e-websmart’s Favorite 3 Facebook Applications for Business Pages

The beauty of having a Facebook Fan page is the ability of being able to customize your page. With the ability to add informational tabs, YouTube videos, pull in RSS Feeds, Side bars, Networking buttons, and other options you can have your page looking like its own personalized Web site in no time! Below we have listed our favorite 3 applications that can get your Fan Page sparkling in a jiffy.

1. Static FBML: Add advanced functionality to your Page using the Facebook Static FBML application. This application will add a box to your Page in which you can render HTML or FBML (Facebook Markup Language) for enhanced Page customization.
2. Involver: Pull in content from different sites such as RSS feeds, Twitter streams, Youtube videos, PDF’s, slide presentations, and much more. Involver has a professional plan as well as a free option that will allow you to use two options absolutely FREE!
3. Networked Blogs: Does your organization have a blog or regularly follow one? With this app, you can pull in each post and share with your fans.

If you need any assistance with setting up your personalized Facebook Page just let us know! We will be more than happy to give you the guidance you need and point you in the right direction.

10 Recommended Social Media Books on the Market

Over time, I've had several colleagues, clients, and friends recommend books to me about social media. I'd like to share a few.

It's obvious there are many different strategies on how to employ social media in your business, so you have to find the ones that work for you. But, those who recommended these books say they are also full of inspirational success stories!

‘Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust’ by Chris Brogan

‘Crush it: Why NOW is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion’ by Gary Vaynerchuck

‘Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business’ by Erik Qualman

‘The Whuffie Factor: Using the Power of Social Networks to Build Your Business’ by Tara Hunt

‘Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone’ by Mitch Joel

‘Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success’ by Dan Schawbel

‘Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition’ by Guy Kawasaki

‘The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web’ by Tamar Weinberg

‘World Wide Rave: Creating Triggers that Get Millions of People to Spread Your Ideas and Share Your Stories’ by David Meerman Scott

‘Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success' by Lon Safko and David K. Brake

What are your favorite business books? I absolutely love to learn, so send me your recommendations!

Social Media Miracles

Who would have thought that one day the networks that we use on a daily basis to communicate with friends could change the lives of thousands just by one status update?

Here are just a few inspirational stories from users that have forever had their lives changed because of Social Media.

Jaeli's Syndrome: Social Media Miracle Saves Baby

Twitter and Facebook users respond to Haiti crisis

Twitter and Facebook friends motivate member to get healthy without losing herself

'Facebook changed my life'

Twitter Transforms Homeless Services in 2010

How Two Roommates Saved a Dog’s Life Using Twitter

Social Media Saves Lives: Salmonella Outbreak Pushes HHS, FDA, CDC to Get Social

There are hundreds of thousands of more social media stories that have been shared all over the net. How has your life changed since you started using Social Media?

10 Steps for a User Centric Fan Page

1. Make sure you have a Facebook badge. There's not a lot of room for customizations on Facebook, so it’s important to maximize the space for your picture or logo. Include your tag line, physical address, phone number, Web site, and anything else that will help fans identify you.
2. Set your Wall settings to allow for comments, photos, videos and links from fans.
3. Monitor your page at least a few times a day and always respond to those who post on your page.
4. Ask questions to encourage comments from your fans.
5. Add a newsletter up sign box to your page using the FBML app.
6. If you have a blog, be sure to import your blog posts through the Notes feature, or use the Networked Blogs application.
7. Make sure your posts are sincere, genuine, and personalized. Include photos whenever you can! People love seeing pictures.
8. Add a variety of content and posts to your fan page. Mix things up. Showcase your work, highlight employee achievements, post tips or tricks related to your industry, repost inspiring messages, new arrivals, product recommendations and favorite quotes.
9. Daily updates -Try to post 1 - 2 times a day, but I would recommend no more than 3 a day. You don't want to overload your fans with your posts. Respect the space on their personal walls or you'll likely turn people off.
10. Encourage frequent visits to your page. Hold contests, offer exclusive discounts and specials for your fans, and let your fans be the "first to know" about exciting offers and announcements. (By the way, contests require special Facebook permission, but we have the inside scoop! We can set-up your contest.)

E-websmart Chosen as Exclusive Web Site Designer for Apricot Lane Boutiques

Scott Jacobs, president of Apricot Lane USA, announced recently that e-websmart, a Rochester-based Web site design firm owned by Michelle Tjelmeland, will be the exclusive vendor to build Web sites for Apricot Lane Boutique franchise stores.

“E-websmart designs sites with unmistakable flair, and Michelle’s creativity is the perfect match for Apricot Lane stores,” Jacobs said. “For over a year now, we’ve been working with Michelle and her team, and we’ve seen nothing but great service for our franchisees.”

