Smashing Zine

Local Business Promotion with 'Facebook Places & Facebook Deals'

2013-01-24T16:21:00.000+05:30

Note: This is a guest article by Jake Anderson. More details about him after the post.

Having a website is alright if you have national or international reach. But that is not often the case if you own an around-the-corner drug store, a repair shop or a restaurant. People who are most likely to patronize your business in all probability will be living around, or at the best may try your business when they are traveling in your neighborhood.

Local businesses have to offer something special to their customers, without that there isn’t any reason to be at your place of business. Word of mouth is the usual way to attract customers and that is what ‘Facebook places’ is all about – a kind of word of mouth tool for small businesses. The only difference, and of course the better one, is that word of mouth travels slowly, but in Facebook it travels at an astonishing speed.

There are still more advantages to using Facebook Places and Facebook Deals to promote your businesses. Chief among these advantages is they cost you nothing, but hold big potential. If used judiciously, and if not overplayed with enthusiasm, Facebook Places and Facebook Deals will help you attract new customers who may want to try your joint, and still more, help you achieve loyalty. The little price that you will pay is, offering your prospective customers a small discount in the deals and nothing more than that.

Facebook is also about getting free promotion because you pay nothing for getting it, not even the advertisement charges you pay for putting a bit of information about your business in the newspapers. Newspaper ads, remember, are seldom remembered when it comes to dining or doing business in a small joint like the one you perhaps own. If you are just wondering about what I am trying to tell, just look out of your office window. Do you see the busy street with hundreds of cars and thousands of people moving around? Have you ever thought what it will be like to reach everyone out there to try your business? That is what again Facebook Places/Deals is all about.

With everyone out there and everyone getting savvier with mobiles and instant messages, the chances of you reaching out to them on their mobile has become easier, and it will be easier still if you are among the early birds to use Facebook Deals. Get your place under the sun when the going is good, Facebook Deals are new and presently is not crowded. That means you will win without having to fight against a crowd.

The first step towards doing all that is to create a Facebook Account. If creating a Facebook Account is too much for you, then, try giving the job to a professional who will do it for you, and promote your page as well for others to see. Don’t mind the little fee that you will have to pay the professional, because the money you spend will pay for itself in no time by way of increased patronage your business will be getting.

Have you ever known the reach that Facebook has? Chances are you don’t know, but don’t forget that the figure runs into millions, that much is sure. Did you also know that typical Facebook account owners have 130 friends on an average? If you don’t know that either, understand you are potentially loosing hundreds and thousands of customers and money as well. You can reverse all that in your favor with a Facebook Places and Deals page you get when you open an account with Facebook. Now is the best time to start because, Facebook Deals is still in beta stage and taking advantage of it can be easy if you get into it on time.

There are different kinds of Facebook Deals – Independent, Loyalty, Friend and Charity. Depending on your business, choose the right kind with your business in mind. The Independent deal is best when you want to give deals for a single person while the Friend deal is intended for those who come in large numbers. The Loyalty deal on the other hand is for those who have checked a predefined number of times which can be as less as 2 or as many as 20 times depending on how you want it. Finally, to make your Facebook Places and Facebook Deals a grand success, keep your employees informed about the deals you are offering, lest customers go away disappointed. Remember, I said, things move at astonishing speed in Facebook.

Have you used Facebook Places / Facebook Deals before for promoting your small business? How’s your experience with it? Please share about it in the comments below.

Author info:

This is a guest post by Jake Anderson of fastinternetdeals.com, a site that offers savings and current information on att internet deals.

P.S. If you would like to contribute an awesome guest post on Smashing Zine, please contact me HERE with the subject line : Guest Post (or) send me a DM on Twitter @arkarthick.

If you like this post, please StumbleUpon Like it too:

How to Get More Retweets on Twitter [Infographic]

2013-01-21T18:33:00.000+05:30

Twitter is one of the top among social media platforms to give bloggers and marketers more reach. Getting Retweets (RTs) is the primary tactic alongside making great connections. But it's not that easy particularly if you're starting out on Twitter. There are several factors that might impact how many Retweets you're going to get. This awesome infographic from Quick Sprout titled "The art of getting Retweet" will certainly help you. Check it out.

In case if you can't view the image correctly, click here.

What is your secret of getting more Retweets? Please comment below.

Don't forget to StumbleUpon Like this post:

Unbelievable Shape-shifting Octopus (Video)

2012-05-07T18:44:00.000+05:30

Here's an incredible video clip of shape-shifting Octopus. You can see how it camouflage itself behind algae to catch a fish, all within few seconds. Watch it on YouTube.

