Social media isn’t so new… we’ve always had word of mouth referrals. How we spread the word is the only thing that’s changed.

We’ve come a long way from the days when a local merchant (a pub owner, let’s say) would pay the Town Crier to walk the streets ringing his bell and urging folk to visit the Bull and Thistle for a “tankard of ale most fine”. Now there are so many methods for getting your message out that the question isn’t whether you SHOULD market your business, but HOW you should do it.

In times past, the pub owner may easily have been able to stand on his front step offering that tankard of ale to passersby, but he didn’t have the same reach as the Town Crier. And while increased reach is an important goal for marketing your business it’s not the only consideration. Beyond reach, your messages should be created with distinct purposes in mind. These could be helping you in developing your brand, generating awareness, introducing new products or services, making offers, connecting with new customers or encouraging repeat business. All of these goals can be achieved with varying degrees of success using traditional media such as print, radio or television, but since social media is becoming the medium of choice for more of your audience, it would be foolish to ignore these new tools.

Social Media Users, Use it a LOT

More people are using social media platforms like blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc. to keep in touch, to record and share their own experiences and interests, as well as to seek information and be entertained. The total number of Facebook users in Canada is over 18M or approximately 54% of Canada’s population. This number is equivalent to over 70% of the number of Canadian internet users. A recent Nielsen survey revealed that the average user spends 7 hours, 9 minutes on Facebook each month and visits the site nearly every day. This represents 18% of total time spent online by the average user. With so many people spending so much time on platforms like Facebook, it would seem then, that regular and consistent use of social media would improve your chances of effectively reaching your customers over any other medium.

The distinct advantage online tools such as social media have over traditional media is the potential for two-way communication. Your customers can leave comments and reviews, ask questions, or make referrals and recommendations about your product or service. In other words – and this is the social part – your customers can have a conversation with you in direct response to your online communications. This gives you better opportunities to develop stronger relationships with your clients. Stronger relationships lead to better awareness, greater trust and ultimately, a higher potential for sales.

Social Media is GOOD for SEO

There are additional reasons for using social media for your business as well. You can use it to demonstrate your expertise and offer proof that choosing your business is the best decision your customers can make. Plus, it can improve your online rankings. Links back to your website from social media posts now carry more weight with search engines such as Google than other types of links. This increases your likelihood of being found on the internet by people who are searching for the products or services you provide. Once again, if done properly and with regular frequency, this can lead to more sales.

While these tools are effective, they don’t all work the same, nor do they reach the same audiences, so jumping right in and starting a Facebook page or setting up a Twitter account might not be the wisest decision. Instead, you should start by developing a social media strategy to guide your efforts.

If all of this is beginning to sound like a lot of additional work that you don’t have the time or skills to execute properly, don’t despair. Just as the Town Crier was available to promote the busy pub owner, there are agencies capable of helping you with your marketing, either through traditional media or using online social tools. So whether you choose to investigate the various tools and develop a social media strategy for yourself or work with an agency to help you reach more customers, your business will benefit from using social media.

If you’d like help developing and implementing your own social media strategy, then please get in touch, we’re just a phone call or email hidden; JavaScript is required away.

The internet is a BIG place. Getting found online requires a proactive strategy which should include SEO.*

If you’re a retail business owner, one of the key factors contributing to your success is location. A prime spot in a busy mall or on a thriving downtown city street can be as important as your product, price or promotions. If you’re not blessed with the best location, or don’t have a storefront kind of business, you’ll have to work harder at attracting customers. There are many ways of marketing your business and in today’s wired world, many businesses turn to the internet. If you have a website or are planning one, you might wonder what will make your online space a prime location that’s easily found by potential customers?

Since there are no avenues or sidewalks, “window-shopping” happens differently on the internet and getting found online requires more than simply creating an attractive website. Claiming a domain name (your web address) that either includes your company name (joetheplumber.com) or describes the product or service you sell (drainsunclogged.ca) certainly helps. But if potential customers don’t know you by name or are searching for different terms than the ones you use in your domain name, they won’t be finding your website.

