Integrating Blogger with Facebook

There are multiple ways that bloggers can have their information automatically feed over to their Facebook page.  This makes it easier to communicate with more people without having to manually put the blog out on both locations.
 
One option that was easy for me was to sign in to Facebook, then choose “Notes” from the “Applications” menu.  Then click “Import a blog.”  Simply type in the URL for your blog site, check the box and then click “Start importing.”  It will bring up a preview, then click “Confirm Import”.  That is all it takes and your blog is available to all your Facebook friends.  Any time that you post a blog on your blogsite, it will automatically show up on your Wall and in your friends News Feeds.  For businesses, this can be a powerful marketing tool to reach multiple people, with just a few clicks of the mouse, and at no cost.  The more friends you have on Facebook, the more your information circulates. 
 

I just went through the above process to integrate my Blog to my Facebook page and it also created an RSS feed link.  In addition, I added the link “Close to Home” to the website section on my profile page in Facebook so anyone interested could have an easy, direct link.  I also posted a link on my Facebook wall briefly explaining what my blog is about so I can share what I learn with others that may be interested. 



Now my blog automatically feeds over to my Facebook page



For businesses, this can be a very effective tool.  What may have taken a large amount of money and time to previously announce (like a sale at your business, the arrival of a new product, etc.) can now be done in just a few clicks and very quickly distributed to many people at no cost.

Integrating Blogger with Twitter

After researching for awhile, I learned about some ways that I can integrate Twitter with my Blogsite or to a company website. With the increase in social media participation, this could be an important part of a business’ marketing strategy. One way is to utilize the Twitter Buttons feature. This creates a badge to promote your Twitter account. There are many different buttons to select from so you can find one that will catch the eye of current and potential customers for your business. Another way is to use Widgets. These are added to the sidebar of the Blogsite and can show the latest tweets. Since many Twitterers have multiple followers, using the TwitThis button will allow your blog readers to easily share what they are reading in your Blog with their followers. This can be a powerful marketing tool. A feature called Chirrup! can also be helpful when integrating your blog as it brings Twitter comments over to display them on your page. Twitterfeed is also an option and it allows tweets to automatically feed. This feature is used by many bloggers to notify their Twitter followers when they have posted new information on their site. 

If a business owner wants to maximize their exposure, using some of the options to integrate their blogspot or website with Twitter can be very beneficial.

Why are Searches Important to Business?

Why should businesses make sure they appear in the local searches? The telephone book is outdated and rarely used in today’s world. Consumers are looking for convenience in finding the specific items they need.According to Small Business Coach Online, “80% of all purchases are made within a 15 mile radius of where people live.” Many times they use the web to search for those that offer what they are looking for. An important factor for businesses when setting up their online information, the key words feature is critical. Consumers may not go online and search for a specific business name unless they have heard of it before or someone has told them about it. Many times they are looking for someone to provide a specific service or product. So it is extremely important that businesses set up their online listings so that multiple key word searches lead to them. Below is a video that gives a quick lesson on how businesses can effectively market to their local area.

More Details on Local Searches

Sometimes there are so many results it is hard to know where to begin. In the Google local search site, in order to narrow down the results by type you can be more specific. Beside the search maps box, click on the link “show search options.” This brings up a pick list that says “all results.” If you click on the down arrow beside that, it will show the following options: Locations, Businesses, User-Created Maps, and Real Estate. For today’s search, I assumed I was a business and needed to find a local office supply company. I clicked on Businesses, and then entered “office supplies” in the search box. I scrolled down to Quality Printing & Office Supplies since I noticed on the map it was in an area of town that is convenient. By clicking on the right down arrow to the side of it, I could then select from Directions, Search nearby, Zoom here, Street View, Write a Revise, Save to…, Send, Move marker, Edit details, or Report a problem. Attached is a screen shot of what that page looks like. I clicked on each one to see how the different options may assist me. I remembered that I also needed to pick up some pecans along the way for a recipe I was making, so I selected “search nearby” and found that Tanner’s Pecans is just a few doors down. I then clicked on “save to” and the information was sent to my Blackberry so I could easily pull up the directions and details when I would be going out to run errands. Features such as this can be extremely important in the business world. As the office supply company maintains their customer base, as well as likely looks to bring in more customers, being on a local search results page can be critical to their business needs. Below is a short video that may be helpful for businesses who are interested in finding out how their customers can find them using searches. More and more users are relying on their computers to locate resources they need, and companies who are not participating in the local searches are likely missing out on business opportunities.

