How a Phone Is Robbing You Of Your Privacy

A phone robs their owner of their privacy at every use. Smart phones major selling point is their ability to surf the web and make updates to social media programs. However, these two services are the two things that make the phone a trap for privacy. Every time a person uses these advanced features they lose more and more of their privacy.

Location Based Tweets and Updates

The social media systems are always trying to get more and more information about their users at every turn. This means that the social media system is going to try to get the location of a user every time they update their profile with an update or post.

This information lets a social media system figure out what types of ads are appropriate for that user and what ads have the best chance of converting. Obviously, they want this information so that they do not pitch this user to an automobile dealer in San Francisco when they are located in Portland, Oregon.

However, as stated before, this information will reveal things about a user that the most people would feel uncomfortable about if they knew the social media system was selling that information to third party advertisers. This means that the phone is helping the social media system gain more information about the user than they realize under the guise of "meeting up with friends based on the user's location".

Location Based Internet Searches

One of the biggest uses for the phone is the use of GPS or navigation services. A lot of the phones that exist use a map from the biggest search engine around. However, this map allows a person to be tracked if they are signed into the search engine. Therefore, this suffers the same problem as the previous problem. The search engine is tracking the location of the user and is working on targeting ads that are specifically designed to get that person to buy something.

Even though the pay per click model is not as well optimized as it is on the desktop systems. It still can be highly effective at getting people to click through and buy something. However, this just means that the search engines will continually evolve their model on the mobile systems until they make a system that is optimized for use on the phones that exist at this moment.

This all equates to the need of a person to protect their privacy by carefully selecting what searches and updates they make on the phone. Every step on the mobile phone is a step that gives a person less and less privacy. Therefore, a person must evaluate what they are doing every time they use the phone. This is the only way that a person can guarantee themselves privacy while using the features of a smart phone.

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Comment Marketing: What You've Been Doing All Along Now Has A Name!

One of the best traffic sources is to comment on someone else's blog, when that blog is on a relevant, related topic. It may sound counter-intuitive to raise up our competition but oddly enough it makes us look more authoritative when we do. There are several advantages to being strategic when commenting on blogs, news posts and in forums, so much so that this is now a formal kind of marketing - Comment Marketing. Here's what it involves:

The Goal Of Comment Marketing

When done correctly, commenting will introduce you to people already looking for the information you are an expert in already. When you comment wisely, adding to the conversation in progress, you plant the seed that someone can trust you. You also begin to build your like-ability quotient. This is always the ultimate goal with social networking - to build "know, like and trust" connections in your desired marketplace.

What Comment Marketing Is Not

SEO gurus used to advise us all to comment on leaders' blogs in order to build backlinks. The Google Penquin Update has ended the effectiveness of that tactic. Content Marketing is not about building profiles in as many different places as you can; it is only about adding value to a conversation. This encourages people to see you as an expert. A comment that simply says, "cute post" or "love your theme" does nothing for you and is usually deleted by the blog owner.

3 Quick Comment Marketing Tips

1. It is okay, and often a good idea, to disagree with the main point of the post. So long as you can back up your point of view and do it politely. It gets a good discussion going and helps both you and the owner of the blog, especially if the chat goes on for a while and stays polite!

2. Use the same name and photo everywhere. Your "gravatar" then becomes recognizable and your followers will automatically scroll to your comment to see what you've said. Consistency is key with social networking, so that you can stand out in the noisy, crowded social sandbox.

3. Only plant a url in the comment section if a) it really is helpful and extends the content's value and b) you can do so in such a way as to allow the blog owner to delete it. For example... add your comment, and then add a phrase like "note to editor, if this would be useful to your readers" or "I'm not sure if this is appropriate to place here, yet I believe your readers would gain value from this link".

Raising Up Your Competition

As you can see, comment marketing involves quite a bit of strategy: you will want to pick leaders in your niche and comment on their posts all while following the rules above. You may see those "leaders" as your competition and not want to promote them for fear that they take away your traffic. Oddly enough, the reverse is true. When you authentically (i.e. genuinely) and publicly admire somone else in your field, it shows how much of an expert you are that you recognize their unique abilities and then - and here's the key - shows that you are secure enough in your own authority that you can stand back and admire others with confidence.

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Facebook - How To Delete Photos - 2012 Edition

Facebook changes their layout and structure continuously. They call it 'updates'. This keeps us fit and flexible but also means that we always spend time looking for the things we just started to get used to. It also means that as soon as you have finally understood how it works, it has just changed. After my previous article answering this question I had feedback that it did not work anymore, so here is an updated version.

Your uploaded pictures

Easy: For your own photos simply open the photo and you will find the 'Options' menu below the picture on the right hand side. Choose 'Delete this Photo'. Alternatively, if in an album, open the album, click on the 'edit album' link and once you scroll over a picture there is an options menu in the top right corner that appears when you click on the down arrow. Click 'Remove this Photo'.

If you want to delete a whole album, simply click on the delete button on the line with the title of the album next to the 'add photos' link.

