If you haven’t heard about it by now, I’m telling you that Facebook Timeline is here and it’s here to stay!  On March 30, Facebook will be converting everyone’s homepage over to the new Timeline format whether you want it or not.  Wondering what that’s going to mean for your businesses page?  Or, your personal page?  Well, that’s what todays blog is about!

It seems that with every new change Facebook makes there is always some sort of backlash with people who don’t appreciate it, but eventually, everyone embraces it and no one can even remember what the old layout used to be.  I have a feeling that this will be the case here as well.  I’ve already heard people start to complain about everything from how they hate the cover photo to how it doesn’t look right on their smart phones.  I don’t think many people have really given it a chance yet.  The companies that have already switched over early have had the advantage of figuring out how it works and how they can benefit from it.

Some of my favorites that I’ve seen have been Coca Cola, Old Spice, and Meet the Press.  They’ve gone all the way back to the beginning and created engaging and interesting posts telling their story starting with day they were founded.  Facebook has found a way to combine elements of Blogging, Twitter, and Tumblr all onto one platform. They’re basically changing the way we surf the world wide web.  We can now read stories, share information, and watch videos without leaving one page!

These changes don’t just benefit large corporations with years of history, they can also work for small businesses and startups.  If you’re an entertainer or a non-profit you can share the evolution of your work, and people can see the accolades you’ve received from fans over the years.  It’s just a great platform to share your story with the world!  So, if you’re ready to start sharing you can change your Facebook to the Timeline format before the March 30th deadline!

Facebook has essentially decided to change it’s social media platform into the ultimate marketing tool.  Premium will allow brands to have Timelines, strategic placement of ads which include pushing offers during the log out experience, and featuring brand stories directly on our newsfeeds.  The brand stories have the ability to be promoted much like Twitters promoted tweets. Marketers believe this is going to help create a more personal connection and develop long lasting relationships with consumers. In addition, Facebook has also created a new tool, “Reach Generator”, that guarantees 75% of fans will see the brands content each month.  If Facebook is used effectively, theoretically, brands can see 3X ROI.

So, will these new changes create more user engagement?  I guess it will depend on how well marketers will be able to convince the masses that “ads” are “stories”.  Only time will tell.  I’m certainly interested in what all of this will evolve into, but I have a feeling fans will embrace the changes just as they have throughout the years.  Facebook premium may very well be the birth of a new era in marketing.

Rather than outbound marketing to the masses of people that are trying to block you out, try some “inbound marketing” where you can help yourself be found by people trying to learn about or shop in your industry. For this to work, you need to set-up your website like a hub for your industry to attract visitors naturally through search engines, the blogosphere, and social media.

Inbound marketing is similar to content marketing which is an umbrella term encompassing all marketing formats that involve the creation and sharing of content in order to engage current and potential consumer bases. Like inbound marketing, content marketing subscribes to the notion that delivering high-quality, relevant and valuable information to prospects and customers drives profitable consumer action. Content marketing has benefits in terms of retaining reader attention and improving brand loyalty.

All-in-all, making consumers wanting to come to you by providing valuable information to them through the use of content and inbound marketing can be   more effective and less expensive than outbound marketing. We recommend at least incorporating some of these ideas into your marketing if your company is not already doing so. And as always, keep it social & simple.

A recent study in the UK carried out by the Sunday Times found the more than 50 percent of the UK’s population owned a smartphone device. Furthermore, the study claimed that 50 percent of those who owned a smartphone, used it more for gaming or using apps, with little priority over the basic features such as texting, emailing and making phone calls, reports Mobile Magazine. The study also said that the total number of apps downloaded during the last week of 2011 stood at an overwhelming 81 million, just in the UK! Many industry experts and research outfits are of the opinion that considering the overwhelming rate at which the smartphone market is expanding, the day is not too far when these new generation devices will outnumber the older generation feature phones in the market. Morgan Stanley Research estimates sales of smartphones will exceed those of PCs in 2012.

With the dramatic rise in cell phone usage, one may wonder- is this affecting our health? Speculation about cell phones’ negative effects on the brain have persisted for years, but what about our mental health?

A recent study reported in The Daily Telegraph claims that smartphone usage is becoming obsessive and can cause anxiety. People have become so dependent on their smartphones that they become anxious when they haven’t received any calls, messages or updates for a while, according to the latest research into the topic. According to a report in The Daily Telegraph, people become so obsessive about checking their email accounts and social networking sites that they actually become more stressed as a result, researchers said. University of Worcester psychologist Richard Balding conducted psychometric tests on 100 employed and student volunteers. He found that stress levels can become so pronounced that some start experiencing the “phantom vibrations” of non-existent test messages, according to Techworld. Balding suggested that the solution is to switch off, and encouraged companies to ensure that staff maintain the line between home and office by swicthing off work devices when workers are not in the office.

