Does CoTweet allow Facebook Integration? Kind of..
This question was raised today at online bootcamp: Does CoTweet.com have Facebook integration like Tweetdeck?
The answer: Kind of…
Ping.fm integration is available –very new since Oct 23— so that what you tweet on co-tweet can flow to your ping.fm account which of course flows to all of your accounts configured there.
Stay tuned for a detailed blog post on this subject.
You may also want to check out http://www.HootSuite.com for similar capabilities.
Twitterfeed.com Configuration Problems?
Today, I was preparing to demonstrate how to set up http://www.Twitterfeed.com and realized my feed wasn’t functioning properly.
My blog URL (which works fine as an RSS feed in Facebook apps) wasn’t working for Twitterfeed. It seems a title tag was missing from the code of my new Wordpress theme. I utilized the tool Feed Validator http://feedvalidator.org/ to identify the problem.
A more common problem is finding the RSS feed URL. With some applications, your standard URL will work as your RSS feed URL. If not, find your RSS feed URL like this:
- Open your blog in a browser as shown below.
- Left click the RSS feed icon as shown in image below.
- Select from the RSS feeds available.
There are different families of RSS feeds available. I have these two RSS options on my blog. Both work with twitterfeed.com.
http://www.michellecullison.com/feed/
http://www.michellecullison.com/feed/atom/
If you have a Wordpress blog, you can also feed your blog posts into twitter using the wordpress plugin http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/twitter-poster/faq/.
Automation eases the pain of social media time drain. Setting this up or hiring someone to do it, is well worth the investment.
Extending your blog to the active twitter sphere is a good business decision.
Contact me to hire my team to help you get started.
Since founding Daystar Digital Development, Inc., in 2000, I’ve helped many companies establish an effective business website. But in a web 2.0 world, a website is not enough. I now help clients expand from a website to a web presence using social sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. It’s similar to the concept of “Location, Location, Location” in the real estate industry. I position you and your web content where the people are. I help you place your website content in the best web locations–where the traffic is so you can build relationships, trust and grow your business.
I can help you succeed with social media. Here’s how:
Join Us Tues Oct 13 2:30 CST Facebook for Business Webinar
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 | 3:30 PM EDT
Social Networking Best Practices Webinar:
Facebook For Business – Can You Afford to Ignore 300 Million Users?
With an estimated 300 million users, Facebook is THE most prevalent social networking application in the world! As such, it has become an on line community to reconnect with old friends & colleagues, build marketing campaigns and create critical awareness for your business.
For many individuals, Facebook is providing a human element or in essence a “face” to their professional presence. Our pictures, activity updates, circle of friends, causes we care about, all are helping others get a more holistic view of not only what we do when we work, but who we really are – including that which we find interesting, how we like to play, and those who are around us! For many, it’s a platform to engage and influence, and to share stories or perspectives.
How can Facebook help you? Join us-David Nour, Michelle Cullison and Nhat Pham-on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 3:30 PM Eastern (12:30 PM Pacific) for a look inside Facebook best practices to help extend the value of your on- and off-line business relationships.
>>Click HERE to register for this free webinar
Join us: Twitter for Business Webinar Tomorrow
| 140 characters – that’s all the space you get to answer a simple question: “What Are You Doing?” What began as a simple idea has spread like wildfire, as an estimated 30 million users – from celebrities to corporate brands and brick and mortar entrepreneurial businesses – have expanded the idea to what they’re thinking, what they’re reading, what they find of interest and value.
Countless others have extended the original Twitter web page into thousands of applications – from productivity, to promotions, analytics to multimedia. From TwitterFountain to TweetLater and hootsuite, you’ll be amazed at what a simple idea of staying in touch – 140 characters at a time – has become as a strategic online business tool. So how does this apply to your business and why you need to get on Twitter now? Join us David Nour, Michelle Cullison, and Nhat Pham on Friday, October 9, 2009 at Noon Eastern (9 AM Pacific) for a look inside Twitter for Business best practices to help you listen louder – to an intelligent market, full of insightful ideas and best practices. In 60 minutes, we’ll cover how to build a branded Twitter page, how to follow and build a following intently, extending your brand online via this real-time interaction platform, how to offer customer service, engage a broad based audience in an active community, how to join Twitter groups, create hashtags for your next event, and drive exponential geospacial traffic and awareness to your web site, blog, and overall marketing gravity. |
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| After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar. | |||||||||||||||
| System Requirements PC-based attendees Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista |
| Macintosh®-based attendees Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer |
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/261881912 |
Presentation Skills Teleseminar Series Starts Tomorrow
Download Presentation Skills Seminar flyer for more information.
