Google+ Pages vs Facebook Brand Pages
Facebook v Google+
Like button v +1 button
Video/group chat v Hangouts
Smart friend lists v Circles
Considering the parent company, Google+ may be running at an advantage with search engine optimisation, but even so, there's a lot of ground to make up. Google intends to amalgamate all +1 button clicks from all areas: Google+, websites and search results, to determine search result relevancy.
Company Search and Profiles
An experimental Google+ Direct Connect (what a mouthful!) will let you Google-search using +1 after a company search, taking you direct to that companies business page on Google+ (if the Google+ Direct Connect has been activated!)
There are 5 categories that Google+ allows you to place you pages. They are:
- Local Business or Place
- Company,
- Institution or Organisation
- Product or Brand
- Arts, Entertainment or Sports
- Other
Many companies were allowed to roll out pages for Google+ ahead of the general public and although they may have search benefits over Facebook brand pages, the actual number of Facebook users may initially overwhelm anything happening in Google+. However, Google+ will be able to learn from the mistakes and changes that Facebook have made in the past.
The basic launch of a Google+ site appears relatively straightforward, but where there are many companies who offer expertise in adding functions and features on Facebook, at this early stage there are few that offer the same service for Google+.
How to set up your business profile on Google+
First you will need to have an active Google Account (free to register if you don't have one yet). Google Account comes really useful for many other tools: Analytics, AdWords, Webmaster Tools (to manage your business website and search results), YouTube (video marketing), Docs and Apps, Gmail and Calendar.
Next you will need to go to Google+ and activate your Plus profile. At this state you may like to set it up but going through settings, filling in all information, uploading your picture.
Generally it looks like Facebook: you've got your Stream of updates in the middle which you can search or filter by Circles (option to the left). You can start a Hangout (chat) with group of friends, add friends you may know, see who is online. In the top right corner you will see updates and notifications (currently 0 next to Tamara's name), and if you click a little down arrow next to the picture in the corner you will find all the management options.
Now we proceed on to create a business profile.
Scroll down your Plus profile until you see a link on the right hand side, under People You Make Like:
You land on the category selection page. In our case we will choose Company and fill in details about WP Design Genies.
Next you will need to choose your profile image and fill in your tagline - brief description of what your business down. Think about your top keywords when filling this in!
That's it - you are done. Your page will have a unique Plus URL.
What you can do with your Google+ page
Pages can interact with other Google+ users who are in their circles much in the way that a Google+ profile owner would. As an owner of your Google+ page, you can:
- Interact with others: +1, comment on, and reshare people's posts.
- Grow your leads and connections: Add people (who've already added you) and pages to circles. Mention people in posts and comments (who've already added or mentioned you).
- Have private and public webchats with your connections: Start and join hangouts.
- Stay spam-free: Block and ignore people and pages.
- Spread the word - While on Google+ acting as your page, click Spread the word on the side of the stream. This will allow you to share your page in a post with people from your personal Google+ profile. The sharing action will come from your personal Google+ profile - not from the Google+ page. For instance, let's say Raj has a page for his band Didgeridoo and the Kangaroos. If his page spreads the word, the people shared to will see the update as coming from Raj, not from the page.
- Post updates frequently and keep your profile fresh - People are more likely to engage with a page that contains fresh posts and a complete profile.
- Linking your Google+ page and your website - This is a great way to drive traffic to your page and it provides an excellent opportunity to engage with your customers and fans in an intimate fashion.
- Linking your Google+ page with your AdWords campaign - If you're an AdWords customer, you can link your AdWords campaign to your business' page. Connecting your page to your campaigns allows your advertising and page to share +1′s. Any +1′s on your ads will increment the count on your page and vice versa. To enable this connection, simply enable Social Extensions in the Ad Extensions section and enter the URL for your Google+ page in the 'Google+ Page' field.
Pages are extremely similar to profiles, but they have some key differences:
- Pages can't add people to circles until the page is added first or mentioned.
- Pages can be made for a variety of different entities whereas profiles can only be made for people.
- The default privacy setting for elements on your page profile is public.
- Pages have the +1 button.