Your uploaded pictures in a group

You can only delete photos in a group if you are the administrator. If you are then, once you have the photo opened, there is an 'Options' menu below the picture on the right hand side. Choose 'Remove this Photo'.

If you are not the administrator you might want to ask the administrator to remove it for you.

Someone's uploaded picture of you

If someone else has uploaded a photo and tagged you, you can click on the wheel symbol in the top right corner and select 'Report/Remove Tag'. This means that the photo won't show on your timeline anymore. Additionally, you might like to turn on an option called 'Profile Review' to approve tags before they become public. This option can be found in your privacy settings under 'Timeline and Tagging'.

This does not mean that the photo is gone; it is still visible on the person's wall that uploaded it and also to their friends.

Your profile picture

Just like any other of your photos delete it using the options menu. If you have already updated to timeline hover over your profile picture and the options menu appears. You can choose a new one, take a photo, upload from pictures, edit thumbnail or remove it.

Abusive or unwanted pictures

You can also report a photo if all else fails. Every photo has the 'Options' menu below the picture on the right hand side. The available options change, depending on whether the picture is yours or someone else's. You can click on 'Report This Photo' and it will give the following options to choose from: spam or scam, nudity or pornography, graphic violence, hate speech or symbol, illegal drug use. Choose the option that best describes your situation. All reports are strictly confidential.

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How Far Do You Reach With Facebook?

As a social media strategist, I manage a fair number of Facebook pages for clients. Much of my day involves growing each presence and researching methods for increasing followers and subscriptions, and crafting quality content that encourages fans to share that information. As social networks evolve, not just Facebook, they tend to change the rules and in turn makes jobs like mine more interesting and challenging. Recently, Facebook has allowed page administrators to see real-time results of their actions in the form of "reach" statistics per status update. As hard as you work to promote your business or project through Facebook, however, you may be disappointed with what you see.

First, let's define reach. Next time you're on your Facebook page, check the line of stats underneath the like, comment, and share links. You'll see a number (100 people reached, for example) and a percentage point. The number represents how many people saw that particular status update, and if you hover over that link you'll see how many of those 100 people are organic or viral viewers. Organic viewers have already liked your page, and viral folks are friends of those people. Both demographics are important, of course. You rely on your organic audience to continue visiting your page and reading/liking information, and the content you provide must prove compelling enough for the viral audience to grow and transfer to your organic grouping.

So, 100 people saw one post. If 100 people are fans of your page, you have a perfect record and should pat yourself on the back. If you have 7,000 fans, though, it means your message only reached a small percentage of your captive audience! According to Facebook Marketing, pages will reach an average of 16% of overall fans.

It's wonderful to have thousands of fans attached to your business page, but if so few people actually get the message you could be shouting in the wind.

Why, you may ask, is this reach so low. People have liked the page, so they should see statuses appear in their news feeds, right? Well, yes and no. As we mentioned earlier, Facebook likes to change the game often. The move toward the Timeline algorithm may have put off users who suddenly no longer see updates by certain friends. These days we have to be savvy enough to know how to adjust our feeds so we get what we want. As a page owner, you should know that the people you'll reach most often are the ones who actively seek out your information regularly. In turn, Facebook recognizes that since these people visit your page or access your information often, your updates are included in their feeds.

Similarly, people who don't check your page often don't receive as much attention from you because of this algorithm. Then the unthinkable occurs: out of sight, out of mind. That person remains a notch in your fan count, but they don't benefit.

How do you combat this and raise your reach? Here's the kicker: Facebook offers you the opportunity to promote individual posts. Unlike Facebook ads that direct users to specific pages or off-site links, promoted posts are designed to show in more feeds and hopefully reignite interest among established fans. Once they see you're still active, users may visit your page more often and re-enter the organic demographic, raising your subsequent reach.

Like their ad program, the promoted posts have no set price. You determine the cost and Facebook lets you know how many people will receive the notification. Thirty dollars, for example, could increase your reach by a few thousand people, while a hundred dollars highlights your post to tens of thousands. Remember, we're talking about people who have already liked your page!

The thought that you have to pay to speak up to people who already like your page may frustrate you, especially if you've spent money on campaigns just getting users to click the like button in the first place. You may wonder, is there a way to get around this and work organically toward reviving reach. There are a few tricks to try, but the effectiveness may depend on what you can accomplish via Facebook:

Make sure your followers know to adjust feed settings so your updates show. Have them hover over the page's like button and click "Show in News Feed." Engage those followers you do reach. Respond to comments, positive and negative, and show support through likes. You may find those fans become more active, and you can increase viral reach. Be visual. One thing I've noticed on some client pages is that the reach jumps when we post a photo or upload a video (as opposed to linking to either). Having the media directly on the page increases sharing potential, so definitely create some viral graphics.

Lastly, don't feel discouraged by low reach numbers. Think creatively with your Facebook marketing, and experiment with your page. It only takes one action to create a reaction that sends your information everywhere.

