Archive for the ‘Facebook’ Category

Introducing Facebook Timeline

Facebook Timeline

Facebook New Features: Video Calling, Group Chat & Chat Redesign

Facebook has launched in last November the new messages feature, it’s an amazing feature that combines chats, texts, messages & emails in one place.

Yesterday Facebook has announced new interesting features, video calling, group chat & redesigned chat and this comes after Google biggest announcement the Google+ hangouts that includes all users. Facebook video calls & group chat are not available yet on mobiles.

Facebook Video Calling/Chatting

Facebook One to One Video Calling

Facebook One to One Video Calling

 

Facebook’s biggest announcement yesterday was the partnership with Skype which you can make video calls with your friends through your Facebook account. CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg has announced that Facebook has 750 million, which Facebook has brought video calling to all its 750 million users.

Its actually an interesting feature to users to make one to one video calls. Video calling will be available to all users in the coming weeks or you can  install Facebook video calling plugin. Yet there is no announcements about group video calls.

How to make video calls on Facebook?

  • Either by calling your friends using the video icon in the chat box
Facebook Video Calling - Chat Box Call Icon

Facebook Video Calling - Chat Box Call Icon

  • Or directly through your friend’s profile page
Facebook Video Calling - Friend's Profile Call Icon

Facebook Video Calling - Friend's Profile Call Icon

As well Facebook users can accept or reject any video call request.

Reject or Accept Facebook Video Calls

Reject or Accept Facebook Video Calls

 

Facebook Group Chat

Facebook has launched group chat which is one of the most requested features in Facebook. You can make multi-person chat. Simply add your friends to chat.

“Now when your friends can’t figure out what movie to see, you can just add them to a chat and decide together” Facebook video chat engineer Phillip Su says of the new feature.

Facebook group chat functionality is similar to Google+ huddles which is a group based mobile feature available between Google+ members.

Facebook Group Chat Feature

Facebook Group Chat Feature

 

Facebook Chat Redesign

Is a new chat design that includes a sidebar that shows the list of people you message most. The side bar adjusted with the size of the browser window & it appears when the window is wide enough.

Facebook Chat Redesign Sidebar

Facebook Chat Redesign Sidebar

 

Check Facebook blog for the official announcements about the new features.

 

 

 

 

Creating Effective Facebook Pages, Tips & Features

Vin Diesel Facebook Page

I have spoken earlier about Facebook Pages Tips & Features. Here I am talking about the importance of using best practices in creating an effective branded page on Facebook, as there are tips you need to understand to maximize the benefits of creating your brand page as engaging with your fans & integrate your page with multiple applications & social plugins.

Tips for Creating Effective Facebook Pages

  • Name Your Page With Your Brand Name

Consider your page name to be as your brand name for ease access & search by your fans & non-followers to find you through internal Facebook Search.

  • Custom Your Facebook Page URL With Your Brand Name

You can custom Facebook page URL to double the chances for your page to be found easily & can direct your fans with easy & remarkable name (URL).

Customized page URL can help you getting ranked & found in most of search engines, like if you Google “Vin Diesel” you will find the third result is for Vin Diesel | Facebook that will direct you to his page. As an example of search on personal profiles & customizing the URL, Google “Hatem Jarad” you will find the result Hatem Jarad | Facebook that will direct to a personal profile.

In internal Facebook search the name comes first in order of results then the number of fans, so if there are duplicate names as your page name, make your best to increase fans to come first in search.

  • Fill All The Information About Your Brand

Fill in all the boxes & fields in the page describing your page, such information will be helpful for your fans to understand better your page. Try to be correct as possible to let search engines index your page’s information & be found in Search Engines Results Pages (SERPs).

  • Don’t Make Your Page Default Tab The “Wall”

When you direct non-fans to your page, make the default tab “Info” tab or any other engaging tab, like creating a tab called “Welcome” which welcomes your new fans to the page & gives a brief about the page or add “Offers” tab or detailed information, like Opera Winfrey default landing tab is “This week on Oprah”.

The reason for that is you can get more likes & fans through your engaging tabs which motivate the user to click like as well have a better idea about your page if the landing tab is the info or any engaging tabs, which are controlled by you & you can direct & show non-fans what you want, not like the wall where there are many comments & posts unfiltered by users which might sometimes gives a bad impression to non-followers of your page.

  • Integrate Applications & Social Plugins Into Your Page

It’s easy to install applications & social plugins to your page through tabs, which can integrate other accounts of your brand into your page, like YouTube channel or Twitter account, e.g. Mazzek Arabic Facebook Page; this page is for a musical website they integrated their YouTube Channel into their Page to keep the fans updated & even watch their videos on the page without leaving it.

