Social Media 101

RIP Google+

Sue Surdam | Artizon Digital — Sat, 29 Dec 2018 05:46:06 +0000

RIP Google Plus. The end comes after an announcement that data from up to 500,000 user accounts may have been compromised for more than two years. The leak was discovered by Project Strobe and patched in March 2018. Google says there was nothing to point to that data was exploited. However, it does seem like a long gap between the March discovery and the October announcement.

You can read all the technical details regarding Project Strobe and its findings here:

Google Is Finally Sunsetting Google+: Here’s What It Means

In a turn of events that was impressively foretold by WordStream founder Larry Kim way back in 2015, Google is putting its long-beleaguered social media platform, Google Plus, out to pasture.

The End is Near for Google+

Google+ has hung on much longer than I ever expected. Goggle gutted Google+ in 2015 removing YouTube, Hangouts, Streams and Photos. The terminal social network will continue on limited social life support for the next few months to allow users to migrate any data they would like to save.

If you have any thing to save you had better do it soon as the Google recently changed the shut down date from August 2019 to April 2019 after second leak was discovered in November 2018.

Google will shut down Google+ four months early after second data leak

As I said in my 2015 article What You Need to Know About the Google and Google+ Breakup:

It seems that Google+ is “only MOSTLY dead.” As Miracle Max from the movie Princess Bride pointed out, “There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.”

Once again Google Plus is only mostly dead. G+ is dead to consumers, but still alive for corporations:

…We have many enterprise customers who are finding great value in using Google+ within their companies. Our review showed that Google+ is better suited as an enterprise product where co-workers can engage in internal discussions on a secure corporate social network. Enterprise customers can set common access rules, and use central controls, for their entire organization. We’ve decided to focus on our enterprise efforts and will be launching new features purpose-built for businesses. – Ben Smith Google Blog

So as Google+ Consumer version sinks into the sunset at the end of April, the sun will rise on Corporate Google+ a secure corporate social network. Good luck Google…

The post RIP Google+ first appeared on Social Media 101.

Gutenberg Editor – How to Keep the WordPress Classic Editor

Sue Surdam | Artizon Digital — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 17:00:44 +0000

In case you haven’t heard the latest WordPress update includes a “Try Gutenberg” callout. What is Gutenberg? It is the new editor that will replace the Classic Editor in the next major WordPress release. Building a post with content blocks will be a major departure from what we are all use to.

The WordPress community has been tasked with the job of making plugins and themes Gutenberg ready. But are your plugins and theme are Gutenberg ready? Worse yet, are your clients are Gutenberg ready? And even worse, are you ready for all potential troubles that could come with the initial Gutenberg rollout?

How to Adopt the Gutenberg “Wait and See” Approach

For years, I have been backing up and updating clients websites. You can learn more about that side of my business here: ScrubWP. Before pushing the update button, I read the plugin or theme’s change log and check on support postings on WordPress.Org. If the current update is causing grief, I “wait” for the next update to “see” if the issues have been resolved.

This “wait and see” approach can be easily applied to the Gutenberg editor. It is as easy as installing and activating these plugins: the Classic Editor Plugin and the Classic Editor Addon Plugin. Install the combo now and you will be able to continue to use the Classic Editor until you determine that Gutenberg is ready for “prime time”.

The free Classic Editor Addon plugin is targeted at everyone who is not yet ready for Gutenberg and/or who does not want to bother clients with Gutenberg. Install it now on sites and by the time WP 4.9.8 and eventually 5.0 are released, the UX remains the same as you are used to! – Excerpt from description on WordPress.Org

Want to learn more about the Gutenberg editor?

Gutenberg

Gutenberg is more than an editor. While the editor is the focus right now, the project will ultimately impact the entire publishing experience including customization (the next focus area). Discover more about the project. Get started by installing the plugin on a test site.

WordPress.Org has a set up an interactive introduction to Gutenberg page: Say Hello to New Editor.
Gutenberg News has gathered a collection of Gutenberg tutorials & resources.
The WordPress.Org Gutenberg Handbook has a detailed tutorial on Creating Block Types.

