Courtesy of springintosales.com

The New Facebook Rules

There has been a lot of confusion since the new rules came out regarding text, promos and direct sales on your Facebook cover page. For the most part, brands have ignored the update – and have stuck with their old ‘image-only’ cover. You are losing out on a very high percentage of potential sales.

The new rules are as follows:

• You may use 20% text or less in your cover.
• This text can be price or purchasing info, contact info or calls to action.

Tip! If you don’t know what 20% text on a cover page looks like, you can always test yours using this neat tool courtesy of Mari Smith.

Otherwise you can use the 5 column grid trick. Divide your cover page into five columns. Only one of the columns can be filled with text!

Courtesy of suvonni.com

Here’s what you can place in that 20% space:

• Coupons, QR codes, discounts – 50% discount on all items!
• Calls to action – Download, share, like, click and buy!
• Your website address, your email address, your sales page URL, your Amazon URL, or general information about your business.
• Any references to Facebook actions or features. Yes! You can now tell your customers to like your page, from your cover image.

Why You Should Change Your Image

These new changes to your Facebook cover page mean that your image should be more in line with direct sales, or with your marketing goal. If your goal is to get more fans – your cover image should be focused on that. If you’re going to use it as a way to share coupon codes or discounts, then your image should support these actions.

This makes creating a Facebook cover page far more difficult – and far more effective. As a business owner you’ll have to beware of the ‘spam trap’ that your cover presents. Don’t try and squeeze entire paragraphs onto your cover image – that won’t work.

• Short, punchy sales text
• Easy-to-read at a glance
• Beneficial to the customer directly
• Make it easy to follow the call to action!

Think of your Facebook cover page as prime advertising space. It can do a lot for your business, including the conversions that you get from your Facebook ad campaigns. Plus it will ensure that all traffic driven to your page is converted properly, and that you don’t lose any leads. If you haven’t changed your image yet, do it now!

It’s difficult enough getting interactions from your fan base, but when you only have a few hundred fans, you can use the extra help. Use all functions at your disposal!

Any questions on the new Facebook cover photo rules? Leave them here.

Courtesy of socialnicole.com

The Old Facebook Cover Policy

You might remember how strict the rules once were that detailed what you can and can’t design into a Facebook cover photo. You couldn’t write any calls to action on it for example, or Facebook would ask you to take it down, or just remove your page. The new Facebook changes have done away with every single one of those rules, except one.

The Rule That Still Counts

The only remaining rule that Facebook will still enforce is this one: “your cover photo may not be more than 20% text.” That means 80% of your photo has to be an image, and only 20% can be words of any kind.

This still restricts what you can say – or rather how you can say it – but as Facebook changes go, it’s a big one. They offer a lot more flexibility to business pages that are only on Facebook to sell their products. I never quite understood why Facebook had so many rules for the cover photo, but I’m glad to see them gone.

Try improving your impressions, clicks and sales without any calls to action in this prime real estate! It was very hard. Rumor has it that the Facebook changes happened because Facebook realized that they had very little hope regulating the billion accounts. What do you do exactly when someone violates a silly rule like that?

The Rules That Don’t Count Anymore

Courtesy of marismith.com

Facebook changes like this don’t come very often, but you can bet your boots that businesses all over the world will be redesigning their cover photos. Here’s what is now 100% legal to do on your cover photo:

• You CAN put price or purchasing information on your cover photo now. That means you can have a product image with a great big “only $14.99” right on your page. You can also tell your fans where they can go to buy, “download at jimmysburgers.com.

• You CAN put your contact information directly on your cover photo. This Facebook change will drive a lot of extra leads to your websites. Put your web address there, your email address, your postal address and telephone number – go nuts!

• You CAN tell your visitors to click, like or share your page with their friends. The Facebook changes make it possible for you to even have an arrow pointing down to the like button, like the old days! This will definitely increase your fan base.

• You CAN create calls to action and publish them on your cover photo. Phrases like ‘buy it now,’ ‘download here,’ and ‘share with your friends’ are perfectly acceptable. This opens up a lot of new marketing opportunities for page owners.