I found Involver is a good example where you can install engaging Facebook applications  to download into your Page.

    • Always keep your page content fresh
    • Post teased questions & posts
    • Post events to get your fans RSVP
    • Add links to videos or photos & Tag your fans
    • Always reply to your fans quires & engage with their comments; that would leave a good manner in them to come back to you & ask you or engage with more as well invite their friends to your page.
  • Keep your Page Updated & Be In A Direct Touch With Your Fans

Download Facebook Pages Manual to get some instructions about creating your Page.

Facebook Pages Tips and Features

Ashtun Kutcher Facebook Page

Facebook Pages

are a free product for organizations & public figures to build their presence online & to connect with people & audience on Facebook, share stories & updates in real time conversations.

Facebook Pages are considered as profiles for brands; Facebook pages were created to replace the use of personal profiles for companies & use more professional page to interact with users & engage with them by keeping them updated with the company services & news.

Pages have access to users’ feeds; as any page can update a status, attach a link or any activity from the turnkey publisher tool which they will appear to users’ feeds like their friends activities appear to them. Pages are considered as Twitter for Facebook by many in the press as any activity you do in your page it will appear to your fans on their news feeds.

Facebook has been increasingly developing pages experience as it could now integrate with multiple applications. Check Ashton Kutcher fan page & how he interacts with his fans in his “Ashton Live” tab.

Tips to use Facebook features and applications on your Brand Page and your Website

Facebook on your Site:

  • Facebook Connect”  is a smooth plugin you add it on your site to let users to connect with their Facebook IDs & start engaging on your site; it’s a seamless app allow users to easily share &distribute their activities on your site & see their mutual friends who is active on your site.
  • Facebook Share” is a fantastic plugin as you can add a button or a box to your site to easily allow users share your content on with their friends.
  • Facebook has many useful “Social Plugins” to install on your website.

Facebook on your Brand Page:

  • Keep your users updated with new content.
  • Write Notes & share them with your fans & Discussion Boards to enable fans to get their ideas out & let you know exactly what your customers think & want from you.
  • Post Videos, Photos & Status for your events
  • You can set up events & have your fans RSVP
  • If you have a blog you can import it on your page.

There are many online websites helps you to install applications or social plugins on your site or your page’s tabs to increase fans engagement with you.

Latest Facebook Marketing Methods

Facebook Page

Best Facebook Marketing Practices

by Mohammad Jubran

With over 500 million active users, Facebook’s virtual population is greater than the actual population of the United States.

So what marketing methods work well with Facebook?

Facebook ads have improved since the early days of the site. Because Facebook users tend to share copious amounts of personal data, Facebook’s targeted ads are usually seen by the right individuals that will be more likely to actually click on the link. No longer are ads a shot in the dark, Facebook has the market cornered on targeted advertising.

The most basic marketing method is a good, solid business page. But more and more businesses are now recognizing that Facebook users like to be engaged and enjoy interacting with companies, so a mere page is no longer enough.

Contests and promotions are a great way to make customers more interested in brands they like and an excellent method to make brands known to new customers.

Facebook users tend to follow favorite brands, but with contests and promotions, it’s easy to get strangers to your brand to fan your page. Just make sure it’s a requirement for the contest. As long as the prize is something worthwhile, the Facebook users will most likely be willing to jump through that hoop to enter. In addition to basically subscribing to receive future messages from that company, the Facebook user also serves as free advertising towards their friends. Even if their friends never click on your company to find out what exactly all the fuss is about, it is still a point of contact. Next time those individuals see your brand name, there will be something familiar about it. Familiarity equals comfort. Making your potential customers comfortable is good.

Striking a balance with pages is crucial to getting and maintaining a good fan base. If posts are too often or irrelevant, Facebook users are likely to simply hide the page, which is of course bad. But on the other side of the spectrum, failure to post often yields zero results. Balance is key.
With over 500 million active users, Facebook’s virtual population is greater than the actual population of the United States.
So what marketing methods work well with Facebook?
Facebook ads have improved since the early days of the site. Because Facebook users tend to share copious amounts of personal data, Facebook’s targeted ads are usually seen by the right individuals that will be more likely to actually click on the link. No longer are ads a shot in the dark, Facebook has the market cornered on targeted advertising.
The most basic marketing method is a good, solid business page. But more and more businesses are now recognizing that Facebook users like to be engaged and enjoy interacting with companies, so a mere page is no longer enough. Contests and promotions are a great way to make customers more interested in brands they like and an excellent method to make brands known to new customers.

