Social Media | Web Marketing | Carmine Media

Using Google Authorship to your Advantage

Sue Reynolds — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:31:45 +0000

Ever notice when you search a topic on Google a few of the results include a picture of the author? Those results include Google Authorship markup, a special code you use to link your site to your Google plus profile. Google authorship tells Google that, like in the example below, a real person named Sue Reynolds created this article on Tending your Social Media Garden. While authorship markup came about shortly after Google Plus launched in 2011, it’s been back in the news again with the speculation around Author Rank. Understand that Authorship and Author Rank are not the same thing. Author Rank is a possible change to Google’s algorithm that includes authorship markup. It may or may not ever happen. But even if there’s no bump in the search algorithm right now, Google Authorship still helps your content stand out in search results.

Here’s what Google Authorship looks like in the search engine results page. See what I mean? Most people are more likely to click on the link with the picture. So let’s go through the basics of setting this up on your site.

Google Authorship

How to set up Google Authorship Markup

There are several ways to link the content you produce to your Google Plus profile. First make sure your Google Plus profile includes a clear headshot. Second, link your profile using one of these methods:

1. Use a verified email address to link your Google Plus profile to your content.

2. Add the “rel=author” parameter with your Google Plus profile ID to a link from your website. Here’s how:

Create a link to your Google Plus profile from your webpage with the rel=author tag, like this: <a href=”[profile_url]?rel=author”>Your Google Plus Profile
Replace [profile_url] with the your Google Plus profile ID Your link must contain the ?rel=author parameter.

Now go to your Google Plus profile and add a link back to the site(s) you just updated.

Edit the Contributor To section and add a custom link to your URL.

Test the connection with the structured data testing tool.

Understand that it is not possible to link a Google Plus business page with authorship markup, just a profile. So if you’re thinking of using this for your business you’ll need to decide who is the branded author and use their personal profile. If you don’t have a Google Plus profile, now’s the time to create one so you can use the feature. In fact, Google Plus has other useful features, like Google Hangouts on Air, which is a free video production tool that streams your content directly to your YouTube channel. If you decide to do a Google Hangout on Air, you might want to check out how to promote Google Hangouts on Air too.

Hmm. So there are reasons to use Google’s social network.

Protecting your WordPress Website from Hackers

Sue Reynolds — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:11:24 +0000

Image courtesy of José Goulão on Flickr

Since WordPress now powers more than 20% of the world’s websites the platform has become an increasing target for attacks. While WordPress is still a stable and secure platform there are folks out there looking for ways to exploit the open source nature of the code and cause problems for site owners. Some common attacks are SQL injection (typically using a contact form to exploit) and the recent widespread Brute Force attack. Many of the sites I manage for my clients were built using WordPress software and I’m doing my best to be vigilant about their security. If you’re managing the security on your own site, here’s what I recommend.

Keep your WordPress version and Plug Ins Updated

One of the ways hackers can attack your site is through known vulnerabilities in the code. WordPress and plug in developers release new versions of their software to address these vulnerabilities, but those new versions won’t work if you don’t install them. Make it a habit to update your software on a regular basis, or contract with your site administrator to do so.

Keep your User Names and Passwords Secure

The recent Brute Force attack on WordPress websites targeted accounts with the user name of Admin. One of my clients’ hosting provider, Hostgator, offers an extensive blog on the Brute Force attack and how to protect your wp-login.php files. Best advice, don’t use “admin” as your user name and if you are, change it. Here’s the full techy version of their WordPress Login Brute Force attack blog post.

Install WordPress Security Plug Ins

Security is all about layers, so it’s helpful to install more than one plug in if you find your site being compromised. Wordfence comes highly recommended and gives users a real time look at log in attempts. antivirus scanning, malicious URL scanning and is multi-site compatible. BulletProof is another popular security plug in that offers .htaccess security. For the non technical, this is a first line of defense against malicious attacks.

Scan your Site for Malware

If you’re curious about whether your site is clean, the online security company Sucuri has a free scanning tool that is accurate and fast. If you do find that your site is infected they will clean it for you through their subscription service. I’ve had very good luck using them in the past and found them fast and accurate. If you don’t feel like searching for malicious code inside your site, they’ll do it for you.

Getting Un-Blacklisted

If you do find that your site is infected and Google has blacklisted you or at least put an alert on your search engine results attend to the problem as soon as you can. Get your site cleaned up using any of the above resources. Then ask Google to reconsider your page and remove the block. You can request the site be inspected through your Google Webmaster Tools account.

