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Social Media & Corporate Branding Strategist, Business Coach, Social Media Training, Social Media Speaker | KimGarst.com 1970-01-01 00:00:00
Hello world!
8 Facebook Apps to Enhance Your Facebook Page
10 golden rules of twitter
Social Media Examiner » twitter 1970-01-01 00:00:00
How to Maximize Your LinkedIn Endorsements
Social Media Examiner » twitter networking 1970-01-01 00:00:00
3 Ways Responsive Design Can Benefit Your Blog
How to Maximize Your LinkedIn Endorsements
Facebook Testing A New Feature To Help Prevent People From Humiliating Themselves

Social Media & Corporate Branding Strategist, Business Coach, Social Media Training, Social Media Speaker | KimGarst.com 1970-01-01 00:00:00

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 02:57 AM PDT

Social Media & Corporate Branding Strategist, Business Coach, Social Media Training, Social Media Speaker | KimGarst.com

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Hello world!

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:39 AM PDT

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

The post Hello world! appeared first on Twitter Tools Reviews.

8 Facebook Apps to Enhance Your Facebook Page

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 11:24 PM PDT

Andrea Vahl

By Andrea Vahl
Published October 21, 2013

Do you want to add more function and flare to your Facebook page?

Would you like to add storefront, generate leads or promote something special on a Facebook tab within your page?

In this article I'll reveal Facebook applications that can help you easily add functionality to your Facebook page.

How Do Facebook Apps Work?

Before we get started, let's review how Facebook apps (also known as custom tabs on Facebook) pages work.

Custom tabs are installed manually on your Facebook page and show up underneath the cover photo. If you're visiting a page that has more than four tabs, you can click the down arrow on the right side of the tab cover photos to reveal them all.

Custom tabs appear under your cover photo.

There are four standard Facebook apps that come with every page—Photos, Events, Videos and Likes—and any other apps you add are created by a third-party developer (not Facebook).

Many of the apps are designed on the app website after you sign up, and then installed later onto your Facebook page when you're ready.

Things You Should Know

There are a few important details about Facebook apps that will help with your design. The app width is 810 pixels. If you're going to create graphics that go all the way across the tab, you'll need to keep the graphic to that width to prevent scroll bars on your tab.

The graphic can be as long as you want it to be, but keep in mind that it should be shorter than around 500 pixels to appear "above the fold" on most computer screens.

You'll probably also want to design a custom tab cover photo to draw attention to the tab. The dimensions of the tab cover photo are 111 pixels wide by 74 pixels tall.

Also note that some tabs will not appear on mobile devices. Some are "mobile-ready"; meaning they have a separate URL that they direct people on mobile devices to so they can see the content on that custom tab.

If you've been out there searching in the blogosphere, you may have come across Welcome Pages, where the content of your Facebook page could be "hidden" until the user clicks the Like button. That function no longer exists, but you can still hide the content of a Tab until someone clicks the Like button.

Hiding part of the content of your custom Tab is called "like-gating" or "fan-gating", meaning that someone has to like your page (be your fan) before they can see the good content. This can work especially well for contests or sweepstakes on Facebook. By doing this, you can ensure that the person is a Fan before getting access to the contest entry form.

There are a lot of other apps available that provide a variety of features, like easily bringing in your Pinterest boards, running a contest or adding your blog posts.

These apps are more like a blank canvas, where you can do anything you can do on a website by either using custom templates to get you started or custom-designing something from scratch.

Without further ado, let's dive into the top 8 apps (in alphabetical order) with some notes about each one.

#1: Heyo

Heyo is a drag-and-drop application that's very easy to set up. You can insert a background photo or create a solid fill background and drop in videos, links, text or whatever else you can dream up for your custom tab. Plans start at $25/month with a free trial.

Social Media Examiner uses Heyo to promote its podcast.

#2: North Social

North Social is a little more expensive at $1.99/day, but you get all of the apps they offer at that price. You can use North Social as your one-stop-shop for all of your Facebook tab needs (including coupons and contests).

Get all of the apps for one price so you can have a variety of customization.

#3: Pagemodo

Pagemodo is a very affordable app that starts at $6.25/month for three tabs on each page. The Pro version ($13.25/month) doesn't include the Pagemodo branding and you can have an unlimited number of tabs on three different pages. Pagemodo has a lot of templates to choose from, or you can do something more custom.

Pagemodo has a lot of different pre-built templates if you don’t want to build your tab from scratch.