I highly recommend Myra’s program. She is the number one reason I am speaking successfully and for profit today. Take a minute to review her program. Since presentations are so crucial to business success, you won’t want to miss this chance to learn from an expert. —Michele
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Myra says:
I am so happy to share with you a special teleseminar series that I will be hosting, along with talk-show host Monica Pierre, starting next Tuesday (Oct 6) from 4:00 to 5:00 pm CT and continuing at the same time period on Tuesdays Oct 13 and 20.
As you know, I’ve spent the last 25 years helping individuals and organizations develop and articulate their unique messages. Helping hundreds of people find their voice and package their presentations has been extremely rewarding and very enlightening.
I’m often asked “what are the most critical things a person should know/do in order to speak effectively?” Each year, I witness several hundred presentations. There is a real consistency in determining whether a speaker will be exceptional, decent, or just plain bad based on how well they adopt 10 basic principles.
This teleseminar series has been designed around my “10 Absolutes”. I believe, unequivocally, that every presenter can significantly improve his/her performance with the right knowledge, commitment and practice. And those improvements can happen very quickly!
Public speaking has greatly evolved over the last 15 years. Presentation software is now omnipresent (although rarely used to its potential). Multi-media is now easily accessible but underutilized. Audience demands of speakers have changed. They now want crisp, fast-paced, engaging programming. Even technical presentations must now balance a need for concrete information with enough motivation and audience connection to make the message heard, accepted and the new knowledge used. In short, the bar has greatly risen in all areas of presenting.
If someone is relying on principles learned in a college public speaking class 10 years ago, it’s unlikely they are performing anywhere near their potential. I should know. I taught those classes – and still teach them – BUT I also add the “tricks of the trade” that I’ve learned as a professional speaker along with all the new technology and online resources available at our fingertips. Together, it’s a great new way to look at speaking – whether you’re a business development specialist, a non-profit executive, an entrepreneur, a technical expert, or an emerging executive.
If you or some of your colleagues could benefit from some fresh ideas to liven up your programming, join us!! Attached is a flyer for the program and more information and registration can be found at: http://www.FindYourSpice.com/teleseminar . All three one-hour sessions are only $87 AND you get a recording of each session after its completion. That way, you can listen whenever you like – even if you can’t be with us “live” for one of the sessions.
I wish you all the best and thanks for helping us spread the word about this exciting program!
Myra
Myra L. Corrello, PhD
Spice Your Business. Growth strategies designed just for you
Spice Your Career. Knowlege & skills to take you to the top & keep you there
Spice Your Life. Enhance & enrich your personal time and relationships
5721 Magazine Street, #141
New Orleans, LA 70115
Office: (504) 899-8660
Mobile: (504) 453-3466
iPhone: (504) 812-5990
Myra@FindYourSpice.com
www.FindYourSpice.com
SBA 2007 Women in Business Champion of the Year – State of Louisiana
Call today to learn more about our
Presentation Skills training programs
coming in October!
How to Un-Fan a Page on Facebook
On Facebook, you can become a fan of a business page. However, you may want to bow out at a later date. Here’s how:
- Visit the business page.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the left hand column.
- You will see a link that says: Remove me from fans. See figure 1 below.
Figure 1-Screenshot from facebook fan page
To learn more about social media, sign up for social media bootcamp!
Meeting Planners Q & A about Facebook
On Tuesday, August 25, 2009, Plan Your Meetings, sponsored a webinar, hosted by David Nour with Michelle Cullison and Nhat Pham. These questions were asked by the meeting planners:
1. Can a group created by an individual be moved to a public business page?
Moving from a group to a company page is a manual process. Create the page and then invite all group members to become a Fan of the new page. Some Group admins put a deadline on the move and close the group. You may also provide some new content on the page as an incentive to make the move.
2. How are people using Facebook to find potential partners/vendors?
You may find vendors/partners using the advanced search page on Facebook. It allows you to search for people, pages and groups by keywords. You can get to the advanced search page by typing search in the Search field. (Currently, there isn’t a link to advanced search on the menu.)
