Facebook designed the “hidden posts” feature in order to cut down on the amount of spam on fan page walls. It can be very handy if you find yourself constantly deleting obnoxious spam posts on your fan page, as there is no need to manually remove them. To access your fan page’s “hidden posts” (you must be an administrator), simply visit your page and click the link that appears directly under the wall tab.

Unfortunately, similar to email spam filters, this system is not 100% accurate. It is important to check these “hidden posts” every several days, or every day, depending on the popularity of your page. Quite often, posts that are not spam (or that may, in fact, be praising your business, company or services) may be accidentally flagged as “hidden”. These cases generally result from posts that include a link or “@” mention, since these are common elements found in spam posts.

If you have asked permission to post on another’s fan page wall in order to promote your business, but are being flagged as spam, be sure to let the page know! Chances are your posts are being unintentionally hidden.

If you find a post on your fan page has been accidentally “hidden” and does not belong in the spam category, it is simple enough to remedy. If you hover over the post with your curser, a small “x” box will appear on the right hand corner of the post. If you click on this, a drop-down menu will appear. Choose the option “unhide post” to move the post to your wall. You also have the option to “delete” or “mark as abuse.”

Being aware of the “hidden posts” tool can help you participate in cross-promotions and/or easily control your fan page wall posts.  Don’t hesitate to contact us by replying to this email, or commenting on our blog, if you are having trouble accessing or utilizing the “hidden posts” feature. Happy Facebooking!

For the time being, Pinterest is an “invite only” site. If you know somebody who is currently using Pinterest, they can send you an invitation by clicking the “invite friends” button located at the top right hand corner of their account home page. If you’re interested in checking out the site, ask around! Chances are you already know some fellow “pinners.”

Using Pinterest is simple. After you have accepted the email invitation, it’s as easy as signing up and browsing around. Choose a unique username and password, and upload a profile photo/provide some basic information about yourself. You can then set up personalized “boards,” where you can either upload your own pins or “re-pin” (similar to Twitter’s “retweet” function) pins that your followers have put up.

Some ideas for your personal Pinterest account:

-Create a collection of recipes by dedicating one of your boards as a “cookbook”

-Plan your home remodeling or decorating scheme by dedicating a board for each room of your house

-Plan a wedding or other event with decorative ideas, themes, and venues.

Install the “Pin It” button on your web browser for easy pinning. Then, whenever you’re surfing the web and see something you want to share on Pinterest, simply click the button and follow the prompts.

Certain businesses, such as retail stores, photographers/artists or brands, can benefit from Pinterest, too. In future blog entries, we will be going into further detail about how your brand can utilize this hot new site, so be sure to stay tuned! Happy pinning!

First and foremost, solicitation of your fan page should be done tastefully. Repeatedly posting on others’ fan pages or on your friends’ walls without their permission, for the express purpose of promoting your page, may actually dissuade others from “liking” your page. Nobody likes to be spammed! If you are planning on asking your friends to “like” you on Facebook, consider a status update from your personal profile or be sure to ask their permission before you begin your promotions on their pages.

Posting too frequently or too repetitively on your fan page is another way to risk losing fans. We recommend posting once daily, or twice if there is a special event or occasion. More than that and you risk annoying your fans by appearing too frequently in their newsfeed. Remember, as we mentioned in Blog Post #7: Your fans can mark their “Top Stories” in their newsfeeds. Posting too frequently may actually backfire if your fans choose to ignore your updates, or hide them altogether.

Another tip for keeping your fans happy is to ensure that you respond to any questions or comments in a timely manner. Not only is this a good way to build loyalty from your fans, but you may also find that many of the questions or comments on your page can lead to potential clients or customers!

These guidelines are a great starting point to ensure that your fans continue visiting your page. Have any more tips for proper Facebook etiquette? Feel free to comment on our blog with your ideas or suggestions!  Instantsocialmedia.wordpress.com.

If you’re a seasoned Twitter user, you probably know that Twitter rolled out their new profile design/layout, appropriately dubbed “New Twitter,” about a year ago. This layout did not change anything in terms of content (your tweets, retweets, mentions, etc. all remained untouched), but it did switch around a lot of the components and implement some new features. If you are new to Twitter, you will have started off with the “New Twitter” design.

Now introducing: New (New) Twitter. This new design is somewhat simpler to use and the changes are not quite so dramatic, however, some useful tools have shifted around.

Note that your “Mentions” have moved to the top left hand corner. You can access them by clicking on the “@Connect” button.

