The one constant about Facebook, is that it’s ever-changing.  By now you’ve probably seen the new Facebook “timeline” format that is popping up on your Friend’s Profile Pages.  You can update the look of you Profile now, or just wait and let Facebook convert it for you. While no formal date has been announced, the rumor is that around the end of January, everyone’s Profiles will be converted to the new look. You can run, but you cannot hide.

The good news is that you will now have a cool new space at the top of your Facebook Timeline! If you’re like me, you’re wondering what the heck you’re supposed to do with it.   Here’s what you do with that big piece of social media property — use a free tool to make it zing.

CoverCanvas makes it easy to quickly create a Cover that is as awesome as you are. When you get to the site simply select “get started” and you’re in.

Along the top of the app, you will see different themes and options. Use your mouse to pint over them and click on the design you’d like to try. The tech wizards have it set up so random PROFILE photos are selected.  So, if you want pics of your kids or family pet, you will have to upload them to your Profile Photos folder first.  If you don’t like the selection the app randomly selects, click the theme image again and it will refresh using different images. You can also decide if you want to include your name, your name plus photos or just photos in the Cover. Done.

Once you upload your photo, CoverCanvas auto posts the photo and a link to their site on your Timeline. You can choose to hide it if you’d like or click “Make Profile Picture” and wa-la. Your new look is complete.

So stop embarrassing yourself with that current Cover and “make it work.”

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The “Not Now” alternation will change how you process friend requests moving forward. You can continue to confirm requests as usual, but if you’re not interested in friending a wannabe connection, you’ll now need to click the “Not Now” button. That action will not ignore the request, but hide it, relegating it instead to a new “Hidden Requests” menu for future processing.

“If you choose ‘Not Now’, the other person will never be notified that you have hidden their request and you’ll have the option to take action on it at some time in the future if you want to. Their request will remain in a pending state, meaning they won’t see the option to add you as a friend. They will just see the ‘Awaiting Friend Confirmation’ text as if you hadn’t taken any action on the request at all,” says a spokesperson for the company.

You can return to the “Hidden Requests” menu to revisit all requests you previously marked “Not Now,” and can then either choose “Confirm” or “Delete Request.” Should you delete the request, you can also optionally mark that you don’t know the person in question, and that behavior will block the individual from requesting your friendship in the future.

What Facebook doesn’t tell you, is that anyone you mark “Not Now” will begin to receive your public news to their News Feed.  The lesson here is to make sure your Privacy settings are marked accordingly to Everyone, Friends of Friends or Friends only.  Anything marked “Everyone” is fair game.

About this blog: Gangway Advertising is a Dallas-based marketing firm and social media agency. Our specialty is working with companies to create marketing strategies and solutions that allow your business to compete at any level in the marketplace. We specialize in making small companies seem bigger. The posts within this blog are written to show you that social media and marketing is affordable, achievable and should not be ignored! No budget is too small and no idea is too big. Bring it on.

YouTube and Google have teamed up to offer a fun new program, called Search Stories, that allows you to create your own “search”able videos. Here’s mine!  Want to know more about me? Search on…

About this blog: Gangway Advertising is a Dallas-based marketing firm and social media agency. Our specialty is working with companies to create marketing strategies and solutions that allow your business to compete at any level in the marketplace. We specialize in making small companies seem bigger. The posts within this blog are written to show you that social media and marketing is affordable, achievable and should not be ignored! No budget is too small and no idea is too big. Bring it on.

Cynthia Smoot of Gangway Advertising spoke at the Social Business Boot Camp held March 4, 2010 in Dallas, TX on the subject of Personal Branding.

“The workplace culture has shifted away from corporate loyalty and long-term pension plans into a new paradigm of individualization and self-promotion,” says Cynthia Smoot. “These days, what can be found about you online is your resume. This is why Personal Branding is so important”. Highlights taken from her speech will give you 5 easy steps to begin to build your brand in this video clip.

About this blog: Gangway Advertising is a Dallas-based marketing firm and social media agency. Our specialty is working with companies to create marketing strategies and solutions that allow your business to compete at any level in the marketplace. We specialize in making small companies seem bigger. The posts within this blog are written to show you that social media and marketing is affordable, achievable and should not be ignored! No budget is too small and no idea is too big. Bring it on.

Posted via email from Gangway Advertising

About this blog: Gangway Advertising is a Dallas-based marketing firm and social media agency. Our specialty is working with companies to create marketing strategies and solutions that allow your business to compete at any level in the marketplace. We specialize in making small companies seem bigger. The posts within this blog are written to show you that social media and marketing is affordable, achievable and should not be ignored! No budget is too small and no idea is too big. Bring it on.

Posted via email from Gangway Advertising

About this blog: Gangway Advertising is a Dallas-based marketing firm and social media agency. Our specialty is working with companies to create marketing strategies and solutions that allow your business to compete at any level in the marketplace. We specialize in making small companies seem bigger. The posts within this blog are written to show you that social media and marketing is affordable, achievable and should not be ignored! No budget is too small and no idea is too big. Bring it on.

Click here to download:

FB Privacy Tip.swf (5289 KB)

Privacy is a big issue for most people and you should be concerned with how your information is being accessed. Here’s a quick tip so you can make sure your Profile page is set to a Privacy setting you are comfortable with!

Posted via email from Gangway Advertising

About this blog: Gangway Advertising is a Dallas-based marketing firm and social media agency. Our specialty is working with companies to create marketing strategies and solutions that allow your business to compete at any level in the marketplace. We specialize in making small companies seem bigger. The posts within this blog are written to show you that social media and marketing is affordable, achievable and should not be ignored! No budget is too small and no idea is too big. Bring it on.

Here’s how you can streamline reading posts by your Friends and Fan Pages using Lists created on Facebook. Make some lists of your own and let me know how you like using this feature!

Posted via web from Gangway Advertising

About this blog: Gangway Advertising is a Dallas-based marketing firm and social media agency. Our specialty is working with companies to create marketing strategies and solutions that allow your business to compete at any level in the marketplace. We specialize in making small companies seem bigger. The posts within this blog are written to show you that social media and marketing is affordable, achievable and should not be ignored! No budget is too small and no idea is too big. Bring it on.