Hosting a Contest to Attract Facebook Friends

When it comes to advertising and online marketing, there is nothing like having a Facebook page with a healthy fan following. Lots of Facebook fans will make your company look trusted, which is a great way to draw in more potential customers. And who doesn't like to do business with a trusted company?

The trick is, how do you start attracting fans when you're a newcomer to your particular niche? Being friended by your mother, sister, and best high school chum may be a nice way to stay in touch, but it won't do a lot to build market credibility (sorry, mom).

Facebook marketing has evolved into a kind of sub genre of organic, Web2.0 online marketing; it has its own set of rules and techniques. One of the most effective ways to attract Facebook fans is to host a contest.

Some pretty big players in the consumer sector have used the contest technique to attract more friends. And why wouldn't they? Most people will throw their names in the hat if the if there's free stuff at stake and the risks are minimal or non-existent.

Here are eight tips that will help get you started:

1. Determine which type of contest you want to run

There are four types of contests you can run on your Facebook page: Sweepstakes, essay, photo, and video. Keep in mind that video, photo, and essay contests require more work on the part of your contestants. If your aim is to promote user interactivity, these types of contests may be the way to go. If you just want to gather basic information while making it easy on your new-found friends, you probably want to use the sweepstakes contest.

2. Get to know the rules

As tempting as it may seem, you cannot use the Facebook "Like" button as a means for your readers to enter your contest. Since the whole purpose of promoting a contest is to gather Facebook friends, using the "Like" button might seem like a sure-fire way to accomplish your goal. Facebook says this is a major no-no!

Another stipulation is that you must notify your winners before you publish their names (on Facebook or anywhere else). You can do this via email, snail mail, or private FB message.

And the granddaddy of all Facebook contest rules: you must clearly state that Facebook is not sponsoring your contest in any way. Facebook will provide you with the communication medium, but they do not want to take on the liability of your promotion. Can't blame them, really.

Go to facebook.com for a complete list of sweepstakes guidelines.

3. There's an app for that...

Facebook requires users to run their contests through third-party apps. There are plenty of these apps in the marketplace, some cheap or free, others... not so much. If you're looking for a free app, keep in mind that you'll need an app that is customizable, embeddable, and that has mobile capabilities. Beware, free apps may not offer all (or any) of these features. The tried-and-true rule of consumerism indeed applies to Facebook contest applications: you get what you pay for.

To get you started, here are two of the best apps that fully support your Facebook contest efforts:

Fanappz

Offerpop

4. What's in it for your readers?

Don't go cheap. Don't give away junk. This bit of advice may not even seem worth mentioning, but many a contest campaign has flopped because the promoter didn't want to part with stock and/or revenue. If your business designs Websites, do one for free. If you sell cameras, shell out the wholesale cost for a Nikon D40 and give it away. If your objective is to gain more traffic through Facebook friends, think of your prize as part of your advertising budget. Also, if you don't pique your reader's interest with a decent giveaway, you won't attract any friends anyway. Your campaign will be a total waste of time and energy.

5. K.I.S.S.

What's the best way to run a successful contest campaign? Keep it simple, sweetheart. Many of the Facebook contest apps you will find are highly customizable, which means you can design an entry form to account for many different details. Don't do it! The quickest way to make a contest fall flat on its face is to make it too difficult for your readers to play. Contests are supposed to be fun, not work.

If you are asking for more than the reader's name, email address, phone number (optional), and in the case of a video, photo, or essay content, their entry file, then you're asking for too much. Also, make the contest app easy to find on your page. The second quickest way to make your contest flop is to advertise it and then turn finding the submission form into an Easter egg hunt.

6. Get the word out

If you have a Twitter account, Tweet about your Facebook contest. If you have an email newsletter, mention your Facebook contest in bold letters. If you have a Web site, add a blurb about your Facebook contest on the home page.

Consider advertising your contest an exercise in driving traffic from multiple sources. You want to drive traffic to your Facebook page, which will in turn drive traffic to your blog or Web site. eMarketing is a cycle of traffic, and you want to make sure you're coaxing it, tweaking it, and always keeping an eye on where it's coming from and how fast it's coming in.