There is also a new icon that contains access to all of your settings, direct messages, lists, and the logout option in the upper right hand corner of your home screen.

To access your previous tweets and profile page, simply click on your Twitter handle on the left hand side (right above the words “View my profile page”). Also note that there is now a “Discover” icon (the hashtag next to your mentions) that lists the trending topics as well as a brief synopsis of why these events are trending.

The good news is that Twitter does not move or add new features as frequently as Facebook, so this is likely the last round of changes we will see for some time. Not all accounts have been converted to this new layout yet, either, so you may still be using the older version. In the coming weeks, Twitter will automatically update you to the new design.

If you’ve got any questions about the New (New) Twitter layout and how to access any of your information, feel free to leave us a comment on our blog or respond to this email. Until next time, happy tweeting!

You’ll need to create an account in order to begin using Foursquare and to claim your business venue. Simply visit www.foursquare.com/business, choose between a Brand or Venue Owner (whichever is applicable for your business) and then follow the prompts for setting up your account.

People may already be checking in without your knowledge! Do a quick search on foursquare.com to see if your specific location is already live. You may be surprised! A quick tip about account set-up: In order to claim your business venue, you will be required to provide a landline or phone number connected to your business. After you have successfully claimed your venue, you can begin setting up your specials.

To take full advantage of Foursquare, be sure to put up some kind of incentive for new or returning customers. You can set up a deal or promotion for the first check-in (for example: Receive 10% off the first time you check-in on Foursquare!), or for any number of check-ins afterwards (Get a complimentary prize with every 10th check-in). The latter option is a great way to reward your most loyal customers! The customer with the most check-ins is automatically dubbed “the mayor” for your venue.

Keep in mind that Foursquare is more appropriate for certain types of businesses. You may not get many check-ins at the dentist’s office or the vet. Even so, claiming business may still yield results! You never know who is dying to tell the world they just had a root canal.

QR codes are generally accessed through smart phone applications and can be easily scanned by iPhones, Androids or other smart phones, directing consumers to the intended site or information.

QR codes are useful because they take up minimal space on marketing collateral, business cards, etc. and can easily direct people to special offers, promotions, websites with long URLs, or other online resources.

To generate your own QR code, you can go to a number of websites that will encrypt your code free of charge. A quick Google search results in some of the more popular sites such as Kaywa, iCandy or Stickybits. These sites are simple to use and provide user-friendly instructions on how to generate your code.

Some ideas for QR codes and your business:
-Send people to “like” your Facebook fan page.
-Easily directs customers or clients to a how-to video, online photo album or landing page.
-Display in your store window to encourage Foursquare check-ins or Facebook “likes.”
-Directs customers to a discount or freebie offer. Codes that include some kind of value or savings for the consumer are more likely to be noticed and utilized.

Be sure that your customers or clients are aware of your QR code and know how to use them! Direct them to scanner apps (here is a helpful list of applications for QR code scanners) and be sure to draw their attention to your code.

Here are some great ideas for how your business can use QR codes creatively. Be sure to check them out!

Twitter Trends
You’ve probably heard the phrase “trending” if you’ve spent any significant time on Twitter. Trends are the most popular topics that people are tweeting about in any given city, country, or worldwide. On your Twitter account, you can view the current trends on the right hand side of your home page. Click the “change” link if you would like to view the trends in a specific location. Trends tend to change quickly, but paying attention to and using the current trends in your own tweets can help build your following and grab attention.

#FollowFriday
Every Friday, many Twitter users participate in an event called “Follow Friday,” denoted by the hashtag “#FollowFriday,” or “#FF.” On Follow Friday, you give shout outs to other Twitter users with whom you interact with on a regular basis, or users you think provide valuable/relevant information. This is a great way to build relationships and take advantage of cross promotions with like-minded Twitter users. There are other similar days, such as “#MentionMonday,” but Follow Friday is the most popular and widely recognized.

Tips
Keep a close eye on your “Mentions” and “Direct Messages,” which can be easy to overlook. These two features are vital! You may have customers trying to contact you with questions or searching for additional information about your brand/product, or even other businesses hoping to engage in cross promotions or some other type of mutually beneficial activity. We recommend checking your mentions and direct messages on a daily basis.

Please follow us at @InstantSocialMe and, as always, feel free to contact us with any questions!

Why should your brand or company join Google+? For one thing, it’s never a bad idea to keep up with the latest Google trend. After all, the search engine giant is estimated to process over one billion search requests every day. Additionally, adding your brand to as may social media sites as possible is a great way to improve your SEO (search engine optimization), as well as grab the attention of potential customers or clients who may be partial to one social media site over another.

