If you already have a business page on Facebook (and if you don’t, you should), you’re going to have to switch to the new Timeline look whether you want to or not. You can switch voluntarily now or, if you take no action, your page will be migrated automatically at the end of this month.

How is Timeline different? There are substantial changes in layout and design. Plus, there is more flexibility in customizing various elements. For example, after switching to Timeline, you’ll be able to:

- Post a large image at the top of your page in addition to a profile picture
- Highlight selected items by making them larger
- Pin posts to the top of the page
- Rearrange apps and views

As a way of comparing old and new, this is what the current Facebook business page looks like for an Iron Lava Corp client before upgrading:

And here’s what the new Iron Lava Corp page looks like in Timeline:

As you can see, Timeline is much more visually appealing. Here’s an overview of some of the changes you’ll see when you make the switch:

THE COVER

The cover is the giant image across the top of your page. You can use either a photo or graphic element that illustrates your business and speaks to your customers. The cover is 851 pixels wide and 315 pixels tall. You can use a smaller image (it will get rescaled) but it must be at least 399 pixels wide.

There are rules that govern the content of the cover. Facebook says it cannot contain:

- Price or purchase information, such as “25% off”
- Contact information, such as web address, email, mailing address or other information intended for the page’s About section
- References to user interface elements, such as Like or Share
- Calls to action, such as “Buy now”

Facebook also warns that “covers must not be false, deceptive or misleading, and must not infringe on third parties’ intellectual property. You may not encourage or incentivize people to upload your cover image to their personal Timelines.”

THE PROFILE PICTURE

Profile picture is perfect for your logo. It’s a square image (180×180 pixels) that appears on the lower left of the cover, next to the page’s title.

PINNED POSTS

A pinned post is a post that you want to call extra attention to. A pinned post displays at the top left of your Timeline (regardless of its original chronological position) and is noted with a small orange flag in the top right corner. The pinned post stays in this prominent position for 7 days. After a week it will return to its original chronological position in the Timeline.

STARRING/HIGHLIGHTING

You can highlight a post by clicking on a little star at the top of a post. This will expand the post to the full width of your Timeline.

TINKERING

You can rearrange the order of views and apps that reside under your cover image but the default view of your landing page is the Timeline. If you want to to change where people land, you can only do that by linking directly to a view or app’s URL.

The new Facebook Timeline has a more modern look and is easier to customize and brand. Of course, there is much more to Facebook that we can cover here. If you’d like to know more about the new Facebook Timeline and how it can help your business, just contact us.

The latest social media darling is Pinterest. But what is it? How is it different? And is it for you?

What is Pinterest?

Essentially Pinterest is a bulletin board where you can “pin” images that interest you. You create different pinboards for your pins – so you could have a board for “favourite places” and pin images of your travels. Or you could have a board for “cool electric guitars” and pin images of… well, cool electric guitars.

Your Pinterest profile is like a digital scrapbook you can share with the world. And other users can re-pin your pins. So there’s lots of potential for your image (or product!) to get shared.

Pinterest launched back in 2010 and initial growth was slow. Not any more. The site now gets more than 12 million visitors and is growing at a rapid rate. More importantly, a recent study by Shareaholic found that Pinterest drives more traffic than Google+, YouTube and LinkedIn combined. You read that right.

Mashable says that Pinterest is now the top driver of traffic for retailers but there is little data to show if this increased traffic is turning into sales. Another important stat: women make up 58% of Pinterest traffic.

How is it different?

It’s simple: just images with descriptive text and a link. But if you’re a business, you can add a price banner and a “buy this” link to the image. This means people can peruse your products and buy them through your existing e-commerce site.

How does it work?

Pinterest is a social photo sharing website. After creating an account (you first have to request an invite to join – mine took a week) you create a series of pinboards. Each board is dedicated to a different category/theme you choose (cats, dogs, palm trees, whatever). You can then save images on your boards and share them with other people.

You can upload your own images (from your computer or mobile device), re-pin other user’s images, or pin images you find on the internet.

So, if you’re looking for a new couch, you can pin images of styles you like – so you can remember them later. Your friends can weigh in on your design decisions too.