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Facebook for Business - Powerful Milestones and Photo Cover Tips

New changes and features on everyone's Facebook page around the world may have brought some initial shock and confusion among Facebook users, but the timeline also brings new and exciting opportunities to explore. Your business would probably benefit best from the Facebook milestones and photo cover features. Ride with the waves, don't fight them, and you'll be alright.

Follow the Wave

Certainly, major brand names have jumped successfully into the new Facebook Timeline bandwagon, and looking back, they can only be proud of themselves continuing through transition and coming out a winner. This innovative format change is also good news for smaller brands and small to midsize companies in several ways.

These clever ways and techniques discussed in this article regarding milestones and the cover photo will help your brand or business survive the Facebook game altogether. Many big companies are growing their brand names already, making whale waves on Facebook. The results depend on your enthusiasm to compete and stand out above the competition. A great vision for unique milestones and a creative cover photo that needs to engage both visitors and prospects alike, will certify your brand recognition.

Considering that the visual layout is a priority for the new Facebook Timeline features, let's explore creative opportunities your business can take advantage of through Facebook with milestones and the photo cover design feature. Since the changes in this world bring new beginnings, now would be the best time to try something entirely new for your business, and Facebook offers just that.

Share Life Events and Highlights of Your Brand or Company

Think through adding interesting milestones for your business. In any case, this will bring your business much closer to your visitors and prospects since they will have a good idea of how life events and highlights transpired. Such milestones would be much better if say, your business has a good history to share. A good example of a company that uses milestones effectively is Skittles and its founding story. The company takes pride in their remarkable and interesting history.

They reveal it all, including how everything evolved from beginning to present time in a well-organized manner through this new, particular feature. Using milestones helps users and fans alike understand the highlights of your brand or business. Milestones work exactly like life events on profile pages. Simply, click the milestone button on your timeline to add one, starting with the date you or your company was born. You have the ability to customize the milestone with specific type, a description, and exclusive image.

Important Milestone Components and Creative Human Connection

For best results, apply quality images with high-resolution, sharp focus, and good lighting. The milestone display size is 843 pixels wide by 403 pixels long. Harness the real magic behind the milestone feature. Incorporate more than just events, like grand openings or new product launches; add exciting photos displaying company parties, guest or public appearances or VIP's like your kids, mentors, and experts.

Freshly written unique content combining infotainment, are important components of the marketing effect to gain more eyeballs for when you post milestones. These varieties of visual stories are an essential human element to your Fan page that your watchers are able to appreciate and engage.

In your case, you can be creative through your businesses' product releases and everything accomplished so far. Since the Facebook Timeline feature is all about the impacts of visual content presentation, you can achieve best results if you can tell an engaging story to follow your featured photos. Whenever you add new photos, you automatically have a slot for posting. Users love seeing photos with a good story attached.

Cover Photo Terms and Creative Design Ideas

Even though the Facebook Pages terms and conditions address that no one can have contact information, calls to action, promotions, or pricing information, Facebook made it easy for companies to embrace other eye-catching copy and creative design, such as:

Professional tagline or motto that describes what your business is about An influential word that symbolizes your brand Thought-provoking quote Names of individuals in your photo cover Professional photographer tributes Exclusive rights to image

Pictures are a compelling technique to build emotions, so paint a picture for users to remember. A Fan page's cover photo ought to express the spirit of the brand. Use superior pictures, designs, and photographs that are crystal-clear, contain composed color and correct lighting, or utilize image-editing software (like Photoshop) to enhance your pictures. You can plan anything you want, for instance a life size collage or apply a unique giant, attractive snapshot. Be sure to take into consideration the cover photo shape when developing your masterpiece.

Use the profile icon for your company logo, or make it noticeable somewhere. There is no need for extra graphics in your profile icon. If text usage is the plan, ponder its position when choosing images.

Here are a small number of image content ideas proper for cover photo brands:

Happy customers that regularly use your products or services (get permission) Popular products Awards won Personnel working Business owners Recognizable vector graphic

Conclusion

Let's review, Facebook features enable companies and brands to take control of their milestones and unique photo cover design. Companies all over the world are taking advantage of the opportunities. Delivering the best quality work is worth the time and money considering both of these features represents your brand.

A recap, by incorporating more than just events with your milestones and providing creative design elements correctly, a company can establish themselves as a unique brand with fans and users alike. Take time to map a plan that integrates both your milestones and photo cover in a delicate fashion.

I hope these tips help you gain more engagement and more fans. Think about how you want to represent your brand.

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Five Ways to Fast-Track Yourself Onto My Unfollow List

Have you checked Qwitter recently? If you haven't, you'll probably be surprised to learn that people just don't like following you on Twitter. Your followers are dropping like flies, and it shows no signs of stopping.

Why?

Because you're hell-bent on irritating, upsetting and just plain boring your followers. You keep making the same mistakes, over and over again, and it's going to end in disaster.

You're putting yourself on the fast track to being unfollowed.