7. Facebook ads

Once you start getting the hang of contest marketing through Facebook--that is, once you start seeing some positive results--you may want to consider making a small investment in Facebook advertising.

Facebook ads make it easy to target users who share your interests and demographics. It's also a good way to reach beyond the people who already like your page by placing them where your ideal demographic hangs out.

8. Follow up

Your work isn't finished once you've announced a winner. Building a database of potential customers was the objective of this project in the first place, so make sure you follow up with them. Keep all the information they send you in a spreadsheet and send them a friendly email thanking them for their interest in your campaign. In your thank you email, ask them if they would be interested in receiving details about your products, services, or future contests. Ask them, do not spam them! Keeping your message friendly, conversational, and honest is likely to add at least a few more subscribers to your newsletter database.

Facebook contests have been proven an effective way to attract leads and augment your client base. Plenty of major corporations use this technique with great success, and you have access to the same method and tools (albeit on a smaller scale). If you make your contest fun, easy, and personable, you're likely to make some friends who will stop by your site every now and then to see what you're up to. And isn't this what making friends is all about? At least the Facebook kind.

STL Digital Media provides you with a blueprint for launching your independent ePublishing enterprise. The IM Essentials series shows you how to create your own digital informational product, how to develop a professional eCommerce storefront, and how to market your product on the Internet and through your favorite social media sites. Find great books on writing, DTP, and marketing! Resources for instructor-led online classes that will raise your skills to the next level!

Visit STL Digital media at http://www.stldigitalmedia.com/

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Using Facebook Fans To Drive More Traffic To Your Website

Facebook has become one of the most popular and widely used social platforms over the period of time. This platform went viral a long time back, with a good number of connected people sharing their thoughts, photos, videos and a lot many other things with each other. The Facebook friends usually link to the content they find interesting and this helps in deriving the friends to explore the link within no time. This amazing platform has added innovative features and apps for enhancing the overall socializing experience of the users. The latest timeline feature has completely transformed the user interface and has provided a good number of opportunities to the users too. One of the best benefits of the new feature is the enhanced flexibility of driving more traffic to the website.

It is quite important to know that when a person clicks the like button, it is automatically posted on his/her wall and is considered as a feed. This feed is then available to the user's friends, who can further like the page and promote the same through their profile. The more number of friends one have the more will be the reach of a single post through the profile. Therefore, it can serve to be one of the finest methods of social media marketing.

Due to a widespread reach, one has to be quite careful about taking the products and services to a certain extent. There needs to be an element of honesty in the page or the opinion you are intending to spread over the social media platform. These days, a good number of celebrities make use of Twitter for tweeting anything and everything, but a good number of these tweets are not genuine. Indeed there are some other people who manage their accounts and post on their behalf. However, now there are various sponsored tweets wherein the celebrities are provided a certain sum for promoting a product or service via their tweet.

With a good number of celebrity posts, this may derive a good amount of traffic as people are likely to be swayed to the tweeted website. However, the unknown celebrity will not be able to provide much of social signal as the friends will be capable to do. The opinion of the know friends would be more respected than that of an unknown celebrity. Therefore, it becomes essential to share honest links and opinions through the Facebook profile in order to avail maximum benefits of social media marketing.

Social media marketing is one of the best tools for creating a buzz around and can help in deriving a good amount of genuine traffic in a cost effective and less time consuming manner. Using Facebook as the main medium of promoting a product or service can be one of the healthiest ways of promoting the business. It can be used as the best medium for marketing a business and driving more traffic towards the website in a genuine manner.

Social Networking is a popular tool for promoting your business online. You can find plenty of information on Social Media and Networking on our website.

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How To Make Business Pages On Facebook

Most people know Facebook as a social networking site. They have never known that Facebook is a place where you can advertise your business without having to incur the pay-per-click costs. The reason why not many people are informed about this important facility is that it is a bit hidden. If you would like people to visit your commercial page on Facebook, it is imperative that you set up business pages on Facebook. You should however remember that doing anything that is against the terms and conditions set up by Facebook are going to lead to your account being shut down. Though these pages mostly are tied up to your profile, doing proper marketing will help you reach a large audience and advertise your business without paying a single cent. Sometimes, it is recommended that you get a separate domain.

