Fall For Facebook Features

Can you believe it’s almost fall? Maybe it’s because it’s been a blistering 90-100 degrees every day here in San Diego, but it’s been quite hard for me to believe that fall is just around the corner. My boots are all eyeing me for attention, but all I can muster the enthusiasm to wear in this weather is sandals!

And much like this hot weather, my RSS feeds are burning up with all the new Facebook updates that have been announced recently. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the new features, here’s a review and some details on the latest Facebook rollouts.

Facebook Login Changes

Whenever you go to a new app on your mobile device, you are often prompted to login via Facebook (or another site) for a quicker login process. One of the major concerns that many users had was that using these login methods allowed the app to post or share on your timeline. However, with the new login features, Facebook must now ask you separately for permission to post or share on your timeline.You can even skip the option to post all together, while still gaining access to the app. Now you can use Facebook Login as a faster means to access app, rather than as a dumping ground of shares and content exchange.

Contests In Your Timeline

This news spread like wildfire across Facebook pages and other platforms. Facebook revoked the requirement that all contests be administered through a third-party app. While the information was exciting and people were drooling over it like any new shiny object, some caution must be advised. Yes, you can now run a contest directly on your page. No, you cannot collect any solid data from a page contest. If you just want to boost some engagement or gain some new fans with a simple “like” contest, a timeline contest will work well. However, if your goal is to grow your list or collect more information from participants, you’ll still want to use third-party apps to administer your contests and help gather the data.

Hashtags Are Activated

It was inevitable that hashtags would be implemented by Facebook. They’re here! You can use hashtags in any post on Facebook to increase searchability. A side note, though, recent discussion and testing has found that including hashtags in your posts may actually diminish initial reach. And while hashtags are activated on all desktop applications, they haven’t been fully rolled out to all mobile users. Along with the introduction of hashtags, Facebook is also testing out trending topics, much like you see on Twitter, for those mobile users who do have hashtag functionality.

New Ranking for News Feed

Facebook announced new changes to their News Feed ranking algorithm and promised more transparency in how the algorithm would work. There has been much talk and complaints about Edgerank and how it penalizes pages, essentially requiring us to purchase promoted posts to get our information into the news feeds of our fans. With the new algorithm, Facebook determines quality content based on a number of factors (including relevance, trustworthiness, shareable, interesting, etc.). Quality content will get priority reach and poor content (including memes or other attempts used to game the old Edgerank algorithm) will be penalized with reduced reach. The new format also includes story bumping, posts that are deemed valuable may get bumped back up to the top of a news feed if it hasn’t previously been seen. This is good news for those pages doing things the “right” way, as we will likely see increased reach and engagement.

Graph Search

While the talk of Graph Search has been going on for a while now, Facebook has now rolled it out to all English speaking users in the US. If Graph Search is new to you, it’s essentially a redesign of your top navigation bar and a new means to “search” both Facebook and the Internet. Graph Search allows you to find connections or pages based on simple, specific phrases. For example, you can now search for “people from my hometown” and Facebook will give you a list of all users (whose security settings allow appropriate display) who match this criteria. The benefit is that search results are custom to you and your queries. However, it is a new interface and takes some getting used to.

Embedded Posts

This was an exciting announcement for a lot of marketers. As of August, you can now embed Facebook posts directly into your blog or website. You can embed your most relevant Facebook posts directly into your website for enhanced visibility and engagement. Posts can include pictures, video and hashtags. And, most importantly, viewers can like and share the content or follow your page directly from the embedded post! Like I said, this is exciting for marketers. If you can include key Facebook content in your blog posts, you can drastically increase your post reach.

New Page Insights

Most page managers have complained about Facebook insights. The confusion behind the numbers and lack of relevant data often left us yearning for more. The new page insights, still in the roll out process, have fixed many pastissues for page managers. With multiple pages of insights and tabs full of detailed information, it is now possible to gather much more relevant data. Some of the best new features include knowing when your fans are on Facebook daily, detailed information about where new fans and likes came from, specific analysis of each individual post and its engagement, page visits, and post reach.

Phew! That’s a lot of new features! And if things keep at this pace, Facebook will roll out even more new features in the near future. The key is to determine how these new features will benefit you and your social media strategy. Take some time to review each of these features and experiment with implementing them into your strategy.

Facebook Home Released For Android

Facebook has released Facebook Home, a new patch for Android devices which makes viewing messages and photos from Facebook easier by changing the device’s homepage into a Facebook cover feed.

