New Facebook Page Layout - Pros and Cons
Posted by Amanda Trim on February 17, 2011.

If you have a Facebook "page" then you got the word on Monday with your weekly page update that they would finally be rolling out the new look for pages. From your update, you could have opted to make the switch immediately or wait until March 10th when Facebook will convert all of the pages to the new look. We opted to try it out right away to let you know the pros and cons.


Pros:
Cleaner layout – what used to be the tabs along the top are now on the left for easier navigation of the page. Five photos from the gallery are now highlighted on the top center of the page (like on the new profile layout) which are great especially if you are using them to show off work completed, staff members, etc.


Administration (Edit page) – The administration (edit page) area navigates with a more logical flow and allows for more control over your page. You now have the ability to block comments or posts based on either profanity or keywords and phrases you have entered. This will help to keep people from spamming your page. For instance, under the Manage Permissions area of your edit page, you could add the phrase “working from home” to the Moderation Blocklist and if someone tried adding a post (or comment) to your page using that phrase, it would not post.


You also now have the ability to receive email notifications when someone posts or comments to your page. We have gotten used to this function on our profiles and I personally am glad that it is now offered on pages as well. You can elect to do this by going to Your Settings under the Edit page area. Another new feature under Your Settings is the ability to comment on your page as YOU – not the page. In most cases, you will want to comment as the page itself. However, in a case where you manage a page that is not your business and would like to comment personally, you now have the ability to do so. This would come in handy if you were a page admin for an organization you are a member of – even though you are the admin, you might also want to interact as a member and can now do so.


Improved interaction – Facebook now allows you to interact with other pages and profiles as your page instead of as yourself. For example, if I went to a Facebook page focused on digital branding and wanted to leave a comment on a post, I can now leave that comment as KillerGrafix instead of having to leave it as Amanda Trim. This can help in branding your business and increasing your business´s exposure as an industry expert.


Another way that Facebook has improved the interaction is by enabling you to list the page owner(s) on the left of the page. This can be an advantage on many levels. If people are accustomed to working with you, then having your profile picture on the page (as the owner) could help to attract more likes. It also adds a level of personal familiarity to the page.


Incorporation of iframe – If you are using custom tabs/landing pages on your page, you will now be able to program the page using iframes versus FBML (Facebook markup language). For a company like ours, who specializes in the custom tab design, this opens up the doors to what we can achieve on your Facebook page, allowing us to pull content easily from other areas such as blogs, videos, etc.


Cons:
Wall Posts – If you wall is set to show posts by Everyone (as opposed to Posts by Page), the posts no longer come up in chronological order. Instead, Facebook now lists them in “relevant” order which is determined by an algorithm. [An entirely new blog post could be written about algorithms rendering placement on sites out of your control, but for now, I´ll stick to Facebook.] The big problem we see with this is that if Facebook decides a post from a month ago is more relevant than a post from a week ago (as is the case on our page http://www.facebook.com/killergrafix) then it will list that one first giving the impression that your page is not updated. One of two things will wind up happening due to this, either 1. Facebook will change it back after all of the complaints or 2. once everyone has made the switch in March, it will just become the new norm.


Profile picture (left side banner) – Facebook had changed the size you are allowed to use for the left side banner. It has been reduced by about 10%. If you do not have a custom banner, then this change does not really affect you outside of the fact that you will have a little less real estate to promote your brand. However if you do have a custom banner, then you will want to have it re-done so that it is not re-sized to fit, possibly causing it to not look the way you would like.


All in all, while we feel like there are a couple of improvements that could be made, for the most part we are excited about the new layout and features. The biggest obstacle for the average user will be making sense of it all. Facebook has a “page” manual which can be downloaded by going to https://facebook-inc.box.net/shared/9e5jiyl843. If you are confused or simply have questions on any of it, you can always reach us at info@killergrafix.com.
Creating a Custom Facebook Name for You or Your Business
Posted by Amanda Trim on November 12, 2010.

For those of us that are "Facebook Geeks", it is easy to take for granted how easy FB is for us to navigate.  However, for those that are not as versed in FB, there are some important things that you may not know.  We have helped 5 clients in the last 2 weeks alone establish custom usernames for their "pages."  For that reason we have focused this blog post on setting up your custom Facebook name.  Doing this is quick & easy, but there are a couple of  important things to know. It can only be done for profiles (your personal page) & pages (your company page).  Usernames are not available for groups or events.  So if you have set up your company as a group... change it.  When setting it up for your company “page”, you need to have at least 25 people who “like” your p...
To advertise on a mobile platform or not to advertise on a mobile platform... that is the question
Posted by Amanda Trim on October 27, 2010.

With all of the advances in mobile technology, many are left wondering if this is a good medium for their business. According to a recent study by comScore, 46 million mobile phone users have smart phones - almost 20 percent of the market share of total mobile users. Another study from the Mobile Marketing Association states that more than 25 percent of adults in the U.S. have used maps, navigation or other mobile phone services that automatically determine location. The same study indicates that nearly half of those using mobile phones have taken action on mobile ads. What does this mean for you? Depending on your business model, mobile marketing could be a great addition to your marketing mix. By combining localized advertising with interactive advertising, you are offering users the ...
KillerGrafix Highlighted in Osceola News Gazette
Posted by Amanda Trim on October 25, 2010.

The Osceola Business Journal did a great write-up on the use of multi-media strategies in political campaigns. We were privileged to be interviewed as part of this article. Read the Article
Facebook - DOs and DON´Ts
Posted by Amanda Trim on September 22, 2010.

For so many of us, social media, especially Facebook, is now an integral part of our personal and business lives.  While there are many complexities involved with social media and so much to learn and implement, sometimes it is good to remember the basics. For that reason, I have posted this list of the basic do(s) and don't(s) of using Facebook. DO: *  Set up a Facebook "page" for your business and have a plan on what goal you hope to achieve by using it. * Use your Facebook page to communicate with your “followers”:   - show off new product lines   - introduce new team members   - list upcoming events and other things happening that would interest your followers   - list new testimonials   - as a CRM tool where you show progress on a current job to keep your customer...