Build Your Own Gift App on Facebook

Did you know that you can build your own gift application on Facebook? This is great for business trying to get their products seen or just for fun!

I built a gift application for a client of mine and it ended up being a lot easier than I thought.

First you click on make your own gift app. If that button is nowhere in site, type in "make a gift" in the search box in the upper right hand corner.

Then just follow the directions...exactly and in the end, you will have your own Gift Application!

Facebook Etiquette

My friends over at ZooLoo posted this funny little video about how to act on Facebook. If anything, it's a good laugh and very entertaining!

Finding and Using Your Facebook Fan Page

Making a fan page for your business on Facebook is a great way to to market your company or product. I allows you to update your fans on what is going on in the company, alert fans of new products or promotions and get your name noticed by a large audience.

So, what happens after you make your fan page...how do you get to it and update it?

Your fan page is linked to your personal Facebook page. At the bottom of your home page on the left side, next to the word Applications there are little icons. Click on the first icon (Ads and Pages). Then click on (Pages). Then click on (View Page). You should now be at your Fan Page.

Make sure go to Edit Info and fill in all the blanks. The more thorough you are, the more apt someone will be to become your fan. Also, make sure you have a picture up. You could use your logo or a product picture.

Update your Fan page, don't leave it stale. The rule of thumb is daily. It's not necessary to be on there all day long, but once daily will put your business on the minds of your fans. If you have a blog, post the links from your posts with a thumbnail image. Post pictures, videos, link product reviews and press releases. Engage your fans, make them want more.

Some fan pages hold contests to keep their fans excited. Hey, anything to engage your fans and keep them wanting more works in my book!

photo: The Search Principle Blog

The Social Media Highway

Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are taking the world by storm! They are helping companies, like Dell, improve their customer service.

Bob Pearson, who was the former VP of Dell's communities and conversations, ramped up the companies social media efforts to combat the "Dell Hell" label applied by customers referring to its customer service department. The company now has 42 employees that make up its Social Media team that run blogs, a video channel as well as other forums and track what people are saying about the company. I'm sure they are on Twitter, so if you have something to say, say it. Someone is listening!

There is even a 46-member Blog Council put together by the word-of-mouth marketing company GasPedal. The Council is composed of the heads of social media for Fortune 100 companies including Cisco, GE, Dell, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, The Home Depot and Proctor and Gamble. The council focuses on best practices for blogging and social media within large corporations.

Coke became hugely popular on Facebook when two Coca-Cola enthusiasts created a Facebook profile because of their love for the beverage. With 3.3 million fans, it became the most popular brand-related page on Facebook.

The growth is a mystery because there are over 200 Coke-related fan pages on Facebook, but this one stood out from the rest. What's great for Coca-Cola is that it doesn't cost a thing for them to run the Facebook page and it is reaching millions of people. Smaller companies should think about making a fan page for their product or company to utilize the free marketing tool!

Unfortunately, Skittles was criticized when they replaced their corporate home page with Skittles-themed pages from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia. They generated a buzz, but some regarded it as a gimmick designed to exploit Twitter's popularity.

The gist...take the plunge!

"Social media is not a marketing tactic anymore--it is something that fundamentally transforms the entire enterprise" Andy Sernovitz CEO of GasPedal.

My Mom is on Facebook!

Is your mom on Facebook?

Mine is and she's my friend! Actually, my mom, 2 sisters and 3 cousins are on Facebook and yes, It's a family affair!

I actually love the fact that my mom is on Facebook because I have very little time in my day to do all of the things I need/like to do during the day. By my mom being on Facebook, it actually is like killing two birds with one stone. Not only am I posting pictures and life updates for my "friends," but now my mom can see them too. This saves me from having to send a separate email of pictures and updates to my parents so that they can see what's going on in my life 2300 miles away.

I'm not sure how I would have felt if my mom had been on Facebook had I been a teenager trying to find an identity in the harsh world of teenagerdom. I think it might have cramped my style, but being a 30 something with small children living half way across the US, I love it!

Thanks Facebook for bringing families and friends together!

photo:stockvault.net
topic idea: Chris Brogan