Here's the latest from AllFacebook as of 4 p.m. ET. Visit AllFacebook throughout the day for breaking news and insider gossip.
mediabistro.com | Send Tips | Subscribe | Subscribe to the Morning Media Newsfeed of top media stories

How many times have you looked at your Facebook newsfeed today? Learn how to leverage this valuable digital real estate at our event.

Friday, November 02, 2012

advertisement

Stay Connected To The Election Through The Facebook App Center

It's the last weekend of the 2012 presidential election, and Facebook wants you to stay connected to the latest news and connect with friends around your favorite candidates with the Facebook App Center. Facebook compiled the top applications of this election cycle in one section of the Facebook App Center. The Election 2012 area currently includes: Obama 2012 - This first campaign app to take advantage of Facebook's open graph, Obama 2012... read more>>

What Else Is Like Facebook?

Facebook's latest ad campaign established that chairs are like Facebook. They're not stopping there. Apparently, Halloween, surf rescue dogs, cake and swimming pools are like Facebook too. What else is like Facebook? Facebook's native page has been posting (objects) are like Facebook throughout the past couple of weeks. The most recent one? Cakes. Birthday cakes are made for people to be together. They give friends a place to gather and celebrate. But too much... read more>>

Social Media Jobs: Urban Decay, Clique Media, Tetris Online

This week, Urban Decay Cosmetics is hiring a lead web designer, and Clique Media needs a home graphic designer. Meanwhile, Tetris Online is hiring a Flash/mobile developer, as well as a web developer. Get the scoop on these openings below, and find additional social media jobs on Mediabistro. Lead Web Designer Urban Decay Cosmetics (Newport Beach, CA) Home Graphic Designer Clique Media (Los Angeles, CA) Flash/Mobile Developer Tetris Online (Honolulu, HI) Web Developer Tetris Online... read more>>

Facebook Educates New Users On Privacy

Though many current users may be a bit fuzzy on privacy controls, Facebook wants to make sure that new users know how they can control their profile once they sign up. Starting today, those who create an account on the social network will now receive a primer on security and how to manage their Facebook life the way they want. Once a new user signs up, he or she will see specific... read more>>

Latest Facebook Phone Rumor: HTC Opera UL

In his first public interview following Facebook's initial public offering, at TechCrunch's Disrupt SF event in San Francisco Sept. 11, Co-Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said of the possibility of a Facebook phone: "It doesn't move the needle for us. We want to build a system that's deeply integrated into every platform people use." Yet the rumors continue. The latest Facebook phone rumor was reported by Slashgear, which said the Opera UL... read more>>

Facebook Pages Get A Global Passport

Just last year, Facebook launched the parent/child relationship manager, giving companies and brands the opportunity to manage all of their individual locations or franchises. The addition of the parent/child relationship manager had marketers, agencies, and brand managers the world over scratching their heads -- if we could connect all of our pages so intricately within a franchise, why couldn't we do the same internationally? As of Oct. 17, brands that have... read more>>

Inside Network and WebMediaBrands event

Inside Social Apps
Developing & Monetizing on Social & Mobile Platforms
December 3 | New York City

Inside Social Apps brings together today's leading developers of social and mobile apps and games for an intensive summit on the future of app and game growth and monetization on social and mobile platforms. Register now.

INFOGRAPHIC: The Psychology Of Facebook

Whether you've noticed it or not, Facebook has likely changed your brain. You get a rush of dopamine - that same chemical that kicks in when you're rewarded - when you see a notification. People with more than 229 friends tend to have larger orbital prefrontal cortexes, the area for social behavior and emotion. An interesting infographic from Best Masters in Psychology details the social network's effect on the brain. However, addiction... read more>>

North Social Catches Holiday Spirit With Advent Calendar Facebook App

Facebook application provider North Social is helping page administrators ring in the holiday season with its new Advent Calendar app, which allows brands to offer Facebook users who like their pages different promotions each day. Page admins can set the number of days for their brands' promotional periods, and a new "virtual door" will open at midnight each day, presenting new coupons, deals, sweepstakes, images, and downloads. North Social offered more details in... read more>>

UPDATED: Different Kinds Of Facebook Ads May Come To Your News Feed

Facebook has tried to monetize individual users by asking if they'd pay a few bucks to promote their posts so they can reach more friends. Now, according to a story in The Daily, Facebook is reportedly testing a model where users can pay a small fee to have classified ads in users' news feeds. While the company confirmed to AllFacebook that the site is testing different ways to put ads in... read more>>

mediabistro online event

Social Media 101
November 7 - December 12, 2012 | ONLINE
Learn best practices for Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google+. Over five weeks, you'll determine the social media sites that matter most to you, based on your personal and professional goals.

