What's New With Facebook?

Facebook is notorious for constantly changing and updating their website. Some useful new features were rolled out in 2011 and here are a few tips on how to use these new features to benefit your business:

It's all about the like button
The Like button has become more powerful in 2011 as Facebook has phased out development on the Share button. There are now different styles and options for the Like button, including:

• Standard (with and without faces)
  
• Button count
  
• Box count

According to Hubspot’s Facebook Marketing Update 2011, “Facebook users who utilize a Like button visit 5.3x more Web urls to engage with content and on average have 2.4x more Friends. Providing the "Like" button on a website gives content creators access to these more socially engaged consumers and their networks.” Since FB has now linked up with Bing, increased ‘likes’ can also increase a website’s SEO. It also drives FB users to your website and helps your content become viral.

Optimizing FB Search
Facebook search works differently than a Google or Bing search engine. Facebook relies on connections, like how many of your friends like something or know someone. So if you are searching for pizza restaurants, it will give results of pizza restaurants that your friends like first. It also relies on exact matches. You will find different results if you search wine than if you search winery.

Ways to Optimize Your Facebook Page:

• Page name = page title tag so be specific, use your full brand name, and make sure you use spaces in between words
  
• Your FB page URL (www.facebook.com/yourbusiness) can be customized. This will help users find your FB page when using a traditional search engine. Make sure to keep it short and simple and should clearly identify the artist/business. Create a URL that is close to your brand name as you can.
  
• Use the FB categories and sub categories. This will make your business more identifiable in FB search.
  
• Include detailed information about your company or band in the “about us” and “info” tabs of you your FB page. They are more available to search engines.
  
• Stay active on your page. Make sue you you are frequently posting on your wall as this content will also help boost your searchablitly within Facebook.
  
• Encourage people to "like" your page by creating content that is fun, informative, and engaging. Your content is what will draw in new fans and keep current fans visiting your page.

Engagement is Key!
An extremely effective way to engage your audiences is through Contests and Competitions.

Facebook has some very specific guideline on how promotions and contest can be conducted, so make sure that you visit this page and familiarize yourself will all of FB's rule before you launch your contest. www.facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.php

Tips for Creating a Contest:

• Establish a broad appeal -- Don't offer something obscure or too specific.
  
• Be Creative -- You want a promotion that stands out and makes people take notice.
  
• Keep it simple -- Don't make the rules to involved or overwhelming. Have FB users like your page, enter an email, or tag themselves in a photo for example.
  
• Go multi-channel -- Promote your Facebook contest in the rest of your advertising. As we like to say "keep the user in YOUR loop."
  
• Be timely -- Make sure the promotion is relevant to something that is happening NOW, and the contest doesn't go on for too long.

Facebook Connect
You can now have users Connect (or log-in) to your site with Facebook. You can also provide enriched personalized content and provide customer services via Facebook.

Tips for using Facebook Connect:

• Avoid pop-up connect, it's better to use a passive call for action like in the product review sections, community areas and post purchase.
  
• Make sure you are open and honest about what their information will be shared and make it easy to disconnect if they want to. That way you dispel uncertainty and FB users apprehension over sharing private information.

Facebook Location Based Marketing
With the introduction of GPS enable smart phone, location based social marketing has become very popular and Facebook has also created an app called Facebook Places where people can check-in, tag friends at locations, and look at a list of other people who have checked-in at the same place. Facebook has also introduced incentive to check-in with Facebook Deals.

Facebook Deals Include:

• Individual -- The user simply needs to accept the Deal and show the screen to the merchant to receive their incentive (usually a discount or free merchandise).
  
• Friend -- Multiple users must combine forces to receive the incentive.
  
• Loyalty -- Incentives are provided to a single user for recurring behavior.
  
• Charity -- Donations are made on behalf of the user.

There are tons of business out there that haven't claimed their page in Facebook Places. So make sure that you check to see if your places page already exists before making a new one.

Comment Box Plug-In
In March, Facebook launched a more robust version of their comment platform. According to Facebook's blog here are some of the new features of the comment plug-in:

• Comments are ordered to show users the most relevant comments from friends, friends of friends, and the most liked or active discussion threads, while comments marked as spam are hidden from view.
  
• Comments in the comment box are posted on the users newsfeed.
  
• Profile information is shared with your comments to give insight into each user.

This information was gathered from Hubspot’s Facebook’s Marketing Update Spring 2011. The information was compiled by a team of Hubspot bloggers.

By: Caitlin Morris
@COMusicNerd

Street Food Finds: The Biscuit Bus (Denver, CO)

This past weekend I went to the Cherry Creek Farmer's Market, and this being my first time for the season, I was surprised to see a whole section dedicated to food trucks. In one area, a person could choose from Argentinian food, fresh roasted chili peppers, Southern comfort food, or to satisfy the sweet tooth there’s your choice between cupcakes and homemade ice cream.

That particular day, my stomach lead me towards the The Biscuit Bus. The best way to sum up this food truck is Southern hospitality food at its best. With their friendly service, you quickly forget that you are standing at the bus window ordering food.

After giving the menu a quick glance, I decided to go for something simple and satisfying, a biscuit with buttermilk fried chicken. From the first bite, I knew this chicken biscuit sandwich was superior to those found at some fast food joints. The biscuit was buttery moist and tasted fresh out of the oven, while the chicken offered the perfect balance of crispy texture and juicy flavor to make for one mouthwatering bite. The only thing this meal was missing, was a nice cold glass of milk.

