While there are pros and cons to the new structure, Timeline will offer many more opportunities to customize your business page and speak to customers in an authentic, personalized way.  Cover photos, customizable icons, and the continuous listing of all current and past statuses, posts, uploads, shares, and likes (the “Timeline”) are great ways to share your company’s story with customers.

Although Timeline offers a rich format for company pages that are well developed, pages with infrequent updates and little information may look bare and unprofessional.  Timeline needs frequent updates to create a vibrant company image and build a strong relationship with customers.

One aspect of Timeline that demands attention is that every previous post, status update, and upload will be converted and made visible to customers on the Timeline.  Page administrators will need to take a significant amount of time discerning what information is desirable and what should be hidden from customers.  Highlighting certain information in the Timeline, such as big company milestones, is a good way to draw attention to positive, exciting news that will shed some light into your company’s personality, achievements, and history.

Timeline offers a lot of opportunity for creativity.  Some of the first pages to adopt Timeline showcased innovative and unique methods of telling their story, including a Timeline for the Marine Corps which dates back to 1775. Other companies, who don’t have the benefit of a long history, illustrated their pages with colorful graphics, bold typeface, and truly inspired cover images.  Verizon, for example, uploads pictures customers have taken with their Verizon cell phones as their cover image.   Companies like Fanta and Red Bull encouraged fans to participate in a “scavenger hunt” to uncover clues throughout the company Timeline in exchange for prizes.

Although uploading a meaningful and striking cover image is a vital part of a successful transition to Timeline, it is important to remember that content plays an equally important role. Rockit Digital recommends daily updates about current, interesting, and relevant information.  Postings that seem silly or irrelevant to your business will be ignored by customers.  And interesting content, such as articles, videos, pictures, and open-ended questions that encourage customer responses, are more likely to be shared by users, increasing the reach of your post and the overall visibility of your business.

Creating an effective and complimentary Facebook business page is not an easy task, especially if you are unfamiliar with how to best utilize Timeline and all it has to offer.  Rockit Digital is happy to help design, create, launch, and maintain Facebook pages for a variety of different businesses, building a cohesive and engaging profile that both attracts customers and offers a look into your company’s story.

U.S. online holiday sales have been consistently rising over recent years, and are expected to grow another 15% this year to reach $60 billion. I feel that a continuous increase in online shopping is inevitable this year, and in years to come, as a result of increased consumer-use of tablet computers and smart phones. These devices make online shopping even more convenient than before, and consumers are taking notice of this.

Personally, I never purchased anything online before I got an iPhone. Now, online shopping is no longer out of the question for me. Since upgrading to an iPhone just a few short months ago, I’ve made between 10-15 online purchases on it. The accessibility that smart phones offer is incomparable. My time spent browsing the web has more than doubled, as the mobile web has become my “go-to” source in many situations. Whether it’s a break between classes, waiting to be sat at a restaurant, or in the checkout line at the grocery store, I am almost always surfing the internet on my iPhone.

Another main attraction of online shopping during holiday seasons is to avoid the herd (literally) of people. In recent years, shoppers have actually been trampled to death as a result of the Black Friday chaos. Now, consumers are able to snag the bargains from the comfort of their home, away from the congestion of retail stores.

Consistent with the increase in online shoppers, Cyber Monday (the first weekday after Black Friday) is growing rapidly in regards to popularity. Last year, Cyber Monday sales topped $1 billion for the first time. I think that the shift to online shopping is a trend that will only continue to boom over the upcoming years, as consumers realize the pros of shopping online rather than at the brick-and-mortar stores.

In previous years, I have faced the chaos of Black Friday. This year, however, I will be making my Christmas purchases online, which will allow me to spend more time with my relatives this holiday season. Which ones of you will be brave enough to venture out into the Black Friday herd?

It’s what is beyond the code that determines whether the experience will delight or disappoint. Unfortunately, many early adopter marketers aren’t yet familiar in the best practices of QR code usage. It’s the curious consumers who want to scan the codes that suffer from the growing pains.

