Have you ever tried to write a slightly longer update on Facebook only to be told that you can not type more than 420 characters? 

Have you ever wondered how some people write posts that are multiple paragraphs, even pages long on Facebook?

The answer is quite simple, although elusive if you do not know where to look. Facebook offers multiple ways for you to post an update.  You can:

• type an update in the "What's on your mind" box
• upload a photo
• upload a video
• share a link
• create an event

and you can write a note. A note? Yes, a note. By writing your update as a Facebook Note you can create lengthy articles including numerous paragraphs or pages of text. And the best part? It is easy to do.

How to write a Facebook Note:

1. Login to your Facebook page
2. Go to your Profile Page
3. Click on the Notes tab (if you do not see a Notes tab click on the >> tab to the right of your viewable tabs and then select Notes)
4. Click on the button Write a Note
5. Give your note a title
6. Type your text in the body of the note
7. Add any relevant tags (think keywords)
8. Add any photos you want linked to your new note

You are done!

Facebook will then automatically post the note on your wall and your note and its contents will be available for all of your Facebook Friends (or Fans if you do this on a Facebook Business page) will have access to your new creation.

So, what have you been wanting to write about? Let me know or write about it and share a link in the comments.

"I already have a Facebook page."

I have heard this phrase a number of times over the last few weeks. It seems that many business people believe that since they have a personal Facebook page they did not need a business Facebook page. THINK AGAIN!

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know that I DO NOT recommend maintaining a separate business and personal social media persona. Given that, I do believe that you should have a specific business or organization profile when possible.

Facebook has two different types of pages:

• Personal pages are for us as individuals.
• Facebook Fan pages are for businesses and organizations. The key difference is that people "Friend" you on your personal Facebook page, they "Like" your Facebook Fan page.

Why is it important to have a Facebook Fan page for your business or organization?

1. People are more likely to "Like" a Facebook Fan page than to request to be a "Friend"
2. When people who “Like” your page interact with you on Facebook, this activity shows up in the their friend's Facebook news feeds (the stuff on the Facebook wall).
3. The more fans your Facebook Fan page has the more often your posts are displayed to others. Remember that each of your posts appear on your Fan's Facebook Walls; this means you get more "eyeball traffic" for your posts.
4. Adding a "Like" button to your business or organization's website provides another means of connecting with your Facebook Fan's friends and increases the reach of your marketing message.
5. Your Fan Page is public, which means it is visible to search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo (among others). Personal pages are hidden behind logins and not indexed by the search engines.
6. A Facebook Fan page provides you with a wonderful venue to communicate with your fans. Listen to them. Prompt them. Answer their questions and more!

Bottom line: A Facebook page for your business or organization creates more awareness and increases your exposure.

Do you have a Facebook page for your business or organization?  It is time! Click here to get started.

Need help with your a Facebook page for your business or organization? Drop me a note via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Using the right social media tools will help you engage with more potential clients in less time.

Spending less time on social media means you have more time to spend on your business.

Using social media as a marketing tool and managing your time effectively is key to ensuring that your online marketing strategy succeeds long term.

So, what tools can help you manage your social media marketing time more effectively?

NetVibes - a web based RSS reader or news aggregator that makes it simple to keep up on the latest blog posts, news and articles from your favorite websites without requiring you to go to each website to see what is new. A popular alternative to Netvibes is Google Reader.

Hootsuite - a web based (also available as a desktop client) tool that allows you to read and post to your Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and other social media accounts. Hootsuite allows you to stay up to speed on what is going on with your connections, easily search for key topics and post or schedule posts to your favorite social media platforms. A popular alternative to Hootsuite is Tweetdeck.

Bit.ly - the standard in url shortening. Bit.ly sidebar, a simple tool you can load to your bookmarks toolbar in your browser, makes it simple to shorten the urls that you share with your readers. Bit.ly also offers users the ability to track the links they share and determine how many people have clicked on your links. There are a number of popular alternatives to Bit.ly including Hootsuite's ow.ly and Google's goo.gl url shortening tools.

Stock Photo Exchange - one of the most extensive free photo sites online. There are a number of paid alternatives such as iStock Photo that may work a bit better, although none of the FREE alternatives are as easy or as extensive as Stock Photo Exchange.