The real reason why these Facebook changes have occurred, is because Facebook needed to make their image policies for ads and cover photos the same. Cover photos are appearing in more and more ad campaigns, and without calls to action, pricing info and the other previously banned phrases – the ads were not living up to their highest potential.

If Facebook is going to capitalize on their new advertising systems, then they need to make marketing a standard and desirable part of using the platform. It has to be completely business friendly. You can’t sell a product to someone and then insist that ‘because of the rules’ they can’t have effective images in their ads.

Though the ad system has a long way to go before it’s perfect. Some Facebook ads are full of words, and they are approved – while others barely have any words, and they are rejected. This is definitely the teething phase for the platform. These Facebook changes are not going to stop coming.

Until Facebook can make their business users as active as their social users, it will continue to improve conditions for page owners. I read recently that they’ve got their heads in the books, and are working through tons of data to make educated decisions about their services. Facebook changes like removing the ‘unlike page’ option in the newsfeed is one of the tactical moves.

The data obviously showed that too many people were unliking business pages when given the chance. Facebook doesn’t want that to happen. For every unlike – there are businesses reaching less people. If you can’t reach people, why bother taking out an advert? It’s all part of their master strategy to become a hugely business-friendly platform.

The Cover Photo Potential

Courtesy of dreamgrow.com

My advice is to go and change your cover photo immediately. All covers are public and they are highly likely to show up on Google page one for a direct search. Launching a product? Use your cover photo. Appearing at an event? Use your cover photo. These Facebook changes will make it a lot easier to scale small business pages in the coming days.

• Put amazing discounts on your cover photo
• Put incredible specials on your cover photo
• Add a ‘like our page here’ arrow and graphic
• Add in some timeless calls to action to drive traffic!

Remember that the governing rule is still to publish way more image than text. But sales tools are back in, and that’s more than enough for now. We can all start using our Facebook pages a little more realistically because of this change. I expect that more Facebook changes are on the way, and we’ll be smiling about them all year.

Are you going to change your Facebook cover photo? What do you think about these new changes that are sweeping through the social network?

Join our Facebook page here!

Courtesy of smstrat.com

The Science of The Facebook Like System

I was browsing Facebook the other day, when a friend of mine posted a peculiar, but rather tempting, (and ingenious) update. I couldn’t help but ‘like’ the post, along with many other people in my network. Likes on Facebook are easy when you can depend on your friends to do them – but for businesses – it takes extra effort.

The update said, “I love the new sound that Facebook makes when you click on the ‘like’ button!”

Immediately this update intrigued me, because it got me to click ‘like’ for a reason other than I genuinely liked the post. Of course, no sound happened. But the principle was clear – there is more than one way to get likes for your updates. So began the grand ‘like’ discovery. Here’s what I learned about likes on Facebook.

The 10 Easiest Ways To Get Likes For Business Updates

Courtesy of brandignity.com

#1: People Are More Likely To Like Strange, Peculiar or Out-of-the-Box Images

Have you ever posted a strange image, just to see what will happen? It helps if your image is somewhat related to your business, but getting likes on Facebook is easier if you combine ‘unusual’ with imagery. Don’t forget to include a thought provoking caption.

#2: People Like Food More Than Ideas and Concepts

Take a close look at Pinterest – the entire social platform is built on how much people enjoy liking, sharing and talking about good looking food. Use food analogies on your business page, and snag more likes on Facebook with accompanying yummy food images.

#3: Use a Gimmick or a Play on Words For Likes

Have you ever tried the old ‘like if you support team x’ or don’t like if you hate them, gimmick. If someone believes strongly enough in the idea, team, concept or quote that you’re supporting, they would rather like your update than ignore it.

#4: Be Blunt About The Things You Really Like

Yes, you want people to like your updates, but are you giving them people or ideas to like? Try posting an image of a personality in your industry, along with a quote. Then ask your fans if they like this person. This is directly asking to get likes on Facebook – it works.

