Facebook Introduces "Trending" To Challenge Twitter

Facebook is introducing a feature called 'Trending'. It will enable members to stay up-to-date on popular topics of conversation via the social network. This addition of "Trending" feature to the social network giant has been under testing phase since last August. And no doubt its a direct challenge to Twitter. We can't a direct copy of Twitter's news feeding features but yes somewhat similar to it with different pattern.

Engineering manager of Facebook, Chris Struhar said in a blog post “Facebook is a space where people from all over the world gather every day to share their thoughts and participate in real-time conversations, from the highlights of the Golden Globes to the passing of Nelson Mandela,” 

He also added “Today we’re announcing Trending, a new product that’s designed to surface interesting and relevant conversations in order to help you discover the best content from all across Facebook. To the right of your News Feed, you'll see a list of topics that have recently spiked in popularity. The list is personalized, including topics based on things you’re interested in and what is trending across Facebook overall. Each topic is accompanied by a headline that briefly explains why it is trending. You can click on any headline to see the most interesting posts from your friends or Pages that are talking about that particular topic. ”

Images Source :  Facebook Newsroom

Struhar promises that Facebook users can “expect continuous improvements from us over time.”

The feature "Trending" is currently rolling out to desktop users for countries - U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia and India. The feature will continue to be tested on mobile as well.

Why Facebook Users Are Valuable To Marketers [Infographic]

Facebook is the most popular social network in the world, filling a need of users to connect to family, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, clients and others with potential for some form of relationship. Facebook also has the highest user engagement in terms of average hours spent per month per user.

This makes Facebook users highly valuable to marketers. Lets visualize here in the below infographic why Facebook users are valuable to marketers.

Source : TopMarketingSchools

Facebook Acquires Little Eye Labs

Facebook is acquiring Indian start-up Little Eye Labs for its app-building. Announced in the social network regarding acquiring the Bangalore-based company for $15 million. This is the first time the social network has purchased a firm from India.

Little Eye Labs website revealed that it offers a “performance analysis and monitoring tools that can help identify and fix performance problems” in Android apps. Little Eye Labs was founded just one year ago.

As per the Little eye Labs website blog post it is found that “Today, we’re very excited to announce that Facebook is acquiring our company. With this acquisition, Little Eye Labs will join forces with Facebook to take its mobile development to the next level. The entire Little Eye Labs team will move to Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California. From there, we’ll be able to leverage Facebook’s world-class infrastructure and help improve performance of their already awesome apps. For us, this is an opportunity to make an impact on the more than 1 billion people who use Facebook.”

Little Eye will send its current customers information via e-mail on the firm’s plan to offer a free version of its program until June 30 this year.

Note : Existing customers who haven't got this information can contact Little Eye at  support@littleeye.co.

Google+ Vs Facebook - Differences & Similarities [Infographic]

Google+ and Facebook are no doubt the mostly used social media networks in the world. Facebook is the biggest and most successful social network today. Ever since Google+ entered the social media sphere several months ago, there has been a running debate and argument amongst industry experts all over the country. Facebook or Google? Which one is better? While similar in purpose, the reality is that both have something different to offer today’s small business.

Both the platform have their own style of communication pattern and it supports small, medium to large business in promotion. Lets find out the features they have in the below infographic.

Source : TechnoBombs

How To Increase Facebook Referral Traffic

Direct traffic is very easy to get from Facebook but what about Facebook referral traffic? It is the traffic that comes from the Facebook domain. Sometimes it refers to affiliate advertising from the website but here we are referring to the traffic you can get from the Facebook profiles and fan pages. People get very less referral traffic from Facebook. 

Below are some ways you can increase your Facebook referral traffic:

1. Answer a question via the website :

You can promote, market your website on most of your posts. But if you are putting any information then put a link for the website else if you are answering any question asked by any of your post likers then reply back to him via a website where the answer would be there. to the website that provides the answer. Something simple may be all that is needed such as, “We just cut the price of our Doc Martins” followed by a link to the website.

2. Post in a simple way on your Facebook posts :

You can put your Facebook posts in a simple way and in simple language so that people can understand them and get engaged with it. Always remember one thing that you are not writing any editorial articles as post because it is social media so people prefer a smart answer or information with a valid link.

