Christian Karasiewicz, Author at Christiankonline.com

The Facebook Short URL – 3 Ways to Save!

Back in 2009, Facebook created the Facebook URL shortener. This was a tool that took your Facebook URL such as Facebook.com/askck and created a Facebook short URL such as FB.me/askck out of it.

Over time, the Facebook short URL has grown. There are now three way’s to create a Facebook short URL.

Before we go over each type of short URL though, let’s talk about the features and benefits of each one and how they can help your business, Facebook profile, or Facebook Page put them to use.

Facebook short URL features

For those of you looking to save space, this Facebook short URL trick can really help you out. Basically, it takes your full Facebook URL (starting with Facebook.com) and creates a short URL.

Here are a few features of the Facebook short URL.

Works on Facebook profiles and Facebook pages
Does not require a Facebook vanity URL to create a Facebook short URL
Facebook links shortened through Bitly are automatically converted to a Facebook short URL – customize your bitly URL to make it your own.

Benefits of a Facebook short URL

When you create a Facebook short URL, you’ll benefit in a number of ways. Here are some of our favorites.

Make it easy for fans and customers to remember your Facebook URL
Save space on your business cards
Works on Facebook profiles and Facebook pages
You do not need a Facebook vanity URL to create a Facebook short URL

The Facebook short URL – 3 way’s to save

Continue reading The Facebook Short URL – 3 Ways to Save!

Rearrange boards on Pinterest Like the Supermarkets [video]

Pinterest is a terrific resource to drive traffic to your website or blog. In fact, I find a lot more traffic comes from Pinterest than it does from other social media channels like Facebook. One way to leverage your Pinterest account to drive traffic back to your website is to create great boards. Each time you add a new board though, remember to go back and rearrange boards on Pinterest.

Why rearrange boards on Pinterest?

If you’ve ever been to the grocery store, one thing you’ll notice is that the products the store wants you to buy are always at eye level. The less popular ones (and usually less expensive ones) are on the bottom shelves, out of the your line of sight. This is because they want you to focus on the products they’ve put on the middle shelves. Crazy, but true.

So why are your Pinterest boards not arranged this way?

As the number of boards on your Pinterest account grows, it is important to go back and rearrange boards on Pinterest. Everytime you create a new pin board, it is added to the bottom. This means your followers (and any new users) won’t see it if they go to your Pinterest channel because it will be below the fold and out of sight.

Because of this, you’ll want to go back and rearrange your boards so that you have the most important ones showing at the top. This way your followers won’t have to search through your boards. At the same time, this gives you the opportunity to put your best boards at the top – the ones you pin to often or want your followers to see and repin content from.

Don’t forget about your business needs

As the needs of your business change, it is important to reflect these changes on your social media channels as well.

For example, if you are known for cooking, arrange your Pinterest cooking boards at the top and the boards you use less often towards the bottom.

While you’re rearranging your boards on Pinterest, be sure to set a board cover for your boards too. This way they’re easily identifiable and stand out.

Video on how to rearrange boards on Pinterest

Continue reading Rearrange boards on Pinterest Like the Supermarkets

18 Facebook Page Post Tips [infographic]

Choosing what to write for your Facebook page post can be a challenge for most Facebook Page owners. A lot of times, this is because the business doesn’t have a strategy in place for their Facebook Page.

As a result, most businesses resort to posting the wrong type of Facebook page post just to keep their numbers up.

What is considered a bad Facebook Page Post?

For one reason or another, when businesses create a Facebook Page, they are only concerned with how many likes their page has. While having a lot of likes on your Facebook Page can mean more opportunities to reach more people, that’s not the end goal. The end goal is to get people back to your website to check out your products, goods, and services that you offer, and to buy them.

If you don’t sell any products and only post content, your goal is to get people back to your website to read your content.

In either case, Facebook is just a vehicle to get them there.

So what is considered a poor choice for a Facebook Page post? Here are a few examples.

Quotes

Sure, quotes will help increase likes on your Facebook content, but will they get people back to your website? Unless you’re known for selling books filled with quotes, skip this type of Facebook Page post. It gives off a false sense of improvement, but won’t ring the cash register.

Internet memes

Internet memes are cute, but being cute also doesn’t sell products (unless you’re a model). Like quotes, Internet memes will elicit a lot of likes, but they won’t get people to buy your product. Answer this, when was the last time Gangnam Style sold someone a piece of gym equipment? Exactly.

Photos

We’re not suggesting that posting photos is a bad choice for a Facebook page post. When you’re ready to make a Facebook Page post, just make sure your images are sized properly. This way your message comes through loud and clear. There’s nothing like posting a photo and not having the part of the photo visible for your fans and customers to see. Take that extra couple of minutes to size your images before your post them. This will make your page look better in the end.

If you’re not sure what image sizes to use for your Facebook Page, check out this Facebook dimensions cheat sheet, complete with all of the sizes your business needs to know when creating a Facebook Page post.

Now that you’re aware of some of the poor choices for a Facebook Page post, Mike Maghsoudi and the team at PostRocket have a few tips to share with you to sweeten your Facebook Page.

