Blog Archives
Social Media Sizing Sheet – The Ultimate Guide to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn, and Pinterest!
Have you ever tried uploading a new cover photo, profile picture, or background to Facebook, Twitter, ect. only to find that it just doesn’t fit fight? Of course you can Google the image sizes but now you don’t have to! Here is everything you ever wanted to know about sizing for Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest all in one place! Thanks LunaMetrics!
Don’t forget to share…your friends will love you for it!
Free Facebook Page Assessment – Cedar City Real Estate 411
Another FREE promotion, offered on my Facebook page to assess to your business pages. Derek Morton with Mountain View Title asked me to review his page. So lets gets started…
Needs improvement:
1. No welcome page/landing tab
Actually it looks like there was an attempt to set one up through wix.com however, there is nothing on the welcome page. Also, the welcome page is not set as your default landing tab (maybe because it wasn’t finished?) but can be set under the ‘edit page’ feature and then the manage permissions tab.
2. Logo and page name
I was a little confused because the page name ‘Cedar City Real Estate 411‘ is different than the logo/profile picture which is Mountain View Title and Escrow. After looking through the page I realized you work for the title company but the page is to promote general interest in Cedar City Real Estate. A couple things I would touch on here, since not everyone knows where Cedar City is located, I would change the name to include the city and state. The problem with that is since you have more than 100 fans, your page name can not be changed. So my suggestion would be to either change the logo to go with the name or include ‘Cedar City, UT’ in the logo.
3. Featured likes
The list of 5 pages on the left side of the page is the ‘featured likes’ section. A business page can like other pages, then ‘feature’ them on their page. This is great to promote other partners or favorite pages. You are using yours but after refreshing several times it seems as though you have not picked a select few and I never even saw Mountain View Title in there. You can select your featured pages in the edit page section under the ‘featured tab’ then check mark the boxes of the pages you want to promote.
4. About me
List your company’s website first on the “about me” section which will help funnel people over to the website. Making that link and a phone number easily accessible is a plus.
5. Wall posts
Fans are allowed to post on your wall which is great however nobody can see them due to your page settings. A savvy user will know to click ‘everyone’ just under the picture strip but most users don’t know about this feature and user posts are lost. To change this setting go to your edit page section, then manage permissions tab, then the ‘wall tab shows’ drop down box should say ‘all posts’. Don’t forget to save.
6. Content
As in any page there will be good and bad content. My overall question is what (or who) are you promoting? Are you promoting Derek Morton with Mountain View Title? Real estate in Cedar City, UT? Mountain View Title? Cedar City? All four? Who is your target audience? Since there were no home listings, my guess is you are not promoting that side of it. From what I can tell you are promoting the mortgage industry which, as we all know has not been fabulous in recent years and quite frankly is not the most fun topic to discuss. No doubt you have your work cut out 
So my suggestion is to keep it light, fun and entertaining which I did see several interesting and fun articles. Talk to your fans and ask what information they want or need. Ask questions and see what kinds of questions get comments, what works and what doesn’t.
7. Picture strip
Use your picture strip at the top of the page to your advantage. Any picture you post on your wall gets thrown up there but you can manage those pictures and keep what you want on the strip. Just hover over the pic you don’t want and you will have the option to delete. Use descriptive pictures and logos to tell a story or convey a message.
The good stuff:
1. Videos
I love the video explanations and the testimonials! Do at least one a week, post it on your blog, and a YouTube channel, then put a YouTube channel tab on your page.
2. Good content
Several funny posts, jokes and interesting articles. Especially ‘6 tips to make your move easier‘ and ‘4 steps to buy again after foreclosure‘. That is the kind of content that gets shared!
Good luck!
Click the pic!
The “How to” Social Media Guide Book
I’m teaching a social media seminar tomorrow at Dixie State College in Utah and while I was putting together the packets of information into the attendees folders, I started to realize just how valuable this information was that I was giving them. I was also thinking about how much more information I could cram into those folders and then it hit me. I already have this info all on paper so why not share it with the masses?
So after making a few phone calls and hooking up with a technical writer and editor, by Christmas you will be able to get your very own “Social Media Survival Guide”! Don’t worry, it won’t be filled with a bunch of fluff either. I hate “how to” books that take forever to get to the meat and potatoes of why I bought this book to begin with. No my friends, we will dive right into the how, what, and why of Facebook pages, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, analytics, blogs, RSS feeds, Hootsuite, FourSquare, Places, Yelp, QR codes, Facebook ads, Google ads, best practices, when and how much to post, URL shorteners, tips and tricks, tools, valuable resources, glossary, and so much more!
Later you will be able to pick up an advanced version with even more info.
If there is anything you would like to see in the guide, please comment below and tell me!
