Unless we have a killer six-pack, few of us really want to call attention to our midsections – but this is exactly what we want to do with the new Facebook Timeline design.  This section is where you can inform and entice…

The first block to the left is your About.  This is pulled from your Basic Information section so you’ll want to check the first few lines there to be sure that what is pulled into this highlight About box is as descriptive of your business as possible.  It can be a straightforward description such as “World-class builder of contemporary homes” to something more evocative like your branded slogan/tagline or a quote which speaks clearly to what you’re all about.  Just remember that you’ll want what appears in the box to be a complete thought, fully explaining what your are about.  If it cuts off in an awkward way, keep tweaking!

To the right of this box is the App Icons area.  You can have up to 12 apps on your page but only four will display at any one time.  The first icon is always Photos and is not changeable.  It will pick up and display your last posted photo unless you edit it otherwise.  Choose the remaining three displayed icons carefully so they finish telling your story, provide something your visitors will want or lead them where you want them to go.

For many the next one will be the Like app, which will display the number of Likes your page has received.  If your customers/clients are local, perhaps you’ll want to have a Google map snippet which shows your location.  Add a button to your Twitter, LinkedIn or other networking site.  If you really want visitors to go to your web site – put it out there!  Do you put on events?  Let that be one of your top 3 icons.   Have a freebie to give away or a contest for them to enter?  Use that app and you can capture their info through an off page opt-in…on your own sales page!

The key here is that you have control over not only which ones are displayed (you can always move them around), but whether the visitor stays on your page or goes somewhere else where you can interact with them in different ways.  This is the replacement mechanism for so-called “Like-gating” which is no longer allowed in the same manner but still gives you much, if not more, flexibility.

To take advantage of this, you must be creative with your visuals to entice and encourage visitors to click through with an offer that they’ll really want to have.  You can do it with a contest, survey, coupon, free report (just be sure it’s something of real value) and represent it with a bright and interesting icon as these companies have.  Include a direct call to action – tell them what you want them to do – or use your app title to lead them.

As you can see, there are lots of options and possibilities, opportunities to engage and build relationships with your visitors so they not only become followers but raving fans!  Test different variations, have fun with it and know that you can always change it.

Next we’ll look at the lower posts/stories section and ways you can maximize your message there…

In my first post about the coming transition from the current version of Facebook Pages to the new Timeline style, we talked about the first thing visitors will see, your header image, and the restrictions we have to work within as well as the great possibilities to be creative.  There was one thing I touched on only briefly – the image which appears to be a component of the header but is, in fact, a separate image altogether.

The profile picture, which we’ve grown accustomed to seeing at the top of the left sidebar can be placed in such a way as to be part of the whole header image, as was so beautifully done on the Ford Mustang Facebook Page.  The question for each of us becomes how do we make best use of this space.  Do we keep it separate, as another area to highlight our brand?  Do we incorporate it into the header but still keep it distinct from the larger image, as an overlay or perhaps a gateway?  Or can we incorporate it in some clever and fun way?

If you are your brand, I think it’s important to position your face prominently; whether it be a photograph, avatar or icon, seeing your face helps to build a sense of trust and can go far in encouraging visitors and friends alike to interact with you.  And that’s exactly what we want on a social media site, now isn’t it?

Either way you choose to go, there’s still a little time to play around with different placements to find the one that best suits your brand and your page.  One thing you must keep in mind, however, is the dimensions – the image you upload must be square and at least 180 x 180 pixels (though it will be displayed smaller than that, 125 x 125 or 150 x 150 depending on the size of the visitor’s screen.)  So make sure that the picture you choose will still be readable and attractive when viewed smaller.  The other thing to consider is that Facebook uses this profile picture to track you throughout Facebook (and anywhere else on the web that displays pictures of those who have Liked them on Facebook or where you’ve used your Facebook login to gain access.)  You shouldn’t plan to change it often, as you can with the cover image.

If you’re not sure about all of this, need an objective eye or someone to brainstorm with, give us a call!

Next up – the all important mid-section.  This is one time you really do want to call attention to it and “put it all out there!”

New life, new growth, new possibilities – spring is all about changes, isn’t it?  As I told you in my last post, Google changed its privacy policy.  Now Facebook is making a significant change to our business pages with the implementation at the end of March to their Timeline format.  No choice here, folks, you gotta do it.  If you don’t, they’ll do it for you and you may not like the results.  It appears to be motivated by their desire to make more money from Facebook advertising.  We can’t fault them there – we all want to have a healthy bottom line – and they’ve been providing lots of  “free” for several years.

Change can be hard, especially when we’re not the ones to initiate it.  But like spring, this one has some great new possibilities if you look past the obvious.  There are opportunities to engage with your visitors and subscribers in different ways, plus some tried and true ones that will have to be accessed in different ways, like contests, coupons and off-page content.