18 Facebook Page Post Tips Continue reading 18 Facebook Page Post Tips [infographic]

20 Google Extensions to Expand Google+

Google+ is one of my favorite social networks to use. Sure, it started off with a lot of posts about technology, but in the past two years, it has grown significantly. One thing I like is how you can expand its functionality by adding in Google extensions within Google Chrome to add new features to your Google+ account.

We’ve put together 20 of our favorite Google extensions to help make using Google+ easier.

20 Google extensions to expand Google+

Continue reading 20 Google Extensions to Expand Google+

How to Contact Twitter

One thing I love about Twitter is how open and accessible the social network is. I especially like how you can choose to follow someone or just view their tweets without connecting with them. This makes it a lot more friendly to use and removes a number of barriers to enter unlike with other social networks like Facebook that require you to be connected in order to view someone’s updates. Like most social networks though, learning how to contact Twitter for help has proved to be challenging.

There are either too many forms to remember or it is not clear on how you contact Twitter. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of all of the best ways to contact Twitter for help. Simply bookmark this one page and you’ll have every form you need to contact Twitter.

How to contact Twitter

Contacting Twitter shouldn’t be so difficult. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best forms to use when you want to contact Twitter for any issues. We’ve also organized them based on the types of questions you have for Twitter. This way all you need to do is select the category and click on the form.

If you find this list of forms to contact Twitter helpful, be sure to pin it, share it, and bookmark it to helps out who want to learn how to contact Twitter.

Account questions

Lost Password

Use this form if you have lost your password and need to reset your Twitter account password.

Deactivated account

If you have deactivated your Twitter account and need to restore it, this form deals with restoring a deactivated account.

Hacked account

Was your Twitter account hacked? Use this form to contact Twitter and report it.

API’s, Apps, and Mobile devices

Twitter’s mobile site

This form is for contacting Twitter when you have issues with their mobile website, apps or API’s.

Twitter mobile apps

If you have specific issues using Twitter on a mobile app, use this form to contact Twitter and let them know about it.

SMS / text messaging

If you use SMS and text messaging to update Twitter and have problems, be sure to use this form to report your issues to Twitter.

API Policy support

If you use Twitter’s API to develop apps or you come across apps violating their API, you can report them to Twitter using this form.

Settings and features

Tweets / messages

Use this form to contact Twitter about issues with sending tweets, direct messages, suspended accounts and more.

Profile / settings

Have issues with your Twitter profile, such as updating your email address, changing your profile photo, working with protected tweets, etc? Use the Profile / settings form to contact Twitter about these types of issues.

Photos

If you experience issues with photos in your tweets, use this form when you want to contact Twitter and let them know about the issues you are having.

Account restoration

The Account restoration form is there for when you want to reactivate an account, deactivate an account, or need help with a suspended Twitter account.

Did your Twitter profile disappear from Twitter search? Use the Search form to contact Twitter about search related issues with your account.

Trends

If you find something inappropriate in Twitter trends, contact them and let them know about it using the Trends form.

Usernames

Is there a Twitter username you would like, but it isn’t available? Use the Usernames form to contact Twitter to request that a username be released to the public.

Report a violation

Impersonation

If you have been impersonated on Twitter, you can use the Impersonation form to contact Twitter and let them know about it.

Trademarks

Did someone violate your trademark on Twitter? The Trademarks form can be used to report violations to Twitter.

DMCA copyright

Use the DMCA copyright form when you want to contact Twitter about copyright violations that happen on Twitter.

Harassment

If you receive threatening tweets or messages on Twitter, report this abusive user to Twitter using the harassment form.

Report spam

Come across spam on Twitter? Be sure to contact Twitter and report spam to them so that it can be removed. This form is also useful if you have trouble tweeting a link that Twitter thinks is spam.

Suspended account

Having issues with a suspended account on Twitter? Use the suspended account form to contact Twitter about an account.

Report self harm

If you come across a tweet where someone is looking to hurt themselves, report it to Twitter. Use the report self harm form for this situation so that they can have someone reach out to this user.

Report an ad

The report an ad form on Twitter should be used if you come across ads that are offensive, violate a copyright, are misleading or deceptive, etc.

Feedback

Send feedback about Twitter’s new design

Give Twitter feedback about their new design. If you love it, like it, or want to see new features, use this form to contact Twitter and let them know about it.

@Twitter

If none of these forms help answer your questions, you can always contact Twitter @Twitter.

They are pretty quick with responding, but will most likely redirect you to one of the forms listed above.

What to submit when you contact Twitter?

When you’re ready to contact Twitter with your issues, be sure you have the following information ready. This helps expedite your issue and lead to a faster response.

Identify your issue
Choose the proper form from the above list to contact Twitter
Provide detailed instructions on how to reproduce your issue on Twitter (if asked)
Include the right links to any content

If you have a lot of issues and need to contact Twitter, space them out over a few days instead of submitting your issues all at once. Fixing one issue may result in fixes to other Twitter issues.

What to do after you contact Twitter?

