A Guide To The New Facebook Pages Timeline

You knew it was bound to happen. In January when Facebook changed Profiles to Timeline, you knew Pages would soon follow in its footsteps. And sure enough, they’ve just announced the launch of Facebook Timeline for Pages. But what does it mean for your business? How will it help you attract more business? A variety of new features are now available to help you out – here is how they work and how to use them to benefit your business.

Step One Activate Your Timeline

When you open up your Facebook Page, you will find a Preview button located at the top of your Page. Or you can visit the Timeline for Pages manager and select the Page you wish to add Timeline too.

One you enter your Page Preview, you can tour the new features, redesign your Page until you are happy with it, and Publish it once you are set. You can Publish it at any time. But be aware that on March 30, 2012, your Timeline will automatically take affect, so be sure to play around with it between now and then. [Read more…]

8 Ways To Gain More Followers On Facebook And Keep Them Interacting

According to many of the top SEO companies that study social impact, the two things that matter most when using Facebook to gain authority within the search engines is:

1. The number of Facebook shares you have

2. The authority of your sharers

Which means if you want to rank well under your keywords and search terms, Facebook can help you do so… if you understand how to use Facebook. Its more than adding a few posts here and there. Facebook offers a wide array of tools that help you build your authority and get people interacting as well.

1. Implement the Facebook Like buttons

To make your blog posts more shareable, make sure you add the Facebook plugin to implement Like buttons both at the top and the bottom of each post. While the standard Facebook icon is acceptable, look into newer options as well. You can now incorporate other options into your Like options, including:

  • Versions that show thumbnails of friends
  • Widgets that allow people to add comments both to your blog and to Facebook

Make sure you put Like buttons both at the beginning and the end of your posts, and also include it next to highly visual content, such as videos and photographs. People are more likely to click the Like button if you give them a reason to do so.

2. Add a Facebook comments plugin

If you are a regular on any blog, you know one of the benefits of blogging is the ability to have comments at the end of each post. They allow interaction amongst your visitors and can really help you educate your readers just be carrying on normal conversations.

Blog comments are great to help you grow your blog, yet they do little for external growth. By incorporating a Facebook comments plugin into your blog, you can allow the interaction to flow between platforms. [Read more…]

How To Use The New Facebook Timeline

Facebook has announced that profiles will soon be disappearing, being replaced by Facebook Timeline. It’s a new interface equipped with multiple features, all of which are supposed to make your experience on Facebook easier and more beneficial for you and your friends.

Facebook is implementing it on a rollout schedule. Depending on what part of the world you are in, you may have already converted. If not, it will happen soon – they are hoping to have rollout completed in the next few weeks.

When you login, you will be notified you now have Timeline and will have seven days to complete it the way you choose before it goes live for your friends to see ( you can publish it earlier if you have it complete). Keep in mind Timeline is the new Profile – you won’t be able to go back and Profiles will disappear whether you convert or not.

While Timeline will not affect your Pages, it is important to keep in mind that when people look for you personally, your Timeline is what they will see. Choose what you want to show and what you want to hide – here are some tips for understanding the new Timeline.

1. Start With The Introduction

The quickest way to learn about Facebook Timeline is to head over and read through the Introduction feature. You’ll find a quick help section that will show you the new features and give you some tips to use on your own design.

[Read more…]

Your Photography As We Know It Is Dying

10 years ago the term “social media” had a completely different meaning then it does today.

Facebook? Twitter? What?

10 years ago things were changing – and they were changing rapidly. That much we knew.

But we had no idea how fast things would continue to change as we moved into a new era.

AOL had a huge market share. No more.

So did Microsoft. And General Motors. And Kodak.

But in every case we look at, something changed. Or in many cases, it didn’t change.

If we look at Google today, the reason it has become a huge player in the industry is because it never stops changing. It stays with its most successful product – a search engine – and continues to morph in all directions.

