LinkedIn Starting to Look a Lot Like Facebook

A major redesign of LinkedIn's interface is rolling out this week. Several large companies with early access have adopted the new streamlined look. Immediate reaction ..... it looks a whole lot like Facebook Timeline! 

There are a bunch of things I like about Facebook that are being adopted by LinkedIn in this upgrade. LinkedIn has always been the clunky "wanna be" from my viewpoint. 

I never saw the value of linking to friends I already have on Facebook, or linking to people in my company Outlook address book, creating just another feed of information in my busy day. 

I never saw the reason to create a profile that is essentially my resume. If LinkedIn changed personal profile capabilities to allow broader range info, I might buy in. That said I'm getting over my reluctance.

With this new interface the experience will become more visually appealing with photos, posts and comments capabilities that we are so used to on Facebook. Company pages can be targeted to the many business users who could care less about Facebook. Bosses will encourage employees to spend time on this social media tool. LinkedIn has been wise to focus on building their user base in the business world.

I've started using LinkedIn in my business research as I seek teaming partners to bid on projects together. LinkedIn is a great and growing source of interactive communication as it settles into being the go to site for business. Promoting a better designed and interactive company page capability will certainly draw more eyeballs to company profiles. Check out the early adopter pages for Phillips, Citi, and Expedia. 

OK, I'm sold, hitting the "like" button. A major step forward from the old links to a company website that not only took you away from LinkedIn pages, but where you could rarely find a list of staff you are trying to connect with. Maybe more people will join LinkedIn and companies will have an even greater presence for collaborative teaming. Now, companies, get past just posting job openings on your profile. Promote your whole company! For more information, navigate to LinkedIn's blog article here>>

Facebook Releases Faster App for iPhones and Androids

iPhone and iPad users rejoice! Facebook rebuilt its app from the ground up to address speed issues. Gone is the old web-based code, replaced by native iOS code. Gone are some of the infrequently used features that slowed down the app, others that made it clunky. Timeline is being rolled out for iPad users. Look for Instagram integration with iOS which Facebook recently purchased. Not to be left out, Androids got a speedier new app, too.

Read Wired Magazine's review>>

 

Attracting More Customers Through Facebook

HubSpot has a handy new guide packed with tips and strategy on how to use Facebook to attract more customers. I downloaded the free copy and am taking notes as I read through its well-organized and in-depth content.

(Source: HubSpot)

The clamour to "get on Facebook" is noisy out there. For businesses reluctant to take the plunge, this guide is an excellent resource that demonstrates with the right strategy you can build and engage viewers on Facebook then convert them to paying customers.

Get your free download here>>

Facebook's new targeted market options for posts

If you are a marketing pro, you will love these new customer targeting tools from Facebook. Wondering if you can select multiple categories in the drop down menu. Navigating to my page now to test it out. ~~ Linda

____________________________

(Source: Mashable)

 

Facebook on Friday announced new options for brand Pages to target their posts.

While previously Page admins could only target by language and location, the company has added new options, including:

• Gender
• Interested In
• Relationship Status
• Education
• Workplace

A Facebook rep gave the following example of how a marketer might use the new option: “Say you want to target an audience for a back-to-school campaign. You can drill down to college kids 18 to 21, so your post will be seen more by that age group.” 

The new capability comes a few weeks after Twitter made it possible for marketers to send targeted tweets based on location, devices and platform. 

Read full article here>>

Facebook's Airtime Lets You Video Chat On Any Platform

Love it. Two gals in their closet video chatting, perhaps comparing what to wear? Check out this adorable promo video. I like the idea of an app that can be used on any platform without a download. Simply login with Facebook, link to the Airtime app, and you are ready to chatter, giggle, and wave to your friends directly from your browser, from inside your own closet :)

http://vimeo.com/43359572

Burson-Marsteller's #SocialMedia Study Packed With Content

Do you have clients who need a little persuasion to convince them of the merits of a social media campaign? They ask, why go to all this trouble? A newly released study by Burson-Marsteller answers that question. It tracks adoption of social media by Fortune 100 global businesses. It shows steady growth in the use of social media and adapting to new features and platforms. The largest growth was the use of video to promote business through YouTube by creating branded channels. These global businesses also use Facebook and Twitter to drive engagement through multiple accounts that can be targeted to different demographics and geographic regions. Click here for study results and a presentation.

(Source: Burson-Marsteller)

#Facebook Groups and Facebook Messenger Get Read Receipt Capability

I like the feature in my MS Outlook at the office, but is it appropriate or useful for Facebook Group users? Read full article here>>

(Source: Mashable.com)

Worried that a message you posted to your Facebook Group went unread? Worry no longer.

Members will soon be able to see exactly who has viewed each update posted to a Group, Facebook announced Wednesday. Below each post appears “Seen by” followed by a number; users can hover over the text to see who read each message and when they read it. The feature, which Facebooks calls “read receipts,” also work on mobile.

Facebook introduced read receipts into another of its applications, Facebook Messenger, in early May. The feature appears in both one-on-one messages and in group chats.

