Facebook Home - Android app for Social HomeScreen

Facebook has announced release of Facebook Home by April 12 as an App and integrated with HTC First™ in the US.

In short, Facebook Home is an Android App that, when installed, will be present on your mobile home screen with all actiivities from people around you on Facebook.

It will not be available for Android Gingerbread OS or earlier versions.

To download Facebook Home app to your Android phone, you need to have the updated Facebook and Facebook Messenger apps.

You can get the free download on April 12 or pre-order the HTC First™ and get Home pre-installed in your device and it works best in HTC Device.





Here is what Facebook explains on what Facebook Home is on their Help Center page


Facebook Home is software for your phone designed to put your friends above everything else. You can download Facebook Home for free or purchase it pre-installed on a phone. Facebook Home works together with the Facebook for Android and Facebook Messenger apps to enable its main features:

• Cover feed: Glance at your phone for photos and posts from your Facebook News Feed.


• Chat heads: Send and receive texts and Facebook messages in one place. Open, close and drag chat heads around your screen to keep chatting while you’re using other apps.


• Notifications: See news as it happens with bigger, bolder notifications on your home screen.


• App launcher: Get right to your favorite apps and post to Facebook from the same place.

How will this turn out depends on the users. Would the users be overwhelmed to have this or make it a fad? We need to wait for social media fanatics' response.


Facebook has grabbed an opportunity right from their competitors where Google missed the opportunity to market Google+ via Android!

Google+ is now integrated with...

Google+ is now integrated with SocialNetGate! Now you can post to your Google+ page directly from SocialNetGate. With publishing your content specific posts to Facebook, Twitter, and other sites, Google+ has been added now. Stay connected to know more on this...

Facebook Chat - Turn Off for Some friends

Here's another update from Facebook

Turn Facebook Chat off has had the enhancement now. This feature will really be helpful for those who don't want to be available on Facebook for all the friends.

Yes, you can turn the Facebook Chat ON or OFF for just some of your Facebook friends and Friends list.

While turning off facebook chat, there will be options to select whom you want to 'Turn the chat off'

To turn chat on for just a few friends:

1. 
   Click in the chat sidebar


2. 
   Select Advanced Settings


3. 
   Click Turn on chat for only some friends


4. 
   List the friends you want to turn on chat for

To turn on chat for all your friends except a few:

1. 
   Select Turn on chat for all your friends except in your Advanced Settings


2. 
   List the friends you want to turn chat off for

You can quickly turn off chat for an individual friend by clicking at the top of your chat window with that friend. From there, click Turn off chat to...

To turn chat on or off for a friend list

Click the icon in the chat sidebar and select Advanced Settings. Enter the lists you want to turn chat on or off for in the correct header:

• 
  
  
  Turn on chat for only some friends: Enter the lists you want to be on chat for
  
  


• 
  
  
  Turn on chat for all friends except: Enter the lists you want to turn chat off for
  
  

If you want to chat with someone who is on a friend list you've turned chat off for, enter that person's name into the search bar at the bottom of the sidebar. The name will appear grayed out, but you can click on it to open a chat with that person. Chat will remain off to the rest of that list.

The above steps are sourced from Facebook Help Center:

Can I turn chat on for just a few friends?

Can I turn chat on or off for friend lists?

Let us know your experience and queries!

Video content for Social Media

YouTube now has more than a billion unique users every single month. That means almost half the people on the Internet visits YouTube.



Read from YouTube blog - http://goo.gl/FKRHr



Earlier this year, Twitter released a Video-Sharing iOS App - Vine ! Read More about Vine - http://goo.gl/MGgYO



This shows YouTube and video content has the power to promote your company brand online. YouTube says that the first 15 seconds of the video decide whether the content is engaging. Some simple tips on creating a Video



1. Content for Social Media should be interesting and  communication/engagement starter. Basic ideas for video content include:

• 
  Introduction video about your product/service,


• 
  How Tos/Tutorials on using the product/service,


• 
  Creative ways to use your product,


• 
  Teasers,


• 
  Celebrations at the Company,


• 
  Stalls/Exhibition exposure,


• 
  Employees talk,


• 
  Update on products/services & New product release and more

All the above are content related to your company. While you use social media as a marketing medium, it is also important to create and publish content that are general industry updates, tips, advises, etc.



