The grumbling is growing. Marketers are getting frustrated that fans seem not to be noticing their Facebook page updates. For some, engagement seems to be lessening since Facebook introduced the Timeline format.

This is anecdotal however. There is little data to support this now. Some surveys show increases in fan engagement. Some, like the study of 3,500 pages, done by Edgerank Checker, conclude that Timeline has had no effect on fan engagement. Since only 2% of fans ever return to a Facebook page after they have “liked” it and Facebook itself states that only an average of 17% of  pages’ fans see its updates in their newstreams, the Timeline format change should have no effect whatsoever.

According to Ederank Checker, both the control group (No Conversion) and the Pages that converted to Timeline experienced nearly identical ratios. Roughly 60% of the Pages analyzed experienced a Decrease, while roughly 40% experienced an increase. Their conclusion? The introduction of the Timeline format had no significant impact fan engagement.

Then why are we hearing these stories?

Something changed. Wait, could it be Timeline? But for profiles?

It was for me. I found the change over to the Timeline profile visually distracting. I started ignoring the news ticker and coming to Facebook only to interact in the few private groups I take part in. There was so much going on and it was so distracting I stopped paying attention to the news stream and only noticed on occasion if a friend’s name popped up.

I wonder if others have had similar reactions? An eye tracking study by SimpleUsability showed that Timeline brand page users actually find some of the new elements confusing. Brand pages don’t differ much from Timeline profiles visually. Lots of different things to look at. I wonder if other fans are feeling overwhelmed and inundated by the noise and clutter?

SimpleUsability MD Guy Redwood said it “is clear that the average user doesn’t fully understand the new layout, or interact with it in the way intended. This will likely change over time, but as the mechanics of obtaining ‘Likes’ has become more difficult for brands, they now need to drive engagement more than ever. Page editors no longer have the ability to set targeted landing tabs or applications for non-fans. In the past you could direct people onto a particular tab to encourage likes or interaction with a promotion.”

If this is true, it gets harder to use Facebook effectively as a marketing tool. Everyone agrees that the key to successful marketing on Facebook is to update with content that resonates with your fans. And to use Facebook ad campaigns to stay in front of your audience. Author and social media consultant, Brian Carter emphatically maintains that Facebook ad campaigns work–and work well– to build Facebook fan bases and keep Facebook fans aware of brand pages. His book, “The Like Economy: How Businesses Make Money With Facebook”, provides a thorough grounding in using Facebook for marketing and includes instruction in building and deploying effective Facebook ad campaigns.

However, Facebook ad clickthroughs are half the industry standard, which means that these same fans you are trying to stay in front of may not respond to the ads you are posting. To get their attention.

So what are marketers to do?

Well, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

One way to break through the clutter is to use imagery and video. Content moves through the social web at lightening speed but imagery grabs our attention and we can’t help but notice a compelling picture. As human beings we are drawn to other human faces (advertiser have known this for eons.) Video reaches right out and grabs us by the throat and can hold us rapt. In a study by emarketer, 60% of respondents said they would watch video previous to reading text on the same webpage. Video and imagery build subconscious connections.

Jennifer Strauss Windrum, who founded and manages the WTF (Where’s The Funding For) Lung Cancer and SMAC! (Sock Monkeys Against Cancer) Facebook pages, finds creating more visual content has helped maintain her Facebook fan interaction, although she has seen a definite decrease in response since the implementation of the Timeline format.

Julie Pippert, founder and director of Artful Media Group, confides that her secret weapon is to approach the Facebook pages she manages like Pinterest boards. She shares short punchy updates with vibrant images more frequently than longer text updates. Pippert manages to keep fan interaction going but says that it is a constant struggle.

As Miranda Miller, of Search Engine Watch, says, “You’re going to read a lot of conflicting data, ‘fact,’ and opinion. There is no magic formula. The only way to discover what works for your business is to try, test, tweak, rinse and repeat.”

Do you need help understanding how Facebook fits into your marketing? Give us a call at 419.740.1262 or shoot us an email at info@allenmireles.com. We can help.

This post first appeared on the V3im.com blog on April 10, 2012

We’ve talked about the benefits of using LinkedIn as a tool for networking and developing new business leads. Using the LinkedIn Answers section is an effective way to build your reputation as an expert in your industry. Answering a few questions every day can become just another part of your daily routine—once you know what to do.

In case you’ve missed it, LinkedIn Answers is a Q&A forum in which members share business information. The Answers section allows you to answer questions from other users to demonstrate your experience, knowledge and ability. Answers are rated, and you can earn a “Best Answer” designation for your response. Your avatar is posted beside your answer, and can lead viewers of your answer back to your profile where they can learn more about you and your professional experience.

Unfortunately, many of us get busy. We forget to visit the site or check the Answers section with any regularity. What if there was a way to access those questions and post answers quickly and easily? Oh, but there is! You can sign up for the RSS feeds for your area of expertise and send them to your RSS reader. It’s like the easy button. All you need do is check your reader every day or so, scroll through the Answers topics that fit your expertise and spend a few moments answering the questions that fit. If you can manage to do this as a part of your regular daily routine, so much the better.

