Blog | Arque Creative

7 Steps for Optimizing Your Facebook Page for Timeline

Posted by abigail on Monday, April 23, 2012 - 12:49

Facebook Timeline for Pages goes into effect April 26 - How Can You Prepare?

First, let's reveiw some of the new features:

1a. Photos - you'll need new artwork to for the upgrade. You'll now need a Profile Photo that is 160 x 160 pixels.

b. Next you'll need a Cover Photo for your Timeline background. "To get the best quality image and fastest load times for your Page, upload an sRGB JPG file that's 851 pixels wide, 315 pixels tall and less than 100 kilobytes" (Facebook help center).

2a. App Tabs - here's where you'll feel the pinch. The old Facebook featured all of your App tabs in the left hand column. Now you are limited to featuring only 3 visible App Tabs in addition to your Photos. You can still have more App Tabs but they won't be visible. Rather you get to those by using the drop down menu (see below photo)

Facebook App Tabs

2b. Now you can prioritize your App Tabs by reordering them. To do this, click on the App Tab drop down box (little blue arrow to the right of the Tab row). That brings down a drop box with all your App Tabs. To reorder, all you have to do is click, drag and drop. For example, if you want to feature you blog or Contact App Tab, click on it, drag it into position next to your Photo Tabs and bravo!

2c. You can customize your Tab App artwork and Tab Name too. I'll be covering this in my new Advanced Page Owners Workshop.

3. Highlight Posts - you can now Highlight important posts or Pin them to the top of your page. This is easy to do. Once you've posted a news item, then mouse over to the very right of the post. There you'll see a star and edit icon. Click on those to either star your post, which will widen it in length to fill up the width of your Page, OR, Pin your post to the top of your page.

4. Respond to Direct Messages from Fans - this is a cool new feature that lets you respond to Fan emails directly and privately.

5. Add Engaging Content - round out your Page with other interesting content such as Milestones or Events as in this photo below.

Facebook Timeline: adding events or milestones

6. Read Your Insights - Facebook Insights can give you some great feedback on how well you're engaging with fans. There you can see how many fans read your posts (clicked on them) or shared them. There you start to get an idea about what content is most interesting to your fans.

7. Keep On Posting - Facebook recommends that Pages post updates daily for the best audience retention. If you can't do that then try and post 1-2 times per week at a minimum. This will help you to maintain relevancy for the Facebook algorhythm and keep your content flowing in your Fans' news streams.

Advanced Facebook Page Owners Workshop

I'll be putting together a new advanced workshop for Facebook Page owners/managers soon. In the meantime, if you need help with creating new artwork I have a couple of graphic designers in my stable I could connect you to - just email me in Facebook or use my Facebook Page "Aloha" contact form. Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

To Google+ or Not To Google+?

Posted by abigail on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 - 13:17

Having a Hard Time Wrapping Your Mind Around Google+?

Since the 2011 launch of Google+ I've been trying my best to gain traction and put it to use as a social media tool....but I admit, I'm still struggling. I think the most difficult challenge presented by Google+ is that all of my friends and colleagues are on Facebook. Only a handful of the new technology adopters are on Google+ and they don't post with any frequency. So here I am, trying to operate in what has become a pretty lonely outpost.

How Can I Convince You to Join Google+?

1. Gather News

Perhaps one of the most compelling reasons to join Google+ is to set it up as an information gathering channel or customized news feed. Google+ has developed its own directory called Recommended Users that will point you to noteworthy folks worth following. It's a really good place to start by Adding folks that are most relevant to you to your news feed.

2. Chat and Hang Out

I think Google+ can be a great tool for small teams collaborating on a project. The Chat and HangOut features allow team members to communicate in real time, share documents (via Google Docs), and create shared calendars (via Google Calendars). By interacting on Google+ teams can operate in a microsite that can help boost collaboration and communication. AND...teams have the option of making this collaboration pubic.

3. Boost SEO

Obviously Google+ is linked up to its Search results. The more you interact by posting and sharing information with the Google+ community, the more you'll boost your SEO. This alone is a pretty compelling reason for joining up, especially if you're a brand or business trying to get noticed online.

4. Set Up a Business Page

Google+ offers its own version of Pages and allows businesses to create a Google+ profile. Again, it's worth doing so to boost SEO.

What Do You Need To Get Started?

Getting started is pretty simple. Similar to Facebook, you need to start by registering a Google Profile. Google Profiles were launched a few years back to give folks more control over how they appear in Search. YOU control and edit the content for your profile and this will now show up in Google Search results. Plus, it's another great thing to do to boost your SEO.

You'll also need some good photos to complete your Profile picture and Page pictures. The sizing requirements are a little odd so be prepared to have to work with this.

Then of course, have all of your online links at hand. Once you've completed the information, you'll essentially have a repsository of your online brand. Sweet!

Join Me!!

Like I said, it's lonely over here in Google+ so please find me and let's explore how we can maximize our experience: Abigail on Google+

7 Reasons Why Pinterest Is Going to Be a Significant Social Media Powerhouse

Posted by abigail on Monday, April 16, 2012 - 10:42

By now you've probably heard a lot of noise about Pinterest - an online bulletin board and the latest significant player in the social media landscape. Social Media guru Gary Vaynerchuck estimates that Pinterest will grow to 30 million users by the end of 2012 - and I think it might even be bigger.