Courtesy of teaminternetmarketing,com

#5: It’s a FACT, Links and Teasers Get Lots of Likes

Images aren’t working, updates aren’t working – what is left? Links! Focus on finding some high quality, engaging content and post an awesome link to it on Facebook. Then craft an equally as amazing hook, some insight or a question. Get likes on Facebook with links!

#6: Put Like Boxes Above All of Your Blog Posts

It’s nice that you’re publishing your blog links on Facebook, but are people liking them? If not, add a like box to your blog. Your readers will be able to like your post immediately after reading it, without even logging in. That’s how you get more likes on Facebook!

#7: Be Engaging and Innovative As Best You Can

“Only our most valued and successful fans will be able to see and like this update.” What you have here is a compliment, followed by an innovative method of getting more fans to like you on Facebook. Get loads of likes on Facebook when you tempt people into clicking. Another interesting one is ‘Click like for good luck in business all year round.”

Warning! Be careful of creating mass ‘chain’ updates though – you can be clever about it, but very infrequently.

#8: Be a Compulsive Liker Yourself

If you like a lot of your fans posts, they will start to value your input, and will like yours in return. In fact, this is such an effective method, often your fans will just see your brand name and like you, without even reading your post. Likes on Facebook can work like this.

#9: The ‘Click Like If’ Formula That Works Like a Bomb

Even experts over at allfacebook.com recommend that you use the ‘click like if’ method. Create your normal, daily update – then integrate a ‘click like if’ into it. Click like if you agree with X. Click like if you don’t want to see orphans starve. That kind of thing. You’ll be surprised how many likes on Facebook you can get, just by asking for them.

Courtesy of latimes.com

#10: Focus on What Your Fans Care About

Use surveys, polls and marketing materials to determine what it is your fans care about the most. In other words, why did they like your page to begin with? The answer might be ‘to learn how to make more money’ or ‘to find out how to grow herbs.’ Whatever the answer, if you continually answer their core question, they will like it.

Getting likes on Facebook is a real science, but it also requires a lot of creativity. Good and bad posts can get likes, if you know how to prompt your fans to click that little thumbs-up button. Remember, when you get more likes it improves your impressions and more fans will be able to see your posts.

Try focusing on getting more likes on Facebook for a while, and see how it impacts your edgerank score. You’ll know you’re doing something right when people start talking to you on your brand page without any direct invitation to do so. A simple like campaign can make this happen, if you craft intelligent, convincing and tempting updates for your fans.

Why not integrate an interesting like prompt into one of your updates and tell me how it went? I’d love to know how much engagement you get by focusing on your like system.

In the meantime, tell me how you get loads of likes for your updates!

Courtesy of sproutgeek.com

Facebook For Business: According To Mari Smith

Mari is a big fan of the Timeline design, and she has spent months determining how best to use it for business. To Mari Smith, Facebook is a necessary platform that all old and new businesses should invest in. The best way to learn from her, is to check out her own Facebook page. There, she shows you exactly how a page should be run.

The 101 Profile From a Facebook Expert

On first glance you can see that Mari keeps the conversation going – with nearly 2,847 people talking about her posts. Here are some tips from the queen of Facebook.

• For Mari Smith, Facebook is meant to inspire community. She pops in every now and then and announces LIVE discussions for the next 60 minutes. This encourages people to ask her questions or give her feedback, live on her page.

• She posts blogs from other people, which helps her connect to them and adds fresh relevant content to her wall. Only practical advice is shared.

Courtesy of Twylah.com

• If there is one person that knows how to use Timeline apps, it’s Mari Smith. Facebook apps make your page functional, and Mari has 8 of them. Among these are Youtube Videos, a Facebook Course, Google+, Free Webcasts, Mari’s Top Fans, A Free Chapter From Her Book and a big list of apps you should be using on Facebook.

• Mari ensures that she’s the prominent source of Facebook knowledge by publishing DIY or practical info posts. She’ll publish directions, and an explanatory image. By making her images not only attractive, but practical – she gains more fans.

• To Mari Smith, Facebook is about engagement – so she asks her fans questions and encourages a lot of interaction. She also makes great use of the ‘whole page’ function, to enlarge interesting images on her profile.