Getting Found Online Begins with SEO

Most of us use search engines like Google, Yahoo or Bing to find the products and services we’re seeking on the web. There is no shortage of studies revealing the advantages of having links to your website appear on the first page of search engine results. Of course, the closer to the top of page one you show up, the better. It makes sense then, to consider search engines as a key component to being found online. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a much-discussed but often under-utilized practice employed to help improve a website’s “natural” or unpaid search engine results. And while many SEO “specialists” may make claims guaranteeing you page one rankings, there is no magic, quick-fix solution that will put you at the top of search results and, more importantly, keep you there.

Many search engines rank websites higher if they have links from social media sites.*

The goal of search engines like Google is to display websites that have the most relevance to search terms; they do this by ranking sites on a variety of factors. Websites with useful, keyword-rich content that is current and consistently updated are given more weight than pretty, image-heavy sites with little to say. Other influencing factors are referral links from other websites, links from online advertising, and, more recently, social media links. You thought all that chatter on Facebook and Twitter was about what people had for lunch? Recent changes to ranking criteria now place greater value on links and traffic from social media sites. Shares and ‘likes’ on social networks are considered personal recommendations and thought to be more reliable as a gauge of usefulness and relevance than paid advertising or traditional linking strategies. The more traffic your website receives from social media sites, the better its chance to rank higher with Google and other search engines.

Keyword Research and Regularly Updated Content Help

Achieving top rankings takes patience, effort and time, and not simply the time required to optimize a site in the first place. Search engines may not send their “bots” to visit your business website immediately after you submit it for indexing, but they will return to your site again and again to review and adjust rankings if you regularly update it with fresh content. This too, takes time. Writing rich content which connects with customers and search engines alike is no easy task. Keyword research – the process of understanding which terms are being used in searches – is time-consuming and keeping your site ranking well requires continuous monitoring. What’s more, there are plenty of other websites competing for attention that will also be using many of the same keywords. If these competitors have been there well ahead of you, it may take a while to unseat them. Do you have the time, knowledge or ability to do all this SEO work yourself? If not, you might want to consider hiring website professionals to assist you in this ongoing process.

If you decide to engage a web or SEO agency, ignore any inflated claims about “guaranteed page one rankings” and take a look at the work they’re doing for themselves and others. Do the web professionals and their clients rank well for a variety of the search terms you would expect them to? Do they do well at updating their own site, blog or social media channels? If yes, then take the next step and speak to them about optimizing your business website to make it a prime piece of online real estate that attracts and retains customers.

If you’d like help developing and implementing your own SEO strategy, then please get in touch, we’re just a phone call or email hidden; JavaScript is required away.

*Photo Credit: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Eric jots a few notes onto the whiteboard during our planning session.

At poloDesign, we managed to take some much needed time off over the holidays. And while the break was appreciated, work was never far from our minds. As 2012 was in its final days, we turned to our whiteboard and began to map out some of the areas of our business we wanted to focus on for the new year. These included setting sales goals for the different services we provide, discussing expenses, reviewing our business processes and the tools we use, as well as examining our use of various social media platforms. We then made decisions about how to move forward in accomplishing our goals.

We’ve found these whiteboard brainstorming sessions to be useful in the planning process and have begun incorporating them into our work with clients. Penny recently took the whiteboard to a client meeting to assist in mapping out the beginning stages of a website project. All parties involved found the session to be of great value as it allowed stakeholders to contribute their ideas for the project and to see how the different pieces might fit together. This resulted in a clear understanding of how the project would proceed and a series of next steps for those involved.

As much we all seem to resist it, the beauty of planning is that you can bring targets into focus, make decisions about how to accomplish goals and assign tasks as needed. While reviewing the state of our own business for 2013, it was encouraging for us to identify 28 clients whom we are currently actively involved with. These are either clients whose projects are in process or those which we are quoting on.

As you can imagine, with such a large number of clients it’s important to be able to assess where we’re at with each individual project so we can make certain we’re on top of things. Regular reviews and discussion of next steps is essential. This means that the planning process is not a one-time exercise done only at the beginning of the year. No matter how formally or informally you do it, it’s important to make regular periodic assessments of your business to ensure you’re on track to reach your goals.

The main thing, as is so often said in business, is to have a plan and work it. We’re looking forward to what 2013 has to offer as we begin to put our plans into play. How about you? Have you made plans for your business?

If you’d like to discuss how poloDesign’s online web services can help you accomplish your business goals for 2013, then please get in touch, we’re just a phone call or email hidden; JavaScript is required away.