Five Ways to Fast-Track Yourself onto My Unfollow List

I like to think that I'm a fair man. So I'll put up with lots from you on Twitter. Swearing, spoiling the ending of Doctor Who and asking celebrities to RT your comments won't put you on my unfollow list, simply because these are par for the course on Twitter.

But if you're indulging in one of these five horrifying Twitter behaviours, it won't just be me reaching for the unfollow button.

1) You're constantly fighting in the streets

Some people liken Twitter to a pub. Others think it's more like a dinner party. Everyone agrees that it'd be a better place if we were all a bit nicer.

So if you're the person who's trading barbs and insults on your favourite antisocial network, make sure you aren't doing it in front of everyone. A robust debate is fine. A sweary tirade through the direct message system will at least fly under the radar.

Using snide little tricks like punctuation before the all important @ so that everyone can see that you're having an argument just makes you look like a plank. We won't think you're some crusader against the dark underbelly of the Twitterverse.

We will think you're a fool who deserves to be unfollowed.

2) You insist on retweet recursion

Everyone likes getting a retweet. Having your great blog post on Twitter etiquette gives you a lovely, warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

Which is the exact opposite of the feeling everyone else gets when you RT your RTs.

It's one thing to relentlessly push your own posts, but by jumping up and down and making a scene every time someone admits to reading your posts isn't going to win you any friends. It'll make you look a bit sad, a bit desperate, and a bit like a candidate for my next following cull.

And woe betide any one who RTs a #FollowFriday recommendation...

3) You're a hashtag horrorshow

Using hashtags is easy. You drop one or two in to give context to your tweet, or to link it to an ongoing debate.

#you #do #not #hashtag #every #single #word #you #tweet #Iheart1D #because #you'll #sound #like #a #fool.

I don't think I need to say any more about that, do I?

4) You're filling my DM inbox with spam

This is something that marketing people need to learn. Because nobody appreciates this, everyone hates it, and yet it still happens.

If I follow you, please do not send an automatic response with a link to some product or service that you're hawking. It makes you sound desperate, it's intrusive, and it makes me question your authority straight away.

Because most people I follow on Twitter pass on information for information's sake. And that generates trust. Trust makes me more willing to work with them in future. Or pay them for some of that expertise they've demonstrated.

When your first interaction with me is to make a cack-handed sales pitch, I don't think "Wow, here's an expert." I think "Oh, here's a salesman." Then I hit unfollow.

5) You're just plain boring

It might sound obvious, but being boring is a one-way trip to Unfollowsville, population: You.

So at least try and fake having a personality.

If you steer clear of these five pitfalls, we'll have a long and fruitful Twitter relationship, you and I. But I'd like you to return the favour. What behaviour has you diving for the unfollow button?

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How to Maintain Social Media Privacy When Using the Social Systems

Maintaining a social media privacy campaign is as easy as making a plan. A plan should already be in place before a person starts using a social networking platform. However, there are many times when a person just starts to use the programs regardless of what conventional wisdom says. A person who uses the social networking system before they have a plan for keeping their social network private has very little privacy. The worst part about that is that they may or may not realize that they have compromised their own security. Therefore, the best thing for a person to do is have a social media privacy plan in place before they start using the systems.

Once, they have a system in place and they are using the system, then it is extremely easy to maintain the privacy. They just have to follow the plan. However, following the plan becomes more difficult when people try to peer pressure the person into using certain systems on the social networking platform. There are plenty of fun things to do on the social networks; however, each one of those activities costs the user in the form of money or privacy. In most cases, it is the latter, because there is a higher premium on the information about a person, then the monetary value that their attention can bring.

A good social privacy plan takes this peer pressure into account and gives the user a formula to figure out if they want to proceed with the action or if they should stray away from using the application. This is not always an easy decision on the fly because of the amount of ridicule a person can take from inaction, however, for privacy reasons, may be too great. Therefore, a person has to figure out, beforehand, what they will get involved with and what they will not get involved with and at what cost. It is OK to give up some privacy if the risks are understood and the user knows what they are giving up. However, what is not acceptable is blindly accepting terms and conditions unless a person fully understands what they are giving up in return for use of the system or application. Therefore, a smart user of the social media system has a plan or formula for figuring this out before the situation comes to pass.

Lastly, a person also needs to be careful who they let in their social networking friend or follower list. These people that the person lets into their little circle have the potential of helping or hurting a user. This is because anything that the user says about a business or person can be brought to that entities' attention by those people in the friend or follower list. There have been many incidents when the friends and followers of a certain person have gotten their "friend" fired because of statements that person has made about their company of work or whatever the case may be. Therefore, a smart social media user plans their social networking appropriately beforehand and keeps their friend or follower list to people they trust.

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LinkedIn on Steroids: Six Powerful LinkedIn Tips to Hulk Out Your Profile

The difference between Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is that LinkedIn is a professional business networking site. In fact, it is the largest and most powerful site of it kind, with over 168 million members and at least one executive from the Fortune 500. Nevertheless, most business people do not use LinkedIn to its full potential.