When Facebook home was announced yesterday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasised that the company’s intention was to build a mobile interface which put people first instead of apps. To that end, Facebook Home replaces an Android phone’s home page with information from the owner’s Facebook news feed, all of which can be clicked on and interacted with. At any point users can get to their apps by swiping up on their Facebook profile photo.

Facebook notifications will appear on the home screen beside a profile picture of the active party, Facebook promises on the announcement post that these notifications will be “bigger [and] bolder”. Notifications can be taken off screen with a simple drag.

Meanwhile, messages – both SMS and Facebook – will appear over apps as pop-ups in the corner of the screen. This feature, called Chat Heads, “will help improve engagement as it lets people jump in and out of conversations without ever having to leave your app”, according to the Facebook announcement post.

Home will be available in the US from the Google Play Store from April 12. Home works on the HTC One X, HTC One X+, Samsung GALAXY S III and Samsung GALAXY Note II. Home will work on the yet-to-be-released HTC One and Samsung GALAXY S4, and on more devices in the next few months.

What do you think of Facebook Home?

Facebook iOS Update Includes Voice Messaging

An update to the iOS Facebook app allows users to have the same features that have previously been launched on the Facebook Messenger app on both iOS and Android devices.

The updated app for iOS means that users are now able to send voice messages when using the Facebook app.

The ability to send a voice message via the Facebook Messenger app was unveiled earlier this month which was later enhanced with VoIP calling free of charge in the United States and Canada.
Users of the Facebook app are also able to record a video and share it with friends from within the app.

Will you be sending voice messages and video recordings?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below

Facebook Search Bar Can Take You To Specific App Centre Categories

The Facebook search bar now searches for App Centre categories which will lead users straight to those particular sections of the App Centre.

The ability to do so doesn’t seem to have been available since the introduction of the App Centre in June, but Facebook has since introduced a search option within the App Centre which gives users the ability to finds apps by using keywords such as “sport” or “games”.

Only recently has a discovery been made of users being able to use the main Facebook search bar to find specific App Centre categories.

The search bar allows users to go straight to the “games” or “mobile apps” sections and will show different app categories such as action games, card games, puzzle games, photo apps, lifestyle apps and many more that can be found via the main search bar.

The search bar is generally used for Facebook users to find other people, pages and to get around the site. For instance, users can navigate quickly to their photos, notes, friends lists, Help Centre and others.

Adding App Centre categories to the search bar could point more users towards the App dashboard with it already getting 220 million visitors per month.

Are you glad that you can now access the App Centre via the main search bar?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below

20 Tricks to Make Facebook Better

Facebook is by far the largest social network on the web. While Mark Zuckerberg has made plenty of great calls in its design, the site — and the way people use it — isn’t as streamlined as it could be.

These 20 tips, tricks and tools will give help take your Facebook experience to the next level. From simple settings options you may have overlooked, to browser plug-ins dedicated to making the social network even better, you’re sure to find something on this list that will make your Facebook time even more addicting than it already is.

Tweak Your Facebook Settings

1. Appear Offline to Certain Friends

By opening your Facebook chat window, clicking the settings icon in the upper right corner and then navigating to “Advanced Settings,” you can customize your chat experience by appearing offline to certain people on your friends list. This tweak will be especially helpful for those of you with chatty acquaintances who like to talk your ear off when you’re online.

2. Reposition Your Timeline Photos

When uploading a new photo, it might not always appear on your feed the way you intended. Particularly long or wide photos have a tendency to be cropped awkwardly, but you can fix this rather easily. By clicking “Edit Photo” from your Timeline page, you gain access to a “Reposition Photo” option. Using this tool, you can move your photo around the preview window so that it appears as you intended.

3. Add Photos to Your Worldly Travels

If you’re a fan of Facebook’s “Places” feature, you can very easily decorate it with pictures to show off your various activities all over the world. On the main Places page, simply click “Add Photos to Map” and start tagging away! If you frequently upload photos directly to your Facebook profile using a mobile app for iPhone or Android, you might find that your map is already pretty well populated.

4. Easily Hide App Notifications

By going into your account settings, navigating to the “Notifications” tab on the left side of the page, you can browse the applications that have permission to populate your news feed. If find that a friend has spammed your feed with an excessive number of app notifications, simply deactivate the offending app. It’s easier than breaking off the friendship.

5. Upload Photos in High Resolution

Sometimes you’ll find that a gorgeous photo you wanted to share with your friends appears tiny and blurry after adding it to your social network profile. Remedy this by going into your Facebook albums and, before uploading a photo, click the “High Quality” box.