Once you’ve got a Google+ personal page (refer back to Blog Post #8 for information on how to do this) or a Google account, setting up your brand page is simple. Visit www.google.com/+/business/ and follow the prompts to begin set-up.

You will need to choose a category for your business. Select this carefully, as it is difficult to change, once you have set up your page. You will have the choice of: Local Business or Place (appropriate for hotels, restaurants, stores or services), a Product or Brand (suitable for apparel, electronics, financial services), a Company, Institution or Organization (for non-profits, companies, etc.), Arts, Entertainment or Sports (for TV, music, athletes, books, films) or Other (if your business does not fit into any of the aforementioned categories).

Next, you will be prompted to enter some basic information about your business, such as name and website. You will be allowed to choose a sub-category for your brand, and you will get to add a tagline and photo. You are limited to 10 words for your tagline, so be selective! For the last step in the set-up process, you may announce your new brand page to your personal Google+ circles.

Once your page is set up, you can begin adding your connections to your “circles.” The default circles for your brand page include “Team Members,” “Customers,” and “VIPs.” Unfortunately, at the moment, there is no way to claim a “Vanity URL” (as per Facebook fan pages) for your brand page, so you will need to use the full link/URL to direct people to your page.

ISM is on Google+! Find us by searching “Instant Social Media” from your Google+ page or by visiting us at https://plus.google.com/106583857486747666915/posts.

There are several reasons you might want to set up your company’s profile on LinkedIn. First and foremost, LinkedIn is a valuable resource if you are trying to attract new talent to your company or if you are looking to hire. It can also be a great source for locating new clients and suppliers, etc., as people often search through their LinkedIn contacts when looking for a product or service. Additionally, once your company profile is live, LinkedIn will actually collect and combine info about your company from around the site. For example, LinkedIn will automatically calculate information such as your company’s median age (as per the company’s activity on LinkedIn) and detect other companies with whom yours is well connected.

To set up your company or business on LinkedIn, visit the “Companies” menu and hit “Add Company.” You must provide your work email address and company name in order to initiate this set-up process.

Once you have confirmed your work email (LinkedIn will send a message to your email account), you can enter basic company info such as a brief description, number of employees, industry, etc. You will also be able to add a company logo (highly recommended), locations, website, and a feed for your company’s blog, if applicable. It is also possible to link your Twitter feed to your LinkedIn account. Find a step-by-step tutorial on how to do this here.

If you want to get really fancy, LinkedIn also offers a product for premium, paid accounts called “Custom Company Profiles.” This feature allows you to add information such as corporate videos, interactive polls and more. Generally speaking, this feature is more applicable for larger companies and corporations. For a small business, a basic LinkedIn company profile will generally suffice.

Visit Instant Social Media on LinkedIn here, or by clicking the “LinkedIn” icon at the top of this email.

Last but certainly not least, HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all of our fans, friends & followers! We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic New Year!

According to a recent study by MerchantCircle, 22% of small businesses have used Facebook Ads. Of these, 65% say they are satisfied with the results and would use Facebook Ads in the future, mainly due to the fact that they are easy to set up and can be tailored to reach a specific audience. Facebook advertisements can be specifically targeted to a particular demographic, educational level, gender, age range, zip code, etc. In addition, you do not need to have a fan page to purchase advertisements on Facebook.

To set up an ad of your own, click on the “Create an Ad” link beside the “Sponsored” advertisements on your personal profile home page.

Facebook will then walk you through the steps of creating your ad, allowing you to provide an image and text. Be sure to use clear language (you have up to 135 characters) for your text and an attention-grabbing image.

Note the “Design Your Ad FAQ” link in the upper right hand corner of the ad set-up screen, where you can find some helpful tips for creating a successful ad. Keep in mind that these ads can be especially useful to promote a special offer, sale, contest or event!

Ads are priced on a per-click or per-impression basis. Facebook allows you to estimate the “Cost Per Click” as you create your ad, and you can then enter a daily (or lifetime) budget for the total amount you are willing to spend. Facebook will never charge more than this amount. At the end of the set-up process, you will find your “Suggested Bid,” which displays the range of bids currently winning the auction amongst ads that are similar to yours.

If you’ve got any questions about launching a Facebook ad campaign, ISM can help! Contact us at info@instantsocialmediaco.com for further information and Happy Facebooking!