Tag Archives: internet marketing

Starting March 30, all Facebook brand pages will be transformed into Facebook Timeline pages. The layout of the page will completely change once Timeline is enabled and it may take some time for you to get used to the look of your new page. However, just because the new Timeline is unfamiliar doesn’t mean it’s bad. In fact it’s going to be more aesthetically pleasing and will still give you the same opportunities to interact and engage your fans.

Cover image: One feature of the new Timeline is the cover photo. This is a large image featured at the top of the page. Businesses should use this image to feature something particularly captivating or a special they want to promote because it’s the first thing people will see when they visit your Timeline. Businesses can change this photo often in order to promote weekly deals or monthly contests.

History: Timeline is just that, a timeline that lays out posts the company has made in a vertical line format with events on either side of the line, one on top of the other. Timeline allows you to display company events that happened before Facebook was even created. You can go through your company’s history and mark milestones like when your company was founded, when it reached a certain number of employees, when your CEO was appointed, etc. This adds a personal touch to your company’s Timeline that fans appreciate. Timeline is meant to make Facebook more personal and when you get personal with your fans it encourages loyalty and trust.

Map: Timeline allows you to feature a map of your business location. You have the option to display the map or hide it so if people come into your business location, it’s best to display it. If you’re a business that primarily goes to your customers, it may be best to hide the map on your Timeline.

From now until March 30, you can preview your Timeline and publish it if you’re ready for the change now. Take this time to make sure all your business information is updated, figure out what you’re going to use for your cover photo and start mapping out what company milestones to include on your Timeline so you’re ready when it’s activated in a few days.

facebooktimelineforbrands

googleplusSince Google+ is a new social network, your company may be having trouble getting the hang of it. As your company integrates Google+ into its social media routine, here are 3 don’ts to keep in mind from Hubspot.

1. Don’t post inconsistently. When Google+ launched for businesses, many companies rushed to set up their page. Some companies posted a few times during the weeks that followed, then as time went on the posting started to die down. When you don’t post consistently, you hurt your chances of gaining a regular following. Try to get into a routine when posting on social networks to avoid this. Whether you post once a day, or once a week, your readers will know what to expect when they visit your page and won’t be disappointed.

2. Don’t forget to apply for Direct Connect. Google+ Direct Connect lets users quickly navigate to a Google+ page using Google Search. When people search +YourCompanyName they’ll be able to get to your Google+ page from the Google search engine. If you don’t apply for Direct Connect, it will hurt your company Google+ page’s search rankings.

3. Don’t forget to utilize Circles. Circles is one of the main features that sets Google+ apart from other social networks. Circles allows you to put people into groups so when it comes time to share you can direct your posts toward the groups that would be most interested. Don’t just make every post “Public,” put thought into your Circles and post only to those who will be most engaged by the information you are sharing at the moment.

Google+ is still a new social network and it will take time to get into the habit of posting on it as well as figuring out all the features it has to offer. Be patient and don’t abandon it; Google+ is here to stay and those who embrace it in the beginning stages will have the most success with it in the future.

According to Mashable, Google+ just launched Trending Topics Thursday night, November 18. It’s similar to Twitter’s Trending Topics and includes 10 of the hottest and most popular discussion items on the social network. When a user clicks on one of the topics, a search query is launched and posts about the topic by other users on Google+ are displayed.

In addition to adding Trending Topics, Google also made some changes regarding Google+ Search. Users can search the entire Google+ network, within their circles or within their own posts.

Trending topics helped Twitter become the place where people turned to find out what others were talking about at any point in time. Now with Google+ jumping on the Bandwagon, does Twitter have to watch its back?

GooglePlusTrendingTopics

This screenshot shows Google+'s new Trending Topics.