The post Gutenberg Editor – How to Keep the WordPress Classic Editor first appeared on Social Media 101.

The Case for Using Plugins in Your WordPress Website

Sue Surdam | Artizon Digital — Thu, 17 May 2018 17:00:50 +0000

Often in articles regarding plugins and their impact on websites I see the advice to implement code instead of using a plugin. That sounds great; however, there are some things to be aware of when adding code instead of a plugin.

Security and Updates

Most people don’t code and rely on copying and pasting code they find on the web. This code may not be current or error free. Plugins from WordPress.org must stand the test of many users and errors are reported quickly. Update records and WP version compatibility are also recorded. Copy paste code found on websites rarely provides this information.

If you are adding code manually then you are responsible for updating it. You are also responsible for security. Widely used scripts as we saw with Tim Thumb can be targets for hackers. Old code and scripts make a site vulnerable.

The experts at WP Beginner think so too:

If you choose a plugin, then you can benefit from future updates which may improve performance, fix bug, or patch security vulnerability. WP Beginner

Their excellent article addresses concerns and myths that have grown up around plugins. The article clearly states the pros and cons of plugins vs code.

WordPress Plugin vs Functions.php file (Which is better?)

Speed and Performance

A number one concern regarding plugins is how they will affect the speed and performance of a website. I found this statement concerning speed reassuring:

In terms of performance, it does not matter where the code runs. Adding code snippets to your functions.php file will have the exact same impact on performance, that a WordPress plugin with the same code would have otherwise. WP Beginner

Plugins that come bundled with tons of features and seem like a good deal because you are only adding one plugin, but there is often a price to pay in speed and performance for all those loading features. I look for plugins that are light-weight and use specific. Running more plugins that meet that criteria than using a mega plugin that loads lots of features I don’t need has produced better results for the sites I build and maintain.

When to Use a Code Snippet

Are there times to use a code snippet instead of plugin? Again, more good advice from WP Beginner:

If the functionality you are trying to add is not available as a plugin and the code snippet is really simple, then you can add it to your theme’s functions file.

Another possible scenario is when you are adding functionality that is related to your WordPress theme or child theme. For example, creating new image sizes, showing dates, adding custom code before or after content, and more. WP Beginner

For me the peace of mind I get from using quality plugins is worth a lot. I am forever grateful to the contributors to the WordPress plugin repository and the developers of high quality premium plugins for the plugins that make WordPress “magic”.

The post The Case for Using Plugins in Your WordPress Website first appeared on Social Media 101.

Write Faster – Write Smarter – Become a Better Writer

Sue Surdam | Artizon Digital — Sat, 26 Aug 2017 15:58:23 +0000

Could you have written a short novel in the time it took you write your last blog post? Most of us find the process of writing takes much longer that we like, but we don’t know how to writer faster. Daisy Hartwell knows the keys to writing faster. As a professional writer and blogger, she has mastered the skill of fast writing. Her infographic, “15 Amazing Ways to Write Faster: Become a Better Writer in No Time”, is your road map to success. Whether you are a student, blog writer, or anyone who is interested in becoming a better faster writer you can put her tips to work right away.

Read the complete article here:

15 Amazing Ways to Write Faster: Become a Better Writer in No Time

Favorite Daisy Writing Tips

One of my favorite tips was checking your live typing speed. When was the last you took a typing test? Maybe high school? I can type a whopping 41 words per minute. What about you? Check out your speed at this Daisy recommended site:
TypingTest.com – Test Your Typing Speed in 60 seconds

Another tip I liked was putting on headphones to minimize distractions. I have always wanted to be able to write at a coffee shop, but the noise is just wrecks my concentration. I know that many people perform better with that ambient noise but not me. Next time I need a change from my office, I am going to try this tip!

You will find many more great tips and articles on the Custom Writing website: Custom Writing. Take some time and explore the site. While you are there check out the Custom Writing offerings, they aren’t just for students. Their offerings include professionally written articles and PowerPoint slideshows, making them a handy resource for business too.

