SMS messages and websites but are more commonly used for Photographs. These bits of information are embedded in digital photos and tell someone where a picture was taken by providing latitude and longitude coordinates, they can also include altitude and bearing. As usual, the criminal sorts have found a way to exploit this seemingly innocent info.”
Read more of the article to find out how to deactivate these Geo-Tags by clicking here.
InsideFacebook has a new report showing the incredible growth of the top 20 Facebook apps. What do they have in common? All of them are different ways to interact and connect with friends. Spotify, birthdays, and friend report cards are some of the apps that are showing the most growth.
“There were birthday apps that required users to invite friends, a Harry Potter app that published characters to the stream and the profile report card apps that create photos “rating” your friends, publishing a photo and tagging them in the process.
The titles on our list gained the most MAU of any apps on the platform, growing from between 329,000 and 7.8 million MAU, based on AppData, our data tracking service covering traffic growth for apps on Facebook.
Top Gainers This Week
| Name | MAU | Gain | Gain,% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Adventure World |
37,578,440 | +7,851,834 | +30% |
| 2. |  CityVille |
76,142,813 | +4,781,940 | +7% |
| 3. |  MyCalendar – Birthdays |
20,586,655 | +3,406,266 | +20% |
| 4. |  The Guardian |
1,894,068 | +1,165,540 | +160% |
| 5. | 1,353,160 | +1,164,007 | +819% | |
| 6. |  The Sims Social |
66,216,462 | +1,044,835 | +2% |
| 7. |  Banner de perfil en espagnol |
1,475,924 | +1,035,276 | +235% |
| 8. |  Text Page |
4,455,011 | +984,568 | +28% |
| 9. |  Spotify |
6,646,361 | +879,043 | +15% |
| 10. | 2,833,020 | +785,995 | +99% | |
| 11. |  TopFace |
11,278,097 | +708,663 | +7% |
| 12. |  Airport City |
2,107,091 | +675,056 | +68% |
| 13. | 4,058,663 | +581,177 | +20% | |
| 14. | 1,478,181 | +551,903 | +56% | |
| 15. | 1,761,426 | +467,099 | +55% | |
| 16. |  MiCalendario |
3,144,478 | +454,366 | +17% |
| 17. |  State Farm Welcome |
419,640 | +404,135 | +2,606% |
| 18. |  Static HTML: iframe tabs |
60,378,642 | +382,457 | +0.64% |
| 19. |  BandRx |
4,200,478 | +361,625 | +9% |
| 20. | 1,244,038 | +328,982 | +32% |
MyCalendar – Birthdays grew by 3.4 million MAU, 21 Perguntas grew by 581,200 MAU and MiCalendario grew by 454,400 MAU. Each of these asks users to invite their friends before being able to use the app. Then there were the report card apps that “rate” your Facebook friends, publishing a photo and perhaps tagging your friends in the process. These were Profile Report Card with 551,900 MAU and My Report Cardwith 329,000 MAU.”
Here’s an example of what Facebook’s new profile will look like come October 3rd! I really like the new format of the profile with the timeline and especially to be able to put up the new cover photo.
If you’d like to see what your profile will look like and play with the new cover photo & different features I’ve outlined the steps to take to get there.
It’s not difficult and only takes a few steps:
STEP ONE:
First go to this link: https://developers.facebook.com/apps
You’ll have to allow this program first so click “Allow.”
Click on “Create New App.”
Give your app a name in the Display Name field. You can enter in the same name in the Namespace field but it can’t be more than 7 letters and can’t have numbers or spaces. Make sure to check the privacy policy and click “Continue.”
Fill out the Captcha
STEP TWO
You’ll then be taken to your App Page, where you need to click on the Open Graph link.
STEP THREE
Enter an Action and an Object in the boxes provided for you, ie, read a book, or watch a movie (trust me on this, it doesn’t make sense – just do it! 
)
Then you’ll go to 2 default pages where you just have to scroll to the bottom of the pages and click on “Save Changes” and continue!
You’re almost finished!
You’re done!!
Go to your profile or news feed and take a look! You can take the tour (recommended) or just click the “Get It Now” button to start.
Give us some comment love!
Social Media Examiner has great tips for social media success. Here are some of their tips on being successful with LinkedIn.
Are you wondering how to get the most from LinkedIn? Over the last few months, the LinkedIn network has made upgrades and undergone changes.
If you already have a profile created on LinkedIn, it’s a great time to revisit and refresh your presence!
Or if you’re just wondering how to get started, these 5 simple steps will help you make the most of your time and effort!
Why LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is the largest professional social network online today, with over 100 million professional users. The average household income of LinkedIn users is over $88,000 per year, which outpaces the average income for the readership of the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and Business Week!
