Just Ask Betsy....The Be Visible Blog Where there’s no such thing as a stupid question… about the Web! http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/RSS feeds for 60http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/141515/Social-Media-Tools-Review-Bit-ly-Facebook-Pages-App-Google-Alerts#Comments0Social Media Tools Review – Bit.ly, Facebook Pages App, Google Alertshttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/141515/Social-Media-Tools-Review-Bit-ly-Facebook-Pages-App-Google-Alerts<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Toolkit Tuesday May 29, 2012</span></p> <p><img id="img-1338325538724" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Toolkit2.jpg" border="0" alt="Toolkit2" width="300" height="144" style="height: 144px; width: 300px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />It seems every week there are new tools promising to invigorate your business’ marketing strategy – but figuring out which of these new tools will work for you takes more than just time and effort. At Be Visible we pride ourselves on constantly trying and testing new tools – so you don’t have to.</p> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <p>Here are three Social Media tools to help streamline your business’ marketing efforts:</p> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <h4><strong>Bit.ly</strong></h4> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <p><a href="https://bitly.com/" title="Bit.ly" target="_blank">Bit.ly</a> is a free service for shortening and tracking URLs. If you’ve ever wondered who’s clicking on the links you have shared in a Facebook status update, email marketing campaign, or in a tweet - Bit.ly is the place to do so. This service began when people started really using Twitter to share content such as blog posts and articles. They quickly realized that with Twitter’s 140 character limit there was not enough room for a comment – let alone adding a URL of 20+ characters in length.</p> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <p>How To Use Bit.ly: Sign up with your email address, Facebook login, or Twitter login. Once you log in, enter the link URL (the one you want to monitor for clicks) into the provided box and bit.ly will create a new shorter link for you, which you then use in place of the longer URL. You can even customize your shortened URL (such as bit.ly/bitlyreview). </p> <p><img id="img-1338326011651" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Screen shot 2012-05-29 at 5.12.04 PM.jpg" border="0" alt="Screen shot 2012 05 29 at 5.12.04 PM" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <p>Within the bit.ly dashboard you will then be able to track the number of clicks your link receives as well as where the person who clicked your link came from – whether it be Twitter, an email, Facebook, etc. This is what your bit.ly report looks like: </p> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <p><img id="img-1338326110914" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Screen shot 2012-05-29 at 5.13.49 PM.jpg" border="0" alt="Screen shot 2012 05 29 at 5.13.49 PM" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <p>The Takeaway: For a free service, Bit.ly provides a solid measurement as to how many people are engaging with (clicking on) the content that you have used their shortened URLs’s for and where they found your link. Not to mention shortening URLs for your Twitter posts, emails, and Facebook Status Updates is aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly.</p> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <h4><strong>Facebook Pages Manager App for iPhone </strong></h4> <p>Facebook has had a mobile app for quite some time, but for those people who manage Facebook Business Pages (like we do) their app was simply not up to snuff. The reason being that page administrators (Admins) responding to fan comments appeared as their personal Facebook account and not the Page; Admins did not have access to Page insights, and did not receive notifications for new Page activity.</p> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <p>Shortly after the IPO a week or so ago, Facebook released a new mobile app for the iPhone called “<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/facebook-pages-manager/id514643583?mt=8" title="Facebook Pages Manager" target="_blank">Facebook Pages Manager</a>.”  Here is a screenshot from the new application:</p> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <p><img id="img-1338326278146" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Screen shot 2012-05-29 at 5.16.39 PM.jpg" border="0" alt="Screen shot 2012 05 29 at 5.16.39 PM" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <p>As opposed to the previous Facebook mobile application, Page Admins can now write status updates, share photos, and respond to fan comments as the Page itself, all while “on the go”. (Anyone using the old app knows how much of a pain, if not an outright impossibility this was.)</p> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <p>In addition to being able to update your Facebook Page on the fly and responding to fans in real-time, Admins can also check Page insights for the latest 2 weeks of activity: </p> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <p><img id="img-1338326397313" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Screen shot 2012-05-29 at 5.18.41 PM.jpg" border="0" alt="Screen shot 2012 05 29 at 5.18.41 PM" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /> The Takeaway: It’s a way to keep on top of your Facebook Business Page(s) without having to be in front of a computer. Notifications come straight to your smartphone instantaneously so you can respond to any fan comments, complaints, or questions in real-time wherever you are. It’s a wonder Facebook didn’t create this app sooner.</p> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <p>However, the app is still limited as there are yet to be real-time insights on posts; and you cannot access private messages sent to your Facebook Business Page. Also, this app is currently not available for Android devices. </p> <h4>Google Alerts</h4> <p><a href="http://www.google.com/alerts" title="Google Alerts" target="_blank">Google Alerts</a> is a free service provided by Google that sends you an email alert for specific search terms you want to monitor. You can receive an email notification aggregating new articles, blogs, or news stories indexed by Google that match your provided search terms, enabling you to stay on top of your business, brand, and/or industry without constantly searching the Web. And you can choose the frequency and types of alerts you want to receive.</p> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <p>For instance, if you are a dentist, you may want to receive Google Alerts every day for the term “toothache” to see relevant news topics or industry blogs about “toothaches.” Here’s what a Google Alert for “toothache” looks like in an email inbox: </p> <p><img id="img-1338326546128" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Screen shot 2012-05-29 at 5.20.50 PM.jpg" border="0" alt="Screen shot 2012 05 29 at 5.20.50 PM" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <p>You can also keep an eye on your competitors by using the name of their business as the search term you provide to Google Alerts.</p> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <p>The Takeaway:  Google Alerts is an effective way to stay on top of mentions of your brand, competitors, selected search terms, relevant news, and stories pertinent to your industry without you having to take the time to scour the Internet. Talk about a time saver! </p> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span> <p> </p> <p>Have a question about any of the above tools or social media marketing in general? We’re here to help. Leave a comment or subscribe below. Thanks!</p> </div> <br />Betsy KentTue, 29 May 2012 23:58:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:141515http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/141084/Pinterest-for-Business-Building-Your-Community#Comments0Pinterest for Business: Building Your Communityhttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/141084/Pinterest-for-Business-Building-Your-Community<p style="text-align: center;"><img id="img-1337945835897" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Screen Shot 2012-05-25 at 7.36.39 AM-resized-600.png" border="0" alt="Build Community Pinterest" width="230" height="108" /></p> <p>By now, you’ve probably heard about the visual pinboard social networking site <a href="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/135007/What-is-Pinterest-and-Why-Should-You-Care" title="Pinterest" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> and how it’s changing the way brands interact with and market to their online communities. If you’re employing Google Analytics you may even have noticed that Pinterest is starting to garner your business decent referral traffic. But how can your brand take advantage of this latest social network?</p> <p>(If you haven't yet created a Pinterest account for your business, here's a handy <a href="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/137041/How-to-Create-a-Pinterest-Account-for-Your-Business" title="step-by-step guide" target="_blank">step-by-step guide</a> for you.)</p> <p>If you’re going to get serious about incorporating Pinterest into your overall social media marketing strategy we recommend linking your Twitter account and website to your Pinterest account. (For now Pinterest does not allow you to link your Facebook Business Page but this will probably change in the near future.) You may also want to add the Pinterest <a href="http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/" title=""Follow Me Button"" target="_blank">"Follow Me Button"</a> to your website and the <a href="http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/" title=""Pin It Button"" target="_blank">"Pin It Button"</a> to images on your blog or website to invite your readers to share your work on Pinterest.</p> <p>So, you have a business Pinterest account, but now what?</p> <h4><b>Do Some Quick Pinterest Research</b></h4> <p>If you have noticed an uptick in referral traffic to your website from Pinterest, here’s a handy tip on how to dig a little deeper: Go to http://pinterest.com/source/yourURL, and you will be able to see any and all pins that originated from your website. The benefit here is you can see what your fans consider your valuable content, products, and/or services even before you being pinning! You may want to take this at step further and follow the people or who pinned images from your website (or their individual boards which could be relevant to your brand or industry) as they could become brand advocates – an integral role in starting your Pinterest community.<br /> <br /> Here are two examples of pins originating from our website. We discovered them by going to: http://pinterest.com/source/bevisibleassoc.com:</p> <p> <img id="img-1337891120500" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/screen shot 2012-05-24 at 4.07.52 pm.png" border="0" alt="Be Visible Associates Pinterest" width="288" height="190" /></p> <p>Next, find people who are pinning content related to your industry or area of expertise. To do so, search for relevant keywords (or even #hashtags like Twitter) in Pinterest search. Filter these results by the “People” option to find specific Pinterest users who are pinning content related to your industry. Each of these profiles is a potential lead – you may or may not want to follow them based on your business’ needs – but you can find valuable content to re-pin.</p> <p><img id="img-1337945250222" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Screen Shot 2012-05-25 at 7.26.51 AM-resized-600.png" border="0" alt="Be Visible Associates Pinterest" width="312" height="174" /></p> <p>To really add some oomph to the above strategy you may want to employ a Pinterest tool called <a href="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/138556/Social-Media-Tools-PinReach-Tweepi-and-SocialMention" title="PinReach" target="_blank">PinReach</a> that helps to identify the influential pinners who follow your business (as well as which of your pins and boards are performing well or under-performing.)</p> <h4><b>Engagement is Key with Pinterest</b></h4> <p>What to Pin: Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board that is satisfyingly visual – make sure any images you use are large, easy to see, high-resolution, and appealing. Stock photos are simply not up to muster on Pinterest. There are a lot of great tools scattered across the Web to add a little pizzazz to your images, one of our favorites is <a href="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/139493/Social-Media-Tools-DiggDigg-PicMonkey-and-TweetChat" title="PicMonkey" target="_blank">PicMonkey</a> – basically a free online Photoshop with an easy to understand and intuitive interface. <br /> <br /> Besides pinning your brand’s visual content and re-pinning content from other Pinterest users, Pinterest allows you to pin content from anywhere across the Web. (To do so, install the <a href="http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/" title="“Pin It bookmarklet”" target="_blank">“Pin It bookmarklet”</a>). Some great places to get started pinning are visually-driven websites like Tumblr, StumbleUpon, Google+, or other industry-related blogs you already subscribe to.</p> <h4><b>Use Pinterest Features to Maximize Engagement</b></h4> <p>Engagement on Pinterest can be everything from re-pinning, to writing comments, to liking pins, to gaining followers, to thanking people for pinning your content.</p> <p><img id="img-1337946165568" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Screen Shot 2012-05-25 at 7.40.30 AM.png" border="0" alt="5th Avenue Digital " /></p> <p>Stay aware of which Pinterest users are pinning and re-pinning your content. If the user regularly contributes pins to your industry and niche, go ahead and follow them. Pinterest is a very reciprocal network and lots of users tend to follow back based on shared tastes in content and similar interests.