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20 Places You and Your Business Should Be Listed On The Web In 2011
Earlier this year I wrote a blog about sprouting legs so Google can find you and if you haven’t read it, please do so here. The point of that blog and this blog for that matter is to help you get noticed by Google. SEO practices, pictures and videos, and good content help Google, or new customers, to find you but you also need to be everywhere you possibly can be. While most businesses may have a website and hopefully have a Facebook page, that is only a couple of places for Google to reach out and find you. However, if you are listed in 20 different places, guess who begins to rank higher on Google? You, hence the term web crawling! It’s no secret what these sites are, you just have to look for them, but they can be a bit time consuming. That’s where I step in. One of the services I offer to business owners is a set up package which sets them up on about 15+ different online platforms. But today the list will be given to you FREE OF CHARGE, you just have to invest your time. Have fun! Now go sprout some legs and start running…you never know who is chasing you!
- Facebook Business Page – Make sure you set this up correctly and NOT as a personal profile page for your business
- Twitter Account - Yes, it’s a must.
- Yelp.com – A user review site
- LinkedIn – A social place for business, upload your resume, make business contacts, and post your bio
- Blog – WordPress is the best. You don’t need to be a writer to blog, but use it for informational purposes, write articles, etc.
- Four Square – A geolocation service that uses the GPS system in your phone to tell where you are located (store, restaurant, movies, etc) and you “check in” at these locations. Foursquare will post this info on your Facebook and Twitter accounts. This is FREE advertising for these businesses if used properly.
- Website – Everyone in business needs a website
- YouTube – Never thought your small business could afford a commercial? Create your own commercials with a video camera, upload it to your own YouTube channel and ‘Broadcast Yourself’. You can also start your own vlog!
- Flickr – A social site to share pictures and videos
- Yellow Book Pages – Directory
- Google Places – Directory
- DMOZ – Directory
- Yahoo City Local – Directory
- Manta – Directory
- Bing - Directory
- About.Me
- Empire Avenue - Buy stock in yourself and others, all for fun!
- Google + - Google’s answer to Facebook
- Letslunch.com – Great face-to-face networking tool still in the infant stages
- Pinterest – A virtual pin board that is the 3rd largest social media site to date!
What is a Vlog and how do you do it?
I think one of the first times I ever really heard of or paid any attention to a vlog was the infamous Chris Crocker’s “Leave Brtiney Alone” video, remember that?
It’s one thing to write about whatever in a blog, but it’s a whole different world when you put it to video, so I gave it a try. Now I have a pretty thick skin, so you probably won’t hurt my feelings, however I have to say it was a little intimidating. You really do put yourself, and your personality, out there. Your sitting there, talking to yourself and you feel really, really stupid and the whole time you are thinking, “I hope I don’t sound really really stupid”.
So here is my first vlog. Laugh, cry, point, make fun of, tease, whatever…just make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel at the end. And don’t forget to make me go viral on Facebook and Twitter like this talking dog that I have to watch on a daily basis or “Blood” or my favorite, the “Charlie bit my finger” kid.
Till next time…
The Wednesday Wrap-Up
Personally this was a good week for me, I got a new iPhone 4, and yesterday was my 3 year wedding anniversary, but on the downside I got a bit frustrated with Google crashing late Monday night. As far as the rest of the world…NBA finals, Weiner problems, Romney, Groupon, Sims, and XBox ruled the world.
1) Rep. Anthony Weiner admits Tweeting lewd picture – What a weiner!
2) Google Releases Stable Version of Chrome 12 – Remember when Facebook crashed?
3) Snoop Dog Fragrance Gets Cheaper As It Gets More Facebook Likes – Are you kidding me?
4) LinkedIn App Lets You Play Tetris With Your Network Profiles - Another reason to love LinkedIn!
5) The Sims Are Coming To Facebook – I’ll pass, thank you.
6) Groupon Enters Grocery Stores With Loyalty Cards – The future of couponing?
7) XBox Live Getting Live TV, YouTube, and Bing Voice Search – Jeez, is there anything the XBox can’t do?
What is a QR Code?
Chanda’s Info
We all know what a barcode is, right? A series of parallel lines in varying widths to represent data attached to a particular item. The first UPC barcode used for supermarket checkout systems was on a package of Wrigley Gum in 1974. Revolutionary! Now 37 years later, we are still using the UPC barcodes at the grocery store among other places, but have you noticed the new “barcodes” popping up on products and magazine ads lately? Created in Japan by Toyota in 1994, QR codes, or quick response codes, were originally designed to read at higher speeds. This little gem has reached far beyond tracking auto parts. QR codes can be used in a broader context and have the ability to store and display text, URLs, contact information, event info, video, and images.
What does this mean for you?
QR codes require a free downloadable application on a users smartphone to be able to read the QR code. If you create your own QR code to use on your website, Facebook page, business card, blog, etc., then you are on the cutting edge of sharing user information. For example, create a QR code with a link to your website and post the code to your Facebook page and blog. You may even want to get real creative and link the code to a YouTube video advertising your business. Your QR code may have a discount, coupon, or incentive for your store. The options are limitless, just use your imagination and run with it! Considering there are roughly 70 million smartphone users in the U.S. to date, and constantly growing, everyday there is a new person just waiting to scan your personal QR code.
Coming Soon…
- How can you use YouTube to market your business?
- 20 place your business should be in 2011
- I have a Facebook business page…Now what?