Email marketing is far from dead. The Direct Marketing Association estimates the ROI for email in 2012 at $39.40 earned for every $1 spent.*

With so many business people jumping on the social media bandwagon these days you could be forgiven for thinking that email marketing is on the way out. After all, that’s what everyone keeps saying. But you shouldn’t believe everything you hear. Email is still alive and strong. What’s more, it still delivers positive results when used effectively.

In an online survey from earlier this year 66% of respondents revealed that they had made a purchase as a direct result of email marketing. As always, it’s important to consider your target audience when using any form of marketing. The same survey showed that adults aged 45 and up were less likely to be influenced by social media ads than those under 45. It should come as no surprise then, that 87% of social media marketers also reported using email to reach their customers as well.

Keep it Personal

With a good email marketing system you can personalize how you’re connecting with your clients. You can segment your mailing lists based on client criteria such as gender, age, geography, interests, previous purchases, etc. If you sell a mixed line of products you could announce new arrivals of flashy bling to your jewellery clients and send your 20% off all summer sandals clearance sale teaser to your footwear customers. You could reward your best-spending clients with offers of exclusive discounts or invitations to intimate VIP events as an added incentive to signing up for your email list. Want to offer clients a discount with a Birthday Greeting? Try doing that with Facebook. With segmented mailing lists the possibilities are endless once you get started.

Track Your Effectiveness

If you’re using a good email marketing system which utilizes white-listed servers and offers tracking and reporting statistics, you’ll learn far more about the effectiveness of your campaigns than if you send out through your own email address. The statistics available can tell you how many clients on your list you’re reaching, how many times they’re opening your email, how many of them are clicking on links, and how many are sharing your email with others. Plus, you’ll minimize the risk of being flagged as a spammer and avoid problems with your email provider.

Promote Seasonal Events and Other Opportunities

You can develop customer attention and awareness by promoting your business through email during important sales cycles such as seasonal holidays and events.*

Of course, email marketing only works when you send to your permission-based subscriber list regularly. Be honest; you’re likely not using email as often or as well as you could. That’s not to say you should bombard people with mailings, just that there are opportunities to use email that you may not be taking advantage of. If you use print or radio advertising you should also send out an email that complements those campaigns. If there are holidays or seasonal events that factor in your business, don’t assume your clients are thinking of you automatically. Create an email campaign to drive awareness and remind your customers about your special offers and seasonal events.

Remember though, sales and special events aren’t the only content you can share via email. You can also use it to demonstrate expertise by going into greater detail about products or services. People take more time to read a well-written email than they would a lengthy post on Facebook. What’s more, when your email marketing messages are planned strategically to share your blog posts or links to your website you’ll increas traffic to your web site. This helps to improve your rankings in search engine results which helps others find your business when they go looking on Google.

Connect Email to Social Platforms

You should understand as well that marketing through email doesn’t mean ignoring social channels either. Effective email marketing systems include options for adding social sharing links. This means that, in addition to being able to forward your email on to their friends, your recipients can also share your email to their social networks too. The value of social sharing is that your message can reach far beyond the limits of your subscriber list.

So don’t delete that old email subscriber list you’ve been nurturing all these years. You worked hard to win the trust of your clients and, in turn, they’ve given you their email addresses with permission to send them occasional mailings. The tools available are robust and effective. As with any form of marketing, the stumbling block usually lies in whether or not you use tools like email marketing (or social media) with consistency and regular frequency. So what are you waiting for? A little time spent with email can generate positive results.

If you’d like help developing your own email marketing campaigns, then please get in touch, we’re just a phone call or email hidden; JavaScript is required away.

*Photo Credit: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

It’s not about luck!

Your creation and delivery of effective business communications shouldn’t rely on luck to find an audience.

Effective business communications don’t just happen. To get a customer’s attention you have to earn it; to do so you need to rise above all the other competing interests. Once attention is earned, you won’t want to waste your opportunity with a hastily-conceived strategy or unclear message. This can easily happen if your marketing efforts are only carried out in response to factors such as a competitor’s event or an advertising salesperson’s call. Reaching the right customer at the right time with the right message takes careful planning and co-ordination.

Successful businesses consider many factors when creating their communications plan including: their reason for marketing (building awareness, driving sales, etc.), the customers they want to reach, the media to be used and the available budget. This is a good start in the planning process, but where does communication by design come in? If you’ve identified what you want to market and to whom, the next question is how?

