The day Facebook Timeline arrived on personal profiles is a day that will live in infamy. Some users loved the new look and historical peek into their lives on Facebook; others had, shall we say... less than complimentary statements to share. It's about 6 months later, and now Timeline is available for Facebook brand and company pages. Marketers and business owners alike seem to be more accepting of this change and excited about the new features available. All brand pages will be migrated to Timeline on March 30, 2012. Since the only Facebook constant is change, we are prepared with a quick-read guide and some tips to help you navigate the new look and feel of your company or brand page.

Admin Panel (seen only by account admins)
Notifications, messages, new likes, page tips, and a basic insights graph populate the admin area. The 'See All' link allows you to go back further in time to see more of the information.
Tip: The new insights graph saves time and allows admins to remain on the homepage so data in the other admin panel categories can be correlated and compared.

Cover photo
Now instead of a thumbnail photo, a much larger photo stretches across the header of the page. While pages now cannot distinguish a particular tab the user will see first, the header gives more space for businesses to communicate through graphics. With a cleverly designed graphic containing a photo and some text (no calls to action, promotional wording, or asking for 'likes' is allowed), showcasing your brand is still possible.
Tip: Change up your photo to reflect a product launch, seasonal sale, or company news!

The Actual Timeline
Users can scroll from the most recent to past posts, photos, status updates, and (the new) milestones. Photos are now bigger, bringing a more story-like feel to posts. Milestones are a fun way to add important events to your company page.
Tip: You can edit your timeline before the switch over at the end of March, and remove or add items as you see fit.

Pinning but not Pinterest
Admins can add ("pin") featured content that will reside directly below the cover photo for up to 7 days.
Tip: This new feature can be used instead of landing pages which are no longer available.

Apps
While the ability to designate an app as a landing page is now gone, up to 4 apps will be displayed above the fold (below the cover photo). Photos are the first tab, and up to 11 more can be added in whatever order you choose.
Tip: If your page is App-heavy, be sure to consider which 4 you want users to see, and we advise definitely including those with the most engagement and interaction.

You can preview the new timeline on your own page now. We encourage you to take a look so you can see how much you will want to change before the publish date, and have enough time to make your Timeline the perfect reflection of your company and brand!

Once again, we have partnered with incredible photographers to give you inspiring desktop calendars.

This month we feature images from Rick D'Elia, D'Elia Photographic and Cactus Canine. Most screens will use the size that is shown in the image(1900x1200), just click and then right click the larger image that appears and set as desktop background!

To enjoy (instructions): If the image size in not correct for your screen, click the size of the wallpaper you’d like below each image, and a larger version will open in a new window. Right click on this image, and select “Set as Desktop Background”. Then enjoy a beautiful custom calendar all month long!

About the images

Sunset over Islote Peruano (the rock in the water) off Playa de Cortez in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico by Rick D'Elia, D'Elia Photographic



Alternative desktop sizes: 1920x1080 1600x1200 1024x768

 

Shrimping Boats in Guaymas Harbor, Mexico by Rick D'Elia, D'Elia Photographic



Alternative desktop sizes: 1920x1080 1600x1200 1024x768

 

Sunlit Golden Retriever, Miss Lucy, by Cactus Canine



Alternative desktop sizes: 1920x1080 1600x1200 1024x768

Look forward to more calendars next month!

When raising the subject of marketing for social media sites, and other Internet sites, the acronym SEO is one that is commonly used. But how many people actually know what SEO is, or why it is so important?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which at its simplest level means what it sounds like – developing ways for your website to be most easily and efficiently found by users when doing a web search.

SEO is among the most critical aspects of Internet marketing, and it is important for marketers to know how to best use its principles when creating a marketing strategy. The correct use of search engine optimization is to develop a strategy that brings as many visitors as possible to the company or individual’s website, which not only boosts ad revenue to advertisers, but supplies more potential customers.

The basic concepts are these:

• Determining the types of things people are searching for,

• Discovering how the various search engines work,

• Researching which keywords and phrases are entered into search engines for the most effective results, and

• Finding out which search engines are most used by a particular target market.

Among these ideas, the most widely known and most important for driving users to a particular site is the use of keywords. This can be most effective if used in creating not only copy for your website – including the text for the site’s pages and all written materials contained within that site – but also in the creation of the site’s domain name itself.

Keywords should be basic enough to describe what exactly you intend to use to draw potential customers to your site, but not so basic that they get lost amid thousands of similar sites. For example, a site selling roses doesn’t want to use “flowers” as a keyword but also doesn’t want to select a specific species of rose, unless that species is its specialty. One keyword is too broad to be truly effective, and the other is too narrow.