Have you been affected by any of the recent attacks? How have you handled security on your WordPress site?

Tending your Social Media Garden

Sue Reynolds — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 10:00:25 +0000

Summer gardening on my patio

As an avid gardener I’m able to draw many parallels between tending a garden and nurturing and growing a social media community. As we plan for our vegetable and flower gardens, let’s put some thought into tending our social landscapes as well.

Plan what you’re going to plant

Just as with a garden, to be successful you must plan the type of content and the reason for planting it. Who’s going to see this content? How is it important to them? What do you plan to do with the results? When planning your campaigns get in the habit of using a social media content calendar as your outline, just as you might draw out the layout of your garden.

Weed out what doesn’t work

After years of trying to grow primroses (because I love those bright, spring colors) I had to admit to myself that they won’t grow in my yard. It might be the soil, the colder winters, or the amount of water we get here in Ohio versus England. Regardless, they won’t thrive, so I had to give up. This is true for your social media content. No matter how much you might be attached to that idea of yours, if your audience doesn’t respond to it, weed it out. Try something else more suited to the social media climate you’re trying to engage.

Cultivate what does work

Daffodils grow well in my Southern Ohio garden

Your audience will tell you what works. In my yard, daffodils, daylillies, shrub roses, sedums and hostas do well. Those plants have become the base for my perennial bed. So, if you notice that your audience responds well to humor about your brand, try to cultivate more posts around poking fun at yourself. If they share helpful information, create a content calendar of white papers and blog posts, maybe even putting up an email wall to gather leads for your email lists. If they like your company culture photos, share those more often. Cultivate what works and build around it.

Don’t be afraid to try new varieties

Every year there are new varieties in your local greenhouses. Some may be plants you haven’t seen before, but they catch your eye and you want to try them in your landscape. Just as with these new plants, as a social media manager you’ll need to stay on top of new platforms and trends and be ready to experiment. While it’s important to be steady and strong, it’s also important to take the occasional risk and try something new. Remember, if it doesn’t work you can weed it out.

Old fashioned lilac

Social media communities take care and feeding. Tend them and you’ll reap the rewards. What parallels can you draw between nurturing a community and tending a garden? Let me know in the comments.

To see more photos of my garden and gardens I love follow me on Tumbler too!

A New Look for Pinterest and New Analytics

Sue Reynolds — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:31:10 +0000

Being out of the country for a week is a good lesson on how fast social media changes. I’ve been in Europe for the past ten days – Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels and London. While I was gone Facebook changed its Timeline layout and Pinterest added a new look to its boards and layout. They also added analytics for verified Pinterest business accounts. I’ll cover the Pinterest changes here, and watch for a blog on the Facebook changes soon.

Pinterest New Look and Layout

Like: The look and feel of the pins. They are larger and clearly display the board on which they are pinned right underneath the pinner, which make it easy to see and follow the boards of pins you like. The menu at the top is now hidden and drops down under your name. It appears to have a responsive design element, as I noticed the screen resize and pins reorganize depending on my monitor size. Good feature.

Dislike: The ability to send a newly added pin to Twitter seems to have been disabled. Instead, users must first pin the image, then go back and choose the share option to send their pins to Twitter. I predict Pinterest will add this feature back, but for now it’s missing. I also see something wonky happening with my bio. The font appears to be too large and some of it is missing behind my location and verified website address. Again, hopefully these issues will be fixed soon.

Pinterest Analytics

Like: In another step toward making the platform friendly for businesses, Pinterest has added analytics to their verified business accounts. If you haven’t verified your website you will not have access to this tool, so here’s how to verify your website on Pinterest to gain access. Once you’ve done so, you’ll find the new feature available to you in the drop down menu under your name.

Do you see a repin number here?

Currently available are site metrics, most recent repins, most repinned and most clicked. Users can also export the data to an Excel CSV file for further drilling down. Use what you learn from these metrics to understand how your content is being shared and used, and work to improve the level of engagement based on your findings.

Dislike: I’m finding the new analytics a bit buggy to start. For example, under “most repinned” I see images of my pins there, but no repin numbers or data even if I click through. As with most new tools I’m sure we’ll see improvement as time goes on.

Even with the faults, this analytics feature is a great improvement and a necessary tool for social media professionals.

Now, if they would just add the ability to schedule pins….

What do you think of the changes? Are there business features you wish Pinterest would offer? Leave me your thoughts in the comments.

