The Beginner's Guide To Facebook For Business, Part 2: Profiles, Groups and Pages On Facebook

There are 3 different ways to represent yourself, your business or your interests on Facebook, and they all have different little perks and flaws.

 1. Profile

Your profile is your initial account. It is set up in a way that allows old and new friends to see immediately where you live, work and more. You can (and should) have a profile picture of yourself displayed on your profile.

Perks: Your profile is a great place to connect with friends and family in a free, easy and fun way. You can share your thoughts, what you're doing, photos, videos and more.

Flaws: You can 'only' have 5000 friends which is why your profile is of limited use when it comes to growing a brand and a massive following on Facebook.

Consider This: Your profile is how people that you might know find you on Facebook. Once you have set up your profile, you will receive friend requests from old friends that you haven't been in touch with for years, as well as strangers and people who know some of your Facebook friends.

Some people use their profile to create new business connections. This is ok, as long as you are crystal clear from day one of your Facebook presence that you will utilize your profile in this way.

If you decide to use your profile in this way, make sure that you keep your private stuff off Facebook and that you represent yourself in a positive, professional and worthwhile manner at all times. Your business connections are not interested in what you had for lunch, or your kid's latest adventure!

If you don't, there's a very simple and important rule: DO NOT make friends on Facebook that aren't friends in real life.

I'll tell you how to handle friend requests from strangers in a way that will grow your following in a later article.

2. Groups

Facebook groups are based around shared interests and activities, celebrities, charitable causes and even cities. They have in common that they are usually not-for-profit and therefore unsuitable for marketing your business...kind of!

I will talk about how to utilise groups to create interest in your business when we get to The Advanced Guide To Faceboook For Business.

For now, let's move on to pages.

3. Pages

Your page is where you connect with your customers (past, present and future)and where you build extraordinary relationships with your buyers and get them to buy more of your product or service. A Facebook page is a crucial part of your internet presence these days (please read Part 1: 7 Reasons To Have A Facebook Page if you haven't already done so).

Perks: Over the last couple of years, Facebook has developed sheer limitless ways of sharing what is happening in your business on your business page. Apart from posting ongoing sales and promotions, giving away vouchers, sharing videos and valuable information, you can even build your email list here and sell products directly from your page!

There are also countless 'apps' (short for 'application'), free and paid, that will help you grow your community even faster and easier.

Flaws: Possibly the biggest flaw of the Facebook page is that you don't actually own it. Ultimately, Facebook has power to give...and to take it away! It happens rarely, but make sure you play by the rules so that you don't get into a situation where you have invested time and money into your page and built a huge following, only to have it all taken down.

The Bottom Line

If you don't have a business page on Facebook yet, you must get started today. Because if you don't build great relationships with your customers now, somebody else IS!

Make sure you are professional about building your social media presence from the very beginning. This includes having a professional image on your profile and your page (preferably a 'skyscraper'), and that you have a customized Welcome Tab. Get help from the experts and contact us to find out how we can help you to cash in on Facebook.

You can also watch this article and all our Step-by-Step video guides on our You Tube channel.

Kath Luty is a successful Online and Offline Marketer who has worked with the most influential names in marketing in Australia. She is also a highly regarded author and speaker. Kath helps business owners to create websites that attract new customers to their business. In the hyped up world of internet marketing, she stands out as a trustworthy and reliable source of information on how to get the best return on your marketing dollar. Visit [http://webdesignthatsells.com.au] for your own, FREE and personalized 10min video 'The 3 Top Tips That Will Turn Your Website Into A Profitable Sales And Marketing Tool'. Simply request it through the Contact form.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5922339

How to Create an Informative and Attractive Facebook Fan Page, Part I - For Beginners

With the rise in usage of social networks like Facebook, it's important now more than ever before to establish a presence for your business, product, or non-profit organization. Creating a fan page on Facebook is as simple as setting up your own profile, and while it appears you are limited to what you can do on the page, you still have the ability to create a page that is functional, attractive, and works to win over fans. All you need to accomplish this is a little HTML know-how and time to devote to building and maintaining your fan base.

In Part One of this article: we'll look at a few basics for those who are just starting out with Facebook and need a bit of guidance. If you know the fundamentals of page setup, you may be more interested in Part Two, which covers rudimentary custom tabs.

Setting Up Your Fan Page

The first thing you want to do when setting up in Facebook is to make sure your page is categorized correctly. Facebook's directory of categories in the setup wizard is fairly straightforward - if you are building a page for your band, book series, church or store, you can easily find where you will be placed in their search. Once that is established, next prepare to fill out as much information on your company as possible. Choose a profile picture that best represents what you have to promote, and provide your official URL in the text box below to maximize exposure. On the Info tab of the page, provide hours of operation, if applicable, and the main URL again, along with all pertinent information.

Import, Import, Import

Facebook functionality allows you to turn your page into a multimedia experience. The Photos tab option offers space to upload your photo gallery, and short videos can be added to advertise what you do, or what you have to sell or give away. With the Notes tab, you can go into your edit function and import the RSS of a blog or related feed to keep content fresh on the page. For every blog post you make, Facebook will aggregate the info and allow for click-throughs.

Don't Forget to Publish!

