Grow your Google Followers

How to Grow Your Google Plus Followers with 3 Smart Tips

By G34 Media in Online 2 Comments


This guest post is by G34 Media.

Google Plus is the new social network in town and it has become the go to network already for many on the web.

Everyone from blog owners to business mavericks and lots more in between use Google Plus for outreach, marketing, content sharing and or to mix and mingle with like minded peers.

Whatever your reason for becoming a Google + fan, one thing is clear. Without followers you’re not going to have too much fun.

So the adage as is usual in social media is that the more the merrier. But how does one grow their Circles? How does one go from ten followers to hundred and more?

Below we present a few ideas and tips on how to do just this via a few simple methods and tricks.

1. Do Outreach From Your Blog

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2 Comments on How to Grow Your Google Plus Followers with 3 Smart Tips
Functions plugin or a theme functions.php

functions.php or a Functions Plugin – Your WordPress Functions

By Bes Zain in Online 2 Comments


I recently came across yet another idea of using a plugin instead of your functions.php file.

It’s interesting reading such viewpoints, since many theme developers insist that you put all your functions in their theme’s functions.php files.

Your own custom WordPress functions allow you to extend WordPress in your own way, with or without external plugins or scripts.

Your WordPress theme functions.php file gets loaded at the same time as your site, so your functions get loaded instantly. The theme functions.php file is one of the most common venues to insert your own functions into WordPress.

I always put my functions in my WooTheme’s functions.php file, allowing me an easy way to manage all my custom code. That does make me depend on the current theme a bit.

Functions plugin or a theme functions.php

New Solution: Use a Functions Plugin Instead

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2 Comments on functions.php or a Functions Plugin – Your WordPress Functions
Use Tasker to trigger WordPress crons or visit websites automatically on your phone

Use Tasker to Trigger Your WordPress Crons

By Bes Zain in Online Comment


WordPress Crons do amazing things. From allowing you to schedule automatic full or database backups of your WordPress to having posts published in the future, Crons allow you to do almost anything you can think of.

WordPress Crons, however, do require some visit to any public page of your main site to trigger the cron to run. That could create problems for many people, specially Multisite owners where Crons are set to run on a Multisite level for all sub-sites, and yet where the main Multisite domain may not get any traffic.

Among the thousand other things Tasker can do via your Android phone, Tasker can also easily visit your website.

I’ve been using Tasker for a long time, and since last week started using Tasker to trigger Crons on Multisites which don’t get much or any traffic. And it works beautifully.

Since you can use Tasker to visit any website at any time automatically, once or regularly, you can use Tasker to trigger your WordPress Crons. Here’s how to do it.

Use Tasker to trigger WordPress crons or visit websites automatically on your phone

What is Tasker for Android?

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WordPress 3.3.1 is here - have you upgraded yet?

WordPress 3.3.1 is Out – Upgrade Now

By Bes Zain in Websites Comment


The WordPress team just announced WordPress 3.3.1 . The first upgrade of the year fixes 15 issues.

You can upgrade via any of the following 3 methods:

  1. Single Sites: Visit Dashboard –> Updates as a Site Admin.
  2. Multisites: Visit Network Admin –> Dashboard –> Updates as a Network Admin.
  3. Manually by downloading WordPress 3.3.1 and then using any FTP program to upload it over your existing files.

Be sure to follow any extra steps, as shown by your specific WordPress admin, to finish the upgrade process.

This can be specially true for Multisites, where you have to take an extra clicking step to upgrade all the sites in your Multisite, by clicking the “Update Network” link under Network Admin –> Dashboard –> Updates area.

WordPress 3.3.1 is here - have you upgraded yet?If you’re upgrading via FTP, be sure to log into your WordPress admin panel after you finish uploading the updated files manually.

One of the New Year resolutions you should make for your online life, if you haven’t already, is to keep your online sites updated at all times. Slacking off on your website, even in the back-end, is so 2011′ish!

