So what are these changes and what do they mean for your social media marketing? In an annual F8 conference, Mark Zuckerberg announced a laundry list of changes, the biggest being the creation of a complete timeline of all Facebook activity.

Replacing the classic profile will be a timeline of the user’s life, both on and off Facebook. Every photo, status update, application, and friend connection can be seen on the timeline, all categorized by year. Users can also go a step further with their timeline and add in information and photos before their beginning on Facebook such as high school and college graduation or even baby pictures. The idea behind this timeline is keeping users on a page longer as well as keeping shared content visible for everyone rather than just having it disappear after it falls from the newsfeed.

The one thing that won’t be a part of this aggregate timeline is the “liking” of specific businesses, brands, media, etc. These updates will continue to show up on the newsfeed (also called the ticker), but they will not be a part of the permanent activity record.

Even though the “like” button may not be as emphasized, Facebook plans to create a whole list of gestures to use in addition to a “like”. Users will soon be able to use any verb for updates such as “want” or “appreciate”.

So what does this mean for your business fan page? Facebook is now taking away some of the weight of the “like” button which means that businesses are going to need to work harder to appeal to the masses. However, Facebook Gestures could open up a whole new form of marketing and visibility as users could “want” a certain product or “love” a certain service.

Now is the perfect time to get creative with postings and your marketing on Facebook. Have fun in figuring out new ways to find a spot on the newsfeed and grab the attention of current and potential fans. For some tips and ideas for Facebook posts, click here.

Connect your QR code to:

• A blog post
• Your business website
• A promotion page/special offer
• Customer feedback forms
• Recommendations
• Facebook Business Page
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• A video
• Contact details
• Product details
• Event details

Place your QR code on:

• The back of your business card
• Brochures/other marketing materials
• Name tags
• Menus
• Ticket stubs
• Receipts
• Mailings
• Displays
• Labels
• Signage
• Print Advertising

The possibilities for QR codes are endless and are becoming more important to your social presence as these possibilities mature. However, it is important to remember that these codes can only be accessed by those with a smartphone. By the end of 2011, the smartphone market share is said to reach 50%. While this is a large piece of the cellphone market pie, that is potentially 150 million people who won’t be able to scan a QR code through the end of this year. Keep this in mind when incorporating QR codes into your marketing plan. Now is the perfect time to experiment with the code uses and track their success rate, as the market for this platform continues to develop. Happy generating!

Invite participation. Is your business new to Facebook? Are you looking to increase your fan base? Call your fans and potential fans to action. Ask a thought provoking question that requires an answer. Create a contest that involves participation for a reward.

Ex: After creating a business page, New Leaf Construction set out to grow its fan base. To do this, they offered the chance to win a gift certificate to an upscale local restaurant just for “liking” the page.

Create a sense of community. Facebook is all about creating and online community with which you share and are given content to and for others. Through being part of the “community”, you are essentially creating loyal followers of your page and your brand. Tagging other businesses and fans in posts is a great way to do this. Thank customers for their purchase, tag clients in project updates, comment on fan posts, or mention other businesses you are working with. By tagging others they become aware of your online presence, and will also be likely to return the favor-thus spreading your brand.

Ex: The Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce makes a point of addressing the businesses and people they work with. They frequently comment on their member’s posts as well as tag businesses for events and support.

Create a resource. If you offer a trade, there are people who need your advice! You are the expert on your services, so why not share some of this expertise with your online
community? Offer tips and advice in your industry, share products that are helpful and reputable. By becoming a resource for your trade, you are gaining the trust of your followers and showing them that you are not just out to make the sale. This advice is a great way to turn followers into customers!

Ex: Offering landscaping and property management services, The Harley Company is in the perfect position to offer advice. They regularly post seasonal gardening, landscape management, as well as product advice and tips for their followers.

Make use of pictures. Posting pictures is a great way to draw attention to your page. It is also a great way to show off your work and accomplishments. Post pictures of a project
progression or show other customers enjoying your services. By posting these pictures you are engaging your fans while also gaining their trust in your offerings.

Ex: All Aboard Trolley & Limousine Co. offers many events that are perfect photo opportunities. By posting a picture of a bride boarding an old fashioned trolley before her wedding or a group of laughing women enjoying a wine tour, the company is able to show its online community the benefits of its services while also drawing attention to those unaware.

Make it fun! People aren’t going to follow you for no reason, so make it interesting for them to do so! Post jokes for them to read, or take a funny picture of something
that happened at the office. Make people want to see what your company is up to, and you will find your followers a lot more engaged.

Ex: Everyone knows and loves Maine’s lobster. Crate to Plate, a lobster business, knows this and as part of their Facebook postings will offer fun lobster facts, cooking tips, and even jokes for their followers.

Created as Google’s equivalent of Facebook, Google + is a social media site that allows users to share media with a network of contacts through a number of conversations and circles. What separates Google + from its Facebook counterpart is its superior privacy management system. Instead of sharing posts and information with everyone online, users can create circles of contacts and choose which information to share with which circles.

What has been of particular interest to businesses is the +1 button, something similar to the “Like” button on Facebook. Users +1 any content of interest (whether it is a post, video, or picture), and this endorses the post for the internet world. The +1 button is already being served 2.3 billion times per day.

