Andrew Macarthy's Blog, page 37
April 16, 2013
Facebook Cover Photo Template PSD 2013 | Facebook Cover Image Template Photoshop
I don't know what it is about finding an easy-to-use Facebook cover photo template online, but none of the ones I was finding in Google's most popular search results were hitting the spot for me. So here's my offering; a super simple PSD template to help you design an image that will perfectly represent your brand on the site - no blurry photos or dubious cropping in sight.
Facebook cover images are 851 pixels wide and 315 pixels tall. The template's green layer is this size. Just work above it in a new layer and delete the green rectangle when you are finished. Beware, however, of the orange square. Facebook profile photos noticeably iminge on the 851 x 315 px rectangle, so you'll have to work around it and make sure nothing too crucial image-wise is sitting behind it.
When you're all done desiging, delete every layer except your new cover design, then save it as a .png or .jpg file to upload to Facebook. As you can see from the example above, the green cover photo rectangle fits perfectly, and the Profile Pic square is hidden behind the actual (overlaid) profile photo square.
Click the following link to visit minus.com and download the PSD template, which will work for Photoshop or GIMP. To download, hover over the image and click on the download icon (top-right) - as pictured above.
FREE Facebook Cover Template: http://minus.com/lbzDrrWFygDSrS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Macarthy is the author of the #1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.
Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L50HE6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L50HE6
Follow Me:
http://www.fa
cebook.com/500socialmediatips/
https://pinterest.com/500socialmedia/
http://www.twitter.com/500socialmedia
http://www.youtube.com/5
00socialmediatips
April 15, 2013
How to Change Pinterest Board Covers (And Why You Should!)
Changing your Pinterest board covers is one of the most simple optimisation tricks for your Pinterest profile, but is something that a lot of brands neglect to do.
In this video, I show you how easy it is to change your Pinterest Boards, and explain why doing so is so important to keep your profile fresh and attract as many viewers as possible to click on your content.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Macarthy is the author of the #1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.
Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L50HE6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L50HE6
Follow Me:
http://www.fa
cebook.com/500socialmediatips/
https://pinterest.com/500socialmedia/
http://www.twitter.com/500socialmedia
http://www.youtube.com/5
00socialmediatips
April 11, 2013
How to Promote Facebook Page on Personal Profile (April 2013)
One of the easiest ways to give your Facebook Page a small boost in exposure is to include it as your place of work on your personal Facebook profile. I created a tutorial to show how to do this a long while back, but some people were not able to make it work for them.
The issue seemed to be affecting Page owners with few likes, or a Page name that was very common. I explain a little about all of this and how to work around the problem in the video above.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Macarthy is the author of the #1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.
Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L50HE6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L50HE6
Follow Me:
http://www.fa
cebook.com/500socialmediatips/
https://pinterest.com/500socialmedia/
http://www.twitter.com/500socialmedia
http://www.youtube.com/5
00socialmediatips
April 8, 2013
How to Target Page Fans ONLY in Facebook Promoted Posts (Not Friends of Fans Too)
Facebook Promoted Posts provide a quick and easy way for Page owners to get their content in front of the eyes of more of their fans than the site's EdgeRank algorithm might naturally allow, but a recent change to the function has removed the option to promote your content to fans only, replacing it with a default option that forces you to promote your post to fans and their friends.
In terms of marketing to the most relevant users, you might want to keep your promoted posts going to fans only, but now can't. Luckily, there is a way around this, by making a few quick changes in the Facebook Ads manager. I show you how in the above video.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Macarthy is the author of the #1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.
Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L50HE6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L50HE6
Follow Me:
http://www.fa
cebook.com/500socialmediatips/
https://pinterest.com/500socialmedia/
http://www.twitter.com/500socialmedia
http://www.youtube.com/5
00socialmediatips
April 4, 2013
Ultimate List of FREE Pinterest Image Creator, Extensions, Analytics Tools
There are a myriad of free tools on the web that can give a signicant boost to any would-be Pinterest expert, and on this page you'll find a comprehensive list of the very best of them. From image editors to browser extensions, analytics tools, and more, look no further!
