Facebook Usernames for Small Businesses

Just a quick update:

Facebook has lifted the temporary limitation for Fan Pages who want to get their vanity username but have fewer than 1,000 fans. As of 12:00am last night, small business owners and others in this same boat can now grab their unique URL. Yay!

General names are still not available, such as "pizza" or "marketing," but I was able to score my next choice: "marketing help." I would like to be the first person that people think of when they need some Marketing help, especially in the field of Social Networking. I love this stuff!

So, welcome to my new page: www.facebook.com/MarketingHelp. Please go there and become a fan so you won't be left out in hearing all the latest news affecting your business!

By the way, becoming my fan gets you in the loop of the latest social media happenings. If I hadn't been doing research, I would have never heard about this opportunity. So stay close to me for more tips, tricks and free advice!

Cheers,

Kerianne

P.S. Are you looking for some serious help in understanding all of this Social Networking stuff and how it applies to your business? I have the solution! Have you seen the details on my upcoming 8-week TeleSeries yet? Early Bird Special pricing runs thru July 8th! Check it out ASAP! www.MarketingMakesMeSmile.com/MMG/class

Sharing is Caring

I never claim to be a techie to the extreme, but every now and then I dive into the Computer Science part of me and figure something technical out. After all, unless someone shows us how to do something, we're on our own to figure it out. (Unless you hire a great Social MEdia Marketing Coach, but no shameless plugs here...heehee...)

One of the most crucial components to success on the Internet is how viral your content can become. Let's remember a basic rule of Marketing - you could be the best lil company in the world, but if nobody knows about you, then you might as well close up shop. That's where Marketing & Advertising come into play.

In today's online world, learning how to get the word out to as many people as possible is HUGE. Even more significantly, allowing users to SHARE your brilliance is even better. Work smarter, not harder, right?

I'm proud to say that today I learned how to add the "Share This" link to my websites. (Look! It's down below each of my posts now! Whoohoo!) I was reading an article on Facebook vs. Google and wanted, of course, to share the news. I clicked on the "Share This" link at the end of the article and sent it to my FB and Twitter communities.

After you "share" something, a box pops up and says, "Thanks for sharing!" and offers you the options to share on more sites. It also gives you a "Get this button" option. I clicked on that last option and went to go sign up for my new Share This account. It's an easy 3-step process and allows you to set up all of your domains with this new widget. (A "widget" by the way, is an add'l online thingie that stands on its own, but can be added to your website to add valuable content. It usually is used for viral purposes and connects to another site. For example, you can see my Twitter widget to the right of this post. It helps you get to my Twitter account by simply clicking through it.)

Have you set up your "Share This" buttons yet? If you are satisfied with simply posting to the web for your own enjoyment, don't worry about it. However, if you would love for at least one other person to spread your words through their entire online network and possibly help grow your business, then I highly suggest you sign up today!

Happy sharing!!

Build Your List With Twitter Buttons

How cute it this??



Get yours, too, at www.twitbuttons.com.

There are several to choose from, but I chose the one with movement. Why? Because our eyes are distracted by movement. If nothing on a webpage is moving yet you're seeing a ton of information, you eyes will automatically be drawn to any movement first. Hence the cute little wings flapping away above! See? Try it and see how it works on your websites. :0)

Can you notice the difference between the above and the below? Where do your eyes go first?



HELPFUL TIPS:

How to make one for yourself at www.twitbuttons.com:

1. Select which icon you like the most.
2. Highlight the entire HTML code underneath it in the box.
3. Click "Copy."
4. Head to your website/blog/facebook, etc and find where you want to place this cute little birdie.
5. Click "Paste" in the desired spot.
6. IMPORTANT: For those who aren't too familiar with HTML, you need to know how to change one part of the code before you post it, or it won't get people to your profile.

See what it says in yellow? "a href="http://twitter.com/YourUserName">"?

You must delete that part and put in your Twitter profile name. For example, mine looks like this:

a href="http://twitter.com/keri_mellott">

This directs people to your Twitter profile when they click on the little birdie.

Ta-da! You're done!

Let me know how it works for you. :0)




Tweet, tweet!

Grab Your Facebook URL Before Somone Else Does!

How funny. Facebook must have heard me telling everyone how annoying and particularly ineffective their idea of not giving us the ability to create our own username was (i.e. www.facebook.com/myname vs. www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=12345678). I wonder if anyone actually made business cards with the above address on it....Hmmm. Looks pretty spammy to me.

Or, maybe the fact that a third-party application was invented to help provide at least a somewhat better alternative (http://companies.to/mellottmarketinggroup/ ) and Facebook finally caught on. (See my previous post.)

Either way, it's going to be exciting because tomorrow at 9:01 PM PST/12:01 AM EST you will be able to grab and assign your own unique username to your facebook URL. I remember doing this when I signed up for MySpace in 2005. Why did it take so many YEARS to figure out and adapt? You got me.

So why is this a big deal and why should you care?

Well, for all the Steve Smiths and Jill Jones out there and others who have common names, it will be a mad dash to literally be the first, and only, person to get their chosen name. Or even Steve or Jill alone. It's also a big deal for people and/or businesses who have a branding strategy already in mind. Once you assign the name - it can't be changed. Facebook is pretty strict with making sure you are the person or company you say you are, so this will definitely be enforced. They have already created steps to take if your trademarked or copywritten identity is taken by someone else. They've also prevented "squatting" - where people try to scoop up popular domain names and sell them later for cash. Facebook usernames will be non-transferable. GO, Facebook.

Here's what they don't tell you in the articles you may have read. The following applies to Administrators who run a Facebook Page:

1. If you're ready to go grab www.Facebook.com/Marketing or whatever generic word that describes your business, think again. They won't approve it. Bummer, huh?

2. Do you have under 1,000 fans? If so, your username won't be approved. This is something that people are ranting and raving about. I am one of them. Make enough noise, and we may get the attention of the powers that be.


Creating your new Facebook URL will be a huge opportunity for companies to build their online presence. As a Marketing Coach, I highly urge you to take a look at your strategies for PR, Marketing and Advertising and make sure you have a great plan. I am a big stickler for your brand image to remain consistent. This applies to your URLs. Try to keep them as close as possible, and remember - you only have one time to make a first impression!

Overall, it should be an interesting Friday night.

Post in the comments what your chosen username will be!