Venice in a day: Timelapse video

2012-05-03T06:14:00.000+05:30

A day in Venice (Venezia) in Italy, from dawn to sunset captured in awesome timelapse. from Vimeo

Mesmerizing waterscape photograph

2012-05-02T05:13:00.002+05:30

One of the mesmerizing photograph of the waterscapes, with vivid colors and haunting reflections - beautifully shot by Mohd Shamsudin.

Source: 500px

Crazy Cows Choreography

2010-07-19T20:03:00.000+05:30

Cows can dance too. Here you can see the hilariously done, crazy, creepy, surreal cows choreography video that make you say WTF. Dancing to the tune of artist Cyriak's Oddity!

Video Link

According to the creator of this clip, no cows were harmed during the making of this video, though their future prospects probably aren't as bright. Have a good laugh.

Unwrap the Ordinary and Make it Ace!

2010-07-06T19:46:00.000+05:30

How to Unwrap the Ordinary and Make it Ace?

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hpizka/

Get Ready for Your Blessings!

"Everything in life can be nourishing. Everything can bless us, but we've got to be there for the blessing to occur. Being present with quality is a decision we are invited to make each day." - MacRina Wiederkehr

Spirit/Soul is not only bringing into being in holy places, or by doing prayer / meditation, yoga / retreats etc. In fact, it is everywhere -- in your relationships (love/friendship), your job, your daily tasks, in nature ... if you are enthusiastic to unite deeply with your environment.

Open to unite with something you may have interest in (or may be not – start an initiative instead) and you open to its core, its purpose and sense. There are further dimensions of certainty below what we normally see and hear. Open to the sphinx.

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/_eve_/

Unwrap the Ordinary:

"We live in a world of theophanies (refers to the appearance of a deity to a human, or to a divine disclosure). Holiness comes wrapped in the ordinary. There are burning bushes all around you. Every tree is full of angels. Hidden beauty is waiting in every crumb. Life wants to lead you from crumbs to angels, but this can happen only if you are willing to unwrap the ordinary by staying with it long enough to harvest its treasure." - Macrina Wiederkehr

That's the way to go about things or thoughts that might look ordinary in your sense. Making it ace or inept all lies in openness of your mind. What's your take?

Vivaciously Hot Medical Awareness Ads!

2010-06-30T01:13:00.000+05:30

Title of this blog post 'Vivaciously Hot Medical Awareness/First-aid lesson Ads!' can look like a oxymoron until you watch these two video campaigns by Canadian brand Fortnight Lingerie. This is how you can hit two birds with one stone... well, from a creative point of view.

Rating: PG-13 Please...

Here's one of the buoyant CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) video you'll ever see -lingerie ad, for that matter. It features two Fortnight-clad ladies illustrating apt CPR technique, involving the firm but tender chest compressions and acute mouth-to-mouth revival.

Extends its helpful series of first-aid lessons, Fortnight Lingerie released one more video, in which a bloke illustrates the Abdominal Thrust (aka Heimlich maneuver -treatment for chocking) on a young lady in distress.

Brilliantly done or not? Have your say!

Via Super Sexy CPR

Love London: Superb Time-Lapse Video

2010-06-25T22:54:00.000+05:30

A Superbly done time-lapse video tribute to London, made by Alex Silver during his final days studying abroad in that lovely city. This is too awesome for words and paired with such a great song ("You've Got the Love" by Florence and the Machine) too. Just watch this clip...

Dazzling, seriously, it's unbelievable! Ain't it? The dedication took to achieve this sort of time-lapse video is commendable and Alex loved London enough to put something like this together. Kudos!

Death to The Death Penalty?

2010-06-19T01:26:00.001+05:30

Death Penalty (Capital punishment) has in the past been practiced in virtually every society. Today, most countries are considered by Amnesty International as abolitionists (currently only 58 nations actively practice it, with 139 countries abolishing it), which allowed a vote on a nonbinding resolution to the UN to promote the abolition of the death penalty. However, over 60% of the world's population live in countries where executions take place insofar as the four most populous countries in the world (the People's Republic of China, India, United States and Indonesia) apply the death penalty and are unlikely to abolish it in the near future.

Here is a creative, simply beautiful, yet powerful anti-death penalty Public Service Ad produced for Amnesty International by Digital District, directed by Pleix.

(Song: Carly Comando - Everyday)

Convinced to end death penalty?

How you can help then?

Join Amnesty and be active globally for human rights.

Still not convinced (like me?):

In my personal opinion, when a criminal commits a horrible, intolerable, destructive offense, give that person the option of life imprisonment (which can be cruel as well) without the possibility of parole plus restitution or death. Let the sinner choose how he'd like to spend/end the rest of his life. Have your valuable say in this sensitive issue.

Can You Stand Vuvuzela Horn? Play 2 Games To Find out!