Pinterest Image Creation / Editing / Sharing Toolshttp://url2pin.it/ - Share a screenshot of your website as a pin.http://pinstamatic.com/ - Lots of free Pinterest tools, including sticky notes for boards.Prettified Pinterest Creative Board - Create a pro-looking Pinterest board cover.http://quozio.com/ - Turn any quote into a pinnable image.http://www.pinwords.com/ - Easily add beautiful text to your images.http://www.picmonkey.com/ - Simple photo editing toolhttp://www.shareasimage.com/ - Highlight any web text and convert it into an image.http://www.picslice.com - Easy, free tool for slicing, cropping, and resizing pictures.http://www.pixlr.com - Simple but powerful online image editing tool.http://www.picmarkr.com - Add custom watermarks to images easily.http://www.posterpin.com - Create a simple poster with text for pinning.http://www.someecards.com - Add humorous captions to tons of images.http://www.quickmeme.com - Create memes easily and quickly.http://www.imgflipchart.com - Make funny pie charts in seconds.Pinterest Browser Extensions ( Google Chrome)PinIt Bookmarklet Tool - Add a 'Pin It' button to your Bookmarks Bar.Pin It! - Pin images using a keyboard shortcutQuick Pinterest - Add 'Pin It' to right-click menuEasyPinner - Adds a 'Pin It' button to all pinnable images when you hover over them.Pinzy - Enlarge Pinterest images by hovering over them.Pinterest Image Expander - Zoom or expand images on Pinterest when hovering over them.Pin Search - Google Search without leaving Pinterest.Screen to Pin - Pin a screenshot of any page.Shareaholic for Pinterest - Pin directly from almost any website.Pinterest Pro - Comprehensive add-on inc. zooming images, pin from anywhere, etc.ShotPin - Take a screen shot of any website and share it to Pinterest.Smileys and Emoticons for Pinterest - Insert smileys, emoticons, or smart quotes in your pins or re-pins.Pinterest Browser Extensions (Firefox)Pinterest Right-Click - Create and upload pins to Pinterest by right-clicking.Pinterest Pin Button - Pin it and send your pins to Pinterest quickly and easily.Thumbnail Zoom Plus - Shows full image when you hover over a Pinterest thumbnail.PinImage - Pin Image to Pinterest by right-clicking a image from a website.Free Pinterest Analytics Toolshttp://www.pinreach.com - Tools to help you understand activity, measure impact, gauge success on Pinterest.http://www.reachli.com - Dubs itself the simplest way to market your visual content across the web.http://www.pinpuff.com - Calculate your pinfluence - the of your popularity on Pinterest and value of your each pin.http://www.pinalytics.co.uk - Uses Google Analytics from your site to provide you with stats on Pinterest activity.Other Free Pinterest Tools / Trickshttp://www.pinalerts.com - Get e-mail notifications when an image is pinned from your site.http://www.pin4ever.com - Backup and edit your Pinterest pins quickly and easily.http://www.repinly.com - Helps you find the most popular pins, boards, and pinners on Pinterest.Save Your Pinterest Board As A PDFhttp://pinterest.chimplets.com - Automatically create a campaign in MailChimp featuring your most recent Pinterest pins.ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Macarthy is the author of the #1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.
Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L50HE6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L50HE6
Follow Me:
http://www.fa
cebook.com/500socialmediatips/
https://pinterest.com/500socialmedia/
http://www.twitter.com/500socialmedia
http://www.youtube.com/5
00socialmediatips
April 3, 2013
50 percent of social media users click hashtags
People who see a hashtag tend to click on it, explore it, use it in their own posts, or even check out the person or brand that tweeted it, according to a new RadiumOne study (http://bit.ly/11nHdQf). I would definitely recommend including them in your updates!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Macarthy is the author of the #1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.
Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L50HE6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L50HE6
Follow Me:
http://www.fa
cebook.com/500socialmediatips/
https://pinterest.com/500socialmedia/
http://www.twitter.com/500socialmedia
http://www.youtube.com/5
00socialmediatips
How to Re-Arrange Pinterest Pins on New Layout 2013
Pinterest's new site design is now rolling out to every user across the site, but one of the most important features for many businesses appears - at first - to have been removed. That's the ability to re-arrange boards to keep your most important and fresh content 'above the fold' on your Pinterest page, to entice as many customers as possible.
The re-arrange boards feature is still available. In fact, Pinterest has taken out a step to make shifting content around as easy as possible. Check out the video above to find out how it's done.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Macarthy is the author of the #1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.
Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L50HE6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L50HE6
Follow Me:
http://www.fa
cebook.com/500socialmediatips/
https://pinterest.com/500socialmedia/
http://www.twitter.com/500socialmedia/
http://www.youtube.com/5
00socialmediatips
March 27, 2013
One Year Of YouTube Video Marketing: 5 Most Important Lessons Learned
It's nearly been a
whole year since I started to create and post videos to YouTube in support of
my book, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips. I knew that video, in theory, could
be a great tool in helping me promote the book, and that it wouldn't have to
take too much time or effort - so with nothing to lose, I began. I can't say
for sure how much my YouTube content has impacted the sales of my book, but I
do know that it hasn't done any harm, and I even use it as a selling point,
shouting about it on 500 Social Media Marketing Tips' front cover.
My first
video was posted on April 6, 2012, and as I write my channel's current
statistics stand at:
Not spectacular figures by any stretch of the imagination, I know, but not too shabby either. My viewership and subscribe rate has grown in a steady
upwards trend since the beginning, and for the past few months my video views
have reached over 8,000 per month, with around 70 new subscribers per month too. With all that in mind, here are 5 of the most important lessons
I have learnt in the past year of video-making for YouTube.
Consistency is so important in growing a YouTube audience.