The Knot Creates Facebook Page To Help Hurricane Sandy Victims Salvage Their Weddings

The damage in the wake of Hurricane Sandy included some 2,300 weddings that had to be postponed or rescheduled, according to wedding portal The Knot, which established a Facebook event page, Helping Brides in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy, to help brides-to-be connect with venues and vendors and salvage their special days. As reported by Mashable, the page is aimed at helping East Coast couples do everything possible to keep the 4,000... read more>>

Discover Where Your Facebook Friends Stand Politically With Wisdom App

This is the season when Facebook users' news feeds are filled with election-charged content. While the loudest voices are the ones most remembered, most of your other friends probably have political views that they aren't expressing. Through MicroStrategy's Wisdom application, users can see where their friends stand on the political spectrum. Wisdom takes into account when a user marks Republican or Democrat in the political views box, as well as any party-affiliated... read more>>

Walmart Kicks Off 12 Days Of Giving On Facebook

With the holiday season approaching, it's also giving season at Walmart, as the retail giant kicked off its 12 Days of Giving initiative Thursday. For the next 12 days, Facebook users can go to Walmart's page and click on the "Live Better" tab to nominate nonprofit organizations making a difference in their local communities, with different themes each day, including hunger, military assistance, and disaster relief. Facebook users can nominate their charitable organizations... read more>>

inside network resource

AppData
AppData is an independent data service tracking application traffic and growth on social platforms. AppData provides comprehensive performance data, including MAU and DAU leaderboards for developers and for applications, historical data, and market and audience information. For more information, click here.

mediabistro.com's blogs:

FishbowlNY Bloomberg Endorses President Obama

FishbowlDC V.P. Biden Gets Flirty on Campaign Trail

FishbowlLA Disney-Lucasfilm Deal Enlarges Vivid's X-Rated Parody Plans

SocialTimes Gadgets, Cars & Hot Chicks Thrive On Pinterest Clone For Dudes

AllFacebook Users Can Give Charitable Donations Through Facebook Gifts

AllTwitter MIT Professor Creates Algorithm To Predict Trending Topics On Twitter

10,000 Words 5 iPad Apps Journalists Should Try For Interviews

TVNewser The Weather Channel Network Taps New President

TVSpy Local TV Coverage of Hurricane Sandy To Cost Ad Industry Millions

Lost Remote An Inside Look at Larry King's New Home, Ora TV

AppNewser Pinch Lets You Use an App Across Multiple Displays: Video

GalleyCat 60 NaNoWriMo Writing Tips in a Single Post

PRNewser Re-Branding: Oprah, HuffPo Join Forces

AgencySpy If the NYC Marathon Goes On as Planned, Perhaps Power Bar Can Inspire You

MediaJobsDaily Four Ways to Chill Out Before an Interview

UnBeige Think Pink: Designers Customize Grete Jalk’s GJ Chair to Benefit Breast Cancer Research

Advertise on Our Blog Network

Click here to read more on AllFacebook, and here to get RSS feeds for updates throughout the day. Subscribe to our Daily Newsfeed Email and see all our blogs at mediabistro.com.

AllFacebook Needs You! Send us your story tips, job changes, insider gossip, and all that other good stuff: allfacebook@mediabistro.com

To learn about advertising or other creative partnerships, contact Dave Arganbright at (212) 547-7931 or via email.

You are receiving this email at sobenrss@live.dk because you subscribed at mediabistro.com for our Daily AllFacebook Feed service. Please add mailer@mediabistro.com to your Address Book to ensure delivery of this email (how do I do this?).
Stop Receiving this Email | Start Receiving this Email | Send Feedback

mediabistro.com
475 Park Avenue South | New York | NY | 10016
mediabistro.com is a division of WebMediaBrands Inc.