</p> <p>Sometimes, Pinterest users will re-pin one of your pins, but won’t take the extra step of following your business or your individual boards. To keep users like this engaged; try commenting on the pin in question. For example try asking why they liked the image, or how you could help them with this type of product or service. The user will be notified via email and this is a great way to start a conversation and begin building a relationship with that user – chances are they’ll start following you. <br /> <br /> Take note of the “Like” button on Pinterest. By liking pins on Pinterest, brands and businesses alike can reach out to users without (re)pinning images. </p> <p><img src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Screen Shot 2012-05-25 at 7.41.19 AM.png" border="0" alt="Screen Shot 2012 05 25 at 7.41.19 AM" /></p> <p>Like Twitter, Pinterest users often employ @Mentions and #Hashtags. A mention is the Pinterest equivalent of a reply on Twitter or leaving a comment on a Facebook post. Adding mentions to a comment helps to foster brand communication and interaction. Hashtags, while aiding engagement, are useful in two other major areas. First, hashtags play a vital role in making your pins appear in Pinterest search. Secondly, on Pinterest you have the ability to directly tweet any pin. If you choose to send a pin to Twitter, hashtags are Twitter lingo and you can engage with multiple online communities from a single platform. <br />  </p> <p><br /> We are really excited about Pinterest and the potential it offers to our clients, businesses, and brands. We are Pinterest experts…ask us a question. We’re here to help. </p>Betsy KentFri, 25 May 2012 11:17:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:141084http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/140734/Social-Media-Tools-Review-Hootsuite-WiseStamp-Shortstack#Comments3Social Media Tools Review – Hootsuite, WiseStamp, & Shortstackhttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/140734/Social-Media-Tools-Review-Hootsuite-WiseStamp-Shortstack<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Social Media Toolkit Tuesday - 5/22/12</span></p> <p>It is easy to become overwhelmed by the seemingly limitless choices of social media tools available to you. Assuming your schedule is as busy as mine (if not more so), who has the time to learn yet another tool? At Be Visible we try and test new tools all the time. <br /> <br /> Here are three social media tools to help de-clutter your business’ online life: </p> <h4>1) <span style="color: #ff0000;"><a href="http://hootsuite.com/" title="Hootsuite" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Hootsuite</span></a> </span></h4> <p>Hootsuite is a single interface that allows you to manage multiple social media accounts from the same place. For example, you can add your personal Facebook account, business Facebook Page, any and all Twitter accounts, and your LinkedIn account to name a few. Within the Hootsuite dashboard you will be able to see all incoming Facebook updates, tweets, messages, etc. from the various networks you have provided. You can respond, reply, or re-tweet these messages from within the Hootsuite dashboard.</p> <p><img id="img-1337739183110" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Screen Shot 2012-05-22 at 10.07.34 PM-resized-600.png" border="0" alt="Screen Shot 2012 05 22 at 10.07.34 PM resized 600" /></p> <p>Perhaps the most convenient feature of Hootsuite is the ability to schedule messages. You can pre-compose tweets, including any links or photos, and designate them to the appropriate social media account. You then choose a date and time, and the message will appear on a social media editorial calendar. You can plan as far into the future as you like. For business owners who don’t have an in-house staff, or time to tweet during normal working hours, this is a great way to utilize the time you don’t have. <br /> <br /> <em>The Takeaway: </em>Hootsuite combines all of your business or brand’s social networks into a unified interface, allowing you to track notifications on each of your social profiles while also enabling you to schedule brand communication in the future. Paid accounts even allow you to add additional team members (admins) to your social media profiles and access better analytics and reporting functions.</p> <h4><b>2) <span style="color: #ff0000;"><a href="http://www.wisestamp.com/" title="WiseStamp" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">WiseStamp</span></a></span></b> </h4> <p>Wisestamp is an extension for Google Chrome that adds your social media profiles to your email signature. After downloading the extension you can choose from about 40 leading social networks to add to your signature, everything from Pinterest to Facebook and everything in between. What’s more is you have the ability to add “email apps” such as live updates of your blog or even your most recent tweet.</p> <p>Here’s the WiseStamp signature that appears at the bottom of my emails:</p> <p><img src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/wisestamp.jpg" border="0" alt="wisestamp" /> </p> <p><em>The Takeaway: </em>WiseStamp is a great way to remove inordinately long links from your email signature, connect with email contacts across your social channels, and promote the social aspects of your business – and it’s free!</p> <h4><b>3) <span style="color: #ff0000;"><a href="http://www.shortstack.com/" title="Shortstack" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Shortstack</span></a> </span></b></h4> <p>Shortstack is a tool that enables you to build Facebook applications for your Facebook Business Page. For standard and custom apps you do not need to understand code or write in HTML.</p> <p>With Shortstack you can choose from an array of templates, ranging from fan photo contests, to coupons and giveaways, to your blog RSS, or even your most recent tweets or latest pins from Pinterest. Here’s a screenshot of Be Visible’s Pinterest application on our Facebook Business Page: </p> <p>Anyone who visits our Facebook Business Page can view our Pinterest boards or directly follow our Pinterest business account (if you haven’t set your Pinterest account up yet, here’s an <a href="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/137041/How-to-Create-a-Pinterest-Account-for-Your-Business" title="easy guide" target="_blank">easy guide</a>). The Shortstack interface has step-by-step directions and is very intuitive.  Any problem we’ve encountered, the support staff has quickly remedied.</p> <p><img id="img-1337738501863" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Screen Shot 2012-05-22 at 9.58.01 PM.png" border="0" alt="Screen Shot 2012 05 22 at 9.58.01 PM" width="319" height="457" /><br /> <br /> <em>The Takeaway: </em>For a free service (free for up to 2,000 Facebook “likes”) Shortstack is incredibly handy for creating Facebook applications without requiring you to have the prowess of a seasoned web developer. <br /> <br /> If you’d like to learn more about Social Media tools and services, or social media marketing in general – contact us!</p> <p>To read past Toolkit Tuesday posts, click <a href="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/139493/Social-Media-Tools-DiggDigg-PicMonkey-and-TweetChat" title="here" target="_self">here</a>: </p> <p>Or Just Ask Betsy: subscribe or leave a comment below: </p>Betsy KentWed, 23 May 2012 02:12:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:140734http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/139493/Social-Media-Tools-DiggDigg-PicMonkey-and-TweetChat#Comments0Social Media Tools: DiggDigg, PicMonkey, and TweetChathttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/139493/Social-Media-Tools-DiggDigg-PicMonkey-and-TweetChat<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Toolkit Tuesday - 5/15/12</strong>  </span></p> <p>It seems every time you turn around these days there’s a new Social Media tool that promises to make your content more compelling, your online community more inspiring, and your on-and-off-line life easier. Keeping up with Joneses when it comes to Social Media proves not only to be time-intensive but downright exhausting. What tools are actually worth your time and will help improve your ROI and what tools should be relegated to the sidelines? </p> <p>In our weekly <a href="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/138556/Social-Media-Tools-PinReach-Tweepi-and-SocialMention" title="blog" target="_blank">blog</a> “Social Media Toolkit Tuesday” we do the legwork for you. We’re here to help you sift through the crowded Social Media landscape and the tools that we use to make our lives a little easier.<span style="text-decoration: line-through;"><br /> </span><br /> Here are this week’s Social Media Tools:</p> <p><strong>1) <span style="color: #ff0000;"><a href="http://bufferapp.com/diggdigg" title="DiggDigg " target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">DiggDigg </span></a></span></strong></p> <p><img id="img-1337090767082" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/DiggDigg3.JPG" border="0" alt="DiggDigg3" width="500" height="350" style="height: 350px; width: 500px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <p><em><a href="http://bufferapp.com/diggdigg" title="DiggDigg" target="_blank">DiggDigg</a> </em>is a plugin for Wordpress blogs and websites that allows you to put a social sharing bar alongside your latest post. It enables your readers to easily share your content to over 20 leading social media networks. You can choose Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, and more. The share bar with buttons appears at the top or on the side of your page content depending upon your design needs. It also can be static or floating (meaning it stays in the frame as people scroll down through the content.)</p> <p><strong>The Takeaway:</strong> For a free tool, <em>DiggDigg </em>is incredibly useful, making it easy for readers to share your content easily and helping you to keep your pages looking good.  </p> <p><strong>2) <span style="color: #ff0000;"><a href="http://www.picmonkey.com/" title="PicMonkey" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">PicMonkey</span></a></span></strong> </p> <p><img id="img-1337090972528" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/picmonkey1.JPG" border="0" alt="picmonkey1" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /> <br /> We originally stumbled onto<em> PicMonkey</em> when we were researching handy tools for our blog about <a href="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/135007/What-is-Pinterest-and-Why-Should-You-Care" title="Pinterest" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.</p> <p><em><a href="http://www.picmonkey.com/" title="PicMonkey" target="_blank">PicMonkey</a></em> allows you to crop, edit, rotate, and re-size your photos as well as add color, remove color, sharpen, or change the exposure. Like Instagram, you can also change the filter of your photo to “Black & White,” “Daguerreotype,” “Warhol” and everything in between.</p> <p>But that’s not all! You can add text, borders, and even make teeth whiter in your photos with the <em>PicMonkey</em> interface. <em>PicMonkey </em>is a free tool and does not require registration to join.</p> <p><strong>The Takeaway:</strong> <em>PicMonkey</em> need not be limited only to Pinterest – you can use it anywhere you share photos as content: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even your blog or website.</p> <p>This is a sample photograph <em>PicMonkey</em> provides to try their tool:</p> <p><img id="img-1337091339566" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/picmonkey2.JPG" border="0" alt="picmonkey2" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /> </p> <p>We are able to change it in less than 2 minutes to this:</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img id="img-1337091470994" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/picmonkey3.JPG" border="0" alt="picmonkey3" /></p> <p><strong>3) <span style="color: #ff0000;"><a href="http://tweetchat.com/" title="TweetChat" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">TweetChat</span></a> </span></strong></p> <p><img id="img-1337091639114" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/tweetchat2.JPG" border="0" alt="tweetchat2" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <p><em><a href="http://tweetchat.com/" title="TweetChat" target="_blank">TweetChat</a> </em>is a free Twitter tool which allows you to communicate with users around specific hashtags in one easy stream. It’s very simple to use, you just sign in with your Twitter login, and enter the hashtag you want to follow.</p> <p>You will then see all the tweets that are being sent using that hashtag. This is particularly useful when you are watching an event live-stream, when you want to keep track of a news story, or when you are in a tweet chat.</p> <p><strong>The Takeaway:</strong> <em>TweetChat</em> helps you get the most out of Twitter and be a part of conversations where you want to have a voice. It’s also a great way to build your community with like-minded people.</p> <p>Here is<em> TweetChat</em> in Action with the #smallbiz Hashtag: </p> <p><img id="img-1337091858605" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/TweetChat3-resized-600.JPG" border="0" alt="TweetChat3 resized 600" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /> </p> <p>If you have questions about DiggDigg, PicMonkey, and/or TweetChat: Just Ask Betsy! Email us, subscribe, or leave a comment below: </p>Betsy KentTue, 15 May 2012 15:29:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:139493http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/138556/Social-Media-Tools-PinReach-Tweepi-and-SocialMention#Comments0Social Media Tools: PinReach, Tweepi, and SocialMentionhttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/138556/Social-Media-Tools-PinReach-Tweepi-and-SocialMention<p><b>Toolkit Tuesday - 5/8/12</b></p> <p>It seems as if every day a new Social Media tool is introduced that promises to make your life a lot easier, your community-building a lot more effective, and your analytics more precise. There are a lot of great tools out there but it could prove to be a full time job to keep on top of all of them and figure out which ones to test and which ones to forget about.