In my previous blogs on 'Destination Marketing' I suggested Blogger/Blogspot as a useful alternative or addition to web sites for micro businesses. In 'With a Little Help From Your Friends' I gave an example of how information, shared amongst online networks, can help you keep up to speed with new developments in the rapidly changing digital environment. Another route to useful information, especially with new hardware, software or when adding applications to your online activity, is to review FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) or online forums associated with your new installations. This will help identify potential problems or shortcuts and lead to practical advice at an early stage. Or, as in the following example, track down solutions that are otherwise obscured or beyond the immediate reach of Internet virgins.
Earlier this month I installed a 'Follow By Email' function to this blog (towards the top of the right-hand panel). This allows subscribers to be notified by email each time new material is added to my Home page. The function has a number of refinements that can be added at will, including the ability to review the list of email subscribers - obviously a useful way of measuring performance. When I checked the Blogger FAQs and Forums it was apparent that a number of users were having difficulty in finding their subscribers' list and had submitted search queries on the subject. Other members had provided advice in response.
This having said, the instructions given for this fairly complicated process are by no means clear to those without a degree of familiarity with navigation around Blogger functions. So, to make life easier, I will begin at the very beginning.
Installing the Blogger 'Follow By Email' Option
- Sign in to your Blogger/Google account.
- From your Blogger Dashboard, click on 'Design' to go to 'Add and Arrange Page Elements'.
- A number of positions/sizes are possible for adding a new element. In my case, most add-ons are positioned in the right hand column of this blog.
- Make your choice and click on 'Add a Gadget'.
- A list of functions will appear in the pop-up box. Click on 'Follow by Email' and save.
- The email subscriber function will automatically be directed to your blog and appear as a new page element that can be repositioned as required.
Tracking Email Subscribers
- Once 'Follow by Email' is installed, return to 'Dashboard' >> 'Design'. The 'Follow By Email' box will appear as one of the page elements.
- Click on the 'Edit' link in the email box.
- In the pop-up 'Configure Follow by Email' box, click on 'View stats and learn more'.
- A new pop-up, 'My Feeds', will appear. The name of your blog will be shown under 'Feed Title', together with the number of subscribers. Click on your blog name.
- On the new page, click on the 'Publicize' tab.
- On the next new page, click on 'Email Subscriptions' on the left. (This will be ticked to signify that the function is live.)
- On the next new page, scroll down to the very bottom and click on 'View Subscriber Details'. Your subscriber list, including dates of subscriptions, can now be viewed.
- In this mode you can delete unwanted subscribers, export the list as a CSV (Comma Separated Values) database, or elect to be informed by email when users unsubscribe.
It is well worth exploring the other tabs in this mode to decide whether some of the more sophisticated options are relevant to your purposes. At the very least, the 'Analyze' tab gives on overview of Feed stats over pre-selected periods.
I have added a 'Follow by Email' function to my blog. Submit your email address on the right and you will receive automated mail updates when new items are posted. This is an alternative to the Favourites Bar option that is outlined under "The Easy Way to Follow this Blog" in "About This Blog". Take your pick.
In "Destination Marketing & Local Communities" I discussed the implications of the shift to mobile devices and the possibilities created by 'Check In' functions. Two examples, 'Foursquare' and 'Facebook' check-ins, were discussed. It is always useful to understand such functions from the viewpoint of the end user. I linked to the Foursquare web site, which has comprehensive information from the perspectives of both merchants and users. The following link will take you to the information provided to users of the Facebook check-in facility. If you know how things are being used, you can plan how to use them for your own purposes!
In August 2011 I posted guidelines on Google Panda, the algorithm that is used to rank web sites and differentiate between the good, the bad and the ugly. Most people are aware that search engines have ranking mechanisms; indeed a whole industry has grown up around Search Engine Optimisation [SEO]. It is less well known that Facebook has an equivalent algorithm that determines the order in which 'Stories' appear on the Facebook 'Home' page. An understanding of the Facebook 'Edgerank Algorithm' will help businesses gain advantage by positioning their Facebook posts towards the top of 'Recent Stories'.
The Edgerank Algorithm
Earlier this year many Facebook users were irritated by a change in the Home page layout (not the first time that tinkering by Facebook has produced a negative response). Previously, all 'Status Updates' had appeared in chronological order. Suddenly, and without any obvious announcement of a change, Updates were organised in a seemingly arbitrary order. The most recent Updates no longer appear automatically at the head of posts on the Home page. In many cases users are obliged to scroll down through much older 'Stories', or click on 'Recent Stories', to find recent posts. The new layout is something of an obstacle, particularly to commercial Facebook users intent on bringing information and announcements to their networks.
Behind all of this was the Edgerank Algorithm, which rates 'Stories' by 'RECENCY', 'EDGE WEIGHT' and 'AFFINITY'.