Will you upgrade right away?

Do you usually upgrade to the latest WordPress versions right away? Or do you usually wait a few days or even weeks to see how others are rating such updates?

Happy upgrading!

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Is Facebook the new MySpace?

Is Facebook the New MySpace?

By Bes Zain in Social Media 4 Comments


Is Facebook the new MySpace? That’s the biggest question many people have been wondering about in 2011. And with 2012 upon us, that question is more vibrant than ever before.

Facebook has gone from having the cleanest and most consistent social networking layout to probably having one of the most complicated layout of all the majority of the sites I use daily. Twitter, Google+, and even the sophisticated LinkedIn is easier to use and manage than Facebook at the moment. And in some areas, Facebook is now as difficult to use as MySpace once was and currently is.

That is not a good sign, is it?

Every hour someone out there is either supporting or bashing all the new things Facebook is trying, adding and releasing. And there is a good reason for such reactions.

Where is Facebook headed?

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4 Comments on Is Facebook the New MySpace?
5 Cross Posting Tools to post to different social networks

Social Media Efficiency: 5 Tools To Get You Cross Platform

By Tammy Kahn Fennell in featured, Goodies 9 Comments


This guest post is by Tammy Kahn Fennell.

Getting your information and ideas out to your target audience is what social media marketing is all about. But is anyone reading what you have to say? Are you neglecting one network in favor of another?

Here are 5 tools that cross post, and are free (or nearly free) to use!

1. MarketMeSuite: Social Marketing Management
2. Buffer: Social Timing
3. LiveFyre: Social Commenting
4. Constant Contact: Social Email
5. Instagram: Social Photo Sharing

1. Social Marketing

Market Me SuiteLet’s start with the first element is a cross promotional dashboard, MarketMeSuite. MarketMeSuite is an absolute juggernaut of a Marketing tool. It takes the best elements of your favorite management platforms, mixes in geo-targeting and pro-active marketing, and gives you one giant place to share,. schedule, auto-post RSS, and post in real time to Facebook at the same time as posting to Twitter and Linkedin. You can also view your newsfeeds and add comments from inside the app.

Why Is This Important? You need a centralized place to monitor all of your marketing efforts, and allow your entire team to work together. MarketMeSuite provides the “ground control” every social media campaign needs.

2. Social Timing

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9 Comments on Social Media Efficiency: 5 Tools To Get You Cross Platform

Next Day Flyers – For All Your Poster Printing

By Bes Zain in featured, Reviews 2 Comments


When was the last time you got a promotional poster, either handed to you or through your mail, that you simply threw away within a few minutes? That’s your instinct, knowing how to deal with all the paper ads that you see everywhere. The same way we deal with email ads, we deal with paper ads. We try to get rid of them, or ignore them, as soon as possible. Same thing goes with business cards. You may get one at a restaurant or from a co-worker, but once you put it into your pocket, it becomes another piece of paper that you do not care about.

Now think a bit differently. When was the last time you got a glossy poster in your hand? Or a glossy business card? Or anything that was new, shiny and a beautiful glossy piece of work? You can probably remember the many times that happened, but you probably do not remember the last time you threw away a glossy poster, or anything glossy, as fast as you tend to throw away any non-glossy paper. That’s the power of shining paper, poster or anything else.

We value it more than other things because it feels more premium. You value it more. You cherish it more.

Next Day Flyers offers such glossy poster printing for all your needs. If you want your printing done right, try Next Day Flyers right now.

Next Day Flyers offers premium poster printing at awesome prices

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2 Comments on Next Day Flyers – For All Your Poster Printing

Signazon – For All Your Offline Signs & Print Needs, Online!

By Bes Zain in featured, Reviews 3 Comments


In today’s world there are still millions of businesses in every country that have no online presence. Such companies either do not have the resources to focus on the online business or are simply avoiding the online phenomenon and sticking to the idea of existing only offline. Because of that very fact, businesses which embrace the online world with full force often do much better for themselves and their customers compared to the competition. It is always interesting for me to come across businesses whose sole target is the offline customer base via an offline product, and turn it into a purely brilliant online marketplace to thrive as a company and to offer customers an unparalleled service.

