Plenty of people are up in arms with Facebook for various and sundry reasons at various times, especially including the time-frame ‘always!’ Should Paul Revere be heading out on his infamous ride in 2012, his message might be  “The Timeline is Coming! The Timeline is Coming!“

The talk on the streets from users to developers is that the Timeline has people fuming. I think the dual-column layout is disjointed and difficult to follow, the photo resizing is annoying and inefficient, and Facebook’s constant fiddling with the position of stories and updates in order to maximize our exposure to Ads and maximize the benefit (and thereby their income) to advertisers is the nail in the coffin on the Timeline. HOWEVER and UNFORTUNATELY, there will be no proverbial nail. I called Zuckerburg and asked him to ditch the Timeline. He said, “No.”

About 50% of Facebook’s users have migrated to the new Timeline. Have you? If you’d like to get in early, swing over to Facebook.com/timeline to do it. Facebook’s not listening, so you might as well jump in and get used to the water, especially if you are a Facebook advertiser or marketer, and/or use Facebook to promote your brand, business, products, or services.

To the good, how about that Cover Photo? If you’re not following me here, the new Timeline allows you to put up a swanky wide-format photo, called a cover. You can see mine here: Facebook.com/EricScottBryant. (Oh, while you’re there feel free to friend me up!) Back to the Cover Photo, here’s a great opportunity to promote your brand at a glance. I started this post as a typical Facebook rant and not an Ad, however, if you’d like some help capitalizing on the new Cover Photo, the Timeline, and Facebook in specific, Core Zero can help you there. Just message me or call.

Jackie Cohen, who inspired this post, has a hilarious list of what to expect next:

• Status updates in all capital letters will refrain questions about whether you can get rid of timeline.
• People will reshare erroneous advice on how to downgrade from the advanced profile.
• Scams will re-emerge offering advice on how to get rid of timeline, linking to external sites bearing malware and no content even remotely related to the advanced profile.
• Folks will post angry status updates about leaving Facebook for Google Plus or MySpace but never leave. (This is my favorite!! — EB)
• The same people who groan the loudest about resisting timeline will be the ones who ultimately take up the most space in your news feed with updates on curation of their new advanced profiles. (That will likely be me as well! — EB)

What are your thoughts on the new Timeline?

To Your Success,

Eric Bryant

Did you just let 2011 slip by without crushing it online like you thought you were going to and like you knew you could have, if only… if only you had a killer website and blog and some presence? Why not “brand-up” and be ready for 2012? Isn’t it about time you started cashing in on the leads and sales you know are possible online? The world lives on the web 24×7. That’s where you’ll get checked out and qualified long before your hear a ringtone on your cell phone, and people are going to take an online look before they bust out a checkbook.

Isn’t it about time you got branded to establish yourself as the go-to person in your area of expertise, and your business offering as the solution to the problem that your prospects are even now seeking? Answer Hint: “Why yes, it’s high time I got around to that!”

Core Zero Creative–specializing in web design since 1993–is now offering

The 2012 Branding Double Decker

1. A fully branded WordPress Website and/or Blog
2. A Facebook Business or Fan Page including:
• A Tall Side Banner
• Your own Facebook App Tabs for Reveal & Welcome Pages
• Reveal (pre-Like) and prompt to Like your Page
• Welcome (post-Like) and a special offer from you
• Email Opt-In using your AutoResponder to offer your free video or ebook
3. A branded Twitter Background
4. A branded YouTube Channel

Shazam! Get the Website with or without a Blog, or just the Social Media Branding Package, or get both, you get to choose! All for one simple price that has numbers in it. Call, email, or Facebook Eric to get started on your 2012 Branding Blowout. Let’s make the most of 2012!

At Your Service,

Eric Bryant

• Eric on Facebook
• Core Zero on Facebook
• (207) 212-5100
• eric [@] core zero [dot] com

I want to cover two things in this post: one, a killer article I found about literally killing your To-Do List, and two, I want to relate that to managing your social media efforts. Starting with the latter, do you have time for Social Media Marketing? Is it on your LIST? Some of the very common questions I get when I’m out networking or speaking at local business events are: How much time should I spend on my social media marketing tasks and endeavors? How often should I update: what’s too much, what’s not enough? Do I really have to ANSWER people and comments and Like their stuff on Facebook? Argh! Now, the answers to these questions are all over the map. If you’re just getting started, here are some tips:

• Start out with one social media network, get good at it, then add another. Take as much time as you need. I recommend Facebook, then LinkedIn, then Twitter, then YouTube. As an alternate, you can toss Blogging anywhere into that ordered list to spice it up.