3. Make sure the website visit is short :

You need to make it clear to people that they will visit your website for a short period. It will send a subtle message that will make your viewers more amenable to visiting your website. It should not threaten their Facebook session, and make sure that they should stay on Facebook because they are having chat or doing something over there. Even if the page is open in another tab, still it makes them feel that they are leaving Facebook, so confirm them in a subtle way that they are going to be able to get right back to Facebook after they have taken a quick visit to your website. And it is very obvious that once you are able to draw their attention they will stay on your website for longer time if they like it. Hence it is good for your business too.

4. Value addition with website after your post :

Once your Facebook post viewers liked your post and have returned because they like other posts that you have made. So it is obvious that they will see your website if your website has some sort of entertainment value. Attaching it to some sort of entertainment channel may be a good try if you are running any eCommerce site or promoting your business.

5. Offer something special and important :

If you are trying to get Facebook users to visit your website and also you want make some business promotions or deals then don't go by the usual way showing “limited time offer” because it has been overused. Instead of that you can create a logical and valid reason why people are better off visiting your website now instead of later which will in turn more conversions as a result ensuring a better experience with your website and connecting Facebook users to your website.

By this way you are making a user think that he or she may lose something if he or she does not visit touy website quickly. In this way your conversion rate will go up. Share your valuable comments if you have some more suggestions.

Facebook Introduces Auto-Play Video Ads

Facebook is going to introduce auto-play video ads to users this week as the social network looks for new ways to increase its advertising revenue. The new platform will be launched with a video ads for the new film ‘Divergent’ which will be visible in the news feeds of both mobile and desktop users.

Facebook said in a newsroom post that “Since September, we’ve been testing a way to make videos more engaging on Facebook, and as a result we’ve seen views, likes, shares and comments increase more than 10 percent. Marketers will be able to use this new format to tell their stories to a large number of people on Facebook in a short amount of time — with high-quality sight, sound and motion. This approach will continue to improve the quality of ads that you see in news feed.”

Facebook is also “thoughtfully” providing additional content to those who do actually click on the ads. After watching a video ad, users will see a carousel of two additional videos “making it easy to continue to discover content from the same marketers.

Find the link below which was advertised in Facebook for Business page with a video :

https://facebook.com/business/news/Testing-a-New-Way-for-Marketers-to-Tell-Stories-in-News-Feed

Facebook site said it will inform users if/when the new platform will be rolled out across the entire network. Share

Instagram Introduces Private Messaging Service

Most of the smartphone users use the popular photo-sharing app Instagram. Recently it launched a messaging service that will enable its users to send photos and video clips directly to family and friends.

Instagram Direct, the newly revealed mobile messaging app for both Android and iOS will boost up Instagram’s profile with the larger friend circles and a habit of using their Smartphones for sending messages. This Facebook-owned company’s new service will enable users to send their photos or videos to up to 15 people at one time as well as have real-time text chats effectively.

Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom said in a blog post, “There are … moments in our lives that we want to share, but that will be the most relevant only to a smaller group of people—an inside joke between friends captured on the go, a special family moment or even just one more photo of your new puppy. Instagram Direct helps you share these moments. From how you capture photos and videos to the way you start conversations through likes and comments, we built Instagram Direct to feel natural to the Instagram experience you already know.”

If you have installed instagram already then an icon would be there on right hand corner. Even if you are installing from App Store or via Google Play, DIRECT button will be on the top right corner of the user’s home feed. A tap of the icon opens the user’s inbox where the photos and videos friends have sent are stored. See the video to learn how to use Instagram Direct.

Image Credit : Google

Share your experience with this new Instagram feature.

Facebook Launches Unfollow Button

Facebook is going to launch a button known as ‘unfollow’ button which will unfollow members of the social network. The social media site will use the functionality of its ‘hide all’ button which permits users to hide posts from others without actually unfriending them in its news unfollow tool, as per TechCrunch.

“The goal of this change is to help people curate their news feed and see more of the content that they care about,” a Facebook spokesperson told the publication.

