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

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.

Do you ever wonder why when you tag a page or someone in your status that it doesn’t show up on their wall? Well, I did so I went out searching for the answer and I’m sharing it with you.

If your privacy settings are set to anything less than “Everyone” for your status updates then it will not show up. This is true especially for pages since these are designed to by public. So if you don’t want to change your global privacy settings, you can change them per status by clicking the padlock next to “share” button. Just click on the padlock, click customize from the drop down, and make the status visible to “everyone”. This is a ONE SHOT deal unless you choose to make this your default setting by checking the box in the bottom left hand corner.

Hope this takes one of the mysteries out of tagging.

Here’s the scoop on the new Facebook Profile layouts. First of all if you just CAN’T STAND IT click here to get set up with the new profile layout! It will take some getting used to, but we can see Facebook has done this to encourage more interaction, to make it easier to interact meaningfully based on the value or priority of the connection, and of course, to prompt people to fill in more data which helps Facebook with demographics and ad targeting. And you thought it was all about you, didn’t you? Here’s what’s new:

Start with a snapshot
Your profile begins with a quick summary of who you are, giving friends an easy way to see where you live now, where you’re working and more. A collection of recently tagged photos also shows what you’ve been up to lately.

A Snapshot of Your Life

Share your experiences
Give a more complete picture of how you spend your time, including your projects at work, the classes you take and other activities you enjoy (like hiking or reading). You can even include the friends who share your experiences.

Share your experiences

Discover common interests
Showcase the things you care about most and connect with friends who share the same interests, including sports teams, the people who inspire you and more. Your top interests now appear as a row of images — just drag and drop to put your favorites first.

Discover Common Interests

Highlight meaningful relationships
Relationships with close friends can be just as important as family. Now you can highlight family members and the other key people in your life, like your best friends or coworkers — all right on your profile.

Highlight Meaningful Relationships

See how you connect with friends
Visit a friend’s profile and see all the things you share in common:

• Mutual friends
• Events you’re both planning to attend
• Shared groups, photos, Wall posts and more

Connection Details

Take a look, see what you think, and let us know on our “Like”/Fan Page www.Facebook.com/CoreZero

Click here to get set up with the new profile layout.

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg talks to Lesley Stahl about his life and his business, now worth an estimated $35 billion. Plus, he shows off the site’s re-designed profile page. Sunday, Dec. 5, 7:00pm EST on CBS. See the preview video here.

Facebook's New Profile Page

It looks like Facebook is getting another facelift. All week we’ve been hearing the buzz about Mark Zuckerberg’s impending appearance on 60 Minutes, and now it’s come to light that he will be showing off the social networking site’s new Profile Pages tonight on the show.

This morning, 60 Minutes released a preview of the show that will be airing tonight at 7 p.m. EST. Although you can’t see too much from the fuzzy screenshot above (or from the quick screen shots in the video itself), it appears that the “Poke” has been moved to the top of the page next to a more visible “Message” button. Just last month Facebook revealed a complete overhaul to the messaging system. Also, “Photos” has been given more prominent placement under basic info about the person in question, and the “You and [Someone Else]“ feature has been given a more marked out box on the right (the ads underneath it also look wider than before).

The biggest change we see is that tabs like “Wall” and “Info” are now located to the left of the page under the profile picture, instead of at the top of the page. Tune-in to 60 Minutes tonight to see just how different the Profile Pages will be. And we’ll keep you posted on any new opportunities this will present to your business for Facebook marketing.

Recently, I had business colleague say that they had received my invitation through Social Media for an event Core Zero was having but was unable to attend. She said she had not RSVP’d to the event because she didn’t want me to be offended when she said “no”.

Quite honestly, I would rather have any response than no response. Whether it’s yes or no, a response enables me to make decisions on what to expect at my event for food, space, marketing materials, etc. No response leaves the event coordinator wondering if they may need to prepare for a larger group. Giving a response could save the event coordinator time and money.

On the marketing side, after you’ve responded leave a comment on the event wall. This is great visibility for you! Don’t leave a comment selling your product/service! It can be as simple as saying “Thank you for inviting me, but I am unable to attend. Have a great event!”

One more thing… Share the love! It’s what social media is all about! Share events you’ve been invited to whether you can make it or not. Write a personal message to the people that you are sharing with. A personal note with an invitation has been proven to create better attendance at an event. I promise if you share your network’s events they will in turn share yours.

So, save money and just say “No”.

Social Media Marketing is all the rage these days: using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogs, and Videos to market your business, advertise your products and services, and create and establish your brand online. These services represent only the tip of the iceberg of hundreds, even thousands, of social networks available to market to your target audience. Social interaction is not the wave of the future, the leading or bleeding edge, it is the wave of the present! Millions upon millions of people flock to popular social media sites at every hour of the day to post, update, share thoughts, videos, and photos, joke around, comment, and to give and request guidance on everything from cars and laundry soap to relationships and investing.

Where To Start?

The opportunity here is exposure. Remember that a brand is  much more than a visual image of a company. Branding builds trust. When we meet someone, whether or not we even hand them a business card, people tell us “Core Zero… we see you guys EVERYWHERE!”. They do… and it builds trust. Core Zero Creative…. websites… social media marketing… consulting and training… they see our logo and our presence online “everywhere” and that begins to build trust. We are a known entity, and therefore building social status online.