2010-06-16T15:42:00.003+05:30

Whether you have watched it at stadiums or on TV, the most annoying and controversial thing in this year's South Africa "World Cup" Football is, undoubtedly Vuvuzela (Yes! that endless, high-pitched drone), the air horn which can emit sound at 100 odd dB - contributing to football matches with precariously high sound pressure levels for unprotected ears.

Image Credit: Flickr

Vuvuzelas have been criticized for noise-induced hearing loss, potentially spreading colds/flu viruses on a greater scale than coughing/shouting and finally drowning the sound & atmosphere of football games. Commentators have described the sound as "annoying" and "satanic" and compared it with a stampede of noisy elephants/a deafening swarm of locusts/a goat on the way to slaughter/a giant hive full of very angry bees.

OK! Here comes couple of 'very pleasing to your ears' Vuvuzela application/game.

Caution: Play at your own risk ;-)

1. The Vuvuzela Button! - Press the Horn to Hear. You can change it's color too :-) (Less Annoying)

Via: http://www.gameshot.org/?id=4949

2. How long can you stand Vuvuzela? Play and find out! (Torture Maximum till you press the STOP button)

Via: http://bartbonte.com/vuvuzela/

I could manage to stand Vuvuzela sound through my speakers at high volume for 7 seconds only. Freaking noisy indeed.

Let's share your Vuvuzela hearing endurance in the comments section.

Life As A Mirror

2010-06-14T20:55:00.002+05:30

Consider Your Life As A Mirror!

Image Source

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." - C.G. Jung

We get hints about our unconscious programming if we watch our reactions/responses, sensations and thoughts about other people and events.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. How do I judge / stereotype people?

2. What pushes my buttons?

3. What makes me angry / fearful / sad?

The outer occurrences that trigger these reactions in me simply MIRROR my own nature. If I didn't have faiths around the problems that bother me, where would my responses come from? If I didn't have some reference within, I wouldn't respond at all.

When outer occurrences spark a response, we need to look within to explore what’s going on.

"We discover in ourselves what others hide from us and we recognize in others what we hide from ourselves." - Vauvenargues

Raw Footage of Israeli Navy Attack on Gaza Flotilla

2010-06-11T15:42:00.002+05:30

Known News: On the night of Sunday, May 30, 2010 showing a terrifying disregard for human life, Israeli naval forces surrounded and boarded ships sailing to bring humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip. On the largest ship, the Mavi Marmara, Israeli commandos opened fire on civilian passengers, killing at least 9 passengers and wounding dozens more. Others are still missing. The final death toll is yet to be determined.

Now Breaking in: Cultures of Resistance director Iara Lee was aboard the besieged ship and has since returned home safely. Despite the Israeli government’s thorough efforts to confiscate all footage taken during the attack, Iara Lee was able to retain some of her video recordings. Below is 15 minutes of raw, shocking footage from the moments leading up to and during the Israeli commandos’ assault on the Mavi Marmara.

Read the complete news coverage HERE and HERE.

15 Surprising Facts About the Human Body

2010-06-09T22:36:00.002+05:30

You know the definition of the perfectly designed machine.... The perfectly designed machine is one in which all its working parts wear out simultaneously. I am that machine. ~Frederick Alexander Lindemann

The "human body" is the entire structure of a human organism and it is an amazing machine indeed. Find out how it works from head to toe through this stunning infographic which illustrates 15 Surprising facts about the human body which you probably didn't know.

(Click on the image to enlarge)

Via Source: Online Education

Here is a Bonus Video (Cool Science Facts About The Human Body):

Related posts you may find interesting:

Human Body - National Geographic (Science)

Top 15 Amazing Facts About The Human Body - Listverse

15 Facts You Didn't Know About Your Body - Oddee

10 Things You Didn't Know About You - Live Science

Cutest Super Mario Bros Remake

2010-06-08T00:41:00.001+05:30

Awww... one of the cutest kids video I've seen in a while. Kerry Phillips & family wanted to act out the story of The Super Mario Bros "Mario and Luigi" one weekend. Mario is played by two year old Raiden, and Luigi is played by five year old Ryker.

What's more? Want to see uncut edition that have couple of deleted scenes and a blooper reel at the end showcasing some of the funny outtakes? HERE it is :-)

Awesome parents & Cutest kids. Bliss & Bless! Wonderful family indeed...

What is Love?

2010-06-03T20:56:00.000+05:30

The Obvious Question : What is Love?

Three Quotes that answer the question and describe what love is.