Permalink

Inside Facebook

---

• Facebook helps some local businesses provide free Wi-Fi in exchange for check-ins
• Facebook’s John Yi on the state of the Preferred Marketing Developer program
• Facebook enables charitable contributions through Gifts platform
• Facebook brings keyword search to App Center

Facebook helps some local businesses provide free Wi-Fi in exchange for check-ins Posted: 01 Nov 2012 01:04 PM PDT Facebook is testing a new service that allows local businesses to offer customers free Wi-Fi after checking in on the social network, the company tells us. For this small test, Facebook is supplying the router but businesses are providing the Internet access. When visitors check into a location on Facebook, they are redirected to the business' Facebook page and can continue to browse the web for free. Page owners will be able to track how many new Likes they received from people who took advantage of this service. Visitors who don't wish to check in can request a passcode from the local business to connect to the network anyway. Developer Tom Waddington, who also discovered Facebook testing the Want button plugin and possibly promoted messages, first tipped us off to this when he found a new entry called "social wifi" in the "Like sources" section of the Insights API. The explanation for the entry is "People who liked your page after checking in via Facebook Wi-Fi." Facebook confirmed to us in a statement, "We are currently running a small test with a few local businesses of a Wi-Fi router that is designed to offer a quick and easy way to access free Wi-Fi after checking in on Facebook. When you access Facebook Wi-Fi by checking in, you are directed to your local business's Facebook Page." This is similar to a service provided by HotspotSystem also called "Social Wi-Fi," but Facebook says it does not have a connection with that company. Waddington correctly speculated whether Facebook was testing Like-gated free Wi-Fi, though he also wondered if this was part of a bigger effort where page owners of local businesses would be able to associate their Wi-Fi hotspots with their Facebook page. Then, a prompt on the Facebook homepage might suggest Wi-Fi users become a fan of the page. This could be an interesting ad type in the future, but it doesn't seem to be what Facebook is testing now. It’s important to note that Facebook Wi-Fi is a limited test that is not necessarily going to be rolled out wider any time soon. We’ve heard that this began as a hackathon project. [Update: Rakesh Agrawal, an analyst focused on the intersection of local, social and mobile, wrote an interesting post last year about how Google or Facebook could improve local search by sending routers to businesses.]