Tie it all together

When properly planned, your marketing messages can be extended across a variety of communication platforms.

With all the available ways to reach customers it’s unlikely that any single one will be enough. Not all of your customers read the newspaper, listen to same radio station or participate in social media. Your chance of reaching distracted consumers increases when you use different media together. For maximum results, you’ll need to design your communications to complement each other. A print advertisement or even a business card could include a QR (quick response) code or web address which directs customers to your website for more detailed info, product demo videos and opportunities to make inquiries or a purchase. A brochure or flyer can point customers to a Facebook page to receive regular offers and develop brand loyalty. An email newsletter can offer useful knowledge and exclusive deals urging customers to pick up the phone or walk through your doors.

All of these marketing efforts should be designed to maintain a consistent look by utilizing a repetition of common elements such as images, colours, layout and style. Tone of voice is also important and can be created through content and messaging along with your look to establish strong brand recognition for your business. If you advertise in more than one publication to reach different markets, your efforts are diminished if your ads don’t adhere to an identifiable look or express a clearly defined message. It gets worse still if your ads change radically in appearance from issue to issue. This isn’t to say you must run the same ad week in and week out, but the repeated use of strong common elements will help create a memorable identity for your business so you don’t get lost in the crowd. This can be achieved on even a modest budget, but not if you leave it to chance.

There’s no need to go it alone

If you’re not certain how to plan your marketing, or if communications design isn’t your strong suit, you might consider working with an agency. You’ll benefit from their knowledge and experience and find that it’s easier to maintain consistency in appearance, messaging and tone of voice if one agency handles all of your creative and design work. Best of all, working with an agency frees you up to do what you do best while they focus on ensuring proper execution of your marketing plan. When this happens you’ll have a strong, recognizable brand employing effective business communications that are designed to deliver you the most value.

If you’d like help developing your marketing communications plan, then get in touch, we’re just a phone call or email hidden; JavaScript is required away.

*Photo Credit: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

1. Plan your absence

You can leave the office behind more easily by planning for how things are handled during your absence.

This seems obvious but, make certain your co-workers or staff are aware of your schedule and availability (if any) for responding to emergencies. Be sure to brief them on any specific clients, projects or situations that might require their attention and empower them to contact you if necessary.

If you’re going someplace where you can’t be easily reached you could schedule some times when you can check in with a phone call. In many cases, such calls would likely only last a few minutes at most leaving you plenty of time to hit the beach or the shade of a tree.

2. Keep clients informed

If your business is project-based you might want to notify clients you’re currently working with about your scheduled absence and let them know who they may contact during that time. In some cases you might be responding to emergency requests, in which case you should reassure your clients that their needs will be met.

3. Change your voicemail

Let those who try to reach you by phone during your vacation know that you’re away by changing your voicemail greeting. Once again, make certain they know when you’ll return and who they can contact in case of an emergency.

4. Set email auto responders

It’s easy to want to forget about email, but can you really? It’s easier still to tell yourself you’ll only check it once a day but limit yourself so as not to get sucked into work while you’re away. The best of both worlds would be to briefly check email, but set up out of office replies so your clients aren’t expecting your usually rapid response. You can choose whether an immediate response is necessary, but if you don’t need to no one will be feeling un-loved.

5. Schedule your marketing/communication releases

Schedule your communications to go out while you're away and your absence might not be so apparent.

There’s no reason for social media posts to fall by the wayside simply because you’re swinging in a hammock somewhere. If you don’t have someone to delegate your social media management to, there are still plenty of ways to schedule your posts so they appear magically as if fashioned by elves at night. Most blogging software and email newsletter services include a scheduling feature.

We’ve also mentioned in a previous post on vacationing that there are social media dashboards such as Hootsuite which allow you to aggregate all your social media feeds in one place for ease of use. These dashboards allow you to schedule posts so that you can do a lot of the work of creating messages in advance. And now that Facebook have added the ability to schedule posts onto business timelines you really have no excuse for going AWOL from your business page.

6. Finally… Relax!

This last one should really go without saying, but too many of us forget the purpose of a vacation. Don’t waste precious moments. If you’re taking time away from work, then make the most of it. Spend quality time with friends and family and give yourself a little “me” time too so that you come back refreshed and revived.