Check out other items featured on The Biscuit Bus Menu including vegetarian gravy options.

This is just the beginning to my street food finds and I’m looking forward to tasting my way through it.

Post by: @LAByram

Ganga Giri - New Album: Good Voodoo

There’s nothing more Australian to me than a Ganga Giri show. Their performance is a mix of hearthumping dance beats and traditional Didgeridu playing. To see this beautifully diverse band is a unique and powerful experience. I went to their album launch party on May 13th for “Good Voodoo”, an excellent follow up to their previous seven albums. The party was rocking with lots of fans and friends who couldn’t stand still at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne, Australia. This band attracts of a lot of followers globally and a solid core crew in Australia. Attending their launch party was very special as I’ve grown close to these guys over the last year since moving to this awesome country. Knowing Ganga, Jornick, and the rest of the band has been a highlight of my life here as the Indigenous Australian music connects me to the unique and special history of this country.



Download a free track from the new album here.

More about Ganga Giri on their website here.


Ganga Giri on Facebook.

Amy Kliever, Creative Director, Blooming Footprint
Melbourne, Australia

Social Media Has Little Impact on Online Retail Purchases

So if you know me, you know I don't believe that headline, but this was an article posted by Mashable this week. Check it out here.

So of course I had a client that forward this to me and I thought I'd take the time to share my response as I feel it's very valuable to all the retailers out there who read this.

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What I keep reading is that Facebook and mobile commerce will become more acceptable sooner than later. Now we use social media to find our market and convince them our brand is a good resource to follow while building awareness and influence. Plus the well educated consumers are wanting to make smarter purchasing decisions, look for deals and share them: the new age referral.

Check out this survey from IBM>. Most people are simply following companies to get offers and deals.

Social media as about providing instant customer service, building brand loyalty and trust. TV commercials, magazines, newspapers and radio ads don't provide any of that or directly lead sales either. What it's about is finding out how people like to be communicated with, and its different for everyone; some via email and some via Facebook and Twitter as they can filter to their liking. So bottom line, you have to be where the people are and converse with them.

Although consumers might not be going directly from the social media platform to make a purchase, there is still a good chance that social media efforts DO influence purchase decisions. More and more people are looking for retail solutions that allow them to pay via mobile and social sites...and if you ask me, that's the next "big thing".

High Art In Denver

The first ever High Times 2011 Medical Cannabis Cup was this weekend in Denver. So besides a competition there was also music (special appearance by Kid Cudi), parties, seminars and networking.

I didn't make it this year, but got my hands on a program and instantly was drawn in by the branding and creative page after page after page. I love the use of vibrant colors, bold fonts and understated simplicity and can definitely tell the demographics and audience they are all after.

Check some of my favorites out here...

Album Releases This Week - SuperDre & Govinda

Big week of music with 2 clients dropping new tunes on the world. In both instances we wrote the official press releases, assisted with social media and coordinated the press/blogger outreach. Check out exclusive tracks released and get to know a little more about these 2 amazing artists!

Electronic Violinist & Composer Govinda Unveils New Album “Universal On Switch”
In constant pursuit of his gypsy roots, Govinda has opened his ears to music from around the world to produce this rhythmic, multi-layered masterpiece.

Govinda's newest album 'Universal On Switch', available worldwide on iTunes is an amazing blend of Eastern melodies, heart felt vocal passages, dirty basses and wobbly electronic sounds laced with hauntingly seductive violin melodies. The tracks take you on a journey of sounds and lyrics formed from dreams while dabbling in the mumblings of an ancient far away mystical world. The music combines sensual violin textures contrasted by dirty synth and wobbly bass lines that blur the lines between the provocative, the spiritual, and the artistic.

Check out "Hungry" by Govinda here.

PRODUCER, DJ & PERFORMER SUPERDRE RELEASES DEBUT EP “FOLLOW THE FRO”

SuperDre (aka Dre) has been extra busy as of late running her boutique label Bass Candi, spending long nights in the studio and playing to sold out crowds opening for major Nationals across the country. Her hip-hop influenced, minimal tech house sound is prevalent on her debut EP "Follow The Fro" tis not available on iTunes and creates that live environment experience, while the tracks are sonically rooted initiating those earth-shaking party grooves Dre is known for.

Dre continues serving up her distinctive brand while sharing the stage with acts like Slum Village, The Cool Kids and D12, Filastine, Ana Sia, Heavygrinder, Punisher and Terrence Parker. She was personally invited by Bassnectar to play his SOLD OUT Atlanta NYE shows, the OFFICIAL after party as well as to support his 2011 West Coast tour. Still active in the underground scene, Dre continues appearing at festivals, warehouse parties and after hours events where it all began.

Check out "Ghetto Circus" by SuperDre here.

For full press releases or any other info, hit me up at katie(at)bloomingfootprint(dot)com.

A Social Media Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day in this day and age can be an absolute no brainer if you just embrace the power of Social Media.

Check out this very timely video produced by the great people at Socialnomics, which was founded by Erik Qualman with the intent of providing Social & Mobile Statistics, Studies & Surprises. For all you guys out there, there are a lot of Social Media tools that will make life easier when getting your V-Day goodies lined up, as you'll see in this video...



And below, please find a couple great infographics from eHarmony on what men and women find most important in a relationship.







We hope you get some out-of-the-box ideas on making this a memorable Valentine's Day for your loved one!