While in edit mode, people won't see your page unless you give final permission for Facebook to publish it. When you feel satisfied with what you have prepared, click to publish and let people know through your main site, Twitter, e-mail, and other outlets that you are live. On the right hand nav of the edit dashboard, you'll find a link to obtain a badge to place on your site to promote the fan page.

Interact and React

As you attract fans to your page, you want to keep them interested in your work through regular interaction. Use the Wall (built like an endless message board thread) function to update your company's status, offer discounts, and announce events. As fans respond to your messages and ask questions (always remember to click on "Just Fans" at the top of the page to see if anybody is writing to you) be sure to reply in a timely manner that encourages further interaction.

For every post made through your fan page, use the Share option to add the information to your personal profile. This can be especially helpful if your friends outnumber your page's fans, and you wish to convert a few over with enticing news.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3685358

How To Market Through Facebook Emails and Actually See Positive Results

As an internet marketer I receive many emails through my Facebook account. Today I received three emails that brought me to a point where I had to write this article. I had to think back to when I first began on Facebook a few years ago and really sit and think about when my Facebook marketing really began to explode. First let me start by saying that it didn't explode because I had over 3000 friends. Second, it did not explode because I posted a lot of quotes on my page. Now understand I totally tried these methods, yet they did not result in money in my pocket, or a response from the individuals with whom I was attempting to connect. Third, I attempted to email everyone that accepted my friendship a link which led them to my business. None of those three steps led to any kind of positive response. Actually, it led to individuals removing me from their friend list. At this moment I stopped and evaluated if my goals were reached through these methods of "so-called" marketing. The answer was an overwhelming NO! This morning I checked my inbox on Facebook and realized that there are new marketers getting on Facebook that can really learn from my mistakes and save time, which in essences saves money.

Realize that if you are using Facebook to market, and you are not using Facebook pay-per-click, you are taking advantage of FREE Marketing. Free marketing is fine, yet understand that either you are going to have money or time or both when it comes to marketing on-line. If you are taking advantage of free marketing, then expect it to take more time to get your point across. When you pay money it takes less time, usually.

Let me start by sharing what the message said, and then follow-up by the correct way to market using Facebook. The first was a message that simply asked me click on a link and like a fan page. Now I know that this message seems nice and innocent, and you are correct it is. Yet, this particular friend has never even taken the time to say Hello to me. Remember, this is a "Social" network. Most individuals accept your friend request expecting to build a relationship with that person. Not expecting that person to start asking them to spend their precious time visiting fan pages and liking them, especially when the person, sending the email, has not even taken time to say Hello to you. When you are sending out an email on Facebook, think about what you would like to receive. Would you want to receive a message from a person you do not know, and that person acts like you only have time to like their page or look over their link, or basically do something for them. I mean before you ask somebody for a favor, inquire as to what their needs are at the time. Simply send a message that says, "Hello, how are you?" Start to build some rapport, then when you ask something of them, there is a higher chance that they will respond in a positive manner.

I received another email from a person asking me to like a page and then search Facebook for a name because this person is trying to win a contest. Now they did not place a link on the email, and I guess I have a lot of time, since obviously I can search pages to like and then search people to vote for. This system is selfish and inconsiderate. Again time is expensive in my world, I'm not sure about yours, yet if you are looking to market correctly on Facebook, then you will find out sooner or later that every minute of marketing counts. If you have already built rapport with your friend list, then take the time to give them a link to click, as to cut their time in completing your favor as soon as possible. If you decide to send a bulk email to your friend list asking them to do something of this nature for you, make sure that you are willing to do the same for them.

The email today that broke the camel's back was from a person requesting my friendship on Facebook. Now, if you didn't now, Facebook only allows 5000 friends per profile, and I'm currently very close to maxing out, therefore, I send my friend request to my fan page. I still connect with my friends on my fan page, truthfully almost more than those on my profile. Well, I had a person email me and tell me that they do not connect on fan pages because they could not get "real" access to the person. I must admit this message left me puzzled. My first thought was what kind of access do you want? Yet, I wanted to understand the mind of this person so I responded to the email with a question, "What made you decide to request my friendship?" Question asking is prospecting 101 which is an entirely different article. I also researched the person who sent the response. This particular person had less than 400 friends on their profile, which more than likely means that this person is new to Facebook. He is making decisions about "how" he connects with people yet he doesn't quite understand the system he is connecting on. I bring this email up because we have to be open to learning how to understand a system prior to recreating the wheel. When it comes to Facebook, there is no reason to recreate the wheel, simply observe individuals and pick up some training. Realize that success leaves clues. Yet the main thing to remember about Facebook Marketing for Beginners is to realize that it is Social Media, so you must remember to get social.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6822859

Beginners Guide to Facebook through this Video Tutorial

How to Add Instagram to Your YouTube Profile by Finding Your Instagram Profile Web Address or URL

Instagram is becoming ever more popular. Even to the point of being acquired by Facebook for $1 Billion. But how do you find your Instagram profile web address or URL? And how do you share your feeds with other people on the net? Not only that but how do you add your Instagram account to your YouTube profile? All that and more will be answered in this article.