</p> <p>As a marketing consulting firm we use a number of Social Media tools every day and are constantly testing new ones. To help you select the best and most helpful ones we are introducing a new weekly blog entitiled “Social Media Toolkit Tuesday.” Every week we’ll introduce a few tools that we have tested and that we like (or dislike!). Some are brand new discoveries, others we’ve been using for awhile. But we’ve done the testing, so you don’t have to!</p> <p>Here are this week’s featured Social Media Tools:</p> <p><b>1) <a href="http://www.pinreach.com/" title="PinReach" target="_blank">PinReach</a></b></p> <p><b><a href="http://www.pinreach.com/" title="PinReach" target="_blank"><img id="img-1336513850100" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/pinreach1.JPG" border="0" alt="pinreach1" width="300" height="195" style="height: 195px; width: 300px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></b></p> <p><em>PinReach</em> is a brand new tool designed to bring analytics and reporting to businesses on Pinterest.</p> <p><em>PinReach</em> assigns each Pinterest profile a score (from 1 to 100) based on influence. This number reflects a number of metrics: amount of pins, re-pins, likes, comments, and followers. The data is categorized by which of your pins and boards are the most popular and who are the most influential pinners who follow you. </p> <p><em>PinReach </em>lets you see which of your pins and/or boards are getting engagement, compare that to your goals, and adjust. The takeaway here is: keep pinning more of what’s working and re-think the boards and pins that are not performing well.</p> <p><b>2) <a href="http://www.tweepi.com/" title="Tweepi" target="_blank">Tweepi</a></b></p> <p><b><a href="http://www.tweepi.com/" title="Tweepi" target="_blank"></a> <img id="img-1336513956597" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Tweepi2.JPG" border="0" alt="Tweepi2" width="310" height="224" style="height: 224px; width: 310px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></b></p> <p><em>Tweepi</em> is a great tool that helps you efficiently build a Twitter community. Its features enable you to find like-minded people based upon who they follow and who follows them. In addition, you can sort Tweeters according to their location, when they last tweeted, their ratio of followers to following, and more. It also allows you to easily see who you have followed who has not followed you back (you can then choose to “flush” those folks!), and even reciprocate and follow people who you haven’t followed back. The take away: a legitimate, un-spammy way to build a community fast and efficiently.</p> <p><b>3) <a href="http://www.socialmention.com/" title="SocialMention" target="_blank">SocialMention</a></b></p> <p><b><a href="http://www.socialmention.com/" title="SocialMention" target="_blank"></a> <img id="img-1336514237914" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/socialmention3.JPG" border="0" alt="socialmention3" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></b></p> <p><em>SocialMention</em> is an analytics tool that helps you to find out what people are saying about your brand on Social Media, in real time. <em>SocialMention</em> aggregates phrases that include your brand or business name in Twitter, Facebook, and blogs, then compiles those mentions into several categories: </p> <p><em>SocialMention </em>also attempts to measure sentiment, which is an important element that is very difficult to measure. We don’t really use this metric from them, but we do find that their other features, such as Top Keywords, Top Users, and Top Hashtags can be very illuminating.</p> <p>The Take Away: <em>SocialMention </em>is a good way to dig a little deeper into your company’s Social Media footprint. For a free tool, it is useful.</p> <p> </p> <p>If you have questions about PinReach, Tweepi, and/or SocialMention: Just Ask Betsy! Email us, subscribe to our blog, or comment below: </p>Betsy KentWed, 09 May 2012 02:44:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:138556http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/137041/How-to-Create-a-Pinterest-Account-for-Your-Business#Comments0How to Create a Pinterest Account for Your Businesshttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/137041/How-to-Create-a-Pinterest-Account-for-Your-Business<p>In my last blog <a href="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/135007/What-is-Pinterest-and-Why-Should-You-Care">“What is Pinterest and Why Should You Care”</a> I explained why Pinterest is so popular for users and for businesses. Now, let’s go through a step-by-step process to set up your Pinterest business account. <b></b></p> <p><b>Create a Pinterest Account for Your Business or Brand<br /></b><b><br />STEP 1: Go to </b><a href="http://pinterest.com/"><b>Pinterest</b></a><b>.<br /></b> <img id="img-1336141608853" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Pinterest.png" border="0" alt="describe the image" width="199" height="108" class="alignCenter" style="height: 108px; width: 200px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <p>You will notice that you need to request an invitation to set up your account. Don’t let this dissuade you. I have set up Pinterest accounts for numerous clients and it usually only takes a few hours to receive an email from Pinterest allowing you to create an account.</p> <p> <img id="img-1335812733301" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Pinterest4.JPG" border="0" alt="Pinterest4" width="587" height="138" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <p>Once you do receive your invite from Pinterest, you’ll notice you can log in with either your Email address or your Twitter account. For business, I suggest you login with your email account. It is not recommended that you login with Facebook as Pinterest will link to your personal Facebook account - currently Pinterest does not integrate Facebook Business Pages. <span style="text-decoration: line-through;"><br /> </span></p> <p><img id="img-1335812799174" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Pinterest5.JPG" border="0" alt="Pinterest5" width="423" height="376" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /> </p> <p><b>STEP 2: Fill in your Pinterest profile</b></p> <ul> <li>Add your profile picture. Most businesses use the same image that is on their Facebook and Twitter profiles. Make sure you upload a picture to Pinterest that is 160 pixels by 160 pixels.</li> <li>Add a business description. Explain 1) your brand and message 2) what the content of your pins will be about so users visiting your Pinterest account know what to expect.  (Pinterest provides 160 characters [about 20 words] for you to do so: make sure you are specific and concise.)</li> <li>Link your twitter account. After you’ve added your profile picture and description, you’ll notice 4 icons appear below your description. The icons correspond to Facebook, Twitter, Your Website, and your location. Although it looks like you need to click + to add them, it actually only works this way:</li> </ul> <p>       Go to the “settings” portion of your account, in the drop down menu under your page<br />       name, like this:</p> <p> <img id="img-1335813094135" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Pinterest12.JPG" border="0" alt="Pinterest12" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <p><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>     Once in “settings” you’ll see a similar version of the following:</p> <p> <img id="img-1335813151256" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Pinterest9.JPG" border="0" alt="Pinterest9" width="600" height="293" style="height: 293px; width: 600px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><img id="img-1335814189287" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Pinterest20.JPG" border="0" alt="Pinterest20" width="600" height="322" style="height: 322px; width: 600px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <p>Pinterest has not yet allowed Facebook Business Pages to link, but it will be coming <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>soon. For now just ignore the Facebook button. </p> <p>Note: You must have your Twitter account open in another window in order to add it to <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>your Pinterest account.  </p> <p>You’ll also notice the last option “Hide your Pinterest profile from search engines.” While the wording is a bit misleading, under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you hide your <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Pinterest account from the search engines. One of the advantages of using Pinterest for <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>business is to drive traffic to your website. </p> <p><b>STEP 3: Creating your Boards</b></p> <ul> <li>How many boards and pins should you start with? In order to make sure your Pinterest Page looks professional and complete, you’ll want to create a minimum of five boards, each with a minimum of five pins.</li> <li>How to pin: There is a section on Pinterest called “Pin It Button” where you will find a tool that enables you to pin images right from your website, your blog, and anywhere else on the web. <br /> <br /> <img id="img-1335813324549" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Pinterest14.JPG" border="0" alt="Pinterest14" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /> <br /> The “Pin It” Button allows you to take any image from anywhere on the Web and pin it directly onto your Pinterest boards. For your blog, pin the image you used in your post, and when someone double clicks on it, they will be lead to the blog post. It doesn’t stop there – YouTube and Vimeo videos are pin-able as well.</li> </ul> <ul> <li> Here’s how to install the super handy “Pin It” button on your browser (note: I<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>use Chrome, but the Pin It Button is available for Safari, Internet Explorer and Firefox.)Pinterest will tailor the instructions to the Web browser you are using, and they also provide a video if these directions are still unclear.</li> </ul> <p><img id="img-1335813548403" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Pinterest15.JPG" border="0" alt="Pinterest15" width="600" height="380" style="height: 380px; width: 600px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <p>        Once installed you’ll have this handy tool on your browser bar, here is mine on Chrome:</p> <p><b> <img id="img-1335813865470" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/PinterestScreenShot.png" border="0" alt="PinterestScreenShot" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></b></p> <p><b> </b></p> <ul> <li>How to pin without the pin it button. Go into the “Add” section on the top right. <br /><img id="img-1335813907405" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Pinterest16.JPG" border="0" alt="Pinterest16" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /> <br /> When you click “Add” you will see the following screen: <br /> <br /> <img id="img-1335813936746" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Pinterest17.JPG" border="0" alt="Pinterest17" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /> <br /> When you click “Add a Pin” you are prompted to provide Pinterest a specific URL. Pinterest will gather the photos from the provided URL and you will be able to pin those images. <br /> <br /> “Upload a Pin” will allow you to upload any image stored on your computer’s desktop directly onto your pin boards.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Pin from other peoples’ boards. You can re-pin images from other people’s boards as well. Hover your mouse above the image to see the “Repin” button.</li> </ul> <p><img id="img-1335813974588" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Pinterest18.JPG" border="0" alt="Pinterest18" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <ul> <li>Add a description to each image. Try to utilize keywords to the best of your ability so that people can find your boards when they are searching for what you do. Equally as important is adding a category to your pins. You want to make sure what you are pinning appears in the right place so anyone searching for pins are able to find your pins and hopefully, re-pin them.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Add a category and description to each board. The description is very, very important so that your pins will appear in search and will help people find your boards by category. Also, indicate whether your followers can pin on your boards, or if only you can.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>My recommendation is to <em>not allow</em> other people to pin to your boards (unless you are<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>running a fan contest or promotion). You may, however, want to add another “pinner”<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>(Pinterest user) to your board if you have multiple people managing your business account. When you click “Edit” directly underneath your board you’ll be met with the following screen:</li> </ul> <p><img id="img-1335814133919" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Pinterest13.JPG" border="0" alt="Pinterest13" width="600" height="357" style="height: 357px; width: 600px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <p><b>STEP 4: Add Pinterest Buttons to Your Website</b></p> <p>There are two Pinterest buttons for websites:</p> <ul> <li>The “Follow Button”</li> </ul> <p> <img id="img-1335814241482" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Pitnerest16.JPG" border="0" alt="Pitnerest16" width="600" height="449" style="height: 449px; width: 600px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <p>        The Follow Button will allow someone visiting your Website to follow your Pinterest<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>                account, just like a “Like Us on Facebook” or “Follow Me on Twitter” button works. </p> <ul> <li>Website “Pin It button”.