Google+ has recently integrated a new local feature that you can view on the left-hand side menu. The announcement is based upon one little red “New” located beside the word local; yet, this change will have a gigantic impact on your business.
How?
Google+ has assimilated the Zagat expressive 30 point scoring system which gives detailed information regarding businesses to consumers prior to them visiting the business online or in-store, much like a quick review, allowing other users thoughts and opinions about businesses aid in choosing where a person wants to go when they want to purchase an item.
What is Google+ Local?
Google+ Local will allow users to get recommendations about businesses; such as reviews and locations based on their circles. As a user you will be able to publish to your circles your favorite places as well as any reviews you may have regarding businesses. If you want broader opinions outside your circles you will have access to Zagat reviews and summaries about businesses as well as be able to see local Google+ pages to see information and photos about a business within your area. If you used Google Places in the past your content can be moved to Google+ Local, you will be prompted if you want to keep your old reviews and photos, and of course, you will need a Google+ account for this to be enabled. If not, you can still use Google Places, but keep in mind that Google+ users will have access to share, review and rate your business via Google+ Local.
As a user you will be able to search for various recommended businesses within your area, just by clicking the “local” link, you will immediately be shown local recommendations in Entertainment, Restaurants, Cafes, Bars and Hotels, giving you instant information on your community and the ability to give your opinion.
Suddenly, Facebook Page owners are upset about the newly added recommendations box, thinking that this will increase negative sentiment, this is in fact false.
Your Facebook Page is already public, which means that anyone can view it. Yes, you can now change the setting to only allow people who are on the Facebook Platform to see your page but that only limits you and prevents the true Marketing reach you’re looking to gain.
The recommendations box will allow you to have a better eye on what is being said about your business or brand, as long as the people who share the recommendations make it public. The reality is that it just gives people the ability to post somewhere other than your wall, ah yes, your wall, this too is a spot that people can write about you, positively or negatively which is the same as recommendations.
The much beloved smartphone picture snapping app, Instagram, allows its users to take or share photos within a community that is eager to see the next uploaded photo from those they follow as well as aim high to reach the popular page.
It is almost too easy to pretend to be a skilled photographer or for those that have true skills, a great place to receive recognition. People simply double tap the images they like and poof, the likes build up in seconds, it is quite fun to watch and see what your community enjoys the most from the photos you share.
The only thing it seems to lack is the ability to see instant stats on your progress and how much you rank within the Instagram community, however, there is a site that can do just that for you and provide you with your rank, most influenced followers and even photos of your achievements can be saved and shared on Instagram.
Since Instagram is partnered with Statigram you can easily download your photos to the site by allowing permission, it only takes a few minutes before you are able to explore your more detailed reports that the initial Instagram application does not have, once it is ready you will receive an e-mail of created photos that show the date and first photo you shared on Instagram, as well as your rank, who you interact with the most and more. You will be able to save them in case you want to share them with your Social Networks or on Instagram itself.
Don’t see enough of the people you want to within your newsfeed on Facebook?
Today you can change the way you see your Facebook newsfeed since they have now allowed its users the ability to star chosen friends so you can see more of what they are doing on Facebook. This means that you can choose from the recommendations that Facebook will initially give you or you can type the name of the person you want to read more status updates from within the search bar that will be given at the top of your newsfeed. Each person starred will be added to a “Close Friends” folder which is located on the left-hand side menu under “Friends”.
Facebook clearly understands that we are connecting further outside of our immediate family and friends, therefore allowing its users to not lose touch with those closest to them and most likely the reason many Facebook users initially signed up to Facebook for, so they are not forgetting their roots or yours.
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Posted in Erin Ryan Facebook Facebook Changes How-To's Social Media Writers by .
For years, businesses have been spending thousands of dollars on their marketing collateral without realizing they already have one of the best strategies on hand that won’t cost a penny—their employees.
When trained correctly, your employees can be the best advocate for your brand. They can spread the greatness of your company, your products and your services to others through word of mouth or other social tactics, such as social media.
The best way to ensure your employees become advocates for your company is to promote it. If you have a company intranet or other portal for information, use it to spread messages you want your employees to spread. Let them know about upcoming events, company awards, recent promotions and any other company information you think they’d be willing to share.
The more you can point your workers in an arrow.. the better!
Happy Employees are Advocating Employees
If you keep your employees happy and prove to them that you are a great company and provide great products and services, they’ll be willing to share this information when talking about their job to the outside world. One of the best ways to keep your employees happy is to ensure that you are providing a great workplace. Make sure to promote from within your company, highlight employee achievements and hold company events to reward your employees for their dedication and achievements.
Now that Facebook is public and we are able to buy stock, it probably makes us all wonder how Zuckerberg at the age of 28 has been able to make it rich at such a young age with an idea that could have been thought up by anyone in a dorm room. Many start-ups could only wish to make the amount of money that Facebook has since it launched. Here is a fun tool by ForexTicket, that uses the date your start-up began to calculate how much your start-up would make if you were Mark Zuckerberg.
Have a laugh and don’t be discouraged, instead let it motivate you to work harder and promote your start-up even more so one day you too can make it on the world’s richest list. We wish you luck friends!
Just for fun we calculated the Socialeyezer blog and we too hung our heads and sighed…lol.
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Posted in Erin Ryan Social Media Social Startups Social Tools The Social Web Writers by .
Today is a day of History.
That is correct, whether we think now is the time for us to buy Facebook stock or not, we cannot argue the historic factor that is happening today. Today happens to be a day when Social Media opens its doors even further within its realm of business and will be officially offering 421,233,615 shares of its common stock at a price to the public of $38 per share.
The trading of shares is expected to happen on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, under the symbol “FB.” Closing of the offering is expected to occur on May 22, 2012, subject to customary closing conditions. This means that today Mark Zuckerberg, the creator and CEO of Facebook could possibly be richer than Oprah and the Queen, and a day many businesses may benefit tremendously from the Facebook windfall. It will most likely have effect on them first and in time the smaller investors will see if they hit the jackpot or not.
Many speculations and coverage has occurred surrounding the FB stock and whether you should invest your money or not at this point, but let us not forget how our communication continues to evolve, how Facebook breathes hope to start-up’s and has initiated a social web overall.
Today, history will be in the making, regardless of the turnout (although, we hope for the best), just another step for the Social Media giant, one that continues to move us forward.
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