Tag: Facebook

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Facebook Donate Button for Non-Profit Organizations

Rather than redirect your visitors off of your Facebook page in order to collect a donation, you can now collect a donation on your Facebook page.

Facebook Donate Button

Currently it’s available to only a select few.
Charities with a donation button as of December 22 2013

All Non-Profit organizations should take advantage of this opportunity, no matter what your size or how long your organization has existed.  In fact, non-profits benefit more if the purchase is made through Facebook, mostly because 100% of the transaction is transferred.  Facebook covers the convenience fee that most traditional payment gateways require.

You can sign up for the Facebook Donate button now, but this does not guarantee that you will be accepted.

Once a visitor donates to your organization, their credit card information will be recorded as well as the item that they purchased.  It is possible to remove your payment method information from Facebook  but it does require some extra clicking.

Donations are currently limited to users located in the United States with their preferred currency set to the US dollar.

All visitors will receive a receipt to their primary Facebook email address which include information in regards to tax deductions.

Collecting credit card information is the goal.  Removing the friction and focusing on incentives is the strategy.  Amazon One-Click purchases, Apple’s iPhone TouchID, and Google Wallet are some of the other services in this race.

So what does this mean for the traditional website?  Is it necessary?  One might evaluate the value that can be provided by a traditional website vs a Facebook page.

Once again it is very important to recognize that a Facebook page and traditional website are not mutually exclusive; you can have both.  As I stated earlier; you should take advantage assuming your customers pay with the US dollar.

I like to think that it’s less a matter of if you’re going to want a website and more of a question of when you’re going to need a website.  If you’re just getting started, then I would start with a Facebook page first.  It’s quick, it’s easy, it covers the basics and it’s free.

The basic needs of a non-profit organization are awareness and an avenue in which to donate.  Facebook gives that to you.  Once you’ve grown large enough, now you can start to consider more robust events, more reporting, and access to your member data.

Currently, I don’t believe there is an easy way to export member data but I could be mistaken.  If your non-profit is a smaller version of a parent non-profit then you might require access to export your member data in order to share it with your network.

You might also want to offer more to your members such as discounts on events, job postings, or resume listings.  Or maybe you want your own domain where you have more control over your organizations brand.  A place that offers a subscription service; allowing you to more easily get into the inbox of your members.  You might just be looking to collect more information via a custom form.

In summary, a Facebook page with it’s new donate button is a great place to start and is also a great extra resource to leverage once your website requires more features.

This blog post is intended to get you started.  If you have more insight I would love to hear it.  Thank you in advance.

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Facebook Like Button Rolling Out to the Tendenci Photos Module!

Facebook Like ButtonWe Love Facebook!

We’re big fans of Facebook – and we’re not alone. Over ONE BILLION people are active on Facebook each month. Facebook is particularly powerful when it comes to photos, with over 350 million photos uploaded each and every day!

 

Integrating the Facebook Like Button with the Tendenci Photos Module

Starting today, we are rolling out more social sharing options within the Tendenci Photos Module. You will soon see the Facebook Like Button automatically displayed on each of your Tendenci Photo Albums and individual Photo Page to make sharing your Tendenci website content on Facebook easy and simple!

The update will roll out to all Tendenci 5.1 sites in the next few days.

 

Check Out the Facebook Like Button in Action!

Check out the Facebook Like Button in action on Tendenci.com/photos

Facebook Like Button on a Tendenci Photo Set

Facebook Like Integration with Tendenci Photos Module

Facebook Like Button on an Individual Photo

Facebook Like Integration with Tendenci Photo Albums

Have Questions? Concerns? Let us know! Email support at schipul.com or call (281) 497-6567 ext 411 to speak to our Support Team!

 

Keep Up to Date with the Latest Tendenci Updates!

Never miss a Tendenci feature announcement or training class! Sign up to receive our Tendenci Email Newsletter!

We’ll send you information on features updates, upcoming training, tips and tricks for managing your Tendenci site, and more!

 

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Four Easy Ways to Start Using Facebook’s Timeline View for Pages

As of today, Facebook began rolling out Timeline view for Facebook Fan Pages. This update will be mandatory on March 30, but you can update your page now and start taking advantage of the new features.

The Facebook team implements changes all the time as they come up with new and innovative ways to connect their users, and these changes are always a little overwhelming as you figure out the new interface and the new tools you have available. The new update will mean changes to the way your Brand appears on Facebook and the web. But don’t fret!

Here are four EASY things you can do RIGHT NOW to get started with Timeline:

1. Read up on the New Features

Some of the new features include Cover Photo, Larger Stories, and an enhanced Admin panel to give you more data and control over your page.

Check out this article from ZDNet is a great overview of all of the new features

2. Switch your Fan Page to Timeline view

The update will be required across all pages eventually, so go ahead and dive in now while everyone is still figuring out the best way to take advantage of the new look.