This article is going to take you through some of the steps you are supposed to follow when setting up business pages on Facebook.

The first step is to create the Facebook account itself. Remember that you have to open an account in your name and not the company name. You are then supposed to click the advertising section on the bottom of the page. Click 'pages' on the top of the page. This shows you what you can do on your pages. You are also able to see some of the sample screenshots. It is a kind of tutorial that shows how you are going to approach the matter of advertising. If you still have an existing account, this is where you are supposed to go and do your advertising.

It is imperative to designate the kind of business you are running. If it is a law firm, a communication firm, etc. This is because Facebook applies templates that are in tandem with the kind of company you are running. Ensure that the name of the page is your business name. You should fill your business information on your business page profile. Include things such as your business logo among other key details. You can also include a retinue of the events that your firm might be holding.

There is also a plus sign at the end of the page where you can add your photos, videos, as well as any other kind of notes that you would like to put on your business profile. There is no limit when it comes to what you put on your Facebook business page. You can add discussions, frequently asked questions, among any other information you would like to pass across to your audience.

Once you have clicked the plus sign, the drop-down box is going to show on the page. This gives you the room to add all the extra elements you want. From the elements given, you should click the one you want a follow the given elements in order to affect it. You have the freedom to tinker around with the page until you get the look that you desire most. When you want to delete whatever you have set, you only have to do two simple clicks.

To get more information for marketing on Facebook go to my website
Business on Facebook at http://facebook.makingmoneyfastfree.com/blog/ to learn how to apply the best strategies to attract new prospects

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I Finally Figured Out the Difference Between Pinterest and Facebook

During a beautiful drive along the back roads of northern Michigan, I was finally able to figure out the real difference between Pinterest and Facebook. The obviousness became abruptly clear - Pinterest was about me, Facebook was about people I am related to, and people I know. Strikingly different, it was internal versus external.

My co-worker Shannon and I were discussing the fun time spent on Pinterest, and what we liked to 'pin'. Our conversations around Facebook these days included crazy relatives ranting about political choices, or posts with personal information you really don't want to know. TMI (too much information) would be a really great button on Facebook, by the way!

On Pinterest, I choose to pin whatever picture I like, on any subject, color or size. I'm choosing flower gardens and blooms, organizing them into boards. Tasty treats, chicken legs dipped in sauce, bunny-shaped bread adorn my Party Foods board, a special event waiting to be planned. Hmmm, maybe I can choose invitations and decorations for the table next time?

I choose carefully and thoughtfully, enjoying the picture of each object, looking through the boards of others, or searching the web for the next 'plum de terre' or breath-taking landscape. Yes, Pinterest is my vision board, my dreams and hopes, a look into my desires and tastes.

Sometimes Pinterest becomes finicky, or maybe its my iPad, but it doesn't always pin the pictures I find. And why doesn't the pin icon stay on my menu bar? I'm sure I'll figure those pieces out because I plan on spending some quality time there, picking and choosing.

Shannon and I also agreed that Pinterest is the ultimate photo organizer. Who doesn't have boxes or drawers full of photos waiting to be selected and displayed in craft albums. With Pinterest, choose a board or create a new one, with a simple click.

Meanwhile, Facebook teams with furry cats and silly dogs, put there by my friends and relatives. (Actually, that's about the only thing I do enjoy on Facebook!) Comments about the day, a co-worker, a boss, the job or the cheating boyfriend abound. Rants, raves, comics, pleas, quotes, the verbiage is mind numbing. Religious pictures from my sister incorporate admonishments to share or burn in Hell. Why do people post stuff that requires you to do something? This is Facebook, not Workbook, not Praybook or school homework.

After a few likes, and maybe a share or two, I'm done. Too much interaction and required actions fill the page. Too much I don't want to know about. Too much complaining and crying that would make anyone depressed, and not enough enjoyment for me.

I'm going back to my Pinterest boards to find things I Like.

Linda Missler
Social Media Professional
New Media Sales Consultant at Heritage Broadcasting
Traverse City, Michigan
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/linda-missler/10/359/994
If your business does well, we all do well. Contact me for advertising options in Michigan.

