tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2033331254699920982013-05-06T05:24:39.489-04:00One-Stop Shopping for Facebook Tips and TricksCraig Smithnoreply@blogger.comBlogger116125facebooktipsblog/htYEhttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-63000593625726325782013-04-28T18:04:00.004-04:002013-04-28T18:04:51.091-04:002013-04-28T18:04:51.091-04:00

In the world of social media marketing, timing is everything and Facebook marketing is no exception. The competition is stiff these days as every brand on the planet has figured out that social media needs to play a large role in their marketing efforts.  As if the increased content generation wasn't enough of a challenge for a brand to get their message in front of their community, you now

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-77053243559189900432013-02-18T09:51:00.001-05:002013-02-18T09:51:44.461-05:002013-02-18T09:51:44.461-05:00

I am sure most of you have heard by now about the “20% rule” that Facebook recently instituted for advertisers and page administrators. If not, the basic premise of the rule is that any image in a Facebook ad can have no more than 20% text. This goes for traditional ("like") ads and sponsored ads. The rule also applies to page cover images. Facebook always has their eye on the customer

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-40577962815393820592013-02-03T09:56:00.000-05:002013-02-03T09:58:05.295-05:002013-02-03T09:58:05.295-05:00

These days, just about everyone watches TV with some sort of second screen device nearby. Whether it is a laptop, tablet, smartphone or iPod, many TV viewers are able, and willing, to go online when prompted to get more out of their viewing experience. The NFL and their teams understand the second screen tendencies of the average TV viewer and use it to their advantage by incorporating 

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-16151885614877024742013-01-29T19:23:00.002-05:002013-01-29T19:23:37.679-05:002013-01-29T19:23:37.679-05:00

Have you ever been on a mobile device and wished that you could monitor and maintain your Facebook page? OK, maybe you haven't, but as a person that manages quite a few pages, and spends a bunch of time on an iPad, trust me, it's a valuable option. The reality is that rational customers don't expect you to be monitoring your page every moment of the day and responding instantaneously, but they

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-36856771543453810812013-01-27T09:50:00.000-05:002013-01-27T09:50:36.400-05:002013-01-27T09:50:36.400-05:00

In case you missed it, Facebook announced a short while ago that they are limiting the amount of text in images used in advertising to 20% of the image.  Now, if you place an ad on Facebook that includes an image with more than 20% of it covered in text, it will be rejected (and yes, Facebook is actually enforcing their rule this time). Side note: This 20% rule appears to go for all images in

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-5859069753044631152013-01-23T18:33:00.000-05:002013-01-26T18:36:53.160-05:002013-01-26T18:36:53.160-05:00

Facebook’s announcement last week of their new Graph Search feature has certainly made an impression on the digital marketing community.  The feature hasn't even been rolled out to the masses yet and already marketers are scrambling to find a way to use it to their advantage. If Graph Search enjoys even modest success, it will only be a matter of time before Facebook SEO becomes a viable

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-17685126393953451892013-01-19T17:48:00.000-05:002013-01-26T18:27:52.306-05:002013-01-26T18:27:52.306-05:00

Buried in yesterday’s announcement of Facebook’s new Graph Search feature was the mention of Bing web searches being included in some Graph Search results. OK, I am sure you are asking why this is a big deal. After all, Facebook has been returning Bing web search results as part of their search feature for some time. My answer can be summed up in one word: Focus. Facebook is clearly

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-63407041927603201242013-01-19T17:43:00.000-05:002013-01-26T17:44:25.950-05:002013-01-26T17:44:25.950-05:00

For months now, there has been a pretty significant shift in Facebook brand marketing. Facebook strategy has slowly moved from focusing on gaining page likes to building community engagement in order to build EdgeRank authority. As brand strategists, we have all scrambled to find ways to optimize our posts and use advertising creatively to earn that all-important spot of real estate in a

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-84674744407524045602012-12-28T14:01:00.000-05:002012-12-28T14:04:38.770-05:002012-12-28T14:04:38.770-05:00