15 Amazing Ways to Write Faster: Become a Better Writer in No Time Infographic

The post Write Faster – Write Smarter – Become a Better Writer first appeared on Social Media 101.

How to Keep Your Projects on Track With EmailPRO™

Sue Surdam | Artizon Digital — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 19:25:05 +0000

Writing business emails take up a big chunk of your day? Have you had a project come to a stand still because of failure on your part to email the client? Do you struggle to write emails that are professional and concise? If you answered yes to any of these questions you need Email Pro.

Rick’s Tip: If you are looking for a time-saving professional communication tool then EmailPRO scripts are the solution. Each professional written email script includes fields that you customize to your requirements and a subject line. You can fire off an email and keep your project moving forward in less that the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee!

“EmailPRO scripts will help your agency professionally respond via email to common situations you face with prospects and clients. They are broken into three modules, based on where your prospect/client is in their engagement with your agency.” – Elegant Market Place

You can learn more about EmailPRO and purchase modules here:

Module 1
Initial Communications and On-Boarding

Module 2
In-Project Communications

Module 3
Project Completion and Termination

*Best Value
EmailPRO Complete Modules 1-3

Getting a Handle on Project Communications

Download a sample and get started with this amazing business tool today!
Down Load EmailPRO – sample

The post How to Keep Your Projects on Track With EmailPRO™ first appeared on Social Media 101.

SEO Insider Scoop on How to Choose a Domain Name

Sue Surdam | Artizon Digital — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 22:28:13 +0000

Do you all follow SEO Moz Whiteboard Friday? You should subscribe right away if you are interested in SEO. Every Friday one of their top notch SEO team posts a video and article. This week they have posted the insider scoop on how to choose a winning domain name.

How to Choose a Domain Name – Whiteboard Friday
Choosing a domain is one of single most important things you will do. That name will not only define your brand, but it will also effect how search engines see your site, how many people visit your site and the effectiveness of your online marketing.

Here are my takeaways on Rand Fishkin’s 8 simple rules to follow when selecting a domain name:

Make it Brandable
When thinking about what makes a domian name brandable and successful, you maybe surprised to learn that an exact keyword match is not the best way to go. After all if you have a Dog Grooming business, why wouldn’t doggrooming.com be great? Rand points out:

You want something unique, which means try and avoid those exact and partial keyword match domain names. They tend not to do so well, in fact. If you look at the numbers that we see in MozCast, for example, or in correlation studies, you can see that, over the past 10 years, they have done nothing but trend down over time in terms of their correlation with rankings and their ability to show in the search results. Dangerous there.
Make it Pronounceable
Why does this matter? Rand says because of “processing fluency”. A domain that is easy to type but difficult to pronounce looses memorability. So if you are thinking an acronym might be the way to go, think again. Even if it is clever, it probably misses the easy to remember and pronounce test unless you are IBM.
Make it as Short as Possible
All of Rand’s other rules trump length, so don’t get carried away and create a domain name that so short that it is hard to pronounce or remember.
Make it a .com
Everybody wants a .com domain. But what is .com isn’t available? Rand’s suggestion is to go with:

…the .net, .co, or a known ccTLD. Those are your best bets. A known ccTLD might be something like .ca in Canada or .it in Italy, those kinds of things. That’s your next best bet.
Make it Unique

Avoid names that infringe on another company or another organization’s existing trademark or could be confused with that trademark.

Why take a risk? A similar domain name can get you in legal hot water, not to mention create brand confusion.
Make it Instantly Intuitive
A domain name that your gives your target audience a good idea of what you do is a plus. Rand’s example:

…PastaPerfected.com. That’s obviously, intuitively about what it is going to be, and anyone from your audience could figure that out.
Use Keywords, but Don’t Stress on It

This is a touchy subject so I am going straight to a quote:

…if you can get a keyword mention in your domain name that helps make it obvious what you’re about, go for it. But if you’re trying to target what would be called keyword rich or keyword targeted domains, I would generally stay away from those actually in 2016. They just don’t carry the weight that they used to, and there are a lot of associations, negative associations that users and search engines have about them that would make me stay away.
When is OK to Append of Modify your Name
If your domain name isn’t available:

…it is okay to go out there and add a suffix or a prefix. It is okay to use an alternate TLD extension, like we talked about previously, and it’s okay to be a little bit creative with your online brand.