#4: ShortStack

ShortStack is a very versatile Facebook app that is built on "layers." You can layer widgets on top of each other or use some of their pre-built templates and themes to create something that looks great. The nice thing about ShortStack is that it's free for pages with fewer than 2000 fans—very nice as you ease into Facebook marketing.

Use some of the pre-built templates and themes to create a tab that looks professional.

#5: Static HTML – Thunderpenny

Static HTML – Thunderpenny is a free app with a few useful features. You can choose to pull a website right into the Facebook app. But be aware that most websites are larger than the 810-pixel maximum size, so you'll have scroll bars showing.

You can also just upload a single image. This is a handy feature if you have designed a flyer or something else you want to showcase.

Code something in HTML, upload an image or import a website easily with Static HTML.

#6: TabFoundry

TabFoundry is a very handy drag-and-drop free app. You can add background graphics or colors, add multimedia and use HTML if you prefer. If you want to unlock some of the features in the Premium plan, it's just $9/month.

Use the editor to drag and drop the images you want into your custom tab.

#7: TabSite

TabSite is another multifaceted tab app where you can run contests, deals, bring in other social feeds and create a custom tab. There's a free option for two tabs on one page (restrictions apply) or plans starting at an affordable $10/month.

TabSite specializes in contests and sweepstakes, but it also does more.

#8: Woobox

Woobox is a flexible Facebook app that has some free options for things like HTML Fangate, which is nice. The paid plans for contests and other features start at $1/month (yes that is correct—it's for pages with 100 fans or fewer).

One nice function that's available is the possibility to redirect right from an app. That way, you avoid having those scroll bars if your website is too wide.

Woobox has some free options for its HTML tab and other functions.

Conclusion

That brings us to the end of the 8 apps I would recommend. There are many others out there that may also be a good fit for your business. Just make sure you understand the pricing and the capabilities before signing up. Many apps have a free trial, which can help you make a more informed decision.

Ultimately, you should be using these Facebook apps to enhance the online experience of your customers or prospects. Always keep them in mind when you're spending time (and maybe money) creating a custom app. What type of information would benefit them?

What do you think? Have you created a custom app for your Facebook page? Share your thoughts about why you picked that particular app in the comments below.

Tags: andrea vahl, custom tab, facebook, facebook app, facebook marketing, facebook page, facebook tab

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10 golden rules of twitter

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 10:11 PM PDT

admin

If you ever wanted to know what the traits of highly successful Twitter users you've come to the right place. The 10 Golden Rules of Twitter will help make you a Twitter success by modeling the masters.

Brian Solis, Chris Brogan and myself engage with the following Twitter tactics on a daily basis, and you will find most if not all of them exhibited by any successful social media guru. Apply these strategies to your own Twitter presence and your following will start to really grow.

You get out of Twitter what you put in to it so invest time into networking and engaging on a daily basis and the good karma that you build will compound and come back to you in time!

1. Reciprocity is Key

Follow and be followed, Retweet and be retweeted, follow and be followed. You have got to give in order to get, and the more time you are willing to invest in others the more likely they are to give you the time of day. Reciprocity is a powerful thing, and the main reason for the 255,000 followers I have currently, and the 400,000+ followers I have been able to build for the various accounts I have managed.

Once your network grows to several thousand followers don't let it get to your head, I try to respond to everyone who is not an ass that sends me an @mention, and I even respond to some of the asses. Haha, but seriously this is key if you want to build a big brand and a strong network. Look at any Twitter giant and you will see that they have thousands and thousands of tweets and many are conversational. You've got to talk to people to really connect with them, it's just that simple.

2. Schedule Your Golden Tweets

Twitter traffic varies throughout the day, and throughout the week. The busiest time on Twitter is at the end of the work day, between 3-5pm. Weekdays are far busier than weekends, and Thursday and Friday are the busiest days of the week. If you have solid content tweet it out when it can have the greatest impact.

Take a note from the most retweeted tweets of 2010 to get an idea of what works.

The golden tweet of 2011 shows that offering an incentive for retweets works. I have used a tactic similar to the Wendy's tweet below to net over 100 retweets.

In 2012 the most tweeted tweet of the year, and of all time, was from Barack Obama with his election victory tweet "Four more years."

3. Twitter Tools are Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

Of course I have a bias having written the Twitter Tools Book, but Twitter Tools really are the bomb. From Hootsuite, to Manage Flitter, to Twitter Marketing Software, to TweetDeck (which just sold for $30 million), and the list goes on.