Facebook of six months ago is completely different than it is today. I know. I teach a Facebook class here at a local community college three to four times per year. Every time I begin the class I have to update it, and in some cases I have to completely rework my recommendations. It’s a never-ending evolution of growth and change – just like it should be.

The people at Google and at Facebook know the world is changing rapidly. And if they sit still too long, someone else will jump in and take their places. They are constantly moving, changing and morphing into the next phase of business.

And while its easy to see with companies in the technical sector, people tend to ignore the same changes in other industries and expect things to remain the same. Like photography for instance.

When digital first jumped into the scene, many photographers swore they would never make the change – they would retire long before they were ever required to pick up a digital camera or use a computer to manipulate an image.

And they were right. If you didn’t make the change and jump into it, life passed you by. They were forced to “retire” because they simply couldn’t keep up with what was happening – and expected – within the industry.

So the question for all of us now is

Who do you want to be? Do you want to be the AOL? Or do you want to be Facebook?

Are you ready to jump in and give things a try? Are you willing to test to find out what works and what doesn’t?

Not everything you do will win. Facebook tries many things, tests them for a while, and redesigns based on their findings. You may buy equipment, software, or online programs, only to find out they were a complete waste of time.

That’s okay. Because you learned something along the way. It made you focus in on your photography in a different way, learn something new, and apply it to the future of your business. Whether you continue using it or not, it will always be there guiding your future decisions.

Every step you take may not bring in a profit. But it will guide you towards success. The “wrong” moves teach you just as much as the right ones. But only if you apply it in the right way and use it to move you forward.

Photographers – Black Friday – Facebook: What Can You Do?

Tis the week that starts the rush in holiday shopping here in the US. And according to the National Retail Federation, up to 152 million shoppers are expected to head to the stores and shop online for bargains sometime over the coming long weekend.

And while shopping on Thanksgiving weekend is nothing new, how shoppers will track the bargains is – and its changing rapidly with technology.

  • 50.5% will keep up with advertising circulars received in the newspaper and mail
  • 31.7% will watch holiday commercials

All of which is to be expected. But what is new is how we’re now using technology to get the exact information we are looking for.

  • 23.1% will seek out coupon websites – think RetailMeNot.com, FatWallet.com
  • 17.3% will monitor Facebook pages
  • 11.3% will check out group buying sites like Groupon and LivingSocial

And for those people that use tablet devices, over 31 percent will check out retailers’ Facebook pages and 21.3 percent will use the group buying sites.

So for many retailers – BestBuy, Macy’s, Kmart, Sears, etc – they won’t be focusing solely on the customers coming into their stores; they will spend equal time discovering ways to reach out to the people searching online from the comfort of their homes. Many will be participating in “deal of the hour” and other programs that they can release in a variety of ways, including email, Facebook and Twitter.

What Can Photographers Do?

While a photography studio may not be on the top of consumers holiday lists as they hit the stores on Friday morning, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn a thing or two from what the big retailers are doing, and put it into your own business. [Read more…]

8 Creative Ways To Grow Your Photography Business With A Facebook Page

Have you built your Facebook Page, and are still wondering why more people haven’t liked your Page? Fans don’t automatically appear, ready to like you, follow you, and do business with you. People must be lured to your Page in hopes to attract enough people that will ultimately turn into a regular stream of business.

However, the greatest myth out there is that if you build a Page, advertise it to your entire list of friends and acquaintances, and you’ll quickly build up a respectable following. Unfortunately this strategy may actually backfire. If you’ve been on Facebook for a while, you probably have a variety of family and friends outside of your photography business. While they may love you and appreciate you own your own business, they probably don’t want to be marketed to again and again. You may suggest they like your page, and the suggestions are overlooked again and again because they simple aren’t THAT interested in the marketing side. Also, even if they do choose to like your Page, they probably won’t take an active part in discussions and commenting, and won’t help you grow your Page. Your Page is all about building relationships with prospects and customers, and use those relationships to build your business over time.

