There are several reasons why Google+ can bring more business than Facebook, see excerpts below:

1. Communicating with targeted potential customers

Google+ incorporates a service called ‘circles’ which allows users to define the feeds displayed on their home screen and who can see them. Privacy settings also allow users to hide the list of members in their Circles. Everything is done quick through a drag-and-drop interface. Specific content can be sent out to targeted groups or individuals instead of everybody in your network. This means that the content you deliver will only reach the people you want to [...]

4. +1 and the search function

Google added a +1 button few months after the beta release of the service and this only improves the experience. A +1 is similar to the “Like” on Facebook. But while the “Like” doesn’t mean much more than an ego-booster, a +1 helps the user much more beyond personal fulfillment. The more +1 an update gets, the higher the chance to be found through a Google search will be. And with Google still being the most powerful search engine in the world (and will remain like that for many years to come), this is a strong feature nobody else can offer. Linking the two services was probably the smartest move of Google+ [...]

Read the full article originally posted on 1st Web Designer 4/30/2012.

Social Media Examiner has a great post showing us additional ways to add some visual interest to you page pages using images. My favorite example is #3: Custom Tab Images: Make Sure You Take Advantage of These and I will definitely will be updating this on my page as soon as I come up for air!

#3: Custom Tab Images: Make Sure You Take Advantage of These

This is one of the major improvements of Timeline for pages. Facebook has moved the navigation to your Facebook and custom tabs back to the top, below the cover photo. Where before you had your navigation as tiny 16 x 16 pixel icons with the tab name in the left column, now you have a maximum of four tabs prominently displayed at 111 x 74 pixels PLUS the tab name below the image.

Here are a few important things to keep in mind about the custom image tabs:

• You can’t change or reposition the “Photos” tab (which displays the most recently uploaded image).
• You can display a maximum of four tabs (including the Photos tab). Your remaining tabs are displayed when the user clicks the “arrow” icon to the right of the tab images.
• If you opt for fewer than four displayed tabs, the “About” info occupies the extra space.
• You can create your own graphics for any custom tab images EXCEPT Facebook’s own apps (Photos, Notes, Events, Videos, Links).

[...]

Read the full article originally posted 4/9/2012 on Social Media Examiner.

Commenting on other blogs, facebook pages and re-tweeting exposes you to a larger audience of people who may not have found you online otherwise. If you’re strategic about where you comment, you’re now talking to your target audience and insightful comments can convert to followers, new connections and even leads.

That said, you need to ensure you’re saying something worth following and not just making noise. Here are some DOs and DON’Ts that might help you.

DO: Make Sure You’re Saying Something Relevant

“I agree” is not enough. People won’t follow you just because you wrote something. You have to say something useful or insightful. Yes, you agree with what the article is saying, but WHY? Your insight, anecdotes and tips can be helpful to others and that is what’s going to make them want to learn more about you.

DO: Add Additional Knowledge

If the article lists tips on marketing, and you feel the author left out something important, comment. Anything you can add that shows your expertise is always helpful. The author will appreciate the extra insight and other commenters will take note.

DON’T: Be Rude or Attack Other Readers

It’s perfectly ok to disagree with the post, or to have a different view, but it is NOT ok to be rude or insulting. State your case calmly and respectfully and let others decide if they agree with you or not. Discussions are great, but personal attacks are not cool.

DON’T: Comment Spam

No one likes comments that are quite obviously trying to redirect you elsewhere. Comments should move the conversation along within the blog you’re reading. It’s ok to reference other articles if they really are insightful or will add additional knowledge, but don’t just relink to your own articles every time you comment. People will start ignoring you so the results will actually be counter-productive.

DO: Ask Questions

It’s perfectly ok to ask a question if you’re unclear on something or if you want to get additional information on someone’s experience or clarification on someone’s comment. Your question might be one that is on someone else’s mind and the responses will make the conversation move along.

DON’T: Ask a Question Just for the Sake of Commenting

While it’s said there is no such thing as a stupid question, there IS a time and place for everything. If you’re reading an article that is completely over your head, you’re probably better off doing a little research and then asking questions that will fill in the gaps vs. asking for a full explanation. For example, if you’re reading an article talking about the most widely used social media networks, if you have to ask what social media even is, you’re better off doing a quick google search first.

DO: Give Props

Sometimes you really don’t have anything to add, but you really loved the article and you found it insightful. It’s ok to say so. The author will certainly appreciate it. It’s even better if you can get a little specific. “I found your tip of linking social media to your company’s newsletters very insightful. We’ll be applying it so our next newsletter.” Not only are you showing your appreciation to the author, you’re giving a tangible example that their post was useful to you.

DON’T: Be Repetitive

If you sound like every other comment, chances are you might get skipped over, particularly if the post has a lot of comments. Let’s say you have three things to comment on regarding the post, but two of them have been mentioned already. It’s ok to say, “I agree with Jane about XX and Joe about XX. Additionally, here’s my thoughts on XXX.” Your comment is now shorter, since you’re only really discussing one point, and it’s a point that hasn’t already been brought up. Now you’re providing new insight, while still agreeing with other comments.

DO: Read the Post Thoroughly Before Commenting or Posing Questions

Sometimes people skim over an article and end up writing things that were clearly stated in the article. I see this happen a lot. This can make you look like you’re not grasping the subject or that you’re not paying attention. It can also look like you’re just commenting for the sake of it and that tends to turn people off.

