flower bed

Slow on the new ideas? Get some sleep.

Need some stare out the window time?  Open the blinds.

Dreams to small? Rest.

The world is happening. Look.

Wake Up.

poem by NVR

photo by Mousy Brown

I’m pretty sure that Facebook will eventually allow Timeline to come to Pages.  We don’t know when or what that will look like.  However, it is clear that the use of  TABS for Pages is still the best way to start conversations. I’ve looked at, read about, compared, played with and analyzed these services Facebook Pages:

ShortStack.com – good for contests/sweepstakes but I found it rather cumbersome to use. –$15 a month

NorthSocial.com Great Aps, great service, helpful tips.  However, because my client has  over 5k fans it would  run $49 a month and that’s just too much for them.

Wildfireapp.com Fairly easy to use. The free HTML Ap can be used by anyone.  This service will allow one image for NEW fans and one image for folks that already LIKE the page.  The basic Promotion Builder will allow a contest and I’ve noticed several nonprofits use it. In order to have a custom header it runs $25 per promotion plus 2.99 per day of the promotion.

TabSite.com $15 a month  ($150 for 12 months) INCLUDES video embed, a new Sweepstakes plugin and Google analytics among other fantastic options at this low monthly rate.

I encourage you to use the free form to see about the interface before you purchase and then upgrade. You will see that  it is actually fun to use.

Hands down, I recommend that you spend the $150 to get the GOLD TabSite and start building tabs right away.

Mobile Friendly Facebook Tabs with TabSite

Here is the break down on what widgets for the Gold level

Here are all of the TabSite Widgets

Using TABS effectively will start to make your Facebook Page more dynamic and user friendly.

By using TabSite, any new changes to Facebook designs and policies will automatically be addressed by the 3rd party.  This makes me feel confident about being ready for any Facebook changes about to take place. This service went from 19,000 to 61,000 users in one year and I can see why.

We started using TabSite and our Post Feedback went up 167% in one week:
View the Nashville Symphony Facebook Tabs  or Mobile Version

I will paint again, I will read more. I will get up earlier to write and walk. I will absorb the music and invest in people. I will do my best to be aware and alert and live life in a way that is artful.

 photo credit

Content management can be daunting, particularly if you have quite a bit of content to manage. The challenge that we face in the workplace of social media strategy is transforming that content into conversation.

Brian Solis compiled a list of  10 Steps Toward New Relevance  that I promptly sent to my colleagues as a reference point to my actions that are planned in the coming year.

It is difficult to get to know what people want to talk about without listening (a lot) and jumping in to start a conversation. The full experience of a full service arts organization like the one where I work, comes with a superabundance of material. Content includes the performances, the education, the community involvement, the lives of the artists, the work of the staff, the generosity of the volunteers, the brilliance of the management, etc.  All fine stories, but what do the people want to talk about?

We invest on the value of the content, it is now time to fully embrace the responsibility of innovative engagement. Bring value, acknowledging the experience.

When something is awesome, funny or horrible, people talk about it with their friends now on a viral scale.

• Are you a social media strategist? How do you engage authentic experiences?
• Do you use social media tools to tell your circle of influence about things? What calls you to action the most?

 Quick 3  posts saved on the Evernote not to miss:

-YouTube Redesigns Its Web Site to Promote Personalized Video Channels
-Facebook to Start Placing Ads in User News Feeds in January
-The New, New Twitter and What It Means to You and Your Business

photo credit

the pine trees of Madison's Apple Valley, 2011

More Random iPhone Photos