Pinterest Set To Overtake Twitter

Sue Reynolds — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:02:46 +0000

Source: PewInternet.org

A study by the Pew Research Center shows that among people using social media, Pinterest is ready to overtake Twitter, with Twitter use at 16 percent and Pinterest right behind at 15 percent. With a margin of error +/- 2.9 percentage points it’s certainly possible this has taken place already. Understanding that Facebook still rules at 67%, it is quite possible that Pinterest may be the second largest social network, quite a feat for a platform begun in 2009 as a way to collect images on the web.

Interestingly Pinterest users are still mainly women under 50 with some college education while Twitter users are much younger, averaging 18- 29. The appeal to the Pinterest demographic is obvious; trendy folks planning their weddings, decorating their apartments, sharing recipes and travel plans.

Why the fast growth?

Pinterest is easy to use. It satisfies a need to collect, without actually collecting. It’s easy to organize your ideas visually and bookmark pages for later use. Interestingly, according to Invesp.Com research, 70 percent of Pinterest users are using the platform to get inspiration for purchase decisions. 67 percent are using Pinterest to keep up with trends.

Takeaway?

Businesses – this is your cue to join Pinterest if you haven’t done so already. Your purchasing audience is there, and they are ready to buy. If you’d like some advice on getting started, check out my blog post on using Pinterest for business, and how I’m handling some of the copyright issues. Also view my SlideShare presentation on Using Pinterest for Business.

Let’s be PinPals! Follow Carmine Media on Pinterest and let me know in the comments what you think.

Using Pinterest for Business from Sue Reynolds

Pinterest Testing New News Section

Sue Reynolds — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 21:25:52 +0000

My Carmine Media Pinterest account is among a small group of accounts being tested for a new Pinterest feature called News. In the section on the left in the feed normally titled “recent activity” I’m now seeing a new “news” feature, pointing me to a new tab on my page. The goal of this feature, according to Pinterest, is to make it easy to find relevant and interesting pins and help users find new pins to enjoy. According to their help section, News includes board activity and recent pins but does not include new followers. The test began January 16 and Pinterest is asking for feedback from users via an online form. Feedback results are not visible to users so there is no way to tell how this new feature is being received.

I took a look at this new feature and here’s what I’m seeing.

Pinterest News Section

In the news section, pins are arranged on a grid rather than in a feed as in recent activity. It is easy to see the pin, the user and the board where the activity is occurring. Is this a feature designed to make engagement easier or could this be a move toward a more business friendly interface? It may be too soon to tell.

Read more about using Pinterest for business in an earlier blog post and check out my Using Pinterest for Business slideshare presentation if you’re interested in learning more about the marketing side of Pinterest.

Are you among the group of pinners being tested for this new feature? Do you like it? Let me know in the comments.

Why I Might Get $10 from Facebook

Sue Reynolds — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:08:04 +0000

Sue just received $10

I recently received what, at first, looked like a spoof email from a legalnotice@facebook.com. After skimming the email I realized it was indeed the result of a class action lawsuit against Facebook over the issue of Sponsored Stories. The notices for the settlement, filed in October 2012, are just now hitting our inboxes. Since I may have been featured in a “Sponsored Story” on Facebook prior to December 3, 2012 I may be eligible to receive a portion of a proposed $20 million settlement, to the tune of $10.

The pending action states this:

The Action claims that Facebook unlawfully used the names, profile pictures, photographs, likenesses, and identities of Facebook users in the United States to advertise or sell products and services through Sponsored Stories without obtaining those users’ consent.

What are Facebook Sponsored Stories?

Sponsored Stories are those links that started to appear in 2011 on the right of your newsfeed, and now we’re seeing them inside the feed itself, that businesses have paid an advertisement fee for placement. Typically, the sponsored story includes the name and profile of someone in your friend list with a statement like “Sue likes Carmine Media” directly under the ad. The names and photos appear as an apparent endorsement of the story. Trouble was, users could not opt out and privacy groups considered the use a violation.

So the lawsuit is arguing that the names underneath, “Sue likes Carmine Media” were used without permission. Each person that fills out a valid claim may be eligible to receive up to $10.

In addition to the monetary payout, Facebook will also revise its terms of service to better explain to users how names will be used in Sponsored Stories, provide a mechanism for users to view their interactions with Sponsored Stories and provide settings that allow users to to prevent their names from being used in association. Facebook will also make a host of other changes related to minors using the site and the display of their names.

Personally, I believe that uploading, liking, posting and otherwise adding content to a social media platform results in our freely sharing that content with the platform and with the users engaging on it with the exception of minors, who should be protected.