• Mari Smith is the best at what she does because she’s put the time into her own credibility. She posts images of herself writing on the Facebook ‘wall’ in the FB offices – and she is often interviewed about Facebook as an expert. She makes sure the world knows when something like this happens, you should too!

Courtesy of marismith.com

For an expert like Mari Smith, Facebook will be a constant challenge because it always changes. For you – the business owner – Mari can be that unparalleled source of Facebook knowledge that you need to keep your profiles current and popular.

One of the best things you can do for your Facebook page is to model it after one that works. This is how you learn to implement new strategies and test new processes. Mari is to Facebook what Brian Clark is to content, and Darren Rowse is to blogging! Thanks Mari!

Join our Facebook page here!

Do you know of another Facebook expert that you want to share with us?

Courtesy of jsainteractive.com

How To Facebook Market Like a Millionaire

A smart marketer on Facebook that is not out to quickly and easily make money using basic Facebook marketing strategies, is able to focus on long term techniques instead.

These long term techniques on how to Facebook market pay off, and result in higher earnings directly off the platform. I’ve worked with many wealthy customers – and they do things a little differently. You could learn a thing or two here!

The secret is to manage your strategies in 10 day cycles. It works a little like this:

Step 1: Focus on a marketing strategy
Step 2: Test the marketing strategy on Facebook
Step 3: Give it 10 days to have an impact
Step 4: Collect and analyse data
Step 5: Make improvements and start at step 1 again!

Courtesy of kidnapcustomers.com

The Facebook market is ever-changing, and while this formula may seem basic it has a lot of working parts to it. For example, if your main goal is to increase the sale of an item from your product website, the strategy will work like this.

Step 1: How can you Facebook market this product to gain more traffic?
Step 2: If you decide on video advertising, set schedules and create content
Step 3: Publish to Facebook every day, multiple times in different ways
Step 4: Measure the analytics data and record results
Step 5: Redo your video campaign using the improved results…

…if video X received more fan likes for example, create more videos like it. These cycles are simple to use but devastatingly difficult to maintain for the average business person. This is especially true if you need results now – because money is a concern.

But millionaires should NEVER worry about money. They focus on the processes that result in excellent returns. That’s why they don’t skip steps, make mistakes and end up making more long term money in the Facebook market than other people.

Courtesy of socialmedianews.biz

Some Marketing Tips For Facebook

• Wealthy Facebook marketers only promote their absolute best content, that has already received lots of comments, likes and shares. It has a higher impact on people – especially on Facebook mobile – because it is already popular. The more likes you have, the more you’ll get.

• The Facebook market can return a lot of negative results. Facebook marketers know that promotion to fans is good – but not promoting to friends of fans is important too. It excludes negative feedback from your page.

• Only ever ask people to perform one SIMPLE action. More than one call to action makes the task hard, and people will not do it. Add in one solid call to action that is so simple, quick and easy – people can make it happen in 1 or 2 seconds.

• Upload your email or subscriber lists to Facebook if you’re using Facebook advertising. You can target existing buyers by taking advantage of the custom audience function in the ad backend.

The Facebook market will always be a tough one for independent business owners, looking to make their fortune on the platform. But if you stick to single strategies, tested properly in these 10 day cycles, you’ll find that your marketing techniques boom, along with your sales!

Join our Facebook page here!

Do you think there is value in using Facebook analytics to improve your marketing techniques?

Courtesy of socialtaps.com

Facebook Mobile Marketing: Practical Tips

1. Encourage fans to share what they have just bought from your online store on Facebook. This often increases sales virality and improves sales.

2. Use QR codes to give your online buyers free coupons on Facebook. The Facebook market loves to get once-off, unique discounts for being a fan of yours.

3. Link your Facebook account to your Pinterest account and dedicate a board to your new product. Create special images and share them on Facebook.

4. Publish a very interesting or inspiring image along with a brand message that is highly viral. Then turn this Facebook marketing message into a promoted post.

5. Mobile advertising has improved on Facebook, and you can now get ads and pages recommended to fans and their networks with a small investment.