Here are some of the ways to measure the success of SEO:

• Traffic to your site, compared to the typical traffic pattern prior to implementation.

• Search engine rankings and how they compare to the traffic patterns.

• The number of page views, when comparing how many visitors simply come to the site and leave vs. those who stay and view other pages on the site while there.

• Conversion rate, which measures how many of your site visitors are becoming customers. This is measured by dividing the number of customers by the number of visitors and multiplying by 100. If this figure increases once SEO is implemented, you can draw the correlation to its effectiveness.

As you can see, many of these are the same basic tenets of developing an Internet marketing strategy, just focused a bit more to target the area of web searches. Much like the creation of an overall marketing plan, implementing an effective SEO campaign is oftentimes too much for a typical Internet marketer to manage alone. An experienced professional firm specializing in SEO can serve as a guide through the process.

Often Internet users are looking for ways to connect with others through the websites they frequent. That means having a social media presence on your site is increasingly important, since these are likely to be regular visitors, if they can get what they want from your site.

The advantages can be great. Allowing visitors to tweet a link to something they like will attract their followers to your site. The same concept holds true with Facebook, LinkedIn or any other social media portal where subscribers, followers or friends can get instant recommendations.

Using this to its maximum potential also includes other interactive avenues, such as blogging, where comments can be posted and followed.

These tips can help you decide which social media methods can work best for your site:

• First, what are you selling? Is it a product or a service?

• How does what you have to offer fit within the social media world, and what are the best ways to get the word out about it? Can you use Twitter to send links to coupons or special deals?

• What is the audience you’re trying to reach and where are they currently getting their information?

• Look at the feedback they leave on the sites they frequent.What are they saying about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to social media? Incorporate the things that are working.

• Look at the sites of your potential competitors. How do they use social media? What can you borrow from them that will help you compete?

• Lastly – and this is important: What social media are you most comfortable with using? Are you a blogger who can use your skills to push your business? Do you use Twitter regularly and have a large number of followers to reach out to? Having knowledge of the tools at your disposal allows you to use those tools more effectively.

Once you’ve determined which social media outlets will be best for your business, it’s time to incorporate them into the design of your website.This can be very tricky; visitors need to know that they can access these tools, but they need to be displayed in a way that isn't tacky or intrusive.

As with the question of which social media to use, how to use them is another area that can be helped with some research. Look at sites you like, both in your field and outside. How do they fold their social media presence into the overall design? Do they use small logos or large ones? Do they use a drop-down box to hide the actual logos? Are they incorporated into the menu bars?

When in doubt, go with what you think looks best within the structure of your site. Most likely, your visitors will agree.

If you’re not familiar with social media, or don’t feel like you can make a good determination on how to use it on your site, don’t be afraid to reach out to someone who has expertise. First impressions are important to web users, and you want to make a good one, both in the look and the ease of use for your site.

Every month, we’ll be partnering with incredible photographers to give you inspiring desktop calendars.

This month we will be featuring images from Rick D'Elia, D'Elia Photographic and Cactus Canine. Most screens will use the size that is shown in the image(1900x1200), just click and then right click the larger image that appears and set as desktop background!

To enjoy (instructions): If the image size in not correct for your screen, click the size of the wallpaper you’d like below each image, and a larger version will open in a new window. Right click on this image, and select “Set as Desktop Background”. Then enjoy a beautiful custom calendar all month long!

About the images

Reeds, Lauderdale by the Sea, Florida by Rick D'Elia, D'Elia Photographic



Alternative desktop sizes: 1920x1080 1600x1200 1024x768

 

Sanderling on the beach in Lauderdale by the Sea, Florida by Rick D'Elia, D'Elia Photographic



Alternative desktop sizes: 1920x1080 1600x1200 1024x768

 

What's February without a Valentine's loveable puppy by Cactus Canine



Alternative desktop sizes: 1920x1080 1600x1200 1024x768

Look forward to more calendars next month!

Tempo is looking for a few good bloggers to guest star on our site. If you have something interesting to say and it ties in with anything digital marketing then we want to hear from you! Get in touch on our contact form and we'll be in touch. Thanks!

Marketing is a crucial factor in every business. Billboards on the side of the road, radio announcements, commercials, and advertisements in the mail bombard customers whether they care for it or not. The Internet is the only place where people can choose to search for the businesses they want at their own leisure and on their terms. This is just one of the reasons why digital marketing is perhaps one of the most successful forms of advertising.