Read Rand’s complete article to ensure your domain choice is best for success! Thanks SEO Moz – you’re the best!

The post SEO Insider Scoop on How to Choose a Domain Name first appeared on Social Media 101.

How to Change Your WordPress Admin Username & Password – WP Security Tip

Rick Bean | Rose City Commercial Real Estate — Sat, 09 Jul 2016 02:43:07 +0000

The default WordPress username “admin” has been a security weakness for years. Increases in attacks on sites using admin as the username make changing the username mandatory for maintaining security. The plan of attack is simple: find WordPress sites using the default “admin” username and gain access by trying multiple passwords. Once in the front door, they inject a backdoor and create malware on site.

You don’t have to be a technical wizard to change your WordPress admin username. Here is how to do it and improve your WordPress site security in in the time takes to drink a cup of coffee without complex database changes or plugins. Watch the video or follow the instructions below:

Before you begin complete these simple steps and record the info for future use:

Selecting a New WordPress Admin Username and Password

Select Your new user name

Your username should be unique to you.
Attackers know these users names, so do not use any of these:
[wpcol_1quarter id=”” class=”” style=”color: #ff0000;”]admin or Admin
admin1
adm

[/wpcol_1quarter] [wpcol_1quarter id=”” class=”” style=”color: #ff0000;”]aaa
sysadmin
administrator

[/wpcol_1quarter] [wpcol_1quarter id=”” class=”” style=”color: #ff0000;”]user
test
qwerty

[/wpcol_1quarter] [wpcol_1quarter_end id=”” class=”” style=”color: #ff0000;”]manager
root
support

[/wpcol_1quarter_end]

Choose a New Password

2016: Upgrade your password to a passphrase. A passphrase is minimum of 16 characters. It can contain dictionary words and even be all lowercase letters according to Anthony T article author and founder of the online magazine UX Movement. Add complexity to your passphrase by adding a capital letter and a number. His example: design2Code4coffee.
Why Passphrases Are More User-Friendly Than Passwords – Smashing Magazine

The old advice of selecting a password that is at least eight characters long, uses a combination of upper case and lower case letters, numbers and symbols is not as good a bet as using a passphrase or a password generated by a password manager. Look to this article from WordPress.com Support for guidelines in selecting a strong WordPress password: Selecting a Strong Password

Two More Important “Pre-flight” Steps

Have a Second Email Address Ready

You will need another email address as no two users can have the same email address. It doesn’t have to be a “real” email address.

Backing Up Your Site is Recommended

This is always good practice when making changes or updates to your WordPress site. Contact your hosting provider if you need help with that.

Change Your WordPress Username and Password

Login into WordPress
In the Dashboard menu go to Users and select Add New.
Fill out the add new user form.
Use the second email address you have selected. You can change it later.WordPress will verify the strength of your new password as strong if it meets the requirements.
Select Administrator as the Role. This is important as you will need that level of access to delete the Admin user.
Click Add New User.
Logout of your site and login using your new user name and password.
Select Users.
Hover over the Admin row and click on the Delete link.
STOP BEFORE YOU PUSH THAT DELETE BUTTON! Select Attribute all posts and links to your new username. Failing to do so will delete all your posts.
Click Confirm Deletion
Open your new user account and change the email address to the original.

There you have it in the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee; you have changed your username and increased your site’s security. If you want help doing this call Artizon Digital. Need to get started with a WordPress website? Artizon Digital can get you going on that too.

Sue Surdam | Artizon Digital | WordPress Specialist and Social Media Solutions | 503-577-1035

The post How to Change Your WordPress Admin Username & Password – WP Security Tip first appeared on Social Media 101.