Step A: Find the Custom URL Submission Form
1. Sign into YouTube.
2. Click and open the drop down menu in the upper right hand corner of the page where you see your username.
3. Click on "My Channel"
4. Locate the "About" section of your channel and click on "Edit"
5. Scroll down to the form that says:

Add a new link
Title_______________
Custom URL________

6. Minimize this window for later use.

STEP B: How to Get Your Instagram URL or Web Address
1. Visit www[dot]Followgram[dot]me
2. Click in the upper right and corner where it says "Sign in via Instagram"
3. Type your Instagram username into the "Username" form field located on the Instagram page you were redirected to.
4. Type your Instagram password into the "Password" form field located on the same page.
5. Click on the "Login" button located on that same page.
6. Read the agreement terms before you authorize Followgram.me to gain access to your account but keep in mind that you will not be able to retrieve a Instagram web address or URL until you accept their terms. It's like this with all the 3rd party Instagram apps since Instagram does not supply web addresses or URL's for their members.
7. Click on the "Yes" button.
8. Type your email address into the "Verify your account" form.
9. Click on the "Send" button.

STEP C: Confirm Your Followgram.me Account
1. Open a new internet window via FireFox, Chrome or Internet Explorer.
2. Sign into your email service E.g. Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, etc.
3. Check your inbox for the confirmation email that Followgram.me sent you.
- If you cannot find it check inside your spam folder since there is a really good chance it's in there.
- If it's not in your inbox or spam folder, wait five to ten minutes for it to arrive.
4. Open the email sent from info[at]followgram[dot]me entitled "Confirm your followgram.me account"
5. Click on the link at the bottom of the email they sent you (e.g. [http]://followgram[dot]me/confirm/sda92u354ksfae934waewfrsdfj3 )
6. You just created your very own Instagram web address / URL.

STEP D: How to Add Your Followgram.me Web Address / URL to Your YouTube Profile
1. If you finished the numbers outlined in STEP C it would have opened another window with the following web address / URL:
[http]://followgram[dot]me/dashboard.
2. Look to the right hand side of the pop-up page you opened (the page that you opened after clicking on the confirmation link) and highlight your new custom web address / URL (e.g. [http]://followgram[dot]me/pinkiericegurl/ ). It's right below "Share your vanity page" and right above the "Tweet" button.

3. Press Ctrl + C or right click over the web address / URL showed in section two of this step (STEP D). 
4. Minimize the Followgram.me internet window for later use. 
5. Reopen the internet window you used to find your Custom URL Submission Form on YouTube showed in STEP A. 
6. Click in the "Title" field in the "Add a new link" form found in STEP A then type in a title that is appropriate for your Instagram profile E.g. PinkieRiceGurl (Instagram). This title will be displayed on your YouTube Channel unless you remove it later. 
7. Press Ctrl + V or right click in the "Title" field and select "Paste" 
8. Click on the "Add" button. 
9. Scroll up to the top of the page and click "Apply" just below the "Search Channel" field. 
10. Congratulations! You now have a custom Instagram web address / URL displayed on your YouTube Channel! Feel free to share your new URL on Facebook, Twitter or via email.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7016941

Social Networking: Instagram Vs Pinterest Which One Is Right for Your Business?

Instagram

The visual social network Instagram has gained over 100 million users and more than 40% of leading brands in approximately 2 years. Instagram is attractive for businesses as it provides them access to an extensive and engaged mobile user base through visual content.

Instagram recently overtook Twitter by having a larger number of daily active mobile users. Where Instagram had 7.3 million users, Twitter was slightly behind with 6.9 million. This statistic is more significant because Twitter has more than 555 million users, which reflects the high engagement levels of Instagram users. If your business is still not on Instagram, you could be missing out on all these engaged users.

You could benefit from being on Instagram if you are an online retail business and have excellent photos of your products. Instagram audience would provide feedback about your products with comments, which is more effective than Pinterest, where users tend to like and pin more and comment less. The photos on Instagram are usually less traditional, because creative photos are likely to get more attention.

Instagram could be right for you if you have an interesting story to tell. Instagram is more intimate, which is why celebrities post their photos and can connect with fans on Instagram immediately. Photos of your company events, employees and their achievements connect with audiences on a level where they see what goes on behind the scenes. Such photos would not be right to post on Pinterest.

Furthermore, it is very easy to share images from Instagram to your Twitter, Facebook or Flickr pages.

Pinterest

Pinterest is the fastest growing website that provides a brilliant visual social platform for any business to capture and engage an audience. Pinterest is different from Instagram as it does not require users to sign up for an individual account to browse and view pins. Although Pinterest has only 12 million registered users compared to the 100 million users at Instagram, the significant number or users without accounts and unique visitors make up to more than 104 million visits in a month for Pinterest. Pinterest has provided more referral traffic than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn altogether.

Pinterest is a suitable platform for your company if you have an online business with videos or photos of your products that falls into a few categories on Pinterest. your popular andrelevant pins could be visible to users interested in these categories and a click will get them to the relevant page on your website.