Instead of relying on your family and friends, lets look at 12 creative ways you can get more fans to your Facebook Page.

Tip 1: Embed Facebook Widgets on your Site and Blog

Facebook makes it easy for people to share your content and information in a variety of ways. Select from a variety of Social Plugins to place throughout your website and blog.

Use the Live Stream plugin to share activity and comments in real time as they interact.

Use Facepile to showcase the Facebook profile photos of users who have liked your page.

Or use the Activity Feed plugin to show users what their friends are doing on your site through likes and comments.

All are an excellent way of building your fans by allowing them to interact with people they already know through Facebook.

Tip 2: Invite Your Current Email, Snail Mail and Ezine Subscribers

While you shouldn’t invite family and friends you are connected to on Facebook, by all means promote to your current client lists. If you send regular emails or ezines out to your prospects and clients, make sure you include a link to your Facebook Page on all of your outgoing correspondence. And if you send postcards out to entice your clients, why not send a special one and invite them to your Facebook Page? Instead of telling them about it, give them a reason to join. Maybe a coupon or discount when they join, or even the enticement of being able to see their photos on Facebook when they come in for a portrait. [Read more…]

The Guide To Growing Your Facebook Page With A Contest

It sounds great in theory. You set up a Facebook Page, and wait for people to join. But in the end it’s not that easy. And you really can’t market to 25 friends – you’ll never grow your business that way.

So maybe its time to look for a new way to promote your Page – how about using sweepstakes and contests?

A sweepstakes is defined as the winners being chosen by random drawing. A contest is the winners are selected either by jury and/or audience voting and the entries are evaluated according to the skill of the submission. A photo contest is a great example of a contest. And while the two are distinctly different, they both have potential to help you grow your Facebook list, and increase the number of people interested in what you do.

Understand The Rules

Before you start planning your promotion, first spend the time reviewing Facebook’s promotions guidelines. They have changed significantly along the way, and its important to understand their rules before you begin.

For example, Facebook clearly states that your promotion

Must not use Facebook features or functionality as a promotion’s registration or entry mechanism. For example, the act of liking a Page or checking in to a Place cannot automatically register or enter a promotion participant.

They are very specific about what you can and cannot do. And if you don’t stick with their guidelines, you risk having your account deleted – so it’s important to stick with the rules.

Once you’ve read through the rules, the planning starts.

We ran several contests about a year ago, and ended up doubling our Likes month after month. It can be very effective; but it does take a little planning.

Who Is The Contest For?

As a photographer, consider what type of followers you would like. Are you looking for potential customers for portrait sessions? New brides to be? Or maybe you’re selling a camera bag you’ve created – you need photographers who would love what you have to offer.

Once you have your market defined, its time to think about what they would truly like.

I usually look for things that will get the greatest number of people participating. Giving away a free portrait session won’t attract a large number of people. Giving away a gift basket with fun photo related items will. Think outside the box. It doesn’t have to be worth a ton of money – just be something a ton of people will like.

Now its time to set up your sweepstakes or contest. While you can do much of the work yourself, I’ve also found a shortcut to the process by using a third party system.

Making It Easy

Wildfire is a promotional application that makes it easy to set up contests on your blog, Facebook account and your Twitter account. It isn’t free, but if you use their basic account, you can run a month long promotion for around $35. And if you gain even one new client through the process, you’ll more than make your money back. They have many different promotion types, including sweepstakes, contests, coupons and quizzes, and by walking through the system you’ll learn more about each and how to decide which is right for you. Start small and grow in sophistication as you learn more and become more successful with it.

While Wildfire is what we used for our promotions, there are other companies out there that offer similar services – Offerpop, North Social, Bulbstorm and Votigo are just a few.