LinkedIn is not a place where you want to gather "superhugs". LinkedIn is a professional site for business people looking to set up serious relationships with decision makers in their particular industry. It is about quality over quantity.

If the abovementioned describes you, you must put into practice the following six tips to get the most of your LinkedIn experience:

1. Complete your profile

Make sure your profile is absolutely complete. Nothing looks worse to an executive decision maker than an incomplete profile. Remember, LinkedIn is the industry standard. Anyone who is anyone has a profile on LinkedIn. There's no way around it. Many people will search for you on LinkedIn, Make sure your resume includes everything you've ever done professionally. Make sure you include every certificate, volunteer work, and awards you have achieved. Content is king. Google and Bing love LinkedIn. The more content you include in your profile, the higher your profile (and name) will rank in Google and Bing searches.

2. Join Groups

Joining a group in your industry, especially in your region, will help you establish credibility with other professionals. LinkedIn is about building relationships. Joining groups will help you in your endeavor. Participate in group posts and share your knowledge. Do not try to sell your product. Sell your knowledge. Helping others goes along way on LinkedIn. Others will feel comfortable giving you a recommendation or passing along your name to a potential client. To have a great business relationship you must build trust.

3. Link All Your Accounts to Your LinkedIn Profile

Link your business website, blog, Klout profile, Facebook business page and Twitter account. Make sure your name is consistent in all of your accounts. This creates higher page rankings (SEO) in Google and Bing. It also helps brand your name. TIP: If you have a common name, use an underscore or add a couple of letters to your "handle." For example, I share my name with a famous Puerto Rican salsa singer. I added "pr" for public relations, to my handle: @prjohnnyrivera. Now all my accounts, including LinkedIn appear on the first page of a Google search. Johnny Rivera, the salsa singer appears on the second page of the same search.

4. Participate In LinkedIn Answers

Use LinkedIn Answers to help others in your industry. Many business people post questions looking for help to their problems. You'll find several questions that you know the answer. This will help establish you as an "expert" in your field. Perception is everything in business. You can also do searches and post questions for issues you may have. Jason Calacanis, CEO of Mahalo.com, improved his company by posting a question and receiving several answers from his peers. Mahalo is now a thriving success story with the help of LinkedIn Answers.

5. Use LinkedIn Widgets

LinkedIn has several cool (and effective) widgets that allow you to import your WordPress blog, upload.pdf files to your virtual filing cabinet and even have a virtual business card. Remember the more content you give, the better others will have a feel for your expertise. Don't be shy here on LinkedIn. There's nothing wrong with showing the LinkedIn universe that you can provide the goods.

6. Strongly Consider Paid Subscriptions

LinkedIn offers three premium accounts: Business, Business Plus and Executive. These tiers provide access to powerful tools enabling you to seamlessly find, contact and manage your connections, starting at $24.95 per month.

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How About Likeness Levels on Social Networks Like Google+

Have you ever "liked" something on a social networking site and then realized that you didn't really like it, in fact it might have disgusted you, or you thought it was interesting. Then you thought to yourself; "I hope no one thinks I actually like this, I just wanted to alert my friends and followers to the fact that this information exists." And don't tell me you haven't, because I'm sure we all have. Even if you don't care what anyone else thinks, it has become quite obvious that in the future the government will be going through everything that we "liked" online.

Okay so, let me give you an example. I am an aerospace and aviation buff, I love interesting designs, and the technology, I also like to study history. Nazi Germany in World War II was on the leading edge of aerospace design, and many of those designs were later incorporated into our own technologies here the United States. As an American, I stand opposed to everything that Nazi Germany stood for, and both of my Grandfathers fought in World War II to defeat Hitler. Still, that doesn't mean I don't admire the designs of their aerial war machines, or their advancements in technology in the field of aerospace back in the day.

In any case, I "liked" a few of the interesting designs that I had found searching around on Google Images. It occurred to me that I don't like this concept of having to state that "I like something" just because I wanted to make a note of it, bookmark it so I could later see it, or show it to my fellow think tankers to give them ideas of potential new aerospace designs. I'm afraid someone might take it the wrong way. There is a solution to this problem, and perhaps if you click on Google+, Facebook "Like" or any of the other social networking sites - next the user could choose the levels of "likeness" for further defining what you meant. For instance;

FYI Like Awesome Interesting

Indeed, I understand that you don't want to have "dislike" buttons because then competitors online would dislike your website, products, or services. It might also cause a negative experience online, or create animosity and revengeful attacks to "dislike" your opponent which would turn the Internet into a cat fight as we see often happens on Internet forums, media article comments, or blog comments. We don't need any more of that, as we have enough of it already. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

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Getting Ready With Facebook PPC

An increasingly popular pay-per-click option these days is Facebook. With Facebook's advanced metrics and ability to serve ads to a wide variety of very specific targets like age, gender, and interests, more and more businesses, large and small, are turning to Facebook to serve ads to their potential customers. With numerous PPC options (including search giant Google) available to advertisers, why are so many people flocking to Facebook? What are the benefits? Downfalls? Let's take a look.