According to the report, it is likely Facebook is trying to bring its language in line with what is used on Instagram and Twitter.

10 Reasons For Choosing Twitter Over Facebook

What do you think about Social Media and its impact on promoting brands? Which do you think the best social network? Though Facebook has emerged huge appreciation in marketing products and brands, in some aspects Twitter went ahead of Facebook. It will definitely make some difference in the way you retain existing customers and the rate at which you attract new ones by promoting your products and services. 

Lets look into the following reasons why Twitter is better for businesses, products, brands & services over Facebook.

1. Third Party Tools Supportability :

Various third party tools are available on Twitter to analyse brand performance. Some tools are also there, which brands can use without investing too much money. All these options are available free of cost.

2. Prompt Analytics and Easy Monitoring :

A lot of apps and softwares are there which can track / monitor your brand mentions better on Twitter due to its API. Some of them offer results close to 100 % accurate, like Radian 6, uberVU, Sysomos, SocialBro and so on. 

3. Easy Use & Adaptability Options :

Some tools like Tweet Deck, and Twitter for smart phones make it easier to connect with your consumer on a real time basis on electronic gadgets. UberTwitter can be used to make easy use of it by summarizing an opinion in 140 characters. Facebook on the other hand doesn't have too many options.

4. Customer Service :

A lot of brands are using Twitter to connect with their customers. Banking sectors to telecom sectors and even some FMCG companies and others have been solving customer queries real time using Twitter. 

5. Faster Content Sharing :

Social Media giant Facebook has its limitation in sharing content as most of the conversations are private and it’s designed to be that way. However, Twitter is an open platform and anybody can view each other’s tweets, giving your content the boost that it needs and in this way it shares the content over net. 

6. Twitter Tools Over Facebook Edgerank :

Various apps have their various effect. Facebook Edgerank reduces your reach to 10% or even less than that whereas Twitter is open to all. Anyone can connect with people and experts via Twitter. Some tools like followerwonk.com enable people to find other people on Twitter.

7. Agency Interaction :

A lot of brands prefer Facebook because they have been told by their agencies to use Facebook. Various agencies prefer Facebook as it’s easier to maintain, spend money, and get temporary results. But Twitter takes time and after setting it will be the best one.

8. Limited Communication : 

Twitter restricts its word count to just 140 characters. Twitter is the perfect platform for the kind of communication - like businessmen and other users prefer to post in short sentences as they are limited by time. So these limited communication helps people to understand the proper understanding of the posts.

9. Search Engine In Real Time :

Twitter can be used as a real time search engine. Twitters advanced search is fantastic and allows brands to search for specific conversations without any issues. Twitter has improved its up-time and anyone can search for specific topics with the right keyword combination over time.

10. Market Research Tool :

Twitter can be a great market research tool. Some brands are scared to come on social media platforms like Twitter since they feel that they don’t have control over what people say about them. Negative feedback provides great market research insights, and instigates companies to improve service and efficiency.

So what is your opinion on Twitter for Businesses over Facebook? Share your comments.

Facebook Vs Google+ - The Battle [Infographic]

There are different views of the people who use social media network sites and majority believes in Facebook and Google+ when sharing status message or content.

These two websites are the playgrounds of all the bloggers and website owners. Lets see the differences between the two major giants on social media world.

  

Source : SocialMediaToday

How To Promote Your Business On Facebook [Infographic]

Having Facebook page is a must-have requirement for business. There are different ways how to help people find your business on Facebook. It is difficult even more since Facebook is constantly adding new features.

The below infographic - "Achieving Success With The New Facebook" includes Facebook’s latest features so you can follow your options for Facebook marketing. It’s kind of like a checklist to help you choose the right Facebook promotion for your brand.

Source : Vocus

Things Not To Do In Facebook

Facebook crossed more than 1 billion active users and with the help of this great popularity some people are looking for a space to use Facebook’s viral market to sell you their products or services or they try to earn money through affiliate links or some tricky way. Here are the guidelines which will help you to learn NOT TO DO things on Facebook.

