I can’t even explain how happy I am about this!  Just this morning Hootsuite announced that they added Facebook Fan Page integration.

I have been using Hootsuite, a web-based tool, for managing my Twitter activity.  In the last week or so, Hootsuite added integration with LinkedIn and Facebook Personal Profiles.  This made it possible for you to update your Twitter accounts, LinkedIn status update and Facebook profile status all from the Hootsuite dashboard!  (You can pick and choose which social networking sites you want a status update to be posted to.)

As of this morning, Hootsuite has added integration with Facebook Fan Pages meaning you can now update your Fan Page status from the Hootsuite dashboard.  But, the most exciting part of all this is that Hootsuite allows you to “schedule” your status updates.

Scheduling updates to social networking sites does not in anyway replace the need for real-time interaction however I do believe there are times when scheduled updates can be very useful. One of these times is when you come across something on the internet that you want to share with your fans/followers/connections…however you have come across it during the middle of the night or on a major holiday…times when your target market is probably not on social networking sites making it less likely that they will see what you share.

Hootsuite to the rescue!  Now you can craft an update about the web page you found, add the URL link to the update AND then schedule it to post whenever you want.  This is personally the reason I am so excited about Hootsuite’s integration with Fan Pages as I tend to surf the net at odd hours of the night and often find web pages that I would like to share.  I typically either just forget about the idea or I send myself the web page link via email and then try to remember to share it on my Fan Page the next day.

To add a Fan Page, LinkedIn account or Facebook Personal Profile to your Hootsuite account, click “Settings” at the bottom of your screen and then click the “Social Networks” tab.  You will then be able to select which social network you want to add, etc…

In the screen shot shown above, you’ll see that I’ve added my Facebook personal profile (Kimberly Yow) as well as three Fan Pages and my LinkedIn account.

What do you think about Hootsuite’s integration with Facebook and LinkedIn?  Will it change how often you post status updates or the type of information you share?

Your Facebook Informant,
Kimberly Yow

Become a Fan of our Fan Page:  Social Networking 4 Biz

New feature added to Fan Pages that allows you to target an individual Status Update so only specific fans see the update.  If you have a drop-down menu next to your Status Update “Share” button, click the arrow, select Custom and then enter the area you want to target.  Only fans in your specified geographic area will see your Status Update.

You may be asking “why” you would want a Status Update to be visible to only specific fans.  I thought of two reasons right off the bat.  You can:

1. Target a status update that applies to a local seminar, workshop, meetup, etc…so that only fans in that geographic area see the status update.
2. Target a status update that applies to a holiday that is only celebrated in a specific region.  For instance, I plan to post a Happy Thanksgiving message on my Fan Page and target it to United States Fans.

If you have Facebook Fans in multiple countries, and you post status updates that frequently only apply to a specific region, be sure to use this new feature.  Your fans will be less likely to unfan your page if you target messages so that they aren’t seeing a lot of posts that don’t apply to them.

I’d love to have you post a comment below to let me and readers know what other ways you think you might use this new feature.

Your Facebook Informant,
Kimberly Yow

Become a Fan of our Fan Page on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/SocialNetworking4Biz

The new tagging feature recently announced by Facebook looks pretty awesome!  Here are a few things I learned by using it.

Does the new Facebook tagging feature work from a Fan Page or a Group?
It works from personal profiles AND fan pages.  It does not appear to work from a group at this time.

How does it work?
You simply type the @ symbol in your status update and then select the item you want to tag from a drop-down menu that will appear.  It’s fast & easy!  You can tag friends, events, groups, fan pages, etc…

What happens if someone tags my Fan Page?:
If someone tags your fan page from their personal profile, a post will be created on your fan page wall that’s identical to what the person posted.  You’ll also see a link that says “view post”.  Clicking the link will take you to that person’s original post and you’ll be able to see any additional comments that were attached by other Facebook users.  (The same scenario happens if someone tags your personal profile.)

How can I use this new tagging feature from a business stand-point?
A couple of ideas:  1) If you practice the “givers gain” attitude of helping others, use the tagging feature to tag your friend’s fan pages, groups or events.  2) A couple of times a month, post an invitation from your personal profile for readers to join your fan page (or group) and be sure to “tag” your fan page/group so they have easy access to it.  3) Tag your own events.

So what do you think of the new Facebook tagging feature?  Let me know in the comments below.  Thanks!

Kimberly Yow
E-book:  How To Promote Your Business On Facebook…Without Alienating Your Friends!

Facebook just announced that they are adding a new way for you to tag friends, groups, events, applications and fan pages directly in your Status Updates.  This is another way you can let the Facebook community know who you are talking about and what you are saying about them.

So how does this affect a business that has a Facebook group, fan page or event postings?  I’m assuming that items tagged via a status update will appear in the home page highlights section thus giving the tagged items more exposure on Facebook.  If this is true, you could potentially tag your own groups, fan pages and events AND your endearing friends could also tag your items as a way of promoting you and your business.

Here is info directly from the Facebook blog:

Now, when you are writing a status update and want to add a friend’s name to something you are posting, just include the “@” symbol beforehand.  As you type the name of what you would like to reference, a drop-down menu will appear that allows you to choose from your list of friends and other connections, including groups, events, applications and Pages.  Soon, you’ll be able to tag friends from applications as well.  The “@” symbol will not be displayed in the published status update or post after you’ve added your tags.

Friends you tag in your status updates will receive a notification and a Wall post linking them to your post.  They also will have the option to remove tags of themselves from your posts.

Exactly how this feature will work and the benefits that it will produce remain to be seen.  Facebook will be rolling this feature out over the next few weeks…you may not have access to it yet.  One way to check is to start typing a status update and use the @ symbol.  If a drop-down menu appears, your account has the new feature.  If it doesn’t appear, try again in a few days…

I will post additional information on this blog or my Social Networking Facebook Fan Page as it becomes available.

Tag…you’re it!   How do you think this new feature will benefit your business?

Kimberly Yow
Marketing That’s Easy.com