WordPress – Simple Way to Share a Post From Another Blog

Rick Bean | Rose City Commercial Real Estate — Sat, 02 Apr 2016 19:18:33 +0000

Want to share a post from another blog on your WordPress site? It is so simple and quick, I will have to call this a “Rick’s Sip” instead of a tip. In the time it takes to take of sip of coffee you can be sharing a great post from another blog on your site.

Next time you read a great post that you want to share, simply copy the link from your browser’s address bar and paste into your post to get this slick presentation. I am sharing this great article: It’s About Progress, Not Perfection by Gary Furr. This method produces this slick “sharing card”.

IT’S ABOUT PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION

Copy the link:

Here is example of the link:

https://garyfurrconsulting.com/its-about-progress-not-perfection/

The final step is to paste the link into your post and your done!

UPDATE: MailChimp power users that use the RSS feed to send out newsletter each time they post may find that the whole article is printing instead of an excerpt. I would recommend doing a test to see if this is the case with your newsletter. If so, skip this method and just use a basic link.

There you have in about the time it takes to take a sip of coffee, you have shared a great blog post on your site. Looking for other quick ways to share posts and articles from other sites? Check out Rick’s Tips: Make Blogging Easier With “Press This” For WordPress

The post WordPress – Simple Way to Share a Post From Another Blog first appeared on Social Media 101.

10 Free Facebook Cover Photo PSD Templates

Sue Surdam | Artizon Digital — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 17:00:51 +0000

Check out our new collection of 10 great free Facebook Cover Photo Photoshop PSD templates. We have gathered them from all over the web for you to choose from.

Creating a cover photo for your personal Timeline or Facebook business page is a snap. Just drag-and-drop your favorite photos into the template, change up the text and you have created your new personalized cover photo.

I even got into the creative grove and put together a free template for based on our lovely Oregon rainy days. I recently visited dozens of quilting shops with my quilter friend, Katie. Each shop was participating in the Row by Row Experience by offering a custom quilting pattern they had created based of this year’s theme of water. I don’t quilt but love to create so I did a free cover photo template for you based rain drops.

10 Free Facebook Timeline Cover Photo Template Sources and Our Download

1. Birdesign with Halloween just around the corner you will love this holiday cover photo template. Use the bonus marketing board to template to create a fun photo for a Halloween post.

2. Download Artizon Digital’s Free Rainy Day template. We’ve designed a free Facebook Timeline Cover Photo PSD Template inspired by rainy Portland Oregon days and the Duckfiles free Rainy Day Pattern.

3. Florabella shares three vintage frame templates and two collage Facebook Timeline cover photo templates. We love her use of one section solid with text in the design example for the three photo collage template.

4. PremiumCoding has designed a stylish 5 photo layout that is perfect for everything from business to weddings. Follow their design cue to making a group of photos harmonious by converting your photos to black and white.

5. Photodex has created two free PSD templates. Our favorite showcases a large full width photo with three small photos. We love the use of the small photos to show close ups of flowers encountered on the trail.

6. JHD offers 23 free Photoshop Facebook collage templates for you to choose from. If that wasn’t generous enough, Jeff also has included 10 photo templates perfectly sized for posting on your Timeline.

7. My Digital Backgrounds free template is a beautiful blend of organic design with hand drawn frames. This is a perfect time to use a sepia action or style on your photos.

9. DuckFiles blackboard template is perfect for fall back to school. The text is fully editable so you can customize the writing on the blackboard.

8. Free PSD File Velvet Facebook Cover Template PSD features a beautiful designed organic background for your favorite photos.

10. Decurz Design shares a fun bulletin board design that you can personalize to reflect your latest news and photos.

Rick’s Tips for Editing Photoshop PSD Templates

Facebook’s photo compression is brutal, so save your finished design as a high quality png.
Don’t own Photoshop? Use online photo editor Pixlr to open and edit PSD files. Gimp and Paint.Net are two other free alternatives to Photoshop.

