Posts tagged tips

How to generate a QR code and track site visitors from it Format your URL to include additional tracking parameters for your analytics platform. I use Google Analytics, so the URL looks like this:http://YOURURL.COM/SPECIFICPAGE/?utm_source=SOURCE&utm_medium=MEDIUM&utm_campaign=CAMPAIGN-ID  Test the URL by pasting it into a browser and ensure it goes where you intended Add the URL using a free online QR code generator (look for one that gives you high resolution downloadable images without watermarks or redirects, like this one) Download the QR code to your computer and snap a photo of it with your phone using a QR code reader, such as the Google Search App, to ensure that it goes where you intended.  Although there is usually a delay, you should begin seeing the visits in your analytics dashboard within a few hours. You can now drill down to the SOURCE, MEDIUM and/or CAMPAIGN level to track visitor behavior from your QR code.

How to generate a QR code and track site visitors from it

  1. Format your URL to include additional tracking parameters for your analytics platform. I use Google Analytics, so the URL looks like this:

    http://YOURURL.COM/SPECIFICPAGE/?utm_source=SOURCE&utm_medium=MEDIUM&utm_campaign=CAMPAIGN-ID
     
  2. Test the URL by pasting it into a browser and ensure it goes where you intended
  3. Add the URL using a free online QR code generator (look for one that gives you high resolution downloadable images without watermarks or redirects, like this one)
  4. Download the QR code to your computer and snap a photo of it with your phone using a QR code reader, such as the Google Search App, to ensure that it goes where you intended. 

Although there is usually a delay, you should begin seeing the visits in your analytics dashboard within a few hours. You can now drill down to the SOURCE, MEDIUM and/or CAMPAIGN level to track visitor behavior from your QR code.

If you are more comfortable with a three-pane layout of your desktop e-mail client, you’re going to dig this. Google just released a new Labs feature called “Preview Pane” which allows you to view and reply to e-mails while navigating your inbox. Gmail users can enable this feature by visiting Labs from the Mail Settings icon in the upper righthand corner of your mail screen. 

If you are more comfortable with a three-pane layout of your desktop e-mail client, you’re going to dig this. Google just released a new Labs feature called “Preview Pane” which allows you to view and reply to e-mails while navigating your inbox.

Gmail users can enable this feature by visiting Labs from the Mail Settings icon in the upper righthand corner of your mail screen. 

Using Google+ Circles

Online social platforms attempt to force us to map our ever-changing social graph. Google+ uses “circles”, which makes dragging and dropping our connections into animated buckets – dare I say – fun.

Here are some reasons why and how you should use Google+ Circles:

PRIVACY is a key use of putting people in custom circles with appropriate settings to avoid viewing by outsiders. If you are like me, you’re only comfortable with certain people seeing what you’re talking about and sharing. (Now if I can only get my connections to understand that sonograms of the unborn embryos inside them is a private, family topic)

Similar to those thoughts on privacy, RELEVANCY is important if you want to maintain your online connections.  I’m sure that my mother doesn’t care to know that email open rates are dropping year over year, but my online marketing geek friends do. Consider what kind of content you put out and ensure that posts are visible to those circles.

Taking relevancy a step further, some communications require LOCAL CONTEXT and shouldn’t be pushed to the masses.  Consider a “Locals” circle for posts like “Has anyone tried the new restaurant on Main Street?”

An important thing to note is that these tips aren’t only for Google+ users. While it isn’t highly visible, Facebook also has a “lists” feature that does basically the same thing as circles. Unfortunately it is buried in your privacy settings and not many people use this valuable feature.

I’m just getting familiar with Google+ myself, so expect more observations and tips as I dig in.

How I drove 1000+ fans to a new Facebook page in 1 week

Concept: My Fat Pet (facebook.com/myfatpet)
Time period: April 26-May 3 (1 week)
Hours invested: 4.5
Media budget invested: $36.56
Fans recruited: 1,000+
Page Views: 7,280
Page interactions: 84 (comments, fan posts)
Supporting Platforms

My Fat Pet on Facebook

    While I consult companies and brands on social media marketing, the layers of bureaucracy within their organizations usually prevents them from being as successful as they could be. The internet in general is a fast moving, ever changing environment, so if things are taking weeks or even days to get approval, truly engaging people through social media becomes nearly impossible.

    The other thing that I find holds companies and brands back from truly engaging in social media is the hesitation to dedicate resources to the channel. Having an over-worked brand manager engaging with people online is not only a bad use of their time, but usually a doomed project since they can’t truly get their head into the dozens of conversations happening at any given moment. True engagement takes a semi-dedicated resource or an agency with the tools and people to deal with the day to day tasks.

    I regularly experiment on my own in order to take down these barriers and gain a better understanding of the levers that I have at my disposal. Here are a few tips that came from this social media experiment. For the purposes of this write up, I am focusing on Facebook, although other integrated tactics were used on other social platforms. Also, I need to point out that “getting fans” was not the primary goal of this exercise, it is simply a byproduct engagement with people on a relevant topic that compelled them to participate.