Here is a new Facebook feature that may be more useful than it sounds. Facebook is allowing users to create New Years Messages for friends that will be held and delivered at midnight on New Year's Eve. So why wouldn't you just send the messages yourself at that time? Considering the enormous room for error when sending Facebook messages on a mobile device in a crowded, dark, loud place, this

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-20924713554469075742012-12-08T14:18:00.000-05:002012-12-08T14:18:03.167-05:002012-12-08T14:18:03.167-05:00

Here is an interesting infographic from marketing software-maker Vocus that attempts to answer the question: Is Facebook really a place for personal expression or brand marketing? Given Facebook's recent obsession with creating revenue streams by focusing on brands, the conclusion at the end of this infographic should probably come as no surprise. That said, why can't it be a place for both? If

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-50220849381645770782012-12-08T08:44:00.000-05:002012-12-08T08:44:41.311-05:002012-12-08T08:44:41.311-05:00

Facebook unveiled their list of the 25 "Top Rated Social Games of 2012" this week, and it should be no surprise that SongPop tops the chart. Facebook combined App Center rankings with overall game engagement levels to determine the rankings. Interestingly, in their blog post about the list, Facebook points out that only 56% of these games live on Facebook.com, with the remaining games being

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-48093493507641918602012-12-05T20:23:00.002-05:002012-12-05T20:23:16.853-05:002012-12-05T20:23:16.853-05:00

Ever had a Facebook friend that you didn't want to offend, but their posts were so annoying that you wished you didn't have to see them? (OK, all of my friends and subscribers can stop nodding right now!) Maybe they change their profile and cover image three times a day; Maybe they post 25 times a day; Maybe they spend all day posting updates about the game they are playing; Maybe they listen

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-41509648800548104472012-12-04T19:04:00.000-05:002012-12-04T19:04:03.080-05:002012-12-04T19:04:03.080-05:00

Each year the wedü team (where I work) gets in the spirit by decorating our four gigantic street-side windows. This year, we have decided to break the company up into teams and create four unique window displays. Each window design team was partnered with a New Hampshire-based charity. Our windows not only had to conform to this year's theme of "The Offseason" (chosen by Facebook users in a

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-7001047248637053592012-12-01T08:05:00.001-05:002012-12-01T08:07:14.692-05:002012-12-01T08:07:14.692-05:00

Here is a great way to help fight AIDS while educating your friends on Twitter or Facebook. In observance of today's World AIDS Day 2012, Durex Condoms has created a simple, yet important campaign. All you have to do is tweet or Facebook share a pre-written statement from the 1Share1Condom microsite and Durex will donate a condom to a HIV prevention project. Durex's goal is 2.5 million condoms

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-43203651070935377462012-11-28T22:03:00.000-05:002012-11-28T22:03:05.512-05:002012-11-28T22:03:05.512-05:00

Facebook released a boatload of data from Black Friday earlier today. Among the facts and figure was an interesting list of the top U.S.-based retailers that were "talked about" on Black Friday. As you probably know, the "people talking about" metric Facebook uses to measure business page buzz takes into account every time a user creates a "story" (likes, comments, posts, shares, RSVPs,

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-18886489700861459612012-11-26T20:43:00.000-05:002012-11-26T21:36:52.001-05:002012-11-26T21:36:52.001-05:00

Being in the digital marketing business, I spend a lot of time on social media sites. I am constantly planning campaigns, checking out how my active campaigns are going, seeing what the competition is doing, etc, etc, etc. Because I spend so much time with social media, I see scams almost daily. Some are very sophisticated and well thought-out and some are so bootleg and obvious that you almost

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-54533030438071543112012-11-25T20:47:00.001-05:002012-11-25T20:47:54.731-05:002012-11-25T20:47:54.731-05:00

OK, Not exactly Facebook news, but still something you might be interested in...  On my main blog, Digital Marketing Ramblings, I have created a huge listing of Cyber Monday Deals from as many Retailers, Online Shops and Brands as I could find.  One of my many hobbies is couponing and deal-hunting, so I figured I since I was searching for deals anyways, might as well share with everyone. 