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Ten Things You Need to Remember on Facebook

With Facebook being one of the most visited social media site on the web today, you're going to see all types of people, stories, and etiquettes. Normally that's okay, but sometimes it can become too much. Even if you feel on the cutting edge of Facebook, make sure you're doing these things next time you log in.

10. Everyone can see what you've written.

Even if you have your privacy settings enabled, and you only posted it on one persons wall, others are going to see it. If they're friends with that person or they log into a friend's account, there is a chance that someone else will read it. That includes friends, family, children, and co-works. So watch what you say.

9. Even know you took three dozen pictures, they don't all need to be uploaded.

Yes, your baby is adorable. Cute as a button, really. But sometimes, five or six photos of your little ball of sunshine are more effective than sixty-five. People are more likely to scan them and throw out a comment on how tiny his cute little feet are than scan the whole album. People usually only spend a limited amount of time on social media, and chances are it will not be spent entirely on you. Moving on.

8. Know when to post, and when to message.

When deciding whether to post on someones wall or just send them a message, think about what you're saying. Is it just a "Hey, give me a call!" or is it a question they may not want everyone on the internet thinking about? When in doubt, just send a message to be safe. You don't want to risk embarrassing someone when you honestly didn't mean to.

7. Stop sending so many game requests.

How many times have you logged into your Facebook to see that so-and-so send you eighteen MyFish requests? Usually you ignore them. But now your news feed is clogged with Farmville achievements, too. If it hasn't already, it's going to start getting on your nerves. Same goes with someone else. Sending a request every once and a while isn't going to hurt anyone, but don't be surprised when your friends list dwindles down when your sharing game achievements... and nothing else.

6. Keep the statuses short.

Just because they give you near to unlimited space to write about your day, doesn't mean you have to use it. Sometimes less is more in this aspect. You are more likely to get a response from a few sentences you shared then the three paragraphs about your whole day. People are more likely to read what you have to say that way.

5. Don't spend all day logged in.

We've all done it. Clicking 'Home' time and time again after half a minute to see if anyone posted anything new or interesting. Chances are, they didn't. Instead of sitting on Facebook just reading about what everyone did at work today, go for a run, pet your dog, read something interesting, or hey... write a blog!

4. Keep it updated.

Don't the picture you've had as your avatar the same for a year. Switch it up! Keep things interesting. Update your information every once in a while, change your cover photo is you have timeline, and post a status. If this seems like a lot of work or something you wouldn't want to do, reconsider why you have a Facebook in the first place. Is it really worth the hassle?

3. Don't be trashy.

Everyone has that friend who has a bit of a sailors mouth. Don't be the internet version of that. It's as simple as that.

2. Know who your friends are.

Just because you had a conversation with this person at your kids soccer game, or you think you might have went to college with them, doesn't mean you should add them. If you're wondering whether or not to add them, there's a simple way to decide. Would you consider them your "friend"? There's your answer. There are a few exceptions, like people who you'd like to keep in touch with. Other than that, keep the friends list trimmed down to only your friends.

1. Not everybody is who they say they are.

Their name says Neil Patrick Harrison, so they have to be the famous reality TV star... right? Sadly, no, they're probably just some crazy fan with too much time on their hands. Sometimes it's not as innocent as that, though. Be wary of adding people you don't know on any social media site, and you'll end up being safer in the end.

Basically, just use your common sense online, and things should be alright. And if something seems to be a little sketchy, it probably is, so watch out.

If you liked this article, or thought it was interesting, visit my blog at http://www.balescene.blogspot.com/. There are more interesting personal tech articles, and feel free to leave a comment, I greatly encourage feedback. Thanks for reading!

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Facebook Gaming

Facebook has altered the nature of online gaming. Many people, (like myself) have been quick to be dismissive of games, as time wasting, silly, pointless etc. Playing games on Facebook, however, has become another way of people connecting with one another Some Facebook users prefer to interact with their friends, family etc., primarily via playing games.

The tagging that Facebook allows makes for your circle who enjoy certain games to increase more and more.

Some of the most popular games on Facebook, have compatibility issues depending the platform you use to play them.. For the iPad and iPhone, playing via the browser is often not possible. However, the most popular games have Apps that you can download and so play the games on your both your iPad or iPhone.