Pinterest would be good for your company if it creates excellent content, such as infographics, blog posts or company news. Push your content on Pinterest as you do on other social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

The conclusion

Both Instagram and Pinterest offer distinctive ways to connect and engage with online audiences, so the best tool for your business would have to be Pinstagram! Since your audience members might be on any one of these sites, you might miss out on opportunities by not being on either one.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7653053

Use Instagram to Boost Your Marketing Plan and Score Big

Instagram has grown to own 90 million Monthly Active Users, with over 40 million photos per day. Users love Facebook's free photo sharing tool (and who doesn't want to see all of those cute baby pictures and weird dog tricks?) How can you take this seemingly simple to use app and turn it into a key component of your business's marketing plan? It may be easier than you think.

Why Bother?

You say you've had enough of the social media scene and do not feel like learning yet another new application? Don't overlook the power of Instagram for your campaign. It is a perfect solution for on-the-go business owners who want to spruce up their marketing as they move through the day. It is an excellent tool for all of the free resources it can offer in real time.

How Can You Use It?

Look at a few tips on how businesses are using Instagram to really drive home sales and boost their brand awareness. You may find that you've put off using this tool for too long.

1. It's perfect for product or service promotion. Use real pictures of your products, right there on your store shelves, to get people talking. You don't have to worry about tracking down a stock photo. Customers love real pictures. Get a close up of the finished petals on your cake as a baker and they will flock to your business.

2. Get real and show customers what you are all about.Another way to use Instagram as a marketing tool is all about the behind-the-scenes. People want to know who you are and what you are really doing. They want to see a real person. Social media through this method can work very well. Simply take some photos of the people working in your office. Show them where the magic happens behind the bar at the club. Get them interested in how you are prepping their dish with up close photos.

3. Let your customers do the work for you.Because so many are using this free photo sharing tool, you can encourage them to show how they are using your products and services. For example, perhaps you are a coffee shop with a chic following. Host a contest for the best photos your patrons can produce with them enjoying a cup perhaps with your logo.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7515846

SEO Tips For Using Instagram

Search engine optimization is simply a process of making your blog more visible to search engines for particular targeted keywords or phrases. In other words, SEO is just a popularity contest among websites. The question is always which website is the most popular and relevant for specific keywords or phrases, according to a particular search engine? If the question is placed in this way and not in terms of SEO strategies and techniques, you will realize that SEO goes beyond quality content and link building.

It is not surprising that with the growth in social media networks, many people are utilizing these social media websites to reinforce their SEO efforts. The good news is that you do not need SEO training to make use of these social media websites because it takes very little to get the hang of these sites. Although some big companies hire an SEO company to manage their social media pages, there is no reason why you cannot do it to increase the popularity of your own website.

One particular social media site that has grown in popularity since it made its debut in 2010 is Instagram, a photo sharing social media website. Instagram started out as a mobile application for Apple users but then support was added in 2012 so that Android users can use it as well. Although the effect of Instagram on actual search engine rankings is debatable, it is a great tool for promoting your website, products, services, and basically, increasing your website's popularity and generating organic traffic. Below are some tips to help you use Instagram in promoting your website.

• Create a focused theme. If your Instagram account is for your website or business then make it evident from the get-go. Make sure that another Instagram user visiting your profile page will have no doubt in his or her mind what your account is all about. This means limiting your non-website related posts.

• Describe your images. Since Instagram is a photo sharing service, the only way to put content is to accurately describe your images or photos. Never post a picture that has no description. Even a single-word description is much better than none.

• Make proper use of hash tags. Hash tags are popularly used to associate your image to a particular topic or subject. You can think of these hash tags as keywords in the usual way you would promote your website.

• Engage with other users. Go beyond just posting images. Connect with other users by commenting on images of others and by responding to comments on your images.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7816757

Don't Do These 5 Things on Instagram

The world has gone visual, and Instagram is leading the way with 150 million users.

Yes, this is less than Facebook. But if the two were on a homecoming court, Instagram would take the crown. Why? Because the users are more engaged-meaning more activity for your brand, and more popularity votes!

If that doesn't convince you, here are some other social media marketing stats.. Get ready for the wow factor!

40 million pictures are uploaded daily.
1000 comments are made every second.
16 billion photos have been shared overall.

So what does this mean for your business? You have a major opportunity to tell your brand's story, create relevant marketing, and interact with your customers in a way they will appreciate! (Side note: Customers crave meaningful interaction!)

Before that awesomeness can be created, let's talk about what you shouldn't be doing on Instagram. I asked my fellow teammates for their feedback on the "don'ts" of Instagram, and here is what we determined:

Instagram mistakes survey results graph

1. Hashtags
- Keep them simple and relevant. Typically this involves only one or two words.These allow other users to easily find your photos. If you upload a picture of an ice cream cone, you may want to hashtag #icecream instead of #icecreamyouscreamweallscreamforicecream!

2. Over-Posting
- We know you are super excited about whatever you are capturing. But more than a couple photos uploaded at once-relating to the same thing-goes against Instagram etiquette. Get one or two photos you are proud of and leave the rest for Facebook!

3. Selfies
- I am all for feeling great about yourself and showing the world your best smile, but sometimes a selfie is just unnecessary. Let's say you and your colleagues are attending a conference. Your followers would probably appreciate seeing a group shot of you standing in front of a banner or sitting at a table-rather than just your smiling face in a mirror!

