brick & click

Why You Need Brick and Click Solutions

You're a business of any size ... radio station ... military org etc.  You need to communicate your unique message/service and build brand awareness across the crowded, fast evolving Social Web.  You want your efforts to result in maximum ROI.  And so do we.

Brick and Click Solutions connects the dots, from brick and mortar location/events to (click) website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Mobile, Email and more.  We make sure your presence and performance on each dot is the best it can be, and specialize in managing those dots as well.   Digital/Social Marketing and Communication Strategy, Presence, Integration, Management, Training.  Next step? Click Contact tab.

Facebook: Give us what we want ... not what you think we want

Facebook retreated a bit on its Newsfeed redesign, letting users choose what we've always wanted to be able to choose, to view all content chronologically.  So instead of some engineer's pet algorythm deciding which friend or Page message is a 'Top Story' ... and thus deserving to be crammed at the top ... you can choose 'Recent Stories First' via the pictured method, or if you prefer Facebook decide, choose the newly coined 'Highlighted Stories First'.  Two major changes from the recent upgrade remain, one good (larger images) and one not good (annoying news ticker).  Letting us decide whether to hide the news ticker or not would be the next, user-friendly, logical step.  Will they take it?  Sigh. 

Social Media / Integrated Marketing Workshop Nov 5th with consulting add-on option

Another opportunity to network, feast and learn at one of the coolest venues around - the reserved Stone Cellar at Warrenton's Iron Bridge Wine Company and Restaurant.  The Saturday, November 5th training session and workshop will be held from 10:30am to 2pm, and as always at Iron Bridge, a tastebud exploding lunch will be part of the experience.

Something New:  You can purchase an additional 2 hours of personalized consulting / help to be used at a later date, at a steep discount over normal hourly rates.  Info below.  Past workshops at Iron Bridge have been enthusiastically received, and whether you're a first timer, or have attended one of my workshops before, you're sure to pick up impactful, strategic, usable information on utilizing the fast evolving social web ... and an integrated approach ... with your marketing and communication efforts.  Topics to be covered include:

• Facebook changes - personal profies (new timeline, ticker and more)
• Facebook changes - Pages (slowly rolling out right now)
• Maximizing look and performance of your Page
• Pay Per Click ads on Facebook - tips, tricks of the trade
• Twitter - Dos and Don'ts
• Linkedin - what every business and business professional needs to know
• Google+ - should you care?
• Blogging
• Email newsletters /marketing
• connecting all the digital dots

If you're attending the workshop, feel free to submit questions beforehand so they have a better chance of being addressed during the session.  You can email jeff@brickandclick.com, post them in the comment section below, or on the Event on Facebook.  This information rich workshop, including a tasty lunch with appetizers, refreshments (wine, beer etc is on your dime) and dedicated wait staff is only $125.  An additional two hours of personalized consulting (to be used at a later date) can be added for just $100 more.  You must contact me via email, jeff@brickandclick.com, or phone: 540.729.2742 to reserve your spot.  Electronic invoicing via Paypal will confirm your seat.  Seating is limited, so contact me as soon as possible if you're interested.  Hope to see you at Iron Bridge on November 5th!  ~  Jeff

Advanced Social Media, Integrated Marketing and Communication Workshop at Iron Bridge in Warrenton, VA

For DC area/Northern Virginia marketing and communication pros, small business owners, those in military public affairs and more:  I'm hosting an advanced workshop and presentation in the Stone Cellar room at Iron Bridge Restaurant and Wine Company, on Main Street in Old Town Warrenton, VA from 10:30am to 2pm on Saturday, July 30th.  A tastebud exploding lunch, personal wait staff, appetizers and refreshments are included in the fee.  This workshop is designed for those with intermediate and higher social media/integrated communication experience, looking to take your efforts and ROI to the next level.  Past workshops - several at Iron Bridge - have been enthusiastically received.  Topics to be covered include:

