Reaction to the timeline of Facebook has been mixed. While some loved it, others hated it. Business owners, however, were quick to figure out how to use the Facebook timeline to their advantage. If you want to know about these interesting strategies that would allow you to promote your company, read on.

Use the Facebook Timeline for Highlighting your Achievements

You can use the Facebook timeline for incorporating intriguing milestones in your company profile. This is especially applicable if your company has a rich history. That way, you can show how your company and its products/services updated themselves with time.

In case your company is a new one, you can still highlight recent events, such as launch of your company or launch of a particular product in a creative manner.

Capture Attention of your Fans by Using Photos Intelligently

It is a known fact that pictures have gotten bigger in the timeline. This means that you can take advantage of the pictures to tell a story and retain interest of the target audience in your company. You can even use the highlight feature to bring into attention more pictures. Remember that telling a story via pictures, rather than boring chunks of text is always more interesting and effective.

Pay Attention to the About Section

To make people understand activities of your company, including good information in the ‘About’ section is critical. Many companies avoid adding any new information in this section, because they are probably unaware how to edit this information. If you want to edit the ‘About’ section, click on the About link. Now, keep on moving the mouse near the About section (focus on upper-right hand corner of the page). Continue doing this, until you can view the Edit button. Click on this button and you would be able to see the older-style dashboard page. Now, add information to the ‘About’ section.

Remember that you can include a call-to-action statement and your company link in the About section. However, you can incorporate only 160 characters in this section. Therefore, make sure that you are not cut off mid-sentence, thus making the ‘About’ section appear incomplete.

Take Advantage of the Cover Photo

Facebook timeline allows users to upload a huge cover photo. For creating a good impression, upload images that are associated with the services you offer. This way, you can create an overwhelming impression on your target audience.

Use the Apps to your Advantage

Apps have become more prominent in the new timeline. The Facebook Photos app highlights the latest photos. The next few apps in the row will be most prominent. Therefore, placing the most interesting apps in the first row can be a great idea. For best results, brand the apps. You can even include a powerful call-to-action in the apps. You can add apps to your timeline profile in the way you added apps in the earlier version of Facebook profile.

We highlighted few tricks that you can consider for using the Facebook timeline to your advantage. Implement them and watch your business soar!

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About the author: Alyssa Clarke is a blogger who also happens to be a tech buff. She loves spending
on tech stuff and recently purchased a new LG Optimus 3D, smartphone. She is car lover too and her
favorites have always been the BMW cars.

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Facebook is one of the most popular social networks in the world. It gained a great number of interesting statistics and facts during its existence. Here are some of them…

1. Facebook has over 350 million users and more than 35 million of them shares videos, photos and statuses on their wall.
2. A-23-year-old woman created a group naming it “I Need Sex” on Facebook. It obtained a great response and she had 35 members within 10 minutes. The most shocking was that she attracted 100-50 of whom finally she slept with.
3. If Facebook was considered a country, it would be the fifth-largest country in the world, after China, India, the U.S. and Indonesia.
4. After Michael Jackson died, his page became the most famous page on Facebook. Before his death, the most popular person on Facebook was U.S. president Obama with 6 million fans.
5. Recently, the police used Facebook to catch criminals.
6. After changing its privacy setting in December 2009, Mark Zuckerberg’s private photos became visible for everyone.
7. The creator of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg is the world’s youngest billionaire.
8. Women 55 years and older are the most cheerful users of Facebook.
9. Facebook is the most widely used social site in the U.S. behind Google.
10. Every user on Facebook has an average of 130-150 friends.
11. Facebook users upload over 3 billion photos to the site each month.
12. There are more than 1.5 million pages on Facebook.

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About the author: Roman is an Internet Marketer. He also specializes in Social Networking.

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Email marketing is the best method to reach out to your prospective and current clients and to educate them about your various business offers. Before you intent to send out your emails to your clients and prospects, it is recommended to review everything in order to avoid committing any possible mistake or error. Sometimes, even the experienced email marketers can ignore to include the fundamentals of professional email marketing best practices.

