HOW TO: Create a  free Foursquare Page for your blog or website

Creating a Foursquare page is super easy peasy and best part – it’s totally F.R.E.E. FREE! for foursquare users with a Twitter account.

Why would you want to set up a foursquare Page? Well, once you create your Page, foursquare will feature your branded Page in their Page Gallery where more users will see your page and… start to follow your Page.  The more foursquare followers you have – the more you can extend your brand message (aka free advertising). 

While Pages are really only for companies, they’re also a great way to extend your blog if you’re blogging as a business.


Sign up here if you don’t already have a foursquare account and then link your Twitter account to your new foursquare Page (your foursquare Page will be foursquare.com/TWITTER_NAME).


Add a header image that you create (860 x 130 pixels) and a small profile image (185 x 185 pixels).  Be sure to include a brief description of your company/blog and any links you want (Facebook, website, etc).

Leave a minimum of 5 Tips at other establishments not only in your city – but anywhere your little heart desires.  I created Tips for Jane Nation not only all over Florida and the U.S. but also at the Sante Day Spay in Roatan Honduras.  That means any time anyone checks into an establishment near the Sante Day Spa – our tip appears and now folks in Honduras can learn about Jane Nation.  Kinda cool, eh?

Just visit the venue page of a desired establishment and type a tip in the "Tips" box on the left side of the Page.

After you’ve completed this navigate to your Settings page and checking off the "Feature me!" checkbox to be featured in the Page Gallery. You are now ready to rock n’ roll!

Tips on…well Tips
Your ultimate goal is to write fun, engaging and actionable tips so more users will click the “I’ve done this” button.  The more foursquare users who click the “I’ve done this button” – the higher your tip will appear at the top of the venue page allowing you to be seen by more users.

Action! “Order the fish tacos” vs. “The fish tacos rock!” Users are more likely to click “I’ve done this” on tips that include action words.

One Tip = One Message Don’t tell people to try or do 8 million things – Tell them to do one thing – again the goal is to have more people click, “I’ve done this”.

Share insider information The best tips leave a little nugget that most users wouldn’t know about like a secret menu item or a less crowded bathroom hidden in the back.

Don’t write reviews Tips aren’t reviews.

So what are ya waiting for? Sign up for your free foursquare Page here.


About Magnet Social Media
Founded in 2010 by Karen Moran, Magnet Social Media in Fort Myers, Florida, fosters brand-building social relationships.

Our strength lies in creating and nurturing your social presence while seamlessly integrating offline messaging with online conversations.

From a mom and pop storefront to larger organizations, Magnet Social Media will help your company grow its online brand awareness, customer engagement and loyalty by creating a targeted social media strategy and executing tactics tailored to your unique needs.

Contact Magnet Social Media to turn your brand into a social media magnet.

Effective March 30th Facebook Timeline for Business Pages will be live for everyone.  I changed our Magnet Social Media Facebook page to the new Timeline immediately and love it!  However, according to a recent study only 1 in 4 brands haven't changed over yet.  And of those brands that have switched to the new Facebook Timeline for Business, most are not taking advantage of all the cool features. 

Facebook "apps" that used to be along the left side of your page - are now just under the cover image to the right. For some reason, most folks aren't customizing the apps.  You can customize the order, name and image used to display the app. And, you can have a maximum of 12 apps with 4 visible at a time. 

Rearrange Order
To rearrange the Facebook Timeline apps order simply click the down arrow off to the right.  Hover over any of the apps.  A little edit pencil will appear in the top right corner.  Click to whatever app you would like to use instead and this will replace the order the app appears.

Edit Name & Image
To edit the image or name for the app, click the down arrow off to the right.  Hover over any of the apps.  A little edit pencil will appear in the top right corner.  Click to "Edit Settings."  From here you can edit the name of the app tab or edit the thumbnail image used.  It's best to use a thumbnail image that's 111 x 74 pixels. 

READERS: Have you switched over to the new Facebook Timeline for Business Pages yet? What do you think of it?


About Magnet Social Media
Founded in 2010 by Karen Moran, Magnet Social Media in Fort Myers, Florida, fosters brand-building social relationships.

Our strength lies in creating and nurturing your social presence while seamlessly integrating offline messaging with online conversations.