With the help of new technological gadgets springing up at every turn, it is now increasingly simple to browse the Internet on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Digital marketing is the only kind of advertising that spans all of these digital gadgets, increasing its effect and your business’s level of exposure. If you invest in digital marketing, your business will consequently gain access to anyone who owns a device capable of utilizing Wi-Fi.

Digital marketing will greatly benefit any business regardless of whether you sell shoes or repair lawn mower parts. Consider for a moment that over 200,000 Wi-Fi hotspots exist throughout the world. As a result, digital marketing is the most productive form of advertising for the least amount of effort. Your business website has the potential to have an impact on consumers in London just as well as in the U.S!

Keep in mind that appearance accounts for a lot. Dedicate your efforts to creating a web design that clearly represents your business in a clean and functional fashion. Your website should be comprehensible and easy to read and navigate, yet attractive and tasteful. If necessary, hire a professional to do the job. You are great at what you do, find somebody that can help you express that.

Search engine marketing is another highly effective digital marketing strategy. Working with vendors like Google AdWords will increase the reach of your business’s exposure tremendously. These companies help to promote websites like yours by increasing its visibility in search engines. When a consumer googles your line of business, it makes a difference whether your website shows up on the first or last page of results. As you know, most people never make it past the first few pages. You want your website to be within those first few pages, so investing in search engine marketing is a great way to make your business seen.

Maintaining regular website updates on what your business is up to is another key factor to success. Customers like to be informed on news, changes, and specials. Additionally, customers tend to be loyal to those businesses with which they feel a connection. Ongoing updates to your business’s website will help keep things fresh, as well as generate traffic since customers will come back often in search for the latest news.

 

The homepage is possibly the most essential page of any website, as the homepage is the expression of your online existence and provides an overview about your organization, product and services. When people type in the URL of your website, they reach your homepage. The homepage should therefore provide a short introduction about your company and interest your visitors to click through to other pages.
Here is how you can take adequate measures to enhance its usability.

Have a tagline for the homepage that gives the details regarding the organization, product and services in an easy sentence. When visitors land on the homepage, they should understand what the website and company is all about by just reading the tagline. If you have an attractive tagline, you can draw the attention of your visitors and they will remember your company and services.

Be very careful about the title tag of your homepage. The title tag should be meaningful and should have the organization’s name followed by a concise picture of the website. It will better if you stay away from words like 'WELCOME' or 'THE', because these types of words just occupy the space without any value addition. Try to find some related keywords and phrases for the title tags and use them effectively.

The homepage of your website should work as a navigator for visitors and assist them to easily finding the other pages i.e. there should be apparent links for the major pages of the website which are helpful for online visitors to find the information they are interested in reading more on.

A small but highly essential add-on to the homepage is a Search Box. Most of us either forget or don’t bother to add this small box to our homepage. Online visitors are impatient and they are always trying to find something that cuts short the action steps. Search boxes allow visitors to search for the accurate info that they are looking for by just writing a phrase or word instead of surfing through all the pages. Also note that the search box should have a minimum of 25 characters wide, so that it contains numerous queries.

The homepage of a website is the place where you can display different information and attract visitors to surf more of the website and other pages. It’s recommended to put pictures or post the topics of the main content within your website.

The last and most important thing to keep in mind is don't load the page with useless design elements and flash animations, as it will increase the page sizes which will result in the homepage taking longer to load. Long loading time increases the chance that your visitors will get irritated and leave.

We have already discussed the "Virtual Spokesperson" and their importance for your website. By now all of you have decided to add a virtual video spokesperson to your website!! Before selecting a Virtual Spokesperson you need to make certain you have a few important points considered.

First of all, you need to figure out whom you are trying to reach and what are the objectives for your model. The objectives might be to use someone traditional, conservative, fun, disciplined or authoritative. Make sure you know how you want your message conveyed so you pick the right spokesperson.

Secondly, after deciding on your spokesperson you need to select a short but effective script. The script should be written in such a manner that it can give an overview of all the services and products you offer and why you are the best.

The third step is to choose the position on your website. Do you wish to place your spokesperson on the top right or bottom left? Do you want them fixed in front of an image or would you like them to move around your site? Make sure it fits appropriately into the layout of your website design.

Now that you have chosen a Virtual Spokesperson and have determined the placement, the next and last step is to pick the size shown: Full Body vs. Half Body vs. 3/4 Body Shot. The advantage of a full body is that the virtual spokesperson may be able to point and gesture at different places on the webpage. They can show their entire body, which may be attractive to your visitors.

Always keep Visitors in mind; you want your visitors to relate to the virtual spokesperson, not be annoyed and leave the site.