Mistake 1: Not Testing the Code
QR codes should always be tested with a variety of smartphones and scanning apps before you release a campaign to the public.

Mistake 2: Getting Too Fancy With Text
The QR code is used as a physical hyperlink that every barcode scanner should be able to immediately tap into. The code shouldn’t require the consumer to do much more than point and scan to arrive at the intended content.

Mistake 3: Non-Mobile Pages
QR codes are not meant to drive consumers to your standard desktop website. 99.9% of QR codes are scanned by a mobile device and should take consumers to a mobile website.

Mistake 4: No Data Signal
Do not put a QR code where there is no data signal. Where your advertisement runs is just as important as how you implement it.

Mistake 5: No Value Offered
The consumer should be rewarded for scanning your QR code. Some of the most exciting campaigns offer instant win contests, special offers, coupons, gifts, or secret information.

In conclusion, QR code marketers need to be savvy about the usage of this new technology. Speed, ease of use, and technical accuracy are paramount to the success or failure of QR codes. Don’t let this new technology disappoint; instead, let it wow your customers so they keep coming back for more!

In January of 2010, Twitter had only 75 million users and just 27 million tweets a day. Today, there are nearly 300 million users and the number of tweets per day has increased to an astonishing 230 million. This is extraordinary development for Twitter, particularly compared to Facebook’s not-as-impressive statistics. While Twitter’s daily usage since January 2010 has seen an 800% increase, Facebook’s daily usage increased by only 40%.

Despite Twitter’s incomparable overall growth, both networks experienced an extreme rise in mobile usage over the past year. Approximately 45% of Twitter’s 230 million daily tweets were originated on mobile devices. On the other hand, Facebook Mobile has grown by over 200% since last year. Interestingly enough, users who access social networks via their mobile device are twice as active as those who don’t.

So what does this all mean? A few things. For the first time, Facebook is experiencing some real competition. In fact, it’s possible that Twitter’s recent attraction is part of what triggered Facebook’s more frequent website updates. Facebook is feeling the heat and, consequently, relying more heavily on change as a means of keeping users active.  I, personally, have recently made the switch to Twitter. While I still use Facebook occasionally, Twitter has become my primary source of social media. I prefer Twitter over Facebook because of its simplicity and newness. I’ve been an active Facebook user for five years now, and despite frequent updates and changes, it is still essentially the same website it was when I created my account in 2006. I find Twitter, on the other hand, to still be up-and-coming. As more of my Facebook friends make the switch to Twitter, I find myself spending less and less time on Facebook, and replacing that time with Twitter.

The fact of the matter is that Facebook no longer has a clear path to success. In order to remain on top, Facebook needs to maintain what it is currently doing, and more. Meanwhile, Twitter is in the fast lane to success and simply needs to continue what it’s doing to stay on that track. For now, only time will tell if Twitter is truly capable of taking over the social networking world.

JCPenney is also increasing its mobile database by letting consumers opt-in to receive coupons and alerts “Smartphones are rapidly emerging as a device central to the purchase process,” said Kate Coultas, a spokeswoman for JCPenney, Dallas.“Our Call it Spring ad in Cosmopolitan is just the latest example of how we are using QR codes,” Ms. Coultas said.

Here at Rockit Digital, we are doing some very neat things with QR Codes, like our Like Spike product: http://www.likespike.com/ LikeSpike is the easiest way possible to generate Facebook ‘Likes’. It all starts with a simple QR code that, when scanned by a smartphone, leads people to a specially designed web page that features your logo and a Like button. Once the Like button is ‘pushed’, they have just become a Fan of your organization on Facebook.

Personally, I love the idea of using a QR Code for shopping. As a busy college student, using QR Codes saves me time and money. It is so much easier to scan the image and take me directly to the product’s offering as opposed to reading through several paragraphs of text in a print advertisement. The QR Code process is short and sweet, and gives me immediate satisfaction. In addition, QR Codes are so much more interactive and engaging than a static advertisement. I think this is because they are a relatively new technology that holds great appeal. Whenever I see a QR Code, I become curious about what I’ll find on the other end.