I learned this trick from Jason Falls of Social Media Explorer last year. It’s effortless and takes only minutes to set up. Want to get started? Here’s how:

How To Set Up A LinkedIn Answers RSS Feed

1. Log in to your Linkedin account and go to the Answers section. (For those of you who are new to Linkedin, the Answers section is found by clicking on More at the top of the page).

Locate a topic that fits your industry and expertise and browse the open questions listed. Scroll down the page until you find the RSS button on the right side of the page. Sign up for the Answers topic feed using your preferred RSS feeder. I use Google Reader.

2. Create a folder in your reader for your LinkedIn Answers feeds. You can subscribe to as many categories as you like. Then train yourself to open your reader every day, scroll through the feeds and answer the questions that resonate. Two important points: often the people who ask the questions you answer will follow up with you. Make sure you respond. The communications could develop into new business leads for you. And it’s a good idea not to answer unless you can add value to the conversation.

You’ve heard the saying, “people buy from people they know, like and trust,” right? It’s true. It’s also true that people like to do business with those who are known as industry leaders or who demonstrate a high level of expertise. You can be both. Check the RSS feed. Browse the questions users are posting on LinkedIn. Offer your expertise and even your assistance. Start developing those new business relationships and enjoy the leads you generate along the way.

Do you need help figuring out how to use Linkedin or where it fits in your organization’s marketing strategy? Give us a call at 419.740.1262. We’ll be happy to help you get started.

Lead image via milos milosevic via Creative Commons

So, is this latest revision a game changer or not?

The new Timeline layout offers organizations a chance to make a stunning first impression with the cover photo at the top of the page. However, the space measuring 851 x 315 pixels, can not include:

• Price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it on socialmusic.com”
• Contact information such as a website address, email, mailing address, References to Facebook features or actions, such as “Like” or “Share” or an arrow pointing from the cover photo to any of these features
• Calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends.”

Given these new restrictions, you will want to think carefully about how best to use this real estate to interest prospects and new visitors to your page. It is important to note that most of your fans will not visit the Facebook page and will interact with it from their news feeds or by clicking an ad placed near their news feeds. However, Facebook pages come up in search, so having a compelling presence is important.

Timeline also provides a format that allows brands to tell a more complete and detailed story and to highlight achievements over the years like new product introductions, awards or other business milestones. You have the opportunity to highlight posts to your wall now, with a new pinning function, that allows you to “pin” an update to the top of the page for seen days. You can also highlight an update and make it larger and more noticeable.

The customized applications companies have used in the past have been moved to the upper right hand side of the page, which will make them harder for fans to find and will probably decrease usage. You will now be able to customize the application image to reflect something that your particular audience might find more compelling.

Timeline offers you a wealth of data about how your competitors are using Facebook now. You can easily access your competitors’ insights and determine how many fans they have, the number of new “likes” they have received, how many fans are talking about them, which posts were most popular and other data. Problem is, your competitors will now also be able to access your information as well.

The new Timeline features will go live for all pages on March 30, 2012. This means that you have 25 days to think through how to make the most of the new opportunities and minimize any losses your company may experience due to the revisions. We have several recommendations for you as you move forward with the Timeline feature for your page:

• Read the  revised terms of use for Facebook pages and know what you can and cannot do.
• Use my friend Shelly Kramer’s checklist for converting to Timeline, which also includes several valuable resources.
• Read my friend, and Facebook expert, Brian Carter’s post on allfacebook.com, The 7 Biggest Fan Page Marketing Mistakes. The information he shares is invaluable and will help you plan your Facebook activities, which may well include investing in Facebook advertising to help promote your page to fans and prospects.
• If you are unfamiliar with the concept of Edgerank, Facebook’s algorithm for deciding what information makes it into your fans’ news feeds, read my friend Kami Watson Huyse’s recent post. This post will help you understand what types of content have proven effective in increasing user engagement.

So will Timeline be a game changer for your brand? It depends. It’s really up to you. And the clock is ticking…

Need help updating your Facebook page and developing a content strategy for your updates by March 30^th? Thinking about running Facebook ads but unsure how to get started? We can help. Give us a call at 419.740.1262 or shoot us an email at info@allenmireles.com. We’re happy to help you get this done–and done right–in time for the big March 30^th deadline.

Source: Deviantart.com Kisa4ever13

Don’t censor the web. Please.

On January 24th, the Senate will begin voting on the Protect IP Act (PIPA), which is opposed by millions of Americans. While the stated intent of the Protect IP Act is to fight online piracy, the net effect will be censorship of the web. There are other and more effective ways to fight piracy. If PIPA is voted in, as well as its companion House bill, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)–currently on hold but likely to be revisited, reworked and reintroduced somehow, the results could be devastating to the millions of citizens who rely on the web for work, research, study and entertainment.

Take a moment to sign this petition. I did.  Tell Congress: don’t censor the web. Oppose PIPA and SOPA!

And now for a humorous look at the situation: thank you Andrew Fowler for this fabulous cartoon.