By learning how Twitter Tools can work for you, you will give yourself a competitive advantage over millions of others who neglect these powerful tools.

4. List Liberally

These days people tend to pay more attention to the people who list them than the people who follow them. Some people recklessly auto-follow people, and this I do not recommend, but it still happens and these robotic follows devalue the action following someone. To really get someone's attention the best way is to talk to them, and listing is a powerful method as well.

Create lists for your different interests, for example I have a runners list, an entrepreneurs list, and a Twitter Tools list. Tweet about your lists and there is a good chance that people will follow them. If your list gains enough followers it will gain greater visibility in list directories like Listorious.

5. Engage

This tip is straight from my friend Brian Solis, and it has worked exceptionally well. Brian has a massive network at this point and yet he still responds to every comment on his blog and to comments on his Facebook walls and on Twitter. This takes plenty of effort but it is the reason why Brian has so much influence. To learn more about this method I recommend that you grab a copy of Brian's book Engage!

6. Relationships Take Time

Relationships are not instantaneous, the take communication and sharing over time. To build deeper relationships with people you meet on Twitter it might make sense to connect with them on Facebook as well.

To facilitate Facebook connections I created a custom design for my Twitter background that features a link to my Facebook profile. On my blogs I try to respond to anyone who leaves a comment if it makes sense to do so. If they have a blog as well I might take a minute and visit it to return the favor.

7. Add Value

This point has been key to my success on Twitter, and my ability to achieve thousands of retweets. Even if you are not an avid content creator you can still add serious value by sharing awesome content.

Use Twitter Lists to create streams of people who share the best information and then share the best content that they share. Browse the biggest blogs to find the best content and create lists of epic content. The more value you are able to add the more people will people will realize that you are a valuable person to follow!

8. Don't Focus on Selling

Everyone likes to buy things but no-one likes to be sold. Twitter is a place to build relationships, and if you focus on doing that people will click your links and look for products that you have to offer. Focus on the connections and the cash will flow.

9. You are Your Brand

Resist the urge to use your profile picture as your avatar. You are your brand, so act respectable if you want respect. Try not to spam Twitter will dozens of Tweets in as many minutes. I tend to tweet about one tweet an hour, sometimes a little more, sometimes much less. Conversational tweets don't count, as they are only seen by people who are following both people tweeting.

10. Remember that Twitter is Still a Baby

Although Twitter is a household word at this point it is still only about 5 years old and it's only been mainstream for less than two. This means that there are still epic developments to come. By having knowledge about the latest and greatest tools and tips you will be ahead of the curve and you will be able to skyrocket your Twitter success. Sign up for our free Twitter Course and we will let you know about our latest articles when they go live.

Feedback

Leave a comment below and let me know what you think of Twitter's Golden Rules!

The post 10 golden rules of twitter appeared first on GrowYourTwitterNetwork.

The post 10 golden rules of twitter appeared first on Twitter Tools Reviews.

Social Media Examiner » twitter 1970-01-01 00:00:00

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 09:04 PM PDT

Social Media Examiner » twitter

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How to Maximize Your LinkedIn Endorsements

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 08:41 PM PDT

Brenda Bernstein

By Brenda Bernstein
Published February 27, 2014

Are people endorsing you for the wrong skills on LinkedIn?

Do you want to know how to fix that?

It's frustrating to be endorsed for skills that aren't relevant to you or your networking goals. But hope is not lost!

In this article I'll show you three ways you can guide people into endorsing you for relevant skills.

Why Manage LinkedIn Endorsements?

LinkedIn endorsements are meant to provide credibility and networking opportunities.

Has LinkedIn ever notified you that someone has endorsed you for skills and expertise that have absolutely nothing to do with your actual skills? Or worse, you don't know the endorser at all, so how can he or she endorse any skills you have?

Sometimes people are endorsing you so you'll see the notification and they'll be on your radar. Other times, people are endorsing you because they're friends or colleagues and they think they're helping you.

Either way, if people are endorsing you for the wrong skills, then your real skills are being overlooked. Luckily, you can help people endorse you for the skills that really matter to you. Below I'll show you how.

#1: Set Your Skills and Endorsements

If you want to control which skills are most prominent on your LinkedIn profile, set up the Skills & Endorsements section of your LinkedIn profile. This lets you subtly encourage others to use those skills when they endorse you.