This therefore nullifies the effectiveness of any email marketing campaign. By having a proper checklist, you can make sure your email drives or campaigns are covering all the areas. The below mentioned points would help in avoiding such “otherwise avoidable” errors and aid you in running a successful email campaign.

Create a gripping subject line

A boring subject line is not likely to draw the attention of your subscriber. Creating a compelling subject line is very important in any email marketing campaign. Whenever people receive your marketing email, it may be read or may be left for later viewing. Not to forget, people often delete the marketing emails as it lands in your inbox. However, by having a gripping subject line, you can appeal the readers to read your email.

Write quality content

Once you are through with a catchy subject, it’s time to focus on content part of your marketing email. The body of your marketing email must be similar to what your prospective clients can apprehend from the given subject line. The content must be free from spelling and grammatical errors. The links incorporated in your email should work and must direct subscribers to proper functional web pages. Don’t forget to call your prospect to action, like ‘buy now’, or ‘learn more here’ by making your links easily visible and accessible.

Choose a competent design

The design of your marketing email plays a creative role in allowing your subscribers to continue reading rather tossing it aside. Ignoring the step of creating a competent email design will fail to attract your readers. There are many free templates available over the internet which can be downloaded and used in your email marketing campaigns. Further, avoid going overboard with too many graphics as it will take some time to download at your subscriber’s end.

Check your landing page

You may lose your priceless time, energy and opportunity if the landing page, which your email is directing is down, obsolete or poorly crafted. The landing page must have a professional look and feel. Additionally, it should embark a natural follow up action call as you have indicated in your marketing email content. For instance, if you have asked your reader to register for any business event, then your landing page linked over the email must have the registration form. Any other landing page will not give you the expected result.

Email marketing is an effective way of keeping your current clients posted about your various business offers. They also play a role in strengthening your relationship with your clients and prospective customers. Avoiding mistakes would help you get increased response to your call of action. This would further convert into sales which is the ultimate goal of your email marketing campaign.

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About the author: Alyssa Clarke is a blogger who also happens to be a tech freak. She is always on a hunt for latest tech stuff and is currently looking for some cool Android apps. She is a big fan of concept gadgets and is in love with pcod, a futuristic smartphone.

*Photo by adesigna

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Using YouTube to get traffic to your website is one of the best ways to try out multimedia skills and to reach a new audience. YouTube videos allow you to become “real” to your audience in a way that you aren’t just when they are simply reading your words.

To make the most of the YouTube video, you will need to make sure that you select the title and keywords properly; use the screen properly; provide legitimate information; and produce a network of videos, you should begin to see a traffic spike from your YouTube account to your website.

Title and Keywords

YouTube’s search uses keywords just as search engines do. While it may be tempting to name your video something catchy or clever, make sure that you add the most relevant keywords. A video about “cooking gluten-free food” should have that phrase in the title. When you choose keywords, try to imagine what people will search for that would be in your video. Making sure that the people watching your video are the intended audience is necessary to use this method of traffic generation.

Screen Use

Some people who make YouTube videos for their sites are blatant about the sales pitch. Don’t be one of those video producers. Putting your URL or company name at the bottom of the screen or putting your name and title under your photo will give you a marketing boost without intruding on the viewing. Use the 10 seconds after the video ends asking viewers to go to your site, like you on Facebook, or do something else quick and easy as a follow-up.

Quality Information

Videos on YouTube should be no longer than 10 minutes. Though the site currently allows users to post videos that are longer, you generally should avoid it. Most people who are browsing videos online are looking for something short and sweet. They want quick information. Get to the point of the video quickly and then end it; drawing it out only means that people will click another video before you are done.

Give viewers solid information but leave them with enough questions that they want to seek you out. The best way to accomplish this task is to have each video address a small question. For the aforementioned “cooking gluten-free food” video, address a simple question. Explaining what gluten is, the affects of eating gluten on people with celiac, or what gluten-free breads are best allow you to answer the needs of the viewer but leave them wanting to know more.