• Facebook Page customization - using third party services to build and manage iFrame Tabs
• Facebook Page changes - the good and not so good, getting up to speed on all capabilities
• Facebook Pay Per Click Advertising - creating, targeting, managing, checking campaign ROI
• Twitter - filtering out noise and spam ... building a higher value, targeted community
• Using platforms like Hootsuite to schedule and manage content on Twitter & Facebook
• Google+ - what are the implications, for personal and business use
• ROI / Metrics
• Maximizing your Linkedin presence - personal and business
• Geolocation - Foursquare, Facebook Places, etc
• QR Codes
• Connecting the dots - integrating offline (brick) and online (click)

Credentials: I have 18+ years in marketing and communications, including a 13 year radio career as an award-wining writer/producer, Operations Manager of 3 XM Satellite Radio channels, and Operations/Website Manager/News anchor for the syndicated Morning in America show; formerly Online Community Manager for Army.mil, part of a team that designed and managed the Army's official website and social media presence; formerly Enterprise Social Media Manager at Intridea, specializing in Social Business Design, weaving 'social' throughout orgs and businesses;  founded Brick and Click in 2008, with numerous satisfied clients ranging from small businesses to military orgs to national brands. I was an invited panelist at NASDAQ OMX's 'Future of Social Media' event at NASDAQ's famous Times Square market site last fall during Advertising week. Picture above is of the panel ... that's me on the far left. 

The fee for this 3.5 hour workshop and presentation is $125, which includes a fantastic meal, appetizers, refreshments, personal wait staff and venue that past attendees rave about - the reserved Stone Cellar at Iron Bridge.  You must contact me (Jeff Crites) to reserve your seat, and seating is limited: call 540.729.2742 or email jeff@brickandclick.com.  Electronic payment confirms your reservation.  The event on Facebook is here.  Those attending are encouraged to RSVP 'yes' on the Event page.  Hope to see you July 30th at Iron Bridge.  It will be time and money well spent.

'One Hour Summer Bash' in Warrenton VA Serving Up Free Chick-fil-A

NEWS RELEASE:  Warrenton, Virginia based businesses One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning of Northern Virginia, Mister Sparky of Northern Virginia, and Rhino Roofing System are picking up the lunch tab for a full hour, 12-1pm, on Wednesday, June 22nd at the Warrenton Chick-fil-A.  Anyone can stop by the One Hour Summer Bash (event on Facebook here) and enjoy a free combo meal after filling out a short voucher, which will be handed out on location, and is also available in PDF format (block of four vouchers) via this link:

Download OneHourSummerBash_ChickfilA_Voucher2011

Judging by the popularity of previous One Hour lunch events, this 'Bash' is sure to be a jam packed, fun-filled gathering of Chick-fil-A fanatics .  The Chick-fil-A cow, always a hit, will be on hand for mixing, mingling and picture taking.  Freebies/schwag will be handed out, in addition to the fabulously tasty free food, and Warrenton police will do their best to keep traffic back-ups to a minimum (planning your arrival and parking strategy ahead of time is recommended).  Jared Dean, owner of One Hour NoVA, Mister Sparky NoVA and Rhino Roofing, says the event "is an opportunity to give back, in a fun way, to our community.  Business is so consuming that we often forget to stop and take the time to only think of others.  Sure we think of our clients every day while repairing their homes, but taking time and only thinking of them by breaking bread together, so to speak, takes us back to what life truly is about - community.  God Bless you all, and have a great summer!". Notable: Mr. Dean will assume the role as Brand President of One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning next year, representing more than 200 franchise locations across North America.

And finally, to take things up another notch over the next two weeks, 2 people will have the opportunity to win Free Lunch for a Year (52 combo meals!!) at Chick-fil-A.  To be eligible for the drawing, go to this special Tab on the One Hour Page and follow the simple instructions (for Northern VA residents living in service area of businesses involved in Summer Bash event. Complete contest rules at bottom of Tab).  The 'Free Lunch for a Year' contest is being held exclusively on Facebook (with no affiliation to Facebook).  The two winners will be chosen by random drawing on Friday, June 24th at approximately 2pm at the Warrenton Chick-fil-A.  If you have any questions about the Free Lunch Bash on June 22, or the Free Lunch for a Year contest on Facebook, feel free to post them in the comment section of this post.  