Google Alerts - a web based tool that allows you to monitor various search terms, such as your business name, and track when and where you are mentioned online. Knowing where you are mentioned is crucial in being able to address your customers and prospects. A popular alternative to Google Alerts is Yahoo Alerts.

For more information about how to effectively engage with your target market make sure to check out these articles.

To "Follow" people on Twitter?

The best places to find FREE pictures to use for your blog posts.

5 Reasons Your Business Needs to be On Facebook.

These are my top tools for social media success.  Leave a comment and tell me what your favorite social media marketing tools are.

Facebook announced, rather quietly, that they are no longer allowing organizations with Fan Pages to use customized Facebook Welcome Pages (unless you have 10,000+ fans and spend money on Facebook ads). Thousands of businesses and non-profit organizations have been using customized Facebook Welcome Pages to display branded information to new visitors to their Facebook Fan pages. Without any fanfare, Facebook made this announcement in their developers forum, see below:

If your organization was not using a customized Facebook Welcome page this may not seem like a big deal. It is an important reminder of the dangers of trusting your branding to a website you do not control. In particular, many small businesses have used Facebook Fan pages and custom Facebook Welcome pages as a significant part of their online branding identity. Each of these businesses now needs to go back to the drawing board and come up with a new plan, all because Facebook made a change.

What can you learn from this change on Facebook's part? Simple. . .

• Trust your branding and marketing to your own website.
• Use your website as the hub of your marketing efforts and use social media, including Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin, Twitter, etc. as parts of your marketing wheel.

When your marketing strategy revolves around your website you maintain the control of your brand. When you base your marketing strategy on a platform you do not control you are at risk.

How do you feel about this change on Facebook?

PS - To learn more about how to make your website the hub of your marketing efforts feel free to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

Your success online has everything to do with the quality and remarkability of the content you have on your website and on your social media profiles like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube. Here are 5 simple tips to help you create compelling content.

1 - Keep it simple
2 - Make it relevant to your reader
3 - Give your content a different spin - keep it original
4 - Take a stand - set parameters for what you will and will not do or say
5 - Get your employees involved

If you create remarkable content for your website and social media profiles you WILL get exposure and more opportunity to engage with your customers and prospects.  More engagement leads to more profits and that is good for everyone.

Facebook has changed their business fan pages and how users interact with them. This is an important change although it is not the most important Facebook change for you to be aware of. 

First, a simple explanation as it relates to your organization's Facebook page, instead of becoming a "Fan" of a page visitors now "Like" a page.  In theory, this will cause more people to follow your organization on Facebook as people are more comfortable "Liking" something versus becoming a "Fan."  

Second, and most importantly, Facebook is now allowing users to "Like" content on the web - including your website. "So what?" you may ask. This is HUGE for your business! Now, when people visit your website, they can "Like" any page on your website. When a users "Likes" your content all of their Facebook friends are notified and your website is exposed to an expanded audience.

You need to do two things - and you need to do them quickly.

1 - Add "Facebook Like" capability to your website. When you do, site visitors can "Like" your pages and content. You can get the code to do this by clicking here or by adding the Wibiya toolbar to your website (recommended).

2 - Review your website content and make sure it is remarkable - worth sharing with others.  This means it is time to stop talking about your organization. Focus on the benefits your site visitors get from interacting with your organization. Remember - it is all about your customers and prospects; it is not about you.

This new feature from Facebook will be one of the most engaging changes to happen this year. Do yourself a favor and do not miss the boat. Get started today!

Need some assistance?  Call us at 616.457.0300 or email us.

This past weekend I tried to create an account on Meijer.com.  Meijer is a leading regional retailer and grocer and my family shops there almost every week, sometimes more. I was trying to view their weekly sale flyer and print up a shopping list when I decided to create an account. No biggie - right?  Well, for some reason Meijer's web server did not like my address.  After six failed attempts to enter an address that would be accepted, my seventh iteration was finally accepted.

Since I work in the web design and development industry and have a long background in sales and marketing I was a bit irritated that I had to try so diligently to get a simple account setup on their website. The process of setting up an account should be one I consider to be worth while - not frustrating.  My solution? I went to Meijer's Facebook page and posted a comment about my experience trying to create an account at Meijer.com (click here to see that post). I am not exactly sure what I expected - after all, I had managed to create my account - yet I would want to know if my website was "having issues."