4. Asking for Follows
- This may gain you more followers but not the quality kind. Plus it comes across as desperate. Your best bet is to have your employees follow your profile and followers will come organically through your network.

5. Last But Not Least: Food Photos
- Surely your company has more interesting things to post than just your lunch every day. Unless you are a chef or restaurant owner displaying your piece of work, I would abstain from food pics.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8165607

Social Networking Tips: Using Pinterest And Instagram For Your Business

Pinterest facts

Pinterest is a digital bulletin board that users use to pin pictures on. Users can share diverse images ranging from trending shoes, to a cover for their favourite videogame, to a poster of a critically acclaimed art film. They can share literally anything of interest with others to see, like and pin.

Pinterest recently achieved 11.7 million visits in a month from the U.S. during February 2012, after nearly three years of existence. It has been declared the fastest growing independent website in the U.S. While only one fourth of the entire online population is aware of this site, 3% use it, but the ones who do use it, use it frequently. 50% Pinterest users log in everyday, while 60% anticipate using it more frequently in the future. 41% users pin business related content.

Instagram specifics

Instagram's image-sharing method is quite simple. Since it began as a phone app, it allows users to add all types of interesting filters to their photos taken with gadgets and lets them to share immediately on social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Instagram has remained consistent in its basic principles even after being bought by Facebook for $1 billion. However, it now allows users to create online profiles quite similar to Pinterest's boards. Instagram has approximately 15 million users with 400 million images so far. In contrast to Pinterest, only 31% Instagrammers log on every day, 40% wish to enhance future usage and only 35% share business-related content.

Pinterest versus Instagram

Based on the statistics, Pinterest appears to offer more benefits to businesses over Instagram. However, to understand the complete picture, a better understanding of both processes is essential.

Pinterest is based on manipulating people's desires to view images of things they wish to have. These online viewers see many images in a format suitable for browsing that is continuous, resulting in longer visits as they search for users with similar interests.

Instagram offers a personal touch as users upload images of things that provide a glimpse into their lives. Other users can comment and like these images and even follow the users. Images appear one at a time, unlike Pinterest and show in a feed in chronological order. There is no option to share or re-share images because of which visits tend to be brief, where people upload photos, view some others, like and post comments on some interesting things and then log out.

Pinterest facilitates product marketing with its concept of dream board in which people can pin things they have been aspiring to get. Once these users notice your brand has valuable pins, your products can spread throughout the online communities.

Instagram can provide your business a more personable identity. Sharing images of what goes on within your organisation makes people see the human side of your organisation. Also post product images, but in a context related to your audience.

Ultimately, you need to know your target audiences and what your business aims to achieve to choose the social media appropriate for you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7653112

Instagram Video Feature: Adding a New Flavor

Instagram has long been popular amongst Facebook users. Rumors immediately started circulating as soon as the invitation started rolling about a big event to launch an idea. Everyone on the technology news media were speculating that Instagram and Facebook are about to announce about a takeover of Vine service. However, the service that is provided to Android and iOS users is about the latest version of Instagram 4.0 with the feature of Video.

Video Service on Instagram

Initially you need to install the update on your device. After the installation is done, an icon will appear on the screen. Instagram works by automatically loading the video once you stop playing it. You need to take action for downloading the video on your device. Additionally, for replaying the video you would need to tap on it as it would not replay in a loop like Vine does. You can click like and add comments on a video. Instagram allows you to view videos directly.

As far as recording a video is concerned, you need to take more than usual steps especially if you are addicted to Vine. Here is what you can do:

• Tap on the icon of Instagram video icon
• This will launch the video recording mode of the app
• Now you have 15 seconds to record a video as against 6 seconds against that offered by Vine.

Recording and deleting a video

The simplest way of recording a video is to tap and hold down the red camera icon until you want to record. A blue line at the bottom of the recording window will appear indicating progress of the video. If after recording a video clip you are not satisfied by results then to delete it you tap the X button, the clip will turn red, then tap the trash button to remove it. Start recording again, when you are done you can choose a filter by tapping Next.

Filters

This new updated version of the app gives you in total of 13 filters that are designed for video. This helps you choose the filter accordingly. Keep taping Next until you find the perfect filter that is required for your video. Additionally, you can choose to turn on or turn off the feature of Cinema for ensuring good video quality.

Choosing Cover Frame

You are allowed to choose a preview frame for your video called the Cover Frame. Select it by just sliding the box alongside the film length. This way you will be able to preview and discover various frames. You are offered a single frame that adorns your video and can be shared across your social network. By choosing appropriate frame, you will be able to gain instant hits and likes. After you are done, you need to share it across the network. The process involved is as easy as sharing a picture and adding a caption to it, this time it includes hash tags too. This will determine where you are about to share it. After sharing the video, it automatically gets stored in the Camera Roll if you are using an iOS device or in the Gallery if you are an Android user.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7951493

3 Steps for Effective Instagram Marketing

Instagram is increasing in popularity among brands as a powerful social marketing tool. People today enjoy being visually stimulated, which makes a social network that is solely based on image sharing so effective.