6. Use the “View As” Option to Tweak Your Appearance to Specific Friends

Knowing what your friends can see on your Facebook Timeline is an invaluable tool to ensuring your virtual reputation stays intact. From your Timeline page, click the settings icon next to “Activity Log” and then click “View As.” From here you’ll be able to see what specific friends see when they visit your page.

7. Download Your Entire Facebook History

Ever wanted to browse your entire Facebook profile at once — including every status update you’ve ever submitted? Facebook makes it easy. Under your Account Settings page, a small link will appear at the very bottom of the options list. Click “Download a copy of your Facebook data” to begin the process of securing your entire archive.

8. Forward Your Facebook Conversations

Having to repeat yourself is annoying in day-to-day life, and it’s even more of a bother when online. Rather than copying and pasting directions or instructions to multiple people, click the “Actions” tab at the top of any Facebook message thread to access the option to forward it to others. Ta-da! No more double-talk!

9. Turn Chat Sign-in Off by Default

Can’t stand endless chat when you’re simply browsing your status updates? No problem. Click the settings icon in the main Facebook chat window, and click “Turn off chat” to have all future messages sent to your inbox, rather than pop-up in realtime on your screen.

10. Use Facebook to Design Your Business Card

If you’ve put a lot of work into making your Timeline page reflect exactly who you are, consider using it as a pre-designed business card. Clicking the “About” link — located under your name on your Timeline — lets you browse your social network details. In the Contact Info window is a small business card icon that will direct you to Moo.com, where you can customize a Facebook-flavored business card and place an order.

Web Tools That Optimize Facebook

11. Analyze Your Facebook History With Wolfram Alpha

For the most comprehensive breakdown of your entire Facebook history, Wolfram Alpha can’t be beat. Simply type “Facebook Report” into the main search bar, approve the app’s use of your Facebook data and wait for the system to break down your history. Once it’s finished, you’ll be treated to a seemingly endless number of graphs and data points showing your update history, most-liked photos and much more.

12. Schedule Facebook Updates With Sendible

Believe it or not, thieves are big fans of Facebook. By finding out when you’ll be away from your home, security experts believe would-be robbers target those who go on a Facebook hiatus. Sendible — an application that allows you to schedule updates even when you’re not near your computer — can keep your online persona active, even when you can’t.

13. Use Twitter to Update Facebook

Sometimes you just don’t have enough time to keep all your social networks up to date, but thankfully Facebook and Twitter play nice together with a little tweaking. Head to the Twitter app page on Facebook to begin the process of syncing your virtual social lives. After authorizing the Facebook app via Twitter, all your tweets will appear on Facebook as status updates.

14. Export Your Facebook Calendar to Your PC

Make sure you don’t miss any important events by exporting your Facebook calendar to either Microsoft Outlook or Apple iCal. Head to your Facebook calendar (located under the “Events” tab on the Facebook navigation bar) and click the settings icon. Click “Export,” and then choose either your Facebook birthday list or upcoming events. Your desktop’s calendar app should launch immediately, making the process even more streamlined.

Chrome Extensions for Facebook

15. Facebook Photo Zoom

Using this extension, you no longer have to click on the photos in your news feed in order to view them in full size. Simply move your mouse cursor over the image thumbnail and the larger version will pop up right in front of you. You can even adjust the zoom by moving the mouse back and forth over the photo itself. It’s like magic.

16. Revert Facebook Photo Viewer

If you’re not into real-time photo zooming, this extension turns back the clock on your Facebook’s photo feature. Rather than displaying pictures in the new “Theater” layout, photos will appear on their own pages, complete with the full comments section and “Like” options.

17. Facebook Chat Notifications

Have you ever left a Facebook tab open on your web browser and missed an urget message from a friend? This handy plugin produces a pop-up window on your desktop to notify you when someone needs to chat, ensuring you never miss an important bit of info.

Firefox Add-Ons for Facebook

18. Like the Page

If you’re a Firefox user, you can use this add-on to instantly share any web page they come across, even when the site doesn’t have a built-in Facebook share button. A small “Like” icon will pop up at the bottom of every browser window, and all it takes it a click to share your find with the world.

19. FB Purity

This plug-in returns your Facebook to an earlier day, back when spammers and useless clutter wasn’t a hinderance to your browsing habits. You can hide any type of notification you wish, including birthdays, relationship updates, tagged photos, links and much more. You can make your social experience as simple as you wish.

20. Facebook Auto-Logout

Do you hate it when you accidentally leave yourself signed in to the social network, only to come back to missed chat messages and anxiety over whether someone else was browsing your digital life? This handy add-on will automatically sign you out of your Facebook windows if you’ve been inactive for too long, ensuring that nobody can snoop your info.