- Pages can't +1 other pages, nor can they +1 stuff on the Web.
- Pages can't play games.
- Pages don't have the option to share to 'Extended circles'.
- Pages don't receive notifications via email, text or in the Google bar.
- Pages can't hangout on a mobile device.
- Local pages have special fields that help people find the business' physical location.
What do you think Google+ will do for businesses? Have you set up an account on Google+? Please do share your thoughts on this article!
My name is Tamara Baranova. I run TJConsulting and I help small business owners grow their business by delivering effective online marketing mentoring, support and training. It allows my clients to stop wasting valuable time and start seeing real results. Business owners I work with are serious about raising their business profile and attracting more opportunities. They want their business to succeed, to grow fast, and to generate healthy profits through online marketing strategy that works.
Want to know more? Go to my website http://www.tjconsulting.co.uk to grab my free eCourse 7 Steps to Online Marketing Mastery and learn how to plan your unique social media strategy. Use our step-by-step jargon-free guides to master all popular online marketing tools: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, email, blogging, and more! Sign up today to get immediate access!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tamara_Baranova
How To Make Good Coffee Using Instant Coffee
1. Use High Quality Coffee
Spending a little more to avoid the cheapest instant coffee products will pay off each time you brew up. Experiment with different makes and types until you find one that you like best. Many of the freeze dried granules have extremely good taste, spray dried tending to be less effective in preserving the flavor.
2. Store Properly
Coffee is notoriously difficult to keep fresh, and this applies to instant coffee as well. To avoid losing the flavor of your coffee, it's essential to store it properly. Coffee hates too much oxygen, light, heat or damp, so seal it well and keep in a storage jar in your cupboard, where there's little light and heat. Some people like to keep it refrigerated, but the overall expert view is that it's more important to keep it dry than cold.
In any event, don't store it for an unrealistically long period. Be prepared to throw it out if it's been in your cupboard too long. Drinking coffee that has long passed its sell-by date isn't usually very pleasant.
3. Read The Instructions
Unfortunately the instructions on the tin are seldom given more than a cursory glance. After all, we all know how to make coffee, right? Just put a teaspoonful in the mug and add boiling water. Well, maybe it's not quite as simple as that, or we'd all be making great tasting coffee.
The producers know how their product can be made to taste its best, so start by following their guidelines as to the ratio of coffee to water and the temperature of the water, and then you can experiment and adapt to suit your own taste.
4. Filter Your Water
If you use water straight from the tap then you're placing a lot of trust in the reliability of your water supply company. Quality of tap water varies greatly from place to place. It can be hard, with plenty of calcium, or soft, and sometimes with chemicals added that can affect the taste of whatever drink you prepare with it.
If you drink any amount of coffee or any other drink using tap water then it pays to invest in a good water filter, and to renew the filter regularly. This will help protect your well-being as well as give you better tasting coffee.
5. Use Fresh Water
Never use water that's been sitting in the kettle for a couple of hours or more, especially if it's already been boiled once already. Always refill with fresh water.
6. Don't Use Boiling Water
It's surprising how many people pour boiling water onto their instant coffee. This is probably because it's the same method as in making tea (though even tea shouldn't be made this way).
But don't forget that coffee is more fickle than tea. It has to be treated with more care in order to release the optimum flavor. The correct temperature of the water should be between 190 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit, or around 90 to 95 degrees Celsius. Any hotter and you risk scolding the coffee and making it taste bitter. So once your water has boiled, leave it for half a minute or so before pouring.
7. Use Enough Instant Coffee
This part is very flexible, because tastes vary so much. It's generally accepted among coffee experts that most people who drink instant coffee don't use enough coffee powder, or granules. Estimates of the right amount per 6 oz cup vary from one heaped teaspoonful to two heaped dessertspoonfuls. That's quite a difference.
You want to taste the full flavor without making your drink too strong. Some people like it weak. You know your taste, but be prepared, even if you've been drinking coffee for many years, to experiment with stronger or weaker brews.