Recency
'Recency' is easy enough to understand. Recent 'Stories' have the advantage over older posts so long as other factors are in place. Frequent postings will gain 'Recency' points: try to post two or three times per day.
Edge Weight
Functions and actions related to a post are called 'edges'. The more there are, the better the 'Edge Weight' and the higher the ranking. Every 'edge' is awarded a value and all the 'edges' are added together to give an overall score for the post. 'Edges' include:
- Photos and videos.
- Links.
- Comments.
- 'Likes'.
- 'Shares'.
From the above it can be seen that posts that include photos or videos, along with a clickable link, are high value; and that varied content of this type will encourage comments, 'likes' and 'shares' and increase the 'Edge Weight' value even further.
Affinity
'Affinity' is the degree of closeness that Facebook users have with members of their network. High interactivity between Facebook members increases the 'affinity' value of posts and prioritises 'Stories' with Facebook connections. It follows that by encouraging your Friends to interact with your posts you will raise your 'affinity' rating. For example, ask them to 'click' or 'share'.
Putting It All Together
The Edgerank score is calculated by multiplying together the values given to 'Recency', 'Edge Weight' and 'Affinity'. If this score is higher than other current Facebook posts it will appear in poll position on the Home page. Awareness of Edgerank will help Facebook users ensure high visibility with their Friends and stimulate further actions, whether to drive web site traffic, increase sales or raise the profile of an individual or brand.
One Further Practical Tip
Always check which of your Facebook Friends are online before posting, to make sure that you're reaching as many of your intended targets as possible.
In 'Destination Marketing & Local Communities' I discussed the opportunities offered by QR codes for small hospitality businesses. I also wrote: "The opportunities for imagination and creativity are endless - and the possibilities for historical or environmental interpretation too diverse to be touched on here."
A demonstration is worth a thousand words. The following attracted my attention on LinkedIn today, posted by Tom Hadfield, Regional Digital Strategist at Visit Wales. Obviously this particular example involved major investment, but it is easy to see how it could be scaled down for much smaller projects. Read the copy, watch the video and check out the add-ons. This campaign is obviously going viral.
A couple of minor points have arisen now that I have had chance to spend a little time cruising around my own blog in Magazine format (see the previous blog).
- Scrolling down through pages is a little creaky, implying slow downloading that might be a problem for mobile platforms: all the more reason to retain the normal template as a landing page for external links.
- Magazine View does not seem to be able to handle clusters of pics arranged side by side: best to align pictures vertically.
- Magazine View places content on a white background. Tinted highlights, for emphasis or hyperlinks, should be chosen for their legibility on both the normal design template and on a white ground. I have changed my colour code for internal links from yellow to purple for this reason.
Marketing is a continual learning process. The more you know, the more you realise how little you know. The Internet is an invaluable source of information, whether you subscribe to professional mailing lists, or follow strands on professional networks like LinkedIn, or simply pick up on postings from friends and colleagues from your network: no-one has time to keep track of every new development, especially where new technology is concerned.
My thoughts on the potential of blogging for small businesses were formed long before I found time to write them up in my series of posts on Destination Marketing (see my three previous posts). I began examining the mechanics of the blog as a result of following the prolific Pembrokeshire blogger Brian John. Now, once again, I am indebted to Brian for bringing my attention to a new adaptation on Blogger that enables publishers and users to vary the way material is viewed.
The 'View Magazine' option seems to me the most useful and translates conventional templates into a more "webby" format. Posts on the dynamic Home Page appear alongside thumbnails (where pics have been used) and a few lines of introductory text. ALL past posts can be viewed by scrolling down the page and clicking on the headlines. The format is much easier for readers than the traditional side bar archive and is a useful guide to the content of each post. Static tabbed pages appear in the header navigation bar in the usual way. I'm not sure how some of the normal Blogger functions operate from the Magazine view - perhaps they don't. For the time being my solution has been to create a "View in Magazine Format" link with a "use back button" instruction to return to the normal view (see above right). This simplifies things - external links to my blog can carry on as usual.
There's nothing complicated in setting up this option - just add "/view/magazine" to your blogspot URL as follows: http://yourblogname.blogspot.com/view/magazine. This new URL is the link to use if you follow my own solution.
The Magazine option is more attractive and user friendly than the conventional format and adds to the professional feel where small businesses or community groups elect to use Blogger to establish an Internet presence. (See my Destination Marketing posts for more on this.) But retaining the normal template as a landing page, especially for mobile platforms, might be a good idea. (We've already had a report of failure to load to iPad - there's no substitute for a proper PC! Or Mac.)
For an example of how the new format works on a blog with an enormous amount of content, go to Brian John's 'Stonehenge Thoughts'.