Remember, if you need help scheduling or managing your marketing or social media needs, then get in touch, we’re just a phone call or email hidden; JavaScript is required away.

*Photo Credit: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

It used to be that we created a pretty container and then put our client’s text and pictures in that container. If we didn’t have their content before we started building the site, it didn’t matter since the website was just a vessel for whatever content the client provided. If the site REALLY needed to be viewed on a mobile device, we could create an app to display the most important parts. Responsive web design has changed all that.

Now, with the increasing use of mobile devices for accessing the web and the rising importance of content over visual treatment, our workflows have changed dramatically. Where once we could create space where content would be added, now we need to see and interpret that content BEFORE we create  visual layouts. Being able to understand what’s really important in a client’s message and make sure it’s front and centre plays a huge role in creating the ultimate layout for various devices; on a mobile phone, we generally strip away anything that is not vitally important, recognizing that the smaller amount of screen real estate means that there isn’t room for fluff, i.e. anything that isn’t directly connected in helping the visitor move forward to the next step in the sales cycle. On a desktop computer, the larger screen provides more space that can be devoted to eye candy. But without solid knowledge of the content to be displayed, a web designer won’t be able to make the decisions that impact on the eventual layout.

Thus, poloDesign requires that all content needs to be created prior to the finalizing of layouts and visual designs. What does this mean for our clients? In a nutshell, it means that before we really get into the nitty-gritty of a web project, we’ll need to know what content we’re dealing with.

Until now, a website’s content has often been the stumbling block to getting a site launched. Every business owner is busy, really busy, selling their products or services, supervising staff, ordering stock, etc., etc., etc. Spending time writing about the business is not usually high on the priority list, and we’ve seen many projects languish in a half-finished state because the business owner just didn’t have the time or confidence to create compelling descriptions of what they do. On top of that, very often the business owner has difficulty visualizing the content without seeing how the website will look. Finally, writing just may not be the business owner’s strong suit. And yet, the business owner is the one person who knows their business best.

So how do we deal with this new dilemma of needing the content before we can design but the client is too busy or needs to see the design in order to be inspired to write the content? Simple. We take over that part of the job. We review all existing marketing materials and conduct interviews with the client to understand the business and how it needs to be portrayed. We create audience profiles to understand the business’ prime targets and write the content to explain how the business can satisfy their needs. Through an understanding of how and why people buy from a particular business we create content that moves the site visitor through the sales cycle right up to the point where they say ‘Yes! Where do I pay?’ And by creating the text ourselves, we are able to research and incorporate search engine keywords and build the content around the terms that people are already using.

So what about the visual ‘eye candy’, the pictures that say a thousand words? Images need to reassure the buyer that they are spending their money on something worthwhile which satisfies their needs, whether that’s a weight loss product or a AAA Angus steak. A bad product photo will never instill confidence in a potential buyer. Creating compelling product photography is a fine art and not something that can be captured with a point-and-shoot camera or a cell phone. That’s why we partner with experienced local photographers with a strong background in telling the story of your product or portraying your service in a way that is easy to understand. People buy what they can see and make sense of, and good photography is a huge factor in creating customer confidence.

Ready for your first website? Does your existing site need a refresh to take advantage of mobile technology? email hidden; JavaScript is required with us today.

It can be confusing to wade through all the options available for getting a website – should you do it yourself, hire a local agency or use an online service? And what about the neighbour’s kid who built a site for his band last year – these young kids know all about this stuff, don’t they? Well, if it’s your business, then you should approach the project the way you make all your business decisions – do your research, create a list of must-haves and nice-to-haves, decide on your budget range, gather several quotes and choose the one that will give you the best value for your money. That doesn’t necessarily mean choosing the least expensive option, and don’t forget that ‘doing it yourself’ will almost always take far longer than you expect.

If you decide to talk to local web design companies, how do you assess which one will give you the best results?

First of all, do a Google search for companies in your area, using a variety of search terms. For example, if you Google “eastern Ontario web design”,  “Trenton Ontario web design”, or “social media Belleville ontario”, you should find that poloDesign ranks on page 1. Note which agencies show up consistently on a variety of searches. If a company understands how to get their own site listed well in Google, they’re more likely to do the same for you. Next, look at some of the sites they’ve designed. Do you like their style? Are they easy to navigate? Do all their sites have a similar look or do they create unique and appropriate designs for each client? Do the sites they’ve designed include the kinds of specific functionality you’ll require, such as a membership system, photo gallery or e-commerce?

