Never give any Facebook app permission to make posts on your behalf and access your contacts.  This includes seemingly benign and reputable apps such as Birthday Calendar, iPhone for Facebook and Spotify.  When installing an app for Facebook, it will ask expressly for these permissions.  THEY ARE OPTIONAL.  You may have to first accept them in order to install the app (if it won’t allow you to push SKIP and still install), but it is possible to go right back in and recall those specific permissions.  Here’s an example of my own permissions for Instagram, which I’m guessing 90% of you use.:

See the red arrow?  I have not only given Instagram permission to post on my behalf, I’m allowing them access to my data (including all of my contact info, YOUR email address, photos, likes, etc.  Yep, in one click of a button, I have sold both myself and my friends out.  And I bet 100% of you who use Instagram have, too.

I’m not picking on Instagram, which I happen to love.  This is done by almost every major app — both free and paid –today.  Their monetary success depends largely on social sharing, which is much easier to do when they control your account.  What that means is that by giving them these permissions, YOU and I perpetuate their ability not only to access our data and post on our behalf, but to dig deeper into the data of our friends and theirs.  Of course, some apps won’t post to Facebook without these permissions, such as Instagram, HootSuite and Buffer. So you if you want to share everything in your apps on Facebook, then skip this process with those apps. However, if  your account gets “hacked,” know that you have no one to blame but yourself.

Want to redeem yourself?  Here’s how:

• Go to HOME and find the arrow next to it
• Click PRIVACY SETTINGS
• Find ADS/APPS/WEBSITES
• Click EDIT SETTINGS
• Find Apps You Use
• Click EDIT SETTINGS

Now, the box should look like this, with the THIS APP CAN field empty. You’ll want to go through each and every app you have attached to Facebook and make these changes.

Lastly, you’ll want to delete any email information you have unintentionally synced with Facebook.  This will prevent your Facebook friends from getting annoying emails about Viagra and the likes. Yes, you will no longer be notified if one of these people joins Facebook.  But I assume if you want to, you will be be able to find them without Facebook’s help.

Log into your profile and click here.  Click REMOVE (ALL IMPORTED CONTACTS), and follow any instructions on the next screen to select and remove imported contacts.

Don’t worry-this doesn’t delete your Facebook friends.  It simply deletes the database of email imports hanging out like a sitting duck in your Facebook account.  Your final screen should look like this:

Ta Da! You’ve now protected yourself  and your friends temporarily from being embarrassed by your own Facebook account.  You can’t rest easy-be sure to go through the app permission process every time you install an app, especially from your mobile phone or tablet.  And be sure to check all the app settings about once a month, because they seem to like to change on their own (kind of like Facebook…). Your friends will thank you, I promise.

UPDATE: 5/15/12: Ironically (or maybe not), right after this post was made, my e-mail account was “hacked” from Japan.  I had just uploaded an app as well as UNLINKED my sbcglobal.net contacts from Facebook.  I immediately took measures to prevent this from “mushrooming” by changing both my Facebook and email passwords. 

Yet I wasn’t quite ready yesterday when I signed on to the new organ donor app to tell my entire network that “Lisa became an organ donor.” I started getting quips from the usual suspects. “Not quite yet,” read one. “Glad to know you’ll live on in others.  I’ll miss you.” Whaaa….???

Turns out Facebook had a little grammatical error that they’ve apparently now fixed.  Instead of listing the date I registered to be an organ donor, they listed–and shared– that I had actually become an organ donor.

Unfortunately for my teens, I am still alive and kicking.  When it’s my time, I do hope to share the gift of life with others.  Until then, thanks for the laugh, Facebook. And everyone, be sure to follow the guide below to let all of your friends know that you will join me.

1. Log in to your Facebook account.
2. Find the “Activity Recent” section on the page.
3. Click the “X” on any activity type you want to hide to remove it.
4. Click “Hide from Timeline” to hide only that one activity.
4. Click “Hide Similar Activity from Timeline” to hide every action of that type (all friend requests, all likes, etc.).
5. To edit this in the future, click on the pencil icon in “Activity Recent,” then click on “Hidden Activities.” You can uncheck any activities you want to show up again.