If you are a professional or a business owner, you can’t afford to miss out on the opportunity to build relationships with potential customers, clients, partners and peers on LinkedIn. It’s a powerful audience that you can engage, interact with and influence.
#1: Complete your LinkedIn “profile box.”
When visitors first land on your LinkedIn profile, a box displaying your profile highlights fills the screen. Given the importance of first impressions, the information in your “profile box” should be complete, current and optimized.
This is your best chance to make a good impression. In many cases, someone may read through your entire profile, but most people are going to get the information they need from your profile box.
Here are the steps to complete your LinkedIn Profile.Upload a professional image. This is your very best opportunity to make a great first impression and is essential to attracting connections. No professional photo? No credibility.
Create a compelling headline. You only have 120 characters at the top of your profile to describe who you are, whom you serve and how you help. Use brief, descriptive, compelling keywords so the right professionals on LinkedIn can discover you. Focus on terms that your target markets are more likely to search for. What language do they use? Make your headline text compelling, but use words that resonate with your market.
List your current position and at least two past positions. If you don’t list at least two past positions, your profile won’t be considered “complete,” which can mean missed opportunities to be discovered by prospective clients and customers. Make sure to describe each of your roles in depth, and again use those keywords that will resonate with your target markets! It is also okay to list two or three positions that describe your current role, as I have done in my own profile.
Add your education information. List colleges and the high school you attended in this area. Why? One of the primary search tools within LinkedIn is the ability to locate people with whom you attended school. This is a potential connection point that can open doors for you.
Customize your “website” listings. Under the Websites section of your LinkedIn profile, you can have up to three listed. Choose the “Other” option when setting up each of these links and describe the links to your brand with relevant terms. For example, rather than using the phrase “my website,” I use “Smart Social Pro Blog.” Not only is this more descriptive, it also gives me a better opportunity to rank for those keywords in search.
Include a link to your Twitter profile. Add your Twitter handle to your LinkedIn profile. Visitors to your profile can now follow you on Twitter directly from within your profile box! LinkedIn and Twitter are tightly integrated. You can share your tweets as LinkedIn status updates (best practice: add #in to the end of specific tweets rather than choosing to send all tweets to LinkedIn), and you can share LinkedIn status updates as tweets!
Edit your “vanity” LinkedIn URL. An example is http://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniesammons. This will enable your LinkedIn profile link to show up in search results under your name on all the major search engines! It is important to claim those results for your name as they provide a gateway into your personal brand.
Following these seven tips will ensure that you put your best foot forward with a comprehensive snapshot of who you are, what you do and where people can learn more about you. Your LinkedIn profile should serve as one of your most valuable professional digital assets.
#2: Use keywords within your profile summary section
The summary section on your LinkedIn profile is where you have the most flexibility to expand upon who you are, whom you serve and how you help your clients. Although this section is not as visible as your “profile box,” it’s still important.
Write the text in your summary section in the first person, as if you were talking directly to potential clients. Begin with “My name is…” Why? Because your name is a keyword, and this provides a simple introduction to your story. Your summary section should include keywords that describe how you help your clients in language that resonates with them! Try to stay away from industry jargon if possible. Also, don’t stuff your summary section with keywords. Simply use effective keywords and phrases where they fit.
Hint: The “specialties” section of the summary is a great place to list your areas of expertise using descriptive keywords.
To read the next three steps, click here.
Google+ is the new social media platform that can help your business. Take a look at this excellent article by Social Media Examiner featuring many well-known experts on how you can find this new tool to be user-friendly for you!
By Cindy King
Published September 12, 2011
Have you wondered “How can Google+ help my business?” If so, then this guide is for you.
Google+ is rapidly becoming a mainstream social media platform. We covered how to get started with Google+. But what can it do for your business?
Below are the resources you need to ramp up your Google+ social media marketing. But first, a few navigation tips…
Google+ Navigation
Google+ has some interesting, helpful navigation features, so let’s first look at a few useful shortcuts. This will speed up your Google+ networking and enhance your experience.
Google+ Navigation Shortcuts
Add photos, videos and links by dragging links into the share box.
Font Shortcuts
- *Word* = Word
- _Word_ = Word
- -Word- = Word
Sharing Shortcuts
- To hyperlink someone’s name in your posts, type “+” or “@” and then his or her name.
- To find the post permalink (or URL) click on the timestamp of the post.
- To stop people from sharing your post, click on the arrow at the top right corner of your post and choose “Disable reshare.”
Hotkeys
- J = Scroll down a single post
- K = Scroll up a single post
- Space = Scroll down the Google+ stream
- Shift + Space = Scroll up the Google+ stream
- Return = Start a comment
- Tab + Return = End a comment
Google+ Explained
Here are the best resources from the blogosphere to help you understand Google+and how it can help you.
What’s Google+?
#1: What’s So Exciting About Google+?