“Her passion for her work is contagious. We are very excited to award e-websmart this exclusive status for Web design for our boutiques.”

Jacobs said e-websmart also serves as the social networking specialist for Apricot Lane headquarters in Vacaville, California, and the franchise stores.

“Michelle is an industry leader in technology,” said Jacobs, “and she is helping our stores develop a social networking strategy to reach out and build relationships with their customers.”

Apricot Lane is a specialty clothing boutique that features branded clothing apparel, jewelry, gifts, and accessories. There currently are 48 Apricot Lane opened and planned stores in 22 states across the United States.

“We truly appreciate our relationship with Apricot Lane and are so thrilled to now be the exclusive Web designer,” said Tjelmeland, who has over 10 years of experience in the Web design industry. “The stores offer a unique shopping experience, and we look forward to bringing that to life on each site we design.”

Tjelmeland said that her small business background gives her insight for creating the sites for Apricot Lane USA stores. “I know how important it is to brand your business and present an image that differentiates you from the competition. We design each Apricot Lane site with that goal in mind.”

Tjelmeland said customers browsing the sites will not only see what each store has to offer, but will also get a sense of the store’s unique personality and shopping atmosphere. “We create Web sites that generate excitement and make customers want to go out and shop at Apricot Lane!”

Apricot Lane USA is a division of Country Visions, which was listed by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the Top 50 New Franchises in March 2008 and received the Hot Retailer for Fashion award by The International Council of Shopping Centers also in 2008.

About e-websmart
E-websmart (www.e-websmart.com) is a Web design and consultation firm based in Rochester, Illinois. Started in 1999 by Michelle Tjelmeland, the company focuses on creating insightful, high-energy, business-building solutions to provide a visually appealing yet functional Web site for their clients. In addition, e-websmart offers Web support and hosting and domain setup, integrates e-commerce solutions, establishes e-mail service, and offers blog and social networking support. E-websmart also creates one-of-a-kind logo creation, custom correspondence materials, and other print material to present a consistent image in an attractive, unique package.

About Apricot Lane USA
Apricot Lane USA is a specialty retail franchise that combines opportunities from the fashion and gift industries to offer branded fashion apparel, jewelry, handbags, accessories and gifts in the styles and trends customers want. Apricot Lane carries designer apparel brands such as Lucky Brand Jeans, Joe’s Jeans, 1921 Denim, Habitual and many other premium denim lines. They also carry the hot new collections by Ed Hardy, Crystal Rock, Sinful, Free people by Urban Outfitters, Hale Bob and other up and coming designers. Many of these brands can be found in upscale department stores but the small boutique convenience, service and environment are the attraction. Today there are more than 40 stores in 25 states across the United States. The parent company, Country Visions, was listed by Entrepreneur Magazine (March 2008) as one of the Top 50 New Franchises and was previously recognized in the franchise industry as the #1 Gift Store four years in a row by Entrepreneur Magazine, and was rated 21st in Franchisee Satisfaction by Success Magazine. Stores can be found in lifestyle centers, regional malls, tourist spots, downtown locations and some strip centers.

iPhone 4G Release is Right Around the Corner!

On your marks, get set, Applaud! Steve Jobs will be announcing the latest and greatest Apple products at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, taking place now (June 7th-11th) in San Francisco. The iPhone OS 4.0 software will be announced with the new iPhone 4G sometime during this event. As of right now there is no set release date for the 4G to be released, however it has been rumored it will be available next month.

As of right now we know that the iPhone is built with these possible features:

• Video camera on the front which allows users to video chat
• High definition camcorder with audio
• True GPS built in
• 32G and 64G of memory
• OLED screen
• Multi-tasking capabilities
• A new and improved design
• Application folders
• Unified mailbox

Will you be upgrading your iPhone to its newest software? What other options would you like to see improve from the 3G?

8 Simple Design Tips That Work Wonders on Your Website

Since 1999 we’ve been working with our clients to strengthen brands, grow mailing lists, and create Web sites that are creative, unique, and effective. You can make your Web site more welcoming to your visitors by making some adjustments to your site.