• Post in the morning and evening, and lunch time if you can. Work up from there. Be sure to check incoming first. Check your Facebook notifications, answer them. Check your Tweets, Retweets, and Direct Messages, and engage and respond. Say “Thanks!” often. Leave Facebook comments. Post on others’ Walls. The closer you can get to a real-time interaction, the better. But you won’t get far posting once every other day or two, and never answering anybody.

• Don’t post the same thing to all your “channels”(Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/Your Blog) at the same time. Post that same thing on different days, at different times, on different channels. And spice it up. Spin it. Use different words that have the same meaning.

• Post content that matters to your audience. Send them to cool articles and other websites that will help them, like I’m about to do.

• Post something inspiring or personal from time to time. A glimpse of your life philosophy, or what motivates you. Let people get to know you, and keep it professional. You can get quite close to personal, sometimes, but forget politics and religion and controversy unless that is actually your niche as a writer, journalist, speaker, professor, talk show host, or what-have-you.

• Make a weekly schedule for yourself of when and where you will post, to what target market segment, and what about. Mix it up. Put it on a big piece of paper on your wall, or use 3×5 cards and execute whatever card comes up next. If you’re stuck on that one, shuffle it back into the pile and pick the next one.

• Use tools like Hootsuite to schedule posts in advance. You will not get as much edge rank from Facebook but it beats not posting at all. Just be sure to go back and answer comments and interactions during your scheduled social media times.

Regarding To-Do Lists, sometimes I get a kick out of looking at my lists from years ago. Archived in ancient computer files, it’s entertaining to see what the pressing issues of the day were, and more amusing still to try to remember what many of them actually were!

I admit to having lists that have grown to 20+ pages. Oops. I have also tried maintaining two lists, one of very important things to do, the other, of ideas, thoughts, books to read–items without deadlines. Then there was the one list per topic or project method. This made for shorter, more focused lists, and has been by far the easiest way to not only quickly see what is needed or next on a project, but to actually FIND the item on the list. 20 pages is too much to scan when you didn’t use the right keywords and can’t bring it up in search!

With that, I give you Leo Babauta of ZenHabits.net! I will leave you with a small quote from his most excellent–and quite challenging–idea of killing your lists.

Most people reading this will have a to-do program, or a paper list or text file, listing not only projects and tasks but separate lists for home and work and possibly half a dozen different contexts. Those who don’t have a to-do list probably feel they should, because they’re swamped and feeling overwhelmed. I’m here to suggest: kill your to-do list. It sucks up your time, and drains your motivation. Those who have to-do lists usually manage them constantly, or if they don’t they fall into disuse and get dusty and become worthless, while the person who’s fallen behind in maintaining the list feels constantly guilty. For those who keep up with the lists, they spend a lot of time on the lists they could be spending … doing something important.

If you like that teaser, see the rest here: http://zenhabits.net/kill-your-to-do-list. If that doesn’t pique your interest, well, you better move on and get back to that list of yours!

To Your Success,

Eric Bryant

Do you have a Blog? Do you generate income from it? Then don’t let Facebook render your Blog obsolete. You think all these FB changes are because Zuckerburg and his programmers are bored? Think again. Facebook wants one simple thing: world domination. Well, they want to be the entire, uninterrupted focus of all your attention, all day long, on every internet-enabled device you own. The better they make their service, the more likely it is for that to happen. The more time people spend on FB, the less time they spend on your blog.

I wrote this blog post in response to my good friend Martin Casper’s post about change (Facebook changes) and what it takes to get noticed and stay competitive online. And regarding change: Deal with it or be left behind! Here’s an excerpt:

This evolution that is evidenced by the frequent changes seen with Facebook is a word to the wise.  Facebook is going to continue to make changes as time goes on.  You should take a cue from them and review your online presence.  When was the last time you updated your blog?  Do your graphics portray that hip, edginess that attracts customers?  Are you maintaining that SEO edge by properly integrating keyword rich content that incorporates post tags and hyperlinks to drive traffic?  Are you providing great… not good, but great, content? If not, then Facebook might just be rendering your blog irrelevant by setting the standard, and displaying to the world that they are not going to sit on their proverbial laurels.

