Just when everyone was getting used to the last Facebook change (the “News Feed” vs “Live Feed” thing), they once again make another change to their home page.

According to Facebook, the new home page is “provides easy access to your entire Facebook experience”. That statement has yet to be proven. From what I can see, the most apparent changes are:

1. Search field has relocated from the upper right corner to the upper left center

2. Friend requests are in the upper left corner, identified by this symbol: 

3. Messages are next to the “friend requests”, identified by this symbol:

4. Notifications are right next to “messages”, identified by this symbol: 

5. If you are the admin of a Facebook “fan” page, you can now enter that page via the left side bar (moved from the bottom footer bar), identified by this symbol:

6. Privacy and account settings can now be found under the “Account” drop down in the upper right corner

Of course this change couldn’t come at a worse time. Yesterday I hosted a four hour workshop in Social Media to a local real estate company, 1.5 hours which were spent on Facebook, and everything they learned has changed.

Honestly, I can see how the new changes will make Facebook easier to navigate, but they should just leave it alone. Facebook may soon find that their 400 million users may dwindle due to frustration.

Tell us what you think of the latest Facebook changes. Your comments may appear on CreativeMind’s  Facebook Fan Page.

Matt Cutts from Google explains in this video how all links are created equal, even those from Twitter and Facebook.

My thoughts

Even though links from Facebook or Twitter may not count towards page rank (if they are no follow links), I think they’re still important for driving traffic to your site. So, should you work towards building inbound links from Facebook and Twitter? Yes, for traffic purposes only.

People ask me all the time how to create a fan page on Facebook. It can be a little difficult on Facebook to find where to begin. In this post I’ll walk you through the steps of creating your fan page. Creating the page is relatively easy to do, developing a strategy to build and engage fans is a bit more difficult. We’ll talk about Facebook fan page strategies in another post.

Here are quick and easy instructions to create your Facebook fan page:

Step 1: Create a personal profile.

First off, you need a personal profile to go along with the fan page. Facebook does not allow fan pages to exist alone. If you are a marketing person building a fan page for your employer, I suggest you create a new profile using a generic business email, like marketing@yourcompany.com so that your personal account is not linked to the fan page.

Step 2: Create the fan page.

The easiest way to create the page is by clicking on “Create a Page for My Business” link from another fan page. Or just click on the link I just created, it takes you to the correct place.

Step 3: Choose a category for your page.

This is where it gets slightly confusing. If you’re a local business, you may choose “Local” then pick the appropriate category. If you have an online business, or sell to a national audience, then choose “Brand, Product, or Organization”. This category is also suitable for non-profits. Bands and Public Figures option is self explanatory.

Step 4: Name your page.

Be careful! You can not change the name of your page. Choose the name wisely. Brands should use the name of their company. For retailers, I like to use the name of the product first, followed by the name of the company. For example: “Leather Jackets by Shoreline Traders”. I tend to name pages with the product category first for search purposes.

Step 5: Finish sign-up process.

Fill in the secret code and click “continue”. Facebook will ask you if you have a Facebook account or if you’re creating a new account. If you created your profile in Step 1, then choose “I already have a Facebook account” and log in. If not, then create a new account following the instructions and click continue. Note: choose to keep your page private for now, you’ll be able to publish it when you have finished uploading content.

Step 6: Add content to your page.

Ta-da! Your page is created. Now, it’s up to you to fill in the details. Next you’ll want to:

1. Upload a logo or picture for your page. Hover over the big question mark where the photo should be and you’ll see the link to change the photo.
2. Include your contact information and website by clicking on the Info tab. Click the “Edit Information” link on the right to do so.
3. Include a brief description of your company or product. Look under the photo area (that big question mark), you’ll see the box where you need to add a description.
4. Add photos and other content. I usually like to add at least 5-10 wall posts before publishing the page. This way the visitor has something to actually read when they get to your new page.

Step 7: Publish your page.

Now that you have content, you’ll want to publish it so it’s visible to both search engines and Facebook users. Click on the “publish the Page” link at the top of your page.

Step 8: Invite Friends to fan your page.

Once your page is published, you’ll see a “Suggest to Friends” link on the left side of your page under the Edit Page link under your photo. If you created a new profile and do not have “friends” yet, then you’ll want to read my next post on developing your Facebook strategy (stay tuned).

So there you have it. 8 Simple steps to creating your Fan page on Facebook. If you need further instruction, or would like us to actually do the work for you, feel free to contact Patti Fousek at CreativeMind Search Marketing for a no-obligation consultation.

So, you’ve decided that your company needs to be involved with social media.But you keep asking yourself the same questions: how do I get started, and do I have the time. Here are eight tips to help you on your way to becoming a social media maven.

Tip 1: Have a Plan

I can’t stress this point enough. Many companies and freelancers dive right in to social media without a goal. Before you start, ask yourself “what do I want to achieve with social media?”

Social media can be used to:

• Build buzz around a brand or product
• Increase traffic to a website or blog
• Brand yourself an expert in your field
• Network with business professionals and/or consumers
• Communicate with customers

Tip 2: Listen to your audience:

Remember when your parent told you to do something and you ignored him/her. What would they say? “You’re not listening.” Well, your customers are constantly telling you what they want. Be sure to target your message to them. I like to use Google Alerts and TweetLater as my “listening” tools. I also read many blogs that pertain to my industry and area of interests.