Warrenton Chick-fil-a donating 20% of proceeds May 19th to benefit resident battling cancer

This was passed to me from a Warrenton friend, who received the note from the president of the Fauquier County Soccer Club.  If you're in or around Warrenton, VA this Thursday, May 19th, stop by and have a meal at our local Chick-fil-a, anytime between 6am to 10pm.  Print out the fundraiser coupon via PDF link at bottom of post and present it to the cashier.  It's a good thing to do.

Tim Schulke (pres, FCSC):  "One of the things I love so much about living in a community like Warrenton is, even if you don't know someone personally, you are highly likely to "know of" that person. Ours is a small community with the feel of one big family.  We care about our neighbors and when there is a need to assist, we do so gladly without a moments hesitation. We do so gladly, because we can, because that is what we are all about.   I share with you the story of Stephen Curley. Our local Chick-fil-A has stepped up to support the Curley Family and now each of us has an opportunity to do the same. I encourage each of us to do what we can to help."

“As you may or may not know Stephen Curley (pictured to left), a long time resident of South Wales (just outside of Warrenton), has been fighting a dreadful disease of cancer over the last year.  Steve has been hospitalized in Boston with only a few visits home since the end of 2010 after being diagnosed with an extra-skeletal osteosarcoma.  This has kept him away from his beloved wife Barbara and their ten beautiful children undergoing a number of surgeries, radiation treatments, and chemotherapy treatments to battle this cancer.  As Stephen's oncologist Dr. Grace would say, they are family in the "heat of battle."

The Curley's run Tepeyac Title Company in Warrenton. Stephen is member of the Knights of Columbus, and an Adult Volunteer in Scouting among many other things.  The Curleys are Parishioners of St. John's here in Warrenton, a homeschooling family, and will soon have two children attending Seton School in Manassas this Fall.  He has not been able to work obviously and this has had a huge impact on them financially on top of the many medical bills that are coming in and are going to continue coming in for some time.

So here it is, the details have been finalized, thank you to Paul Brock (owner/operator) and Stephanie Kennedy (community relations) of Chic-Fil-A in Warrenton!   Curley Family Charitable Fundraiser at Chick-fil-A (Warrenton Store Only)  Thursday May 19th from 6 am - 10pm.  If you present one of these coupons a portion of the sales will be deposited in the Curley Family Account at Middleburg Bank.  So make a day of it, come for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between! Let's give Chick-Fil-A very busy day that day!  God Bless you!"

Download ChickFilA_Curley_Family_Fundraising_Voucher

Social Media for Business Workshop

I'll be conducting a private social media for business workshop - special emphasis on Facebook - for a Winchester BNI Group on Wednesday,  May 25th, from 9am to 12pm, at Alcova Mortgage in Winchester.  I'm attending my first BNI meeting this morning with this group in Winchester, VA, and am always excited to discover new ways to network with business owners and professionals.  Taking part in regular business focused networking meet-ups are one of the best things I or anyone can do.  Being immersed in the Social Web each day is great ... but it's imperative to get out and 'hit the bricks', shake hands, pass out biz cards, and meet people face to face.  Of course I'll be doing what I advise all of my clients to do this morning:  making sure everyone knows how to easily find and follow/connect with me on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and this blog. It's those simple things like converting a 'brick' experience into 'click' connections that can add tremendous punch to your high value community building.  Those you meet face to face, those you help or interact with on a more personal level online via Twitter, Facebook, etc ... are much more likely to be interested in communicating, referring, sharing and networking in the future. Looking forward to hosting workshops again!  I'm available for private ones like this one, can come on site to do training for any business (local or anywhere), and will be posting 'open' workshops in various locations, mainly NoVA and the DC metro region.