Then start talking about your contest. Blog about it. Send a postcard out to your client list. And talk it up at your networking groups. The only way to grow it is to promote it. It doesn’t work on its own – you still have to do some promoting. But if the offer is right and they are having fun with it, you’ll quickly see your numbers grow.

Get 5 Thousand Friends And Make Millions Today … Really?

Every morning I have a routine. I run through my email, head over to my Google Reader to see what’s new, and spend some time on my social sites. And every day I see headlines like this:

  • Get 5 Thousand Friends On Facebook Today
  • Make A Million Dollars In 24 Hours By Doing This
  • Go From $0 to $1 Million In 30 Days

Really?

I don’t know about you, but I hit the delete button without thinking twice.

I know in today’s economy its easy to get sucked in by those headlines. Especially if you’re familiar with a person, have been following them for a while, and they are promising something that almost seems too good to be true.

But is all of that really possible? After being in business for myself for 20 years now, I have to say the answer is no. [Read more…]

Why The Only Thing That Matters To Your Photography Business Is Traffic

We have a building down the street from us that has housed five different restaurants in the past two years. The first had been around for years, and the owners were a part of the community. But they decided to retire, and sold the business. That owner “forgot” to pay taxes, and was shut down in a matter of months. And so the cycle began. Restaurant number two opened and shut down. Same with number three, four and five. Right now there is another large dumpster out front, so I’m sure number six will be open in just a few more weeks.

Why did each of these businesses fail so quickly? Ultimately it came down to traffic. If there aren’t enough people coming through the doors to make ends meet, you can’t survive as a business.

In order to get new business through your doors, you have to generate the traffic. Whether its recommendations from friends, coupons mailed to nearby homes, or networking with local businesses, you have to do something to generate the traffic.

That same thought process carries through to the online world as well.

In order to make connections online, you have to be “talking” in the right places. Its great if you blog, but if you are the only one reading it, it won’t do you any good. Same goes for Twitter, Facebook and more. [Read more…]

4 Ways To Use The New Facebook

It seems like Facebook is always tweaking and making some kind of change. But recently Facebook made some changes that are particularly beneficial to small business owners. Let’s look at some of the newest features and how they can help you become more attuned to your followers, and reach out to them in a better way.

Who Do You Want To Be?

When you login to Facebook and travel around making comments, your comments are posted using your personal profile. All that has changed, as you can now tell Facebook who you want to be as you are making comments.

By visiting your “account” in the top right of your page you’ll see the option “Use Facebook as Page”. This allows you to visit other pages and write comments as your Page, or brand, not as your personal self. So any comments, photos or videos will come from your brand – making it easier than ever to stay active as your business, not as you personally.

Keep in mind that you do need to shift back and forth as you are posting, especially if you have different brands. Also, if you have more than one admin for a page, make sure they are also aware of shifting back and forth as they post. You don’t want to accidentally post the wrong message – remember who you are at all times!

A Change In Navigation

Remember the tabs at the top of your Page? No more. Now your page is set up very much like your profile, with the navigation falling to the left side of your screen under your logo/photo.

The new navigation makes it more user friendly, and makes your Page more accessible – much like you access your Profile. If you’ve been complaining about separating your personal from your business life, this will help you keep the two distinctly separate.

Control Your Likes

As a Page, or a brand, you probably have certain Pages that you connect up with, and like to showcase to your visitors within your Page. Now as an account admin, you have full control over what shows up under your navigation.

Remember, you can join other pages that have similarities, or you can create more than one page for your different brands and services. In either case, you as an admin have the final say over what is showcased on your Page.

Change Your Photos

Chances are you’ve seen the new photo layout on your Profile. While your Profile allows you full access to the layout, and allows you to be creative with the way it presents to your visitors, you still don’t have quite the leeway with your Page photos.

Even so, your photos are now front and center of your page. Don’t allow them to become stagnant, and make sure you are changing them often for a “new look” as your visitors come over to share and make comments. Follow Virtual Photography Studio on Facebook