Compatibility problems in the past deterred people from downloading these Apps but for the most part the former compatibility issues have been fixed. All you have to do is download the App extract it, synchronize it and run it.

The Biggest Hits

A few of the most popular Games are:

ANGRY BIRDS

Though not strictly a Facebook game, this game reached new heights after Facebook released it on its site. The App is available on both iPad and iPhone and has become a smash hit for their users.

Another two games that are great for Apple specific users are: Crazy Taxiand Fruit Ninja.

Popularity

The most popular Facebook games remain fairly static.The sheer number of games on there can be mind-boggling, but these are the ones which statistics show are used more than any of the others

FarmVille

The original Facebook killer game as far as popularity.

FarmVille is a community game where each player can have their own farm and see it thrive through a combination of efforts on their part (and your neighbours) through trading and games etc.

Word Challenge

This is a game that actually engages the brain, rather than just being fun or relaxing. It is both fun and relaxing as well, but for those who prefer to keep their brain active at the same time, this is a winner. Playing Word Challenge allows you to develop and increase your vocabulary skills. While other games maybe visually entertaining with great and crazy artwork, and a night can fly by fast. With Word Challenge the hours of fun also gives you something to take away from it with you into your daily life.

Mafia Wars

This is one of the original Facebook massive hits, but it has evolved with the times and is still one the best and most popular fight games on Facebook. It appears to have one of the largest followings as far as games

YoVille

YoVille is still going strong. It is a simple game that allows you to create a city take care of how it is run and generate money to grow and maintain it

Bejeweled Blitz

Bejewelled Blitz was released earlier in 2012 and this has fast become one of the leaders.

Zynga Poker

Zynga Poker which is a very realistic game receives more positive reviews than any other Facebook Game

Know-It-All

Know-it-all is a trivia based game that regularly updates its database. It's aim is not repeat itself even once.

MindJolt Games

This is a game bundle syndicating multiple games in the package almost all included are superb quality lots of fun, and very popular.

The Variety of Games

The Variety of Facebook Games
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Making the Most of Facebook Timelines

Among the many exciting features that Facebook offers, the Timeline feature is one of the most useful. If you use the feature properly, you will grab the attention of your current and potential fans and keep them indefinitely.

Some of the Facebook Timeline features that can help you to do this are milestones, highlighting and pinning. Those features can help you to increase the amount of people with whom you interact online. The features amplify what you would be doing already, only they do it in a bigger and better way.

Using the pinning feature

When you are using the pinning feature, you are keeping your status update at the top of your timeline. This needs to be done manually. If you use this feature, your status update will not be able to move from wherever you "pin" it no matter how many new status updates you add to your Facebook page after that (within a seven-day time period). There are several useful pieces of information that you will want to know:

One at a time: No matter how many items (status updates, posts, etc) you want to pin on your page, you can only pin one at a time.Where your pinned post will appear: Your pinned post will always appear at the top of your Facebook Timeline (on the left).The length of time that pinning lasts: After you pin a post on your Facebook page, it will remain pinned for seven days unless you unpin it before the seven days are up.How to pin a post: If you want to pin a post, you should click on the pencil icon that appears in the upper right hand corner of your status update. Once you have clicked on the icon, select "Pin to Top."How to unpin a post: If you want to unpin a post on your page, click on the pencil icon in the top right hand corner of your pinned post and choose the "unpin" option.

Pinning is a very useful feature because it gives you ideas on how to pin most effectively for your business. You can offer to give something valuable to your fans if they agree to "Like" your page or send you their contact information. Another effective way to use the pinning feature is by pinning something on your page that you would like your new visitors to see before anything else. It basically works as a welcome message in that context. Pinning works just as effectively with videos as it does with the written word. You can put a welcome message above the link for the video and invite your visitors to watch the video. If you don't want to use a video, you can also use still graphics to get your point across.

