Explained in 2 minutes, using 10 key facts... why all brands and businesses need to implement social media marketing. 

On March 30, 2012, all Facebook Pages will get a new design. Here is a helpful video from the Social Networking Academy, and a list of what changes are coming your way.

1). Cover Photo – Some interesting restrictions have been placed on what you can and can’t have on your cover photo;
Cover images must be at least 399 pixels wide and may not contain:

• Price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it at our website”
  
• Contact information, such as web address, email, mailing address or other information intended for your Page’s About section. 
  
• References to user interface elements, such as Like or Share, or any other Facebook site features. 
  
• Calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends”.

2). Your Profile Picture which will initially be the top part of your avatar, must be square and at least 180px wide

3). You Can No Longer LAND on a Custom Tab!!! Welcome pages and tabs still exist, but you can no longer default to land on any tabs. As with the timeline on your profile your photos and apps show in the central section in boxes, which means we can add a nice looking graphic to our Welcome pages and tabs to encourage people to click on them. Here’s what FB say about the central boxes;

Photos, likes and apps are now at the top of your Page. Photos show in the first spot, but you can change the order of everything else so people see what matters most. You can show a maximum number of 12 apps, so make sure to put your most important ones first.

I have to say I’m really disappointed that you can’t land on your custom landing tabs anymore, but somewhat relieved that we still have them!

4). You Can Pin Posts to the Top of Your Wall!The main design is the same as your profile page so as with that you can now add posts at different dates in the past, you can feature your post by clicking the star so it covers the width of your page, or you can hide it from your page altogether, but the really cool feature is being able to pin specific posts to the top, kind of like a ‘sticky’ post in forums.

5). There’s a brand new admin panel from which you can see your notifications, new likes, insights and the new private messages that people can now send you from your page! From your admin panel you will also see the Manage button which gives you access to the main editing section of your page (Basic Info, Manage Permissions, Apps and so on). Not much has changed in there apart from the Manage Permissions section which no longer has the default landing tab section! – Boo!

Also from the admin panel, you can access Facebook ads, a function to share your page and to invite friends, plus access to Facebooks help section.

6). New Message Feature! I mentioned above messages, well now your fans can message you directly! The messages will show within your admin panel and you can respond from there.

7). Tab Pages are now BIGGER! I believe the official size is 760px, I’ll keep you posted!

8). You will AUTOMATICALLY get the new design on March 30th. So jump in there and make the most of it, because it’s coming whether you like it or not!

Why Does Being Online Matter?  Watch this video to learn why having an online presence is critical for growing your business. Tell your potential customers about your business, your products and services, and promote sales. Contact us today to get your business online.

What Does #FF Mean?
Simple Answer: Follow Friday... It’s one of a handful of abbreviations used in Twitter that confuses new users, and then they avoid using it. 

I remember the very first time I saw #FF messages. My Twitter feed was littered with them but I couldn’t figure out what it all meant. I felt left out – what is #FF? what am I missing?! So, for those of you who are asking yourself those questions right now, here’s a short guide to Follow Friday…

#FF is short for #FollowFriday. It’s a Twitter trend created back in 2009 by Twitter users that has since become a customary Friday activity.

An #FF is a shout out, a show of appreciation, a nice thing to do. Each Friday you can recommend Twitter profiles that you appreciate and enjoy to all of your followers. The idea being that your #FF recommendation will encourage others to check out that profile, generating more followers for them. 

Sooo...... long story - short, this Tuesday's Twitter Tip is to show appreciation for a profile that you appreciate, and #FF them this Friday ;)

We always appreciate the kind words, and the referrals!


Our philosophy:

• Do the job right and 'as promised'.
  
• Honesty ALWAYS.
  
• Give it your all.
  

We've built a business on that philosophy... and look forward to meeting many more individuals and businesses who are looking for an online presence with a company they can trust.

It’s October and this is the time of year when ghosts will be hard at work scaring us. Smart companies, utilizing social media marketing strategies, are using ghosts to “scare” up more business. Well, we’re not really talking about the kind of ghosts that scream “boo.” We’re talking about ghostwriters. 

When using social media marketing, you need to be current and up to date on information you put on your blogs, websites or newsletters.  For small business owners, there is no time to sit in front of a computer writing new content or providing up-to-date data on your field and service. It’s impossible. 

One solution is to hire a professional writer to generate the content for you. Anonymous writers are called ghostwriters. Currently, there is a growing pool of ghostwriters both independent and through agencies to help save your digital marketing ambitions. After a few conversations with a ghostwriter or company you can determine the direction you want to go with the content of your articles. Many people come from diverse backgrounds, and you would be surprised to find out just what people specialize in. 

Besides being able to maintain a regular schedule for the output of information, there are other advantages of hiring a ghostwriter.

• Fresh information and content – Search engines love new information and content on your website or blog. Your search rankings will be given a boost with regular posts and updates.
  
• New Prospective – Having a fresh set of eyes looking at your business or field can be helpful. Often times a new set of eyes is all that it takes to spot an overlooked value in your offering. 
  