Facebook’s John Yi on the state of the Preferred Marketing Developer program Posted: 01 Nov 2012 12:00 PM PDT It's been just over six months since Facebook created the Preferred Marketing Developer program, which certifies developers with badges in up to four areas: ads, apps, pages and insights. In that time, Facebook has introduced a host of new ad types and page products — mobile app install ads, custom audience targeting, sponsored results, FBX, offers, advanced post targeting, tiered admin access and more. PMDs have merged, been acquired and raised significant funding. The landscape is more complicated and more competitive than ever. But while marketers are growing increasingly sophisticated and turning to PMDs for solutions, many of the frustrations that developers have had for years remain. Facebook moves fast; APIs are unreliable; there's not enough support. Then there's the surprise new Strategic Preferred Marketing Developer classification, which gives 12 companies access to alpha and beta products, as well as more support from Facebook's business, product and engineering teams. sPMD companies will also serve on Facebook's new PMD Executive Council. We spoke with Facebook’s PMD Program Manager John Yi to get a sense of where Facebook sees the program now, how it's growing and what the sPMD label is all about. The first thing Yi tells us is that the PMD program, like everything at Facebook, is a work in progress. "We're closer to the beginning of this than the end," he says. Facebook's goal with the PMD badges was to introduce some structure and classify developers by discipline but also to show how ads, apps, pages and insights are connected. The most successful marketing efforts on Facebook will touch on all four areas, and over the past six to eight months we've seen PMDs building technology and forging partnerships to make this easier. These include layering the ads and insights APIs to identify potential candidates for page post ads, or apps and ads companies working together to create custom Open Graph Sponsored Stories. Internally, Facebook has reorganized to bring relevant teams together and better serve marketers and PMDs. VP of Global Partnerships Blake Chandlee, who led the agency relations team, now oversees the PMD program as well, so that people who manage relationships with technology and service providers are both under the same branch. The PMD team also works closely with the Facebook product marketing team, which has recently reorganized by verticals. This allows client partners and PMD managers to connect about what different marketers need. One issue that's been identified is how brands and agencies find vendors. Facebook is looking to replace the current PMD directory this month with a PMD Center including more information, case studies and options to contact companies and submit RFPs through the system. Similar to the App Center, the new PMD Center will include a ranking algorithm to surface personalized results and help match marketers with the appropriate PMDs. Facebook also recently hired a sales liaison to help the internal sales team understand the capabilities of each PMD so representatives can connect brands and agencies with the right vendors. The company has other open positions for a PMD business development manager, a marketing communications manager and a few partner managers. Still, Facebook maintains a "very, very lean team," as Yi says, and there aren't enough partner managers to provide one-on-one support for more than 300 developers. Even if there's demand from PMDs, that's not necessarily enough for Facebook to devote more resources to the program. The data-driven company instead looks at product adoption in the marketplace, as well as activity and engagement with PMD solutions. For example, how often are marketers using page management tools to make posts and how are those posts received by fans? And though Yi didn't say it, the amount of revenue PMDs drive through ads would be another major factor. "I’ve been pleased that the company has invested in the program and that we’re getting additional resources," Yi says. "Of course, wanting the program to succeed, I’ll always want more, but we’re in a pretty good spot where we’re able to hire out and get to the next step. And of course we’ll have to show impact there, and perhaps we’ll re-evaluate in another six months or so." Developers seem pleased that Facebook is building out its team, but they wonder whether it will make a difference when there are so many developers in the program. Is the PMD list too big? "There are two ways to look at that question," Yi says. "Is it too big for the support that we have? Though we’re managing it fairly well, I think there’s always a demand for more support so we’re going to continue to try to improve there. But [the question] implies also that there’s some sort of finite amount of opportunity, which I don’t think we’ve gotten anywhere close to realizing. There’s a vastly larger pie that I think companies can think about building into." Without a big team, Facebook prioritizes who it works with, giving more attention to a smaller group of PMDs rather than giving reduced support to everyone. In the last quarter, Facebook doubled the amount of support it provides top developers, which includes other companies besides the 12 sPMDs, Yi says. But for developers, there's a chicken-egg problem. PMDs want to work more closely with Facebook, but they can only do so if they are already showing some level of success and future potential. This is one of the main criticisms of the new Strategic PMD label; it gives additional status and resources to the most prominent companies, while in the process making non-sPMDs seem second rate. Clients and potential clients want to know why a company didn't get the "strategic" title and wonder whether they should work with another vendor that might have a better relationship with Facebook or access to newer features. Even if the label creates this dichotomy, Facebook stands behind its decision to highlight a few companies as "strategic." The company wants to show marketers who is "most well aligned with where Facebook is going" and set an example for other PMDs. "We’re using it as a tool to help show the rest of the developer community what they ought to likely be doing as well," Yi says, later adding, "The positive intended effects of having marketers focus on a subset of PMDs that we feel really strongly about is a good thing for everyone." Plus, there's more to the sPMD program than a title. It's actually a large commitment, as developers have agreed to test more features and maintain additional standards. We've spoken to one sPMD about the difficulty of budgeting for next year knowing Facebook could throw a number of new products and requirements their way. Smaller companies may want the benefits of being an sPMD, but they might not be able to afford the responsibility that comes along with it. "We made it clear [to sPMDs] that this isn’t a sign of arrival, this is a sign of mutual increased commitment on both ends," Yi says. "It's very much a reciprocal up-leveling. If you’re able to meet a higher standard of excellence, then we are able to give you additional support." Facebook has said it would review the program every six months, possibly adding new companies in or swapping some out, but it is likely to keep the group small. Yi did say, however, that there are opportunities in emerging markets, as the current sPMDs primarily serve the U.S. and other Western areas. Not to mention, the landscape can change quickly. Some of the current sPMDs like GraphEffect are only a few years old, and some of the original Ads API beta partners like Marin Software and TBG Digital haven't made the list at all. As for the future of the program as a whole, it's tough to say where it might go. "Don’t ask me what’s happening in six months, I have no idea," Yi says perhaps only half-joking. As a company, Facebook seems to avoid spending too much time planning the near future because it knows innovation is always around the corner, whether it's a great idea from an internal team or a bright new start-up. Instead, the company strives to stay flexible, trying different things, evaluating the results and adapting accordingly. Of course, that isn't much comfort to PMDs or others looking to invest time or money building on the platform. "We’ve never painted this as an easy place to do work," Yi says. "There’s a lot of opportunity, but to realize the opportunity in a sustainable way doesn’t allow anyone to rest on his or her laurels." The question is, is that attitude sustainable for Facebook itself? Start-ups have the most to gain and the most to lose by building on the platform, so for years many of them have put up with what others would see as an intolerable environment for developers. As PMDs diversify beyond Facebook and get bought by larger companies, though, they have less incentive to endure the frustrations and uncertainties of the social network. For instance, companies like Oracle and Google, which acquired PMDs earlier this year, have 10 times the revenue of Facebook, and there's arguably little reason for them to bend over backward to develop marketing products that contribute to the social network's success. How Facebook evolves to build and maintain relationships with other large companies in the next few years could have a significant impact on its future. Yi says Facebook is committed to creating a platform that provides opportunities for developers and creates better experiences for marketers and users. Hiring more staff and launching PMD Center are just some of the steps in what is "going to continue to be a learning process," Yi says. Through webinars, case studies, events, emails and one-on-one conversations, Facebook hopes to offer more help and direction to PMDs over time. "Sometimes you might have to read slightly between the lines — we can’t be completely open about our products — but if you pay enough attention to the directional guidance," Yi says, "if you really want to, you’re going to succeed."