1. Tagging People :

Do not tag people in the image where they have no relevancy on that. People do tag in photos unnecessarily and it annoys people who are tagged in it. This approach is purely a spammer approach. If you want to wish people then you can send them private message rather than tagging them in image. It is found that most of the people don't like to get tagged on images.

2. Group Addition :

Don't engage people in groups randomly. You never know that people whom you are adding they may not like the groups or they might find these groups irrelevant to their interests. Once you are sure that any particular group would help them, only then you can suggest.

3. Posting From Twitter :

People have the tendency to post the same stuff on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc. Posting automatically on Facebook, sent from your Twitter tweets would lead to less engagement with connected people. Facebook will treat Twitter app as third party app with less priority and it will also give a wrong impression that you have less interests in direct posting on Facebook.

4. Page Invitation :

People create Facebook pages and start inviting people to like it. In this way they annoy most of the invited people as the page might not serve anything to invited ones. Instead of inviting people, you can share the page link directly on Facebook because most of the friends would see it on timeline and if that interests them they will definitely like the page. Sending page invitation would be irritation thing for those people and you will loose a single chance for a "LIKE" from them. They will ignore the page and would not like anymore.

5. Like By Self :

A lot of people like their own post once they share some link or photo or even a status message. It is absolutely odd behavior as you definitely like the link; that is why you are sharing. If you like your own post then people might think that you liked your status or post just to keep it moving in Facebook ticker.

6. App Requests :

If you like any App in Facebook it doesn't mean that your friends will also like it. Don't send any app request until you realize that they really need it or useful. By doing this your friends might get irritated for that behavior and later on they won't even see useful request if you send.
7. Friend Suggestions :

People do make enough friends in Facebook knowingly or unknowingly and sometimes it is been observed that they suggest their immediate connected friends to become friend with some other unknown people. It annoys the people who get the suggestions. If you are doing this, stop it.

8. Message Like Spammer :

Don't send message to people asking to like your page or any post just to get more likes. If you want to share something then share it on your profile page instead of spamming. And if people really like your page, you will get your page liked automatically.

9. Event Invite :

Refrain from sending mass event invite to people. People may not like your events and they will have negative impression about you. Invitation can be sent only when they are really interested in that event.

10. Multiple Like Button :

Consider a situation where you have created a page which has a lot of "LIKE" buttons than your unique content. People visiting your site would definitely treat it as strategy and also think that you have intentionally put the like buttons rather than putting a well composed article. If people like that article then they would obviously click on the Facebook like button also.

11. Poke Friends :

Poking friends occasionally is a good practice. In many instances it is found that some people always poke others just to make sure their existence or try to behave like an active user on Facebook. We would like to suggest that instead of poking people if you could share good articles or good posts with links then people will be automatically engaged with your post.

Hope you are clear about the tips we have suggested here. The above mentioned "NOT TO DO" things would be helpful for your engagement with people. Share your experience with us.

How To Use Hashtags In Facebook

Hashtags are popular and are much in use since few years. People who have twitter accounts might have used it and for them it is easy to understand. Similar concept has been adopted by Facebook also. The hashtags convert topics and phrases into clickable links which would be embedded into your post providing and option to users to find out the topics which interest them. Nowadays apart from Twitter, a lot of social media websites support hashtags : like - Google+, Instagram, Tumblr, Flickr etc.

Using Hashtags In Facebook :

You can use # (number sign) with a string which would be basically a one word topic.

Here is an example : I had a hot yummy pizza this evening. #Food

Here, you have the post 'I had a hot yummy pizza this evening.' followed by "#" tagged topic which says 'you had yummy food.'  Once you click on the hashtag, you can see a 'feed of posts' which will include that hashtag. Along with the clicked hashtag, you will get option to click on some related hashtags displayed on the same page. Even you can search for a hashtag in the 'search bar' provided by Facebook.

Increasing Blog Traffic :

There is an opportunity for your SEO practice here. If you promote your posts with links and also embed #s at last, people have the tendency to click on that topic and make them engaged into it. It means hat using proper hashtag will grow your blog or website's traffic. Suppose you are using a hashtag called #Travel. If you set your posts for public visibility and post any article with this tag would be visible to the users who have clicked on #Travel.