When you listen, pay attention to:

• How does your target market communicate/interact on the social web?
• What are they discussing? What is important to them?
• What types of social networks are they using?

Tip 3: Brand yourself with your profiles

Social networking sites are sort of like going to a networking event or a party, only virtually. Your profile on these sites are your online billboard and should be used to emphasize your strengths. Think of your profile as a 60 second elevator pitch. Write in conversational style, keep it interesting, use keywords so you can be found, and voila!, your profile is born.

Tip 4: Get your feet wet

Start participating on social media sites by sharing content and knowledge.You can participate by:

• Link to helpful articles or blog posts in your status updates on Twitter
• Answer questions on LinkedIn
• Join a group and join in discussions on Facebook
• Give recommendations on LinkedIn to former co-workers or employees

Tip 5: Connect with those you know first

Your email inbox is a great wealth of information… use it. Use the tools in LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to find contacts you know on these platforms. Write personalized notes when you wish to make a connection. Especially if you’re connecting with a former colleague or boss. A personal note will help jog their memory of who you are and make you stand out from the crowd.

LinkedIn is a super helpful tool to start connecting with people you know. Once connected, ask for recommendations from former co-workers or employers.

Tip 6: Engage your customers

Notify your current customers that you have a profile on LinkedIn, you’re on Twitter, and have a fan page on Facebook. Encourage customers to follow you – or connect with you on these sites. Other ways to promote your social media status is to:

• Add badges and widgets to your website
• Link to social media profiles from your email newsletters
• Send out a post card announcing your Facebook Page

Tip 7: Track and measure your results
As a business owner, you want to know if social media is working for you. One great way to measure how much reach you have is to use your web analytics package to track visitor statistics (i.e. Google Analytics or HubSpot). There are also many tools out there to help you measure your reach on social media. I use Google Alerts and TweetBeep to track mentions me or my company.

Tip 8: Manage your time wisely

It’s easy to get carried away with using social media. If you keep your end goal in mind, it’s easier to stay on track. When I first started out using social media tools, I would set aside 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at lunch to update my status and to share links. Now I incorporate social media activities into my marketing calendar.

To help save time, I use Ping.fm which is a great tool that supports over 40 social networking sites. You post your status update once in Ping.fm and Ping updates all of your social media sites. I love it, it’s a great time saver!

Conclusion

Remember to always have a plan, start with the end goal in mind, and manage your time wisely.

Have any other tips? Feel free to leave a comment and share with others.

Recently I had hosted a social media presentation at a One More Referral “Brown Bag” business development luncheon. I had presented to a group of 95 New Hampshire and Maine small business professionals who were very eager to learn about how social media could better their businesses.

During the presentation I spoke about the benefits of Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Following the presentation, I have received lots of Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections, but only two new Twitter followers. Many of the survey responses were also super positive, but I did see one comment over and over. “I just don’t understand the benefits to Twitter.”

Well, as a small business owner, I have found Twitter to be very helpful as far as growing my business. Not only have I received increased traffic to my website, but I have also learned a lot from those that I follow.

For example:

• @smallbiztrends (Anita Campbell, CEO of an online community) tweets include small business marketing tips, product info and other tidbits to help small business grow and more.
• @SmallBizTools tweets include advice, tips, and tools for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small business owners.
• @mainebusiness (Carl V. Natale, content producer for MaineBusiness.com) tweets about lots of useful tips to improve your business. From marketing to social media, to business growth and taxes – he covers it all)

Others to follow include:

@WSJSmallBiz

@MarketingProfs

@thebrandbuilder

@PRmaine

@BeckyMcCray

@smallbusiness

@PaulDunay

@andybeal

@digg_technews

And, of course, yours truly @PattiFousek

Just remember…. Not only can you learn from those you follow on Twitter, but your followers can learn from you too. And… it’s fun.

Latest Social Media Workshop offered by CreativeMind Search Marketing

You’ve taken our introductory social media workshop; you’ve been using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter; you really, really want to know how to become more effective with these tools.

Join us on Friday, July 10th, 9am – 12pm,  at the Three Chimneys Inn in Durham, NH, where you will learn:

• How to effectively build your brand with social media
• Advanced techniques for marketing using social networks
• How to integrate content sharing sites into the mix
• How to start your own social community
• Tips on monitoring your brand and reputation on the social web
• How to outline your own social media strategy

Who should attend?

• You have a Facebook page but don’t know what to do with it.
• You’ve signed up for Twitter, but that’s all.
• You have a LinkedIn account but aren’t sure how to make it work for you.
• You’ve been using social networking for your business and aren’t sure if it’s working.
  

Does this sound like you? Register today!

About Your Instructor:

Patti Fousek is the proud owner of CreativeMind Search Marketing, LLC, a business which helps other businesses get found online through search engine optimization and social media strategies, consulting and training services.

Patti is a marketer & trainer by trade. She has over 15 years experience in marketing and training for such companies as Interim Technology, Bernard Hodes Advertising, HMG Search Marketing, and WGBH (the PBS station in Boston). In 2002, Patti discovered the world of SEO (and later Social Media) and hasn’t looked back .