DO: Be Selective About Where You Post

If your goal is to gain leads and followers, make sure you’re commenting where your target audience is reading. Whether it’s a niche blog or a well-known blog in your area of expertise, ensuring you’re posting in the right location will get you the right followers. Let’s face it, commenting can be time consuming so if you’re reading a blog that you have nothing to offer, move on to one where you can chime in.

DO: Branch Out

Being selective does not mean I’m a designer so I can only comment on design blogs. Feel free to read various types of blogs, you never know who else is reading. Just as with all the above, make sure you’re moving the conversation along and showing your expertise.

Did I miss anything?

Feel free to add any extra tips I may have missed ;-)

The question of what the minimum size is for a QR code to scan comes up a lot, particularly when we’re dealing with limited space. Although I would love to just shoot a dimension at you and call it a day, that’s not how it works. Minimum size depends on ensuring the modules are readable by your device. Which in turn brings up questions like, how many modules does my QR code have, how do I know how many modules I need, how far away will the device be from the code, etc.

Yes, it can be daunting, but I’ve discovered QRCode.com, a great resource for all things QR. They help you create codes, and they have useful articles to help you make the best of your code. The article I’m quoting below has robust information to help you figure out what size your QR code should be to scan properly. Hope you find it useful!

A fundamental part of the way QR codes work is that the more data you put into them, the more rows and columns of modules will be introduced into the QR code to compensate for the increased data load. Hence, for a QR code image of a certain size (width), the more data it contains, the more rows and columns of modules it has and, logically, the smaller each of the modules then become as a result.

So it’s all about whether the camera can actually “see” the smallest element in the QR image – the individual modules.

Another factor that influences minimum QR code size is the scanning distance – the distance the phone is held away from the QR code image. The further away the QR code is, the smaller it appears in the camera viewport, and so the smaller the modules will appear too. Once again, if the camera is held too far away, the modules become too small for the camera to read and the QR code won’t work [...]

Read the full article on QRCode.com, originally posted 11/23/11.

This article from Hubspot has a robust overview of Interest Lists:

What Are Interest Lists?

Interest Lists allow users to organize updates into separate topics from a collection of fan pages and public figures who have the subscribe button enabled on their profile. For example, a user could create a “Recipes” Interest List, adding to it fan pages like Betty Crocker and the Food Network, as well as the profiles of their favorite food bloggers to which they subscribe.

Users can also subscribe to Interest Lists created by other people, as Facebook will suggest popular lists and make it easy for users to discover lists created by their friends.

While content from Interest Lists to which you subscribe will automatically get pulled into your main news feed, individual Interest Lists can also be viewed in a separate news feed of their own, so users who follow an individual list can access a feed dedicated to updates just from pages or people included on that list. To do so, the user clicks on the Interest List in the left sidebar on their Facebook homepage — AKA their news feed. [...]

Regardless of if you like to create groups, or if you feel this is just one more thing you have to do now, take note. With the “Add to Interest List” button, there is great opportunity for new followers. You may now find yourself in other people’s Interest List within your field and can be exposed to a much larger audience if you play your cards right.

How Marketers Can Leverage Interest Lists

Facebook has now made it a whole lot easier for users to curate the content they’re interested in. So how can marketers benefit?

While it doesn’t look like Facebook has added functionality to enable you to create Interest Lists as a brand page, we still see several benefits for marketers that come with Facebook’s new feature.

1) Create Awesome Lists in Your Industry

You may not be able to create Interest Lists ‘by’ your brand page, but that doesn’t mean a prominent, public-facing employee from your company can’t. Ask one of your executives to create a list for your industry, and help him/her curate the best pages and people on it. [...]

Read full article originally posted by Pamela Vaughan on HubSpot, 3/8/12

I had a couple of twitter accounts that I had setup with intent to use at some point, but never got around to using them. Unfortunately, all that did for me now is to take up my usable emails, and as you know Twitter doesn’t allow you to assign more than one account to a single email address. So I tried deactivating the Twitter account, easy enough right? Wrong. When you deactivate your account, you username and email linked to that account are suspended for 30 days. That means you can’t use that email to create an new account. GRRRR! Indeed.

So I’ve googled solutions and found this very simple one by TechnologyInffo. All you have to do is add a period to your email. See this video for details, I just tried it myself today and it worked beautifully.

You can learn more about these updates on Facebook’s recent entry An Upgrade for Pages. And of course, if you’re looking for some design expertise, feel free to contact me! I’m happy to help :)

Lisa Youngdahl explains it perfectly on her recent newsletter. It speaks to marketing, but it applies to graphic design, web and other services you’re looking to get a quote for.

When a client approaches me about a new design project, I will ask what the budget is for this project. Often, the client is not prepared for this question.
Why do you think I would ask this question?

a) I want to find out the highest possible cost the client willing to pay.
b) I have no idea what I’m doing, or how much to charge.
c) To help my client obtain the best value for what his business can afford.

Of course, if you think about it, c is the right answer. A good designer wants to help the client and create successful marketing that will help achieve the desired action. If the budget is known, the designer can offer cost effective options that will work within your price range. Having an idea of what you can spend will allow you to work with the designer to prioritize the strongest features you need that fit within your budget. This process helps create an informed decision about what is the best choice for your marketing, and which might yield the best ROI.

If you feel lost determining a number, a rule of thumb is that 5-10% of your gross profit should be spent on marketing. A new business may need to spend more than an established one.