<b> </b>On your blog, you may want to add a “Pin It button.” Like the other social sharing buttons your Website may already contain; the Pinterest button allows users to pin and share your website or blog content on Pinterest.</li> </ul> <p><img id="img-1335814306853" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Pinterest19.JPG" border="0" alt="Pinterest19" width="600" height="577" style="height: 577px; width: 600px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <p>My next blog will discuss pinning tips and techniques and a few of my favorite Pinterest tools.</p> <p>More questions about setting up your Business Pinterest Account?  Just Ask Betsy! Subscribe, or leave a comment below: </p>Betsy KentMon, 30 Apr 2012 20:09:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:137041http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/135007/What-is-Pinterest-and-Why-Should-You-Care#Comments2What is Pinterest and Why Should You Care?http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/135007/What-is-Pinterest-and-Why-Should-You-Care<p> </p> <p><img id="img-1334840072906" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Screen shot 2012-04-19 at 8.52.57 AM.png" border="0" alt="Screen shot 2012 04 19 at 8.52.57 AM" width="539" height="227" class="alignLeft" style="height: 227px; width: 539px; float: left;" /></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> Recently I’ve been getting a lot of these kinds of questions from my clients:</p> <ul> <li>“What is Pinterest?”</li> <li>“Who’s using it?”</li> <li>“Should my business be there?”</li> <li>And the most frequent one: “Another Social Network to worry about…really?”</li> </ul> <p>What is Pinterest? An easy way to understand Pinterest is to think about it in a “real world” way, perhaps like this:</p> <p>Imagine your business or brand is a store. In addition to the merchandise you sell, you have a wall where you have placed corkboards. (In this scenario, the bulletin board wall is your Pinterest Account). These corkboards tell your customers more about your company than just the merchandise hanging on the racks does.</p> <p>For instance, you have one board where you have pinned photos of your products being used by real customers, another board shows your customers some of the places you get your inspiration from, such as tear sheets from magazines. You have a board with photos of your "back room" employees so customers can see who is behind your business; you have a board full of testimonials from your customers, etc.</p> <p>Every time something good happens, such as when you receive a great testimonial, you print it out and pin it to your testimonials board. When you add a new service or product, you add a photo of it and how to use it, when you find something that inspires you; it gets pinned on your “inspiration” board. And so on.</p> <p>So, Pinterest allows you to do a better job of conveying your story to your potential customers. But what is the real value of Pinterest for business? Why should you care?</p> <p>Who's Hanging Out on Pinterest: A very important target market for thousands of businesses</p> <ul> <li>Approximately 70% of users on Pinterest are female</li> <li>50% of all users are between 25 and 44</li> <li>50% of users have children</li> <li>28% of users have a household income of  $100,000+</li> </ul> <p>Is Pinterest Popular? It's the fastest growing website on the Web</p> <ul> <li>On average, users are spending more time on Pinterest than on Facebook</li> <li>104 million total visits in March; putting Pinterest behind only Facebook and Twitter in terms of activity</li> <li>Pinterest has 2.2 Million daily active users and 12 million monthly active users – and growing daily</li> </ul> <p>Can it Help My Business? Early adopters are getting great ROI</p> <ul> <li>Website owners are seeing a huge uptick in referral traffic from Pinterest which is great for SEO on your site</li> <li>Good for overall online visibility because it's indexed by the Search Engines</li> <li>It's free to set up a business account</li> <li>Right now there is no advertising, so it's a lot less noisy than Facebook</li> <li>In terms of e-commerce, Pinterest is generating up to four times the revenue per click as Twitter and 27% more than Facebook</li> <li>Also in terms of e-commerce, visitors from Pinterest are spending 70% more than visitors referred from other sites.</li> </ul> <p>For average folks, Pinterest is just really fun to use, it's simple, and it's intuitive. (I've spent many an evening pinning my boards while watching TV).</p> <p>If you feel your business would benefit from testing Pinterest, stay tuned. MY next blog help you set up your account, get started on Pinterest, and much more!</p> <p>The data on Pinterest came from the following sources: <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/02/25/pinterest-user-demographics/" title="Mashable">Mashable</a>, <a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/pinterest-social-comparison_b19477" title="comScore">comScore</a>, <a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/pinterest-twitter-traffic_b19333" title="Shareaholic">Shareaholic</a>, <a href="http://www.convertro.com/" title="Convertro">Convertro</a>, and <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/32362/35-Statistics-That-Fuel-the-Battle-Between-Pinterest-and-Google.aspx" title="Hubspot">Hubspot</a>.</p> <p>Have more questions? Just Ask Betsy! Subscribe or leave a comment below: </p> <p> </p>Betsy KentThu, 19 Apr 2012 12:35:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:135007http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/130714/The-Basics-of-Facebook-Interest-Lists#Comments0The Basics of Facebook Interest Listshttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/130714/The-Basics-of-Facebook-Interest-Lists<p><b>What is a Facebook Interest List? </b><b><br /> </b></p> <p>Facebook continues to roll out new features (the big one is <a href="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/129852/The-Anatomy-of-a-Facebook-Timeline" title="Facebook Timeline" target="_blank">Facebook Timeline</a>) and Interest Lists are one of the latest. Interest Lists are Facebook’s way of de-cluttering your newsfeed. You will now be able to categorize the Pages and people you “like”, “follow”, and “subscribe to” into different groups. <br /> <br /> For instance you may put a friend who is a chef, <em>Ben and Jerry’s</em>, and <em>Starbuck’s</em> into one Interest List called “Food.” If you select that Interest List, you will see all the updates from those Pages or people you have put on those lists. Your newsfeed, in turn, will become the news you most <em>want</em> as opposed to irrelevant or unwanted status updates. <br /> <br /> Facebook’s Interest Lists should already appeal to Twitter users who use Twitter lists and are used to segmenting the news they receive. Many people would rather stick with Facebook (even with the changes) than move to another social network. News aggregators for the iPad, iPhone, and Android such as <a href="http://flipboard.com/">Flipboard</a> and <a href="http://www.news.me/">News.me</a> are also on the rise and you can see why Facebook would like to keep you on Facebook even for your news.  (Facebook calls Interest Lists, “your personal newspaper.”)</p> <p><b>How do I find/create a Facebook Interest List?</b></p> <p>After logging into Facebook, you will see “Add Interests” (“Interests” if you’ve already created a list) on the bottom left-hand side of Facebook’s homepage.</p> <p><img id="img-1332269464340" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/interests.jpg" border="0" alt="interests" width="531" height="302" /></p> <p>If you do not see this option immediately, click the “More” option.</p> <p>When creating new lists, a wizard helps you pick from your Liked Pages, subscriptions, friends, and members of categories such as Art, Entertainment, Games, etc.</p> <p><img id="img-1332269525306" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/intrest2 .jpg" border="0" alt="intrest2 " width="523" height="246" /></p> <p>If you have liked a business or organization's Page on Facebook you can add that Page to an Interest List directly.</p> <p><img id="img-1332341962845" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/bevisinterest1.jpg" border="0" alt="bevisinterest1" width="607" height="328" /></p> <p>The top news or “stories” from each “Interest” you subscribe to occasionally appear in your primary newsfeed without clicking directly on the list. </p> <p>To create your own Interest List, simply click + Create List. <br /> <br /><img id="img-1332272457062" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/interests 4.jpg" border="0" alt="interests 4" /></p> <p>You can choose from Liked Pages, Subscriptions (people who you’ve subscribed to already), Friends, and basic categories that Facebook provides for you. <br /> <br /> After you’ve chosen who or what will be on your Interest List, you can select your privacy settings (if that makes sense).<span style="text-decoration: line-through;"> </span></p> <p>First, create a name for your Interest List, and then decide whether your list is available to the “Public”, “Friends”, or “Only You.”<br /> <br /><img id="img-1332269950178" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/bevisprivate.jpg" border="0" alt="bevisprivate" width="525" height="382" /><br /> <br /> If you want other Facebook users to see your list and even subscribe to it, make it “Public”. <br /> <br /> Your Interest List will now appear on the left side of the screen when you log into Facebook. If you would like to add to your list, click the list and you can add. Facebook will also suggest relevant people or pages you can add to your Interest List. <br /> <br /> Interest Lists are still brand new, so we’re yet to see if they are a Facebook main-stay. In the meantime, Interest Lists are a great way to focus on the people and Pages you love without all the other distraction that can clutter up your newsfeed. <br /> <br />(Second and Third Image Courtesy of <a href="http://newsroom.fb.com/Announcements/Introducing-Interest-Lists-109.aspx">Facebook Newsroom</a>.)<br /> <br /> Still confused? Just Ask Betsy! Subscribe or leave a comment below: </p>Betsy KentWed, 21 Mar 2012 21:42:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:130714http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/129852/The-Anatomy-of-a-Facebook-Timeline#Comments0The Anatomy of a Facebook Timelinehttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/129852/The-Anatomy-of-a-Facebook-Timeline<b>The Anatomy of a Facebook Timeline</b> <br /> <br /> Facebook is replacing Business Pages with Facebook Timeline for Business. In order to help with this transition to Facebook’s latest change I’ve broken Timeline for Business into a few simple steps. <br /> <br /> Your Facebook Timeline will be the first page the public will see (fans and non-fans) so you’ll want to make sure it’s visually striking and conveys your business’s or brand’s story. <br /> <br /> This is an example of what Facebook Timeline looks like: <br /><br /><img id="img-1331931297081" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/facebook-page-timeline-local.jpg" border="0" alt="Facebook Timeline American Museum of Natural History" /><br />To see this Timeline live click <a href="http://www.facebook.com/naturalhistory">here</a>.<br /> <b>____________________________________________________________________________</b><br /><b>NOW, FOR <em>YOUR</em> BUSINESS’ FACEBOOK TIMELINE!</b><br /><b>THE ANATOMY OF A FACEBOOK TIMELINE:</b><br /><b><img id="img-1331907546055" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/coverphotoanatomy2.jpg" border="0" alt="CoverPhotoAnatomy2" width="573" height="246" /><br /></b> <br /><b>1)   </b><b>Cover Photo<br /></b>Think about an image that tells your brand story. It’s a very large horizontal photo (850 x 320 pixels). Do you have a photo or a group of photos that you love? If you don’t here’s an article on 19 great resources for <a href="http://ebiznet2u.com/19-best-facebook-timeline-profile-cover-creators-3714/">timeline creators</a>. You can get really creative with this: to add neat effects try <a href="http://www.trickedouttimeline.com/">TrickedOutTimelines</a>.   <br /><br /><b>2) Profile Picture<br /></b>This is the place for your logo or an image that conveys your brand. Keep in mind width is now 180 pixels, height 180 pixels and Facebook will auto-adjust this to 125 pixels wide by 125 pixels high.<br /><br /><b>3) Views and Apps<br /></b>Facebook “Tabs” are now called “Views and Apps”. You can have up to 12 of them, but only 4 are visible without clicking and now you have an image to represent each of them 111 x 74 pixels)<br />Of these 4 “Photos” are static but the remaining three tabs are interchangeable (the other 8 tabs are hidden but users can access them by hitting the expand option).