Marketing with Facebook: Lesson 1

As promised, I am starting a blog series.

A weekly tip/ tutorial on using Facebook for marketing.

With this being the first in the series, there will be improvements as we move along.

Lesson 1: Setting up a page.

A Facebook fanpage is a very important marketing tool for brands.

Before you can begin implementing this amazing tool, first you have to own one!

(If you already have one, I will have other advice for you after the tutorial)

1. At the very bottom of the Facebook homepage, click “create a page”

this is the screen you will be directed to:

My Latest Obsession: PINTEREST

I want to share with you my latest antipsycotic: PINTEREST!

It seems to be an overnight phenomena.

Note to whoever marketed Pinterest: I would really love to pick your brain!!!

I often enjoy going “brain dead” and browsing what others have pinned.  I scroll through the pin boards (virtual idea boards) of those I follow,  and see some of the most amazing things.

As I was browsing earlier today, a lightbulb came on:

Why not use pinterest to market my blog?

Its visual… Pinterest is visual.

Seems like a match made in heaven.

Adding a “pin this” button to my posts was pretty straightforward.

1. Of course, you have to have a Pinterest account first. GO HERE

2. In the ABOUT tab, click PIN IT BUTTON

3. Scroll down until you see the “Follow button for websites” area

     Place the provided code on your website or blog where you wish

4. After where the follow button code is, you will find the

     GREATEST THING EVER… “Pin It Buttons for Websites”

5. Follow the directions and place the provided code on your post…

6. Let the pinning begin!

I’m sure that as Pinterest ages a little,  there will be more sharing tools with Pinterest buttons.

For now, however, this is the easiest way for WordPress(without using a plugin).

I then had another epiphany…

There has to be many more uses for Pinterest.

I was amazed at the things I thought of

Here are some uses for Pinterest:

1. Promote your blog

2. Gather ideas for event planning

3. Inspiration (gather pins that will encourage you or get you moving)

4. Home decorating ideas

5. Really cool products

6. collecting recipes

7. Organizing ideas

8. Styleboards

9. Plan a wedding

10. Gather craft ideas

11. Gift giving ideas

12. A visual to-do list

13. Gather ideas, no matter the project

Hop on over and glance at my pinboards, maybe something there will inspire you!

My absolute favorite thing about Pinterest,

besides that it makes life as a procrastinator so much easier:

Its so new that all of its potential has not yet been released!

Pin It

Facebook Love: Wix

 Behold the email I received today!

I enjoy playing around with Wix to create webpages.

However, I have discovered that for my own personal style, WIX is best for splash pages ; versus full blown websites.

I wanted to make an amazing landing page for my Facebook fan page, but honestly thought that I would have to do some serious coding to accomplish this. Then, like magic, this email appeared in my inbox!

PERFECT TIMING!!!

Just go to WIX

Sign up for a free account

Choose a Facebook template

Edit to your liking

Save (choose name)

Publish

Then, WIX will walk you through setting your site as your landing page in Facebook

It’s really pretty simple!

This is what I came up with

I still want to play around with it and tweak a bit, but this is a start.

There are so many things you can incluede:

Slideshows

Collages

Contact

Extra Pages

Store Items

Play around with it, and let me know what  you come up with.

Registering with Technorati

This is a must for all blog owners, Technorati is the biggest source of tags and key word submissions. Just go to Technorati, create an account, and claim your blog. You will then be given a claim code like this one: XJBFV8XYQM4A . Create a new post and place the code in the post. This will allow you to claim your blog, just like I did!

5 Cool Ways to Market Your Blog with QR Codes

qr code from goqr.me

I know, I know, qr codes are for big time marketing campaigns. Really? no, I don’t think so.

I have been fascinated in these codes since I first saw one in some random magazine I read, and knew that I could find a use for them!

I started looking for qr code generators and discovered goqr.me. My favorite thing about this particular generator is that you can customize it! No more plane jane black and white qr codes for me. You can change the color and even the border around it.  You can embed phone numbers, pictures, websites, or even contact information. I think, I would even buy a mug with my qr code on it… yep! I have opted to have my qr code direct the reader to my about.me business card. Why not… it has all of my information and links on it. Killing several birds with one stone!

On a serious note, when you opt for a qr code, please be sure to also provide the customer/ audience with a link to a free reader. This is quite important. If they can’t read it, its just a bunch of pretty squares.

Kaywa is a great reader, even with extras. You can even get a mobile blog through them.

Here are some more: i-nigma, scanlife,  quickmark, and mobiscan

Over time I have thought about some uses for them. To advertise sales; to create a “member’s only” type group for mobile deals; or even to direct customers/ audience to a “splash page” where you can advertise something special.

QR codes can be used anywhere: bumper stickers, clothing, business cards, advertisements, or email signatures.

The internet is endless, and so are the possibilities of QR codes.

Enjoy my website of the week!