Read receipts are undoubtedly useful in the context of Groups, but are already raising privacy concerns. Rubina Madan Fillion, social media editor at SmartMoney and The Wall Street Journal, immediately dubbed it “creepy.”

What do you think of the new functionality? How would you feel if read receipts were integrated into other parts of Facebook, like personal or brand status updates?

Social Media Provokes More Plastic Surgery?

(Source: Mashable.com)

Doctors say Facebook and video-chatting tools like Skype and FaceTime have partly fueled this decade’s boom in plastic surgery.

 

“People will come in and say, ‘I saw myself in the mirror, but I didn’t really notice it until I saw myself on Facebook or on my iPhone or iPad,’” says Dr. Adam Schaffner, a New York plastic surgeon. “When you look in the mirror you’re seeing the mirror image of yourself. But when you see yourself on social media, you’re seeing yourself the way the world sees you.”

This new, social-media-derived vanity is driving plastic surgeons to cater to the growing market. Schaffner performs a surgery called the “Lifestyle Lift,” a minimally invasive procedure to tighten up the face. 

Read full article here>>

 

Watch Your Words! #Facebook Monitors Your Chats for Criminal Activity

(Source: Mashable.com)

#Facebook and other social platforms are watching users’ chats for criminal activity and notifying police if any suspicious behavior is detected, according to a report.

The screening process begins with scanning software that monitors chats for words or phrases that signal something might be amiss, such as an exchange of personal information or vulgar language. 

The software pays more attention to chats between users who don’t already have a well-established connection on the site and whose profile data indicate something may be wrong, such as a wide age gap. The scanning program is also “smart” — it’s taught to keep an eye out for certain phrases found in the previously obtained chat records from criminals including sexual predators.

Read full article here>>

Facebook Tabs Engagement Has Striking Decline

Mashable reports a huge drop in tab engagement since Facebook launched its new timeline format. I miss many of the tabs and functions that used to be on my page. Don't like the way I'm limited to a few boxes that can show under the cover photo.

Read full article here >>

 

Handy Guide Explains Facebook Promoted Posts

Great article by the Social Media Examiner. Lots of confusion over this issue, especially in the non-profit world, plenty of folks are outraged they have to pay to reach their fans.

Full article here >> http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/facebook-promoted-posts/

Facebook Plays "Hide and Seek" With Users Email Addresses

This week Facebook quietly hid from profiles all personal email addresses and  replaced info with an assigned Facebook email address. Yes, perhaps there is a good reason not to show the world your personal email address. Facebook no longer gives its 900 million users the option. Take a look at your profile "About" section. Notice you have a new Facebook email address. Why would anyone use it? Apparently nobody cared. The service has been around since 2010, but was ignored. To solve the problem Facebook simply changed your profile driving people who want to get in contact with you to use the new Facebook email address. To reveal your personal email again on your profile, edit contact info and select "Show on Timeline." Facebook is attempting to keep eyeballs from wandering away from the site. Your new Facebook email essentially runs through their messaging service. What happens if you block messaging? Block posting? Don't want to post your personal email? How will you be reached? What will Facebook surprise us with next? Send me an email at linda.ivanov@facebook.com. Let's check out what happens. Read more>>

Rolling Out Now: Facebook Lets You Edit Your Comments

Love this new feature, fix your typos the easy way. If I had to take a sip of coffee for every time I have made a typo in a Facebook comment, I would not get any sleep for a year! Check out this cool new feature rolling out now. According to Mashable Social Media, "the edit option appears in the form of a small pencil icon on the right side of your comment. Clicking on the pencil will bring up a drop-down menu with the option to edit your comment as well as the option to delete it entirely." OK, I'm going to stop blogging and start making typos on Facebook, eager to test it out. Back now, see result below.

#socialmedia

Facebook Guide to Optimizing your Business Page Timeline

HubSpot is giving away a free ebook packed with valuable information about how to use Facebook's new features to support your marketing and strengthen your lead generation efforts. It has many great examples and covers best practices that help optimize your Facebook marketing. Spending my morning reading my copy. Finding lots of great tips and guidelines. Thanks HubSpot!

Get your copy here. bit.ly/H8L5aE

Workaround: Facebook "promote" $$ shake down to show own posts

Page administrators and fans: 

These posts started showing up in FB in the past few days. Guess this means everyone has to go to every page they have ever liked and make sure posts are checked "show in news feed." Silly and a shake down on the part of FB to blatantly charge money for posts. Terrible idea. Many non-profits use FB to gain visibility. The idea that I would pay $5 each time as an administrator to get my non-profit's fans to look at our posts is just nuts. Roll back the clock, please.

 

California's risky bet on Facebook

Jerry Brown's anticipation of a Facebook windfall illustrates his pattern for overpromising and underdelivering. A smart executive does the opposite.

California government may receive a windfall from huge capital-gains taxes on the sale of Facebook stock following the Palo Alto social-networking behemoth's recent initial public offering. Or not.

Read the full article at:  http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/brown-355984-billion-state.html

(source: Orange County Register)