Facebook users tend to follow favorite brands, but with contests and promotions, it’s easy to get strangers to your brand to fan your page. Just make sure it’s a requirement for the contest. As long as the prize is something worthwhile, the Facebook users will most likely be willing to jump through that hoop to enter. In addition to basically subscribing to receive future messages from that company, the Facebook user also serves as free advertising towards their friends. Even if their friends never click on your company to find out what exactly all the fuss is about, it is still a point of contact. Next time those individuals see your brand name, there will be something familiar about it.

Familiarity equals comfort. Making your potential customers comfortable is good.
Striking a balance with pages is crucial to getting and maintaining a good fan base. If posts are too often or irrelevant, Facebook users are likely to simply hide the page, which is of course bad. But on the other side of the spectrum, failure to post often yields zero results. Balance is key.

Tips And Tricks For Your Facebook Fan Page

Facebook Page

SHORTEN OR CUSTOMIZE YOUR FAN PAGE URL

It is easier for your fans to locate and remember your page if the URL of your fan page is similar and relative to your business or organization. Your Facebook page can have a customized URL by logging into Facebook, clicking here and following the instructions.

MAXIMIZE YOUR DEFAULT IMAGE

Facebook now allows its users to upload an image as large as 200 x 600 pixels as their default picture. This is great for those who like to use elongated images to draw the eyes of their fans up and down the page. Simply upload a large image by clicking on the pencil that appears on the top right corner of the default image and select ‘Upload Image.’

BE CREATIVE AND RENAME TABS

Renaming tabs adds personality to a Facebook page. Add the FBML application if you have yet to do so. Click on the ‘Edit Page’ tab below the fan page’s profile image, find the FBML application and click on ‘Edit.’ There you will change the tab name and add content to the page using HTML code.

RECEIVE NOTIFICATIONS FROM YOUR EMAIL

Anyone who likes or comments on anything you post, you will receive a notification via email. NutshellMail also allows you to reply, share stories, and send wall posts without ever leaving your email inbox. It is a fantastic Facebook app for managing and interacting with all your social networks via email.

Adding NutshellMail is easy. In the Facebook search bar type in “NutshellMail” and select the one that says application. Under the default image, click on ‘Go to Application’ and follow the rest of the instructions.

CHANGE THE DEFAULT LANDING PAGE

Generally the Wall tab is the landing page on Facebook profiles, but users with a Facebook fan page have the option to choose a different tab as their landing page. Creating a landing page can provide new fans information, a warm welcoming, or an interest to explore the page.

Visit your fan page and select ‘Edit Page’ and then click on ‘Wall Settings.’ When you see ‘Default Landing Tab for Everyone Else,’ choose the tab that you want your fans to see.

ADD A BANNER, FLYER OR ANNOUNCEMENT

My Info is a Facebook application that lets you place any HTML on your Wall, Info, or Boxes tab. It is perfect for creating a Welcome Tab on your Facebook Fan page. From images and flash movies to HTML, My Info allows you to customize this tab to your liking.

In the Facebook search bar type in “My Info” and select the one that says application. Under the default image, click on ‘Go to Application’ and follow the rest of the instructions.

REMOVE FACEBOOK ADVERTISING

Facebook advertisements can be annoying. There is a program called Greasemonkey Script that allows you to remove ads and updates that distract your fans from interacting with your Facebook fan page. Click the links below to download Greasemonkey Script.
You have to download the Greasemonkey Add On before you install the Facebook Cleaner.

Source: Social Capital Management

Facebook Pages vs. User Profiles

Facebook Viral Marketing

Why to Choose Facebook Pages For Your Business

Anyone using Facebook has an individual user profile to navigate the site and communicate with friends, family and colleagues. For your protection, your personal log-in information should never be shared. After logging in to your user profile, you can create and administer a Facebook Page for your business—and you can easily invite colleagues to manage it with you. The differences between user profiles and Facebook Pages help you protect your own privacy as a user while maximizing publicity for your business:

1) Facebook Pages are visible to everyone

Even people who aren’t logged in to Facebook can see Facebook Pages. A user profile, on the other hand, can only be seen by the user’s friends and others in her networks.

2) Facebook Pages can have an unlimited number of fans

Regular users can have up to 5,000 friends.

3) Users can automatically support your Facebook Page without confirmation

User profiles have to approve all incoming friend requests.

Add Your SEO Agency

4) You can send Updates to all your fans

User profiles cannot message all their friends at once.