But what do you think? If you received a legal notice will you file your claim? Let me know here in the comments.

Promoting your Google Plus Hangout on Air

Sue Reynolds — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:00:36 +0000

Google Plus Hangouts on Air is an easy to use, free video production tool you can use to create original content for your social media strategy. If you haven’t thought about using this tool, you’ll want to read my blog post on how to get started using Google Plus Hangouts on Air. Once you have the basics down and have your event planned, you’ll want to promote it! Here are some thoughts on spreading the word.

Use Google Plus Events

Even though there’s an event tool for creating a Hangout on Air, I don’t recommend using it. Instead, create an event, then choose event options then advanced. Choose “Make this an event on air” and fill in the details. The invite your guests and choose public. Public events allow anyone to find and see your event details, guest list, and any photos and videos that have been added to the event. Although anyone can find and view your public event, only those you invite directly can comment and add photos. Event viewers who aren’t on the guest list will be able to see the content of the event page, including who’s attending. These viewers will also be able to share the event for others to view. A good idea is to add a note that the link used to watch the event will be added just before the event goes live.

When you invite people to an event or update an event, your invited guests will receive a notification. Depending on their notification settings, they may get an email or a notification in the Google bar. People you invite to an event who do not use Google+ are sent an email invitation. Unless you use email addresses, only people following your page will receive the notifications.

Add the Link to the HOA in the Event

Make it easy for people to start watching your HoA from your promoted event. Before you begin broadcasting, you’ll see a link next to the “start broadcast” button named “embed.” Copy the YouTube Link on the far left of the 2 choices then go to your event, click edit, and paste the YouTube link right into the Website URL field. Do this right before your event goes live, so when the alerts go out, they will include the link that everyone can click on and start watching your HoA. You’ll see the video window appear in your event soon after you paste in the link.

Use your other Social Media Channels

Use all your channels – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, email, your blog and your website to promote your HoA. Make a Facebook event that includes a link to your Google Plus stream. Send an eblast to your mailing list notifying them of the event, and include the link. Use #HangoutsonAir when you talk about your HoA in your Google+ stream to promote your content. Spread the word! Once the video is finished you can continue to share it across all your social media streams. Even if your audience didn’t see it as it happened, your video will live on YouTube as long as you’d like!

What other ideas do you have for promoting your Google Plus Hangouts on Air? Let me know in the comments.

Why Google Hangouts On Air Should Be Part of Your 2013 Marketing Strategy

Sue Reynolds — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:00:57 +0000

Google Hangouts and Hangouts on Air may be the best kept secret in social media. Yes, they’ve been around for awhile and yes the Obama campaign has used them. So have the Muppets - to promote their new movie last holiday season. But are you using them yet? Do you know what a Google Plus Hangout on Air can do for your marketing strategy? Here’s the nutshell version.

What is a Google Plus Hangout?

A Google Hangout is a 10 person, 9 participants and the host, video chat room that lives inside the Google Plus network. Google hangouts offer access to YouTube videos, screen sharing, text chat and added special effects, live and for free. A regular hangout is visible only to the 10 people included, and is an invite only function. For a business application Hangouts could be great for meetings, product demonstrations, sales pitches, PowerPoint presentations, document editing sessions – anything for which you need live collaboration.

Hangouts are available from profiles, from pages and On Air. The features are pretty much the same for a profile hangout and for a page hangout. If you are hosting an internal company meeting or hanging out with friends, your personal profile is adequate. If you are representing a brand through your hangout you’ll want to use the feature from your brand page. The difference between these two options really boils down to who you want to be during the hangout – a brand representative or an unbranded person.

Hangouts on Air are different.

What is a Google Hangout on Air?

Hangouts on Air is a tool for creating live, public video chats. These are publicly broadcast videos that stream from your Google Plus account to your YouTube channel, where they are saved and able to be viewed later. You can share your YouTube URL with anyone who wants to watch your broadcast live. With the built in screenshare ability you also have the functionality of hosting your own webinar. No software needed. Hangouts on Air are basically a free television station that broadcasts to your Google Plus page and to YouTube.

What Can you Do with a Hangout On Air?

Like regular hangouts you can chat face to face with up to nine other people, share your screen and collaborate on documents. Since Hangouts On Air automatically become a YouTube video, there are plenty of other ways to use them. Here are a few:

1. Host virtual meetings that are recorded and stored for later viewing.

2. Broadcast a tutorial or demonstration on your product or service. If you run a hair salon, use a Hangout On Air to demonstrate braiding or coloring techniques for example. If your business is beekeeping, use a Hangout on Air to show how to smoke the bees, or how to extract honey from the hives. Anything you can think of that would make a good video is a potential Hangout On Air topic.