Signazon is such a company. Dealing solely with signs and printing, the company is a prime example of how to take any offline business and turn it into a landmark online service that actually turns the company into an online service catering very efficiently to your offline needs. You should observe how they do their business online and also see what they have to offer in order to both get good prints and signs for yourself [everyone should get them, including website owners].

Signazon covers everything for your signs and print needs – all via one website

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3 Comments on Signazon – For All Your Offline Signs & Print Needs, Online!

Diversify your Online Portfolio beyond Blogs and Other Minisites

By David Tang in featured, Guest Posts 1 Comment


This guest post is by David Tang.

John Chow recently reviewed ways of making money online besides blogging, where he specifically focused on my 300K Page Job Search In-a-Box turnkey service. There is a popular formula for online success that the majority of people follow. That formula is to create a blog, write quality articles on an ongoing basis, slap on some Adsense, and continue to churn out those articles. Rinse and repeat with another blog, and another, until you’re back to working… erm, many, many hours a week.

This formula is popular for a few reasons: it’s simple, low-cost, and reliable.  As long as you can continue churning out articles regularly and constantly, sooner or later, those Adsense pennies will start accumulating to dollars and more.

It’s also easy to set up.

Are Blogs Dead? Diversify your portfolio with Megasites

Can Megasites help you where blogs can't?

But, why take the long road to online success which has proven to be a failure for majority of online bloggers?  More than 99% of all bloggers will fail in their income goals, because they underestimate the concept of making money and overestimate the results too fast. Writing an article takes time and thought.  And, it only adds one more piece of content (e.g. unique page) to your site at a time.  That’s why a blog is considered a minisite.  Even if you were to publish a new blog entry a day for 3 years straight, you would only barely have over 1,000 pages.  That takes a lot of stamina, commitment, and depth of knowledge in your niche.

Moreover, it’s a time drain.  It takes time to brainstorm ideas and even more time to convert that idea into a well written article.

So, what’s the faster path to online success, then? Try a megasite instead. (more…)

1 Comment on Diversify your Online Portfolio beyond Blogs and Other Minisites
New Netflix Prices - Why, and how they affect you

New Netflix Price Changes – 2011

By Bes Zain in featured, Reports 8 Comments


Netflix recently announced new Membership plans and prices for everyone. As expected, Netflix blog readers are flocking in great numbers to complain about it. Netflix remains resilient about the changes, insisting that they’re for the greater good.

Whether that “greater good” is good for both the customers and the company, only the customers or only the company is at this point undecided in terms of a long-term strategy. In terms of the customer viewpoint, the move is seen as a breaking point for many to start finding alternatives or to cut back on either streaming plans or the DVD plan.

The old prices that were in effect until today were divided into 2 popular plans:

Plan 1: Unlimited Streaming and Unlimited 1 DVD out at-a-time, for $9.99 a month
Plan 2: Unlimited Streaming only, for $7.99 a month

They are becoming separate plans, however. Both Unlimited Streaming and Unlimited DVDs will become $7.99 each, costing you a total of $15.98 for Plan 1 from now on for new customers and from September 1st, 2011 for existing customers. Read on for reasons behind the price increases, and for details on the new prices and plans.

Reasons Netflix Increased Membership Prices

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8 Comments on New Netflix Price Changes – 2011

Google+ Invites

By Bes Zain in featured, Goodies 98 Comments


Google+ is here. And almost everyone who is using it says that it is out to destroy other social networks as we know it, specially Facebook.

Google+, if you don’t know about it yet, is the new social network by Google. It’s in an invite-only phase, like many of Google’s early projects. The only way to get in is by getting an invite. And you can get an invite from me.

Get Your Google+ Invite Now

Leave a comment below with your email address in the “Email” field.

