Best Practice for Business Facebook Page Design

Posted on February 23, 2012 by

Facebook Under ConstructionDesigning a Facebook page for a company, cause, brand or local business should involve as much attention to detail as the corresponding professional website. Too often companies create a Facebook page with little forethought or advanced planning. What’s worse is that some businesses create it and then leave it alone. Aligning the company brand and business strategy with a professional Facebook presence will leverage this important medium for maximum effectiveness.

These best practices are well known to social media marketers who often charge hundreds and even thousands of dollars a month to professionally develop business Facebook pages. Small businesses are wise to learn what elements of social media they can develop themselves and where they can use additional assistance.

  1. Maximize the use of Graphics and Images
    1. Design a profile image that uses the maximum allowable image dimensions , i.e. 180 x 540 pixels.
      1. Good example: www.facebook.com/peregrineassociates
    2. Be selective about the wall photos you publish and/or allow to be shown. These appear randomly at the top of your page and can be hidden by clicking the ‘x’ at the top corner of the image. Good images represent the Facebook page best and smiling faces are always a good choice.
      1. Good example: www.facebook.com/socialicia
  2. Create a Welcome Page/Tab
    1. Create a custom welcome page/tab that introduces visitors to the website and gives them a reason to ‘like’ the page. There are several free tab creation apps that will help you create a welcome page for free including: Wildfireapps.com, MyTab, PageModo and others.
      1. Good example of WildfireApps free welcome page/tab: https://www.facebook.com/loebigink?sk=app_201143516562748
      2. Good example of PageModo free welcome page/tab: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Webb-Building-Group-Inc/22950984962?sk=app_106171216118819
  3. Use Free Social Apps
    1. Integrate other important social media into page tabs. YouTube, ConstantContact and other social media sites offer free apps that will integrate their content directly into your Facebook Page.
    2. Good example: www.facebook.com/volvorichmond
  4. Drive Traffic to Your Website
    1. Completely develop the ‘Info” section of your Facebook page with website links, phone numbers, product descriptions, etc.
      1. Good example: https://www.facebook.com/careeressentials?sk=info
    2. When posting photos of products or service related info, make sure the images are also available on your website. One good strategy is to post several sample pics on your Facebook page with a note in the photo description to view more or higher resolution images on your website.
    3. Change the ‘About Us’ section of your page so that is shows your web address. This is the only place on your FB wall that you can provide visitors with a link to your website. For example: “Find out more at: www.TheInkBlog.net”
      1. Good example: www.facebook.com/careeressentials
  5. Use Custom Apps
    1. There are a plethora of social media services that provide custom apps that can drive traffic to your inventory of products and encourage visitors to ‘like’ your page. WildfireApps, Constant Contact, MyTab, PageModo and others will provide the technology you need to create social media campaigns, contests, sweepstakes, quizzes and more. Prices, features and usability vary widely between these services so research the ones that will best meet your needs and budget.
  6. Create a Reveal Tab
    1. One of the single most useful page apps is a reveal tab with mandatory ‘likes.’ Visit my blog article on how to setup a reveal tab using the “My Tab” app. A reveal tab with mandatory “likes” is a Facebook page that invites visitors to see additional content by requiring that they “like” the page. This strategy is being used by many organizations to give away coupons, offer free e-books, enter drawings and sweepstakes as well as numerous other uses.
      1. Good example: www.facebook.com/anotherwaydriver?sk=app_14167664298
      2. How to create a reveal tab: http://theinkblog.net/2012/01/22/how-to-create-a-facebook-reveal-page/
Posted in Social Media | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Sample Strategic Internet Action Plan

Posted on February 3, 2012 by

Internet StrategySmall business owners often search for quick examples of real life action plans, marketing strategies and case studies. This action plan, which was called an ‘internet strategy’ by the businesses from which it was gleaned, highlights some of the key areas of improvement that were targeted for development over the course of a physical year.

Identifying information has been removed for confidentiality purposes.