Consider whether you require additional services such as a logo design and print materials, email marketing or a social media strategy? It makes sense to work with one agency for as many services as possible in order to build a strong, consistent brand across all your communications platforms. The agency will be able to develop and maintain your message and apply it appropriately to the various mediums. Make sure that the companies you’re investigating have a solid track record of delivering quality results for all the services you need – don’t assume that because a company knows how to design a website that they will be fluent in social media too. Check their Facebook and Twitter pages to see whether they understand how to successfully use these social platforms.

Create a project brief

Next, create a project brief. Start with a description of your business, your current marketing efforts and your business goals. Describe the target market and ideal client for your goods or services – how do they find your business currently, what are their criteria for purchasing and why would they choose your company. Make a list of all the elements you want your website to include. You don’t need to know all the technical terminology but a description of what you need the site to do is important for a developer in putting together a proposal.

Think about the content – text and images – that you will need for the website. Will you need the agency to write the text? It’s often best to let the agency look after this as they will understand writing for the web and can incorporate the necessary search keywords. Do you have good product photos (clear, in focus and well-composed), or will a photo shoot be required? The more that is spelled out up front, the fewer surprises there will be later on.

Armed with this information, you can now set up meetings with the agencies you’re interested in and provide them with the details that will help them provide a comprehensive proposal to address your needs. Each design company will have a set of questions they ask prospective clients to make sure they understand the project. You shouldn’t expect anyone to give you a price over the phone although they may be willing to suggest a typical range for the type of site you need. Each project is different so if a company is quick to provide a price without all the details, you should be wary. Make sure to ask about the different types of web software they use; if they only know how to build sites in WordPress, they may have a limited skill set and may not be able to meet your needs.

Feeling confused about web design solutions?

After speaking with several companies, you may feel a bit overwhelmed, especially if they have introduced ideas you hadn’t considered. Don’t feel pressured to make a decision; you may decide it is best to prepare a formal Request For Proposal so that you can compare all the web design agencies on the same criteria. It may even be worth it to pay one of the companies to do more exploratory work with you in order to create the RFP, particularly if the site has a lot of technical requirements. This will also help you have a better sense of the budget range you should expect.

Don’t expect an agency to provide a design before you have agreed to work with them. This is considered speculative or ‘spec’ work. It’s frowned upon in the industry and a professional web designer should not be expected to take time away from their paying clients to design for free. Think about it – would you expect a lawyer to do work for you for free and you would only pay if you were happy with their advice?

Check references

Ask for references and check them. Are they happy with the work and is the website performing as they expected? How quick is the company to respond to requests and are ongoing costs for maintenance and improvements reasonable? What other services has the agency provided?

A website works for your business 24/7/365 and the process of choosing and working with a website design agency deserves your time and attention. Take your time to choose wisely and your site is sure to be a success.

poloDesign is happy to provide a free consultation to discuss your next website project. Just give us a call or send an email hidden; JavaScript is required.

More baby-boomers are joining social media.

A 2011 survey of Internet users in the U.S. revealed that 65% of adults online are using social media sites. Boomers have been joining social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn at a rapid pace. The number of those aged 50-64 using social media increased an astonishing 60% in the past year.

Let’s face it, Boomers are not the type to settle into old age quietly. If you are a Boomer, you probably expect to live a full and active lifestyle well into your golden years. Social media is a tool to help enable that lifestyle. How? Through sharing. You can let others know about that cruise, dance contest, or white-water rafting excursion you recently took part in. Looking for someone to go to that weepy, Oscar-winning drama with you? Interested in checking out that chic new bistro in town? Put out an open invitation through Facebook or Twitter and see who might join you.

If you’re an empty-nester there’s no need to drift apart as a family. The best way to follow what your kids and their kids are doing is by joining them online. Social sites like Facebook help you stay in touch with distant family as well as friends. You can comment on their photos, send messages and do live chatting.

Social media helps people reconnect. Ever wondered what happened to the old gang from high school or college? You can reunite online to swap stories, share memories, brag about family or personal accomplishments and check out waistlines and hairlines.

Social media sites are also excellent ways to stay informed. Many news organizations and community resources employ blogs, Facebook and Twitter to connect with their audience. Why wait for the evening news?