When you use social media to share images that relate to your business, you will forge stronger relationships with your current fans and customers plus broaden your reach to find new ones. Not only can you share pictures of your products and the people who work hard to keep your business running (even if it's just you and your pet ferret!), but you can encourage your customers to submit their own pictures of your products being put to use.

It is easy to lose track of time when you log in to your social media accounts. This is especially true with Instagram, where you can easily lose an hour just scanning through the wide variety of images in your stream.

Spending time online is important for your business, but if it's not productive time, then it is simply time wasted. Wasted time does not help bring in new sales. This is why you need to have daily goals for each of your social network activity like when you log on to Instagram.

Before you start your day, know how much time you want to allot to social media and each individual network. Stick with that time limit so that you can be sure you are getting the most important tasks done in your time frame and don't allow yourself to get sucked in to the rabbit hole that is the Internet.

Each time you log on to Instagram, make sure you are doing these three things to maintain a high level of efficiency to grow your brand presence:

Add to the number of people you follow

Give yourself about 10-15 minutes each day to start looking for Instagram users in your target market. You can do this by looking at who is following your competitors. Find people who are more engaging with the brands they follow since they are more likely to engage with you as well. Are they leaving comments and liking photos often?

Since social media is all about give and take, make sure that you are following a good number of other people and businesses and bloggers. Do your own fair share of liking and commenting as well.

Share your own content

Take 10 minutes a day to add new unique content to your own Instagram account. People want to see that you have a good amount of interesting content for them to look at if they are going to follow you. If they look at your stream and only see two pictures and nothing new added in the last month or more, they aren't going to see a reason to become a follower.

If you don't have any unique content to share, set up a time each day to simply focus on taking pictures to share. It can be shots of your products, your office, employees, etc. If it relates to your brand and business, take an interesting shot of it and edit it to your liking and share.

Be interactive

It's no surprise that when you have a social media account, people expect you to be, well, social. Don't simply sign up for an account and then wait for people to start following you.

To be successful in your Instagram marketing, you need to be actively engaging. Reply to comments left on your images, even if it's a simple thank you. Ask questions and encourage a dialog with your followers.

Visit your followers' streams and those of the people that you are following and like images and leave comments. Showing that you will be interactive with other users will go a long way in building your own brand's following.

Instagram will be around for a long time. To be the most effective, you need to be ready to spend time with your account and be productive with that time.

Is your business using Instagram to market your brand? How is it going?

Dawn Pigoni of Be Social Worldwide is a certified social marketing specialist and a social media virtual assistant. Dawn offers superb social networking, social marketing and social bookmarking to WAHMs, Small Business Owners, Internet Marketers, Affiliate Marketers, and Coaches who desire to bring stunning internet presence through social networking to their businesses. Get Dawn's free report, Social Networking today & see how she can assist you with being Social Worldwide!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8195873

5 Ways Instagram Helps Market Your Business

With its recent launch on Android last year, Instagram has seen a steadily growing popularity as a social network. It is an easy way for fans to engage with their favorite celebrities and brands in addition to their own friends and followers. Data from Instagram's press page shows that there are 1,000 comments and 8,500 likes every second and its 100 million monthly users are posting 40 million new pictures every day.

As a business, including Instagram among your social networking cache can be a huge boost in forming bonds between your brand and your fans. You can use it as a platform to introduce new products and promote your existing ones to your target audience.

There are several ways that you can use Instagram to help market your business in order to grow loyalty from fans and gain more exposure for your brand:

Photo Contests

If you want to see a quick spike in followers on Instagram, holding a contest is the way to do it. The key, though, to keeping those followers is to encourage engagement. You can offer a prize of one of your own products and ask followers to post a photo of their own marked with a unique hash tag or company name.

Create a contest and offer prizes that make sense for your business. You want to promote your own products and not someone else's. So, while you could definitely see a huge increase by offering an iPad as a prize, you will only be earning short-term followers.

If you are a custom jewelry designer, offer one of your pieces as the prize. For the contest, you can ask followers to post a picture of them wearing their favorite accessory. Remember, the goal is to build a strong fan base, not to just give away expensive gifts.

Photo-a-Day Engagement

Something that has grown in popularity with Instagram is the "Photo-a-Day" Challenge. Many bloggers and businesses will create new lists and post them at the start of the month, encouraging followers to create new photos every day. You can easily find samples of these photos a day lists online to get some inspiration. You can also tie a contest in with these challenges to gain even more exposure for your brand.

Unique Hashtags

Twitter has long-used the hashtag to make it easy for users to find tweets that refer to a specific topic. Instagram uses hashtags in much the same way. They make it easy for users to enter contests and for businesses to locate those entries. Find hash tags that fit with your business and any contests. You can find a list of the most current popular hashtags with sites like Top-hashtags.com.

Cross Promote

When you set up your Instagram account, it is a good idea to link up your other social networks to it as well. For instance, linking to your Facebook account and Twitter will allow your photos to be posted to those accounts automatically. This means increased exposure and higher user engagement.

Personalization

Instagram gives businesses a simple way to personalize their brand. It gives users an inside look at their favorite brands and celebrities. In addition to photos of your products, use this platform as a way to give your followers an inside look into how you operate. If your small business is in your home office, share pictures that shows your workspace, your cat included. If you are a larger business with a brick-and-mortar location, shoot a few pictures of your employees at work. Give your followers an inside perspective of how your business runs and you will create more of a bond.

