Create Your Page, Profile Photo and Cover Photo

Let our knowledgeable social media team create your Facebook page. Designed with the needs and goals of your business in mind, the copy will reflect who you are and the design, including the profile and cover photos, will be unique and reflect your branding. This is a great way to begin developing a following.

Increase Your “Likes”

We’ll expertly promote your page to individuals within your target demographic. Your page “likes” will steadily grow as we engage those who are most likely to employ your services and purchase your products.

Engage Your Audience

Yabsta’s experts will post a wide range of interesting content that is related to your business on a regular schedule. This consistency keeps fans coming back for more.

Report Back

We track your Facebook analytics so you don’t have to. Real data lets you know it’s working and a full report is always available. You’ll know exactly how your page is performing.

To learn more about our social media management services, contact us today. Download a free Facebook marketing eBook here for additional information.

Image Credit: I Like Facebook by Charis Tsevis, via Flickr, no changes made, CC License

1. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network, with over 313 million members across the globe.

2. Over 39 million students and recent graduates use the network.

3. LinkedIn company pages have grown to include more than 3 million businesses.

4. LinkedIn is responsible for nearly 4 times the amount of website homepage visits than Facebook and Twitter.

5. Google is a fan of LinkedIn company pages, generally ranking them in the first two pages of search results.

6. The network represents over 148 different industries…why not get yours in the mix?

7. 43% of all marketers have found a customer via LinkedIn.

8. 64% of all visits to corporate websites from social media networks are made through LinkedIn.

9. Companies like Google, IBM and Hewlett Packard have over 1.7, 1.5 and 1.4 million followers.

10. LinkedIn is mobile-friendly! Over 38% of visits to the site are made via these popular devices.

Today’s “we mean business” social media network, LinkedIn boasts many benefits for both professional individuals and companies. A great venue for connecting with current and potential customers, building a business-savvy audience, job hunting, employee seeking and more, we’ll let these stats speak for themselves. Click here to sign up.

Sources: LinkedIn, The Next Web, Forbes, Social Media Examiner, Web Dam, CMO

Image Credit: linkedin logo by Esther Vargas, CC License

While text status updates are undeniably quick and easy, brands need to stand out on social media. Graphics are a great way to do this and Facebook itself clearly agrees. Content is still king in 2014 and everything, from eBooks to blog posts and SM updates, must provide value. Today’s Web users are visual creatures and this means that graphics of all sorts are a win.

Link Sharing

The Facebook Newsroom article above mentions link sharing as an engaging alternative to text based statuses. Many brands opt to embed links in status updates, which makes for a lacklustre visual experience. Link-sharing, on the other hand, generates a preview of the content, providing a more compelling visual experience. Facebook rewards valuable, resourceful content with greater exposure for brands.

Images

The Facebook network is working to improve their ranking algorithms’ abilities to differentiate between posts from friends and from Pages. While there will be a “decrease in the distribution of their text status updates, [page admins] may see some increases in engagement and distribution for other story types.” In addition to link sharing, images are a great way to boost social media reach and interactivity. To use an example from a brand known for their cheeky social media prowess, Oreo abandoned plain text in favour of attention-grabbing, occasionally humorous or emotional, images.

In these Facebook updates from May 2012, you’ll see the startling difference in engagement between the basic text status and the more stimulating “question and an image” update. The differences in likes, comments and shares is noteworthy, at 4,200, 215 and 87 compared to 16,833, 1,034 and 855. Real-life posts don’t lie – the proof is right here.

In recent months, more and more brands on Facebook (and Twitter!) have been capitalizing on the image trend and there’s no reason for you to wait. While Oreo is a great example, you can also check out Coca-Cola, Sharpie, PlayStation and Samsung Mobile to see it in action.

What About Video?

Significant value can be provided in the form of an informative, brand-relevant commercial or a heartwarming or humorous viral clip. As seen in the profiles of popular brands, videos generate more engagement than text status updates but less than image updates. Great video can be costly and it’s important for businesses of all sizes to take their budget into account. If you can afford a promotional video or a number of well-designed graphics, the latter will provide the most bang for your buck.

When considering the impact of graphics on social engagement, Facebook itself is encouraging compelling, valuable and visual content by promoting these updates and decreasing the distribution of text status updates from Business Pages. In order to stay on top of the social media game, brands and businesses must visually display their products and services in the most effective way possible – without breaking the bank. Great design is key, and graphics are one of today’s top methods for improving social reach and interaction.

Image Credits: Dashburst, Oreo’s Facebook & Oreo Twitter

Create An Account

When Pinterest was first created, those who wanted to join had to receive an invitation from a registered member or, by request, the site itself. Nowadays, signing up is quick and easy and can be done via your Facebook account or email address. You then develop your profile by adding as much, or as little, information as you’re comfortable with. The options include first and last name, location, a profile picture, short bio, website URL and Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Building a Board

Boards are used to organize pins by topic. Open to interpretation, users and businesses can organize their boards in whichever way suits them best. When you create a board you’re prompted to choose a name and a relevant category. Popular categories include Fashion, Arts and Crafts, Holidays and Home and Garden, and your boards can be as broad or narrow as you desire, from the general “Wedding Ideas” to “Wedding Dresses,” “Wedding Decor” and “Wedding Colours.” Businesses can create boards that reflect their products, services, staff and creativity. For example, Home Depot’s boards include “Tools and Equipment You Can Rent” and “Outdoor Living.”

Finding and Following

Pinterest has a handy feature that allows users to connect their Facebook, Yahoo! and Gmail accounts to find out which of their current friends are active on the site. From there, you can follow “pinners” to stay up to date with what they’re posting and repinning. This can encompass all of their activity; if you’re only interested in a certain category, you can also follow individual pinboards.

What’s a “Pin”?

Not surprisingly, pins form the basis of Pinterest. A pin is an image or video that you add to a board you’ve created. This can be done by directly uploading an image from a computer file or by using the “Pin It” bookmarklet, which allows you to pin directly from outside websites such as lifestyle blogs. While many users do indeed upload their own pins, over 75% of pins are, in fact, repins. Repinning, which is when you pin an image that belongs to someone else to one of your boards, makes the Pinterest world go round. When you pin or repin an image, a pop-up window appears that allows you to select the appropriate board and enter a comment or description.

User Interaction

Pinterest is a social networking site and engaging with other users is a primary function. While following and repinning are great ways to make contact (users are notified) Pinterest, much like Facebook, has a “like” option. Liking a pin is a great way to let someone know that you enjoy their post without saving it to one of your boards. You can also comment on your own and others’ individual pins; in a similar fashion to Twitter, fellow pinners can be tagged using the “@” symbol.

With 5 million articles pinned on a daily basis, Pinterest’s growth and popularity has nowhere to go but up. A solid understanding of the basics is crucial to navigating any social media platform and getting a handle on the difference between pins and repins, and how to create and navigate boards, is the first step. Having recently emerged as a profitable way to showcase and market companies of all sizes, Part 2 of Pinterest 101 will discuss how and why it’s a great tool for businesses.

Image Credits: The Pinterest Queen & Jeff Bullas