3. Interview an SME. Find a subject matter expert in your field and conduct a live question and answer session, then broadcast that conversation to your Google Plus page stream and your YouTube channel

4. Conduct a ‘behind the scenes’ interview to give your fan base additional access to your brand.

There are plenty of ways to use this tool, but I hope these ideas get you started. I’ll give step by step instructions on using these tools in a future blog post, but you can also view my Google Plus for Business Slideshare presentation to learn more. With a free video production tool like Google Plus Hangouts on Air there’s no reason not to use it in your marketing strategy for the year.

Are you using Google Plus Hangouts or Hangouts on Air? Share your ideas with me in the comments.

Social Media Branding and Photo Size Roundup

Sue Reynolds — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:14:44 +0000

Maintaining consistent branding across your social media and web marketing presences is important to your overall brand strategy. Here’s the first in a series of articles on each social media platform and how to make the best use of the tools there to maintain a solid, consistent brand. Let’s begin with a roundup of photo sizes, rules and updates you’ll need to keep your accounts looking sharp and up-to-date.

Facebook Timeline Cover and Profile Photos

Facebook Profile Picture Size

For Facebook brand page profile pictures upload a square image of your brand’s logo or use another square image that represents your brand. The display size for the profile picture on a Facebook Timeline brand page is 160 x 160 pixels. Uploaded images must be at least 180 x 180 pixels and will be cropped to fit. On your Page’s cover photo the profile picture displays 23 pixels from the left side and 210 pixels from the top. Read Facebook’s full detailed post on cover photos here for more details.

Facebook Timeline Cover Photo Size

Facebook Timeline cover photos are 851 wide by 315 pixels tall. Images smaller than this will be stretched to fit, which could affect the quality. Use a high quality image in this space to welcome your fans, but make sure you follow the rules and regulations for Timeline cover photos. Cover photos can not contain references to discounts, contact information or calls to action such as “get it now” or “become a fan.”

To add a cover photo to your Facebook Timeline, hover over the cover photo area and click “choose cover.” From there you can upload a photo from your computer or choose a photo from your Facebook photo albums. Either way, choose an image that represents your brand and your personality.

Facebook gives you the details on cover photo sizes here.

Here’s how both the cover photo and the Timeline photo are placed on the page:

From Facebook.com/help

Google + Profile Settings

Google Plus profile pictures should be 250 pixels x 250 pixels. Google will ask you to crop images larger than that to fit upon upload. Cover images should be 940 x 180 pixels or you can use the thumbnail images as an option, which are each 112 x 112 pixels. Unlike Facebook, Google (currently) doesn’t have the same restrictions for branding and CTAs in cover photos so brand away!

YouTube Brand Channel

Unless you have an official brand channel, your YouTube profile photo is the same as your Google profile. The current wisdom for a YouTube background image is 970 pixels wide; however, YouTube offers a lot more options through it’s official brand channels. Brand channels have a 970 pixels wide x 150-pixel-high banner which supports an image map so you can add links to your image. There is a 640-pixel-wide video player in the main content area and a 310-pixel-wide sidebar for displaying stats about your channel and links to your other social media accounts. On YouTube brand channels your image avatar should be 1600px by 1600px and should be a JPG, GIF, BMP, or PNG. For a complete guide to setting up an official YouTube branded channel visit their how-to page here.

Twitter Profile Branding

Twitter background images should be no more than 90 pixels maximum on the left and must be in PNG, GIF, or JPG format, smaller than 800k. For your Twitter header image, use an image 1252×626 pixels (with a maximum file size of 5MB). Upload this image in the “design” section of your profile.

LinkedIn Branding

If you’ve made a company page for your business on LinkedIn, there are more options for branding available. Minimum size for the header image is 646 x 220 pixels but LinkedIn will allow you to crop a larger image once you’ve uploaded it. Logo images should be 100 x 60 pixels. If you’re adding banner images under the products and services pages, those images should be 640 x 220. LinkedIn allows company pages up to three banner images. Use this space to highlight your most important products.

I’ll continue this series with in-depth instructions for each platform, but for now let this serve as a cheat sheet of sorts. Do you have any suggestions for branding your pages? Leave them here in the comments or on my Facebook page.