From a mom and pop storefront to larger organizations, Magnet Social Media will help your company grow its online brand awareness, customer engagement and loyalty by creating a targeted social media strategy and executing tactics tailored to your unique needs.

Contact Magnet Social Media to turn your brand into a social media magnet.

4 Must have items for your blogger media kit

Recently I was on the hunt for a couple stellar bloggers and was shocked by what I found.  Sure they had a bazillion Twitter followers, even more Facebook Likes and blogged for some pretty reputable brands but some lacked one crucial tool in their tool box.

Some of these bloggers had no media kit.

What is normally a simple request of send me your media kit detailing – well everything – now morphed into me having to hunt and peck for vital blogger stats …something a prospective client should never have to do.

And once I have to start doing your job for you – that’s when I call it quits and move on to the next blogger. 

So in an effort to make sure you land that next blogging gig here are four things to include in your blogger media kit.

About
Pretty much sums it up.  Write a little bio about yourself.  Nothing major.  A couple quick paragraphs about you, what you blog about, where ya live, your contact information, and any little personal tid-bits like oh so fab-u-luss mommy blogger Melissa Mitchel aka @SippyCupMom wrote her in media kit.

“I am the mama to a 3 year old boy who is always on the go and wife to a sports obsessed and technology guru! Rounding out our family is a fun-loving dog and a grumpy cat!”

Personally Melissa had me at grumpy cat.  I can only imagine the fun chaos in her household. 

And about section of your media kit not only allows a little bit of your personality to shine through but also your writing ability is now front and center. 

Social Media Statistics
A must for any blogger media kit is their social media street cred.  Not only should you provide your Twitter handle, but also list your number of Twitter followers and how many times you’ve been listed.  Include your number of Facebook Likes, Facebook reach, how many folks subscribe to your RSS feed, what your Alexa ranking and Klout score are, Google PageRank, and last but not least in-depth Google analytics.  It’s best to provide a three-month average of your blogs monthly unique visitors, monthly pageviews and time on site. 

I know it may look like a lot of information but it’s really essential.  Any blogger can buy a ton of Facebook Likes but if your blog has a low number of pageviews or unique visitors – this could be cause for concern.

Brands You’ve Worked With
You’ve written the about section, knocked it out of the park with some great social media stats but what brands have you worked with?  Here’s your opportunity to really toot your own horn.  Go ahead brag a little.  It’s really ok. 

Tell me what brands you worked with and any giveaways or product reviews you’ve promoted on your blog.  Are you a brand ambassador for Microsoft like Carrie McLaren with Carrie With Children?  Have any brands sponsored you to attend a social media event?  Do you guest blog for anyone?  Have you ever spoke at an event?

And a sure fire way to get a leg up on the competition is to take the time to write a social media case study of your blogging success. 

It’s one thing to say you can do XYZ for a brand and totally a different beast to have a blogger provide tangible results in the form of a well thought out social media case study detailing their blogging success stories. 

Take a peak at Magnet Social Media's case studies to see how a case study should be written. 

Compensation
While talking money is usually an uncomfortable subject for folks it’s best to just get it out of the way.  Depending on what type of project a blogger is working on, you could be compensated a variety of ways.  You could offer banner advertising on your blog.  You could write a product review in return for free product or in certain circumstances actual cash payment.  You could do a product giveaway in return for getting a product to keep.  However it is you wish to be compensated here’s your opportunity to let brands know.

So that’s it.  Four quick and easy peasy sections to include in a blogger media kit to help ensure your next pitch you stand out from the competition.

BLOGGERS: Do you have a media kit? Why or why not?

BRANDS: Have you ever turned a potential blogger down for not having a media kit? Why or why not?


About Magnet Social Media
Founded in 2010 by Karen Moran, Magnet Social Media in Fort Myers, Florida, fosters brand-building social relationships.

Our strength lies in creating and nurturing your social presence while seamlessly integrating offline messaging with online conversations.

From a mom and pop storefront to larger organizations, Magnet Social Media will help your company grow its online brand awareness, customer engagement and loyalty by creating a targeted social media strategy and executing tactics tailored to your unique needs.

Contact Magnet Social Media to turn your brand into a social media magnet.