I have been waiting for this day! Facebook is opening up so that you can claim vanity URLs this week. Previously this was only for big brands but now you can have your own simple, elegant, branded URL for your Facebook Page (businesses) or profile (personal).

The blog post says: “We expect to offer even more ways to use your Facebook username in the future.” More details please!

Here’s the old style URL (tough to remember and share) and what it could look like after Saturday:

Start thinking about this now - what usernames you’ll choose. You can’t change or transfer it. If you signed up for a Facebook Page after May 31 or a user profile after today at 3 p.m. EDT, you may not be able to sign up for a username immediately because of steps we’ve taken to prevent abuse or “squatting” on names.

Questions? here’s their FAQ, if you’re an administrator of Facebook Pages, get more details here.

Make sure that you do this and you claim your name before someone else does.

Some businesses will never blog but they still see the benefits of having one. That’s why one of my favorite blogging jobs goes like this (for a monthly retainer):

1. Someone else set up their Wordpress blog with branding for their business.
2. I researched the keywords that pertain to the business.
3. I add plugins and optimize them. This makes the blog more SEO friendly. It adds post to Twitter automatically, etc.
4. I call and interview the owner every month. I record the call and then make 7-15 blog posts from our conversation. The client reviews and approves the posts.
5. I post the blog posts so they go live every few days during the month. I add links, etc. Sometimes I go to an event and take pictures or video with my Flip Mino. I also have Google alerts set so I have potential blog content coming to me directly.
6. If I have time I promote the blog in directories or other ways (link building).

The reason I like it is, I don’t have to learn and be the expert I just interview him. I like the personal interaction. I notice though that people have to remember events and things that happen in their business that would make great blog posts. This would be more effective if it was straight SEO and not as much for branding. Some businesses sell things that people don’t know to look for and that means it takes more time to build traction. Ideally this would be helped with advertising.

I would like to have a few more arrangements like this with local businesses. It’s a win/win. It would be especially fun if it were a local restaurant. I could go there and take pictures. I could try their food and post video (I was once an ad rep for a newspaper and my favorite acconts were restaurants). We could use the pictures again on a Facebook Page and post them on Flickr.

Food and blogging seem to be on my mind today. My husband says I’m a tough customer when it comes to food. He’s made me very picky because he tries to perfect everything he makes and he asks for my opinion. Of course I always have one.

Online contests of all sorts are a popular way to get new links or blog posts about your business. I’ve seen examples of well-run contests but two stand out as bad examples of how to run a contest. Contests are a way to generate substantial awareness and create goodwill with everyone who enters, so don’t alienate people. If someone doesn’t win you don’t want to leave them with a negative feeling about your business. For many it may be the first time they interact with your brand.

The same principle applies to different types of rejection (see this WSJ article about how various colleges reject people and the aftertaste it leaves applicants). Basically you can burn bridges, confuse people, or anger them based on how you handle things. Conversely, you can be straightforward, warm, and encouraging while still letting them know they didn’t win but you appreciate their contribution.

When it comes to blogging, no matter what the entry says you get a link to your site. You also expose your business to new audiences and generate free publicity. If you treat people well they could become customers. Also, bloggers talk to others and you hope that they say good things about you (or at least mostly good).

Good Practices

1. Tell the winners - don’t make them read the comments to know if they won - email them.
2. Be clear and specific about how the contest works and what you’re looking for - state the criteria and how you’ll select a winner. Avoid vague statements like: “The finalists are voted on publicly so it won’t hurt to get some early fans!” Does this mean there’s a voting piece (with everyone or just the few who entered?)
3. Make blog posts along the way to encourage people.
4. Blog on the day the entries are closed. Announce the winners or let people know when you will. Tell them what is happening next.
5. Run the contest by a few bloggers and ask for their feedback. How you word things and what you ask for might not be realistic.
6. Give feedback about the entries if they are subjective so people have an idea what you are looking for.

If you only have a few entries tell everyone who entered by email - tell them thanks for entering.

What NOT to do:

1. Plan a large media blitz and advertise like crazy with a certain deadline and then extend it by several weeks. You just lose momentum and probably won’t get very many more responses. Don’t drag it on too long because again, you lose momentum. A local day spa did this and inspired this post.
2. Go dark. If you’re in social media you have to be social. Yes, that takes energy. You can feed into the energy created or you can kill it or let it go dormant. By participating in the conversation you encourage and build momentum. You create more reminders of your business. If you go dark people may forget about the contest or you.
3. Delete comments that people make that you don’t like. It creates bad will. Unless they are personal attacks or offensive I usually allow comments even if I don’t like what the person says.

I’m not perfect at running online contests and I rarely do them. I have no economic incentive to run a contest, but when my book is done that could change.

Feedback?

Tell me what you’ve learned about running online contests.