The Good

Facebook is wildly popular. With over 900 million users, many of whom spend multiple hours a day on Facebook, advertisers would have to be crazy to turn down that kind of an audience. Further, more often than not Facebook tracks and knows more about it's users preferences then any other major internet hub but it allows advertisers to target very specific metrics about their potential targets. The ads are non-invasive and, if served properly, hardly look like ads at all. Often the calls to action are not necessarily to buy but rather to investigate a product and service more with in the context of Facebook and the companies' interaction with other Facebook users.

Advertisers also have the option of "bringing a Facebook user's friends" into the fray and showing popular pages someone's friends or family may like that might interest them too. Since "liking" a page is basically innocuous advertisers benefit by introducing a user to their product or service but not forcing them to make a decision about purchasing. This appeals to our nature as humans to procrastinate and investigate.

The Not-So Good

While Facebook boasts a ton of traffic, millions of hours a day, most, if not all those users are not there to shop, buy, or be solicited to. When someone Google searches something, for instance, they may be in any number of the phases of shopping. So when Google serves them a search result and some ads the likelihood that they are looking to buy or at least pricing is high. When someone is on Facebook they are connecting with friends or family, uploading pictures from a trip, and generally interacting with people. They are not necessarily in any phase of shopping for a product. This is why Facebook's click-through-rate is notoriously low. Beyond that it is hard to say exactly how many people act upon an ad even if they do click through.

Take Away

It is necessary for businesses to realize that the quality of ads they serve on Facebook must be high. They must be informative and relevant. They must not be intrusive and they must not be the companies' only avenue of advertising. Do your research and test everything. See what works best for YOU and your company not other people.

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Increase Your Traffic, Visibility and Online Rankings by Using Social Networks

Internet marketing is becoming a very valuable form of marketing, as the internet is available 24 hours a day which means that it is become much easier and quicker for you and your business to target potential customers all over the world, even after you and all of your staff have gone home.

There are many different ways that you can enhance business online and one of the most effective ways now available is to use social networking sites. This is because, as they use internet, they are also available all day, every day which means that it much easier for you target potential customers, even more so, potential customers that are already actively searching for your products or services.

Social network sites are now used by a large proportion of the world, each wanting to stay in contact, review things or to find businesses with what they need. Which is why it has become an easy, quick and effective way of enhancing a business online and targeting a larger range of potential customers. With Social network sites there are a number of ways in which you can advertise your business such as:

Advertisements- If you are part of the social networking craze you will understand what is meant with social network advertisements, if you are not here is a short explanation.

On social networks there are a wide number of businesses who are looking to attract more potential customers, and they have created either short advertisements or have their business name, logo and URL placed on the side of the pages, which are there when a potential customer scrolls down. This can attract potential customers and entice them into seeing what you have to offer. This is one of the easiest ways of enhancing your business on a social network site.

Profiles- With all social networking sites you are able to create profiles, with your business your profile will be your business name, and your picture could be a picture of your logo, products or simply your company name. Having a profile on these sites means that when potential customers search for your products or service in the search bar, your business will come up as a result. Which, much like Google, Bing and Yahoo, not many individuals will go past the first few.

Groups- Creating a group for your business on these sites allows you to do much of the same as a profile would, however it is much easier for potential customers to keep in contact with you. They will be able to like your page and link your business products, services and images to their friends, family or colleagues.

Each of these enables you to do a number of things that will help you to advertise your business online. You are now able to post images, offers and news onto your chosen account which will be seen by potential customers who will have been taken to your account. Also everything that you post will show up on your followers, friends or people who have 'liked' your business which means they are able to see everything that you have ever posted and things that you will post in the future.

With all of these you are also able to keep in contact with your existing or new, potential customers, meaning that it has become much easier and quicker for them to understand what your business is, what you have to offer and how you can help them. They are also able to ask you questions and you can easily provide them with an answer, which others can see, so you could be answering many people's problems at one time, instead of individually.

If you are looking to enhance your business with social networks, look no further than Ranking Solutions as they are able to help you to create the perfect account and help you to keep it updated with news, information, images and text.

Ensure that your account if perfect for you and your business today.

How Social Networking For Business Came to Be   Social Networking - A Beginners Guide to LinkedIn   Making Efficient Use of Your Social Media Campaign - A Debut Into Social Media Marketing   Top Reasons to Engage on Twitter   

Friendship Goes Virtual. Why Technology Can Be Your New Best Friend

Before the internet, it was difficult if not impossible to have and maintain friendships that weren't in your local area. You had to travel, have time to meet and connect with another person and you had to make a plan to stay connected, like writing letters or long-distance phone calls. It wasn't that convenient.

Now, it's easy to cultivate deep friendship bonds with people all over the world. Sometimes, these friendship bonds happen without you ever having met IRL (in real life). What's really cool about this is that no one in your local area has to have the same types of interests as you. You can still find friends and connect with like-minded people on a deep level without ever meeting in person. When and if you do make arrangements to meet, it's surreal and amazing to know this person deeply and also see them in 4 dimensions!

