Why Create A Facebook Business Page?

Posted on September 14, 2012

Adding a Facebook Business Page is an important step for every business for several reasons:

  1. Adding a Facebook Business Page is simple. See How to Create A Facebook Page for Your Business: 6 Simple Steps
  2. Adding a Facebook Business Page is free.
  3. A Facebook Business Page gives your business a way to interact with your customers on a more personal level. Customers are more likely to prefer your business if you have had personal interaction them. Facebook interaction usually develops trust.
  4. Facebook Business Page content can be indexed by Google and Yahoo, allowing your content to be found by future customers searching the web. Using your personal Facebook for your business is a bad idea because Personal Facebook Pages are not public which does not allow your content to be found by search engines.
  5. Your business can post updates, information on sales, and other information to customers who have liked your Facebook Business Page. The updates are posted in your fan's newsfeed.
  6. A Facebook Business Page does not have a limit on the number of fans. Your Personal Facebook Page has a limit of 5,000 friends.
  7. Facebook Business Pages offer analytics which may help you understand your customers better.
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How to Create a Facebook Page for Your Business: 6 Simple Steps

Posted on November 8, 2011

Facebook is a great way to connect your business with your customers. Creating a Facebook Page for your business is so simple, no business should be without a Facebook Page.

  1. On your browser, go to Facebook at www.facebook.com. Click the “Create a Page” link at the bottom of the page.

    how to create a facebook page step 1

  2. Select “Local Business or Place” to set up a page for your business. Facebook allows pages for Local Business or Place; Company, Organization or Institution; Brand or Product; Artist, Band or Public Figure; Entertainment; or Cause or Community.

    how to create a facebook page step 2

  3. Select a category for your business from the drop down menu.

    how to create a facebook page step 4

  4. Fill in your business name, address and phone number. Then, agree to the Facebook Pages Terms, and click “Get Started.”

    how to create a facebook page step 5

  5. Next, create a Facebook account, if you do not already have one. Facebook will allow you to create a new Facebook account for your business or attach the business to an existing Facebook account. If you are creating a new account, Facebook will send a verification email. Check your email to follow the verification instructions.

    how to create a facebook page step 6

  6. Your Facebook page is now created. Login to Facebook and add information about your business like hours and location, pictures of your business or products. Be sure to enter your business website address into your information. Your first posting on your Facebook Page could be a welcome statement, a special, or information about a product or service. Now advertise your new business Facebook page to your customers.
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How to Add Images to your Tweets! Uploading an Image Gallery to Twitter

Posted on August 23, 2011

Have you tried Twitter’s new feature to add images to your Tweets?

Here’s how:

1. In the tweet box for your new tweet, enter the text for your new tweet, if any. Then, click on the small camera icon in the lower left corner.

2. Select the image that you would like to attach to your tweet. Images must be 3MB or smaller in jpeg, gif or png format.

3. Now you will see either a thumbnail preview of your image or the image filename in the bottom of the tweet box, depending upon the browser. The link to the image counts as part of your 140 characters, so you’ll notice the remaining character count next to the Tweet button goes down by about 21 characters.

4. Click the Tweet button to publish your tweet with the uploaded image. The image will be uploaded by Twitter and hosted on Photobucket.

5. Your new tweet will appear on your profile and home page. Click on the tiny photos icon on the top right of your published tweet to see an expanded right section with your image.

6. Your recently tweeted images will also show up in a photo gallery of recent images on the right side of your profile page.

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Facebook Fans can now Tag a Business Page in their Photos

Posted on May 12, 2011

Want to allow your fans to tag your business Facebook Page in their photos?

Here’s how:

  1. From your Facebook Business page, click “Edit Page.”
  2. Select the “Apps” menu item on the left side.
  3. Under the Photo App, select “Go To App.”
  4. To allow your business page to be tagged in fan photos, select to allow people who follow your Page to upload photos.
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What is the Difference Between Google Adwords and Google Adsense?

Posted on April 27, 2011

While Google Adwords and Google Adsense both control online advertising, their functions are quite different. Google Adwords is used by the business owner who wants to advertise online. Google Adsense is used by the website owner who wants to earn money by allowing Google to place advertisements in online content.

Google Adwords allows a business owner to place advertisements on the internet. Business owners can choose to place ads in search results. When a user searches for one of the business’ specified keywords, the business advertisement may appear in the Sponsored Links section of the search results. Google Adwords can also allow a business to place advertisements in advertising sections on other websites. For all advertising with Google Adwords, the business owner only pays when a users clicks on the advertisement. The business owner can specify a daily budget for advertising.

Google Adsense allows a website owner to profit from advertising placed by Google in the website, RSS feeds, search results, mobile apps, or on unused domains.