To Switch Your Facebook Fan Page to the New Timeline Look:

When you log in & go to your Fan Page, you’ll see a flag at the top that prompts you to preview this page in the new look. Click “Preview” to see what your page will look like using Timeline.

How to Switch your Facebook Fan Page to Timeline View

From here click “Publish Now” to permanently make the switch.

How to switch your Facebook page to new Timeline View part 2

3. Add a Cover Photo

Like on a personal page, your cover photo is a larger photo (specifically  850×315)  aside from your profile picture that shows off who you are and sets the tone for your page. You can use this space to make a custom image similar to what Coca-Cola has done. Or in the short term, use this space to show a shot of your main product, your team, or your facilities – choose an interesting image that shows off who you are.

Coca Cola Facebook Fan Page Cover Photo

Schipul Cover Photo

4. Add your Founded Date & Story

Facebook Timeline yearsYou’ll want to go back in and fill in highlights from your company’s history, but you can start right now by adding the story of how you were founded.

On the right of your page, click  “Founded” at the bottom of your timeline & you’ll see an Edit icon where you can edit the details and add a photo.

Check out Schipul’s Founded Timeline Milestone and fantastic photo of Ed and Rachel from 1997!

Schipul Facebook Timeline - Founded 1997

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Our Favorite Facebook Pages

Some of us at Schipul spend a lot of time on Facebook. A LOT. But don’t judge, it’s totally part of our job. Whether we’re sprucing up a profile picture for a client, building out an iframe, checking out the latest Facebook updates (and there’s ALWAYS an update) or trolling to see who’s doing what with their audience, this social networking site commands a good deal of our attention. As such, we’ve seen it all when if comes to the best and worst of Facebook fan pages. Check out the faves from some of the Schipul staff:

Katrina’s Favorites

No surprise here. Our fashionista/Creative Services Team Account Executive, Katrina Esco, LOVES how Nordstrom uses their Facebook page to highlight their services, and they keep fans coming back with beauty how-to videos hosted by their beauty director using a Beauty Central app.


Katrina also gives Sephora’s Facebook page props for always keeping their content fresh with new promotions as demonstrated on their Exclusive Deals tab. But Katrina gives Sephora the most points for recognizing the importance of photos and fan engagement on their page by feeding in customer pics taken in photobooths installed in select retail locations. You can even browse by location and date.

 

Scooter’s Favorites

As for me (Katrina *Scooter* Kokoska), I get a kick out of the Skittles Facebook fan page. And to be perfectly honest, I don’t like the candy even a little, just their marketing. The Skittles page encourages fan engagement by soliciting fan photos and featuring a different “Rainbro of the Week” each week as their profile picture. Also, their posts are random, silly and make me smile (and their not self-promotional). My favorite random post from them this week: “Sometimes I sneak up on my alarm clock when it’s sleeping and yell ‘How does it feel!‘”  

I also have mad love for the (client) Tony Chachere’s page. Now this page doesn’t flaunt a lot of bells and whistles. Why? Because it doesn’t have to. Tony’s skips the games and apps and gets right down to what Facebook is all about: Community. They post content about real people doing real things in real life, and their fans love it.

Erica’s Favorites

Creative Services Team Graphic Designer, Erica Bogdan, totally digs Red Bull’s Facebook page for their fun videos and games, and loves the aesthetics of the Anthropologie page because: “It’s sooooo beautiful and makes my closet sad.” But Erica’s favorite page? Franklin the Dog of course.

 

Garrett’s Favorites

Creative Services Team Assistant Account Executive Garrett Thomas has some interesting favorites of his own. While he doesn’t ‘Facebook like’ the Barbie page, he thinks they do a great job of bringing together Barbie’s multiple personas in a palatable format for their target market.

And he loves the Stride Gum page because, well, who doesn’t love a Yeti with a sense of humor?

What are some of your favorite Facebook fanpages?

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Is Facebook’s Latest Update a Gamechanger?

Facebook makes changes to the way the network works on the daily. I do my best to stay up to speed, and I’m normally pretty polar in how I feel about an algorithm update here or an interface change there, but Facebook’s latest major announcement has me teetering.  Here’s what’s going on. . .

Facebook is introducing a ‘Subscribe” button. I think this is major. Here’s how it will work:

  1. You can subscribe to Public status updates from people you are not Facebook friends with.
  2. You can choose what kind of updates you see from your current Facebook friends. You can choose to subscribe to All Updates, Most Updates or Only Important Updates.
  3. You can allow people who aren’t your friends to subscribe to your Public Facebook status updates. Don’t worry, you have to opt in for this to be available to those who stumble across your Facebook profile.

Why this is great

Follow your Faves

You can subscribe to a celebrity or famous blogger’s Public status updates. They’ll likely never make Facebook friends with you, and now you don’t have to troll their profiles to see what they are publishing publicly.