Mostly every big YouTube channel sticks to a schedule, and so it's something
I've tried to emulate. I post a new video at least once a week, and perhaps up
to two or three if the situation calls for it - e.g. reporting on the roll out
of Facebook Graph Search or the new YouTube layout just after it's announced.
If your audience knows you are going to be posting content on a regular basis,
they're more likely to subscribe to be sure not to miss it. And naturally, the
more videos you have out there, the more views you will notch up over time.
As a side note on the consistency thing, none of my videos
have gone viral, nor does one single video represent the bulk my statistics. In
fact, there is less than 3,000 total views between my best-performing and 10th
best-performing videos.
Many people search YouTube to learn or get help in carrying
out certain tasks, and that's what my videos set out to do - offering simple
tips and tricks for social media. If your content is valuable (as apposed to
solely promotional), then viewers are more likely to like, comment, and share
with others. Let your helpful videos promote your brand or product by positive
association.
As well as offering value, the quality of your videos is
also an important consideration. If you're getting comments like "240p, we
meet again" or "Was this video filmed with a potato?", you
probably want to invest a little more in your equipment before you post more
content. That doesn't mean you have to rush out to spend thousands of dollars,
however - the average smartphone these days has a decent recording quality for
most YouTuber's needs. People don't expect a Hollywood production, but you
should at least test to make sure that your video isn't shaky and that the
audio sounds okay. Some simple editing with something as basic as iMovie or
Windows Movie Maker can also go a long way.
Rare is the YouTube viewer who wants to spend 10-15 minutes
watching a video to help them discover what they want to know, so get to the
point fairly quickly! My videos are deliberately short (mostly well under 5
minutes long) and even that is a tough sell, as my Audience Retention
statistics - the people who watch the whole of each video - hovers at around
the 65% mark. Of course, part of that is down to me and the video content
itself, but it clearly shows that people's attention spans are short on
YouTube, no matter how long your videos. And if they're skipping over your
videos, they're probably looking at the competition's instead! If your message
has to be long, then separate it into several shorter videos.
YouTube alone is a fantastic platform for getting video
content seen, but there's no harm in giving your hard work an extra. Don't
forget to share your videos with readers and fans on your blog, and on social
networks including Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. You never know who might
see it, and something like a re-tweet from someone with thousands of more
followers than you have is always a welcome bonus!
So that's it, 5 of the most important lessons I have learned
from my first year of video-making. Certainly nothing there that will break the
mould, but definitely some pointers that are worth remembering. My first year of video-making has been a fun
learning experience for me and I can't wait to see what happens over the next
twelve months!
What is your YouTube strategy like, and what lessons have
you learnt on the way? Let me know in the comments below!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Macarthy is the author of the #1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.
Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L50HE6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L50HE6
Follow Me:
http://www.fa
cebook.com/500socialmediatips/
https://pinterest.com/500socialmedia/
http://www.twitter.com/500socialmedia/
http://www.youtube.com/5
00socialmediatips
March 22, 2013
How to Change Pinterest Profile Photo or Bio on iPhone | Edit Pinterest Profile on App
Pinterest has recently updated its iPhone app to allow users to update their profile photo and bio direct from their phones or tablets. If Pinterest is important to your business and you need to be able to edit these details on the fly, here's how:
1. Load up the Pinterest iPhone app and tab the Profile tab.
2. From your Profile, tap on the cog icon in the top-left corner and choose 'Edit Profile' from the menu that appears.
3. Tap on the different sections of the profile to edit them as you wish, and click Save to confirm. That's it!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Macarthy is the author of the #1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.
Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L50HE6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L50HE6
Follow Me:
http://www.fa
cebook.com/500socialmediatips/
https://pinterest.com/500socialmedia/
http://www.twitter.com/500socialmedia/
http://www.youtube.com/5
00socialmediatips
March 21, 2013
Facebook Page Cover Photo Rules March 2013 - Update
Facebook has updated its guidelines for Pages' cover photos, removing rules against including calls to action, contact info, or references to price or purchase information. However, the proportion of your cover photo made up of text should still not exceed 20%. The new rules read:
All covers are public. This means that anyone who visits your Page will be able to see your cover. Covers can’t be deceptive, misleading, or infringe on anyone else’s copyright. You may not encourage people to upload your cover to their personal timelines. Covers may not include images with more than 20% text.
— https://www.facebook.com/page_guideli...
The new rules were rolled out on March 6 but were only spotted by marketers recently. So, if you're planning to update your Page's cover photo soon, perhaps you will want to re-consider your design to take advantage of the revised guidelines - I know I will!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Macarthy is the author of the #1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.
Buy 500 Social Media Marketing Tips
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L50HE6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007L50HE6
Follow Me:
http://www.fa
cebook.com/500socialmediatips/
https://pinterest.com/500socialmedia/
http://www.twitter.com/500socialmedia/
http://www.youtube.com/5
00socialmediatips