  1. Search Engine Advertising
    1. Expand Google Adwords budget and targeted ads
      1. Select key product/service groups to highlight
      2. Create a new web landing page(s) as the destination page of the new ad campaigns
      3. Implement “conversion tracking” on key ads
    2. Expand campaigns to Yahoo/Bing
  2. Newsletter Marketing
    1. Create a second newsletter and distribution list for an important customer segment
    2. Create an annual plan for newsletters that target special occasions, offers and deals throughout the year
      1. Holiday-themed Newsletters: Independence Day, Halloween, Memorial Day, Christmas
      2. Social media promo/invite newsletter
      3. New product/service announcement
      4. Two newsletters/mo.
        1. One general and one targeted
      5. Online Surveys
        1. Expand strategy for capturing and measuring customer experiences
        2. Auto add new customers to newsletter email list
          • When new email is added an auto responder would be sent with a link to survey.
          • Followup positive reviews with links to online review sites
  3. Internet Advertising
    1. Choose an internet advertising firm for expanded banner ad strategy
      1. Example: Richmond Times Dispatch
  4. Crowd Sourcing
    1. Consider using and/or promoting Foursquare, GroupOn, etc.
  5. Social Media
    1. Create a Google + page for the business
    2. Geo-location check-in deals
    3. Facebook
      1. Increase daily ads budget by 15%
      2. Continue offering weekly prizes
      3. Create quarterly prizes for bigger gifts
      4. Encourage staff to ‘like’ our FB page and ask them to invite their friends to ‘like the page and interact with fans.
      5. Create exclusive coupon(s) for Facebook fans using a reveal tab.
        1. Example: Another Way Driving School
    4. Linkedin
      1. Encourage key staff to sign up for an account and list the business as their place of employment
    5. YouTube
      1. Create a second channel to solely highlight products/services
      2. Create a schedule for publishing videos
  6. Referral/Review/Local Directory Sites
    1. Claim free local directory listings on key local sites
    2. Consider upgrading key local listings
      1. YellowPages.com ($50/75/104/144/mo)
  7. Content/Article Marketing
    1. Cross post product inventory and blog articles on other websites
      1. Example: Ezinearticles.com, eBay, Craigslist, etc.
  8. QR Code Expansion
    1. Use in print-based advertisements and on product packaging
  9. Existing Website
    1. Improve home page layout and overall navigation
    2. Create mobile version of site
    3. Create expanded pages for key products/services
  10. New Websites
    1. Create an affiliate website that targets a key product/service
Posted in Marketing, Social Media, Web Design | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How to Create a Facebook Reveal Page (Using the My Tab App)

Posted on January 22, 2012 by

FB Reveal page using My TabOne of the most highly touted strategies for growing fans by Facebook Marketing experts is the use of a Facebook ‘reveal tab’ with a mandatory “like” option. A reveal tab with mandatory “likes” is a Facebook page that invites visitors to see additional content by requiring that they “like” the page. This strategy is being used by many organizations to give away coupons, offer free e-books, enter drawings and sweepstakes as well as numerous other uses.

Organizations such as Wildfire Interactive have successfully developed pricing strategies around this advanced Facebook functionality as a way to offer increased value to their customers. Wildfire’s Promotion Builder product offers ‘mandatory likes’ only in their highest level, and most costly,  custom service.

This article will take you through the basic steps needed create a Facebook reveal page with mandatory likes.

Create the Two Images that will be used on the Reveal Page

  1. The first, and most difficult step to creating a reveal page is to design the two graphic images that will be displayed on the page. The first graphic will invite visitors to click “like” in order to reveal the special offer. The second graphic will reveal the offer. Both images must be 520 pixels wide, but they can be much longer in height. Keep in mind that visitors should not have to scroll down the page to view the primary message of the image.
  2. A common technique for developing the first visible image is to actually blur the second target image. Blurring the image that is going to be revealed gives the visitor an idea about what will be revealed.  The invitation to like the page is then positioned over the blurred image
    1. Blurred image
      Facebook Reveal Image A
    2. Revealed Image
      Facebook Reveal Image B
  3. Once these two images are created upload them to a live web server. You will need to point to these images in the hmtl coding in later steps below.