Or what if you move to a different city? With technology, you don't have to move away from your friends and family, you can still keep those ties close.

Here are some ways to connect with friends new and old:

Facebook is a tool millions use every day to connect with old friends and make new friends all over the world. We've connected with people from all over and some of them have become good friends we'd love to meet and hang out with someday. Skype or Facetime video - This is fun to use when you want to actually see, talk and laugh. We have some good friends, a couple who we've moved away from and we get on Facetime video to talk and laugh about stuff. Google Circles - You can create your own group of people you want to hang out with and stay connected to. And there's the video option to have group chats and end up with a virtual "reunion" at any time.

Here are a few tips to stay safe when you are making new virtual friendships:

If you are going to meet in person, do it in a very public place and let others know where you are going and how long you'll be there. Don't tell anyone online where you live, ever. If someone puts you down or criticizes you too much, let them go as a friend. Sometimes, in the virtual world, it's really easy for people to criticize and say things they wouldn't normally say right to your face. If you find yourself giving "helpful advice" all the time, make sure it isn't unnecessary criticism and that you're not doing this, too.

Don't let these safety tips dissuade you from opening up to virtual friendships. In this super-connected world, more and more people report feeling lonelier than ever. It doesn't have to be this way! There's no reason why you've got to feel alone, even if no one in your local area understands you. There's so many ways of connecting with people who have your same interests and sharing ideas with them.

If you feel lonely in this day and age, open yourself up to the possibility of having virtual friends. They can give you the same support, laughter and love as the friend standing right next to you.

Social Networking - A Beginners Guide to LinkedIn   Making Efficient Use of Your Social Media Campaign - A Debut Into Social Media Marketing   Top Reasons to Engage on Twitter   How Are You Leveraging Your LinkedIn Groups to Build Your Empire?   How Online Social Networks Help Build Businesses   3 Drawbacks of Online Social Networking For Business   

How Many Twitter Followers Do You Have?

Are you on Twitter? Do you want more Twitter Followers? Of course you do. Everyone has different reasons for wanting more followers on Twitter. Some Tweeters want bragging rights. Some Tweeters want a larger audience for their business. Others are simply interested in Tweeters that share the same hobbies or passions as they do. There are various methods to increasing your followers list.

The quickest way to get thousands and thousands of followers is to pay for it. If not promoted or advertised properly however, it is very likely that you get accounts to follow you which are not legitimate. Some examples of faulty followers are fake accounts and spammers. I am not against paid advertisement on Twitter but it is very important that you educate yourself and research before jumping into a costly marketing option.

The best method to grow your Twitter followers is to be sociable and engaging. After all, Twitter is a social networking site. You cannot just post your business on every Tweet. You have to take time to interact. Respond and re-tweet other postings (only if it is interesting to you). Evaluate your Twitter account and make adjustments so that your brand is more appealing.

A good ratio for self-promotion is 1:10. This means that after every nine tweets that are valuable, engaging, entertaining, or educational then you may allow yourself to tactfully Tweet your product or service. Engage in conversation and be helpful every chance you get. Continue to follow like-minded Tweeters. There is a good chance they will follow you back. Participate in Tweet chats. Just make sure those you are chatting with are in your target audience. The topics can be very specific so have your good talking points ready. The search option is also available to look up Tweeters in your niche.

The slowly but surely way to increase your following is highly effective. The connections you make are more meaningful than when you pay for your followers. Promoted Tweets can be effective as well but it should be secondary to your networking strategy. Another free way to gain more followers is to build your credibility in other social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, or BetterNetworker. Once you have created a solid reputation and following there, then you can start to promote your Twitter account. Just remember to stick to the value first mindset before promoting. This concept is marketing at its best.

Social Networking - A Beginners Guide to LinkedIn   Making Efficient Use of Your Social Media Campaign - A Debut Into Social Media Marketing   Top Reasons to Engage on Twitter   How Are You Leveraging Your LinkedIn Groups to Build Your Empire?   How Online Social Networks Help Build Businesses   3 Drawbacks of Online Social Networking For Business   

The Importance of Social Networking in Our Lives

This presents a very useful way of spending the leisure time of people. Businesses have also capitalized on the advantages of this in terms of marketing or promotional campaigns. This is even utilized by politicians and activists to their advantage.

For Individuals

The introduction of social networking to the lives of people gives them the opportunity to share almost all of their everyday experiences with each other. All of their everyday stories of success can be seen there. This has also been an effective medium to vent out their everyday struggle. Mainly, the daily drama in the life of a person can be shared there for all to see. Just look at Facebook or Twitter for instance. You will know what people in your network are thinking or doing through their photos, posts or tweets. You will even get to know what they are watching at the moment and what they had for their lunch or dinner.

For Businesses

Social networking sites have not only benefited individuals but many businesses as well. Basically, this also revolutionized the way people and companies conduct business. Through its features, businesses are able to interact with their wide classification of clients. This definitely presents a faster and better way of doing business with individuals and even with a group.