2. Use your existing Social Media presence to know what the audience expect from you. They might not want you bombarding marketing content on their feed.

3. Keep your videos brief and to the point. Lengthening the video makes it less appealing and interest will be lost.

4. Use simple and easily understandable language. It is better to replace Technical terms with an equivalent basic word.

5. Since the time is short, the content needs to be creative.

6. There has to be a message conveyed in the video. Beating around the bush is again an interest loser. The initial seconds can be used to tell what the video is about.

7. At the end of the video, include any references/credits and contact information as and when required. Video description can also be used for the purpose.

8. Make sure the video  is compatible with all possible players and devices. Have the same videos converted in to various video formats.

9. Video Content, when distributed, has to be properly optimized for the right keywords. But Video publishing/distribution is a separate topic to be discussed as an individual blog.

Stay connected with our social media presence to get all the social media updates and tips.

Reply option to comments - How to activate?

This is a follow up on Facebook Enhancement - Reply option to comments

As mentioned earlier, the option for replying will be available by default. But if it is not, there will be an option on your page to Turn it ON.

• 
  Log in to your Facebook page admin account and go to the page's home


• 
  On the top, above the cover image, there will be an option to "Turn On Replies"

 

• 
  Just click on the "Turn On Replies" button and it will be activated.

Now you and whoever vists your page can post replies on the posts' comments on your page.

Facebook Enhancement - Reply option to comments

Facebook has updated an option to reply for comments. Facebook pages now can reply to a comment(directly) posted on their page and other pages.

The person/page, for whom the reply has been posted, will be notified on the reply. It should be available for most of the pages by default.

Read through the post by Vadim Lavrusik, Journalism Program Manager on  Facebook + Journalists

Improving Conversations on Facebook with Replies

Check the enhancement yourself and post your comments below.

Pinterest updates - Pinterest Web Analytics and new look up

While we all were busy noticing Facebook updates and Google+ updates Pinterest released 2 important updates:

1. Pinterest Web Analytics

Pinterest announced Analytics last week. Read more from Pinterest blog - Introducing Pinterest Web Analytics

The data available via Pinterest Analytics are:

Pins - the number of pins from your website.

Pinners -the number of people who pinned from your website.



Repins - number of times pins from your website were repinned on Pinterest.

Repinners - number of people who repinned your pins.



Impressions - number of times your pins appeared on Pinterest in the main feed, in search results, or on on boards.

Reach - number of people who saw your pins on Pinterest.



Clicks - number of clicks to your website that came from Pinterest.

Visitors - number of people who visited your website from Pinterest.

These are the important analytics that help you to know the return(ROI) you get from Pinterest efforts. This helps you in spending efforts on Pinterest Engagement wisely. Check how the Analytics page looks at the bottom of this post...

There are many third-party apps providing Pinterest Analytics. They provide with in-depth details while the basic and essential insights are given by PInterest itself. It has to be noted that impressions and reach are not given by any third-party apps.

Read to know more about  Pinterest Web Analytics

This Pinterest Vimeo video explains more about the analytics feature

Pinterest Web Analytics Walkthrough from Pinterest on Vimeo.

 

2. Pinterest New Profile Look

Check  Pinterest's announcement on New profile look - Our New Look: More Ways to Discover What You Love

Pinterest informed on this earlier this year!

New discovery features is the important update on this new look. There were other users feedback included like being able to get back to the earlier browsing pins/pages without any hassle. Also read these earlier notes/messages:

Pinterest's new look

Switch to Pinterest's new look

Having these updates, the need of the hour from Pinterest is API access. It's be great if they roll out API access to limited third-party partners.

The important note here is that to have these updates on your profile or business on Pinterest, you should have verified your website on Pinterest

Go through these features and options and share your feedback as comments below. Also Check our Pinterest Profile!