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UPDATE:  Workshop has been pushed to Wed May 25, same time, same place (originally said May 17th in post)

Facebook 'Questions' available for personal and Page use

 

I just added the new 'Questions' feature on my personal and business Page Facebook accounts.  It can be a nice option to ask an open question of your friends or fans, or conduct a quick poll with specific answer options (yes, no, maybe, you're nuts, etc).  Facebook is rolling Questions out over the next few weeks, but you can be proactive and add it now by doing the following:

1. via your personal account, go to facebook.com/questions
2. choose to add it, and it will appear immediately along with other message options, like Status, Photo, Link, Video
3. Now go to any Page you admin, and switch to 'Use Facebook as (Page)'
4. go back to same /questions URL and add it again, this time to the Page you're logged in as

 

I'm just now experimenting with it (you can see a polling question I asked on my Page), and it's interesting to see the difference when you toggle back and forth as person and Page.  You have the option to 'Ask Friends' the question you just posted on your Page, if you choose to be yourself on the Page.  It brings up a box listing all of your friends (not Fans), and you can check off ones you want to receive a notification inviting him or her to answer the question. So this begs the question: do you like this new feature?  You might want to give it a whirl before deciding pro or con. If you don't want to pose your own question, please interact with the one I posted, and get a feel for how it works.

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UPDATE (7:15pm ET): after testing and poking around Questions all afternoon, one thing I noticed that you'll want to check into:  There's a new section under 'Notifications' (your personal Account Settings) for Questions.  It defaults so you receive emails when someone invites you to answer a question, and several other actions.  You might want to tweak the settings to keep a flood of emails from coming when Questions take off, from personal profiles and Pages.

Another thing I noticed ... and maybe it's because this feature is new ... but I haven't spent as much time interacting with people in quite a while as I did today with Questions - specifically one I posted on my Page, and one I interacted with on Shonali Burke's Page.  Questions can trigger a lot of interactivity ... which is great (I really enjoyed the engagement today:-).  But for some, this feature will have the potential to annoy and/or overwhelm, so use it wisely.

Another reason to dislike birthdays

I received this note and 'digital cake' upon logging into my Freshbooks account today.  It caught me as especially odd and kind of funny, if by funny you mean kind of annoying and pretentious.  Freshbooks is a decent and affordable invoicing and bookkeeping service that I've used since launching Brick and Click in 2008.  But I'm thinking they could've come up with a slightly more impactful way to 'wow' me on my toddler anniversary.  Instead of a message that shouts "Aren't we wonderful?  And won't you please celebrate by telling your friends how wonderful we are?" ... perhaps they could've given me an actual gift, like a month of free service, or better yet, a cupcake in the mail.  The latter would've prompted me to take a picture of said cupcake and post it happily on Facebook and Twitter.  Makes me rethink how I treat customers, and has my mind churning with ideas on how to exceed their expectations in creative and memorable ways.

Tools You Can Use: Two Recent Mobile App Discoveries

I'm not one to download every mobile application under the sun.  I don't want my iPhone or iPad cluttered with endless screens of rarely used apps, so I frequently find myself pruning my modest app collection.  The bottom line:  I'm always on the hunt for useful applications and technology in general, for personal and professional use. And sure, I'm human, so I gravitate to the ocassional game or 'candy' app that exists for pure entertainment or time passing purposes (great when you're growing moss in a doctor's waiting room). 

On that note, I want to spotlight a couple of apps that I've recently discovered or began to use.  If you're a regular Starbucks customer like I am, I strongly suggest using the Starbucks Card Mobile App.  I've had it for a number of months, finding it useful to see how much money was available on the card account, and how many purchases I needed to make before a free drink coupon would come my way (every 15 purchases).  But today, I used the app itself for the first time to pay for my triple espresso.  It was a seamless experience, and had me wondering why I waited, since I knew the technology existed since first reading about it in January, and since reloading the card at the cashier - then making a purchase - had become something of a thorn in my side the past few months.  Now, I'm going to set up auto-reload online, so every time my account hits zero, a certain amount is moved from my debit card to my Starbucks account.  I no longer need to carry that extra physical card in my wallet.  I can just pull out my iPhone, tap the app, choose 'Touch to Pay", and the barista/cashier will simply scan my onscreen barcode, and bingo, the transaction is complete. Clicking "Touch When Done" immediately shows you how much money remains in your account.  The app keeps tally of how many transactions you've done, so you don't miss that freebie after each 15 (you also get a free drink coupon around your birthday).  The only thing Starbucks needs to do now is take out the snail mail coupon process and make it all a seamless mobile experience.  So when you hit that 15th transaction, or it's your birthday, the app should reflect that when scanned.