Somehow, this serves as a more personal way of doing business with clients and most sales are obtained there. This personal way of doing business somewhat makes a client important so the chances to convince customers to buy certain products or avail their services are high there.

Businesses engaging in e-commerce using this are truly at their advantage. With it, they can determine right away the preferences of potential customers just by simply looking at their profiles in social networking sites.

This serves as a way for clients to express their satisfaction with products and services too. Therefore, this is a free or cheap way for businesses to rake in positive feedbacks that they can use in their marketing campaigns.

Shaping Up Politics and Other Important Events

Speaking of "revolutionizing", social networking is also an effective medium in shaping up politics and other important events around the world. Politicians are widely known in using this to help their voters decide by airing their opinions and plans there. In this age of information, this really gives a big leverage during campaigns before elections.

Some famous revolutions were known to originate from social networking sites. One of them is the recent revolt in Egypt that ended the long reign of President Hosni Mubarak. Basically, this played an important role in organizing the revolutionaries and in airing their plight for support from people around the globe.

Social networking has definitely changed the Internet landscape. Social networking is definitely important in the everyday affairs of individuals, businesses and even governments because it bridges people as one in order to accomplish a common goal.

Social Networking - A Beginners Guide to LinkedIn   Making Efficient Use of Your Social Media Campaign - A Debut Into Social Media Marketing   Top Reasons to Engage on Twitter   How Are You Leveraging Your LinkedIn Groups to Build Your Empire?   How Online Social Networks Help Build Businesses   3 Drawbacks of Online Social Networking For Business   

Making Social and E-Mail Calls to Action More Effective

To boost our site's traffic, we promote our site and encourage users to subscribe to us. We put in links of our social pages and persuade users to register on our sites. In giving so much importance on building relationships, we tend to create so many social pages for our brand and have them all embedded on our sites. In this way, we likely to overwhelm users.

Always bear in mind that users subscribe to us because they are interested in our content. So, too many social pages links on our site would not get us followers if we don't have content that would interest them the most. Here are some tips shared by Rand Fishkin, CEO and Co-founder of SEOmoz.org, in improving social and subscription calls to action.

1. Limit Your Subscription Choices and Don't Overwhelm Users

Not all social networks can effectively drive users to your site. Identify which of your social pages can best serve their purpose. Choose only two well-performing social pages to be embedded on your site. After identifying your best social pages, embed them only at a single side of a page on your site. Having the links and icons of your social pages, inviting for subscriptions, cluttered on your site could get you less subscriptions as your repetitive links disgust users.

2. Promote Subscription at the Right Time

Know the right time for calling to action. For instance, for a blog post or product offering, it could be better to offer subscriptions or products at the end of your content. Having users reached the bottom of your article could likely denote that you have them engaged throughout reading your content as they scroll down your page. Off course, it's a bit illogical to ask users to subscribe or buy a product prior to reading your content. They should comprehend first your content and benefits they might get from what you are promoting before subscribing or making a purchasing decision. If they get interested in your content or find your product worth their money, then they might subscribe or buy your product.

3. Customize Your Calls to Action Image/Button

Standard calls to action (CTA) graphics are now becoming trite as they look the same in hundred of sites. It's better to have customized CTAs for these have better chances of getting noticed by users. By customizing, you can design unique images or graphics on which your brand is accentuated. You can also add clever messaging on them to make them stand out all over the web. Having your signs get easily noticed by users boosts the possibility of having them subscribed to your site.

4. Create and Fulfill Expectation

If your CTA promises users of getting more updates about new trends in SEO by subscribing to your site, then you should be fulfilling that promise the soonest time after they sign up. Or else you will not only lose subscribers, but also put your credibility at stake.

5. Present Relevant Social Proof

Determine what social proof is relevant to your site the most. Then, put this on your pages. You may follow other experts in their social media accounts. Or you may subscribe to sites of importance to your niche or with high page ranks.

6. Make Your Subscription Process Dead Simple

A less complicated way of subscription tends to please users. If you're going to ask for more information from them before confirming their registration, they will less likely finish the subscription process.

7. Eliminate "Noise" from Your Social Media Channels

Your subscribers may get annoyed if you're going to flood them with tweets, status updates, or e-mails. Too many updates within the day can make your conversion or engagement rate strategy less effective. So, it is better to send fewer messages to your subscribers through your social medial channels if these updates are of high quality or interest to them.

8. Know Your Social Media Channel's Return on Investment

Know the benefits you're getting from each of your social media pages. As mentioned earlier, not all social networks can serve you best. An effective social network to others may not work well for your site. So, it is really important to identify which among your channels drive more users to your site and create high engagement. Then, give priority to your most effective social media channel.

Social Networking - A Beginners Guide to LinkedIn   Making Efficient Use of Your Social Media Campaign - A Debut Into Social Media Marketing   Top Reasons to Engage on Twitter   How Are You Leveraging Your LinkedIn Groups to Build Your Empire?   How Online Social Networks Help Build Businesses   3 Drawbacks of Online Social Networking For Business