<br />Here are some examples of Views and Apps that businesses are using on their Timelines: <ul> <li>Blog</li> <li>Coupons                                      </li> <li>Contact Us</li> <li>Countdowns                                  </li> <li>E-Commerce                                  </li> <li>Events                                          </li> <li>FAQ</li> <li>Contests                                      </li> <li>Twitter</li> <li>Foursquare</li> <li>Galleries</li> <li>Google+</li> <li>Job</li> <li>Maps</li> <li>Newsletter</li> <li>Offers</li> <li>LinkedIn</li> <li>PayPal</li> <li>Pinterest                                      </li> <li>Polls</li> <li>Email Capture                                </li> <li>Share Button</li> <li>Testimonials</li> <li>YouTube</li> <li>Chat</li> </ul> <p>To make your own custom apps or re-size the apps you already have on your Facebook page, try <a href="http://tabsite.com/">Tabsite.com</a> – they have an easy and great free version for just getting started! <br /><br /><b>4) About Section <br /></b>If you are a local business, company, organization, or institution you’ll ned to provide           Facebook the following:</p> <ul> <li>Name of your Facebook Business Page</li> <li>Your Business Address(es)</li> <li>Telephone Number(s)</li> <li>Hours of Operation (optional) <br />    </li> </ul> If you are a brand or product:<br />What would you like Facebook Timeline to say about your business or brand? Only the first 150 characters (approximately 15 words) will display directly on the Timeline Cover Page. Think of this as your business or brand’s core value statement. Don’t worry: Facebook users will have the ability to expand the about section to view more of your business’s or brand’s description, if you want to say more.<br /><b> </b><br /><b>5) Milestones (appear as updates in your newsfeed, by date)</b><br />Timeline has created a new feature called Milestones allowing you to fill in the gaps from       when your business or brand was founded and when you joined Facebook. This is where we can go back in time and add images with captions to indicate significant events in the history of your business, such as:<br /> Milestone Ideas:  <ul> <li>When your business launched<b></b></li> <li>Your first partnership<b></b></li> <li>Your first sale</li> <li>Expanding or opening a second location</li> <li>Your first hire</li> <li>Forming a new division</li> <li>TV or magazine appearance</li> <li>Important press</li> </ul> <br /> All of these events in your business’ history create your Brand Story. <br /> <br /> Start with the year your business was founded and the location where this occurred. Provide a story (optional). Think about what you want to say about the concept or inspiration for your brand or business’s inception. Keep in mind the first 255 characters (approx 25-30 words) will be visible. Facebook users can expand to read a further description. Last, but not least, provide a photo, video, or link of this important milestone in your history!<br /><br />You can add as few or as many milestones as you like, and you can change them later on, too. Try to really tell your brand story so Facebook users can interact with your entire history. <br /><br />You can also go back and delete any posts that you don't want to appear (ones that didn't get good engagement, for example).<br /><br /> Still confused? Try <a href="http://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=279680818764230">Facebook Help</a> for more assistance or give Be Visible Associates a call.  <b></b><br /><br />Kevin HagemanFri, 16 Mar 2012 20:53:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:129852http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/126935/Facebook-s-Timeline-What-it-Means-for-Your-Brand#Comments0Facebook’s Timeline & What it Means for Your Brandhttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/126935/Facebook-s-Timeline-What-it-Means-for-Your-Brand<p>This article, written by Karen Lewis of <em>Simply Amusing Designs</em>, appeared on March 1, 2012. It's a simple overview on the big changes that will affect Facebook Pages on March 30. Karen is a great designer and a really smart cookie and I think you will find this explanation very easy to understand. You can link to the original post <a href="http://www.simplyamusingdesigns.com/2012/03/facebooks-timeline-what-it-means-for-your-brand/" title="here" target="_blank">here</a>  </p> <p><img src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/coke-600x188.jpg" border="0" alt="coke 600x188" /></p> <p><em>The much-anticipated release of Timeline for Brands was rolled out today by Facebook and there are a few things you need to know if you are a Brand manager or Business owner.</em></p> <p>The newest feature has rolled out for preview across the network, and if you don’t upgrade before March 30, your page will be automatically converted to the new style. Similar to personal profiles, Timeline for Brands has design beauty potential. Facebook has added features to Brands that personal profiles don’t have – such as public storylines and new admin capabilities, which I’ll discuss in a moment.</p> <p><b>About those Custom Landing Pages & Tabs</b></p> <p>Possibly the biggest news is that you can no longer send your Facebook visitors to a default landing page (aka welcome tab, or fan-gate). Those applications will still remain available, but your fans will only get to them if they click on the app on your page. If you have a custom application that has been created for your Page, it will still work, you will just no longer be able to send certain traffic (like non-fans) to a particular page inside Facebook, unless you pay for Facebook ads.</p> <p><b>Other Important Changes To Pages</b></p> <p><b>1. Cover Images</b> – The new look for Brands includes a large 850px-wide image (similar to personal aprofiles) at the top of the page, with the page itself separated into two columns by a “timeline”. This affords companies a beautiful visual way to share and engage with their visitors, even more so than before. The one caveat to your brand’s cover image? <em>Facebook’s rules stipulate you may not promote your products or services there.</em> Yep…you are reading that correctly – <em>no pricing information, no discount or percent off information, no web address, no contact information, no encouraging people to like your page,</em> etc.</p> <p><b>2. Reduced Tab Visibility</b> – Where as before you could have as many tabs as you wanted in the sidebar, now you’ll be forced to choose the top three you want to show under the cover image. Choose carefully and wisely – as there are only three tabs visible at any given time. The one tab you cannot change is the “Photo” tab, to see more than the first four, users will have to expand the tab panel by clicking on a drop-down menu.</p> <p><b>3. Feature Posts </b>- You will now be able to feature posts for 7 days by “pinning” them to the top of your Timeline (akin to posting a ‘sticky’ post in a forum or on a blog). If you have a promotion or special offers, this is an opportunity for it to shine on the page and not get lost in the daily shuffle. This is also where you will want to focus your marketing strategy to point visitors to contests, promotions, other tabs, etc. It will be interesting to see how marketers use this particular feature.</p> <p><b>4. Private Messages</b> – With the new update, users will be able to leave private messages for brands and brands can interact with them outside of the Timeline. It will be easy to clutter up the Timeline with customer inquiries and notes, so the addition of messaging is going to be really beneficial for page admins.</p> <p><b>What We Recommend to Our Clients:</b></p> <p><b>Don’t convert yet.</b> The most important “next step” is for you to prepare your Timeline Cover Photo and decide what apps/tabs are going to be visible on the home page. You can see a preview of your Timeline by going to your page and walking through the tutorial. Do not publish the changes – play around with it, but make sure that before you publish, you have a nice cover photo, and have cleaned up your timeline. In addition, there are bound to be a few bugs to be worked out, let Facebook handle those while you are getting used to the new highly visual format of your page.</p> <p> I'll be posting more Timeline info throughout the month, but in the meantime please reach out with your comments and questions.</p> <p>-B </p>Betsy KentThu, 01 Mar 2012 17:51:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:126935http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/106631/What-Facebook-Can-Tell-Us-about-Our-Country#Comments0What Facebook Can Tell Us about Our Countryhttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/106631/What-Facebook-Can-Tell-Us-about-Our-Country<p>I manage many different Facebook Pages for my clients. For one client in particular (a consumer packaged goods company) every now and then a status update generates comments that really touch my heart. I want to share some them with you:</p> <p><br /><img src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Screen shot 2011-12-04 at 9.52.32 AM.png" border="0" alt="Screen shot 2011 12 04 at 9.52.32 AM" /><br /><br /><em>“Fill in the blank: All I want for Christmas is ___________________________.”</em></p> <ul> <li>Peace of mind and a good woman who is truly ready to settle down with one man!!!</li> <li>World Peace!!!!!</li> <li>For my kids to have Christmas. Can’t afford it this year. : (</li> <li>A job.</li> <li>My parents back.</li> <li>A girlfriend.</li> <li>A job. Not working sucks.</li> <li>Happiness for all for one day, even if impossible, still want that most. </li> <li>To have my dad back on earth again. To tell him I love him again.</li> <li>My health so I could spend and enjoy my grandkids and kids.</li> <li>Just for everything to be OK.</li> <li>For my kids to be happy.</li> <li>All my family together with all differences set aside.</li> <li>For my son to get his cochlear implants and be able to hear me say “I love you.”</li> </ul> <p>We received many more comments similar to the ones above, too many to list. These comments are a little snapshot of what is going on in people’s minds right now in this country.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>Betsy KentSun, 04 Dec 2011 14:43:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:106631http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/101886/The-New-Google-Analytics#Comments0The New Google Analyticshttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/101886/The-New-Google-Analytics<p>Anyone who works with me knows that I love analytics. Messing around on Google Analytics is what I think is fun. But up until now the data from Google Analytics left a lot of stones unturned.</p> <p>Google announced today that they are unrolling a new Google Analytics platform that promises to be really effective at getting under the hood and find out what’s really happening on your website.</p> <p>One of the aspects of this new platform is “Real Time” results. As you can see from the screenshot below, website owners will be able to see what’s happening right now on your site:</p> <p><img id="img-1321561381805" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Untitled socail.png" border="0" alt="New Google Analytics Screen Shot" width="600" height="323" style="height: 323px; width: 600px;" /> </p> <p>How we are going to use this data, and what can be derived from it remains to be seen. But I believe that for many site owners, this insight will help them understand not just how people behave on the site, but when they behave on the site as well.</p> <p>Applications for this kind of data could inform the best time to launch a promotion, for example. </p> <p>Another “Real Time” reporting tool will help website owners see in more depth and detail where their visitors are coming from:</p> <p><img id="img-1321561401894" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Untitled.png" border="0" alt="New Google Analytics screen shot" width="600" height="377" style="height: 377px; width: 600px;" /></p> <p>This will make it much easier for companies that use Social Media to drive traffic to their websites to see how their efforts are paying off as they are happening. The possibilities of how website owners can use this data is endless. For example, imagine being able to see how a Tweet affects your website traffic and being able to build on that momentum in real time.</p> <p>Lots of other cool features will be part of the new Google Analytics (such as Flow Visualization). I, for one, can’t wait!!</p>Betsy KentThu, 17 Nov 2011 20:15:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:101886http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/96684/The-Social-Media-Dilemma-for-Businesses#Comments0The Social Media Dilemma for Businesseshttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/96684/The-Social-Media-Dilemma-for-Businesses<p><img id="img-1320768403927" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Business woman outside thinking small1.jpg" border="0" alt="Social Media Dilemma for Businesses" /></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: left;">Every week I speak to business people who are facing the same dilemma. They keep hearing that they <em>should</em> be using Social Media* for Business, but they have no idea WHAT that really means. Facebook? Twitter? YouTube? Blogging? And even if they did know HOW, they don’t know WHEN they’d have the time for it.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">And even if they knew <em>when</em>, the biggest question of all is <strong>WHY?</strong></p> <p style="text-align: left;">There are as many answers to How and What as there are different kinds of businesses. But the answer to WHY? is always the same**:</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>To Increase Revenue</strong></p> <p style="text-align: left;">This is the first in a series of posts that address just this issue. I will attempt to answer the question WHY? for different types of businesses.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>BUSINESS TYPE #1</strong>: BUSINESS DEPENDS UPON REFERRALS, NOT MARKETING</p> <p style="text-align: left;">“Our business depends on referrals for all of our new clients. We never market or advertise. Our stellar reputation is why people choose us. WHY should we use Social Media?”