Another great way to find potential partners and vendors is groups. Join industry specific groups where your partners and vendors are spending time. Need to find the groups, search for them with the advanced search page.
Are they searching like on Google? Yes. Business pages on Facebook are public so googling the company name and the term facebook as search words is a good way to see if a potential vendor has a facebook presence.
How does Facebook rank pages when a search is done?
Facebook doesn’t disclose how it ranks pages on its search results page. However, this page about the new Facebook Search may be helpful to you: http://www.facebook.com/help.php?page=923
3. I get feeds on my home page from groups/pages that I am member/fan of, what do we need to do as a company to get our updates to post to our friends pages?
4. Can you create an event for a Cause FB account?
A cause is an FB application. Anyone with an FB profile may create an event.
5. What is the difference between a group and a fan page – benefits of both?
Groups gather people around a topic of discussion and can be a good place for collaboration. FB fan or business pages are like personal profiles but for businesses. They have all the power of personal profiles including the ability to publish a lot of company info, install apps, communicate with and build a fan base.
6. Is it advisable to keep a “personal” Facebook page versus a “professional” page?
Having both kinds of presence on Facebook is important. You develop business relationships personally using your personal profile and as a brand using your (professional) company page.
7. If you post a blog to the notes section how do your friends see it?
Under the Settings menu, Choose Application Settings and then Notes under the Wall tab click on: Allow Notes to publish to Streams.
8. I am the director of communication for a small trade association – we have created a group on Facebook – so are you saying we should create a profile – if so, for me or for biz? How would you do this?
Groups are good for collaboration but do not have as many features a public profiles (business pages) have. As an association, you could benefit from the added features that public profiles have. To create a public profile for your association, go to Facebook.com and click this link: Create a Page for a celebrity, band or business. Having a personal and a business presence on Facebook is helpful as business relationships can be formed personally and organizationally.
9. How can Facebook give an incentive travel company an edge on the competition? Create a content-rich public profile for your company on Facebook Business pages. Make it a page that adds value to your audience and includes links to your website and industry specific keywords for Google. Invite your target audience to become fans. Engage your audience in conversation.
10. I’m looking for a job – any suggestions on how to use Facebook for that? Many times job leads come through the people you know. Make sure you’ve entered all your education and work history info in your personal profile. Communicate confidence and the value you bring to employers in your status updates. Do communicate that you are looking for opportunity. Don’t convey desperation in your updates.
11. How can you use Facebook for education/learning?
12. How can my company keep negative comments off our Twitter account? Controlling negative comments is a common concern across social networking platforms. Some of the blogging/microblogging tools allow you to turn off commenting but then you’ve shut down communication with the exact audience you want to build relationship with. Responding positively to the negative comments may indeed give you an opportunity to build repo ire with your audience and show how you are handling the issues that occur. Google the words “Transparency in blogging” to learn more about how companies are dealing with negative comments in the blogosphere.
13. How secure is Facebook?
I will talk about 3 common ways that FB accounts are compromised and how to prevent it from happening to you.
- Phishing: Do not give you account information to someone who claims to be an FB rep via email. FB will not ask you to update your account info via email ever.
- Hacking via email access. You can reduce your chances of having your account hacked by using a password on your FB account that is DIFFERENT than the password on the email account that you have associated with your FB account. If a hacker gets your FB password and it is the same as your email password, they can then take over your email account that manages your FB account and lock you out of your account.
- Applications are another door hackers use to compromise your account. Facebook is an open development platform meaning applications can be submitted by anyone. One way to reduce your vulnerability is by installing only verified applications. Read more about verified apps here: http://developers.facebook.com/news.php?blog=1&story=247
14. Looking to extend company community aspects while differentiating content on Facebook so it is not a duplication of efforts. With this type of strategy, you will need to communicate what type of content will be unique in the FB arena. I saw a site that week that gives tips on their FB page that they do not post anywhere else.
And, if the company doesn’t have a blog where interaction occurs, then of course, the FB page can be the place for customers to provide feedback and enter discussions with you. Open up your FB page wall for community interaction.
