LinkedIn has taken sharing and networking on company profiles to the next level, making company pages more useful and effective, while increasing the chances of company follower growth. The developers at LinkedIn understand a businesses’ need for engagement and customer growth, which is why LinkedIn announced that marketers are now able to send Targeted Status Updates to their followers. 

Saying more with fewer words or characters is the entire basis of conversation on Twitter. Efficiency is already something top of mind in the business world, and that rule of thumb should be applied to social media tools such as Twitter as well. Getting your point across in an effective way that uses Twitter abbreviations can influence the way your customer (and potential customers) see you and your message.

Part of an inbound marketing strategy is optimizing your content so that it can be found in search engines. Another major part of the strategy is link building from outside sources.  

It’s finally here – well almost. Facebook is slowly rolling out Timeline for Business Pages. The estimated launch time is the end of the month, which is fast approaching. So what does this means for brands with pages? It means you should start prepping for the change and adjust yoru social media strategy, and here’s how.

• If you don’t have timeline for your personal profile, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to switch over now so that you can start playing around with timeline and learn how it works. This way, when timeline comes for pages, you can make the switch and peruse through the set-up process.
• Build a strategy for the new page. Create a cover photo that will define your brand and engage your customers. Develop a way to share your story to inform your customers of who you are a business and what it is you do.
• Timeline gives a business the opportunity to hide specific moments in history that should not be shared, something from the past.
• When sharing exclusive news, Timeline gives you the option to share with a specific group of people so not everyone can see what you are posting. This could be helping when sharing a special offer for fans only. But for posts about your business in general, you can share it with anyone and everyone. Content is just as important on your Facebook page as it is on your web page.
• Get creative with the visual elements that will be on your page, aside from the profile and cover pictures. This could a great opportunity to add videos – both old and new.
• With Timeline, you can date back to the beginning of business. Tell your business story and show how you have grown and expanded from the beginning.
• When the time comes to make the switch, jump on it. Don’t wait until you are forced to make the switch. Also, take the time to play around with Timeline on your own page before right away publishing the new page and its additions.
• Stay up-to-date on what your competitors are doing on their pages so that you can create a way to stand out. Don’t wait until the last minute to add Timeline. Make sure to do your research and be prepared for any possibility. No one is completely sure what the Timeline for Pages will all entail.

How are you getting prepared for the transition to the new Timeline on your business page? What are your thoughts on the change – will it have a positive or negative effect on how businesses are viewed?

Non-profits use stories to share their message in hopes of getting their audience to take action. Ironically enough, social media is used by businesses to share stories and communicate with their audience. So, why not use social media for non-profits? That is exactly what top non-profit organizations are doing. Using social media can benefit your cause and further spread its awareness. Learn how other non-profits are incorporating social media into their strategy.

Google+ was created to make web sharing simple. But is it really that simple? I have heard both positives and negatives about this new sharing network. Granted they are still in the beginning phases and have kinks to work out.