Add the My Tab App to your Facebook Page

  1. Go to facebook.com/revealtab
  2. Click “install the Application”My Tab
  3. On the page titled “My Tab would also like permission to,” click “Allow”mytab3
  4. On the next “Chose Your Page” window, select the page you would like to install MyTab. If you only manage one Facebook page only one will be in the list.mytab4
  5. Once clicked, a red box asking you to ‘install the application to this page appears. Click the link in the red box to continuemytab5
  6. The next page confirms that you wish to add My Tab to the page. Click “Add My Tab”mytab6
  7. Once clicked, the tab is installed on the page and you will be taken to the Facebook page where it is installed. Click on My Tab to continue the setup process.mytab7
  8. A sample “Thanks for Liking our page” graphic will appear from My Tab. Click the text that says, “change this content to be your custom landing page” which will take you to the Apps page.mytab8

Edit the Name of your Reveal Tab

  1. On the “My Tab” app click “Edit Settings” which will bring up a popup window allowing you to change the name of the tab. Click save when finished.mytab9
    mytab10

Edit Default and Reveal Tab Content

  1. Click on the “Go to App” link to edit the content of the tab.mytab11
  2. In this default content tab page add the html code that points to the image that will appear to visitors who have not yet liked your page. If you are pointing to an image that is not located on a secure server using the “https” protocol a warning message will appear informing you that a significant percentage of users will see error security warnings when visiting your page.  An invitation to upgrade to the My Tab premium plan will be offered, but is not required. (See last step in this article for premium pricing and features.) When finished click ‘save.’mytab12
  3. Next, click the “Reveal Content” navigation button at the top left of the App to setup the reveal image using html.mytab13

Setup Google Analytics

  1. If you use Google Analytics to track traffic on your website, you can insert your Google Analytics account ID so that it will track your tab visits as well.
  2. You can find your Google Analytics ID on the Anaytics Account Home page.mytab15
  3. To setup up analytics, click the “Tab Analytics” navigation button at the top left of the App.mytab16
  4. Enter your Google tracking code and click save.

Make the Reveal Tab your Default FB Landing Page

  • If you desire to make the Reveal Tab your landing page for first time visitors, go to the Facebook Edit Page, then click “Manage Permissions.” In the “Default Landing Tab” dropdown menu, select your new reveal tab and save the changes.mytab14

Consider Upgrading

  • My Tab provides this reveal tab free for a maximum of 8 Facebook page installs. An upgraded version can be purchased for $7/mo per page. The upgrade removes the ‘powered by My Tab’ link on the page, and provides 5mb of https image storage for each page install.

Installation Help?

Posted in Marketing, Social Media | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

How to Encourage Positive Internet Reviews

Posted on January 9, 2012 by

Review SitesBusiness review sites continue to proliferate the web.  Local directories and search sites have joined the customer review bandwagon of dedicated review sites such as Angie’s List, Yelp and DealerRater.  As a result it is becoming increasingly important for businesses of all sizes to devise a thoughtful strategy to encourage positive internet reviews and maintain control of their internet reputation.

Popular review sites such as Yelp.com, DealerRater.com, and Local.com have strict policies about reviews in order to maintain the legitimacy of their brand. They strongly advise against asking customers directly for positive reviews. Posted guidelines suggest that reviews are best when they happen organically. However, businesses are motivated to seek out the best and most positive reviews in order to maximize their online reputations.

The following recommendations are biased towards the interest of the business, but remain ethical and transparent. Since these ideas are relatively generic, specific strategies need to be tailored to the particular industry and customer.

  1. Ensure customer comment cards and surveys ask for an email address, then followup on all positive surveys pointing them to your preferred review site.
  2. Train staff to encourage customers to visit your website to post comments on a survey page (web address on a receipt works well).  Then, followup on all positive comments with links to the review site. Followup on criticisms with good customer service.
  3. Pass out note cards with an invite to rate the business on the review site and reward and/or recognize staff who do this well.
  4. After making a sale, invite the customer to visit the site and make a comment.
  5. Have a kiosk, tablet or computer available in the business for clients to post reviews.
  6. Invite people who make positive comments via the web, word of mouth or social media to make their voice public on a review site.