Brand Promotion :

Hashtags are useful if you promote your business, product, services, page or any upcoming events by using it. Because it will engage more people who search with the specific hashtags while ensuring an increase for your blog views.

Multiple Social Platform Engagement :

The same post with same hashtags can be shared among different social media platforms because of its supportability. Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Tumblr, all the popular social media networks supports hashtags.
1. Use Popular And Trendy Hashtags :

People would search for hashtags which are popular or mostly used. So if you keep your hashtags which are trendy and mostly used, it enhances the opportunity to get more blog traffic.

2. Use Relevant Hashtags:

According to your post, you should provide the hashtag relevant to the topic. Irrelevant hashtag may lead people to ignore your post. Focus on hashtags which are based n product, service, location or any specific common things.

3. Use Simple Hashtags :

Always use hashtags which are simple to remember and also short. For example, if you use a hashtag like #BrakfastMuesli. It is difficult to remember for people. If you use the same tagging concept by breaking it into specific words which are much more simple and short and easy to remeber.  Here are the simple and short hashtags  : #Breakfast #Muesli.

4. No Spamming :

Spammers are not accepted by people because they want proper information rather than misleading links and posts. It creates bad reputation and using so many hashtags will give your impression as spammer. We would recommend you to use an average of two hashtags per post, in case if it doesn't require more tags.

5. Meaning Of Hashtags :

There should be a meaning for each and every hashtags you are using in your post. If you use a new hashtag then you should specify the meaning of it and people should know about it. You can include your hashtags at "www.hashtags.org" which can be seen by people when required they can check.

6. Hashtag Tracking :

If you are going to promote any product, service, blog or website, make sure that the hashtag you are using is not used by other organization or an individual. So before using any hashtag, do some research on that or you can also track the hashtag on "www.hashtracking.com".

Using hashtags with popular social media websites have proven its worth and have found useful in increasing traffic. We believe that Facebook will be gradually attracting more and more  people for using hashtags. Share your experience using Facebook hashtags.

How To Make Money Using Facebook Apps

In our earlier post we have described 3 quick steps to earn using Facebook. Here we will discuss the various ways how Facebook Apps can earn you money.  You might be wondering that you use apps for various purpose like automatic blog post sharing, multiple online gaming, news feed etc.- but how come apps will earn money for you?

Well, here are some free and commission based applications you can use to make money without paying anything using Facebook.

1. Cafe Press : 

It is one of the best and well-known online store. CafePress lets you easily sell any product from t-shirts, shirts, hats and almost everything wearable. You can share on your page and make money.

2. My Merch Store Zazzle: 

It is an innovative brand where you can make money selling T-shirts and other customizable items like Cafe Press. It offers you to create and design any product freely on their site  and sell them on your Facebook profile page. Now you have to find the potential buyers for customized T-shirts, shirts, hats etc. within your network. It gives you an option where you can sell products created by other artists and earn a commission on those products once sold out. Even if you don’t want to design by own, you have a way to earn money with the help of this Facebook app.

3. Ether : 

It is an app which you can use to make money. You have to answer questions asked by different people in a group. You can use their new application on Facebook to make money while giving advice to people over the phone or chat. If you have knowledge on something and good at giving advice on that topic then it can be a way for you to make some extra money on Facebook. If you know some other language then this app makes it easy to teach others and make money. You just have to set the rates and Ether will provide a number so that interested people can call which will be forwarded to your personal phone number establishing connection with the customer.

5.  Music Blaster : 

Create a small music store with the help of this app and sell music from BlastMyMusic.com. You can earn 5% for each song sold. The advantage here is that this app lets your favorite band or singer album to be sold and make you earn good amount.

6.  FlameTunes :

It is focussed more towards artists as it helps them sell their music online. If you are a singer, FlameTunes will help you to sell your own music on your Facebook page. 

7. Shopit :

It is a free eCommerce app that gives you the ability to buy, sell or trade any product or service irrespective of categories. You have to add a free store to your Facebook account and sell whatever you want.

8. Lemonade :

It is an app which allows you combining commerce and community and have a lemonade stand in a digital (Facebook) neighborhood. In fact, you can add what you want to sell to a lemonade stand and put it on your Facebook easily.