Highlighting one of your posts

The term "highlighted post" means that you have a post that you choose to put across your Timeline (the width of both columns). If you highlight the post, you will be getting your visitors to pay attention to it and the unwritten message that your visitors will get is that you consider it more important than your other posts. You are letting them know that it is worth paying attention to it. There are several pieces of information that you will want to know about highlighting a post:

Pinned posts versus highlighted posts: In general, pinned posts stand out more than highlighted posts; however, highlighted posts hold a great deal of value.Limitations: Highlighted posts have no limitations.One at a time: Facebook will not allow you to highlight and pin a post at the same time. You need to choose which one you want to do.How to highlight a post: If you want to highlight a post, place your mouse over the post (in the upper right hand corner). You will see a star icon. Click on the star to highlight a post. If you want to unhighlight the post, click on the star again.An important difference: Facebook does not allow you to keep a post at the top of your Timeline once you have highlighted it. Highlighted posts appear in chronological order. The more posts you highlight, the further down the older highlighted posts will appear.

There are many wonderful ways in which you can effectively use the Highlighting feature. You can highlight testimonials that people have written about you and your business (with an image of the person who wrote the testimonial, if that is appropriate). You can include it in your status update and then highlight it so that people are drawn to it. Since there is a likelihood that you will have many highlighted posts, you can create a strategy of how you want to present those posts. That can be most effective. You can also highlight a post that discusses new products and/or services that your brand is offering.

Creating milestones

A milestone is an incredible way to present a story for your business using words and graphic images. You can include your business's mission statement as part of the story as well. You are able to place them anywhere you wish on your Timeline. The only placement limitation will be the date that you actually place them. There are several pieces of information that you will want to know when it comes to creating milestones:

How to create a milestone: If you want to create a milestone, click on "Event, Milestones +" at the top of your screen.What you need to do next: You don't need to highlight milestones because they are already highlighted. They will appear across both columns in your Timeline.Creating multiple milestones: There is no issue with creating more than one milestone for your Timeline.Going into the past: You are not limited by time or date. If you have a milestone that you want to create for today and you have milestones that you want to post that occurred in the past, you are allowed to do that.

Using milestones as a tool can be extremely effective. You should incorporate them as part of your social media marketing strategy. You can use graphic images in your milestones, include a call-to-action or include other compelling pieces of information that will be of value to your visitors. Regarding graphic images, you should choose your cover photo carefully. You want it to reflect who you are and what you represent in your business.

Facebook Timelines are valuable tools that are user-friendly and can be instrumental at drawing more traffic to you and allowing you to establish more relationships with other business people. Your online connections will be valuable and you will benefit from each other. So, jump right in and start making full use of Facebook Timelines for your business.

We are pleased to provide you with the insightful comments contained herein. For a free assessment of your online presence, let's have coffee.

Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in IT and web technologies. Mr. Cohn spent a significant amount of time at a major telecommunications company, where his main focus was on initiating and leading synergy efforts across all business units by dramatically improving efficiency, online collaboration, and the company's Intranet capabilities, which accelerated gains in business productivity. He also reduced company travel and travel costs by introducing and implementing various collaboration technologies.

His expertise includes business analysis; project management; management of global cross-matrix teams; systems engineering and analysis, architecture, prototyping and integration; technology evaluation and assessment; systems development; performance evaluation; and management of off-shore development.

Mr. Cohn earned a Master's degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.

Mr. Cohn is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

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Get 1000s of Targeted Leads From New Facebook Pages - Don't Buy Facebook Fans

Using Facebook pages to capture leads, emails or "likes" is an extremely effective way to build your list fast & get massive traffic numbers which can result in higher affiliate paydays.

Some people choose to buy Facebook fans in order to get traffic but I am going explain a better way to get 1000's of leads, and why buying Facebook fans can blow up in your face.

Getting "likes" from Facebook not only gives you the chance to go viral fast, but also it allows you to take advantage of the social interaction, it gives you another avenue to advertise your business, it gives you email marketing capabilities, and best of it gives you viral syndication of your content.

But with recent changes in 2012 including Facebook timelines on pages, and new designs, there are few changes in how you turn a Facebook Page into a Squeeze or lead capture Page. One of the main changes that has affected marketers is that Facebook no longer allows you to set a "default" tab for your page.

This has drastically changed how you can increase your likes or leads. Before March 2012 you could set a default tab to be sort of a "content lock" so that people were required to like your page in order to get access to the content or freebie.