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-38135129837841641642012-11-18T10:01:00.000-05:002012-11-18T10:22:08.504-05:002012-11-18T10:22:08.504-05:00

Update (1020am): Yes, it is a scam and most likely a phishing expedition  Here is a response from Target on their Facebook wall to a comment asking about the "deal." Original Post: If you have been on Facebook this morning, you undoubtedly have seen posts from friends that appear to claim an offer for Target Gift Vouchers. I have seen amounts ranging from $150-500. I can't verify if the are

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-26050325170821626482012-11-11T16:22:00.003-05:002012-11-11T16:22:15.418-05:002012-11-11T16:22:15.418-05:00

There are currently 42 million Facebook business pages in existence. If you are still on the fence about creating a page and need a little encouragement, check out this infographic from Ambassador about the benefits to having a Facebook business page. Brand awareness, consumer loyalty and sales. It's that simple.  If this post does convince you to set up a new business page, here is a

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-42220421813380463532012-11-11T08:27:00.001-05:002012-11-11T08:27:38.617-05:002012-11-11T08:27:38.617-05:00

If you have followed this blog for any period of time, you know that I am one of the biggest proponents of Facebook advertising around. With all the competition out there, organic community growth on Facebook is pretty much dead and brands that advertise regularly and creatively are likely to build a strong following. So how do you get started? Thankfully, Tech Diva Media has put together this

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-65209641174410922712012-11-10T17:39:00.001-05:002012-11-10T17:39:21.809-05:002012-11-10T17:39:21.809-05:00

One of the biggest issues I have heard Facebook users have with their timeline is the clutter that the two-column layout creates. The old one-column profile layout was less busy and much easier to follow. Here is a quick Facebook hack that anyone can do to remove the second column and make your Facebook timeline looking a bit more like your old profile. 1) Go to Social Fixer and download their

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-10691938644220692052012-11-10T10:28:00.000-05:002012-11-10T10:37:12.069-05:002012-11-10T10:37:12.069-05:00

One of the more important features of a Facebook page timeline is app thumbnails. Facebook gives prime real estate to these images just below the cover image, making them the perfect place to include calls to action on your page. This is important because, as you know, cover images cannot include any sort of call to action or advertising. Changing an app thumbnail isn't difficult, but it also

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-15407937503309257592012-11-10T02:35:00.000-05:002012-11-09T23:48:10.973-05:002012-11-09T23:48:10.973-05:00

Businesses have countless reasons for setting up a Facebook page these days. Building brand loyalty, generating website traffic, improving customer service, driving offline sales and product research are all examples of outcomes brands value and are looking to achieve when setting up shop on the world’s largest social network. Generally speaking, all of the desired Facebook marketing outcomes

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-30462316284687883252012-11-08T17:01:00.000-05:002012-11-09T23:19:50.826-05:002012-11-09T23:19:50.826-05:00

Facebook announced tonight that they have given friendship pages a new look, which immediately prompted me to ask: What the heck is a friendship page? Apparently friendship pages have existed for a couple of years and while I haven't quite identified the benefits to having them, browsing a few of them is an interesting way to waste a few minutes and bring back some memories. Facebook friendship

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203333125469992098.post-25174403923676617592012-10-16T02:52:00.000-04:002012-11-09T23:19:57.676-05:002012-11-09T23:19:57.676-05:00

We all do it. Whether you are a community manager, a digital strategist or a small business owner maintaining your own page, you will undoubtedly be Googling the size of a particular Facebook image at some point. Luckily, DreamGrow has made all of our lives easier. They have created and regularly updated this super-handy post and infographic that list and show all of the various Facebook

Craig Smithhttps://plus.google.com/117555990096315491864noreply@blogger.com1