Facebook enables charitable contributions through Gifts platform Posted: 01 Nov 2012 11:25 AM PDT Facebook today announced a new feature for the Facebook Gifts platform which enables users to make a charitable contribution in honor of friends or a family member. Facebook Gifts, launched in September, enables users to buy physical goods that can be sent to friends. The new feature allows users to send a gift in the form of a charitable donation to a partner nonprofit organization. If the gifter is not sure which organization to donate to, the recipient can choose the organization themselves. Currently, Facebook is partnering with 11 nonprofit organizations: American Red Cross Blue Star Families Boys & Girls Clubs of America DonorsChoose.org Girls Inc. Kiva LIVESTRONG Oxfam America RAINN St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital Water.org Facebook hopes the new feature will raise awareness and money for important causes. It will give friends the ability to connect with nonprofits that are looking to improve different aspects of the world. In the past, Facebook has shown a willingness to work directly with nonprofits for social change such as allowing users to publish a life event for when they become an organ donor or registered to vote. Facebook Gifts are still being rolled out to users in the U.S. If a user receives a gift, they will automatically gain access to the new feature.

Facebook brings keyword search to App Center Posted: 01 Nov 2012 09:34 AM PDT Facebook is rolling out search for App Center, allowing users to not only find apps by name but also by keyword such as "cars" or "fitness." This change will help users better navigate App Center, which previously offered filters by category but no direct search. The main search bar in the Facebook header wasn't always helpful, either, since it searches people, pages, places, groups and everything else on Facebook. Plus, it does not yet offer keyword search. If users don't know the title of what they are looking for, it isn't very helpful. App Center is more focused on discovery and surfacing web, mobile and canvas apps that users are likely to be interested in based on other apps they've tried and what their friends use. App Center allows users to see photos and read details about an app before adding it. These details are now indexed in App Center search, and Facebook says there are no changes or additional requirements for developers. The company did not offer details about the search ranking system, but it is likely a combination of keyword relevance, MAU, star ratings, friend connections and more. In a blog post Wednesday night, Facebook announced that it would allow developers to create Sponsored Results ads for their canvas apps through the App Dashboard in four steps. Developers can create more targeted search ads through the Power Editor or the API, as was available previously. Sponsored Results appear in the main search typeahead, and for now there are no ads in the App Center search module. In early October, Facebook said 220 million people visit the App Center each month, and compared to users of the previous Apps and Games dashboard, users who discover apps through App Center are 40 percent more likely to return to the app the next day.

