• What a Facebook business page should contain
• Major changes to Facebook & understanding the Timeline
• A review of Facebook insights
• An overview of Facebook advertisements & how they’ve changed
• Tips for creating custom tabs

Below are the key takeaways from the web class:

• Facebook is THE social platform to reach your customers: 1 out of every 8 minutes online is spent on Facebook
• Watch your admin panel to catch recent likes, private messages and notifications
• Facebook ads are a good (and inexpensive) way to generate new likes on the page through advanced targeting options such as demographics, education, work & interests
• Insights allows you to look into how well you are reaching your customers by looking at each post and tracking the total social reach & amount of interaction to help you determine the most engaging subjects, most popular time of day, etc.

If you’re a small business owner interested in leveraging the tools available, whether it’s related to Google applications, social media, blogging or more, we’d love your suggestions regarding topics to cover for future web classes. Please share your ideas in the comments below!

I get this type of question all the time. It points to a very real and valid concern: business owners want desperately to be able to control all of the messaging related –even tangentially! – to their business. Maintaining the image and reputation that your customers expect is a top priority. The last thing you want to deal with is any controversy that can negatively impact your brand.

That being said, there are realistic and legal limits about how much control you have over your employees. When the day is done and they go home, an employee is their own person, free to exercise and enjoy their freedom of speech. Employers who make efforts to control or censor that speech have been met with mixed results. If your employee is blogging about your organization, internal policies and procedures, proprietary information, other employees, or inappropriate behavior they engage in while on the clock (such as the two-hour-burrito-and-a-nap lunch that led to the firing of Heather Armstrong) discipline, up to and including termination of employment, may be both appropriate and legal.

It’s a different story when you start talking about taking action in response to your employees’ blogs that are written on their own time, that have nothing at all to do with your organization. In these instances, it’s very important to remember that you have very limited standing: you do not have the same rights or privileges you may enjoy when your company is the topic of discussion. If the employee maintains the blog anonymously, you may have no recourse at all; if the employee is clearly identifiable, you may be able to require that the employee post a disclaimer on the site that the opinions expressed therein are not those of your organization.

Clear communication is key. Every state has its own unique set of laws on this issue; it’s important to understand what the position is where you are. Use this understanding to develop a clear, comprehensive blogging policy for your organization and make compliance with this policy a condition of employment.

These policies have to be crafted carefully: while you want to protect your business interests, you never want to forget that your employees are people too. They may very well see your concern over their blog as a gross over-reach into what they consider their private lives. We are still collectively developing our cultural mores, norms and expectations when it comes to our online existence. Proceeding with sensitivity, kindness and respect is always a good idea. Consider having your company’s most active bloggers play an integral role in the development of the blogging policy. They may have insights and experiences that will help in the crafting of a useful business tool, and their participation in the process encourages their buy-in and support.

You’d think every business would jump at having a blog, but some hang back. They’re reluctant to embrace blogging because they don’t know what to write about. Other companies give it a shot but have a hard time coming up with blog topics.

Finding Blog Topics: Simple Strategies for Effective Communication

Before you start blogging, it helps to understand why customers read blogs. There’s lots and lots of research out there about the factors that influence customer engagement and loyalty, and one fact emerges consistently: customers demonstrate a strong preference for doing business with companies they feel personally bonded with. Activities like reading blogs, liking Facebook posts and responding to Tweets makes a customer feel closer to your organization – especially if there’s a high degree of interactivity between brand and customer.

When you create a blog entry, you’re really creating an opportunity for you and your customer to become closer. Think about the types of conversations you have with your very best customers. What type of information do they value? What makes them laugh? What makes them excited? The more you know about your customers, the easier it is to find topics that will interest them.
With that in mind, here are three proven techniques you can use when you need blog entries:

• Look For Laughs

Humor is a great connector. People love to laugh! Even better, people love to make other people laugh. Keep your ears open for the funny! When someone shares a great joke, silly riddle, or laugh-out-loud observation, make note of it.

You can use these lines to liven up your blog. Even better, a silly laugh can provoke some serious thoughts. There can be truth hidden in hilarity. A quick-witted client once said to me, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, then everything starts to look like a nail,” which not only makes me laugh – it raises serious questions about the approach we take when we’re solving problems. Are we open to every solution, or only the ones we’re familiar with? Are we willing to stretch outside of our comfort zones? Answering those questions for your industry – or for your clients – can be a great blog entry.

• Go Behind The Scenes

What goes into making your business the fascinating, unique place it is today? People are always interested in what goes on behind the scenes. If you go to a trade show or industry event, bring your customers along for the ride. Talk about the new merchandise you’re excited about, neat things you’ve learned or emerging trends or changes in your industry. Keeping your customers informed of the latest and greatest is an easy way to come up with blog topics – and it’s also superior customer service!

• Let the Calendar Be Your Guide

Every industry has its own seasonal patterns. Early April, for example, is the most hectic time for accounting and tax preparation services. In late November, those same professionals are advising their clients about what needs to be done by the end of the year to ensure tax savings. Identify the seasonal patterns for your industry, and let that calendar be your guide.

Create blog entries that let your customers know what they should be doing right now to be more efficient, effective, stylish, healthier, happier – more whatever they come to you for in the first place. Restaurants, florists, and fashion-based businesses are all heavily affected by the changing of the seasons. Try to get maximum mileage out of every season: you can write one post anticipating the best of the season to come; one mid-season post highlighting the best of the current offerings, and one farewell-to-the-season post that urges customers to come in and see what you’ve got before it’s too late.

There are many more ideas to blog about. Share your favorite with us and we will keep adding our ideas for you.