Posts

Now Everyone will have the Facebook Timeline

The Facebook timeline has been rolling out since November to the general public. Until recently people have been given the option of it they want to upgrade their profile. If they did upgrade and didn’t like it, they could return it to the old style within 7 days. Facebook has announced that there will be no more of these shenanigans and that everyone will be upgraded automatically to the new timeline profile.

Like most updates this has Facebook users up in arms. Many people don’t like the new timeline. Though graphically it is very beautiful, it is harder to find information on it. Plus if you post a lot it is easier to get information buried.

Lets be real. No one is actually leaving Facebook. They know that they can make these changes, completely ignore feedback, and people will continue to use the network. It has become too ingrained in our online and social culture. Where Facebook will make changes is when it starts to hit their bottom line, ie. affecting businesses.

Of course many of the changes they have made over the past year have greatly affected business on Facebook for the negative but individually they were so small that we couldn’t make a fuss over it. One change that did raise everyone heckles was when FB was deciding what posts should appear on your pages timeline. It resulted in a huge outcry from the business community and prevented the change from ever making it out of the trial phase.

So despite the new roll out, people will yell and complain. You will likely see posts in all caps complaining about how horrible it all it. You will likely hear that you can revert back to the old style (which you can’t), there will be scams that supposedly let you revert your profile (don’t click those links), or apps created claiming the same thing (they are bogus). Like it or don’t like it, the timeline is here to stay.

 

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The Facebook Reveal

A woman slowly revealing herself naked from behind drapes, vinage 1920's photo

We have been using the slow reveal as a way to intrigue and tantalize people forever. Now you can use it on Facebook.

The landing page on your Fan Page is your first impression on Facebook. What if you could have a slow reveal on your page?  What if you could use your page to tantalize potential new fans and give them a little thrill right from their first encounter with you?  The Facebook reveal allows you to do this. Be mysterious. Be seductive. Be intriguing. And be effective at converting lurkers into fans and clients.

Most of us have seen the landing pages on Facebook Fan Pages. They look like a mini website inside a fan page that you usually only see when someone comes to your page for the first time. Once  they have “liked” you, they are directed to your wall.

For a one time show, Facebook landing pages are highly influential in getting people to like your page. If you have a really good one, you might get someone to like your page; then they may be more inclined to go to your website, sign up on your mailing list, or just start engaging with you right off the bat.

The landing pages are what make Fan Pages so influential.

There are a lot of great examples of strong landing pages: Red Bull and Gap.

There is a code that you can use to keep a portion of your landing page blurred out to non-followers.  Then when someone clicks “Like” it is revealed to them and the image/text is no longer blurry.

The Big Reveal

Here is an example of the reveal:

Facebook Reveal

Can you imagine what you could put on your landing page that is hidden behind a blur? You can be highly provocative and use the desire to see what is there to convert people into fans.

“Like” me and I reveal a little more…

Now you can offer the promise of even more on your page with special links and content just for fans.

How do I do it?

Well if you are the one creating your landing page then you are familiar with FBML and how to code for Facebook.  Click here and you will find the code to make your page a reveal.

If you are not a FBML wiz kid, (really, how many of us are) then you can talk to a FBML designer who can create this for you. Click here to talk to a designer.

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Do you vid? The Facebook rumors might be true.

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woman laying down in lingerie on skype chat

Do you vid?

Do you offer one-on-one conversations with your clients through Skype? Do your clients want you to see them too? Well there might be another platform coming out for you to vid.

Facebook might be integrating video chat into their chat platform. There are rumors, coming from the discovery of video code in the Facebook platform, that FB might be integrating video chat into their chat application.

Video chat has been more of a “when” rather than an “if” for a long time but it is possible that our wait is coming to an end.

With one-third of the U.S. population on Facebook, there is a better chance that your friends are on Facebook chat rather than an email oriented platform like AOL, MSN or Google. And of course integrating FB chat into outside platforms like iChat and AIM just increase the reach and usability. This makes FB a likely platform for chat.

The integration of group chat into the new FB groups, and being able to have email announcements stream into your chat box, has just increased the attractiveness and probable development of the chat function.

Facebook would be a very easy platform for transferring conversations.  Though there are many Skype users out there, there are pleanty of people who are still not on it.  If you were networking on Twitter and wanted to move your conversation from 140 characters to a vid chat you could send someone your Facebook link.  Once they friend you, you start your video chatting.  Not only does this provide an easy way to chat but you have just expanded your network.

Through creating the cross-network relationship you have now increased your reach and can communicate with your clientele in more ways than before.  And of course if you want to build a strong client base and really grow the profitability of your business, your ability to connect to your clients on as many platforms as possible is an important key factor.

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