Filtered Content

You can trim your newsfeed down to the status updates that really interest you. For example, if the girl who sat behind you in Sophomore Chemistry updates her Facebook every time her cat sneezes, you can choose to see ‘Only Important” updates from her without feeling badly about hiding or unfriending her (but if she really updates every time her cat sneezes, you really shouldn’t feel badly about unfriending her. Just sayin).  You can also subscribe to specific types of content your friends are posting. Choices are Life Events, Status Updates, Photos and Videos, and Games.

Market Yourself

For personal marketing purposes, you can extend the number of people who read your content by allowing non-friends to subscribe to your feeds. This way, if you would like anyone in the world to easily access to knowledge you share regarding specific topics, but don’t want to be friends with the whole world, you can allow other Facebook users to subscribe to your public content.

Why this really isn’t that great

Dilutes the Power of the Fan Page

I totally get that there is a difference between a celebrity’s personal profile page and their Facebook fan page, and that there will be different content, but:

  1. Being able to subscribe to their personal pages seems to dilute the purpose of the fan page.
  2. Seeing as most celebrities share what they want the world to know via their public fan pages, what new content would I really be subscribing to here?

I know that this feature doesn’t just apply to major celebrities, but you get the point.   Lines are getting greyer here. Could be a good thing, but my gut reaction is to feel a tad uneasy.

I’m Just Jaded

I really appreciate getting to trim down what I see from which friends. This is cool, and by far the best part of this new feature. But honestly, Facebook, I’m not inclined to use it, because you’re just going to change it up in two weeks anyway.

Hello, Twitter, is that you?

This whole subscribing-to-people-without-having-to-be-their-friend thing reeks of Twitter. I like using Twitter and the way it works. . .  when I’m on Twitter. Basically, I feel like this update begs the question: ‘ISN’T THAT WHAT TWITTER IS FOR?”

Let’s look at the numbers: Facebook has 750 million active users. Twitter just announced that it reached the 100 million active users milestone. If I were to make the assumption that everyone on Twitter is also on Facebook, I could reasonably assume that 650 million of the active users on Facebook are NOT  interested in Twitter. So, why are we trying to make Facebook more like Twitter?!

This Automates Trolling

Well, that about sums up my point there.

Those are my two cents on this update. I’d love to hear yours. If you’re interested, you can follow my public content on Twitter, which is where I will continue to focus on posting it until I see Facebook embrace the subscription thing for personal marketing.

THE END

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Facebook Makes Sharing Easier

So, I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t consider it a real week unless Facebook has made some sort of major interface change I have to adapt to. Don’t get me wrong; change is good, but sometimes it’s exhausting, and sometimes I don’t love the changes. Today, however, I’m happy to explain a User Interface change that I’m sure we will all agree is, well, just swell.

Inline Privacy Settings

Facebook has moved many of its privacy settings inline! Here, let me explain.

Before these changes were implemented, if you wanted to edit who in your friends lists could see what on your profile (i.e. Status Updates, About Me, Hometown, etc.), you had to comb through lists of options buried deep in your account settings. It was cumbersome to say the least. Now, these settings are visible right next to the piece of content you’re editing. Take a look:

 

 

Tag Approval

You remember that time you said you couldn’t make a your cousin’s wedding because you didn’t feel well, then your friend tagged you in a photo dancing on a table that same night, and your family was, like, SUPER mad? That’s not a thing anymore guys. You get to approve photo tags before all your friends see your indiscretions. You’ll simply see a Pending Posts link beneath the “Wall” link on your profile, where you’ll be prompted to approve the posts.

But wait!. . . There’s more! You’ll also be given the ability to approve tags that other friends try to add to your photos and posts. I feel liberated already.

That’s not all folks! You’ll also have more choices when removing  a tag someone else added. Choices include: a.) Remove tag, b.) Ask friend to take photo down, c.) Block friend. It’s like choosing the flavor of mustard I want from the store; I’m paralyzed with indecision.

Impersonation

So you spent forever splitting up your 4,500 friends up into appropriate lists so that you know that you’re sharing the right content with the right people, right? But you could never be certain the settings all worked the way you wanted, especially since they change so frequently. Now you can. Introducing. . . the “View Profile as” button!!! (applause roars in the background). This lets you impersonate any of your Facebook friends, so you can see what they can see.

 

Status Update Modifications

Status updates just got cooler, y’all. There are a couple nice new features to note:

1.) You can tag locations from your posts. Before, you had the check into a location from your smartphone using the Places feature. Now, you can search locations right at the status update field. Apparently, Never Never Land is a place.

2.) All media uploads are consolidated under Add Photo. I think this provides a cleaner, simpler interface.

3.) The Share Link feature is gone, now all you have to do to share a link is copy/paste the URL into your status update. You’ll get the same result.

All these updates boil down to a simpler, cleaner interface, more accessible privacy controls and more intuitive status update box. I heart all of these changes. What do you guys think?