If you don't have the Skills section on your profile, go to Edit Profile and look to the right. You'll see a list of sections recommended for you. Click on the Skills option to add it to your profile.

It's important to have the Skills section activated on your LinkedIn profile.

You can add up to 50 skills to your profile, so go ahead and set those skills yourself. Don't be shy. Tell the world what you want to be endorsed for. Don't let a bunch of strangers decide how you present your areas of expertise!

As you begin typing your desired skill, you'll see a list of related skills you can choose from (but you don't have to). The list is likely compiled based on how others have searched for people with a particular skill.

Decide what skills you want to be endorsed for.

When you first add skills to your profile, they're listed in the order you entered them. As soon as people start endorsing you, though, the skills you are most endorsed for will rise to the top of the list.

Your 10 most endorsed skills will show up automatically; the other skills are listed under them.

You can decide what skills others can endorse you for, but they determine the top 10.

When someone endorses you, you get an email notification with the option to Add to Profile.

LinkedIn tells you when someone has endorsed you.

When you click Add to Profile, you'll end up on your LinkedIn profile and see a list of all of the potential skills you can add to your list.

Here's where you exert your control: If people endorse you for the wrong skills, you don't have to accept the endorsements! Just click the Skip button.

You don't have to accept skill endorsements that don't fit with your profile.

At least once a month, visit your LinkedIn profile and do a quick cleanup. In Edit Profile view, scroll down to your Skills & Endorsements section and click Edit. Remove any skills you don't want to be endorsed for.

You can remove a skill by clicking the "X" next to its name, or you can add new skills as necessary.

Edit your skills list about once a month.

#2: Manage Endorsements

If you find you're still getting too many endorsements for the wrong skills, it's time to demote those skills.

In Edit Profile view, scroll down to your Skills & Expertise section, click Edit, then click Manage Endorsements. You'll see a list of your skills and all the contacts who have endorsed you for each.

Manage your endorsements to ensure your best skills are front and center.

Click the skill you want to manage to see who has endorsed you. Now you have the option to show or hide either all of your endorsements or individual endorsements.

If you uncheck any boxes in the Show/hide list, the number of endorsements counted for that skill will go down by the number of boxes you uncheck.

So let's say in the example above, I wanted to move Blogging out of the top 10. This skill currently has 167 endorsements. I could uncheck 100 boxes and that skill would be left with only 67 endorsements, allowing another skill I care about (with more than 67 endorsements) to rise into the top 10.

#3: Spread the Networking Love

Networking is the primary goal of LinkedIn, so don't be afraid to meet new people, rally your community or give back to others. Everyone is looking for relevant (not random) endorsements.

To help build your top 10 skills, write to your lists and ask them to endorse you for a specific skill or two. Be clear about what you're asking for so you don't end up with additional "helpful endorsements" for skills you're trying to de-emphasize.

Don't forget the importance of reciprocation! When others endorse you, be sure to endorse them as well, but ask them what skills they're most interested in promoting!

A Few Parting Tips

Endorsements are not a substitute for recommendations. Recommendations are universally more respected than endorsements. They represent social proof from people you know and have actually worked with.

However, the right endorsements can increase your credibility. Help your friends and colleagues choose the most relevant endorsements for you by using your Skills section and telling them what you'd like them to endorse.

What do you think? Have you optimized your skills and endorsements? Do you have additional ideas of how to handle endorsements? Please share in the comments.

Tags: brenda bernstein, linkedin, linkedin account, linkedin endorsement, linkedin marketing, linkedin networking, linkedin profile, linkedin skill, linkedin strategy, social proof

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Social Media Examiner » twitter networking 1970-01-01 00:00:00

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 08:00 PM PDT

Social Media Examiner » twitter networking

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3 Ways Responsive Design Can Benefit Your Blog

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 07:26 PM PDT

Rachel Sprung

By Rachel Sprung
Published December 12, 2013

Are more of your blog visitors coming from a mobile device instead of a desktop computer?

Do you wonder how responsive design can increase customer satisfaction and improve your marketing?

In this article I'll explore three ways incorporating responsive web design into your online strategy can benefit your business.

What is Responsive Design?

Responsive web design means that your blog or website will automatically appear properly formatted on any device: a desktop computer, a tablet or a mobile device.

In What Users Want Most from Mobile Sites Today, Google reports that 61% of mobile visitors who click through to a non–mobile-friendly website will return to Google to find a site that's more easily readable from their device. It's become critical for companies to have a responsive design for their sites.