You are subscribed to email updates from Inside Facebook To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Permalink

Inside Facebook

---

• PageLever Now introduces real-time analytics for insights platform
• The Hangover, Iron Man, Scarface and more in this week’s top PTAT gainers among movie pages
• Facebook rolling out option for fans to receive notifications about page posts
• Facebook status update box asks users Halloween-themed questions
• New Facebook mobile ad placement options: operating system and device
• Facebook tests Timeline layout with single column of posts

PageLever Now introduces real-time analytics for insights platform Posted: 01 Nov 2012 07:30 AM PDT Facebook analytics platform PageLever has introduced PageLever Now, which newest features include Facebook engagement analytics displayed in real time. With real-time insights, page admins can now pinpoint the exact time when fans are engaging with their page's posts. The tool features a graph that traces fan activity over the last 24 hours to help page managers decide when to publish their page posts and optimize engagement. It will also allow page manaagers to see the time frame in which a post remains relevant and help prevent them from overflowing fans' News Feeds with too many posts. The real-time graph shows when a post's engagement dies down, telling page managers if they should hold off on introducing a new post as fans are still engaging with the previous one. PageLever co-founder Jeff Widman tells us that the new feature will benefit those looking to understand their audience's engagement habits with discernable evidence. Below the real-time engagement graph, instead of listing page posts in chronological order, PageLever Now lists posts in order of current social relevancy. For example, if an admin has just published a new post, but a fan has just commented on a previous post, the post with more recent activity receives priority and is pushed to the top. Widman tells us this is the first time he has seen this feature for a Facebook analytics tool. In addition to page insights, PageLever has added new features to its dashboard, making it easier for admins managing more than one page. This includes a sidebar listing each page for which user is admin, a built-in page post publisher, a calendar of scheduled posts and image search. PageLever, which was founded in August 2011, added post tagging and alerts to its insights platform in May.

The Hangover, Iron Man, Scarface and more in this week’s top PTAT gainers among movie pages Posted: 31 Oct 2012 03:00 PM PDT The Hangover is this week’s top gaining movie page when it comes to the People Talking About This metric. The page has received 303,765 additional engagements over the past week. Despite having not been in theaters since summer 2011, the page has seen engagement increase as it promotes a sequel in production now. The top 10 movie pages saw PTAT growth between 147,588 and 303,765 engagements. We compile this list with our PageData tool, which tracks page growth across Facebook. # Name People Talking About Daily Growth Weekly Growth  1   The Hangover 329,139 0 +303,765 2   Iron Man 506,093 -112,132 +302,400 3   Scarface™ 241,767 0 +195,825 4   Boo 505,622 +38,344 +182,091 5   The Goonies 187,379 +237 +178,059 6   WWWAAAAAAZAAAAAAAAP 336,952 +30,334 +176,295 7   Breaking Dawn 401,751 +44,247 +169,232 8   Alice in Wonderland 98,434 -116,506 +156,380 9   Captain Jack Sparrow 296,784 0 +152,929 10   女人心事姊妹淘 212,308 +2,464 +147,588   The Hangover has started to see increased engagement as it looks to generate buzz for its next sequel, The Hangover 3. The movie has begun filming and the page has shared a few pictures of the set from director Todd Phillips’ Instagram. With more than 19 million page Likes, The Hangover series has acquired many fans from the previous movies. The page managers are taking advantage of the established audience and will likely use more social ads as the summer 2013 premiere edges closer. At No. 2 is the Iron Man franchise, which is similarly prepping for its third movie to be released in summer 2013. Earlier last week, the page released a teaser trailer that has garnered enough buzz, it is surprising it is not the top gaining page for this week. Upon further inspection, this could be due to directing fans to view the trailer on a separate site instead of uploading it directly on the Facebook page. Uploading it directly onto Facebook makes it easier for fans to Like and share the post, allowing it to grow organically among its 11 million fans and their friends. However, the trailer is likely an iTunes Trailers exclusive. At No. 3 is the 1983 film, Scarface. Having been released in theaters long before Facebook even existed, it is impressive to see the movie have over 7 million page likes. Unlike the previous movies mentioned, Scarface has no sequels planned, yet sees ample engagement week to week. Universal seems to use the page as a way to market to these 7 million fans and hope to drive home video sales. Most of the page posts remain relevant to the Scarface brand, but the studio strategically markets some of its other titles through the page. Visit PageData to see more about the top talked about pages among movies as well as other categories.