</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Imagine this Scenario:</p> <p style="text-align: left;">One of your current happy clients tells a colleague how your company has  done a fantastic   job for her. The colleague writes down your name (or your company name). Remember, your best clients aren’t walking around with a stack of your businesses cards, as much as you wish they would!</p> <p style="text-align: left;">The colleague (this person could be your dream client!) has no other choice but to do a Google search for your company in order to find your contact info. What will she see? Get into the head of that potential client and perform that same Google search for yourself. What appears on your screen is pretty much what she sees.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Is your website the only listing on the page? Does it tell your company’s story in a way that the potential client will see value in hiring you? Is there anything else appearing on the screen that conveys the message that you want this client to see? </p> <p style="text-align: left;">If your answer is NO, then you have a wonderful opportunity: Social Media (I use the term loosely) is the way to increase your business profile on the web and moreover, make sure that your story is told in the way that will make a potential client sit up and say “This is exactly what I am looking for!”</p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;">Research shows that people use search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing) more often than <em>any other research tool</em> as the #1 source of information gathering in preparation for a purchasing decision (even when they have been referred!).</p> <p style="text-align: left;">And it’s only natural. Everyone wants to get a little bit more information about a company before they pick up the phone and call, and the Internet has made it possible to research quickly and easily.  I’m sure you’ve done it yourself.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">What we don’t know is how many potential clients have searched for your company after having been referred and DID NOT CHOOSE YOU because your Internet presence did not convey that your company provides exactly what they need.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;">WHY? Because Lost Opportunity results in Lost Revenue! That’s Why! Now…HOW, WHAT and WHEN are easy! Let’s talk.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;">*I use Social Media as a catchall term for content marketing, blogging, and using Facebook, Twitter, etc.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">**Disclosure: every now and then I do work with a client that does not have a revenue producing agenda, but instead is looking for pure visibility in her or his field.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p>Betsy KentTue, 08 Nov 2011 16:15:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:96684http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76200/Facebook-Changes-Why-the-Anger#Comments2Facebook Changes: Why the Anger?http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76200/Facebook-Changes-Why-the-Anger<p><img src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/facebook-full-logo.png" border="0" alt="Facebook" /></p> <p>Facebook rolled (some say “steamrolled”) out major platform changes this week, in case you haven’t noticed! Those of us in the industry knew they were coming, although most of us didn’t know exactly what all the changes would be.</p> <p>Facebook has the right to make changes on their platform. Some industry folks see all the new features as being Facebook’s direct reaction to the threat of Google+. Some see the changes (as I do) as not only a reaction to the features that make Google+ so easy to use, but also Facebook’s need and desire to keep users on the site for the majority of their Internet usage, therefore reducing the need for them to leave to search for music, to buy products, to chat with friends, to see real-time news, and more.</p> <p>When I work with clients I often use this analogy to illustrate how users feel about Facebook: Facebook is a house. People like to hang out in their house with their family and friends. The more they can do without having to leave their “house” the more comfortable they feel.</p> <h4>Where the Problem Lies</h4> <p>Imagine you are renting the house (basically users are “renting” space on Facebook’s platform, albeit for free) and while you are at work, your landlord comes into the house, moves most of your stuff around, hides other stuff, and piles a lot of new stuff that you never asked for in places you don’t expect. The landlord leaves you a note saying, “I think you will like the house better this way”.</p> <p>How would you feel? Invaded? Disrespected? Really Angry?</p> <p>That’s how many Facebook users feel right now. If you check the Twitter hashtag #newfacebook you’ll see thousands (probably hundreds of thousands) of complaints and in many cases, anger.</p> <p>I believe that Facebook users will get used to the new changes, and most will find them really useful, as I do.  The new features make Facebook better for users and  better it is for markers.</p> <p>The <em>way</em> in which Facebook changes were made is the reason that users are angry. Anger is not what any business wants their customers (or tenants) to feel.</p> <h4>I’m looking forward to hearing how this all plays out. Would love to hear your comments.</h4>Betsy KentFri, 23 Sep 2011 12:07:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:76200http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76199/Personal-Branding-1940-s-Style#Comments0Personal Branding, 1940′s Stylehttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76199/Personal-Branding-1940-s-Style<p><a href="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Jack-Kent-Hakoah-club-new-years-eve1.jpg" target="_blank"><img id="img-1316881588308" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Jack-Kent-Hakoah-club-new-years-eve1.jpg" border="0" alt="Jack Kent Hakoah club new years eve" width="300" height="174" /></a></p> <p>The Jack Kent Quartet (dad is second fr left)</p> <p>There is a lot written about Personal Branding these days. Some people think it’s a new concept; made possible by the opportunities we have on the web with social media platforms. In reality, from PT Barnum, to the Kardashians, personal branding has been with us since we’ve had media.</p> <p>Back in the 1930’s & 40’s when my father wasn’t working in the family menswear store, he was the alto sax-playing leader of his own jazz band that gigged at various nightclubs around his hometown of Akron, Ohio. Not only was he the second youngest member of the local musician’s union (his best friend, the brilliant pianist Pat Pace, was the youngest), he wasn’t even old enough be in those clubs when he first started.</p> <p>My dad was a very cool cat. But he had a personal branding problem.</p> <p>Cool cats back then (and probably even today) didn’t get high ratings on the coolness scale when they had a last name like “Kantrovitz”. So instead of calling his band “The Jack Kantrovitz Quartet” my dad came up with the name, “The Jack Kent Quartet”.</p> <p>After a while, this created another problem: half of his friends and acquaintances knew him as Jack Kantrovitz, and the other half knew him as Jack Kent. He even had two listings in the phone book (if you’re under 30 and don’t know what a phone book is, email me and I’ll explain it.)</p> <p>Finally in about 1954, my father decided to eliminate the confusion and had his last name legally changed from Kantrovitz to Kent. Soon after, his brother took the same route, and that was the demise of the Kantrovitz name.</p> <p>My father created his “personal brand” to market his jazz band more effectively.  They had a pretty successful run, until he decided to quit gigging and devote himself to the family business and to raising a family. I think he was ahead of his time and growing up with that kind of mindset in the house gave me a head start in marketing.</p> <p>Having such a “generic” last name has definitely been an asset for my brother, my cousins, and me, too. Our name doesn’t get mispronounced or misspelled very often, which, among other benefits, has made life a little easier for us.</p> <p>Thanks, Dad.</p>Betsy KentSat, 03 Sep 2011 15:40:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:76199http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76197/What-is-a-QR-Code#Comments0What is a QR Code?http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76197/What-is-a-QR-Code<p><img id="img-1316881432935" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Screen-shot-QR-Code.png" border="0" alt="QR Code" /></p> <p><strong>You have probably noticed these little white squares with black patterns </strong>on them appearing on bus kiosk ads, in magazines, and even on billboards. And there’s a good chance that you don’t know what they are and if you are supposed to do something with them. You may have even wondered if they are secret communication devices designed just for nerds and geeks.</p> <p><strong>They are QR Codes</strong>, and I’m going to tell you:</p> <p>• What they are</p> <p>• Why they are there</p> <p>• What you can do with them</p> <h4>What is a QR Code?</h4> <p>The QR code is a pattern that can be read by a scanner, just the same way a bar code is read in the supermarket. QR is short for “Quick Response” and they were invented in Japan in 1994. QR Codes have been ubiquitous in Japan for years, and in Europe for a long time. The U.S. has been very slow to adopt them, mostly because of idiosyncrasies the cell phone technology here.</p> <h4>Why are QR Codes Appearing Everywhere?</h4> <p>As of the end of 2010, there were 302,859,67 wireless subscriptions in the U.S. (data from CTIA Wireless Assoc.). This astoundingly massive usage of wireless technology is enabling organizations of all kinds to connect with people in new and very innovative ways. This is what’s cool about QR Codes: the camera on your Smartphone can read them! Which means that businesses and institutions can use them to deliver more information to you, the consumer, than is possible in an ad.</p> <p>When scanned, the code will make something happen on your phone, such as:</p> <p>• A website may open in your browser</p> <p>• You may get a text</p> <p>• A photo may appear</p> <p>• A video may appear</p> <h4>Why would you want to scan a QR Code?</h4> <p>Let’s say you’re standing at a bus stop in your neighborhood. You notice that there is an ad on the shelter for a nearby restaurant that you’ve wondered about. Scan the QR code on the ad, and your phone will take you to a mini website designed specifically for your phone (meaning the images fit perfectly on your screen). You can look at the restaurant’s menu, see images of the interior, and very often, find a special coupon that when shown at the restaurant, will give you a discount or something special, like a free glass of wine.</p> <p>Local businesses and large brands are using QR Codes for all kinds of things. From allowing you to access a recipes when purchasing a packaged good in the supermarket, to enabling you to view a movie preview by scanning a code on a movie poster, QR Codes give you a richer experience to help you make buying decisions.</p> <h4>Can any phone scan a QR Code?</h4> <p>Only Smartphones or camera phones equipped with a QR “reader” application can scan the image of the QR code. Check this list to see if your phone is QR capable, and determine which application to use.</p> <h4>How do you use them?</h4> <p>Once you’ve determined that you have a QR reader on your phone, you will use your phone’s camera to scan the code. Again, you need a reader application to do this. Depending on what information is stored on the QR code, a browser window may open; you may receive a text or a download. You should receive the content in less than a minute.</p> <h4>If you have a business</h4> <p>QR codes can be a great tool for business. The important thing to remember is to clearly explain to the user what is going to happen when they scan your code and what the benefits will be to them to take that action.</p> <p>Here are some examples of uses of QR codes:</p> <p>Postcard:</p> <p><img id="img-1316881117825" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/mainscape1.jpg" border="0" alt="mainscape" width="446" height="336" /></p> <p>Business Card:</p> <p><img id="img-1316881157556" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Business Card.jpg" border="0" alt="Business Card" /></p> <p>Campaign:</p> <p><a href="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Scan-here.png" target="_blank"><img id="img-1316881188528" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Scan-here.png" border="0" alt="Campaign" width="297" height="300" /></a></p> <p>To find out what application you need for your Smartphone or camera phone, click here: <a href="http://www.qrstuff.com/qr_phone_software.html" target="_blank">http://www.qrstuff.com/qr_phone_software.html</a></p> <p>Do you have any great ideas for using QR codes? Comment below:</p> <p>(If you found this information helpful, please consider subscribing. Thank you!)</p>Betsy KentWed, 24 Aug 2011 12:34:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:76197http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76194/My-Business-Blog-What-Should-I-Write-About#Comments0My Business Blog: What Should I Write About?http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76194/My-Business-Blog-What-Should-I-Write-About<p><img id="img-1316880941551" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/question-mark.jpg" border="0" alt="A frequent question" width="135" height="135" class="alignLeft" style="float: left;" />A frequent question that I get from many of my clients (with a lot of trepidation) after they have decided that they do want to have a business blog, is this:</p> <p>“What in the world should I write about?”