1. Make your Web site easy to navigate: Try organizing your Web site with tabs rather than placing content where ever you see it might fit. Visitors enjoy not having to spend 20 minutes searching for something that could easily have been made more noticeable. A “Contact Us” Tab with an email or phone number should always be displayed.
2. Include a menu on every page: While you should always provide a menu on every Web page you have published, make sure your navigation links are always on the very top of your pages. If you have an extremely long Web page, placing a navigational bar on the bottom of the page makes it convenient for your reader not to have to scroll to the very top to visit another page.
3. Minimize content: Ever go to a website and wonder when they will just get to the point? Leave unnecessary content for another Web site and keep your Web page as informational and to the point as possible. Readers appreciate that.
4. Refrain from using all CAPITOL LETTERS: Words that are displayed in ALL CAPS draw your reader’s attention more so then if they were small. If you place everything in all caps, then you completely lose the effect of catching your reader’s eye when you are trying to stress an important point.
5. Spell check works! No, really, try it and you will really be amazed. I cannot stress enough how important spelling is.
6. Test your links: Before making your Web page live make sure that the links you are sharing are clickable and link to the site you intended. Occasionally, the links you have previously posted may change, so check your content regularly and make updates as needed.
7. Organize, Organize, Organize! Readers usually have a short attention span, so it’s vital that you get their interest from the very second they land on your welcome page. Make your Web site as organized and neat as possible; no one likes a cluttered page.
8. Keep animation and sounds optional: I’m sure we’ve all come across a Web site that played music when the Web page loaded, and I’m fairly positive our speakers were set to max volume at that very moment. If you are going to play sounds upon arrival, make sure to have the off button immediately visible to the naked eye.
   

Excellent Example of the Viral Marketing Power of Facebook!

If you've ever questioned the effectiveness of Facebook posts, I have a personal story that just might convince you that Facebook is, in fact, a worthy marketing tool.

Just a couple of days ago, I bought new microsuede sheets at JCPenney. Not only do I love the feel and quality, but I was amazed at the price - only $19.99 for a King-sized set! Just for fun, I decided to post a picture of my newly outfitted bed, and tell my friends about the great deal I received.

It turned into quite a Facebook conversation between my friends and me. Several showed interest in purchasing the sheets, so I shared the online link so my friends could check them out as well. From my simple conversation starter, JCPenney sold 12 sheet sets, thanks to my friends!

I found the JC Penney Fan page on Facebook and instantly became a fan and shared my story:

"Hi there! I bought a new sheet set for my bedroom from JCP ~ they are awesome. 12 new sheet sets were sold because of my post! I just think social networking is amazing and wanted to share!! As a Web site designer, I preach the value of social networking to my clients ~ this just goes to show the ripple effect of social networking!!"

Here is their reply:

"Hi Michelle – You are right! In today’s society, social media is a powerful tool to stay connected! It is a great resource for JCPenney as our customer’s comments are very important to us and we use them to help satisfy other customers. We are glad you are happy with the Microfiber sheets and the price! We always hope that you receive the high quality of service and products you deserve. Thank you again for sharing."

Perfect example of why YOU should have a Facebook Fan page for your business. Customers are talking about you with their friends, raving about good experiences and ranting about bad. The only way you can be involved is by having a Fan page so you are visible AND accessible to your valued customers.

If you don't have a Fan page on Facebook, contact me at e-websmart, and we'll be happy to get you started.

Happy Facebooking!

My Best,
Michelle

Another Reason to Participate on Facebook

Google recently announced that all public status updates are now being included in the search engine's real-time search feature. This means that when someone gets online to search for your business, product, or service, they could find you on the first page of search results via a Facebook post!

Facebook indexes all updates from Facebook Fan Pages, so businesses with a Fan Page are likely to get more traffic, and more fans. Businesses who don't use Facebook will likely find themselves quickly losing ground in search rankings.

Does this give you reason to jump on Facebook? We'd love to help you figure out a strategy and design and optimize your Facebook page. Just call us at 217-498-1073!

Continued from the previous post...

As I said yesterday, I was recently asked if social media is going to replace traditional advertising. Here's the 2nd part of my answer:

Follow the Do’s and Don’ts
Because social media is all the rage and profiles are relatively easy to set-up, many people are jumping on the bandwagon and creating company or organizational profiles on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIN, or YourTube to name a few. Before you get too far ahead of yourself, consider these do’s and don’ts:

• Do Your Research - There are 100’s of social media networks , and signing up for all of them would be nearly impossible. The first step of establishing an effective social networking profile is learning the demographics of each and finding out where your customers are. If your customers are not on MySpace then it doesn’t make sense to invest your time there.
• Don’t Overextend Yourself - A word to the wise - social networking can become all consuming. Most of us don’t have 5 hours a day to commit to blogging, Facebooking, Tweeting or updating our lens on Squidoo. My advice – find the 2-3 social networking sites where your customers are and establish your profiles there. Quality posts in a few places is a far better plan than mediocre work spread out over a dozen social sites.
• Do Understand the Time Investment - I often hear people say that social networking is a must because it’s free. Yes, signing up to be on social networking sites is free. But branding your profiles and maintaining them is not! Creating, engaging, and growing an online community takes time, talent, technology, resources and people. Setting up profiles on social networking sites is easy, building and maintaining these relationships is not!
• Don’t Sell, Sell, Sell – Direct, hard core advertising won’t work on social media because it’s not what people are seeking. They want to know more about your company or organization get to know who you are, not what your selling.