Why Is Pinterest Worth Noting?

1. Pinterest is incredibly useful. For example, if you are thinking about redecorating your house, you can use Pinterest as your online vision board. Pinterest has the ability to let you archive all of your inspirations and ideas from various online publications and store in one file. See a kitchen your like in Coastal Living online? PinIt and grab that photo to complie your online board. Add to that color samples from Benjamin Moore and stools from Crate & Barrel and now you're beginning to lay out a plan for your dream kitchen.

2. Pinterest is also incredibly immersive. Pinterest's fun and friendly social sharing environment fuels it with an immersive quality. Because Pinterest gives you the ability to browse and search other Content Curator boards by topic or keywords, it can really pull you in to it's universe. I sometimes consciously need to force myself to break away from the site before too much time has elapsed.

3. The Pinterest universe is not just limited to your Friends but also millions of other real people in the Pinterest community. On Pinterest, anyone can be an engaging Content Curator (see http://arquecreative.com/blog/how-can-being-content-creatorcurator-help-your-business).

4. Pinterest has seamless integration wtih Facebook. Given that Facebook is home to 850 million users worldwide, being able to integrate Pinterest activities with a Facebook feed will continue to fuel growth as more and more Facebook users gain exposure.

5. Pinterest has loads of upward potential for brands. Brands are just beginning to express themselves in the Pinterest universe and there is a lot of untapped potential here. Read more about standout brands on Pintesest: http://sproutsocial.com/insights/2012/02/best-pinterest-brands/

6. It's all about the tools. Like other social media communities that have had rapid fire growth, there is now a whole host of tools targeted toward the Pinterest community. This will continue to unlock it's potential to become a social media powerhouse and further drive growth and development: Social Media Today, 19 Tools for Pinterest Pros.

7. Pinterest is Fun!! Let's face it, Pinterest is really fun. Personally I use it to archive my online recepies and am often thrilled when things I post find traction: e.g. get repinned or find that folks have subscribed to my board. The female-dominated community feels genuine, friendly and inviting.

Abigail's bio on Pinterest

Pinterest and forget it. If you've yet to sign up for an account I encourage you to do so. It's pretty simple to use and won't take you much time to get up and running. To find me go to: http://pinterest.com/abisailf/

New Facebook Features Allow You To Target Who Sees Your Posts

Posted by abigail on Monday, August 29, 2011 - 10:54

Facebook just rolled out some pretty cool features that let you…

1. Tag who you’re with when you post
2. Add your location when you post
3. Target your posts to specific friends or Lists

Long ago I organized my Facebook Friends into Lists. Since many of my friends are also windsurfers, I created a List of just those friends.

How Do I Create a List?

1. First, in the upper navigation click on Profile.

2. This brings you to your Profile Page, then look at your Friends in the left hand column; click on Friends.

3. This brings up a new page of all your friends; now in the upper right area find the button that says Edit Friends; click on Edit Friends.

4. This takes you to a new page that will allow you to edit your friends. Now in the upper right area, look for the button that says Create a List. Here’s where you can create a new list of friends who share a common interest or history with you.

5. Once you title your List, then scroll through your friends and tag each friend you’d like to add to the list.

So Now I Have a List, How Do I Target My Posts to My List?

First click on Update Status. This draws up a new window and notice how along the bottom of the window it has a portrait icon on the far left (this lets you tag who you’re with), to the right of this is the location icon (this lets you tag where you are), and now to the far right it reads Custom.

1. Click on Custom and it brings up a drop down menu which reads Public, Friends, Custom. Click on Custom.

2. This brings up a pop up window with an option to post to Friends of Friends, Friends, Specific People, or Only Me. Click on Specific People.

3. Once you click on Specific People, type in the name of your new List. This will set your posts to now post only to your List.

Is My List Private?

If your Privacy Settings are set so that only Friends see your posts, now only your List (subset of your Friends) will see your posts. Pretty cool!

3 Reasons Why You Should Have a Google Profile

Posted by abigail on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 12:50

Google Profiles have been around for a few years now but many people don't understand what they are and why they should create one. Here's how Google defines Profiles: "Your profile is the way you present yourself on Google products and across the web. With your profile, you can manage the information that people see--such as your bio, contact details, and links to other sites about you or created by you."

1. Google Profiles were designed so that you could better manage your online identity and control how you turned up in Search. Rather than let the broader Web determine how you're seen in Search results, Google Profiles give you the option to control your information, pictures, contact information and any URL's you own. Think of it as an abbreviated LinkedIn Profile but with broader implications.

2. Google Profiles are integrated with Google+. Google Profiles were originally integrated with Google Buzz but essentially, Buzz bombed. Now Google+ uses your Google Profile to complete, well your Profile. From there you can build out your network of contacts and explore other functionality offered by Google +.

Note, Google+ is still in demo but email me if you'd like an invitation.

3.Google Profiles boost your SEO. Yes, it would make sense that Google ranks a Google Profile higher than other online vehicles. Case in point, my Google Profile usually appears at the top or near the top of my own name search. Profiles also factor in any URL's you provide so if you're blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking, Linking and have a website, you can publish those URL's in your Profile.

Search for my name and see what bubbles up:

Good idea? If you're actively living your life online, then I strongly recommend setting up a Google Profile. It's simple! Login to Google and set up a Profile today.

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