Video Network

Providing a 2-minute video on youth soccer drills can provide a bit of helpful information. A viewer will watch your video, consider the drill you recommend, and move on to other videos. With 10 or 15 videos of soccer drills, though, you begin to build a reputation as someone who knows a significant amount about youth soccer. As people watch more of your videos, they begin to trust what you have to say. Though a member page, you can begin to get subscribers and encourage people to visit your website.

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Heather Green is a freelance writer for several regional magazines in North Carolina as well as a resident blogger for onlinenursingdegrees.org. Her writing experience includes fashion, business, health, agriculture and a wide range of other topics. Heather has just completed research on online schools for nursing and online nursing schools.

*Photo by Frerieke

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For a new business that’s just getting off the ground, there are thousands of issues that will crop up and present themselves everyday. Even though marketing, accounting and other departments will all have difficult problems to deal with, the most difficult ones often stem from IT. That’s because, as a matter of averages, most people aren’t well-versed in how IT works and what challenges it brings. Here are a few IT pointers that any business can apply to help ensure that their IT integrates well with the rest of the company and is as stress-free as possible.

One of the first aspects of IT that new businesses need to consider is whether they are going to use the cloud, and to what extent. If a new businesses plans to use the cloud, there are a few things to be aware of. There are several advantages to relying on cloud computing. There’s no need to keep a dedicated staff for application and OS updates, and there are fewer risks for security breaches on the client end. Another benefit of the cloud is its speed, and the fact that data can be backed up so that it is stored in multiple locations in order to minimize the ill effects of data loss.

However, cloud computing also comes with security risks. A trusted vendor needs to be employed. A company such as RackSpace Cloud Computing can be trusted to secure a new company’s data. Picking a cloud provider that can be trusted to handle data safely and securely is possibly the most important part of the process. Identity theft could occur if a hacker breaches the system, that is why it is extremely important to have a safe and secure cloud company. LifeLock is one defense against hackers who try to steal this data and open up accounts with other peoples information.

Another IT tip for a new business is to educate anyone using the computer system about proper security and usage, as well as to audit the entire system periodically. Teaching employees about security will help the company in the long run by keeping employees from making what might be seen as foolish mistakes. It will also reduce stress levels in the company that might otherwise come from making employees interact with technology they aren’t familiar with. Running periodic audits will have a similar impact, as it will ensure that the IT department is doing its job and that there are no security gaps ready to be exploited.

Opening a new business is exciting, but the IT side of things can sometimes be a headache. By exercising common sense and having the right people in place, the difficulties of IT can be minimized. This way, the business can quit worrying about solving issues within the company and focus instead on generating more revenue.

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If you are a beginning blogger, you are probably wondering how starting blogs works. You see all sorts of people and organizations blogging, and you want in on the action.

Starting blogs can be simple, if you do it right. There are many ways a beginning blogger could go about
getting started; there are many blogging platforms and variable that could affect how your particular
blog should get its start.

The following tips aren’t a step by step guide. They also won’t work for everyone. However, if you are
passionate about something and want to start blogging as soon as possible, the following tips and hints
should be a big help for any blogger who is just getting started.

Write about something you are passionate about

As you set out starting blogs, your first blog needs to be something you are passionate about. If you start a Book Review blog but hate reading, you won’t stick with it. If you do stick it out, your lack of passion will show and your new blog will never get off of the ground.

Write about something you are knowledgeable about

You might like baseball well enough, but if you don’t know what a triple play is or who the Mets are, your blog won’t be too well received. If you happen to know a lot about organic gardening, starting blogs about that topic may make much more sense.

Don’t overdo the design

A beginning blogger can sometimes go overboard with the widgets, ads and accessories on their blog. There are a lot of things that seem like good ideas that could maybe even be helpful to the reader, but if you toss them all on your template, you could easily end up chasing your readers away.

Names are big deals

Even though you are eager to get blogging, take some time to think about names. You want to give your blog a memorable name that won’t let it be mistaken for another site, particularly one in another niche. If a related keyword could find its way into the name, that could help, but it isn’t necessary. What is necessary is to make sure there are no other blogs or sites, particularly nasty ones, which share the same moniker that you want to give your blog.