True to form, Facebook is doing away with what they call “canvas apps” or “tabs” as it did away with FBML when it introduced iframes.  What does this mean for your business page? According to Facebook:

1.         Canvas apps and tabs (commonly known as default landing pages or welcome pages) will NOT be automatically transferred into Timeline apps

2.         Pages will no longer be able to use canvas apps as the default landing tab that users first see when they visit

3.         Timeline “covers” may not display calls to action or references to Facebook features such as “Like this Page”, purchase or pricing info such as “40% off” or “Download at our website”, or contact information such as web address.”

4.         Yes, you will need to have your canvas apps redesigned for the new Timeline format.

There is some good news about the change.   You will still be able to add tab applications to Facebook pages, four of which can be displayed directly under your cover photo to showcase your best content, including contests and likes. (Well, the “Photos” tab is stationery, so you actually only have 3 editable tab positions). And, there’s a drop down menu on the fourth tab that allows you to edit what tabs people see. To rearrange them, click the drop down button on the far right tab. Anything available in the drop down menu can be pulled to the front.

The boxes used to promote apps are improved as well; instead of a few words on the left of your page, you can now create images up to 111px x 74px to promote your tab app.

Even better, there is now more real estate on tabs. Page tabs used to be 520px wide, and now have been updated to 810px.

So while there are no more custom landing pages with interactive content, there are many features that make Timeline a better experience for your users.  And isn’t that the key?

Now, we’re not even allowed to tell potential customers how to reach us.  The current Timeline rules state that none of the following information can be included on the cover photo of a brand’s Timeline, including:

• Price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it at this website”
• Contact information, such as web address, email, mailing address or other information intended for a Page’s About section
• References to user interface elements, such as Like or Share, or any other Facebook site features
• Calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends”

That’s all being reserved for the “Info section,” a tiny text-only area barely noticed below the extremely large and suggested “engaging” cover photo. In fact, users have to click to see your website and unless you sell physical goods, it might be hard for someone to determine what you do.  Take Counterintuity, for example.  We’re a web design, social media and marketing agency. Check back in a few days to see how we convey that in a photo that meets Facebook’s strict guidelines.

It’s no coincidence that Facebook recently introduced two new ad types, as well. With new “Premium on Facebook” ads, businesses can now expand their Facebook “reach” by paying for a video, a coupon or other message to appear on the timeline of Facebook users, full screen on log-out and even within users’ newsfeeds. Until now, newsfeed had been free of any paid marketing messages.

It’s evident that with their IPO imminently forthcoming, Facebook is trying to attract the heavy hitters who can afford to pay big bucks to have their ads placed right where they want them.  That ad revenue will certainly look attractive to investors.  But what about the little guys?  We’re left to purchase the big-brand leftovers like pay-per-click ads on the side of the page. Or, we can create really pretty cover images that somehow convey without mentioning the services we sell. Bands and musicians? They are no longer allowed to use third-party apps like ReverbNation or BandPage as their landing page.

We hope that the big brands and app companies will balk at not being allowed to capture data or promote contests on the Timeline cover photo.  They have until March 30, the date that Timeline becomes mandatory for all brands.

Brands have spent millions creating custom landing pages and loading their page with apps, and research shows that those pages and apps actually help attract likes. By eliminating the use of iframes and third-party landing pages, Facebook is esentially moving the goalposts in the middle of the game.

1. On the bottom right of your profile HOME page, under the online chat bar, find the grey arrow notated in the photo above.  Click on it, and the ticker (and also your online chat status bar) is removed from your sidebar.  Note that these two functions are intertwined.  You remove both when making this change.

2. On the HOME page of your profile, just under your name, you’ll find that same grey arrow as we point out in the photo above.  Click it, and the ticker  is also removed from your newsfeed. Ta dah!

This is great news for those who dont want to be constantly bombarded with seemingly mundane items.  However, should you decide you miss it, or find the ticker an easier method to interact directly with friends, then all you have to do is reverse this process.  Happy Facebooking to all!