    1. I used an intriguing concept, but was sure to have depth and an underlying, positive message. In this case, fat animal photos can be funny, but pet obesity is a real issue that deserves awareness.
    2. I provided an immediate payoff in the form of funny fat pet photos within the filmstrip of the Facebook page.
    3. I provided additional resources for people that want to go beyond the “lol” in the form of pet diet and exercise articles.
    4. I requested sharing by using messaging with positive connotations, such as “Share this with other caring dog owners” or “If you care about healthy cats…”
    5. I manually posted the most relevant and compelling items on other platforms - as opposed to simply tying in all of the platforms to auto-echo one another.
    6. I encouraged submissions by immediately re-posting the photos submitted to the Tumblr blog and then commenting back a short link to the photo in the gallery. This not only shows others what you want from them, but also pushes up the story in everyone’s feed (including the friends of the original submitter) since there is more activity on that thread.
    7. I toggled between my personal and page account to create even more activity on posted items and push up the story in my own personal activity feed, which is seen by my friends.
    8. I used Facebook “social” ads to propel social stories in front of the friends of people posting or liking the page. I did this after I reached ~200 fans so there was enough inventory (200 x # of friends) available to use minimal per-click bidding and still hit my $10/day budget. Cost per fan was about $.18 through this channel.

    Over the next week I’ll be experimenting with alternate sharing messages, further repurposing submitted content and attempting to increase interaction time + frequency.

      If you’d like to know more about my tinkering with My Fat Pet or other interactive experiments, feel free to reach out via Twitter or good old email (tinkering@williamfernandez.com)

      Facebook announces the SEND button, a social plugin that websites can use to let people send a link to a friend through Facebook Messages, post it to a Group, or email it to an individual. It is different from the LIKE button, which places the liked item in your feed as opposed to sending directly to an individual or a group.

      Facebook announces the SEND button, a social plugin that websites can use to let people send a link to a friend through Facebook Messages, post it to a Group, or email it to an individual.

      It is different from the LIKE button, which places the liked item in your feed as opposed to sending directly to an individual or a group.

      5 things to avoid on Facebook Forward to your friends if you think they need to brush up on their Facebook etiquette.

      5 things to avoid on Facebook

      Forward to your friends if you think they need to brush up on their Facebook etiquette.

      What do they know about you? 4 online privacy resources you should visit today

      Simple tool that shows you which tracking cookies are on your computer and allows you to “opt out” of the behavioral advertising delivered by the companies included in the tool.

      Note that opting out of a network doesn’t mean you will see online ads. Rather, it means that the network from which you opted out will no longer deliver ads tailored to your web preferences and usage patterns.

      View and edit the information Google uses to show you interest-based ads on websites in Google’s ad network. Add or remove interest categories associated with your web browser, or opt out of seeing behaviorally targeted ads altogether.

      Find the answer to the question, “What does Google know about me?” with this service, which shows you information stored in your Google Account. From one central location, you can easily change your privacy settings for services such as Blogger, Calendar, Docs, Gmail, Picasa, and Google Profiles.

      2o7.net and omtrdc.net are domains used by Adobe to help provide portions of its SiteCatalyst, DataWarehouse and SearchCenter products. Specifically, these domains are used by Adobe to place cookies, on behalf of its customers, on the your computer if you visit one of their customers websites.

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      How to get a copy of the data you’ve put on Facebook This is useful for several reasons, especially if you’re thinking about jumping ship like several of my friends. To download your information, simply go to ACCOUNT SETTINGS in the upper righthand corner, then look for DOWNLOAD YOUR INFORMATION and click on LEARN MORE.  It will take a bit to compile, but you’ll be given a somewhat organized version of your photos and other personal info that you’ve added to Facebook over the years.

      How to get a copy of the data you’ve put on Facebook

      This is useful for several reasons, especially if you’re thinking about jumping ship like several of my friends.

      To download your information, simply go to ACCOUNT SETTINGS in the upper righthand corner, then look for DOWNLOAD YOUR INFORMATION and click on LEARN MORE. 

      It will take a bit to compile, but you’ll be given a somewhat organized version of your photos and other personal info that you’ve added to Facebook over the years.

      How to update your Facebook security settings While on Facebook, look at the URL in your browser; if you see http: instead of https: then you don’t have a secure session. Go to Account » Account Settings » Account Security and click Change. At least check the first setting, since the default is non-secure. Also, you can check the second box to be sent a notification when any other computer or device accesses your account.

      How to update your Facebook security settings

      While on Facebook, look at the URL in your browser; if you see http: instead of https: then you don’t have a secure session.

      Go to Account » Account Settings » Account Security and click Change. At least check the first setting, since the default is non-secure. Also, you can check the second box to be sent a notification when any other computer or device accesses your account.