For more specific ideas on strategies for your particular business drop me a note or comment on this blog with your own ideas!
www.loebigink.com/ink/contact.ashx

Posted in Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Great Tech Tools: Wildfire Social Media Monitor

Posted on December 21, 2011 by

Wildfire LogoWildfire Social Media Monitor
http://monitor.wildfireapp.com/

What it is:
Wildfire’s Social Media Monitor is a free web-based tool for tracking the growth of business Facebook and Twitter pages. The tool lets you compare the growth of friends and followers against your competitors and will provide regular email alerts of your social media growth in a chart sent directly to your email.

How we use it:
We use Wildfire’s Social Media Monitor to track the growth of business Facebook pages and also use it to share the impact of Facebook ad campaigns and Wildfire App contests. We often research local or regional competitors who have business Facebook pages and include those businesses that are similar in fan size to the business we are managing. Then, as Facebook fans grow and strongly outpace the initial list of competitors we will create a new comparison to match competitors who have higher numbers of fans and/or similar growth rates.

In the example below we compared Mooers Volvo Facebook fan growth to local luxury vehicle dealership competitors. We initially left Lexus of Richmond off the list since their fan base of over 4000 was so much higher than all local competitors.

Volvo comparison to local competitors

Then, after conducting a Wildfire Promotion Builder/fan contest and developing regular, low-cost, Facebook ads, growth rates quickly outpaced local competitors. As a result, a new Wildfire comparison helped us benchmark Mooers Volvo against some of the top national Volvo and non-Volvo dealership Facebook pages.

Volvo comparison to national competitors

We also use the Wildfire Social Media Monitor to keep track of all the Facebook and Twitter accounts that we manage which is very handy!

Specifications:
The program works across all browsers .

Cost:
Free. Comparing social media pages in Wildfire’s web-based application does not require a fee or even a membership account. However, to save and receive regular alerts about performance comparisons an account can be set up with just a name, password and email.  There are currently no fees for an expanded version of the Social Media Monitor. The full tool is free for all.  :-)

Full Disclosure:
We do not make any money or referral bonuses for reviewing or recommending this product.

Posted in Great Tech Tools, Social Media | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Basic SEO Ideas

Posted on December 9, 2011 by

SEO BasicsVolumes have been written on search engine optimization. Free ebooks and blogs about increasing results abound. In the spirit of the season here are a few basic best practice tips to adorn your technological tree in anticipation of more virtual visitors.

  1. Make sure you have metatags on all of your web pages especially keywords, content type and description tags.  Although Google doesn’t use most of them anymore many other search engines do so its best to cover all your bases.
    • Take some time and improve the keyword metatags you are using for your web pages. Google has a great tool for testing and evaluating keywords: https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal. As a general rule single words are usually not helpful. Also, remove or expand keywords that are too broad or general. For example, if you are an author, these keywords need updating:
  • short stories
  • Kindle
  • Nook
  • writer
  • author
  1. A blog site is an excellent way to increase SEO results. Just make sure you post regular content. Search engines like fresh content!
    • If you already have a blog on your website, another idea is to consider moving your blog page off of your main website and into a blog service like WordPress or Blogger and then associate it with a unique URL.  (TheInkBlog.net is a good example of this strategy) This will allow you to reach and refer a new and wider audience back to your website and any other content you may have.
  2. The single most important way to increase search engine ranking is to increase the number of other websites linking to your website.  Therefore, having Facebook, Twitter, external blogs and other pages that link to your main website is critical.  Another way to increase inbound links is to get listed in local directories such as Yahoo Local, SuperPages, Manta, etc. Check out a recent blog post on this idea: http://theinkblog.net/2011/11/04/promoting-small-business-on-the-web/
  3. Linkedin.com is another great tool for increasing SEO.  After setting up an account and connecting with colleagues and friends, scan the suggested list of ‘people you may know’ to continue expanding your reach. Linkedin also has some great tools that will allow you to auto post blog articles.  You can also post updates and announcements relevant to your business.
  4. Developing a Google Adwords campaign, if you don’t already have one, is a sure fire way to gain exposure in search listings. You will be able to see what the pay-per-click (PPC) cost will be to rank highly on various keywords related to your business. It will also help you round out your business marketing strategy.  Here is a brief article on Internet Advertising. http://theinkblog.net/2011/11/08/small-business-internet-advertising/.
Posted in SEO | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments