Feed the Beast

Blogging Tips from Rex BrownOne of the best ways to increase traffic to your website or blog is to promote it through social media. It increases the number of inbound links to your site, allows you to reach a different audience or connect with your usual clientele at a different level. And best of all it’s free!

I detect grumbling coming from the back row.

What’s that? You say you don’t have the time to post links on Twitter or Facebook or LinkdIn every time you update your site. Well then, dear reader, you’re in luck. Because I’m going to tell you how make that happen automagically.

Continue reading Feed the Beast

Just Want to Share

A devoted reader writes:

Oh Great Geekiness, please help me.I can no longer figure out how to share an interesting page with fellow Facebook friends. Please help.

— Confused.

Dear Confused,

I feel your pain.

It seems that with each Facebook update another mysterious icon or an added layer of complexity is added to the mix. But have no fear- it’s not as hard as it looks!

Visit your favorite page you wish to tell a friend about, then look on the right-hand side of the banner (see image below). There’s a little gear icon- click that and several options will be revealed!

Enjoy.

Share a Facebook page...

Click to enlarge!

Timeline for Facebook Pages

The dreaded timeline has made its way on to most everyone’s profile. By March 30th it will also be applied to Facebook pages.

Here are a few things to consider before you publish your page in the timeline format:

Cover Image
Many social media mavens have complained about the timeline for businesses. The main gripe involves what some developers call “fan gates,” or customized content based on the visitor’s fan status. The new timeline will show the same banner image to a person who likes your page as someone who does not. But there are still ways to offer customized apps- just not through the landing page.

The dimensions for the new Cover Image are 851 x 315 pixels. Of course your image doesn’t have to be that size- but something proportional to that will be best. And if you upload something larger you will have the option to scoot it around a bit. Continue reading Timeline for Facebook Pages

Help for Facebook Pages

It’s about time.

Ever since I started using Facebook the interface for Pages has mystified me. Specifically, why can’t I (as in me) post a message on the Page that I created? Facebook only lets me post as the page.

If you’re not familiar here’s a dime store rundown- the feature known as Pages are Facebook’s answer to a business presence. The main idea is people have friends and pages have fans. It might be a pizza shop or a website or a local restaurant. If you’re wanting people on Facebook to follow the exploits of your entity you need to create a Page.

But when you create a page for your business you’ll suddenly learn that you can only interact with people on that page as the business. This applies to anyone who either creates or is assigned as an administrator to a page. In other words, you can’t be… well, you.

Until now.

Facebook has recently rolled out an upgrade to pages. Allowing you to be you is only one small part of this upgrade- in fact it’s barely touched on in their little tour. And like many Facebook features it’s harder than hell to find. Here’s how…

My (New) Settings
As an example let’s say I have a page for a blog called Oklahoma Modern. If I visit the upgraded Facebook page I created for this fun and fascinating blog I’ll see an Edit Page link along the right-hand side. Click on Edit Page, then click on Your Settings and it should look like this (click to enlarge):

My Recommendation
Uncheck the top box so you can be you when you visit this page. Now if I post a comment on Oklahoma Modern the post will be from Rex Brown- not Oklahoma Modern.

Say what?

What if I do want to post something as Oklahoma Modern?

No problem. The upgraded interface has a nifty option along the right-hand side that says “Use Facebook as Oklahoma Modern.” If I click that link my actions will be posted from Oklahoma Modern instead of Rex Brown. You’ll also find a similar link under Account dropdown.

The cool/scary part is that applies to any of your activity on Facebook- not just interactions on your own pages. So be careful!

As always, your mileage may vary.