On the next business day a representative from Meijer contacted me via Facebook, thanked me for my feedback (which was not totally positive) and asked a few relevant questions to determine what had caused my experience. I responded and just a bit later, the same representative from Meijer followed up with me and explained what happened on their end. I was pleased and felt "cared for" by a company that I regularly visit.

I should note that Meijer did not give me anything for free, that was not necessary. They did not make excuses, that would have been a mistake. They simply used Facebook as a way to engage in a conversation with me (and many others along the way). Kudos Meijer!

On their website, Meijer states:

We are a company that is committed to you; we care about you and your family by providing positive solutions to your everyday problems.

They lived up to that commitment.

Your company or organization can do the same. Start today!

Facebook is scaling back on the word "Fan" and ramping up usage of "Like" on brand pages. According to a confidential e-mail sent to ad agencies, the social media site will change the "Become A Fan" button to read "Like" within the next few weeks.

People are more comfortable saying they "like" something rather than claiming they are a "fan."  This change on Facebook could mean a large increase in traffic to your Facebook page. How are you going to capture that traffic and turn them into possible customers?

If you have not done so already, it is time to Pimp Your Facebook Page (click for step by step directions). Seriously, now is the time to make your Facebook page shine - do it today!

We would be happy to help you too . . . contact us and we will amaze you.

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Call us 616-457-0300

Why does your business/organization need to be on Facebook?  Here are five compelling reasons:

1. Because your clients and prospects are on Facebook

2: Facebook is another way of spotlighting your services and its many uses

Imagine having a place to showcase your newest products or services? One of our clients runs a sign and vehicle lettering company.  He takes pictures of each new sign or lettering job and posts the picture to his Facebook Fan Page.  Simple, quick and effective.

We regularly post screen shots from new websites that we do, another client posts pictures of the plants they sell. Pictures sell!

3: Facebook provides your clients a controlled place to communicate with and about you

Imagine finding out if you have an image problem directly - instead of through the "grape vine."  Good comments and feedback is always appreciated, yet the negative comments and feedback are often the most valuable.  Facebook provides you and your customers with a controlled environment to discuss these.  Facebook also provides your organization with a platform to show others how effectively you respond when you manage to "shoot yourself squarely in the foot."

4: Facebook gives you an easy way of tracking your engagement with your fans

All this communication is great - although the real value comes in tracking the conversations and the activity.  Facebook provides you with tracking, and it is free. Once your account is setup you will get regular emails from Facebook (generally weekly or monthly) detailing an array of relevant information about your Facebook presence. You can use this to help your organization more effectively communicate and engage with your prospects and customers.

5: Google gives Facebook traffic and content high ranking value

Although your organization's website should be the hub of your marketing efforts, your Facebook presence can provide your website with a significant boost in credibility. More credibility with Google means better search engine ranking and more traffic to your site.

Are you convinced yet? If not, re-read #1 then go to Facebook and get started.

If you have any questions or concerns contact me directly via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or on the phone at 616-457-0300.

 

My newphew can do it for me and I'll save money.

The infamous words of many a small business owner and a few brides. Do you know someone who trusted their nephew and lived to regret it?

• 10 years ago they trusted their nephew to design the business cards and brochure for their business.  Nephew was good at using computers.  Nephew said he knew what to do and would work for pizza.

• 5 years ago they trusted their nephew to design the website for their business.  Nephew was good at using computers, no one complained about the brochure or the business cards - not counting your significant other. Nephew would work for pizza.

• Today they trust their nephew to design and manage their social media marketing.  Nephew knows more about Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube. Nephew still works for pizza.

Unfortunately trusting your nephew to manage one of the key aspects of your organizations growth is, at a minimum, short sighted.

Who do you know who is "trusting" their nephew to grow their business? Your website and social media marketing are some of the most important marketing investments you will make this year. Invest wisely, choose a professional organization such as MMJ Technology to assist you in expanding your business.

And lest I forget - if you are a bride, remember that your nephew (or uncle for that matter) probably is not a great choice as your photographer either. Would you trust something that important to this guy?

Leave a comment and tell us a "nephew horror story."