Has your business been using Instagram to grow a strong following? What are some of the ways that you use the social network?

Dawn Pigoni of Be Social Worldwide is a certified social marketing specialist and a social media virtual assistant. Dawn offers superb social networking, social marketing and social bookmarking to WAHMs, Small Business Owners, Internet Marketers, Affiliate Marketers, and Coaches who desire to bring stunning internet presence through social networking to their businesses. Get Dawn's free report, Social Networking today & see how she can assist you with being Social Worldwide!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7762902

How To Make Your Instagram Photo Look Great

In this digital age, everyone is a professional photographer or at least things that they are or should be. If you're one of those creative individuals who loves using his Smartphone to take pictures, then you might fit into this category.

There's nothing wrong with a love of taking photographs. There's also nothing wrong with amateur photography minus the expensive camera equipment and filters. But if you really want to make your Instagram photos pop, do your viewers a favor, and put a little bit of effort into making them look really good.

Not only will the 100 pictures of your new puppy look so much better, but you'll also impress your contacts leaving them wondering how you pulled it off.

There's an app called VSCO Cam that user's say make your pictures look like they were taken with an old school, high-end film camera. It's become a viral hit to the point that on Instagram, there are more than 22 million hash tags related to the app.

The app requires some getting used to, say users, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes one of the easiest ways you can make your Instagram photos look great. The app is ideal for making pictures look better after they've been taken, but it can also be used to take better pictures.

Thanks to a number of different flash modes, VSCO Cam performs near miracles with lighting. There's a flash mode for almost every need. Remember those times where you look a sickly yellow because a picture was taken in low light? Well, this app has a special white balance locking system to prevent that unfortunate and unflattering yellow cast.

Other features of the app include a level to make sure your picture isn't crooked. Focus and exposure points can be controlled simply by tapping two fingers on your Smartphone screen.

A series of photo effects offer subtle ways to touch up your photos like highlighting natural colors and fading the edges of a photo with a vignette effect.

The app also has some preset filters that users are raving about, claiming that they're much more tasteful and toned down than Instagram's. Intensity of these filters is also easy to adjust. All you have to do is move the slider. Not sure if you like the filter? Simple tap and hold on the image and you'll get to see the original again.

VSCO cam is free. It includes 10 preset filters. For $6 more, you can get 38 more filters.

Another way to make your Instagram photo look great is another app called Litely. It doesn't have as many editing features, but it does have a number of filters that can make your picture stand out. The app is free, comes with 10 filters, and costs $1.99 for more in packs of 12.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8551382

Instagram Trends: Hot Tips For Better Instagrams

Advanced is not right for you

Your Android, straight out your box, provides advanced camera settings for Instagram. Go to the menu/profile settings and switch it off because the standard capabilities of your device are quite enhanced and allow you increased versatility for getting good photos. The compositions can become easier with the Advanced Instagram camera, which eliminates the need to crop your photo later if you know precisely what you need. You do not need to limit yourself if you want to modify your creative vision later.

Creativity with Instagram's arsenal

Improve your photos by experimenting with the options provided by Instagram. Some of the filters are meant for particular shades of light, others look good with their borders, while some are more versatile. If you want your photos to look like they were not taken with your phone, you can compose the scene in a way that adds some depth and then apply shift or tilt filters accordingly.

Experiment with exposure on Android devices

Android devices mostly have control settings for exposure, which allow users to control variables such as exposure compensation, contrast, ISO and white balance along with some other elements. Play with these options to get improved results and then apply Instagram filters.

· Contrast defines the difference between the dark and bright areas, where a higher contrast means more difference. Contrast also affects colours.

· Exposure compensation tells your camera to make an overall darker or brighter exposure.

· ISO defines the camera's sensitivity to light. It is best to keep this on Auto unless you are taking photos of a squirmy subject like your dog or baby. You can then increase it up to ISO800 or 1600.

· White balance changes the colour rendition of the overall image.

Once your image is of a better quality to start with, Instagram's filters will be able to do a much better job, leaving you with a high quality photo.

Lock it up iPhone Users

Most iOS power users love this popular technique. When you touch your screen to focus on your subject, a blue box will appear as you tap, then hold. In a second, the device will lock the focus and exposure. You can recompose the photo if required. You can provide a little bit of flash if needed. If the flash provides very harsh light, try using a tissue to cover the light so that it doesn't blow out the lovely natural colours of your subject.

Your personal touch

Do use hashtags, but don't go overboard. Some users make a habit of listing every possible topic for an image, although two or three are sufficient. Remember to behave like a real person and keep your interactions genuine. Behave like you do in real life and avoid pretending to be someone you are not.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7624991

How to Use Instagram for Beginners

Selecting Instagram For PC Software - What To Look For

Instagram, the photo sharing social networking service, has exceeded all initial expectations with regards to popularity. A big reason for this is that Instagram permits users to alter their pictures in all sorts of ways thanks to its inbuilt effects. In fact, its popularity led it to be snapped up by Facebook at a very good price because the larger social networking site didn't have a very good photo sharing feature. There has been immense demand for Instagram for PC users because of the many cool features it offers.