So then, as we already knew, the only constant is change. I, for one, love it! I love to see how companies adapt, and I enjoy not only learning about and keeping up with the changes, but also finding ways to work within the changes to tweak and maximize results and gain a competitive edge; to push the implementation of the changes right to the edge of what can be accomplished. So pay attention, folks! There is no neutral, you are either moving forward or slipping backwards. Given that the shelf-life of social media averages about 3 hours, this is not the time to be preoccupied–let alone complaining–about Facebook changes. This is the time to stay up-to-speed, to work on your content, your interaction, and your engagement. Roll with the changes and put them to work for you. Don’t be a frustrated victim of change–put it to use to differentiate yourself from your competition. Get out there and be a star!

See Martin’s post in its entirety here at The Empowered Entrepreneurial Magnets Blog.

What I mean is, are “you”–the provider of services, products, events, etc.–ignoring “me”, your audience?

Recently I’ve discovered a product that I could not live without! Seriously, I love it. I love it so much that I’ve posted about it several times on my social media profiles with links back to their profiles, I’ve voted for their business to win a grant with a very nice testimonial, I’ve told an endless number of people about it AND I just bought this product again to bring across the country as a gift for someone else. Guess what? They have NEVER responded. Not even with a simple “thank you”. Really?!

Is it clear that any company would want someone like me being a marketing advocate for their product or service? We all want gads of people out their doing our advertising for us. That is the beauty of social media. The possibility is endless, free, and everyone else doing it for you! 350 MILLION users with an average daily session time of 25 minutes a day. Your social media profiles offer an exceptional chance for visibility on Google. Do you get that yet?

Ignore your audience at your own risk. I’m just sayin’…

WordPress Back Ups, that is.

Do yourself a favor and be sure to back up the content on your WordPress Website or Blog. The worst thing we hear is “I don’t know what I did, but I’ve lost everything.” Ouch! Don’t let this be you.

It is crucial that you back up the content on your blog and it’s really quite easy. While logged into your WordPress blog on the left-hand sidebar there is a tab called “Tools”. Under that tab is an option called “export”. Click there and you will see all the choices for your back-up needs. If none of this makes sense, watch the video below. A backed up blog is a happy blog.

How To Back Up your WordPress Blog

Click here to view the embedded video.

The thing you’ll probably be doing most with your WordPress Blog is writing and publishing posts. This is a short video showing you how to get started.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What’s that? You don’t have a blog?
We can help you with that too!

Custom Wordress Websites & Blogs

Automating email marketing is all about “doing more with less”. It’s like having a private “virtual assistant” working for you so you can focus on growing your business. You’ll profit by saving time and increasing sales and customer retention. And higher sales bring higher profits, so you see, this game really is a “win-win”.

Just like newsletters and product promotions, automated email messages play an important role in your marketing mix. Whether it’s a one-time “triggered” email or a lengthy series, all you need to do is create your list, compose your message(s), set the delivery intervals, schedule and forget about it! And of course, you can always tweak anything you need to at any time. But most importantly, automated email messages have the power to keep your audiences engaged and informed instantly, or over a period of weeks, even months − without investing an extra minute (or dime) of your time!

To simplify email message automation for you, we’ve highlighted some common uses so you can get measurable results right from the start.

Welcome messages

Say ‘Hello!’ to your new customers and stay in touch by sending timed emails designed to introduce them to the benefits of your product, brand and company, and how to get the most benefit from their purchase or subscription. These emails, called autoresponder or follow-up campaigns, usually include 2-4 emails sent over a period of 2-4 weeks, but, of course, it varies depending on your audience profile, timing, etc. These welcome and follow-up messages will get your subscribers revved up and ready for more!

Drip campaigns

We all know it take 5 or more contacts to make a sale, so most successful campaigns contain an element of automation called a “drip campaign”. Much like the welcome messages, these emails include a series of emails sent over a period of days or weeks, but they are much more focused on bringing the customer along the sales cycle and to the point of purchase. The messages should be informative, targeted, and carefully choreographed to answer their objections and build interest in your product or service. This type of campaign is probably the most powerful revenue generating tool you have in your email arsenal!