1. Where to love is to know; to love is to act...

"When mystics use the word love, they use it very carefully -- in the deeply spiritual sense, where to love is to know; to love is to act. If you really love, from the depths of your Consciousness, that love gives you a native wisdom. You perceive the needs of others intuitively and clearly, with detachment from any personal desires; and you know how to act creatively to meet those needs, dexterously surmounting any obstacle that comes in the way. Such is the immense, driving power of love." - Eknath Easwaran

2. Love is not a doing but a state of being...

"Therefore, when I say that ‘I love,’ it is not I who love, but in reality Love who acts through me. Love is not so much something I do as something that I am. Love is not a doing but a state of being - a relatedness, a connectedness to another mortal, an identification with her or him that simply flows within me and through me, independent of my intentions or my efforts." - Robert A. Johnson

3. When the heart speaks...

"When you are aware that you are the force that is Life, anything is possible. Miracles happen all the time, because those miracles are performed by the heart. The heart is in direct communion with the human soul, and when the heart speaks, even with the resistance of the head, something inside you changes; your heart opens another heart, and true love is possible." - Don Miguel Ruiz

Pictures Credit: AmO Images

Ozzy Spook at the Madame Tussauds

2010-05-31T20:33:00.000+05:30

In light of Ozzy Osbourne's (British singer-songwriter) new album "Scream" out 6/22, legendary Ozzy decided to have some fun & make people scream by scaring the s*it out of unsuspecting tourists at the Madame Tussauds wax museum, New York in Times Square.

Watch this hilarious video clip on how people got spooked by Ozzy :-)

Video Link

Was Hell Extinct? -Proof! (Classic Joke)

2010-05-27T20:29:00.001+05:30

I want to share with you a classic joke that circled around e-mails for quite some time.

Was Hell Extinct? Yes! Here's a scientific proof!

The following is an actual question given on a University of Arizona chemistry mid-term, and an actual answer turned in by a student.

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving, which is unlikely. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today.

Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, 'It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you,' and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct..... ....leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting 'Oh my God.'

This student quite rightly received an A+ grade in the process too :-)

Source: E-mail forwarding

Stunning Facts About Steve Jobs

2010-05-24T15:59:00.000+05:30

Steven Paul "Steve" Jobs (born February 24, 1955) is an American technology business tycoon, successful entrepreneur and the co-founder/CEO (chief executive officer) of Apple Inc.. Steve Jobs is a force of nature, a truly iconic man of the computer industry whose quirks are nearly as famous as the product he sells. Here are a few facts (fifteen, in fact!) you may not have known about the great man.

Via: OnlineSchools.org

Related Posts:

15 interesting facts about Apple's CEO Steve Jobs, his career and all about him as leader and thinker

11 Things You Didn’t Know About Steve Jobs

Facts about Steve Jobs

Top 10 Little known facts about Steve Jobs

Twenty facts you should know about Steve Jobs

Cat Rules!

2010-05-20T11:52:00.000+05:30

Cat Rules! No doubt about that. Here is the proof.

This cat masters a dog house, says "Who's my bi*ch!? I can has house" and adamant in leaving it. Poor doggie has no other choice than barking, roaming around, and running away for it's life. Watch this epic video!

Future Ruler For Sure!

2010-05-18T19:18:00.000+05:30

Well, this little baby could barely stand on his feet... But look at the response he got from the crowd every time he raised his hands up.

Awesome and Hilarious indeed. Future ruler in the making for sure!

Watch this video and be amused...

To Tattoo or Not To...

2010-05-16T15:01:00.000+05:30

When you are in doubt whether to tattoo or not to tattoo, this extensive flowchart will guide you in the decision :-). Well, most probably not! You're going to get that anyway...

Via Kontraband

Curious Kittens and Anxious Momma Cat

2010-05-14T00:36:00.000+05:30

Two curious kittens + Slide = One anxious momma cat

Two kittens falling/playing down slide, one by one. First one stranded in midway and rescued by momma cat. Second one, keep on enjoying the slide and oops! See this video and say Awwwwww...

Via CollegeHumor

Truthful Nigerian 419 Scam Prince

2010-05-12T10:09:00.002+05:30

If only, the Nigerian princes are this much truthful, most people don't fall pray to their advance fee fraud (419/Nigerian Scam) and getting their wealth ripped off. Mr. Robert Dutu seemed to be pretty fair about his ultimate aim (aka Important Business Proposal) and gentle with his clients at least :-)

Image Source

Mr. Robert Dutu and Mike Nash were continued to be in touch and chat more about the progress after that: Go Here

Find more and be aware of the 419/Nigerian Scam HERE and don't fall prey to such frauds!

Cutest Mini Weapon You Will Ever See

2010-05-10T09:55:00.001+05:30

OMG! This must be one of the cutest, tiniest weapon you'll ever see. Homemade miniature cannon shoots and destroys objects. It fires mini steel balls with great power and accuracy. In this video clip, you can see how this cool toy did pierce through an empty can, broke light bulb, an egg, a mug and a balloon with tremendous intensity and precision. Designed by a goldsmith.

Via this YouTube Channel