Until now, the only way to get Instagram for PC was via highly technical workarounds. Many people also emailed photos to themselves in order to access them from their smartphones. However, you can now download Apple or Android emulator software that enables you to use Instagram on your PC very easily. Be sure to look for the following features when choosing the right software:

1. Ease of use: The software should have a simple interface so that you don't need a lot of technical knowledge to use it. Very importantly, it should be free of glitches. Many software developers release their products without testing them entirely.

2. Multiple features: Instagram already has plenty of features, but you'll prefer to use a PC client that allows you to do plenty of things such as enabling you to customize your screen layout.

3. Speed: Certain software programs enable you to load pictures very fast and this is evidently a very desirable feature. Needless to say, the speed of your internet connection is also an important factor, but certain software programs work faster than others.

4. Price: It goes without saying that you should be able to get your software programs free of cost, or at least at a very affordable price.

5. Reliability: The smartphone emulator software that you download should be free of malware.

Once you install the right Instagram for PC emulator software in your computer, you will be able to view all your Instagram photos on your computer, enabling you to see the pictures clearly on a very large screen. As a matter of fact, large numbers of people are downloading this software because they are unable to enjoy the photos fully on their smart phones on account of the limited screen size. They are also now able to access their computer based photo libraries easily in order to edit and share them via Instagram.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8175281

4 Instagram Tips For An Online Business

I want to talk about a fast growing social media site that is really growing fast and offers real good online promotion potential for any business. I'm talking about Instagram!

Before we get to that, when it comes to marketing a business online many of the old paid advertising online still work. Pay per click ads on Google, and Yahoo/Bing still work. PPC ads on Facebook really work.

However, there is no denying the power of Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and so on. The same is true for Instagram

Instagram is barely 4 years old and has over 150 million users worldwide. Meaning, displaying your business products and services online through Instagram photos has a wide reach all over the world.

Here are some important Instagram tips for an online business.

1. Share your photos on other social networks. Ideally, you want your business to be popular among many people, including those that are not on Instagram.

To achieve this, share the important information regarding your products and services on other social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. Doing this allows people who are not Instagram subscribers to see your photos and click on your link, which may lead to improved sales and profit.

2. Use hash tags. Use specific hash tags as they will help you get more followers on Instagram to share your photos with.

When using hash tags be sure to avoid general statements such as #television, instead say #Samsung #LCD. Try as much as possible to engage your followers by using effective hash tags.

Also, be sure to check what other firms in your industry are doing. They might have new ideas that you don't know.

3. Only Share important content. Intuitively, many people will only want to know the most important information about your business, goods, and service.

When sharing information on Instagram be sure you only share important information regarding the business, its goods, and service. Avoid using sharing of information that cannot add value to the business.

4. Be consistent. Consistency is very important when it comes to increasing sales and business popularity through any social network.

Be sure the photos you post and share on Instagram tell the same story about your business. Posting inconsistent and incoherent information can be costly, so always make sure you stick to the same information you want to tell people regarding your business.

Follow these Instagram tips for an online business to get in the photo sharing social media game. They work!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8316614

Burbn to Instagram: A Right Name Change Can Earn You $1 Billion

It only took a year and a half for a mobile app to get millions of people's attention; and one of them was a very focal fan named Mark Zuckerberg. The famous mobile app's name is Instagram, which was founded by two 20-something-year-old graduates from Stanford University, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger.

This illustrious app made a lot of noise early in April 2012 when the company's value was doubled and bought by an equally famed company, Facebook. The price tag on instagram was worth $1 Billion.

It was Systrom who initially came up with the inkling for the app and similarly holds a 45 percent picket in the corporation. Today, one question has been playing with the minds of many people: How did this one much-like-the-other-mobile-apps stand out from among the rest, and how did it capture the approval of many users that quick?

Instagram's original name was Burbn (the company's present start-up). They wanted to create a catchier name that somehow played with the thought of "right here right now" infused with the idea of recording the events and happenings of one's life, therefore the suffix "gram".

The new name instagram indeed caught many people's attention as it sounded so unique; additionally, it was memorable enough to make people remember it and share the experience of it with friends.

This huge deal between Instagram and Facebook was likened by many to Google's $1.6 Billion procurement of YouTube; which made Google a frontrunner in Internet video and permitted it to enlarge its publicity to new presentations and set-ups.

Many analysts were impressed by Instagram's quick rise to fame and fortune; they even see it as a gauge of how swiftly entrepreneurs can get things completed. With a prodigious company that is equipped with great teams, products and good company name, plus a extraordinary performance and implementation, achievement is within an arm's reach even in remarkable amounts of time

Changing your company name could be a bold step to take; Instagram knew that for sure, but they took that step anyway and look where they are now? Way far ahead than other companies who have been on the run to get to the spotlight. And now that Instagram is on the spotlight, people will surely criticize and question every change, flaw and decision they will undertake, and that is only one of the challenges they are about to undertake and part and parcel of the price fame has to pay.

Bonnie Dell writes informative articles on different niches. She is a passionate writer and a registered nurse who loves to be informed and share her thoughts to her readers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7011392