Facebook’s ability to incessantly entertain its 750 million users is due in large part to its frequent website updates. Facebook is expected to reveal new features later this month, which will allow users to stream and share music with friends. At such a steady rate of progression, it seems that Facebook’s capabilities will soon be limitless.

Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is confident that Facebook messaging will soon replace standard e-mail, even in the office. “Humans are hard-wired to be interested in people,” Zuckerberg said. “I think that over the next five years, most industries will get rethought to be designed around social. It’ll be a revolution.” While that might seem to be a bold claim for a 27-year-old, Facebook’s unparalleled success makes doubting the company almost comical.

Mobile access has recently caused Facebook usage to further skyrocket. Users are becoming increasingly engaged in the site and relying more heavily on Facebook as a main method of communication. Just six years ago, only 5% of Americans took part in social networking. Today, over 50% of Americans use Facebook alone.

Facebook is planning to go public by May 2012, with its IPO expected to top $100 billion. That IPO will be one of the largest that the world has ever seen. Mark Zuckerberg is not thrilled about this private to public shift, as he had high hopes of maintaining full control over Facebook. However, the 1934 Securities and Exchange Act states that once a private company has more than 500 investors, it is required to release its quarterly financial reports to the public. Another motivator for Facebook to go public stems from the desire to increase employee compensation. Previously, employees were prohibited from selling their company shares to other investors. However, once Facebook is officially deemed a publicly-traded company, employees will be able to sell their stock as they please.

It is clear that Facebook’s success remains on the rise. The company’s impressive performance has shed a new light on the world of social networking. The site has become a part of everyday life for hundreds of millions of people across the world, and it is now without a doubt that Facebook is here to stay.

The company is integrating Foursquare and Facebook into the promotion. The typical Dunkin’ Donuts guests are busy and always on the go. Their guests will be frequently exposed to the campaign because of multiple visits to the stores. This works well with the location based social networks like Facebook and Foursquare. It allows their guests to engage with the company while they are already there. Consumers can participate in the promotion by registering for the contest on Dunkin’ Donuts Facebook page and selecting to check-in through the Facebook or Foursquare app. Registered users can check-in once every hour – up to 10 times per day at participating locations.

I personally love coffee and so do millions of Americans. Dunkin’ Donuts has found a clever way to reach out to me and other customers through mobile marketing and social media platforms. I can sometimes find traditional advertising to be annoying, but I find mobile strategies to be fun and engaging. This is especially because I can never be away from my Iphone. In addition, the real-time nature of check-ins is updated every five minutes. This allows Dunkin’ Donuts guests to see where they rank in the top 50 as often as they want throughout the promotion. I also like how the company incorporated both Facebook and Foursquare into the promotion because they each have their own following.

Dunkin’ Donuts is looking to include more mobile and social campaigns in the future. Dan Saia, vice president of consumer engagement at Dunkin’ Brands, stated “Mobile and location-based promotions continue to be an important part of our social media efforts in the future. Our busy guests are always on the go and we know that they’re increasingly reliant on their smart phones to keep them running.”

I am pleased to see that Dunkin’ Donuts is keeping up with their guests busy lifestyles through mobile marketing and social media. The company is doing a good job of rewarding its existing customers and keeping them asking for more.

No reason was given for the decision to discontinue Facebook Deals, but Facebook remains positive, saying “We remain committed to building products to help local businesses connect with people, like Ads, Pages, and Sponsored Stories.” All of these connect local businesses with potential customers. The company is also sticking with its Check-in Deals feature. This lets Facebook users check in at local businesses and see offers from those merchants.