Although a person could never use a Facebook Page as the primary way to navigate Facebook (for instance, a Facebook Page can’t join Groups or attend events), Facebook Pages are the perfect solution for businesses, bands, films, sports teams, and other organizations seeking to reach Facebook’s 70 million active users.

Source: Docstoc / Facebook

Facebook – Viral Marketing Guide – 2

Facebook Logo

Introduction to Facebook

Facebook offers you an unparalleled opportunity to connect with your fans and consumers—on their turf and in ways they find meaningful. By maintaining a Facebook Page and using all the available features, you can interact with consumers the same way they interact with friends and colleagues. Your biggest fans have probably already told a couple friends about your business in casual conversation, but Facebook’s technology makes it easy for them to spread the word instantaneously to all of their friends—on average, over 100 people.

Keys to Using Facebook

1) Make business personal

People primarily use Facebook to share personal information with friends. The more you showcase the human element of your business, your products, and your people, the stronger of an effect it will have on everyone who views it.

2) Update your Facebook Page frequently

Facebook is geared to highlight new information and recent changes. The more often you add new content, the more often people will come back to your Facebook Page. You can also send Updates to your fans to announce in-store events, special promotions, new products, concerts, screenings, or other news.

3) Harness the power of News Feed

The News Feed on users’ home pages tells them what their friends are doing. When users become your fan, News Feed tells their friends and invites them to become fans as well. In turn, this can lead to the friends of their friends finding out about your business through their News Feeds, and so on in a virtuous cycle. News Feed is the key to spreading your message virally on Facebook.

4) Choose the applications that are best for your

Business Facebook and its outside developers have built thousands of free applications for businesses, bands, and every other type of organization. Your Page comes with the basics pre-installed, but you can easily add whichever other applications are right for your business. For instance, a restaurant may choose to add an application for online ordering or reservations, while a film may add a cinema locator so the user can find the nearest screening without ever leaving Facebook. You can even build your own applications. The more useful your applications are to your customers, the faster your fan base will grow.

5) Promote your Page through Facebook Ads

Facebook Ads allow you to reach exactly the audience you want and bring them to your Page. You can choose your audience based on age, gender, geography, educational status, relationship status, and precise interests or keywords. Your ads can be socialized so that users’ interactions are reflected in the ads their friends see, increasingly the virality of your Page. You can run ads both in traditional “banner” locations and in the News Feed. As with your Page itself, the key to success with Facebook Ads is to experiment and iterate on your work. Facebook experts are all around you: in your family, on your staff, amongst your customers, at your competitors. Don’t hesitate to ask them for advice and to follow their lead when you see a successful strategy at work.  “Is Facebook becoming the social operating system of the Internet, poised to support a whole new generation of businesses?…Wharton’s Fader sees Facebook commanding a mass market in a way traditional forms of media no longer do. ‘Even TV does not have the same level of engagement. Right now, Facebook is unique.’” – Forbes

Presence

Facebook Pages, which launched in November 2007, allow local businesses, sports teams, artists, films, brands, public figures, non-profits and other business organizations to have a presence on Facebook. Users can add themselves to your Facebook Page as fans, write on your Wall, purchase products, learn about special promotions, upload photos, and join other users in discussion groups. You can send Updates to all your fans whenever you like. And you can add applications to your Page and engage Facebook users with videos, notes, links, Flash content, and more.

Source: Docstoc / Facebook

Facebook Pages – Viral Marketing Guide – 1

Facebook Viral Marketing

Consumers are increasingly turning to the Internet for information about companies and products. According to Jupiter Research, 70% of viral marketers report increasing brand awareness as one of the most successful areas of their social marketing campaigns. With 70 million active users, Facebook is the Internet’s leading social utility. Facebook Pages give businesses the opportunity to build a consumer base, sell products, run promotions, schedule appointments or reservations, share information, and interact with customers. Today, hundreds of thousands of leading brands, restaurants, hotels, writers, filmmakers, bands, and retailers are leveraging Facebook Pages to reach consumers.

Businesses now have the ability to expand their revenue base and acquire new customers through free Facebook Pages. Pages enable customers to interact, learn, purchase, and spread the word about your business to their friends. The key is Facebook’s stable and trusted platform, which gives companies the ability to connect with consumers and participate in the conservations they’re already having with their friends about their favorite local spots, artists, films and brands. Every day, most of Facebook’s 70 million active users log on to Facebook to learn about their friends and share information about their interests and activities. This regular interaction gives businesses the opportunity to connect with existing and new customers as effectively as a face-to-face meeting.

source: Docstoc

New Blackberry phones on sale | Thanks to Business Opportunity, Highest CD Rates and Registry Software