The advantage of this is that if you had a great offer and it went viral then you could get several likes in a short period of time. This worked great. Although you can still do this some things have changed.

Why are "Likes" So Valuable?

Here are 3 main reasons:

1. You build credibility - this one is simple, the more likes you have the more perceived trust you have. One strategy some businesses use is to buy Facebook fans from people on places like Fiverr. I don't recommend this only because I like to see the real number of people who actually like my information and this allows me to make changes if needed.

2. A targeted audience - One of the main advantages of having people like your page is that they will continue to receive information you send them on their news feed, and since they have liked your page they are likely interested in what you have to say.

If you buy Facebook fans then your leads are not targeted, and when you go to advertise to your page you could be paying for impressions that are not targeted! This totally defeats the purpose of getting targeted leads. One advantage of having several likes to a page is that you can set up ads specifically for the people who like that page, and if they already confirmed that they like your page, they are more likely to be interested in related offers. This again will reduce your cost per click when it comes to advertising to this group.

3. Viral syndication - what I am referring to here is the ability to link a blog to your Facebook page. By linking your blog to a Facebook page using a free tool like Facebook Page Publish plugin you can have all your blog posts sent to your Facebook page which then automatically updates the people who like your page. This is all done automatically, and all you need to do is provide useful posts.

Building an Email List Using Facebook

You can also integrate aweber or other email autopresponder services with your new Facebook pages. This allows you to capture emails from Facebook.

The benefits of this are that if you are advertising on Facebook and linking to a Facebook squeeze page rather than your own website, you can get much cheaper clicks, and you can also get more likes. Also, if you are getting traffic from other source not Facebook, the visitor to your page does not have to be logged into Facebook to get onto your list, as opposed to "likes" where the user must be logged in.

People also seem to have more trust when they remain on Facebook and therefore are more likely to enter an email as long as what you are offering is something they want.

Here are the 4 steps to create a squeeze page to capture several emails:

1. Set up the Facebook Page as you normally would. Make sure you have a professional cover, and nice images and good content. There are several articles online about how to set up a nice Facebook page.

2. Sign up to an auto-responder service. An auto-responder lets you to create web forms or opt-in forms that you can integrate right into your Facebook Page. I use Aweber (my email marketing service of choice) to place a web form on my Fan Page.

Aweber is a great place to start and they do have a $1 trial for the first month. There are other places such as get response that allow you to build your list also but I use Aweber because in my opinion it is the best out there, they have excellent email deliverability and it is easy to integrate not only with Facebook but my blog as well.

3. Use a custom Application so you can insert the autoresponder code right into your Facebook pages.

In order to get people to enter their email you will need to have something they want and you will need to send them to this page to get it. Many times a free report is not enough. You need to give them more.

4. Now you just need to get traffic to your Facebook page. One of the best traffic sources is Facebook ads, since the people are already signed into Facebook so they can easily like your page. You Tube traffic also works well and can be free.

As more and more people begin to like your page you will find that the number of likes will exponentially increase for a while as you post more content to your blog. The more quality content you send the more likely people are going to interact with your page.

There are several tricks to learn when it comes to interacting with your fans. Once you have set up your page and it looks nice and you have some content, you can try a few viral tricks like adding a video, or a controversial blog post, or even talk about something is happening in the news or trends.

All of these things work to get more people talking about your page, and the more likes you have the more traffic you will get.

Check out the FREE report called Unlocking Social Media Traffic which also contains the custom app you need that allows you to collect leads on your Facebook page.

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Uses of Business Page On Facebook for Business Owners

Facebook is availed by many firms in various ways to build their brand image, generate traffic to blogs and websites, receive comments on new goods, attract employees, manage online reputation and to intercept potential prospects. To benefit from Facebook in your business you must start by creating an account. From here, you should build a profile describing information about yourself. According to the Facebook policies, you can build one profile and it should be tied to the human name, like your original name and not in the business name. This social networking site contains a friend finder function which lets the users look for other individuals by school, organization or industry. To be found by others, you should list all of the schools you've studied at, employers and the company in the profile. The about me section, should hold information explaining your company, products and services you offer.