Being a college student on a limited budget, I am attracted to daily discounts because I cannot resist a good deal I know I’ll use. Why not save money on something you were going to buy anyway, right? That being said, I was anticipating the use of Facebook Deals to come to the Baltimore area. You can understand my disappointment when Facebook decided to pull back their daily deals before I even got a chance to use them. I support Facebook in its quest to stay competitive, but rather than abort Facebook Deals, I think they need to give their new idea a fair chance.

I suspect that Facebook Deals did not get off the ground because of stiff competition from similar offerings like Groupon and LivingSocial. Together, these two companies control nearly 75 percent of the business from daily deals across the country and Canada. I also wonder if consumer fatigue played a role in the disappearance of Facebook Deals because the market is becoming overly saturated with a flood of daily discounts. For example, after talking to some students in my business program, they tell me that the high volume of emails from daily deals they currently receive is overwhelming. Checking accounts daily to make sure deals don’t expire is exhausting. My classmates say they have become more selective, deleting deals more frequently and refusing to sign up to new sites.

As for me, I will always be loyal to Facebook for its many attractive and user friendly features. Facebook can consider these competitive threats a challenge and recommit to innovative new releases.

This year marked the 35^th anniversary of Apple Inc., which Jobs cofounded alongside Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. Known for its innovation, Apple has inevitably affected the lives of millions worldwide. I remember my first purchase from Apple in 2008 – my Macbook. Three years have passed and I’m still amazed at the product’s inimitable capabilities, making the PC truly unable to compare to the Mac. In my twenty-one years of living, my Macbook is my second favorite purchase that I’ve ever made – second only to my iPhone. Out of curiosity, I asked my mom what she considers to be her favorite purchase of all time. Her answer? “The iPad – hands down.” Steve Jobs’ unique vision and extraordinary creativity have so obviously affected the lives of several generations, and that impact will continue on generations to come.

Tim Cook has been named Apple’s new CEO, as requested by Steve Jobs. It is without a doubt that Jobs’ relentless drive to success will inspire Cook to perform the same. “The Board has complete confidence that Tim is the right person to be our next CEO,” said Art Levinson, on behalf of Apple’s Board. “Tim’s 13 years of service to Apple have been marked by outstanding performance, and he has demonstrated remarkable talent and sound judgment in everything he does.”

Although Steve Jobs led Apple to an incredible amount of success, he did not do it single-handedly. There is, believe it or not, more to Apple than Steve Jobs, and Tim Cook has the experience necessary to maintain the company’s success. Steve Jobs created the Apple phenomenon, but it will inevitably continue to spread in years to come.

The fact is, as Facebook confirms, this practice has been going on for years.  It is only recently becoming a trending topic because, according to The Washington Post, Facebook notes that “many users are just noting its existence”.

Honestly, I don’t understand what all of the stink is about.  How can anyone really be surprised that an app that you place on your mobile device is storing your information?  After all, when you download an app from any app store, they tell you what information the application is going to access!  Most apps look at your information,  your contacts’ information, your phone call log, and more.

Facebook accessing and using personal information stored on your mobile device isn’t unique to them.  As a matter of fact, according to this CNN Tech survey, 76% of apps they tested stored personal usernames and 10% (including LinkedIn and Netflix!!) stored passwords! Interestingly, as this article states, most consumers see the issue of having their personal information tracked online as more of an issue of security and control than privacy, and it is who or what is doing the tracking that matters. This, I find, to be particularly troublesome, since everyone should know that we cannot leave it up to companies to leave our information private.  Rather, we have to take on this responsibility ourselves.  This, as with every other ‘Big Brother’ example, is not a decision we should leave up to ‘Big Brother’.

If you are interested in un-syncing your mobile device (therefore un-syncing all of your friends’ contact info) from your Facebook profile, Facebook provides these instructions.  The site also gives instructions on how to stop syncing your iPhone with your account. To do that, head to the Friends icon in the main menu and you’ll see your Sync setting in the upper-right hand corner.

If you want to remove your phone number from Facebook, you can do so by heading to the “Edit Profile” link below your name and editing your contact information.

Whatever you do, we suggest you always keep a close eye on your privacy settings!  Now and forever.