I’ll send you an invite within an hour usually [might take more].

Free Google+ Plus InvitesIt’s as simple as that. No need to beg for it. No need to enter a contest to get your Google+ invite. No need to get the Social Improve updates for free, or add me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter [would be appreciated if you do!]. No need to refer other people to this post if you don’t want to.

And most important of all: No need to offer your cat or MySpace account as a sacrifice.

Want a Google+ invite? Comment away. Remember to be smart by leaving your comment in the “E-mail” field and not publicly in the “Comment” field.

Optional: If you want to give Social Improve something back in return, you can:

  1. Add me on Facebook.
  2. Follow Social Improve on Facebook.
  3. Follow @BesZ on Twitter.
  4. Subscribe to this site via e-mail or RSS
  5. Use any of the social sharing buttons on top or below this post to share this article with others.

Remember, you’ll become my “friend” on my personal account on Google when I invite you to Google+. I’m only keeping that personal account around until Google rolls out Profiles and Plus to the paying Google Apps customers. When that happens, I’ll ditch my personal Google account and ask you to add me on my Google Apps account. You can of course, ignore me then and pretend you don’t know who I am. :p

By the way, the correct way of writing Google Plus is actually Google+ with that + sign in the end. The reason you’ll see the word “Plus” spelled out many times is because google can’t actually have a domain like +.google.com.

Enjoy!

Side-note: I’ve started the planning and writing of the books (digital and print) and some videos to share with everyone (at this site and at The Reasoner). Topics will include WordPress, blogging, websites, being successful online, and more! Details will come later this year hopefully. Otherwise, next year! :)

98 Comments on Google+ Invites

14 Blocks Review

By Bes Zain in featured, Reviews 4 Comments


I know from personal experience that simply having thousands of Twitter followers is not enough to get those followers engaged in what you tweet. Tweeting the right content and at the right time helps tremendously in making sure your tweet gets acted upon. HootSuite is one of the hundreds of new social media tools that aim to help you do just that. HootSuite allows you to, as well as many other things, schedule your messages for the future. What HootSuite lacks, however, is the breakdown of how many of your Twitter followers are online at different times during the day. 14 Blocks fills that gap perfectly at the moment.

14 Blocks, owned by Felipe C. and run as part of the 63 Squares network, gives you a precise view of how many of your Twitter followers were online at different times during the past week.

14 Blocks - Scheduling Tweets and seeing numbers of users online

14 Blocks - Scheduling Tweets and seeing numbers of users online

14 Blocks also lets you schedule tweets. The way 14 Blocks works is by analyzing the number of your Twitter followers who are online and engaging in some online activity. Whether a user is tweeting something, retweeting someone or replying to someone, 14 Blocks sees it as an activity and counts that in your profile. In you 14 Blocks dashboard you see the total number of active online Tweeters, who follow you, at different times during last 2 weeks. This gives you an idea of when the next good time to post may be.

The great thing about 14 Blocks is that it gives you an almost up to the minute breakdown: 15 minute intervals is what you get. You can basically see how many of your Twitter followers were online every 15 minutes of the day for the last 2 weeks.

To help you decide if 14 Blocks is for you, here is a review of the different features 14 Blocks brings, and the elements it should work on more.

See how many of your Twitter Followers are Online Right Now

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4 Comments on 14 Blocks Review

WordPress 3.2 Available for Download – 4th of July

By Bes Zain in featured, News 1 Comment


If you run WordPress on any of your sites, now’s the time to upgrade it. The much-anticipated 3.2 upgrade is here. WordPress 3.2 is here. Go ahead and download WordPress 3.2 now. You can also update your WordPress via your WP Dashboard. Go to Dashboard –> Updates for details. If you have a Multisite, simply upgrade WordPress from within the Dashboard area and you’ll be given an option to automatically upgrade all your sites also.