Get content ready

Knowing what to write about in order to make regular posts is a problem for many folks starting blogs. Before you launch officially, you may want to really get writing. If you have some posts ready for a day when you may be otherwise involved or afflicted with writer’s block, you will have one of these handy pre-written posts ready to go.

Spend some money

Sure, you are a beginning blogger, but if you aspire to be a professional blogger, you should start walking the walk right away. You don’t have to shell out the dough for a dedicated web server, but you should invest in your own domain name at minimum. You might also think about paying for a custom layout or at least a logo.

Get on social sites

Before you begin starting blogs, get on social media sites and set up accounts for you blog. Facebook Fan Pages and Twitter feeds for you and your sites are necessities. As a beginning blogger, you will want to get eyes on your content, and by posting links and updates via social sites, you will let people know you are there and you have fresh new content.

GO!

The biggest hurdle to a beginning blogger is often their own procrastination and apprehension. If
you want to be a blogger, get started.

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This article is written by Kevin Moor who writes for online-virus-scan.org, a site reviewing and testing various online virus scan issues.

*Photo by jakeandlindsay

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Sometimes the hardest thing about being a blogger is coming up with blog post ideas. Blog ideas can sometimes be easy to think of, but other times a blogger can come down with a tough case of writer’s block and even a single post can be impossible to write.

Blog post ideas and prompts can help bloggers get back into the game after being sidelined by a lack of ideas. These 10 blog ideas should be able to help you come up with killer content the next time you get stuck.

1.) Top 10 Best Blogs – This blog idea is to write about other blogs that are related somewhat to your blog niche. Create a list of the top 10 best blogs, and give a sentence or three about what makes them so spiffy.

2.) How To – People love to learn how to do new things. A quick “how to” turns you into an expert and a resource by giving your readers a bit of useful instruction.

3.) A Review – If you are out of blog ideas, write a review. Folks love to get other’s opinions before they do or buy something, so speak up. Try to keep your review on point, but you could review anything from a local restaurant to another blog.

4.) A Worst of List – This blog post idea works best if you can keep it a little light and pertinent to the other things you post. You could make a list of the worst outfits you wore on first dates or which companies have the worst music when you are on hold with customer service.

5.) Steals and Deals – This blog idea is sure to be a winner. People love to get a discount, and they will love you if you can tell them where to find it.

6.) Free Stuff – One thing that folks like even more than a discount is something for nothing. For this blog idea, create a list of free resources or where to get free things. Just be sure that you don’t stray too far from your niche.

7.) 101 Places – People like to read lists, and these long lists are great blog post ideas if you make each point on the list short. A list of 101 places to get pizza in New York or a list of 101 places you want to visit before you die are just a couple of examples of how to make this work.

8.) Why? – You probably got into blogging because you have passion and knowledge in one particular area. You probably know why something does what it does, and you could explain that to your readers. You post could be about why the sky is blue or why your neighbor wears short shorts when he mows the lawn. These blog post ideas can be both helpful and popular if done right.

9.) Strategies – People want to be better and more effective, and this is why these blog ideas are often such big winners. If you can tell people something that will get them ahead and make their lives easier, not only have you succeeded in creating a post, you make a winner that will bring readers back again and again.

10.) Shortcuts – One of the top blog post ideas you could do is a list of shortcuts. These could be shortcuts for video games, for navigating an operating system or for getting through airport security faster. No matter what the shortcut is, if it is niche related, your readers should be in love! Shortcuts make people’s lives easier, and these blog ideas will make you a valuable resource to your visitors.

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This article is written by Kevin Moor who writes for online-virus-scan.org, a site reviewing and testing various online virus scan issues.

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Marketing for Dummies the book should actually be called marketing to dummies.

Keeping Marketing Simple

I was making pizza for my children a while back. I’ve made pizza many times before – but this time I actually studied the instructions on the back. The biggest thing that struck me was how SIMPLE the instructions were. Lots of visuals – big letters – and only three steps.

ANYONE – even if they can’t read – could bake this pizza. And it struck me… the problem with almost all marketing is how complicated it is.

Today I got an email from a friend advertising a coming event he was hosting. I visited the website but couldn’t find the date of the event anywhere. I got frustrated and clicked away.