Another mobile app I wanted to bring to your attention is the Google Translate app for the iPhone.  I stumbled on it recently, having found the Translate option at Google.com something of a wonder.  Google released the Translate iPhone app on Feb. 8th.  You can type some text in one language, English for instance, and have it quickly translated into another language, say Spanish.  But the real mindblower is the audio capability.  It recognizes voice input from 15 different languages when you click on the little microphone and speak into your phone. You can see a text tranlsation of up to 50 languages, or listen to one of your translations spoken out loud by the app in one of 23 languages.   I tried it a few times, and depending on how clearly you speak, background noise, etc ... accuracy can be a little erratic.  Might have also been my not-so-terrific Spanish speaking ability.  But the potential here is vast.  What if you come across someone in distress who speaks another language, and can't speak a lick of English.  Just pull up the app and have the person talk into your phone.  It's the kind of app that you may not use very often, but when needed, could literally save a life one day.  Or at minimum help you figure out what the person at the drive thru is saying ....

Have you discovered any impactful or interesting mobile apps lately?  For personal or business use?  Please share!

Facebook Page Changes: cheers and frustration, part 1

I'd been nervously awaiting a major redesign of Facebook Pages since the cat was "accidentally" let out of the bag in mid December (FYI: it likely happened on purpose to test user reaction).  What's being termed an 'upgrade' rolled out Facebook wide last week, in preview form to Page admins, who have the choice to upgrade now or have it force fed come March.  I went ahead and made the transition with my Page after extensively studying and testing the new layout and capabilities.  If you're not a Page admin, you can tell if you've stumbled on a reconfigured Page if it closely resembles redesigned personal profiles, with tabs moved to the left and five images at the top.

I'm not going to provide a step-by-step tutorial of all the changes.  What I will attempt to go is address the key changes - the best ones - and the ones that leave a lot of us grinding our teeth in frustration.  Context is key.  What is Facebook trying to do when they roll out a redesign like this. What direction are they taking us? Because knowing where they're going is essential.  Are they responding to the collective voice of the Page admin community?  Or could they really care less what we think, because afterall, the Gen Y braintrust behind the kudzu-like growth of The Social Network knows what's best for Main Street, right?   

Overall, I'd give the redesign a B-, and three cheers for a much needed focus on businesses and organizations.  I've long thought that Facebook was neglecting Main Street, an opinion officially confirmed last Fall during Advertising Week in New York City.  In the Marketing That Connects Session I attended on September 28th, Mike Murphy, VP of Global Sales at Facebook, admitted they'd been placing the lion share of their focus on two communities:  users and developers.  The business community, the other main component of Facebook, had played third fiddle to zillions of consumers and creators of third party applications like Farmville that attract legions of addicts players.  Murphy, who left Facebook in October, told the business-centric crowd that they were on the back burner no longer.  The affable and approachable advertising vet was kind enough to listen to me get some Page frustrations off my chest when I tracked him down after the session ended. 

It's well known that Zuck and company were focused on hyper user growth, the theory being that revenue would then follow.  With revenue near $2 billion in 2010, according to eMarketer, cash is starting to flow in like a river.  And I believe revenue growth will be the key driver behind most every Facebook move from now on, to justify its stratospheric valuation - $50 plus billion, secondary market - and keep the growing number of investors, led by Goldman Sachs, happy.  With that reality as a backdrop, I want to highlight some of the recent changes made to Pages.

The Good

Email Notifications and Spam blocking
Clients of mine have always asked why Facebook didn't give them the ability to receive an email nudge when someone posted a message on their Wall, illeviating fear that they'd not be immediately aware of something important, profane, or spammy.  That capability is finally here.  Instructions for Admins:  choose Edit Page, Settings, and make sure Email Notifications is checked.  Spam filtering is also a new option.  You can choose from three Spam block settings via Edit Page, Manage Permission ... and/or choose to block individual words via a comma separated list box.