15. How do you get over the legal hump within a corporation to allow use of Facebook for the company and employees? Developing a policy and making sure all parties understand the rules is key to social networking success in a corporate setting. Here is a GREAT site, the Social Media Blog Council, to use a resource in the process of policy development: http://www.socialmedia.org/
16. As a non-profit with few resources, how do we figure out what the best use of Facebook for our situation is? If you have a small budget for education, invest that in learning social media strategy. Then, perhaps you can utilize volunteers or college students for implementation. The leaders must understand WHAT the goals are and who the audience is on these social sites. Social Media Strategy programs are offered by David Nour, Nhat Pham and Michelle Cullison.
17. How do you keep you personal Facebook and business Facebook separate? I don’t want to personally become a fan of a vendor but want to professionally become a fan. Only people (personal profiles) can become fans of pages. However, you can tag another page as Favorite page of your Business page. Go to the Vendor page on FB that you want to support as a business. Then, click the Add to MyPage’s Favorites and select your business page from the list. You won’t be a fan but you will be showing support business to business.
18. What’s the quickest way to add value to the lives of those we contact with in Facebook and to monetize opportunities for all parties involved? To add value, think about what tip you can give your audience today that will help them in business. Monetizing many times comes when a client trusts your business enough to close the deal, buy the product. What can you say today to build trust in your product or service?
19. What is the balance between being effective at promoting events vs. spending all of your time on social media sites?
It is best to determine 2 things before you login to social sites:
1. How much time do I have to give to this social media session?
2. What specifically do I need to accomplish when I login?
I would suggest allowing time to create the event in the FB events app and promoting it on your page and to your targeted friends list. You may also promote the event to select groups on FB that have the targeted audience on FB.
20. How do you show the value and utility of Facebook and social media when executive management doesn’t even understand social media? Case studies are really helpful to show what others are doing that is working. Mashable.com is a good site for breaking info on social media and web 2.0. Here is an article that highlights some big business success stories that you may want to share with your executive management: http://mashable.com/2009/02/06/social-media-smartest-brands/
21. Facebook comes across as a social site – how do you make messages more “business like”? In your status updates, answer questions like these, “What would add value to my audience today? What can I share that will help them professionally?
22. How do I get folks to register for my online training?
You may want to familiarize yourself with FB events. Another great way to get the word out on FB about products and services is to join groups with members who are in your target audience. Start discussions in the FB groups and offer the group members free pre-training teleseminars or webinars so you add value first and then plug the training on the call. You wouldn’t want to join a group and then start selling your training services.
23. How can I advertise my business on FB but not have it so “In Your Face” to my friends. You may want to consider a paid FB ad. You can get significant exposure for $30 a month. Or, segment your friends using Friend Lists and send targeted advertising messages to select groups. However, remember that social networking culture is somewhat averse to advertising. Try soft marketing value add messages that also include links to learn more about a product or service.
24. To me, Facebook is merely a social tool. I want to be convinced of it’s usefulness as a business tool. I’ll give you 3 reasons:
First is location, location, location. Facebook allows you to put your business where the traffic is flowing. There are many people you can touch in FB that will never come to your website. Secondly, google loves high traffic sites and a link to your website from within FB increases your findability on google and other search engines. Finally, on FB pages you are allowed the chance to have people build a relationship with your company or brand.
Facebook Badges
I am often asked the question, “How do I create a badge for my FB page?”
A badge is an icon that indicates you have a presence on Facebook and want to connect with you.
There are 2 types of badges: personal and page badges. Personal badges link to personal profiles. Page badges link to business pages.
To create a personal badge, go to your Profile Page and scroll down to the bottom of the left column. There you will find the “Create a Profile Badge” link. Click the link to go to your Facebook Badge page. Next, select the “Create Badge” option and follow the instructions on your screen to create a badge.
To create a page badge, also known as the “Find Us on Facebook” badge go to the ‘Promotion Guidelines’ link found in the right hand column under the communications section of your Edit page screen.
Both of these badges can be used on other websites to drive traffic to Facebook.
If you have a brick and mortar location, you would do well to create physical badges on site announcing your Facebook presence. You may also use FB badges in print mailings or Print ads. In these circumstances, you will need to provide the FB URL for them.
If you have 100 followers, you may request a URL to match your business name such as facebook.com/businessname.
Connect, Engage, Add Value
In a web 2.0 world, clients want more than ads. They want to know and trust you. Only then will they invest in your products and services.
- They want to get to know you, your company, your products and services.
- They want to engage you in conversation about their questions and concerns.
- They want to try out some of your wares before investing.
Social media enables you to connect, engage and add value to your target market.