Dummy Proof Your Marketing

Complicating your marketing is stupid. You will lose customers just by making their life difficult for them. Instead – dumb things down. Assume your audience needs every step explained to them in detail.

The goal of your marketing is to remove ANY possible confusion or friction that could cause someone NOT to buy from you.

How To Do Marketing For Dummies

Go overboard in marketing

Be prepared to go all the way to your customers or potential prospects. You are asking them to subscribe to your email list or buy something from you. You need to take the initiative and meet them on their terms. Remember – they are constantly asking the question “What’s in it for me?” Be prepared with a well crafted answer.

Over-explain

One of the best ways to reach out to your market is to overexplain. Don’t assume that they know the technical jargon your company uses. Don’t assume that they know who to call or what to ask when they do.

One of the best pieces of advice that the late Gary Halbert suggested was to get VERY specific with what a customer can expect when calling your phone. He recommended letting them know the name of your receptionist – what color sweater she wears – and how her voice will sound. It’s these details that put customers at ease and allow them to feel like you’ve got the details handled.

Use simple language

Most people have about a 5th grade reading level. Write your marketing materials with this in mind.

Duplicate instructions

Repeat important instructions or any calls to action. If you have a sales letter and you are asking prospects to do something – be certain to ask multiple times during the letter. Repetition is important.

Pictures are worth 1000 words

Have you ever tried to assemble a product without a diagram and only written instructions? Next time you order from Ikea – try it. It’s hard to do. Add in a few pictures and people can SEE what you mean by the written instructions.

Imagine Simplicity For Dummies

Imagine how powerful your marketing would be if your customers could access your information, products and services without any friction.

Today’s 10 Minute Action Step

Spend the next ten minutes going through your website. Watch to see where it might be difficult for people to find your phone number – email addresses – contact information – or even what it is that you are selling. Remember to ask yourself as you look … “What’s in it for my prospect/customer?”

Now go take action.

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Joel Mark Witt is the Publisher of Folk Media. He is a producer, author, speaker and social media marketing coach who consults with businesses on how to use social media in marketing and communications. Get more from Joel on Twitter.

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This post was written by guest author Joshua Lyons.

Blogs! These are the culprits that make the newspaper editors tremble with fear at their desks.
Why should your business think about using a blog? What is the importance of having a company blog?

There are many reasons why a blog is valuable for business. Three of the top reasons are as follows:

1. Blogs are extremely valuable for advertising purposes.
2. Blogs are excellent resources for attaining feedback from customers and clients.
3. Blogs are valuable for showing the world that you care about people and not just about money.

Blogs are extremely valuable for advertising purposes.

Let’s say you own a health store. A new healthy jam (jelly) just came to the shelves. Your company blog can talk about the new product and explain why it is popular, healthy, and affordable. You’re not saying “come buy this jam” but you are embedding the product into the minds of the readers. This is valuable advertising. A blog is a great way to talk about your products and services.

Use blogs to inadvertently let people know what it is that you do and why it is important for them.

Blogs are excellent resources for attaining feedback from customers and clients.
This is very important. If someone likes your product they are able to share that with all your other readers. Those comments are like free testimonials. Who wouldn’t want feedback like that?

You may occasionally have someone say something negative. That’s good too. This allows you to respond to that comment and, in doing so, people will see that you care about making your customers happy.

How many times have you heard of a comment card being filled out and then being thrown away by management? Many managers don’t care about being critiqued. If a concern is brought up in a blog, the business can show the world that they don’t take negative opinions lightly and the customers’ concerns will be addressed properly. What better way to show the world that you care about the opinions of others. This will inspire people to give you feedback… most of which should be positive.

Feedback also allows you to know what is working well and what needs to be improved upon. Many businesses pay thousands of researching dollars to find out information like this. A blog will provide the information for free!

Blogs are valuable for showing the world that you care about people and not just about money.
By creating and maintaining a blog you can show people that you are a business that’s interested in two-way communication.

Your focus isn’t just about pushing products and getting money. No, rather, your interest is in developing a relationship with your clients and developing a relationship that will encourage customer retention.