Pages can strap on shoes
Your Page is no longer just a destination.  Now it's an entity that can Like other Pages, comment on other Page walls, and enable you to easily (once you get the hang of it) toggle back and forth between Admin and Personal modes so you can comment on your own Wall as the Page or as yourself. 

This should help illeviate the mess created, and terms of service violated, when Admins use a second 'personal' account to offer more options when interacting and communicating on a Page Wall. Instructions for Admins:  choosing Account (personal), you'll now see 'Use Facebook as Page'.  That gives you the option to 'Switch' to Page mode on any Page you admin.  You can then travel to another Page, Like it, and choose to add that Page to a new 'featured Likes' rotating section on the left sidebar of your Page.  Bugs noticed:  When visiting other Pages in Page mode, I'm noticing that some Liked via my Personal account are already Liked from my Page ... and others are not. This is confusing, and is most likely a bug.  I've also noticed that sometimes when I visit another Page while in my own Page mode, custom FBML Tabs are not loading.  But when I switch back to 'Jeff', they load fine.  Weird.

Categories can be changed
One of the biggest frustrations for Page Admins has been the inability to make needed changes, to a Page name, custom URL/username, and category.  You can now mark one of these off the list.   

When you look at upgraded Pages, you'll notice the Category (Local Business in my case, at least for now) under the Page name.  Instructions to Admins:  By clicking Edit Info, you'll be taken to Basic Information (also accessible via Edit Page) where you can decide whether to select a more appropriate category.  I encourage Admins to test different categories, because information options (About, Company Overview, etc) vary. Choose a category that logically fits your brand and offers impactful info boxes. Note:  it looks like Facebook has added a 'General Information' box to all categories, a very good move, as many Pages have been using a misworded box like 'public parking' to display pertinent information.

Remembering President Ronald Reagan

   The Gipper was born 100 years ago today.  In honor of one of our greatest presidents, I'm posting audio from a CD I produced in 2004, a richly mixed compilation of historic audio, observations from Reagan friend and Education Secretary Bill Bennett, along with special guests and callers from Bennett's radio show, Morning in America.  All of the audio is from the week after Reagan died.  The show - I was its Operations Director and News Anchor - devoted five straight days to Reagan and his legacy.  It was a somber, yet amazing experience, and one I'll never forget.  The CD, titled Morning in America: Rembering President Ronald Reagan, was a labor of love that took me several weeks and more than 100 hours to produce.  I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane  (approximate run time: 77 minutes ... click ReaganCD, listen as long as you like, pause when you need to. You cannot download it)

ReaganCD

 

I'm back

After an 8 month-ish season away from blogging, at least from this personal real estate ... I have returned.  I'm excited and energized and ready to communicate the things that I think are important, relevant, impactful, or just plain interesting to me as I dive back into consulting in ... and analyzing ... the space where the digital and brick/mortar worlds collide.  If what I share interests you, fabulous.  If not, thanks for stopping by and I wish you well.

And while the idea of being a thought leader in any space is attractive, the thought that this will be a one-way street is not.  Don't be a stranger to the comment section.  Please connect with me on Twitter and Facebook and Linkedin.  All for now ... much more to come soon.

~ Jeff 

June 5th Social Media and Online Presence Workshop - last call!

 

I'm hosting a social media/online presence workshop this Saturday, June 5th, at Iron Bridge Restaurant and Wine Company in Warrenton, VA, from 11a-3pm.  We'll be in the reserved Stone Cellar at Iron Bridge ... quite the cool venue ... and quite the fabulous food to be enjoyed as well.  If you would like to get up to speed on anything and everything having to do with the Social Web ... from Facebook to Twitter to Linkedin to blogs to the mobile space and so on ... this workshop will offer a lot of bang for modest buck. Aimed at business owners and business professionals, this hands-on workshop has limited seating, so call or email right away to reserve your seat.  Details on my Facebook Page. 