Courtesy of nanigans.com

6. Create product videos and upload them to Youtube. Then share them on Facebook, to take advantage of Facebook mobile. Aim for that viral effect.

7. Join the throng of people using VINE to create 6 second looping adverts or features for their upcoming products. This is excellent for Facebook mobile users.

8. Announce discounts for all Facebook fans if they click on the tracked link that you will publish to your Facebook page. It’s 15% off for fans!

9. Product sales are about virality, so launch a competition. Facebook mobile competitions work best if entering is about sharing and that’s ALL.

10. Give 5 products to Facebook fans for free in return for a brief review, a photo and an endorsement. Social proof on Facebook is very effective, it will magically boost sales.

11. Turn your fans into advocates for your brand. Facebook mobile is very ‘sharing-friendly’ so encourage fans to share their experiences with your product.

12. Get your Facebook fans to sign up to your blog mailing list, so that they can become repeat customers later on.

13. Create a hashtag for your product and use it on Facebook mobile. People do this all the time to reflect how they feel. Buying a mixer? #Itsmixingtime

14. Get a mobile app created that ‘sells’ your brand without sales pitches. Pillsbury for example might have a ‘make your own muffin’ app (which increases muffin sales indirectly).

15. Create Facebook mobile ads that don’t look like ads. Grab people’s attention and create hooks that are different and intriguing.

16. Mobile marketing is all about media images. Get some pro photos taken of your product in action and share them far and wide on Facebook.

Courtesy of guardian.co.uk

17. Create an app game for your brand that uses touch-screen controls. Make it available for free, and flood people with brand messages in a game format.

18. Selling products on Facebook mobile is easy when you install an e-commerce app on your page. Sell them directly from your business profile.

19. Be creative! Do something outrageous that will get media attention and fame for your new product. Then publish updates on Facebook mobile.

20. Use sponsored Facebook mobile ads to get more likes on your page. Fans will be able to see who of their friends has liked your product.

Use these top 20 mobile strategies to get those products flying out of your online store. Don’t forget to measure your results so that you can improve your next product launch!

Join us on Facebook here for more mobile marketing tips!

Do you have a Facebook marketing tip that will help sell loads of products?

Courtesy of netprofitmantra.com

Facebook Marketing Mistakes Revealed

We’ve all read about those Facebook marketing mistakes that you can make. ‘Don’t speak at your fans, speak to them.’ ‘Post lots of images to get interaction.’ These are broad, common sense mistakes that you shouldn’t be making. What about those harder, hidden blunders that YOU don’t even know about? They could be losing you droves of fans!

Marketing Blunder #1: No More Buying Fans!

You might have noticed your numbers dropping recently, and that’s because the Facebook marketing team is tightening up their ability to find and delete fake accounts. When you use services that offer you Facebook fans for a fee, these companies will insist that they are offering you real people. This is just not true.

In fact, Facebook is cracking down on all pages that bought fans – leaving you without anyone to talk too. In the past, you could buy fans just to get started on Facebook. Now, you really shouldn’t waste your money.

Courtesy of likeable.com

Marketing Blunder #2: Ruining Your Contests

It’s SO easy to break the rules regarding contests on Facebook. As a Facebook marketing expert, I’ve dealt with clients that simply can’t understand why their contests were pulled down or banned. Here are some rules to clarify what you can and can’t do.

You may not ask people to like other Facebook UI functions in your competitions, and you have to use an APP to do it. Your competition should state that it has nothing to do with Facebook, and winners can’t be notified on Facebook, ever.

Marketing Blunder #3: The Facebook Market

Not understanding the Facebook market can cost you fans. For example – if you behave like you’re on Twitter when you’re on Facebook, this can be great, or terrible for you. Great – because people love short, call to action posts with images, and terrible because using hashtags on Facebook makes sensitive fans crazy.

Have you ever actually tested which posts get you the most responses before? Facebook marketing is actually about doing your own testing and analysis.

Courtesy of ontopinternetmarketing.com

Marketing Blunder #4: Not Pushing Your Products Enough!