Here’s the first of the changes and some things to consider:

Timelines contain one large photograph across the top of your page; think of it as you would a website header but with one key difference – you can’t put any contact information (phone, URL, etc.) nor any call to action in that image.  I hear your collective “What?!?!”  For those of us who are accustomed to using this space on our website and Facebook Page to promote our businesses, this seems like a harsh hand-slap.  And in a way it is, and this is where many businesses, especially small ones who don’t have a marketing staff, might buckle into a pool of, “What do I do now?  I’m doomed unless I pay them for ads.”  Not so fast!

Yes, it will be more challenging but it is also a great opportunity for creativity, looking at your branding and marketing with a fresh eye.  Does it really represent you effectively?   Without words, does your logo and other images give a clear message about who you are and/or what you do?   Ford Motors has already revamped their Ford Mustang Page and it’s brilliant!  Take a look.  They have made great use of not only a dynamic image of the car but of the car’s iconic logo – which is actually their profile picture – perfectly placed to mimic its position on the front grill of the car.  Sweet!

So there’s your challenge, readers.  Are your images as clear and dynamic?  What changes do you need to make?  What creative styling can you put into play to take advantage of this prominent online real estate?

I’m here to help you.  Call or email today to schedule your complimentary brainstorming session.

Next up, “Like-gating” – where’s it gone and what’s taken its place.

In George Orwell’s “1984” we were told “Big Brother is watching.”   Still is – only it’s not a government but search engine giant Google.  And they made another change to their algorithms last week which has big implications for business owners as well as casual searchers.

Are you a small business who is using all the right marketing tactics to reach your ideal client – writing posts and articles which speak to them and your specialty, interacting on social media sites, researching your competitors for gaps you can fill?  You probably won’t be affected too much.

However, if you’re like so many business owners – unclear of your ideal client or customer, trying to be everything to everyone, inconsistently posting sales pitches on a Facebook or LinkedIn – well. . .you could be losing even more ground.

Google customizes your searches based on previous searches, your habits, social media posts and friends, your photos and more.

Google’s lastest customization is no surprise to those of us who use their search engine frequently, but even more casual users have begun to notice that what they find when they’ve searched for something on Google, it is not the same as what their friend comes up with. . .even when they do the exact same search.

Now Google is taking it to another level.  Here’s an excerpt from their blog post about this:

“Say you’re looking for a vacation destination. You can of course search the web, but what if you want to learn from the experiences your friends have had on their vacations? Just as in real life, your friends’ experiences are often so much more meaningful to you than impersonal content on the web. With your world in search, you can find:

• Google+ posts. You can find relevant Google+ posts from friends talking about an amazing trip they just took, whether they’ve shared privately with you or publicly. You’ll find links shared by your friends, such as activities, restaurants and other things they enjoyed on their trip.
• Photos. You can find beautiful vacation photos from your friends right in your search results page. You can also find your own private photos from Google+ and Picasa, based on captions, comments and album title…

This is search that truly knows [you], and gives [you] a result page that only [you] can see.”

Their algorithms at work, trying hard to give you the best results possible, which is great if they “read” you right but not so much if they don’t, or can’t.

What do Google’s search changes mean for you and your potential clients and what can you do to effectively reach them?

With Google personalizing our search results, it’s crucial to ensure that you’re reaching out with content that is relevant to your ideal clients.  You want to be writing, talking, videotaping, etc. – connecting with them – on your blog and on social media in ways that are engaging and encourage interaction.  And please, please please…remember that “connecting” does not mean just broadcasting post after post of you sharing and promoting.  “Connecting” means that you are in a two-way relationship, one in which you are reacting to THEIR posts as well.  Make comments, reply to their blog, share their link.  Not only does this make sense from a relational perspective, social sites like Facebook reward such behavior.

Have you noticed that some people have seemed to just disappear from your news feed?  Well, if you don’t visit their pages or post comments on their updates, Facebook decides that you’re not really “friends” – maybe just distant acquaintances – and stops putting their news in front of you.  In order to get them back into your news feed, you have to search for them, post on their wall, make comments, etc.  You don’t want your clients and potential clients to lose sight of you!

Be consistent.  If you want to be in the same place as your ideal clients, consistency in everything you do, combined with strategic, relevant content, will go a long way to making that a reality.  If you post at the same time of day, or blog on the same days each week, your readers will begin to anticipate and look for your post or article.  Disappointment them enough and they stop looking; continue and eventually they stop caring and move on.  You can change up what you post – sometimes an article, other times a video, or link, or inspiring quote – just do something regularly.  Not only will they look forward to it, Google will love you for it.

Remember, just as with last February’s Panda update, Google’s focus is on giving their clients relevant info — which means their clients will come back and use them again and again because they’re getting meaningful results.  Which in turn means advertisers will continue to invest with them.  And you win, too, with more “Google love” and a higher postion on their results page.