8. Allow The Taste To Come Through
There's a lot to be said for pouring a little water from the kettle into your cup just to stir the coffee, and sugar if you take it, and turn it into a paste with no powder or grinds left dry, before adding the rest of the hot water. If you doubt this then try making two cups of coffee together, one by using this method and the other by pouring all the water into it at once, and see if you can tell the difference.
9. Warm The Milk or Cream First
If you take milk then it can improve the taste of your coffee if you warm it before adding it to your coffee, whether before or after you have added the hot water. Again, experiment if in doubt and see whether it improves the taste.
You may prefer cream to milk, and if so then this should also be warmed gently in a pan or in the microwave oven for a few seconds.
10. Enjoy Your Coffee!
If you observe these tips on how to make good coffee then you should have excellent results.
Read more reviews like this at QualityProductsReview.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_Gegan
10 Simple Steps to Improve Your YouTube Video
This year, my friend decided to enter. After she told me about the contest and her entry I decided to view her video on YouTube and this is what I thought about her video. By the way, I forgot to tell you that after you make the three minute video you must upload it onto YouTube I suppose for everyone to see while at the same time giving the company exposure. (Smart move for the company)
As I viewed her video I started to think, how could this be improved upon. She definitely needs opinions from others. So here we go. Things you can do to improve your YouTube Videos.
1. Always make sure the sounds are at an appropriate level. That is to say that they are loud enough for anyone to hear. Often times, the sounds are awful. Fortunately, my friend's sound is adequate in portions.
2. Have someone else hold the camera or use a tripod. This way, the camera will not shake and you will have a clear picture if the camera is focused correctly.
3. Dress for success. What does this mean? Wear something appropriate that complements your complexion. If you are into what colors mean, you know what I am talking about. Here wear a color that goes well with your complexion and means what you are trying to say. Like, "I am happy." or "I mean business" for just a couple of examples. You might ask, "What color would I wear to show happy?" You might wear yellows or another bright color to complement your complexion. For business, we all know a dark conservative color does the trick.
4. Smile. Sometimes we get used to looking stern because of our jobs or positions in life. We think we must look so serious while not realizing that that look sticks with us. That stern look becomes our natural. Have you ever gone to the grocery store not really thinking of anything negative and someone passes you and states, "Smile, things can't be that bad!" and you look up and began to smile while at the same time thinking to yourself that you must have had an evil or sad look on your face.
5. Comb your hair. Even if you just took your hat off take your hand and brush you strands the best you can.
6. Have fun or look like you are enjoying yourself. People tend to watch videos of people doing something crazy or stupid. So even though your video is about why you want to do something; have fun showing it on video do not make it look like a chore. So go ahead have fun doing it.
7. Try to tape somewhere without background noise. Unless that's what you want. Let's say you want the roar of the sea or the people playing volleyball in the background. You don't want the competition of voices in your background.
8. Set you video up so people are willing to give you feedback on your project.
9. Make sure you read all the rules and title your video correctly according to the contest rules, if it's a contest you are entering.
10. Use a video editor that you are familiar with and know how to use. My friend's video is only three minutes long however the time on YouTube came out to read nine minutes and forty seconds. This will definitely affect how many views or hits. You figure it out. I can't.
The rules to my understanding says, "A three minute video... " maybe it counts as nine minutes and forty seconds instead. Who knows?
I'm sure there are other ways to improve upon videos, please give suggestions at the site.
International Living had a contest and a video was entered entitled, "Hello Sunshine, Goodbye Snow!" View and make comments at: http://youtu.be/feOQLYNA3A8
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leslie_M_Collins
Top 10 Famous Guitars
What are the top 10 most famous guitars in the world? We're looking at more than brands and models, we're looking at defining, unique instruments that were played by the great guitarists and have a story to tell.
Number 10 : Double neck Gibson - Jimmy Page
Number 9 : Black Strat - David Gilmour
The guitar was originally purchased in 1970 at Manny's guitar store and word has it that David Gilmour immediately fell in love with it, but mere weeks later the guitar was stolen on tour along with the rest of Pink Floyd's equipment. Forced to cancel the tour David made a trip to the same guitar store and bought another. Since then it has been one Gilmour's most used guitars. It featured first in the Bath festival of June 1970.