</p> <p>Regardless of what your goal is for having a blog, my advice is, don’t try to come up with ideas out of clear air, especially if you are just getting started. Here are some great tips for getting blog ideas:</p> <p><strong>Answer Your Most Frequently Asked Questions</strong></p> <p>Think about your clients and customers. What questions do you hear over and over again? These questions are fantastic ideas for blog posts!</p> <ul> <li>For larger brands: Talk to customer service and your salespeople. They are the ones that are interfacing with your customers, and believe me; they know what your customers want to know. Social Media is also a great resource as well, and becoming more important all the time. See what your customers are tweeting about and asking you on Facebook.</li> <li>For smaller businesses: It’s very likely that you interface with your clients and customers every day. Listen carefully and you’ll probably hear the same questions over and over again.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Ask Google!</strong></p> <p>Ask Google the questions your customers are asking you. Google is an incredible tool for research.  For example: Let’s say you have a business selling Oriental rugs, and customers frequently ask you this question: “How do I tell if an Oriental rug is authentic?”</p> <p>Type that into Google and see what comes up.</p> <p>I bet you’ll find tons of blogs and articles addressing that very question, some even written by your competitors. Is the information out there correct? Would you agree or disagree? Remember, what you see on Google is what your potential customers see on Google. Make<em> your</em> blog post the most concise, easy to understand, and truthful answer to the question. All the years of honing your skills and developing your expertise will enable you to share your knowledge just enough to make people understand that not only do you know what you’re talking about, but that you talk about it in terms that they can understand.</p> <p><strong>Set up Google Alerts and Twitter Searches for the topics that are important to you and to your customers and clients. </strong></p> <p>Read what is circulating around the Internet about your industry, your  competitors, and your customers. You will discover gobs of content that you  will agree with, disagree with, and that is sharable. (If you share content, be sure to attribute it to the original author). You’ll also probably see a lot of forums pop up. They are best for finding out what questions people ask a lot. Use Forums for ideas.</p> <p><strong>But how can you be helpful without feeling like you are giving your assets away for free?</strong></p> <ul> <li>For larger brands: Share how people can use your product or service to get the best results, address issues that come up a lot. Even unhappy customers respond positively when they know a company actually cares about their experience.</li> <li>For smaller businesses: Answer your “frequently asked questions” in a fashion that that gives value to the reader without being a “How-To”. Here are some examples: <ul> <li>Interior designer: Why Home Staging Helps Houses Sell Faster</li> <li>Hair Salon: What is the Right Cut for your Face Shape?</li> <li>Event Producer: What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Live Tweeting at an Event?</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p>Blogging is not nearly as scary when you understand that you don’t have to create your content in a vacuum. Listen to your customers, read what your competitors are writing, and in a very short time, you’ll find that your mental idea engine will start running on it’s own.</p> <p>More tips to come including using Keywords effectively and how to get your blog posts noticed. Stay tuned and thanks for reading!</p>Betsy KentSun, 31 Jul 2011 19:46:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:76194http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76191/Why-Do-I-Need-a-Business-Blog#Comments0Why Do I Need a Business Blog?http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76191/Why-Do-I-Need-a-Business-Blog<p><img id="img-1316880802281" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Business Blog.jpg" border="0" alt="Business Blog" width="120" height="120" class="alignLeft" style="float: left;" />“Why Do I Need a Business Blog?” It’s a question I hear over and over again from new clients, and I don’t blame them for asking! What’s a “blog” anyway? Some people hear the word “blog” and immediately think of <em>The Huffington Post</em> or <em>Perez Hilton.com</em>. With that in mind, it’s easy for me to understand why many businesses find it hard to understand why they should blog. If you fit into this category, read on:</p> <p>3 Steps to Decide if your Business should be Blogging:</p> <p>1. Start Here: The first place to start is Google, the largest Search Engine. Perform a Google search for your company name. What do you see on the first page of results? A few listings for your website? Some local directory listings you never signed up for? Anything else? Anything on the second page?</p> <p>2. Now Do This: Perform a Google search for each your top 2-3 competitors. What do you see on the first page of results? On the second? On the third?</p> <p>3. Next, Think About This Scenario: A coveted potential client has been referred to your company and has also been referred to two of your competitors. You have no idea this client is in buying mode (in spite of the fact that you have reached out numerous times). The client immediately goes to Google to research <em>your</em> company and <em>each of your competitors</em>. He or she is going to see pretty much exactly what <em>you</em> just saw in your Google search.</p> <p>Does that make you happy?</p> <p>Today’s business-to-business buyers have the ability to find out a lot about your company <em>before you even know that they are looking!</em> Their first stop might very well be your website (and your website must do a great job of conveying your company’s value proposition within 7 seconds, but more about that later). But what is most important is that they are going to be looking for more than just your website to help them decide if you are the right choice.</p> <p>A blog will help your company convey value to potential clients in a way that you control. Moreover, you can easily achieve a much more impressive presence on the Web than you have right now. And, when combined with other Social Media efforts, you have a very powerful mix – one that your competitors may already be stirring!</p> <p>So, how do you figure out what to blog about?</p> <p>Stay tuned!</p>Betsy KentTue, 05 Jul 2011 22:36:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:76191http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76190/Facebook-Privacy-Settings-How-to-Change-Them#Comments0Facebook Privacy Settings, How to Change Themhttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76190/Facebook-Privacy-Settings-How-to-Change-Them<p>Many of you have asked me how to adjust the privacy settings for your Facebook personal profiles. Facebook tends to make changes to this feature a lot, so it’s good to go in every now and then and make sure your are set the way you want them.</p> <p>Here’s a Step-By-Step guide to customizing your privacy settings:</p> <p>Click the Account tab in upper right corner of your page, and select “Privacy Settings.”</p> <p><img id="img-1316880589677" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/BV-Privacy-Blog-SS-1.jpg" border="0" alt="BV Privacy Blog SS 1" /></p> <p>Under the Connect on Facebook header, click “View Settings” to view and change what people see when they search for you on Facebook.</p> <p>Anyone can search for your Facebook page, so it is important you only display appropriate content—your potential employers don’t need to hear about your hangover or see pictures from that weekend in Vegas. And, as Facebook becomes a more prominent tool for business networking, it is a good idea to keep it professional.</p> <p><img id="img-1316880613976" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/BV-Privacy-Blog-SS-2.jpg" border="0" alt="BV Privacy Blog SS 2" /></p> <p>Go through each setting and select “Everyone,” “Friends of Friends,” “Friends Only” or “Customize.” The “Customize” option will allow you to adjust your settings to specifically show or hide your activity from certain friends.</p> <p>To control the settings on <em>what you share</em> on Facebook, click “Back to Privacy” in the upper left corner.</p> <p><img id="img-1316880631337" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/BV-Privacy-Blog-SS-3.jpg" border="0" alt="BV Privacy Blog SS 3" /></p> <p>Under the “Things I Share” heading, you can customize who sees what you post on Facebook. This includes photos, videos, status updates and information about your likes, connections and relationships.</p> <p><img id="img-1316880646215" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/BV-Privacy-Blog-SS-4.jpg" border="0" alt="BV Privacy Blog SS 4" /></p> <p>“Things Others Share” is where you control who views what friends post and share on <em>your</em> profile—wall posts, pictures and comments.</p> <p>Lastly, it is also very important that you adjust the Privacy Settings for your “Contact Information.” For example, it is a good idea to make your address and phone number visible to “Friends Only.”</p> <p><img id="img-1316880661658" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/BV-Privacy-Blog-SS-5.jpg" border="0" alt="BV Privacy Blog SS 5" /></p> <p>At the bottom of the “Things I Share” section, there is a link that will allow you to change the privacy settings on your existing videos and photo albums.</p> <p><img id="img-1316880677500" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/BV-Privacy-Blog-SS-61.jpg" border="0" alt="BV Privacy Blog SS 61" /></p> <p>I suggest keeping your profile picture visible to make it easier for friends and family to find you. The privacy of other albums you share is up to you, but again, remember to keep it professional!</p> <p><img id="img-1316880690850" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/BV-Privacy-Blog-SS-71.jpg" border="0" alt="BV Privacy Blog SS 71" /></p> <p>If you have any problems with your privacy settings or have any other questions about Facebook…Just Ask Betsy!</p>Betsy KentTue, 21 Jun 2011 19:02:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:76190http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76189/Do-You-Hate-Social-Media#Comments0Do You Hate Social Media?http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76189/Do-You-Hate-Social-Media<p><img id="img-1316880410977" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Do You Hate Social Media.jpg" border="0" alt="Infuriated businesswoman" class="alignLeft" style="float: left;" />As a Social Media expert I am frequently referred to businesses that need my help. I work with large companies, online retailers, and marketing agencies. But I have many clients that fall into the “small but successful”, category, too. And, the majority of these “small but successful” businesses are owned by really smart, really fearless, and really dynamic people.</p> <p>These really smart, fearless, and dynamic people seem to have one thing in common: They “hate” Social Media!</p> <p>How do I know they hate Social Media? Because invariably when I first sit down to work with them, they start our conversation in one of these ways:</p> <ul> <li>“I know we should be “doing” Social Media, but I don’t know why.”</li> <li>“I’m really stupid about these things.”</li> <li>“I hate Facebook and I hate that my kids spend so much time on it.”</li> <li>“My competitors aren’t doing it; why should I?”</li> <li>“I am totally confused about Social Media and I don’t like it.”</li> <li>“How much does this stuff cost?”</li> </ul> <p>First of all, I want to say that I completely understand why successful business owners in their 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s would hate Social Media. After all, they built their businesses without Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. And, if they use Social Media at all, they may use Facebook as a personal tool for keeping up with those people from high school that they hadn’t planned to keep up with in the first place!</p> <p>However, the reality is that Social Media is in our world, it affects all aspects of our lives, and it has a huge impact on our businesses. We can’t live without it. But instead of approaching it as a drain on resources (time and money), I encourage clients to look at Social Media as a wonderful opportunity.</p> <p>The opportunity is this: for the first time, you can have a big impact on how your business appears to the public by using Social Media. When you Google the name of your company you should see 1-3 pages full of links to content that conveys your business’ unique value and expertise. Why?</p> <p>Because research has shown that Search Engine searches are used more often than any other research tool as the <strong>primary source of information gathering in preparation for a purchasing decision</strong>. And this is true for B2B as well as for B2C.</p> <p>Social Media activities increase the links to your business on Search Engines and enable you to control what your prospective clients and customers see. That is particularly important if you depend on word-of-mouth to grow your business.</p> <p>So, if you don’t like what get when you Google your company’s name, give me a call. I’ll teach you how to love Social Media (or maybe just “Like” it.).</p>Betsy KentThu, 16 Jun 2011 00:24:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:76189http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76187/How-to-Change-the-Order-of-Facebook-Page-Tabs#Comments0How to Change the Order of Facebook Page Tabshttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76187/How-to-Change-the-Order-of-Facebook-Page-Tabs<p>The new Facebook Business Pages layouts are now the only layout available. If you had not upgraded your Page until now, you may be dismayed to wake up this morning and find that it was updated for you!