• Short and sweet -- Ghostwriters are not immersed in everyday life of your business and can avoid writing fluff. They write what people may want to read – since, in theory, they represent the public. 

So, maybe this is the month to invest in a ghostwriter to help your campaign. Boosting your ranking by adding regular, fresh content won’t scare away business, but may bring in more.

Contact Us Today, to learn more about ghostwriting, marketing, and blogging for small business, or visit our informational sister site at www.SimplySocialHub.com.

You may have heard that if you promote other businesses on social media sites that it can boost your own business. For a newbie, it doesn’t make sense. Promoting others will be good for your own business?  It’s not a surprise for most small business owners just getting into social media marketing to feel stumped about what to share on social media.

Here’s what marketing gurus and experts are referring to when they stress about the importance of promoting others aside from promoting your own blog posts, content, promotions and company information. Remember, promoting others is all about attracting attention, becoming valuable to your followers and remaining consistent.

Here are some general ways promoting others will lead business back to you.

• Trusted sources will take notice that you are sharing their content. Like brick and mortar businesses, they will likely share your content with their followers. This will then increase your visibility and attract more attention to your company. 
  
• Becoming a resource for your followers is key in social media marketing. More people will buy something or take on a service if it is recommended by a friend or a second party. By building value with your clients through sharing quality information, even if it is from  another source, you will create a trusting relationship with the public.
  
• Once you are in the “game” of social media marketing, you need to be consistent. Things like updating your profiles on a regular basis can be a challenge if you are using only your own content. Sharing the content and resources of others gives you more to work with.
  

Sharing and promoting other businesses and industry is almost like a partnership. If they scratch your back, you can scratch theirs.  If you are not sure where to start, think about products or services that your business could partner up with. For example, a restaurant and a delivery service, or a makeup boutique and a clothing store. The key is to share content that is relevant to your followers that is not in direct competition with what you already do.

Social media marketing can be a win-win situation if you do it properly. Everyone wants traffic to their site. Everyone wants new and more business. Why not join forces with others to drive business for both businesses? Everyone wins in this game.

If you keep seeing a name, it starts to sink into your memory. This is basically the same strategy to increase your search engine optimization (SEO). To maximize this effort, you want to spread your company’s name on as many useful websites as possible whether it be a social networking site or maybe a search engine.

Having your company be active on different sites. This will increase the average user’s knowledge of your company. Here are some ways to do this.

Use blogs and free social networking websites to post articles about your company.
--Make comments on other blogs or social pages.
--Aside from posting articles, you should try to leave comments on other sites – especially ones that have similar interests to your company. What can happen? Users will check out your company’s profile on the social networking site and your webpage.  Make it meaningful or it may get deleted.

Wikipedia: get your company on it.
--When something comes up on Wikipedia, people assume that it is credible. It is after all the modern enclyopedia. But getting on it can be a challenge. It usually requires a Wikipedia-approved writer. Also, some people do not know that it should come from someone other than at your company and should be newsworthy. Another plus to Wikipedia is that it feeds directly into Facebook and that means more chances that people will connect to your company. Wikipedia entries often show up at the top of search results.

Sell your product on multiple websites.
--Aside from selling your service or product on your own website, why not try Craigslist, eBay, and Amazon.com? By putting your product on these types of sites, you can increase the links back to your site and increase your SEO for organic search.

So, just like commercials, the more information about your company available to internet users, the better it is for business. Of course, the information can’t be a jingle; instead it needs to be helpful information on history and service. By doing this, you will increase awareness of your company and reach a wider pool of potential clients.

If you thought direct mail advertising was dead, think again. A survey by Constant Contact and HubSpot reveals that 47% of businesses still promote events through direct mail. The same survey reveals that 76% of businesses promote events through e-mail and 40% do so through social media.

These numbers are not really surprising, but they are telling. E-mail marketing has become a staple of online promotions. Companies not currently using e-mail marketing for event promotion, or any kind of promotion, are missing great opportunities.

Social media is still a little bit complex. While Facebook is the most trafficked website online, not everyone is using it - particularly in Adams County, Pa. 

I say use the media that are better suited toward your audience. If you have a product or service that appeals to a younger audience - say, the under-30 crowd - even in Adams County, then you might try promoting it through social media. E-mail promotions will work on any audience. Older people, those above the 50-year-old mark, will probably respond better to direct mailings.

Of course, the most savvy marketers will use all the channels at their disposal. The remember the Rule of 7. Your prospects will have to see your offer 7 times before they respond. If they see it in all available channels, including e-mail, direct mail, and social media, then you'll be a thousand times more effective.

These are changeable times for Facebook! Lot's of updates and new features currently happening, but adding 'subscriptions' is a biggie!

You can now subscribe to people who previously may have not accepted you as a friend or have reached the 5000 friend limit and you can get their updates in your newsfeed! This is very exciting for people who want to use Facebook primarily for business, but not as exciting for those who really want to keep their personal profile personal.

The good news, for some, is that you have the option whether to turn it on, or leave it off!

I've attached a video below. Jo Barnes at The Social Networking Academy, explains this new option brilliantly. Or, you can click here to learn more info, directly from Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/about/subscribe