Facebook rolling out option for fans to receive notifications about page posts Posted: 31 Oct 2012 01:53 PM PDT Facebook is rolling out a new feature for users to opt in to receive notifications every time a page makes a post. This seems to be a solution for fans who don’t want to miss any page posts that might not make it into their News Feed because of Facebook’s algorithms. For example, some users might want to be aware of all posts from a news publication, an artist they really like or a small business that doesn’t post very often. The feature is similar to the “close friends” option, which alerts users each time a new update or photo is shared by someone on the list. Facebook confirmed to us in a statement, “We are currently rolling out the ability for people to receive notifications from specific pages, friends or public figures that they are connected to. This feature will help people keep up with the people and things that they care about most.” With users and pages making so many posts and taking so many actions, Facebook uses an algorithm to sort News Feed rather than being a full stream like Twitter. Although the goal is to make the feed more relevant and engaging, this sometimes leads users to miss posts that they might have wanted to see. Some users have tried using Interest Lists to get a more complete feed from pages they care about. With notifications, however, users will be even more likely to see all the content from a page or person. Notifications are off by default and settings can be changed at any time. The social network has also recently tested a “subscribe” button on pages. This allows users to receive News Feed updates from a page without indicating that they "Like" it, but as far as we know does not generate notifications when the page makes a post. Thanks to Moayed Mohammed for the tip and screenshot below. Notification image from AllFacebook.com.

Facebook status update box asks users Halloween-themed questions Posted: 31 Oct 2012 01:36 PM PDT Some Facebook users are seeing Halloween-themed questions today in their status update box. The box, which typically asks “What’s on your mind?” has been updated to ask a handful of different questions as seen below. Other prompts include, “What’s your favorite Halloween candy?”, “What’s your favorite scary movie?”, “What’s your Halloween costume this year?” and “Describe your Halloween costume.” Facebook has changed the News Feed publisher box in the past with questions such as “What did you learn today?” This is the first known instance of holiday-themed questions being used. The update appears to be aimed at getting users to share more with their friends in a journal-like style similar to personal blogs such as Tumblr. These types of questions are also often asked by marketers aiming to start a time-relevant discussion with their fans and earn engagement. If these holiday themed prompts continue and users begin answering these questions on their personal profiles rather than on business pages, page managers may need to create new content strategies to engage their audiences. In the future, Facebook may use this space to encourage users to share other information, for instance, asking people in areas affected by storms to share whether they’re OK. Another thought is that brands might be interested in sponsoring this space by creating a custom prompt for users in their target audience, however, Facebook might not want to integrate advertising in that way. Thanks to David Turner for the tip and the screenshots.

New Facebook mobile ad placement options: operating system and device Posted: 31 Oct 2012 09:52 AM PDT Facebook has introduced new mobile ad placement options to Power Editor, allowing advertisers to designate that their ads be shown on a particular mobile device or operating system. Previously, advertisers could use broad category targeting to reach users who have a specific device or mobile OS, but there wasn’t a way to guarantee placement on a particular device. For example, an advertiser who targeted iPad users and selected mobile placement might have ended up reaching a user while they were using an iPhone. Facebook solved this with new placement options when it rolled out mobile app install ads two weeks ago. A reader notified TechCrunch on Tuesday that these options were added to Power Editor, an advanced version of the Facebook self-serve ad tool. As seen below, advertisers can select placement on iOS or Android, and among device types they can choose iPhone, iPod or iPad. With broad category targeting, advertisers have more detailed options, including specific generations of Apple devices or different brands of Android devices. We discussed some of these in our introduction to Facebook mobile ads here.

Facebook tests Timeline layout with single column of posts Posted: 31 Oct 2012 09:02 AM PDT Facebook is testing a new format for user Timelines, which puts all posts in a single column on the left and any activity modules in a narrower column on the right. This layout addresses one of the common complaints about the new profile: users previously had to look back and forth on the page as they scrolled through to read their stream. Some users found the two-column layout frustrating. With this design, the line down the center has been removed, making the profile look less like a timeline. However, the timeline of dates still exists in the top right of the page to jump to a particular month or year. In this test, the publisher and all posts beneath it have gotten wider. Modules like “Recent Activity,” “Friends,” “Places” and those for any Open Graph apps are all to the right, similar to how they are on the original Timeline. The difference in this design is that these modules are no longer the same size as posts, and when there are no more modules to show, the Timeline appears blank rather than filling in with status updates or wall posts. Facebook confirmed that it is testing this design with a small percentage of users but did not offer any additional information.

You are subscribed to email updates from Inside Facebook To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Permalink