So here is your opportunity to capitalize on exposure to millions of people for the cost of a few minutes a day here and there. By engaging people on the most popular social media networks, creating and hosting events, answering questions, posting articles to your blog, to LinkedIn and to Facebook, posting helpful links and tips, you are establishing yourself as a leader in your field, the go-to person for your product or service. And by the way, we’ve all seen the all-too-often, cookie-cutter Facebook posts from certain users simply spamming our walls with ads for their products and services. Don’t do that! Contribute to the world and your community by offering helpful, interesting information. Spice it up with something motivational, inspirational, or downright funny from time to time. Do be careful of “funny” as it is a very relative term, so pick mainstream, guaranteed-to-get-a-laugh-and-not-offend-anyone items.

What you want to do is create a social media marketing strategy and schedule: who, what, when, where, how often, how much? Then optimize your social network profiles, and plan and implement your content delivery and engagement with your audience. You have a wonderful opportunity to brand yourself and your business online using social media. It’s a brave new world, but don’t let that stop you. If you’d like more information on any of this, feel free to call us!

In our free Social Media Lunch-n-Learn sessions  we’ve mentioned that Facebook is the new Google. Allow me to shed some light on that. First of all, Google is clearly the most powerful search engine in the world and that’s not going to change anytime soon. However, don’t think for moment that Facebook isn’t diligently working 24×7 to catch up and eventually surpass Google with its own internal search engine that helps users find what they’re looking for both inside and outside of Facebook. Google is like the Yellow Pages, Facebook is like the local Coffee Shop. That’s still true.

Facebook vs Google Traffic

The phrase “Facebook is the new Google” has to do with web traffic, and marketing your business online. Web traffic (visits and page views) to Facebook now exceeds Google traffic. The number if pages viewed on Facebook is in the BILLIONS per day. More YouTube videos are watched ON the Facebook website than on the actual YouTube website. More searchers go from Google to Facebook after a Google search than to any other single website in the world. You can see in the graphic to the left (click to enlarge) how quickly Facebook traffic has caught up with Google traffic, and how quickly Facebook will leave Google behind in the dust.

Speaking of “world”, if Facebook was a country, it would be the 3rd largest country in the world. There are currently 500 Million users on Facebook and over half of them are active in Facebook daily for at least 45 minutes. It goes up from there, too.

What does this mean for your business? Exposure. Branding. Leads. Prospects. Sales. The sheer volume of users that your business could be in front of should stun you. Facebook is free to use. And if you want to step it up, yes, you can purchase HIGHLY TARGETED ads on Facebook. More targeted than anywhere else, ever before, and for less. That’s why Facebook is the new Google. Google does a great job sending you to what you were looking for. But that’s all. Facebook knows where you (and your target audience) live, work, and play, how old you are, when your birthday is, it knows your relationship status, and who just got engaged or married, it knows your sex, how many children you have, who they’re married to, where they go to school, and what business and interests you and all your friends, children, and grandchildren have and share… getting the idea?

If you want to market your business online, Facebook is the new Google–and Core Zero Creative can help you get started.

Once again we had a great turnout and great conversation at the monthly Social Media Lunch-n-Learn! Today’s lively and interesting conversation covered a few topics including social media update automation and scheduling, content and strategy tips, a preview of the Holiday Social Media Lunch-n-Learn material and my favorite: 500 Million ways to make money using Facebook! There was also a spontaneous product demonstration by Shelley Brown, so belly up to the bar next time and arrive early for the 30 minutes of business networking at the beginning!

I’m going to take a few minutes here and update you on what you missed, and hope that

you will be inspired to join us again December 7^th! We talked quite a bit about using Analytics on your website. If you employ a free tool such as Google Analytics you can find out where your web traffic comes from, where it goes when it leaves, how long it stayed, what pages it looked at, and for how long, what page it entered and exited your site on, what traffic came from Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and search engines, and a host of other data. If you use a link shortening service such as bit.ly you can also get basic analytics such as whether people clicked your links from Facebook or Twitter.

If you use a sales funnel to direct your website visitors through a desired path of actions to a desired goal, such as purchasing, signing up for info, or downloading an info file, analytics can help you to tune the funnel, and it can show you the weak points where you are losing people.

Tuesday and Wednesday are the best days to send out a newsletter, Thursday is next-to-best, and forget Monday and Friday–people are too busy getting started or getting finished on those days. We talked about monitoring social media and scheduling content using free tools such as Tweetdeck, SocialOomph, and Hootsuite. I know, they sound like character names from a children’s story book gone bad. Nonetheless, there are some powerful features available to you in these tools, out favorite being Hootsuite. We also looked at a sample scheduling worksheet created by yours truly to help you schedule your week or month in advance, leaving room for spontaneous updates along the way.

We talked about Facebook Pages and Profiles and Likes and Groups and comments. We discussed the merits of branding yourself, making real connections with people, and shooting for 5,000 friends on your personal profile. If you are busy establishing yourself as a guru or resource, a go-to person in your field, then when someone goes to friend you and sees that you’re capped out at 5,000 friends, the idea is that they begin to think you might know what you’re talking about, and you might have some influence, or valuable things to say at the least!

It was tough to wrap it up today. Perhaps we should have the next meeting at our home and carry on into the wee hours. By the way, kudos and many thanks to Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant on Center Street, Auburn for begin a great host for this year’s meetings. HOWEVER, they have decided not to do LUNCH ANY MORE! So, look for a new location to be announced for the December 7^th Holiday Social Media Lunch-n-Learn.

Until next time, it’s internet marketing resource Eric Bryant signing off. Happy Trails!