More seniors are becoming net-savvy.

If more Boomers are using social media, what about their parents? Don’t be surprised if older seniors aren’t the next group to adopt this tool. They’ve already become quite Internet savvy. A 2009 survey showed that 94% of seniors 65 or older used email regularly, 77% shopped online, 71% searched online for healthcare info, and 59% managed their finances online as well. Seven years ago, only 4% of seniors reported using the Internet regularly.

If there is a common concern about social media it’s usually that of privacy and security. Just as with using email, or conducting transactions online, it’s important to be careful with your information in terms of what and who you share it with. Social media sites let you adjust privacy settings for the level of security that suits you. If you’re unsure how to make it all work, there are social media consultants teaching businesses and individuals who can help you get started.

So give it a try and the next time someone mentions social media, tell them it’s not just for kids.

If you’d like learn more about using social media then drop us a line at email hidden; JavaScript is required, we’d love to help.

*Photo Credit: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Since the beginning of March, Timeline has been available on an opt-in basis. Page owners have had the past month to switch over and make any adjustments before yesterday’s March 30th deadline when the new layout was implemented for all. As promised, Facebook went ahead with converting business pages to the new Timeline layout. As with most changes on Facebook, this one has not been without its critics. Despite any challenges the new changes present, Facebook Timeline for business pages is now the norm. Here’s what you need to know:

Cover photos

Check out the cover photo and profile image we set up for Chef Mike on Facebook.

This is the same as with personal profiles using Timeline; you have a panoramic space to play with and grab folks’ attention when they first visit your page. For those of you with photo-editing software, the image size is 851 x 315 pixels. You can fill that space with whatever you want, but there are exceptions:

• no contact info (email addresses, phone #’s, etc.)
• no reference to pricing info ($10 off, save 30%)
• no calls to action (“like” our page)
• no arrows pointing at Facebook page features (such as the like button)

Profile Image

Just as with personal Timelines, you get a profile image which sits overtop of the bottom left corner of your cover photo. Sizing is 180 x 180 pixels (you can use larger images and Facebook will shrink them down). For business pages it makes sense that the profile image should be your logo as this is what gets displayed as the thumbnail next to any of your posts. Of course, you can change any of your images as often as you want, so go ahead and play if you like.

Pin Posts

You can now pin a post to top of your page for a period of 7 days. This is a great way to make certain your posts about specials and big events stay visible for people visiting your page.

Highlights

You can also highlight a post so that it expands across the entire width of your page. This is especially useful with photos and helps to attract attention. The only caveat is that you can’t pin and highlight the same post at the same time.

Milestones

An example of a milestone event on Coke's Facebook page.

Businesses can also enter milestone events from their past. Coca-Cola have done an excellent job of this, and even if your business hasn’t been around quite as long as Coke it’s still fun to do and a great way to share your history with your followers.

Admin Panel

Administrators of pages now have a panel display at the top of their pages to show them the notifications, new “likes” and stats. This is a handy feature if you get a lot of interaction with your page as you can see at glance what’s happening on your page.

Landing Pages/Tabs/Apps

Many businesses have had custom pages created to add additional branding and functionality. Facebook hasn’t taken these away; in fact, they’ve expanded the available size of the space you can use from 520 to 810 pixels wide. However, you can no longer make custom pages a default landing page for first-time visitors. Now folks will have to find your landing page by clicking one of your tabs. This doesn’t mean landing pages are no longer useful, you can still send visitors to your custom pages through Facebook advertising.

Advertising

You didn’t really think Facebook was FREE did you? Facebook says the new Timeline changes are all about ensuring users have a good experience. They want businesses to be more engaging by creating content that tells their story. The reality is that they want more businesses to use the platform’s paid advertising features. This is why Facebook has rolled out a number of new advertising programs, all of which are aimed at bigger businesses with proper budgets. The premium ads program, which includes placement in newsfeeds and on the mobile app, requires a $25k/month committment. Same goes for Facebook’s new Reach Generator. Don’t despair, regular Facebook advertising is still available.

Say what you will about the new changes, and plenty of people already have, Timeline is the new reality. If you hadn’t already switched over, that change has been made for you. If you’d like some assistance with navigating these changes or adding some of your own branding to your Facebook business page then drop us a line at email hidden; JavaScript is required, we’d love to help.