While everyone considers their issue to be the most important one for Twitter to respond to, make sure you give them ample time to review your issues.

In my experience, Twitter has been very quick with their response times. Most of my issues have been answered within 24-48 hours. Some issues have taken considerably longer, depending on the nature of the issue.

Question: What are some of the issues you currently have and need to contact Twitter to fix? Leave a comment below with your issues.

4 Takeaways from a Fireside chat with Tim Cook at Duke University

Over the weekend, I spent some time at Duke University, where I had the pleasure to listen to Tim Cook, a Fuqua school of business alumni and the CEO of Apple.

For anyone who knows me, I love technology. Not just the new gadgets, but learning how to incorporate it into my business and being able to then share my knowledge with others who want to do the same.

A few things to note about the fireside chat, Tim was extremely personable (that’s probably because the room only sat a few hundred people) and while Tim spoke for just over an hour, what impressed me the most was that the conversation wasn’t just about Apple’s current share price (there were a few jokes on that).

Instead, Tim talked about his experiences, what it was like to work with Steve Jobs, product development, finding your north star, and what spurred him to join Apple. All-in-all, I took a lot away from the fireside chat with Tim Cook.

Here are a few of my favorites:
Continue reading 4 Takeaways from a Fireside chat with Tim Cook at Duke University

15 Creative Uses for Google Hangouts

Google Hangouts are an amazing piece of technology. Not only are hangouts a great way to stay connected with friends and family, but Google Hangouts can also be used for a lot more.

To get your creative juices flowing, we have compiled 15 creative ways you can use Google Hangouts 0utside of just connecting to make them more useful.

15 creative uses for Google Hangouts

Continue reading 15 Creative Uses for Google Hangouts

How to create a Facebook unpublished post or dark post in Facebook Power Editor

Do you struggle with knowing how often to post on your Facebook Page?

While studies show that you should only post one time every three hours.

What do you do if you want to post more content on your Facebook Page? Create a Facebook unpublished post.

What are Facebook unpublished posts?

Facebook defines unpublished page posts as this:

Unpublished Page Posts allow Page Owners to share their messages with audiences without reaching their page audience organically through news feed distribution or timeline. (Source)

What this means for page owners is that you can create additional Facebook posts and share them with your fans without having them display on your Facebook Page.

This provides you with more opportunities to share your content without overwhelming fans.

Benefits of Facebook unpublished posts or dark posts

Creating a Facebook unpublished post has its benefits.

Here are some reasons why you want to create a Facebook unpublished post:

Control how much content gets displayed on your Facebook Page
Include Facebook Call to Action buttons with posts
Create a Facebook Ad from a Facebook unpublished post to target specific users
Run A/B split tests to determine which posts work best

To create Facebook unpublished posts also known as dark posts, follow these instructions.

How to create Facebook unpublished posts or dark posts

Continue reading How to create a Facebook unpublished post or dark post in Facebook Power Editor

The Social Media Personality Test [infographic]

Have you ever wondered what type of social media personality you are? Yes, there are different types of social media personalities, 12 of them to be exact.

Each social media personality describes a type of social media user that you’ve probably come across in your network.

12 Social Media personalities

Ultras

Check feeds a dozen times a day.

Dippers

Accesses their pages infrequently, often going days, weeks or months without checking.

Deniers

Maintains that social media doesn’t control their lives, but gets anxious when a social network is down.

Virgins

First-time social media user.

Lurkers

Hides in the shadows of social media. Watches what others do, but does not engage.

Peacocks

Has a high number of fans, followers, tweets and retweets.

Ranters

Highly opinionated online.

Changelings

Adopts a completely new personality online so no one knows who they are.

Ghosts

Creates anonymous profiles because they don’t like strangers finding out who they are.

Informers

Seeks kudos for being the first to share something online.

Quizzers

Asks questions to start conversations.

Approval Seekers

Constantly checks their feeds to see when someone responds.

To help you determine which social media personality you are, First Direct Bank created this infographic to illustrate the 12 different social media personalities.

One thing I found interesting about each social media personality was that when comparing each social network, my personality was different.

For instance, on Facebook and Twitter, I found my social media personality to be an Ultra. For Instagram, I was more of a dipper.

Which social media personality are you?

Check out a description of each social media personality. Did you have the same type of social media personality from one network to another?

Continue reading The Social Media Personality Test [infographic]

Phyllis Khare – Facebook Author, Educator and Marketer

This interview with Phyllis Khare, keynote speaker and author of Social Media Marketing eLearning Kit For Dummies and co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One For Dummies is the sixth in an ongoing series of interviews with professionals who are doing amazing things with social media.

I am very honored to have the opportunity to interview Phyllis Khare. Phyllis is an educator, author and former musician who offers great advice about Internet Marketing.

I hope you enjoy this interview with Phyllis Khare, keynote speaker, educator, and author of Social Media Marketing eLearning Kit For Dummies and co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One For Dummies with Andrea Vahl and Amy Porterfield.
Continue reading Phyllis Khare – Facebook Author, Educator and Marketer