Another local search option

There are multiple search engines available to find local information. Since I used Google previously, today I tried Yahoo in order to compare the two. The website address is http://local.yahoo.com. The page is user friendly and easy to navigate. I first typed in the city and state, and multiple categories came up with a few sub categories under each. There is a recently reviewed section in the middle which gives a business’ name and shows the number of stars underneath, then a snippet of the last comments posted. This can be very beneficial from a company’s standpoint as far as advertising, or can be harmful if a bad review is written. In particular I noticed one on a barber shop that suggested it should be renamed “Butcher Cuts”. From a consumer standpoint, after seeing that comment I would not be very likely to spend time looking at that business and would move on to another. On the other hand, I saw an excellent review on a locally owned coffee shop. After reading the great review, I would think that any reader interested in good coffee would likely go visit this establishment on their next coffee shop venture. Businesses need to be aware of what type of experience their customers are having and how the internet has made it so easy and quick for both the unhappy and the happy customer to share their experience with others. This can be a very good marketing tool, or a detrimental one. I continued exploring this site by entering my search for “printing services” and several came up. The results and look were very similar to the Google search I had conducted a few days ago. The name of the company, address, phone number, and a link to their website came up. On many, their website link was also displayed. A few of them had a review beside them, and all had the option for me to write a review. By pointing to the number beside the printing service name, it enlarged the area and number on the map that corresponds to that business’ location, so I could easily see what area of town it is in. Overall the site was very easy to use and I was able to find many helpful options.

This comment would have deterred me from this particular business.

Steps in using the local search feature

Using the local search feature within Google is an effective way to find information. The first step is to go to http://local.google.com. On the left side, you can set your default location so you don’t have to enter it each time. For this research, I entered Saraland, Alabama as the location. Then I went to the search line and put in “printing services” as my mock business is looking to print coupons and business cards and would like to support other businesses in our community. The search produced multiple results, displaying their locations on a map so I could quickly see which printers are close to me. On the left side, the name, address, phone number, and category of each search result were displayed. By clicking on the name of the company, it brought up more information about the company and pointed to their location on the map. It includes an option to get directions, search nearby, save, or post/read reviews. With most companies, a picture was also displayed and a direct link to their website. This local search function allows businesses, and individuals, to quickly locate the types of products or services they are in need of, and easily see their location on the map.

Introduction to local searching

Remember when once a year we received a thick, paper phone book delivered to our home? We would hang onto that book for the entire year, flipping through it to find names, numbers, and addresses of individuals as well as businesses in our area. If we needed our car repaired, to buy a part for our washing machine, or to find out what time our favorite restaurant opened we’d pull out the thick book, put on our glasses, turn to the back half that contained the yellow pages, and start looking. Wow, have times changed. Local searches are now available with just a few quick keystrokes on our computer, or even mobile device, and we have unlimited information readily available. The information is current in comparison to the yearly printing of the phone book. Google places, also known as Google local, is designed to connect searchers with local places. There is a mechanism for businesses to input their information so others can find them through the search based on key words and content. This can be particularly beneficial for businesses since in today’s world customers expect to be able to find up-to-date information very quickly. From a professional standpoint, it can improve efficiency by providing easy access to multiple sources, and allow for comparison in order to locate what one needs.

In this blog, I’ll attempt to give an overview of the process, as well as perform some local searches and describe what I am able to locate. Hopefully my research will help anyone who is interested in finding things that are “close to home.”