Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter Get Major Redesigns: What You Need to Know

Posted on March 18, 2013
YouTube's One Channel design

“Goodbye clutter.”

Facebook’s moniker for its redesigned News Feed also applies to Google+, YouTube, and Twitter, all of which have received makeovers. The new designs organize written content into clean, user-friendly modules and play up images and videos.

As you read through each network’s changes, log in to your own account and spruce up your profile. A fresh profile will help you showcase your brand in the most compelling manner.

Facebook

Images have become Facebook’s hallmark, with 50 percent of the total news feed content consisting of photos and videos. As such, Facebook is displaying photos and videos much larger in the news feed and is letting users overlay text captions atop images.   read more >

Posted in Facebook, Featured, LinkedIn, Social Networking, Twitter, YouTube 1 Comment

Overcoming ‘The Resistance’ (Podcast from Michael Hyatt)

Posted on March 15, 2013
Napping

“Today I’m going to compose that blog post I’ve been meaning to write. But first I need to clean off my desk so I can think clearly.”

“I need to work out today.” But I’m feeling a little tired. Maybe I’ll take a short nap first.”

Like me, you may have encountered “The Resistance,” that insidious inner voice that opposes you whenever you resolve to start a new project or improve some area of your life.

Productivity expert, Michael Hyatt, addresses the lure of “The Resistance” in his March 3, 2013 podcast.   read more >

Posted in Featured, Writing No Comments

Social Media Over the Last Decade [Plus 2 Infographics]

Posted on March 13, 2013
A History of Social Media

In 2003, social media skyrocketed into popularity with the launch of MySpace. Since then, social media has seen explosive growth with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more. With the subsequent rise of mobile computing on devices such as tablet computers and mobile phones, every year brings new and exciting enhancements, breakthroughs and modifications.

Here is a look back at the major social media developments of the past 10 years.

2003

It all began with MySpace. It took three years before MySpace was the biggest social network in the world.

LinkedIn was also founded in 2003 and was the first business-related social media site allowing everyone   read more >

Posted in Featured, Guest Articles, Social Media News No Comments

Social Media Coaching: A Bit of Elbow Grease Goes a Long Way

Posted on March 11, 2013
Website screenshot - Cheryl Colwell

When Cheryl Colwell contacted Blogging Bistro, she told me she is a writer of suspense fiction (with one self-published novel under her belt). She is actively seeking a publisher for her next novel.

Cheryl had an existing website and a Facebook page, but said she needed help fine-tuning her brand, building a mailing list, making her website more attractive and functional, and developing a content strategy for Facebook and Twitter.

Cheryl’s request was music to my ears; there’s nothing I like more than helping authors build their online presence. (Except maybe dark chocolate.)   read more >

Posted in Client Spotlight, Featured, Success Stories No Comments

News Anchors are People, Too (Video)

Posted on March 8, 2013
Fat Cat Weight Loss Plan

Sometimes I catch the 11 o’clock news after watching Hawaii Five-O. The talking heads (news anchors) are always so serious and dramatic about everything. For instance, on Monday (a particularly slow news day in Seattle), the lead story was “Girl Scout Cookies Vandalized!!”

The live, on-scene reporter breathlessly described the cookie vandalism as if it was a disaster of epic proportions.

Despite the fact that tampering with Thin Mints should be a felony punishable by a lifetime-without-parole prison sentence (told you I watch Hawaii Five-O!), I think television news anchors and reporters take themselves just a tad too seriously.

I love it when they show their human side. Which could explain why I laughed myself silly as I watched this anchor from Loudon City, Virginia attempting to report breaking news about a fat cat’s weight loss plan…   read more >

Posted in Featured, YouTube No Comments

How to Delete a Facebook Page

Posted on March 6, 2013
Illustrated tutorial: How to delete a Facebook brand/fan page

Since this tutorial’s original publication in early 2011, it has been one of the most-read posts at Blogging Bistro, receiving an average of 25,000+ page views per month.

Here is the latest, greatest version, updated March 2013.

How to delete a Facebook brand/fan page

1. Log in to your Facebook account.

2. Click the icon that’s located in the upper righthand area of your screen. Under “Use Facebook As,” click the name of the page you plan to delete.   read more >

Posted in Ask the Barista, Facebook, Featured 173 Comments

Websites: Is It Time to Hire a Professional?

Posted on March 4, 2013
GratefulTableLogo

By Jennifer Cote
Guest Columnist

I had to ask myself that question. I’d been creating my own websites for years. My husband and I had opened a small local café in 1985; by 2004, it seemed fitting to create a business website for it.

When I published a cookbook in 2006, I created another website to share recipes (and hopefully, attract an interested market). I learned enough HTML to create a decent, though limited, website. I could not easily construct a blog on my website, so I created a number of separate blogs, using free services such as Blogger, WordPress, Yahoo.

I wasn’t sure of my “brand,” so I tried to be everything. It was exhausting.   read more >

Posted in Branding, Client Spotlight, Featured, WordPress Websites No Comments

How to Download and Archive Tweets

Posted on March 1, 2013
twitter-bird-white-on-blue

I have over 6,600 tweets at my Blogging Bistro Twitter account. While Twitter is not the primary social network I use, I do love to share links to stuff I’m learning about social media marketing.

In case I ever want do download my 6,600+ tweets and archive them for posterity, Twitter has a feature that allows you to do just that. Here are three articles from around the web that walk you through the ins and outs of archiving your precious tweets.   read more >

Posted in Featured, Twitter 1 Comment

Top Tips for Traffic-Building with Tumblr

Posted on February 27, 2013
tumblr icon

Tumblr is often overlooked both as a blogging platform & as a social media outlet, but has the potential to take blogging to the next level.

What is Tumblr?

Tumblr is a combination of a blogging platform and a social networking website that lets you share text, photos, links, videos, music, & more.

In this guest column, Annabelle Absa explains:

  • How Tumblr works
  • Six good reasons why you should consider using Tumblr
  • Five creative ways to use Tumblr
  • Four tips for maximizing traffic

  read more >

Posted in Blogging, Featured, Guest Articles, Social Networking No Comments

Why Bloggers Should Attend a Writers’ Conference

Posted on February 25, 2013
Grace Fox and Laura Christianson403

Ten years ago, I had a dream to write a book and get it published by a royalty publishing house.

I’d been a freelance writer for magazines since 1993. Before that, I’d taught high school journalism and English for 11 years, and I’d spent a lot of time in the newsroom and production room of a daily newspaper. So I assumed I was well-acquainted with the world of publishing.

I was wrong.   read more >

Posted in Conferences and Workshops, Featured, Marketing, Social Networking, Writing No Comments