9 . Lending Club :

You can lend money to others and make money as a form of interest. Basically you are making money from the loan given to others. Lending Club has strict policy and terms. So, it’s completely safe and trustworthy and all the legal issues are taken care of by lending club. You basically don't have to scratch your head with that. Just lend and make money with interest earned.

10. e3Buy Auction  :

You can buy, sell or trade anything you want. You can auction your used stuff even along with new ones. You can open a customized store and setup that by uploading your items images and start selling things. There is no commission or fee to be paid for this service. It’s completely free and you can get payment to your PayPal account.

11.  eBay :

Hope you have bought and even sold items on eBay. Now, you can have eBay on Facebook. This application allows you to add eBay auction listings to your Profile where you can sell things you want just like you do in eBay. You also have the option to add an auction where the earned amount would go to a charity. The advantage here is that  you don’t even need an eBay Account to get this app running on Facebook.

Note : We didn't provide the links on each app's title as the links keep changing. 

We would like to recommend you the easiest way : "search with each app name stated here in Facebook search box" and use it.

Wish you a good luck for your "earning from app" campaign with the help of above mentioned tips. Share your experience and comments with us.

3 Easy Steps To Make Money Using Facebook

Facebook needs no introduction about its popularity and users engagement. It is the largest social network and is used by billions of people worldwide. Have you ever thought of selling products over Facebook? Yes! it can be done and Facebook is the best social media platform for selling your products and services.

Here are 3 easy steps which will be helpful if you want to earn money using Facebook :

Offer Product And Services Over Facebook

Make use of Facebook's billions of users by offering them your product and services. If your product and services meet their criteria and fulfil their needs then you have an good option for sales by converting them into customer. Share your blog links over Facebook along with affiliate marketing products or services, where you can get commission on it.

Earn From Facebook App :

A lot of apps are launched every day by different developers on Facebook. Developers are interested in making the apps only for selling purpose over Facebook.  If you are a developer, then you can create a Facebook app and offer it to the thousands of clients on Facebook. Once you get success with your first app then introduce your next one and offer them. You can also develop apps according to clients requirement which can bring you a good earning numbers.

Earn From Facebook Ads :

Though it requires little investment but you can offer your product and services over Facebook by advertising it.  The investment will give the return for sure as the advertisement will come on the right side banner and people will have a clear visibility of the ad. If people think that they require the service which you offer, they will click on that and will be landed to your website.

Ensure your target audience and the user group to promote and sell your products with the help of Facebook ads. A lot of brands and service providers have earned a lot of money using the Facebook ads. It increases the blog traffic also.

Where Your Audience Spends Time Online [Infographic]

Do you know where your audience spends time online? Which Demographic Use Social Media? Yes, this is question every blogger asks because bloggers need follow the source where they get readers.

Facebook, twitter, pinterest or instagram, you have to do research to get your audience to your blog. Check out the infographic for more on the demographics of social media user.

Source : PR Daily

Where Should You Post Your Status Update [infographic]

A lot of popular social media platforms are there but where should you post your updates? Confused? Then here is a nice inforgraphic which explains the various conditions which can be taken into consideration while sharing your status updates. This flowchart will tell you how and where should you update.

Source : BreakingCopy

What If Facebook Was A City [Infographic]

Facebook was launched in the month of February 2004 and within a few years it has become a worldwide sensation and the most popular social media platform. But what if this virtual empire look like as a real city?

It would certainly be the world's most populated city, with over 600 million residents (users), containing many diverse and interesting neighborhoods. Lets take a look what would happen if Facebook was a city.

Source : GetSatisfaction

Social Media Specification Guide [Infographic]

Content designing is one the most important job in social media and when you design content you need to know the dimensions too.

Here is a nice infographic which explains the specification guide on social media.

Source : raidious.com

Facebook Is The Most Popular Social Media Network For All Ages

NextAdvisor has recently did a survey and found that Facebook is used not only by adults, but there are a lot of teens also who have interest in it. Even, Facebook use is higher with teenagers and young adults than with any other age demographic. Here is a nice inforgraphic which shows the usage metric.

Source : NextAdvisor