Let’s be honest, whether your fans are using Facebook mobile or desktop, you want the same thing – leads and sales. But are you doing enough to get them? We are warned so often that Facebook marketing is about people, that we forget to SELL stuff to them, or our pitches or efforts are too weak to get noticed.

If you can’t sell something blatantly, post it on Pinterest – then repost the pic on Facebook and let the sales funnel work. Facebook marketing in small businesses can be a little more aggressive at times.

These four massive Facebook marketing blunders will send your fans packing, and you can’t afford to lose any more of them. Do yourself a favor and start selling properly, no short cuts, no tricks – just daily work.

Join our Facebook page here! It’s so shiny!

What is the worst Facebook blunder you’ve made to date? Any great stories? Share them here.

Courtesy of jobsnhire.com

The Facebook Marketing Fail That is Turning Heads

Facebook has always had privacy problems, since the very first moment it went live. You’ll often see fake spam from your friends every now and then, warning you that Facebook has once again changed its privacy functions, and now the world can see you drunk at that party – if you don’t rush to change the settings.

But what has really happened to this giant social network, since it went public last year? The Facebook marketing team is clearly taking a lot of strain from large investors, as advertising and testing of ad processes has shot up since that time.

Right now, all it takes for a small number of test users on Facebook to inbox you, is a measly buck. They don’t have to be your friend, or know you at all. Facebook real estate is plummeting, and everyone is starting to notice.

The Facebook marketing team needs to be careful how many spaces they fill with ads. Email was one of those hallow areas that were spam free. Facebook first released new policy guidelines that made it impossible for you to block messages from people you aren’t friends with. Now they’re testing this MASSIVE Facebook marketing fail.

Courtesy of empowernetwork.com

Here’s why I don’t think people are going to love this idea, and why businesses won’t benefit from it at all.

• People are unnaturally paranoid about stranger interaction on Facebook – they hate it. Hence the many Facebook marketing spam and privacy problem warnings that go viral.
• People don’t like companies’ cold emailing their daily email addresses, why would Facebook make it so that people can do this to their social networking accounts?
• Small businesses won’t be able to afford too many emails anyway, so there is no value here for them. The Facebook marketing team is targeting big spenders that spam A LOT.
• It’s another ‘bad’ solution to a non-existent problem like the $7 it costs to send status updates directly to the top of friends feeds.
• It comes in the wake of Facebook’s recent privacy policy reform that caused negative backlash, not to mention their privacy issues on Instagram.

It seems to me like this is a ploy by The Facebook marketing team to open yet another revenue stream, even though experts say it won’t earn them a lot of money. While the intended uses for this ‘innovation’ may be to allow a stranger to inbox you, because they met you at a conference or something relevant, it’s a hollow reason.

Courtesy of lifehacker.com

The Real Reason Facebook Allows $1 Emails

The real reason that The Facebook marketing team is testing this $1 email system is of course – money. Investors are nipping at the heels of the marketing team to earn more money, to find new paths that can be money spinners to boost their share value.

If a large corporation wants to directly reach 100,000 people with an advert, they could choose to do it on Facebook as part of their own Facebook marketing campaign. It would only cost them $100,000, and its extra functionality for the business. Everyone wins – oh, except the user.

If this moves past the testing phase, expect to see a whole lot more rubbish in your inbox. More proof that Facebook is going the same way as the old Myspace. Soon there won’t be any place for friend interaction, because of all the ad space!

How do you feel about getting ads direct to your Facebook inbox from strangers?

Courtesy of sociable360.blogspot.com

The Facebook Blog Plugin

Facebook recently released a new plugin that WordPress blog users can customize for their own marketing purposes. The plugin essentially allows you to choose from a range of handy features, to completely streamline and enhance your blog – Facebook link. The plugin is called Facebook 1.0, and it’s available for install right now.

A Step-By-Step Plugin Install

Find the ‘install plugins’ section in the backend of your WordPress blog. Type ‘Facebook’ into the plugin search bar, and when you find it, click ‘install.’ From there WordPress tells you what you need to do to set up the plugin.

Now, it gets tricky. You’ll have to create your own Facebook app. To do this, go to the ‘create new app’ button at the top right of your screen. Fill in the app name and app namespace sections, then continue. Choose a great name, because it will display on your screen when you publish posts.