]]> http://counterintuity.com/blog/2012/02/08/how-to-disable-facebooks-ticker-for-good/feed/ 0 http://counterintuity.com/blog/2012/02/04/why-your-website-now-depends-on-google/ http://counterintuity.com/blog/2012/02/04/why-your-website-now-depends-on-google/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:32:40 +0000 Lisa http://counterintuity.com/blog/?p=1423 Google’s recent social search changes have turned the online world upside down.

With the rollout of “Google Search Plus Your World” (SPYW) last week, you must have a dynamic Google+ page now if you want clients and prospects to find your company through Google.

We say must because SPYW now plucks material from Google+ for individual search results, enormously impacting relevancy. This means Google returns results with info based on who the searcher knows, as well as photos, posts, pages and profiles that person has posted on Google+ or Picasa.

Here’s an example:

This is what I get when I search “La Canada” when not logged into Google.

Here’s what I get when I am logged into Google:

The Real La Canada is a local news website that is very active on Google+. Now imagine the results for your business if you are not on Google+. (And if your competition is.)

Google users who are logged in now see personalized results. In order to keep a strong search presence, you need to adapt to these changes. Here’s how:

1. First and foremost, familiarize yourself with Google+. Do this from a personal and business standpoint. Even if you are against social media and have gotten by without developing a social presence until now, it’s time to get on the bandwagon. In the very least, create a Google+ business profile.

2. Develop a content marketing strategy. (Not sure what that is? Click here to our blog post) Use Google+ to share your content and interact with your audience. Developing great content, getting it in front of your prospects, engaging with them and allowing your content to be shared – that’s what’s going to help you dominate with Google’s Search Plus Your World.

For certain, this means massive change in the way companies manage social, with more to come. But businesses owners are good at adapting, especially when there are benefits. Any firm that has not yet started on Google+ should jump on board today.

Facebook contests offer many benefits. They can increase Likes and fan engagement on your page; secure relevant and targeted fans; add to your e-mail list; increase traffic on your website; and more. Is it time you held a Facebook contest? Here are some tips:

1. Plan ahead
Running an online contest takes planning. What are your social media goals? Do you want more fans or more engagement? Are you running a contest or a sweepstakes? Who will fulfill the prizes? Be sure to have a detailed plan before beginning any promotion.

2. Consider your target demographics
Do you want to microtarget your fans or not? If you’re strictly B2B, how can you ensure that you get businesspeople rather than stay-at-home moms to enter? (Offering an iPad is great, but everyone wants one.) Think ahead and target only the entrants you want.

3. Follow Facebook’s rules
We see promotions daily that are being run in violation of Facebook’s terms. Be sure to read and understand the rules here before beginning any type of promotion. Note that votes and entries can’t be made on the wall without a third-party app like the one we made for our client Hotel Amarano.

4. Promote, promote, promote
Just holding a contest doesn’t mean that droves of people will enter. You need to promote your contest via advertising and online posting as your budget permits. Unless you plan to give away loads of cash, you need to continue to spread the word throughout the contest.

5. Make it easy to enter
Scavenger hunts, point-accruing games, essay contests and other multistep contests are too hard and turn people away. Make it easy to enter and even easier to win, and you’ll get more participants. Of course, collecting emails must be part of the process.

6. Reward participation
Keep in mind that people are taking the time from their busy lives to help promote your company. Respond to all questions and comments and continue to engage with your community. Thank each entrant and perhaps even give a token gift for every entry. We saw bumper stickers (cost: under a buck) fly out the door for a contest we ran recently; for another, we gave every entrant a surprise discount code.

7. Follow up
Make sure prizes are awarded and sent in a timely manner. Ask the winner to send photos with the prize to share with your Page, and send out press or social media posts. Participants want to see that a real person won. Be sure to use the emails you collect from participants to send follow-up messaging.

If you want to get more qualified leads easily, and want to run a contest on Facebook to help, call us at 818-848-1700. We’ll help you do it right.