There is also an information box on the profile page where you should add links to the websites newsletter, address, blog and other business details such as your firms contact address, photo, logo etc. The profile page must be regarded as the branding page. Facebook was made according to the principle of connecting with friends. So you can send and get friend requests and after accepted, you can see your friend views and your friends can see your profile. You can also have the facility to see the friends list of every individual with whom you are linked. You can also develop your friend list through inviting all the customers, clients, business associates, co-workers, friends, school alumni, family and any people you consider will be interested in connecting with you. Every Facebook member contains a wall, in which friends can publish messages. In the business networking market, it is equivalent of inviting your friends on the phone.

You can also send a complement, product offerings, and comments on the new service or convey any networking opportunity or upcoming training to your company colleagues. On the top of the Facebook page you can see a status box. If you post a status update, your friends will be able to view your update on the home page. The business owners use Facebook to promote events, share tips, release information about new items, post blog updates, link to audio or video presentations, articles, websites and newsletters, and link to the affiliate programs. Online communities let you network virtually with prospective customers. You can join communities on Facebook which are associated to the business work.

There are many groups for every possible profession including coaches and teachers. You can join and study much more information from the professional in the field. You can also browse numerous communities by the area of interest, market, business and location. Networking works effectively if there is two way sharing.

Facebook also contains an online marketplace which lets you list products and services. It is the best method for you to obtain good exposure.

To get more information for marketing on Facebook go to my website Business on Facebook at http://facebook.makingmoneyfastfree.com/blog/ to learn how to apply the best strategies to attract new prospects

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Facebook And The Pitfalls: What Not To Do When Marketing

Just about everyone in marketing has come across Facebook and the pitfalls when using it.

Social media marketing has become so popular in recent years that it can be hard to do something new and different. This article will discuss some of the pitfalls involved in using Facebook as your marketing platform. The thing is you don't have to shock your environment with your posts in order to gain followers on Facebook.

Facebook doesn't market your company for you!

Many companies feel that just having a Facebook profile is more than enough. You are the one who has to go out there and take the extra steps in order to get word out. You can make your endeavors successful by providing fresh content and updates daily.

Always post something interesting to your viewing audience. Give them insider information that only those people know who have liked you on your profile can access. People want to find out more about your brand and company!

The same way that someone can like you on your profile, they can unlike you faster than lightning. When you post anything on your profile, make sure that it is of interest and worth posting. For example, if you are having a one day only sale or a giveaway, that's something definitely worth posting.

Don't post unprofessional content or too many posts that aren't of interest. Your posts about adopting a dog, pruning your bushes or whatever else will not be of interest to anyone except you.

You don't have to be a marketing guru to know that people want relevant information when it comes to your company. Post YouTube videos and tutorials to get people interested in your brand. If you start providing something of interest, people will automatically check for updates every day. People want to be kept on the edge of their seats waiting for your next update.

It can be a major headache to have competition in any given niche, but it can also be a blessing in some ways. For example, another company's failures can teach you exactly what not to do. Take a day off so you check out the competition and how they interact with customers on their Facebook profile. Take a look at the comments section and see if they interact with their visitors. Check out what people are saying in regards to the quality of service the company provides. There are so many things that you can learn from your competition.

Know exactly what the competition is out there doing!

When a customer or visitor posts a question on Facebook, make sure that you are quick and effective in answering their questions. It's important that you are professional in your mannerisms when answering posts and how you address any problems a disgruntled customer is having. Even if someone posts something particularly negative, by choosing to stay positive in your response people will see that you are professional in your customer service approach. If you get a lot of questions and don't have a lot of time to answer, consider hiring someone to serve as customer support. It always helps to have an extra hand if you have a pretty large company to deal with.

Your business can be successful with the help of social media marketing. It really helps if you take the right approach to this method of marketing. Use what you have learned today and you can become a social media success!

I'm Rich Jablonski and can be reached at Skype: richard.jablonski738

Here are some resources you can take advantage of to help you move toward your vision. A group of six figure income earners have created a learning platform that will make it easier for you to reach your goal of creating a successful home business. That platform is called My Lead System Pro. You can also use another resource called the Empower Network. Neither of these platforms require websites or technical knowledge. Use the Empower Network and My Lead System Pro together to reach success quicker.

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