Google eventually pictures the +1 button as a way to tie in all endorsed information on the web, which researchers believe will have a great impact on SEO. Many believe that the +1 endorsement will eventually have an impact on the ranking of particular search terms, something that was not denied for the future by Google.

Although the full impact of Google + is still unknown, this new social media site is not going away. There are more than 1 billion items shared and received every day, and these numbers continue to grow. Although Google + does not currently offer business profiles, they plan to launch this addition later in the
year.

So get online and begin your own Google + research. Create a personal profile, share content and create conversation. When the time comes, your business cannot afford to miss out on consumer discussion targeted to the largest search engine in the world. That is why Google + is worth paying attention to!

Delivering on never
I will never miss a deadline
I will never leave a typo
I will never fail to warn you about a possible pitfall
I will never charge you more than the competition
I will never violate a confidence
I will never let you down
I will never be late for a meeting
There are lots of sorts of never you can deliver to a customer. You can’t deliver all of them, of course. Picking your never and sticking with it is a fabulous way to position yourself.

Community has always been a very important aspect of the Maine way of life, and the Midcoast is lucky to be surrounded by active civic members and socially responsible businesses to enforce this value. And it is through the preservation of this treasured sense of community that local businesses have learned the power of working together. They understand that pooling the resources and skills of the area’s diverse organizations is a way to not only create a strong final product, but to generate an attractive hub of activity and a vibrant economy for all.

A great example of this teamwork amongst our local businesses is the recent GloryWorks celebration for 4th of July. This event, put on by Rockland’s All Aboard Trolley & Limousine Co., included the resources and services of multiple local businesses. GloryWorks offered participants a cruise on the M/V Monhegan, including transportation to and from the event provided by All Aboard Trolley, delicious appetizers by Café Miranda, drinks provided by the boat’s full bar, as well as a DJ and EStanley Photography to record the event. This teamwork culminated in a fabulous night for guests that concluded in a spectacular fireworks show in Camden’s harbor.

GloryWorks is just one example of the many shared events that encompass the Midcoast and its thriving community. By working together, these local businesses are learning to balance their industry while preserving the qualities that make Maine so unique.

• Deliver your message clearly
• Confirm your credibility
• Connect your target prospects emotionally
• Motivate your buyer
• Solidify User Loyalty

This is not a person who is busy.  This is a person who is disorganized or inconsiderate, perhaps both.  Why is that person’s time more valuable than yours?  It’s not.  When you encounter this type of person evaluate if the business on the table is more than talk.  If you believe it is and you choose to pursue it, don’t think you will change this person or that your interaction will be different.  Talk to other people who have dealt with this individual in a business capacity.  Finally, evaluate if the built in overhead of late, non-focused or canceled interactions are really worth your time.  If the answer is yes, consider adding a ten to fifteen per cent cushion to your fees to offset the additional overhead.

Most important of all, if you don’t value your time others won’t.  You have the same number of hours as your competitors and collaborators.  How you choose to use them will contribute significantly to your ability to succeed.

Bar codes are being turned on their heads and sideways with the usage of QR codes. 

The above example can be read in any direction by a QR code reader but more importantly, a smart phone thanks to free reader apps.  Why do you want use or read QR codes?  We haven’t begun to think of all the ways but here are few ideas.

Scan the QR code on a movie poster and watch the trailer automatically load to your phone; read the code in Rolling Stone and link to the latest music video; add a QR code to your business card and prospective clients can automatically link to your website.  Think in the context of your business, if you are in real estate you can add QR codes to listing sheets.  Clients can link to the virtual tour of a property of interest.  If you are a restaurateur the code can lead to foods of the season, events or daily specials. 

Think of the possibilities in the context of your world and how Q’s and R’s open many new avenues of access to your customers. ]]> http://www.littleharbortech.com/forget-your-p%e2%80%99s-and-q%e2%80%99s-q-has-hooked-up-with-r/feed/ 0 http://www.littleharbortech.com/what%e2%80%99s-the-one-thing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what%25e2%2580%2599s-the-one-thing http://www.littleharbortech.com/what%e2%80%99s-the-one-thing/#comments Tue, 07 Jun 2011 08:00:42 +0000 admin http://www.littleharbortech.com/wp/?p=293 

What’s the one thing that you want for your business that will help take you to the next level? Stop! The groans and buts are echoing across the virtual world. Forget about finances. Forget about why you shouldn’t have whatever it is. Reflect on what that one thing, at this point in time, is.

For the organic farmer it might be an industrial greens spinner. For the local hair stylist it might be a subscription sharpening service to maintain scissors at peak performance. Whatever it is until you can articulate the item, the need it fills and its true value to your business there is little point in dreaming about it.

Instead clarify the need; learn all you can about the options available and then make a plan. Is it too expensive for you at this moment? Then look at alternative ways of acquiring it. Check out eBay or Craig’s List. Perhaps, based on the value of the item you can lease rather than buy it. Making the decision to take action and fulfill the need is 50% of succeeding.

Daydreams, wishes and hopes are wonderful things. It’s nice to have random thoughts about what we would like. But nice is not enough to actuate your desires. Yale did a study of graduates to determine success levels of those who set goals and those who did not. Goal setters were significantly more successful than their non-planning class mates.

Perhaps the one thing you need to take your business to the next level is the plan it’s self.