Fee:  $125 (includes meal and refreshments)
Email: jeff@brickandclick.com
Call:  540.729.2742

What Facebook needs - check that - HAS to do to make Pages more biz friendly

Facebook Pages are all the rage, and rightly so. In addition to 450 million-plus users, there are millions of businesses and organizations utiliziing Pages to connect with people on Facebook. And despite all of the recent rage about privacy moves by the world's largest social network, I believe strongly that Pages have far more upside than downside.  But I also want to spotlight what I feel are several key changes Facebook should implement to make Pages more effective and business friendly.

First of all, Page admins should be able to change the 'names' of Pages, the same way you can change Group names. Currently, if you set up a Page, you are stuck with the name you choose. It's ridiculous that admins lack the simple ability to adjust Page names. Case in point: I am advising a company that has hundreds of franchises across the U.S.  If part of the strategy is to advise franchises to adjust their Page names so they conform to uniform search/location and company standards, that company is out of luck. Once a Page name is chosen, it is set in stone, and cannot be altered. 

Second, Page admins should be able to change 'categories'. The average person has no idea that when choosing a category for a business/organization Page, their Info tab/page is set in stone. When I first set up a Business Page, I followed standard, logical steps.  Those logical steps could lead you to choose a Page category that has an Info tab/page with a 'Public Transit' information option that has nothing to do with your business. And once chosen, there's no turning back. Especially once you get a sizeable group of people who 'like' your Page. At that point, if you're only option is to delete the Page and start over, it's an idiotic option.

Third, Page admins should have a second or third chance when claiming 'Usernames'.  Currently, if you claim a Page Username, you have one shot, and one shot only. If you make a mistake, or decide later you should adjust that important URL, you're out of luck. Ridiculous.  Twitter allows you to change you @username at will, as long as it's available. This should be the same option on Facebook. 

Fourthly, Page admins should be able to send direct messages to anyone 'liking' that Page, in the same manner as messages sent by Groups.  Currently, Page admins are only allowed to send 'updates' that are sent to a very hard to locate messages folder in each followers profile. There's no valid reason for Facebook to deny Page admins the cabability to send 'visibile' and impactful direct messages to everyone connected to that Page. If Facebook is worried about 'spam' or 'too many direct messages' ... that problem can be taken care of by users.  If a business sends too many direct messages, I can simply 'unlike' that Page. My choice. And it should be the Page's choice to send direct and meaningful messages to people who have "chosen to connect with that page".

These are a handful of meaningful changes that would incite shouts of glee from Page owners/admins.  I am tired of Facebook making changes that cause a "what the ??" reaction from users/admins.  Put these changes into play, and Facebook will be on the road to serving the people who make Facebook money, Page owners/admins. 

Your thoughts are welcome.

Linkedin, 60 million members strong, turns 7 today

In typical fashion, I was first alerted to today being Linkedin's 7th birthday by a quick check to my Google Reader, where I noticed a blog post by Mashable, which referenced a tweet from Linkedin Sr Director of Corporate Communications Kay Luo, who re-tweeted another Linkedin employee, who was apparently the first to reference May 5th, 2003 as the starting point for the business networking platform.

It's always interesting to see what a popular platform looked like on day one, and thanks to this image from Flickr (linked to via Ms Kuo's tweet), we can see Linedin version 1.0:

 

Now, let's compare to May 5, 2010, with a screen shot from my homepage:

 

Linkedin's come a long way.  According to Kuo's Linkedin public profile, it has grown from 50 employees and 8 million members when she joined the team in 2006, to 500 employees and more than 60 million members today.  Interestingly, Linkedin, while not the highest profile social media site, has been around longer than Facebook (2004), Twitter (2006), Youtube (2005) and Myspace (August 2003). One thing is for sure, Linkedin owns the pure business niche, and is a revenue generating machine, pulling cash from three main streams:  premium subscriptions, corporate solutions and ads. Since it's not a publicly traded company, Linkedin's revenue figures are not available. But it's been profitable since 2007, and rumors of a billion dollar buyout began some two years ago.  What does that make it worth today?  Who knows. But I know this: as the ultimate digital rolodex and resume, it's a must for any business professional to have a presence on Linkedin.

You can find me on Linkedin here (linkedin.com/in/jeffcrites).  If you want to connect, use the email jeff@brickandclick.com and the category 'other'.