Are you still wondering what all the fuss is about? Social media leader Mari Smith gives you an overview of the things you need to know about Google+.
#2: 10 Awesome Google+ Presentations to View Today
Do you prefer to get the scoop in a visual presentation? Pamela Vaughn has a collection of great SlideShare presentations on Google+ over on HubSpot.
How to Get Started on Google+
#3: How to Get Started With Google+, Your Complete Guide
We suggest you review the Social Media Examiner Google+ guide for getting started by Kristi Hines.
#4: How to Use Google+
Want a simple overview of how to get started? Check out this article by Dan Rowinski on Read Write Web.
#5: Conversations Matter in Google+
If you’ve been on social media for a while, you’re sure to understand the importance of conversation. On Google+, conversations are taken to the next level. Chris Brogan, author of the upcoming Google+ for Business, shows you why.
What Businesses Need to Know About Google+
#6: 11 Ways for Businesses to Utilize Google+
Although Google+ has asked businesses to hold off on creating business profiles, you can still use Google+ for business networking from your personal account on Google+. Aaron Lee shares 11 ways for you to use Google+ today on the iStrategy Blog.
#7: What Brands Can Expect From Google+
John Bell, head of Ogilvy’s 360° Digital Influence team, shares insights for brands interested in learning more about future marketing opportunities with Google+.
#8: Google+ Starting to Impact Search
Does your business have a website? Have a look at how Google+ mentions will impact your listings on Google search results. John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing explains how this affects businesses.
What’s Different in Google+
#9: 12 Most Enchanting Features of Google+
How is Google+ different from other social media platforms? Guy Kawasaki, author of Enchantment, looks at what Google+ offers users compared to a few other social networks.
#10: Google+ Games and Facebook Privacy Comparison
Here’s a comparison between Google+ games and Facebook games by Lisa Braziel on Web Pro News.
#11: Google+ Has Made Twitter Boring
Social media leader Robert Scoble shares his experience of Google+ and compares it with Twitter. Find out where Google+ is better than Twitter.
How to Find Friends
#12: 10 Ways to Find Relevant Google+ Users to Circle
Over on The Next Web, Nancy Messieh shares some great tips and resources to help you find interesting people to add to your Google+ Circles.
#13: How to Migrate Your Facebook Account and Data to Google+
Don’t have any friends on Google+? Do you want to copy all of the friends, photos and videos you already have on your Facebook account and import them into Google+? Follow the instructions shared by Whitson Gordon on Lifehacker.
How to Get the Most Out of Google+
#14: The Power of Google+: Privacy “Circles” the Entire Experience
Read this article by Jesse Stay, author of the upcoming Google+ for Dummies, to understand why it’s easy to control your privacy on Google+, what you need to know to get started and how to use your privacy settings to get the most out of Google+.
#15: How to Use Google+ Circles to Control Your Information
It’s easy to be selective in who you share your updates with on Google+.Rich Brooks of Flyte New Media shows you how to set up your Google Circles and what you need to know to control the information you share.
#16: How to Stream and Record Google+ Hangouts
Hangouts are one of the most interesting features on Google+ for businesses. This feature allows you to have your meetings via video. Read this article if you want to record your Hangouts. Webcaster Jeff Lebow runs through all of the equipment and settings you need to stream and record sessions on Google+ Hangouts.
#17: How to Use Google+ Sparks
The Google Sparks feature allows you to curate content. Even if some people are not happy with Sparks today, try it yourself and follow Gord McLeod‘s directions on GeekBeat.tv on how to use it.
Google+ Tips
#18: Google+ Tips and Tricks: 10 Hints for New Users and 10 More Ways to Make the Most of Your Account
Amy-Mae Elliott shares tips on Mashable to help you get started on Google+. You’ll learn how to improve your Google+ experience and fine-tune your networking.
#19: The Mother of All Google+ Resource Lists
Here’s another great Google+ resource on The Next Web by Nancy Messieh for you to improve your Google+ experience.
#20: 40 Google+ Tips and Tricks for Power Users
J.R. Raphael shares some useful tips to help you become a Google+ power user on PC World.
Connect Google+ With Other Social Platforms
#21: How to Make RSS Feeds for Google+ Profiles
Once you have set up your Google+ profile and Circles you may want to watch your Google+ stream through your RSS feed. Emily Banks explains how to set up RSS feeds for your Google+ account on Mashable.
#22: Add a Google Profile Button to Your Site
Here’s a tip from David Galloway on Lifehacker to help you integrate Google+ into your social media marketing.
#23: Google+ Hangouts Can Now Be Initiated From YouTube
The Google+ experience gets smoother. There’s a “Start a Google+ Hangout” link right on YouTube. Charlie White shows how this works on Mashable.
Here’s a Google+ Hangout where Steve Garfield discusses Google+:
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