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How to Photograph Children: Get Natural Expressions Using a Zoom Lens

Posted on April 14, 2011

Natural photographs of children are often those that we cherish as the years go by. To capture a natural expression on a child’s face, take the picture far enough away that the child doesn’t notice you taking the picture. Use of a zoom lens will allow you to fill the frame with image of the child without moving close enough to be noticed. The Zoom will also help to isolate the child from the background leaving the child alone in focus, while making the background slightly out of focus. All eyes are draw to the wonderful natural expressions of the child.

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What is a Content Management System (CMS)?

Posted on March 22, 2011

Ever wished your business could edit your own website content? Editing your own content is certainly cheaper than paying a web designer to edit content. It also allows your company to get your website changed whenever you need to make a change, even in the middle of the night. A Content Management System (CMS) separates the design of your website from the content of your website. The CMS allows the website owner to log into an administrative screen on their internet browser and edit the website content. The CMS then stores the new website information, usually in a database. When someone accesses your website, information from the database is used to create the web page.

Content Management Systems are used for most blogs and e-commerce shopping sites, as well as many company websites. WordPress is a content management system originally designed for use with blogs. WordPress has now developed into a full fledged content management system which works well for company websites. Joomla is also popular content management systems used for small and large company websites. ShopSite provides an e-commerce shopping solution with a CMS which allows store owners to edit store content, and manage orders, shipping and payments.

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What is Social Media Marketing?

Posted on March 17, 2011

Social Media Marketing is the process of using social media like Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, podcasts, YouTube, or blogs to promote or advertise a product or company. Social Media focuses on user interactions to communicate. Social media marketing allows a company to recruit a list of friends or fans, and allows an inexpensive way to communicate more consistently with the select group of interested people.

Using Twitter, a company can post information about specific keywords using a hashtag (# before the word). When users find your posts by searching for a keyword or topic using the hashtag, your company can reach new potential customers.

Using Facebook, companies can post events, videos, images and other items of interest to fans, all for free. Companies can communicate with customers on a more personal level, creating loyal fans.

Facebook paid advertisements are a quick way to expand your contact list of fans on Facebook.

Consider starting a blog on your website. Then, automatically post a small portion of the blog entry to Facebook and Twitter. The social networking sites will drive traffic to your website.

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How to Photograph Children: Tip 2 – Fill the Viewfinder with the Child’s Image

Posted on March 8, 2011

What distinguishes a professional looking portrait from an amateur snapshot? An image with lots of background clutter will instantly look like an amateur snapshot. Shooting images of children can be a challenge because children usually do not stay in one place long enough to plan the perfect shot with a great background. Ask the question, “What needs to be in the image to tell this story?” Fill the viewfinder with the image of the child, only including other items if they are necessary to tell the story. The zoomed or cropped image will eliminate background clutter and emphasize the details you were really trying to capture in the first place.

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Twitter Changes: Compare the Old and New Twitter

Posted on March 6, 2011

Have you noticed Twitter’s new format?
This article will show the old and new Twitter formats, and highlight a few of the details for you to compare.

Old Twitter Look

Old Twitter Look

New Twitter Look

New Twitter Look

What Changed?

  1. The most obvious change is the new wider format. As desktop computer displays continue to get bigger, websites can design for a wider page format. Twitter takes the lead here, getting us more information packed on the space of our displays. The new wider format is causing extra work for many who had custom backgrounds designed for the old twitter width. If you need assistance creating a Twitter background for the new width, Stroup Images can help.
  2. The top menu bar has a new search bar and a few color changes. The “Find People” link appears to have been renamed to “Who to Follow.” “Settings” and “Sign Out” have moved to a drop down menu on the Twitter username in the top right corner of the page. “Help” moved to the newly relocated menu at the bottom of the right column.
  3. The header at the top of the left column has a new larger profile picture, and also shows the name as well as the Twitter username. Location, bio and website are also new in the left column header.
  4. There’s a new “Edit your Profile” link in the middle of the left column, perhaps to help those who can’t find the “Settings” link under the drop down at the top right of the page.
  5. There’s a new menu bar in the middle of the left column with new tabs for “Timeline,” “Favorites,” “Following,” “Followers,” and “Lists.”
  6. Each post now has a small copy of the profile picture, adding some much needed color to the page.
  7. Many of the menu items which used to be at the bottom of the page are now easier to find at the bottom of the right column.
  8. The RSS feed button to subscribe to tweets is now strangely absent. I suspect Twitter decided that RSS could be reducing the number of actual visits their website, since tweets are short enough to be totally contained within the RSS feed summary.

These changes are a step forward for Twitter.

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