My advice is our Mobloggy slogan- “Keep it Social & Simple”! Obviously we love how our smart phones allow us to update our social accounts and stay in touch but make sure it’s not taking you out of your physical social life! If you use it simply, a quick update here and there, you can avoid being the lonely person in the corner letting Angry Birds stress you out. I may happen to be slightly obsessed with Words with Friends but sometimes nothing beats putting down the phone for a good ol’ simple game of Scrabble!

The photos can show-up to your account in as little as a couple of hours and those with a smart phone out on the slopes can check out their pics and share them with friends right from the chairlift. This really is quite the brilliant innovation from Vail Resorts that has not only projected them full force into the social media world but also earned them a “People’s Voice” Webby award in the “Experimental and Innovation” category for mobile devices. Also, Westword recently announced the winners of their WebAwards and EpicMix was honored in the category of “Best Locally Built SmartPhone App of the Year”. Vail Resorts says its EpicMix has generated more than 36 million social impressions so far this season and it’s only getting started. With the recent introduction of action shots, people continue to flock to EpicMix photographers- who aren’t hard to spot dressed in lime-green Patagonia snow suits. Kudos to Vail Resorts for using social media in a such a smart way that’s simply to use, yet is reaching the masses. Mobloggy commends you for “Keeping it Social and Simple”!

It’s not enough anymore to just have a presence on Twitter.  If you’re a business you must be willing to provide customer service, give the latest information on your business, and offer incentives to the online community so they continue to follow and praise you.

As a person on Twitter, if you represent your business on your profile, you become a reflection of your company.  So the same rules apply, normally minus the incentives.  If you represent “just yourself” and only tweet about the world as you see it, you become the “word of mouth” so many businesses seek.  The importance of where you are dining or skiing tonight can change the plans of others and encourage businesses to market to you.

• How to “make the list” of good, local accounts to follow:
• š Help others find you on Twitter, fill in your profile and location.
• š Tweet more than once a week.
• š Make sure your tweets aren’t always one-sided (RSS feeds, no replies).
• š Share your list of favorite, local Twerps/Tweeps/Twits/Tweethearts with others.
• š Encourage more locals to start tweeting.
• š Replies to others within 24 hours.

Tip to Tweet:  Find a business who will host a TweetUp.  When Tweeps meet in person, they will engage even more online. #vail #realpeople

Need help to market your business on Twitter? –  sign up for our class on 11/11/10 in Avon, Colorado:
Twitter  - Cause & Effect Marketing  http://getmobloggy.eventbrite.com for more details.

Here’s a snapshot of personal, local, active Twerps that engage others.

If you were left off the list, please send us a tweet to @mobloggy and we’ll review your account for a future post!

Send them a tweet to let them know you are #realpeople in the #vail valley too.  This List of Locals can be found at Twitter.com/mobloggy

Who’s Who in the Vail Valley on Twitter

#realpeople #vail #FF

@wildbluebug                    photographer and geek in Minturn

@dredful                             web developer and former ski instructor in Avon

@rebeccaruck                    mom and social media consultant in Minturn

@vailgeek                           geek and outdoorsman in Vail

@geekymedic                     podcaster and paramedic in Vail

@stevendewittjr                photographer and activist in Eagle County

@btfanatic87                     hair cutting specialist and electronic music lover in Vail

@paulapeterlini                en espanol de Vail

@jadubbs                            cyclist and father in Avon

@nataliefandrey               marketing and yoga lover in Vail

@kpaton                              skiing junkie and beer lover in Vail

@powderqueenb                  dog lover and outdoor geek

@preinarz                           entrepreneur and cyclist in Vail Valley

@jay_vail                            jack of all trades in Vail Valley

@margaretcyphers           design geek and mountain lifestyle lover in Vail

@jilltrujillo                         skiing and shoe lover in Vail Valley

@richstaats                         web developer and snowboarder in Edwards

@mattstueve                        techie and snowboarder in Vail

@jeffplace                            cyclist and father in Vail

@cantrellryan                     tall and nerdy in Avon

@numberninemac              student and geek in Eagle County

@vivavelo                             cyclist and foodie in Vail

Need help to market your business on Twitter? –  sign up for our class on 11/11/10 in Avon, Colorado:
Twitter  - Cause & Effect Marketing  http://getmobloggy.eventbrite.com for more details.