</p> <p>So, there are a lot of places on the web where you can get help and information about all the new changes, including the new Photo Strip (I wrote a blog about how to deal with it here), updates visibility, and more.</p> <p>Thanks to a lot of really smart people out there blogging and posting, I have been able to configure most of the Pages I manage pretty easily. But I just couldn’t figure out how to change the order of the tabs, which are now listed on the left hand side of the page.</p> <p>All the information I gleaned from Facebook’s help sections, blogs and forums kept saying that all I needed to do is to drag and drop the tab titles while logged in as an admin. But it didn’t work!</p> <p>So, then I discovered that you can only rearrange tabs if you have 7 tabs or more. So, for one of my accounts, I had 7:</p> <p>1. Wall</p> <p>2. Info</p> <p>3. Photos</p> <p>4. Coupon</p> <p>5. Sweeps</p> <p>6. Like Us!</p> <p>7. Recipe</p> <p>But I still couldn’t move them around!</p> <p>Then, the light bulb went off! You need 7 tabs IN ADDITION to “Wall” and “Info” (which you can’t move).</p> <p>Solution:</p> <p>I added ‘Discussions” and “Video” (two tabs I’m not using right now) and voila! I can now drag and drop the tabs! The ones that I’m not currently using are hidden unless someone clicks “More”.</p> <p>Here’s what it looks like now:</p> <p><img id="img-1316880232122" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/facebook-pane.png" border="0" alt="facebook pane" /></p> <p>So all I have to do is click “More” then “Edit” and I can move them around.</p> <p><img id="img-1316880268951" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/facebook-pane2.png" border="0" alt="facebook options" /></p> <p>Note: only tabs created with iFrames can have little favicons, so we are rebuilding all our FBML pages so our list can look really great.</p> <p>If you have questions or comments, please feel free to write!</p>Betsy KentThu, 10 Mar 2011 14:14:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:76187http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76186/How-to-Control-the-New-Facebook-Pages-Photo-Strip#Comments0How to Control the New Facebook Pages Photo Striphttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76186/How-to-Control-the-New-Facebook-Pages-Photo-Strip<p><img id="img-1316880050452" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/New Facebook Pages Photo Strip.jpg" border="0" alt="New Facebook Pages Photo Strip" width="269" height="70" /></p> <p>Many of you have upgraded your Facebook Business Page prior to the automatic update on March 10. So now you are wondering what to do with that funny Photo Strip at the top of the page.</p> <p>First thing to understand: Facebook will display the most recent photo upload in the Photo Strip, whether you added just a new photo to an album, created a new album, or published a photo in a Status Update.</p> <p>You may have noticed that the photos are automatically cropped to fit into the small thumbnail-sized spaces.</p> <p>So how can you control the Photo Strip? It’s easy!</p> <p>1. Select the five photos that you want to appear on your Page all the time.</p> <p>2. Create a special album for the Photo Strip Photos</p> <p>3. Re-size all your photos as close as you can get to 97×68 pixels.</p> <p>4. Upload the photos to the new album (select them all at once instead of one at a time).</p> <p>5. Do not click “Publish” unless you want your 5 new photos to be published to your fans’ newsfeed. Just click “Skip”</p> <p>6. Voila, your Photo Strip should look pretty good. You can change the order of the photos in the album, but not on the Page.</p> <p>7. Now, if you want only the photos in your Photo Strip album to appear all the time, you must hide any new photos that you publish right after you publish them. It takes a bit more time, but it’s worth it.</p> <p>Remember, with an estimated 132.5 million US web users on Facebook this year; almost 57% of all Internet users are members. So, your Facebook Page is very important. Although most fans won’t go back to your page after they “Like” your page unless you direct them there, Facebook Pages are public and are just as important to your company’s branding as your Website has always been.</p> <p>To see how the Be Visible page looks now that we’ve worked on the Photo Strip, click here: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/BeVisibleAssociates" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/BeVisibleAssociates</a></p> <p>I’ll be publishing more tips on the new Facebook Business Pages. Stay tuned!</p>Betsy KentMon, 28 Feb 2011 14:38:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:76186http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76185/Getting-Email-Pitches-from-Internet-Marketers-What-to-do#Comments0Getting Email Pitches from Internet Marketers? What to do!http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76185/Getting-Email-Pitches-from-Internet-Marketers-What-to-do<p>The number of companies that provide Internet marketing services is growing in leaps and bounds and many of them are using email to reach out to their target market: your business! Every day businesses receive unsolicited emails from Internet marketers promising to make your website appear on the first page of Search Engine results for your business category. Even Be Visible gets those emails!</p> <p>I can’t blame any company for trying to reach new clients by cold emailing. After all, that’s how I got Be Visible started (and I still have most of the first clients I contacted that way!) But, the web is still too new and complicated for a “formula” email sales pitch to be successful.</p> <p>Here’s an example:</p> <p>One of my clients owns a commercial cleaning company that specializes in green cleaning solutions. They don’t do homes or apartments, and they have a very specific type of clients such as office buildings, private schools and restaurants. We’ve been running an adwords campaign on Google and working with them on their SEO. It’s tricky because we have to make sure that we are using their budget to reach only the correct decision makers, and that involves consistent analysis of their program, adjusting budgets, making irrelevant keywords negative, and much more. We have worked for two years to lower their cost per click and to get them the best ROI.</p> <p>My client recently received an email from a company promising to get them better results.</p> <p>Here’s an excerpt from the email:</p> <p>“Hi,</p> <p>My name is <span style="color: #808080;"><em>xxxxx</em></span> and I’m with <span style="color: #808080;"><em>xxxxxxxx</em></span>.org. I was just searching for Office Cleaning, Green Cleaning and School Cleaning in New York and it turns out that <em>your company </em>is missing some relevant keywords compared to similar businesses. I thought you might want to see this.</p> <p>You can see <em>your full list of recommended keywords here</em> and explore options for improving your position on search engines.”</p> <p>So, we clicked on the link and here is their list of recommended keywords and my client’s page rankings:</p> <p><img id="img-1316879598642" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/page-rankings-list.jpg" border="0" alt="Page ranking" /></p> <p>Here’s what is wrong:</p> <ul> <li>My client doesn’t work in New Jersey, and we don’t display their ads there.</li> <li>My client doesn’t fit into ecological or environmental services (no one looking for office cleaning would search that way),</li> <li>My client doesn’t do window washing</li> <li>They aren’t a dry cleaner or a commercial laundry</li> </ul> <p>So, what the keyword report really shows that my client’s link is on the first page for their most important services:  commercial cleaning, office cleaning, etc. and that’s a result of two years of refining their program to target their most lucrative market.</p> <p>So, I commend my competitor in reaching out to offer solutions to businesses, but it’s obvious that they didn’t put in any time to understand the business, which would have taken 2 seconds by going to the website. My competitor is selling the way the Yellow Pages always did: “If you throw enough sxxx at the wall, something will stick!” And we all know how much customer loyalty the Yellow Pages achieved!</p> <p>So, if you get any unsolicited emails making great promises to help your business achieve visibility on the web, please feel free to forward them to me. I promise, I’ll give you an honest assessment. After all, there are other companies besides Be Visible who can find the right combination of all the Internet marketing options available for your business. But, I assure you, there are not too many that work as hard as we do to understand your business’ needs, goals and market.</p> <p>Happy Holidays!</p>Betsy KentThu, 16 Dec 2010 16:43:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:76185http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76182/Don-t-Forget-About-LinkedIn-3-Steps-to-Get-your-Profile-Up-to-Date#Comments0Don’t Forget About LinkedIn – 3 Steps to Get your Profile Up to Datehttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76182/Don-t-Forget-About-LinkedIn-3-Steps-to-Get-your-Profile-Up-to-Date<p><img id="img-1316879337306" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/linkedin-icon.jpg" border="0" alt="LinkedIn" width="117" height="117" class="alignLeft" style="float: left;" />It’s so easy these days to get jazzed about all the new social networking platforms there are out there.</p> <p>From Facebook to Google, changes are being made that enable companies and brands to reach their market in new and awesome ways.</p> <p>However, when it comes to your business profile, there is nothing more effective than<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=hb_home" target="_blank"> LinkedIn</a>. LinkedIn is still the ultimate virtual business networking platform. It’s a lot less sexy than “Social Networking” sites, but LinkedIn has implemented some pretty cool features lately that make it a lot more fun.</p> <p>So, don’t neglect your LinkedIn profile…it’s as valuable, or even more valuable, than anything else if you are a businessperson and especially if you own or run a company.</p> <p>Step 1: Complete or review your profile.</p> <p>LinkedIn makes it easy by telling you what’s missing. You may opt to not include some info (like your education or past positions), but you have missed something you do want to appear. Why is it important to review your profile?</p> <p>• You will appear established and professional.</p> <p>• People make decisions whether to connect with contact you based upon the information in your profile.</p> <p>• A complete profile will increase your visibility and help you get found.</p> <p>• A profile with old or not relevant information hurts your reputation.</p> <p>Step 2: Get recommended</p> <p>Users with recommendations are 3 times as likely to get inquiries through LinkedIn searches. And users who make recommendations are more likely to get recommendations. It’s very easy to ask for recommendations, and you will find that a good percentage of the people you ask will be happy to do so, especially if you reciprocate. Tip: Reviews and Recommendations are the juice that is powering a lot of Search results these days.</p> <p>Step 3: Become a thought leader in your field</p> <p>Join groups, be a part of discussions and answer questions. No matter what kind of work you do, you have a level of expertise and sharing your experience makes you a more visible and valuable member of the business community. Don’t be afraid of “giving away” your secrets. There are few secrets in our digital age, anyway.</p> <p>More:</p> <p>• If you or your company has a blog, set up an automatic feed into your profile. The more content that you display, the better it is for your profile.</p> <p>• You can now “Follow” a company the same way you can do so on Twitter and Facebook. Make sure your company has a profile.</p> <p>• Think about keywords when you are completing your profile. For instance, if you are an expert in LEED green technology, use those phrases in your profile. Remember, Google and Bing index LinkedIn and use the results for searches.</p> <p>If you’re not convinced that spending some time on LinkedIn is valuable, do a Google search for yourself or your company. Look at the results from the point of view of someone who is making a decision whether to contact you for business. Then decide.</p> <p>Have questions about LinkedIn? Just Ask Betsy!</p>Betsy KentMon, 08 Nov 2010 16:03:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:76182http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76180/Word-of-Mouth-Marketing-for-Local-Businesses#Comments0Word of Mouth Marketing for Local Businesseshttp://www.bevisibleassoc.com/blog/bid/76180/Word-of-Mouth-Marketing-for-Local-Businesses<p><img id="img-1316879039500" src="http://www.bevisibleassoc.com/Portals/130730/images/Sinkin-Daily-News-150x150.jpg" border="0" alt="Word of Mouth Marketing for Local Businesses" width="110" height="110" class="alignLeft" style="float: left;" />It's very exciting that Be Visible Associates' client Dr. Michael Sinkin was featured in print and web in the New York Daily News yesterday.</p> <p>The article is about how small businesses are seeing success by using Social Media marketing. Dr. Sinkin has increased his practice by using Facebook, Twitter and Blogging. Don't think a sole medical practitioner can use Social Media effectively? Think again!</p> <p>Read the article:</p> <p><em><strong><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2010/11/01/2010-11-01_word_of_mouth_scores_of_businesses_are_joining_the_conversation_with_twitter_fac.html#ixzz149WWJEYW" target="_blank">Word of mouth: Scores of businesses are joining the conversation with Twitter, Facebook</a></strong></em></p> <h6>Photo: NY Daily News</h6>Betsy KentTue, 02 Nov 2010 19:10:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:76180