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.