Remember – It’s Social Networking
We are in an era where people expect a more honest and direct relationship with the companies and organizations they do business with. Social media is about engaging in conversations and building relationships – it’s not about push marketing. Think relationships first, business second, because when marketers move into to social networking, members move out.

Humanizing your business or organization by posting transparent, genuine and authentic updates will lead to stronger fans and followers and an increase in word of mouth marketing. Don’t always talk about the products you sell, the services you offer, the money your organization is trying to raise; rather, provide value to your fans and followers by posting industry related tips and tricks they can learn from, humor they can laugh at, or inspiration to motivate them. Your interaction should be informal and conversational. Not only will this help frame you as a thought leader in your industry, it will help produce engaging conversations.

And, oh, don’t obsess about the number of fans or followers you have –just like traditional networking or building a new friendship or business relationship –it takes time if you prefer a quality relationships. The same holds true when building your online network.

Learn By Participating
Not sure where to begin? Start by watching, learning and listening. Find other companies who are already using social media in their marketing strategies, and follow them or become a fan. Read their posts, watch how their fans interact with them, and study their profiles. Makes notes about what you like and what you don’t like, what appeals to you and what doesn’t.

Still have questions? There are lots of companies who can help you establish your profiles, strategize, and consult with you on best practices to take your marketing strategies online. Do your research here, too. Check out their own social media profiles and ask for links to the profiles they’ve established for other clients. Talk to these clients to make sure they were happy with their experience.

With the popularity of social media in society today, it will soon seem like every business is posting a profile somewhere. Certainly, those who aren’t taking advantage of social marketing techniques will be at a disadvantage, but just being on Facebook or Twitter won’t bring success. Businesses and organizations must have a strategy and they must focus on relationships! Thoughtfully developing the “social” side of your company comes with many benefits – not the least of which is increased customer loyalty and a strong network of “word-of-mouth” advertisers that can help bring new customers to your door!

Be sure to check out yesterday's post for more on taking advantage of social networking!

Is social media replacing traditional advertising methods?

In light of many advertisers who have recently announced they are reducing their traditional advertising budgets in favor of social networking strategies, I was recently asked if social media is going to replace traditional advertising. I wanted to share my response with you! It will be in two parts, so be sure to read tomorrow's post, too, for my full response!

Online Marketing Is Here to Stay
Social media is here to stay. In fact, I read a study by the Center for Media Research that found more than 50 percent of marketers will be using social media this year, and 75 percent plan to increase their social media use.

Business who choose not to adapt to this new culture into their current marketing strategies and advertising budgets will be at a disadvantage. You might not be online but your competitors probably are or will be soon!

I believe social media will become more mainstreamed for business and organizations this next year. You’ll find the companies that were once resistant to social media taking the leap and establishing their profiles. Customers and clients will rely on the information the see on these social networking sites to make purchasing decisions based on who they want to associate and do business with.

Social Media Should NOT Replace Other Marketing, but Work With It
I don’t think social media should entirely replace traditional advertising methods; rather, it should work in conjunction with and complement one’s existing advertising. Your social media profiles should reflect your company brand with colors, logos, and links to your Website. People should easily recognize you on your social media sites, and there are many ways to incorporate your company brand, but they aren’t always obvious. This is where you might want to invest in some help from social media experts, who can design your profiles with graphics and special features.

In addition to appearance, the message you communicate about yourself should be consistent as well. You can certainly do special promotions targeted only at Facebook or Twitter users, but don’t confuse your customers by presenting different images of your company through different mediums. For example, don’t appear trendy to through your tweets but conservative through your blog posts. You’ll only confuse your audience, and they may lose trust and confidence in your message. Be yourself, be genuine, and proudly display who you are at all times no matter who your audience is.

You Must Have Strategy!
I can’t reiterate enough the importance that one’s online and offline marketing strategies sync. Social networking with a plan and strategy can produce amazing results. Social networking without a plan can be a formula for disaster.

Your messages have to be consistent across the board. You can’t post messages on Facebook that emphasize your dedication to customer service and then ignore customers on Twitter who are reaching out for help from you because they have a problem.

Be sure to read the next post to learn more about social networking and the strategies you can take to make it an effective marketing tool for your business!