Trial tips

Your Free Trial subscribers are like a vein of gold waiting to be mined! Don’t miss your chance to convince subscribers who are already using your product or service of the benefits of upgrading to the real deal! Send them automated messages with value-added materials, tutorials, and testimonials from other enthusiastic customers, etc. This type of autoresponder campaign is a “power tool” for sales and sign ups!

Event/webinar campaign

Don’t let your clients miss the event they signed up for! It could mean lost sales or worse, lost customers! Use email automation to send them some or all of the following to get them back on track: event information, invitation, schedule, potential benefits, or everything summarized in an eye-catching template. Make it easy for them to remember why they signed up in the first place. Let them know you encourage their participation because it will help their business!

Birthday and anniversary greetings

Show your customers that you remember the important milestones in their lives! Whenever a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary draws close, choose the perfect template for the event or business, and personalize it with a message just for them. If possible, include a special coupon or small gift to let them know you value their loyalty. Remember, you can do all this ahead of time, and it will go out on time − automatically!

Surveys

Know your customer! It’s really important to monitor customer satisfaction with your products, company, support and service, etc. – and not just once in a blue moon! There are many ways you can do this and some involve…you guessed it – email automation!

For example, you can set up a “triggered” email message to automatically ask recipients for feedback every time they consult Customer Service. Or you could schedule a short survey to go out to every customer that purchases a certain product or service. There are a million good reasons to find out what your customers are thinking…and doing. Remember, customer satisfaction is the key to your success, and email automation can help!

Transactional messages

The traditional goal of these automated messages is to confirm an action. While some have broadened the definition to include anything that confirms OR requires and action, we think that just confuses. Automated transactional messages are usually sent when a recipient signs up for a newsletter, downloads an e-book, makes a reservation, wins an online auction, buys a product in an e-shop, etc. They provide a record of the transaction and an e-bookmark to easily find the document at a later date, but − that doesn’t mean they have to be boring. It never hurts to add a tasteful ad or special offer in one corner of the document!

Educational campaigns

These automated campaigns help to keep your Value Proposition in the recipient’s mind. Subscribers really appreciate information that helps them gain more benefits from using a product or service. For example, if you run a job portal, you could schedule an educational series on how to create a stand-out CV; another one might be on how to deal with stress, and so forth. Everyone appreciates receiving helpful and useful guides and tips – especially when they’re free! Remember, helping customers succeed helps your brand succeed.

Inactive lead campaign

What if recipients stop responding to your emails? Even if it seems like they’ve forgotten about you, you shouldn’t give up! Most subscribes live busy lives and deal with a lot of inbox clutter. To renew their interest, you’ll want to develop an email automation campaign similar to your Welcome and drip email series, except this time target recipients who have been inactive for say, the last 6 months. The purpose of these messages is to remind them of the value of remaining a subscriber and “sweeten the pot” with some special offers to motivate them to action!

Renewal reminders

Most customers appreciate it when you remind them with an automated email that their subscription-based contract is about to expire. It spares them the trouble of an unexpected termination notification, and lets them know you value them as a subscriber.

We hope we’ve provided you with enough automation options to start with, or perhaps to update what you’re currently doing. How and when you use the power of automation depends completely on your knowledge of your business and your customers. Of course, having the right email marketing tools is essential…but we’ve got you covered there!

Good luck and please send us any stories or tips you’d like to share about email automation!

In case you hadn’t heard, search engines are indexing social media posts now, and linking them up to user searches. There’s not much more I can add to this simple, short, and powerful video by my friend Gary Vaynerchuk. The guy has vision. Heard of Barnes & Noble? OK, how about Amazon crushed them? Ever heard of BlockBuster? OK, how about Netflix wasted them? Getting the picture?

You have Social Media Marketing questions.
Core Zero has answers.

A short blog post to eliminate excuses for keeping up with social media marketing and relationship building. I’m posting to our blog using a free Android app on my phone. The photo is of the same app on my iPad, snapped with the Android while in the middle of creating this post. Tags and categories were also added. Furthermore, I added this using speech to text recognition — talking to my phone. The End.