Next, you’ll fill in a setup screen – contact details, and your blog URL, and mobile version URL if you have one. Personalize your app logo and icon – your fans will be able to see these in Facebook. Once these details are complete, find and select the ‘open graph’ tab, and fill in the defined action and object sections.

In this case your action will be ‘publish’ and your object ‘article.’ Facebook gives you better directions on how to complete your open graph setup here. Anyway, the point of creating your Facebook app, is to enter the App ID, App Namespace and App Secret into your WordPress plugin. You’re done!

Adjusting The Settings To Increase Engagement

Your plugin has been installed, and done some tricky app creation to make it work. From here, it’s as simple as selecting a few settings. Configure your plugin to perform several actions to rapidly improve fan engagement, using your published posts. In the settings, you should be able to:

- Let your readers comment on your posts with their Facebook identity.
- Use a wide range of social publishing features
- Setup a recommendations bar, so that fans can recommend posts to friends
- Change the design of your social buttons, to something you find most appealing
- Add the subscribe button beneath posts to increase your readership on Facebook
- Add the send button, to improve the virality of your posts on Facebook

Each of these functions can be further customized to suit your needs. Using this one powerful Facebook app, you could bridge the gap between your two communities, to bring them together for heightened interaction. Your posts will be auto-published by Facebook, which means no penalties from Facebook Edgerank. Install yours now!

What do you think of the new Facebook – blog plugin? Worth using? Or will you stick to social syndication directly from your blog page? Share with the SMM community.

Courtesy of smunplugged.com

A Modern Disappearing Act

According to Forbes – the internet has gone through 3 generations. Each generation seems to replace the next, at least enough to diminish the original technology a fair bit. They use Myspace as an example. While Myspace was one of the first social media sites, it was eventually outclassed by more innovative sites, and was completely overshadowed by them.

The 3 generations have been: The Web 1.0 companies like Google, Yahoo, Amazon and Ebay, who all rose to fame between 1994 and 2001. The second generation was web 2.0 – companies like Facebook and LinkedIn that came to power between 2002-2009. Now, with the latest generation upon us ‘the mobile era’ – we’re seeing sites like Instagram climb to the top.

That’s 3 generations – with vast differences between them. As the Forbes article states – each generation before the last, can’t seem to move forward, or ‘wrap its head’ around the next evolutionary stage on the internet. For example – Google, try as they might – hasn’t been able to succeed with social media. We’ve seen this in the repeated failures ultimately culminating in the Google+ debacle.

The Evolving Times

Now that everything’s ‘gone mobile’ experts are predicting that Facebook and other social sites like LinkedIn are going to experience a steady decline. ‘The web is dead’ they say. Forbes says in a few years’ time – Facebook and Google might be gone completely. This is a controversial statement – but I’m afraid it’s also completely unfounded.

What Will Actually Happen

Google isn’t going anywhere. Neither is Facebook. What will happen, is that these sites will adapt to the new mobile generation, by buying into it. They will expand by evolving into mobile driven platforms. I honestly don’t think mobile will ever replace the desktop internet. The screens are too small, and that diminishes the fun you can have while online.

While tablets and iPads will drive the ‘mobile field’ the online sites attracting the most attention will stay the same. Facebook will morph into something better. Google will probably continue to lead the way in search. To suggest that mobile sites like ‘Instagram’ will replace the popularity of the originals is short-sighted.

Perhaps in 20 years these companies will be something very different. Google might own the market on augmented reality, real-world social glasses for example, that communicate with you as you walk. It sounds futuristic, but they’ve already announced the patent and prototype. Far from disappearing, I think Google and Facebook will continue to be 2 giant leaders in our fledgling social society.

I agree with Forbes that investing in the mobile field is the right thing to do – but I certainly don’t see the social giants shrinking away from change anytime soon. This we’ve seen in Facebook’s continued evolution, and Google’s compulsive attempts at change.

What do you think? Will Facebook and Google disappear in a few years’ time because of mobile technology?