WordPress 3.2 also provides extensive speed upgrades. All of your user side and admin side pages are supposed to load faster than ever before. That also means you have to focus less on WordPress speeds and focus more on blogging.

Among many other things, WordPress 3.2 also sports an upgrade to the admin panel. WordPress Admin Panel now looks more polished than ever before.

Here is a snapshot on how it now looks on Social Improve:

WordPress 3.2 Admin Panel Updates

WordPress 3.2 Admin Panel Updates - More Polished Interface

Here are some of the main highlights as mentioned by the WordPress 3.2 announcement post

The focus for this release was making WordPress faster and lighter. The first thing you’ll notice when you log in to 3.2 is a refreshed dashboard design that tightens the typography, design, and code behind the admin. (Rhapsody in Grey?) If you’re starting a new blog, you’ll also appreciate the fully HTML5 new Twenty Eleven theme, fulfilling our plan to replace the default theme every year. Start writing your first post in our redesigned post editor and venture to the full-screen button in the editing toolbar to enter the new distraction-free writing or zen mode, my personal favorite feature of the release. All of the widgets, menus, buttons, and interface elements fade away to allow you to compose and edit your thoughts in a completely clean environment conducive to writing, but when your mouse strays to the top of the screen your most-used shortcuts are right there where you need them. (I like to press F11 to take my browser full-screen, getting rid of even the OS chrome.)

What do you think of the new updates?

1 Comment on WordPress 3.2 Available for Download – 4th of July
Reduce WordPress Spam

How to Reduce WordPress Spam

By Bes Zain in featured, Tips 8 Comments


The number one issue you probably face on your WordPress blog is spam. Millions of spammers and spam bots go around millions of WordPress blogs daily to try to get their spam links placed on any possible page of your site. We at Social Improve get over 1,000 spammers daily who try very hard to leave a comment or register on our network of sites. This is in addition to the automated spam bots who get blocked by us automatically. When you want to be a successful blogger or want to have a happy blogging experience, the last thing you want to do is to deal with spammers as a full-time job. Spammers and spam comments not only waste your time, they also make your blog less secure, destroy your blog’s reputation and drive away search engines and real commentors. If you do not deal with spammers and spam comments, your blog will fail.

Do not worry, though. There is hope. You only need to take a few one-time steps to start addressing this issue on a massive level.

Reduce WordPress SpamYour WordPress blog is a very customizable system that allows you to enhance it via plugins or direct changes. Spam elimination is one of the key focuses of many parts of WordPress, and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of plugins and modifications online that you can use to protect yourself and your real commentors from spam comments. Recently I was asked by the famous Cecillia Tan on how to stop spammers from registering as users on her WordPress blog. I decided to write this guide to help you, her and others combat spam more effectively.

Any single implementation of any of these methods will start helping you combat spam immediately. Try not to overdo these anti-spam tactics, or you may end up driving away real non-spamming commentors or you may end up even slowing your blog down.

Anti Comment Spam Plugins

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8 Comments on How to Reduce WordPress Spam

Google Search Thinks It’s Ok To Kill Others, But Not Yourself

By Bes Zain in featured, Reports 2 Comments


What happens when the most basic thing you do daily, a Google search, results in a bias that is hard to spot but easy to digest? You get evidence that cultural influences are at work. Surprisingly, such search results also indirectly influence you into thinking that something should be thought of in a certain manner.

Things you search for on Google are not all anonymous and directly searched for. In fact, many times things you search for are analyzed into some other kind of “meaningful” data that Google thinks may benefit you. However, as I found out, it seems this “meaningful” data can be biased because of being based on generally accepted notions of what our society likes and dislikes.

Let us take the example of ending a life to see what Google Search may actually be thinking. There are two kinds of lives you can end: other lives, and your own. Let us see what Google thinks when you do a search on the notion of either wanting to kill your own self or someone else.

Google feels all right when you want to kill others…

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2 Comments on Google Search Thinks It’s Ok To Kill Others, But Not Yourself