Facebook

Facebook users going more toward mobile

October 6, 2012 by Gary Dillard Leave a Comment

When Facebook last week updated its “key facts,” saying it now has 1 billion active users, it also noted that some 600 million of them check in regularly through their mobile devices — phones and tablets.

Not only is that a huge number, but it’s constantly growing. The math is easy here and shows that 60% of users take advantage of mobile, while only three months ago, that number was just over 3 percentage points less, at 56.86%.

So not only is the absolute number of users growing rapidly, but so is the portion who access the popular social media service through their phones. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Facebook, Mobile Apps Tagged With: Bisbee Self-Guided Tours, Mobile apps, mobile phones, smartphones

Gary earns HootSuite Certified Professional status; app can automate Twitter, much more

September 10, 2011 by Gary Dillard 1 Comment

We are constantly being asked about automation of social media accounts. There are certainly reasons to do it (and there are times not to) and ways to do it properly.

One of the top means of getting a handle on Facebook and Twitter is a service called HootSuite, which is currently used by about 2 million people around the world. We have a new client that has some needs that HootSuite should take care of quite nicely, but we’ve only tinkered a bit with the application.

But when a client is in need, there’s no room for amateur tinkering, so Gary attended HootSuite University (yes, it’s really called that) and dove deep into the use of the software. He is now a HootSuite Certified Professional and is looking forward to doing some really need marketing with the application.

It has, for example, a geolocation feature that allows a business to monitor all the conversations about particular subjects, including the business name and products or services in a specific area.

We’ll be getting a really detailed look at how it can help a specific business over the next few weeks and hope to talk Mark Schmitt at the Cochise College Small Business Development Center into setting up a class on the subject in the near future.

As we explore ways that it might help certain businesses in our market area, we’ll write more about it in this blog.

Gary is now one of just a handful of social media professionals in Arizona certified by Hootsuite.

Filed Under: Facebook, Twitter Tagged With: certification, Facebook, HootSuite, Twitter

Use a competition to get “likes” for your Facebook page

August 27, 2011 by Gary Dillard Leave a Comment

We had a discussion today at one of the Xtreme S@cial Media sessions at the Women in Business seminar at Cochise College about ways to get people to “like” your business’ Facebook page.

And tonight I get a request from one of my friends on my personal Facebook page to “like” her granddaughter’s picture at a Facebook page for Kid To Kid up in Gilbert, a business that buys and sells “gently used kid stuff.” But in order to vote for the girl (her name is Pierce, and you’ll find her listed under the name of her mother, Kelley Chavez Birk, just in case you want to vote for her, too) you have to “like” the page first.

Since it’s a two-step process, my friend clearly explained the procedure in her posting, which is good, since some people would have the tendency simply to “like” her post, which would have done no good.

To make the “Best Dressed Kids” photo contest worthwhile for all the grandmas to promote, the store is offering $100 store credit for the kid with the most votes, $50 for second place and $25 for third. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Facebook Tagged With: business page, contests, Facebook, Likes, marketing

I’m ready to start social media marketing! Uh, what should I write about?

May 18, 2011 by Gary Dillard Leave a Comment

I have to be somewhat careful about what I say here, because I’ve been a professional writer for the past 40 years and may not evince the sympathy you would expect. But believe me: I’ve stared at a lot more blank screens than you’d care to imagine!

What I would encourage you to do, however, is to rephrase the question in the headline a bit. Since this is all about social media, ask instead, What should I talk about?

Is that an easier question?

Also, don’t just see yourself sitting behind a computer, but put yourself into a social situation, talking with a few friends or customers. (With luck, they’re both.) Envision a recent conversation in which you chatted about your business. What did you say then?

If it’s like most conversation, there was a mixture of short statement, questions, replies and longer stories or explanations. And that’s what your social media marketing is about as well. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging, Facebook, Strategies, Twitter

There are differences between Facebook ‘profiles’ and ‘pages’ and here are 8 reasons you want a ‘page’

March 16, 2011 by Gary Dillard Leave a Comment

Many small and micro businesses got started on Facebook on a personal basis and then simply converted that personal profile into a business profile when they learned about the value of Facebook for business. In some cases, they still use it for both, posting in the morning about sending the kids off to school and in the afternoon about repairing bulldozers.

If you’re in such a situation, you’ll want to give serious consideration to building yourself a business “page” and making sure that your personal life and business life are separate. If you have more than one business, you probably will want to have separate pages for each. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Facebook Tagged With: brands, custom tabs, engagement, Facebook, Facebook page, micro business, small business, stats