Number 8 : Lucille - BB King
Number 7 : Lucy - George Harrison
"Lucy" is a red Gibson Les Paul and was a gift from Eric Clapton - which is cool enough. The love that Harrison had for this guitar is clear enough from the events that follow. "Lucy" was stolen from Harrison's home in 1973 and sold, eventually ending up in the hands of a musician in Mexico. In the end Harrison traded a Les Paul sunburst and a Fender Precision Bass for the return of his precious Lucy - and kept the guitar until his death in 2001.
Number 6 : 0001 Stratocaster - David Gilmour
The 0001 Stratocaster, currently owned by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour is in my opinion one of the coolest guitars ever created. The reason of course is that it is (1) Old: Manufactured in 1954. (2) Owned by David Gilmour and reputedly Seymour Duncan and Leo Fender prior to this. (3) A #0001 serial number. Rumour has it that it might have been made especially for an employee or that it was designed as a museum piece. Perhaps that's a production run of only one model, which explains the 0001 serial. It makes me wonder about other #0001 serials out there (such as Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Number One"). But so far as I know this is the oldest - and it's got a great ownership and gig history.
Number 5 : JagStang - Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain of Nirvana invented this cross between the Fender Jaguar and Mustang. He pitched the guitar to Fender who built two left handed prototypes for him but as it wasn't used in many performances the suggestion is that Kurt was not happy with the result. Nonetheless as instruments go, the Jagstang remains a unique addition to guitars. Following Kurt's death his Jagstang was given to Peter Buck of REM and makes an appearance in the music video for "What's the Frequency Kenneth?".
Number 4 : Frankenstrat - Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen wanted the feel of a Fender Strat with sound of a Gibson and so quite simply he put two Humbuckers his Strat. He didn't want people to be able to replicate the sound so he even went as far as to disguise one of the Humbuckers as a single coil to throw people off! The look was even more distinctive through the amateur paint job on the body which utilised red bicycle paint and masking tape.
Number 3 : Blackie - Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton moved from Gibson guitars to Fender Stratocasters in 1970. In this time he bought six 1950's Stratocasters $200-300 dollars each from a music store. He gave three to George Harrison, Pete Townshend and Steve Windwood. With the remaining three guitars he took the best parts of the instruments and assembled "Blackie", so named of course for it's black finish. (Clapton had previously owned a guitar called "Brownie".)
The Guitar was sold at auction for $959,000, which at the time set the record for the sale of a guitar.
Number 2 : Sunburst Stratocaster - Bob Dylan
The guitar made its first appearance at the Newport, Rhode Island concert where Bob Dylan is famously said to have "gone electric" in that he used a sunburst Fender Stratocaster rather than his typical acoustic performance. It did not go down well with all fans who were maybe expecting the usual acoustic performance, but is considered a turning point in encouraging the transition to electric for a many of fans. Some time (perhaps immediately) after this the guitar went missing, left on a plane where it went unclaimed for about half a century and ended up with the private plane's pilot. When it was eventually put up for sale in December 2013 it sold for a recordbreaking $965,000. (Breaking the previous record held by Eric Clapton's Blackie at $959,000.)
Number 1 : Upside down / backwards Stratocaster - Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix played many Stratocasters upside down or backwards. Being left handed and presumably not wanting to restrict his choice of instrument he famously reversed the strings on right handed Strats, moved the strap button to the other horn and played them left handed. This also reversed the length of the strings, with the low E being the longest and the high E being shortest - which affects the tone of the strings producing a unique sound for a Strat. Being left handed myself and having played a backwards Strat, I can reliably inform you that it is one of the most uncomfortable instruments in the world and greatly inhibits the instrument's playability. Nonetheless this is one of the most iconic and famous modifications of a Fender Stratocaster.
Jimi Hendrix made a habit of burning his guitars after playing them, however the Olympic white Strat he used at the Woodstock festival in 1968 somehow made it out unscarred. It is rumoured to have fetched up to $2,000,000 in sale to Microsoft's Paul Allen.
View more articles at http://www.rockworldguitar.com/blog/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimbo_Brown
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