When people talk to you, you talk back. You have a voice just like every other person. Also, that voice doesn’t always say “buy this, buy that, buy these.” Rather it’s a voice that says, “We would love some feedback.” and “What do you think of this new product/service?” Let the world know that your business cares.

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Joshua Lyons began working in the field of social media through an internship at the University of West Florida in the summer of 2009. He graduated from UWF with a BA in Public Relations in December 2009 and since that time he has been a social media consultant for a Chicago profit consultant, a Chick-fil-A restaurant and a sign shop in Pensacola, Florida. You can check out Joshua’s blog and find out more about him on Twitter or Facebook.

*Photo by chigmaroff

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Guest Post Written By Sarah Wehrle

When I first became unemployed and discovered finding employment wasn’t as easy as I had previously thought, I had no idea what I was doing wrong. I had two interviews at the very beginning and then absolutely nothing for a couple months. Finally I read in a magazine that one reader had scored a position by following advice from a book on Guerilla Marketing.

I decided to try it out and bought, “Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters.”

I was introduced into the world of unconventional tactics for finding a job. Through it, I discovered I wasn’t utilizing a very important tool in career networking – Linkedin.com.

I got my free account and found all the people I could think of to connect to. I joined a group of “open networkers” (people to will connect to anyone), and I resumed searching for employment.

After being a member for about a month, I came across a position I was really excited about. I sent my resume and information via the company website as well as by fax and email. I didn’t hear anything for a couple days. As usual, I wondered what to make of it.

I consulted my book and found my answer. Through the linked in “Company” and “People” search bar, I searched the company name and found several employees that worked at the location I had applied for.

My position was in marketing, and I decided to contact another employee who was in the marketing department, although she worked in a different specialty.

Using the “Send a message” option, I sent her the following message:

“Hello. I’m going to apply for a marketing position with Aon in Columbia, MD and was wondering if I could get feedback from you regarding how you feel about being employed there. (Confidentially, I promise) I’m trying to do my research and found you on linkedin as an employee. “

I wasn’t fully expecting a response, but I got one. She described how she felt about the company and how closely she worked with the person whom I would be replacing. I also got a very important bit of information from her:

“One last thing, earlier today our corporate office in Chicago announced that Aon purchased Hewitt, a major competitor. At this time, it is unknown how this will affect our office as Hewitt has an office in Hunt Valley. The deal is expected to close in November. We expect that major changes will not happen for at least another year but no one really knows.”

She also encouraged me to contact her again if I had any further questions. She told me to send her my resume and she would be sure to pass it along once her boss came back from vacation. (You never know where your online applications really go-I’m sure many are overlooked or set aside only to be forgotten) I sent her my resume and waited two full days after the date she had given me. Nothing. I contacted her again.

She had forwarded my resume, but she had bad news:

“We just found out there is a hiring freeze with the impending merger. We have no idea how long it will last. It obviously isn’t good news for us since we were really hoping to fill this position. At this time there is nothing my boss can do – we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the freeze is lifted sooner than later.”

Contacting her did several positive things for me:

• I learned of the merger from a direct source. Having just suffered a layoff due to a merger, this was valuable information for me. It ensured my resume was received by the correct person and I learned approximately when they would have it. This gave me a window of when to expect to hear back.
• I connected with a useful employee. Had I been hired, she’d get a bonus for referring me, and I would have had an easier time working my way in thanks to her information and help.
• If the situation changes, I’ll be relatively fresh in the minds of at least two people directly involved with the position. This very well may work to my advantage if I am still unemployed.

Overall, I’m glad I took the step to make contact, even though the position didn’t pan out.

It certainly didn’t hurt. I have a feeling I would have never known why I didn’t hear back. Thanks to linkedin, I know what happened.

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Sarah Wehrle is a lifelong Maryland resident who specializes in marketing, communications and graphic design. Her interests range from animal health to art and music. She writes on the subjects of mass communication and gardening in her blogs and updates the newsletter for the Montgomery County Foster Parent Association as a volunteer. She enjoys reading, hiking and spending time with her family and pets.

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