Let's explore how responsive design can help your business:

#1: Obtain Higher Conversion Rates With an Easy Mobile Experience

In the same Google report I mentioned above, 78% of users want to find what they're looking for on a mobile site in just one or two clicks, and 64% of users only want to scroll up and down on a business' mobile site, not left and right.

Why is this important for you, as a marketer who sells products online?

If mobile users come to your website and see that they have to zoom in to find everything they need and constantly scroll from left to right and up and down to browse pages, they're most likely going back to Google to find another website that is mobile-friendly.

However, if your website is easy to use, they'll be able to access the information they're looking for and make purchases quickly.

For example, let's look at Godiva. This is their website as viewed from a desktop or laptop computer:

The Godiva website as viewed from Chrome on a desktop computer.

This is Godiva's website as viewed from a mobile device.

The Godiva website as viewed from an iPhone.

To buy some chocolate from Godiva, you have to zoom in, scroll to the left, click one of the options on the toolbar and click an item from the dropdown. And you're still nowhere nearer to buying chocolate!

When you get to the next page, you have to do it all over again, because the website isn't responsive.

Now let's take a look at Hershey's. Their responsive website allows potential customers to purchase products in a few simple clicks.

The Hershey website as viewed from Chrome on a desktop.

The Hershey website as viewed from an iPhone.

When mobile users go to a website, they expect to be able to access links just as easily as if they were on their desktops.

Hershey's mobile website experience is comparable to that on a computer. And what does that mean? A much higher conversion rate.

#2: Attract Customers as They're On The Go

Not all websites are looking for a lot of online purchase conversions from their mobile site. Instead, they may rely on a ton of traffic from the site to drive brick-and-mortar location purchases.

For example, take Hubway, a bike-sharing company. A lot of people walking around see bikes that say "Hubway" on the side and wonder what it's all about. They don't have their laptops with them when they're outside, but the chances are pretty good they've got a phone in their pocket.

The Hubway website as viewed from Chrome on a desktop.

The Hubway website as viewed from an iPhone.

Unfortunately, Hubway's website isn't responsive, so a number of would-be customers are likely frustrated with the jumbled display and click out of the site before they even learn how or where to rent a bike.

If you look up Citi Bike from a phone, the responsive site immediately shows you how to access pricing, how the program works and how to get more information with one click.

The Citi Bike website as viewed from Chrome on a desktop.

The Citi Bike website as viewed from an iPhone.

On Citi Bike's mobile website, users can access links just as easily as if they were on their desktops.

Responsive design lets you give your on-the-go visitors a better user experience and decreases the likelihood that they will leave your website in search of something easier to navigate.

#3: Manage Multiple Displays With a Single Edit

Imagine the number of hours it would take you to update different versions of your website for mobile, tablets and desktops. Whether you're publishing a blog post or updating a web page, you don't want to have to do the same task multiple times.

With responsive design, you update your website with an edit once, and the changes automatically translate onto the mobile, tablet and desktop versions.

Responsive design actually saves you valuable time that you can use for the many other responsibilities you have.

How to Make Your Site Responsive

Now that you understand the importance of responsive design for your marketing efforts, let's discuss ways that you can make your site responsive.

First, you can always hire a developer or designer to make the changes in the code to make your website responsive. The complexity of your site will determine how long it will take, but it will be worth it to increase your conversion rate.

Another option is to use a responsive theme, which you can find from all of the premium theme providers.

Over to You

Responsive design is beneficial for conversion rates and usability, and the amount of time it saves marketers and designers is astronomical. But its greatest strength is the difference it can make to a customer who's viewing your site from a mobile device.

What do you think? What other benefits do you see in responsive design? Please leave your questions and comments in the box below.

Tags: mobile customer, mobile experience, mobile marketing strategy, mobile site layout, mobile strategy, mobile trends, mobile website design, rachel sprung, responsive design, website design

The post 3 Ways Responsive Design Can Benefit Your Blog appeared first on Twitter Tools Reviews.

How to Maximize Your LinkedIn Endorsements

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 06:12 PM PDT

Brenda Bernstein

By Brenda Bernstein
Published February 27, 2014

Are people endorsing you for the wrong skills on LinkedIn?

Do you want to know how to fix that?

It's frustrating to be endorsed for skills that aren't relevant to you or your networking goals. But hope is not lost!

In this article I'll show you three ways you can guide people into endorsing you for relevant skills.