More Social Media 101 Timeline Cover Photo Articles:

Sue Surdam | Artizon Digital | WordPress Specialist | 503-577-1035
Are you in need of a Facebook Brand Page Cover and don’t want to tackle it yourself? Photoshop and I can create a custom Facebook Cover for you. I also design and code Facebook Custom Landing/Application pages, which still are highly effective combined with a Facebook Ad.

The post 10 Free Facebook Cover Photo PSD Templates first appeared on Social Media 101.

What You Need to Know About the Google and Google+ Breakup

Sue Surdam | Artizon Digital — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 19:02:30 +0000

Rumors of a split between Google and Google+ have been flying around like tabloid stories since last fall. It is official and just like any divorce the assets are being split. In this settlement, it looks like Google+ will be loser, as it connection to many services and products are being severed.

Gmail, Hangouts, Steams, Photos and Google+

We should have known the breakup was coming when Google finally gave up trying to force a Google+ account on new Gmail users last fall. It was a quiet move, almost like a trial separation following rumors of martial problems. This was followed by Hangouts, one of Google+ most popular features, becoming a standalone app. The writing was definitely on the wall when Streams and Photo were separated in early Spring. Photos will getting its own app August 1st. Mandatory Google+ Gmail Integration Quietly Shelved

YouTube and Google+

Google+ will also losing connection to YouTube in the split. Coming up in the near future, a Google+ account will no longer be a requirement to create a channel, comment or upload a video. I am taking a leap and assuming that also means the annoying nag to make a or merge your YouTube account with your Google+ page will go away too.

In a few months from now, you won’t need a Google+ account to share YouTube videos, comment or do anything else on the site, really. Users who have linked their Google+ accounts to YouTube will also be able to remove their Google+ profiles from the service in the near future. – Google Weans Itself Off Of Google+, TechCrunch

WARNING FROM YouTube Official Blog:

If you want to remove your Google+ profile, you’ll be able to do this in the coming months, but do not do it now or you’ll delete your YouTube channel (no bueno).

Read the rest of the article, to see what’s in store for improving the overall YouTube experience:

Keeping the conversation going

Google My Business and Google+

Looks like Google+ will be giving up the business side of things too. Friday, July 28th, Google will begin to shut down unclaimed Google+ local pages. Does this mean that extra business page I didn’t create will go away? I can only hope. In the meanwhile, please be sure your business page is verified to avoid deletion.

Clearly this is a final step in separating local from Plus. Whether local will stay “debranded” or possibly take on a Local Finder essence beyond basic search and Map results isn’t clear. What is clear is that G+ and Google Local are no longer going to be bed partners. – Mike Blumenthal, Understanding Google My Business & Local Search

Google To Shutter Orphaned Google+ Pages Next Week (July 28)

What’s Next for Google+?

Many sources are declaring the “death” of Google+ is near. But Google claims they are not through with the social sharing network quite yet. Google VP of Streams, Photos and Sharing, Bradley Horowitz, maintains letting go of the concept of a Google+ profile that links a user across all Google’s platforms will support Google+ “becoming a place where people engage around their shared interests, with the content and people who inspire them.”

If you are wondering where it all went wrong with Google+, Samantha Allen, The Daily Beast shares her take on the social network in her farewell to Google+ article.

By this point, Google’s social networking site has been falsely declared dead more times than Sir Paul McCartney but, with these latest changes, the social media network may well become a thing of yesterday. Google+ will remain online—Horowitz expressed his hope that the changes “will lead to a more focused, more useful, more engaging Google+”—but in essence, it has been thrown out of Google’s house with its clothes already strewn on the lawn.

Farewell, Google+, We Hardly Knew Ye

It seems that Google+ is “only MOSTLY dead.” As Miracle Max from the movie Princess Bride pointed out, “There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.” As Google turns its attention toward the new, the future for the abandoned Google+ looks bleak. Please +1 this article just in case…

The post What You Need to Know About the Google and Google+ Breakup first appeared on Social Media 101.