You can also follow other people and businesses. Their pins will appear on your main Pinterest page.

How can I use Pinterest for my business?

Think of Pinterest as a catalogue. You can post images of your products sorted by category. You can add a price, description and a link to where people can buy the product. Pinterest will be of use to anyone from photographers to department stores to craftspeople.

Are there any drawbacks?

The big one is copyright. Is Pinterest violating copyright when you post a link to someone else’s image? That could be up to the courts to decide. If the images are yours, then no problem – although you should definitely read Pinterest’s terms of use page about what THEY can do with YOUR images.

So, do I need to be on Pinterest?

It depends on you and your business. We suggest you have a look at what your competition is doing – and your customers, but there is no reason not to be on the site. Anything that drives traffic and has the potential to increase sales is a good thing.

If you’d like to know more, just get in touch.

Iron Lava Corp is proud of its partnership with HYTES: Helping Youth Through Educational Scholarships. HYTES is a Canadian not-for-profit organization that raises funds in Canada to provide scholarships in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Guatemala. Iron Lava Corp recently designed a new logo for HYTES, in addition to building a new website and social media platforms.

Iron Lava Corp has worked with Lakeside Plastics in the past, creating their website and logo. Now we’re pleased to be working with them again. The company recently launched a line of compostable packaging and needed a complete branding solution. Working together, we created the brand Enverra and designed a progressive logo to match the environmental friendliness of the new line. We’re currently working on a new website (online very soon) and we’re working with Lakeside Plastics to update their original corporate website. Do you need a new look or a refresh? We’d be happy to help.

It’s been a busy summer for logo design. Bloom Funds needed a corporate look and, working together, this is the final result. But the work doesn’t stop there. Iron Lava Corp is developing a fully content-managed site for Bloom Funds. We’ll let you know when it goes live.

You’ve probably seen them around: Those funny looking squares that look like they come from outer space. They’re called QR (Quick Response) codes and they’re similar to the barcodes found on everything we buy.

QR codes are used in consumer and convenience-orientated applications in conjunction with smart phones. They are very common in Japan, where the codes were originally used to track parts in the car manufacturing process. Today their use is exploding across North America.

QR codes are essentially mobile tags that are easily customizable and, when used with an appropriate device, can link to websites, text, videos and images. Including a QR code in advertising can provide a link to additional information, demonstration videos, bonus content and special discounts. There is no limit to their application.

QR codes are extremely easy for your customers to use: They simply point their smart phone at the QR code and the phone’s code reading software opens the relevant application to handle the content: email client, web browser, etc.

Most BlackBerrys come with a QR reader already installed. If you’re using an Apple iPhone, there are many free readers available via Apple’s App Store. We like this one. Similar applications are available for Android and other smart phones and devices.

Creating a QR code is just as simple as using one.

1. Visit Iron Lava Corp’s free QR code generator.

2. Enter the information you want the QR code to point to (URL or text).

3. Generate your custom QR code and save it to your computer.

You can now use the QR code on a website, in print, outside – even on TV and t-shirts. You’re limited only by your imagination.

The design of QR codes is also customizable. You can include your own custom logo and even modify the shape of the QR code itself.

Want to know more about how Iron Lava Corp and QR codes can benefit your customers and your business? Drop us a line. Or, point your smart phone here:

“One of the most trying aspects of SEO is that the state of the art doesn’t stay still for long. Since Google is constantly tweaking the way it ranks sites, tricks that work one month might have no effect the next – and entirely new criteria might suddenly become important.” – Ivor Tossell, The Globe and Mail

Check out these links:

• SEO straight from the horse’s mouth
• Google Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide (pdf)
• Google Webmaster Central Blog
• Matt Cutts’ Blog on Gadgets, Google and SEO
• Iron Lava Corp’s SEO page

Now that you know more about SEO, let us know if you need help improving your organic search results.  Click here to contact Iron Lava Corp.

Click here to read his article:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/04/25/f-chornobyl-disaster-tourism-ukraine.html

Doug Murray’s work has been published in newspapers, magazines and books around the world.