Dooce (Heather Armstrong) read from her new book in Salt Lake City Utah tonight. Even though she lives in Utah and I do too I’ve never seen her in real life until today. I heard about her maybe 3 years ago when I was so obsessed with blogging that I blogged at work a lot and started getting in trouble for it. My then boss said he knew Heather and how she’s a famous blogger. 

You’d think living in Utah I’d sometimes run into Dooce at events or something but I haven’t. She doesn’t show up for blogger’s conferences or talk about how to monetize your blog. Did you know she’s been blogging for over 8 years?

I also fell for thinking that her ring was an expensive designer ring and admired it as she tucked her hair behind her ear while she talked. Here’s the story on that. I kept thinking how great it would be to make money writing about your everyday life. You’re always the expert on that topic!

Her mom and dad were there. She mentioned feeling a bit uncomfortable talking about sex in front of them (they were on the front row). So Dooce said she was going to have to censor her language. That didn’t stop her from declaring that her “vagina can’t fold sheets.” (This is the only time I’ll deliberately say these words on my blog because 1- that’s not what this is about (low shock value blog) 2- my blog has already attracted its share of viagra and x-rated links and those Google alerts still traumatize me).

I asked her which blogs she reads after she admitted she doesn’t read many books. Here are the blogs she cited (I don’t read any of them):

MetaFilter
Go Fug Yourself
Something like kota.org?? [NOTE: thanks to the comments I’ve learned it’s http://kottke.org
design blogs

I asked her to tell the story of how she got dooced, which was my favorite story because it’s what launched everything.

On negative comments: It’s a hazard of the job you learn to ignore. On writing about people in your life: “I won’t write it unless I’d say it to their faces in front of a group of people.” Pure wisdom.

What’s next for Dooce (who looks really pregnant, not fake pregnant like some have asserted). She’s going to say no to everything for the next year because in two months she’ll have a new baby. And here’s the most ironic part of the night. She actually said, after reading from a book about how tough motherhood is (which I haven’t read).

Why?

“I’m going to enjoy having a newborn in my house - that’s all I want to think about.”

I guess we’ll find out just how much she enjoys that experience on her blog this summer. Somehow I think it’ll be a mixed bag.

Stephen (my husband) got two free tickets to see Art Garfunkel in concert in Wendover Nevada. So it made a great date night. Art has got to be in his 70s now and the crowd (no surprise here) was older too. No doubt there to hear the classics. When Art came on stage for the first song he mentioned being nervous.

The first few songs were so bad that I wanted to leave. Art simply doesn’t have the tone and strength that his voice once had. I found myself feeling sorry for him and then for myself and the inevitable effects of aging. I’ve never liked the idea of old age at all but my genes say I’ll live a long long life.

The set was a walk through the major eras of his career. Only when he got to the 60s the crowd got behind him. We started caring and the entire mood changed. I stopped wishing it was over.

One guy shouted a request (or plea): “stay in the 60s!” and here’s where the marketing went all wrong.

Art shot back at the guy: I hope you’re not a parent because you don’t believe in growth and development!

Shock.

It felt like a stinging slap on the face - he insulted his audience when he didn’t like the feedback he got. Because that guy was just voicing what we were all thinking.

Next mistake: bitterness. Bitterness doesn’t sit well with me - whether from a holocaust survivor, Guy Kawasaki or Art Garfunkel. It’s unflattering. It says more about you than the subject. It says I haven’t forgiven yet, I’m still holding on to anger or resentment.

When I sense bitterness I don’t remember anything else but that feeling - not specifically what brought it on. And somehow it ages people to me. Not that bitterness was strong this time around, but it was an undercurrent when he spoke about he and Paul Simon breaking up. He made light of it but it was there. He doesn’t like that people prefer his songs with Paul Simon over his solo work.

We came to hear “Bridge over Troubled Water” and the classics with Paul Simon. He wanted to share his new work. A marketer or great performer realizes it’s not about them but about the audience. The other musicians seemed to get this and I loved their contributions.

People still gave Art a standing ovation but I sat in my seat. There’s a certain amount of generosity there that I didn’t feel. I clapped for what he was for what I heard on the radio. Not as much for what he is. Even though in some ways he’d redeemed himself. As his confidence grew so did his connection with us and I don’t think I imagined that his voice got stronger too.

Anything done well over time, mastered - even programming - can evolve into art. His reading was art but his singing was not. Not the Art I knew about.

I have a suggestion for the next concert (who am I to suggest anything). Make it a sing-a-long and only play the most popular hits. That will cover for your voice and we’ll have more fun. Put in more poetry reading and stories (those were excellent).

I’m sorry to admit that we didn’t really go for you Art, we came for nostalgia - for our memories - the memories we have because of you.

And for that, I thank you.

I’m going to start blogging more about local stuff, if you’re not in Utah, feel free to skip. I’m really interested in my local community, wherever that happens to be. I realize that my audience is not local so I’ve shied away from writing this type of content. But now I figure what the hell. I love to write and I write about what I’m experiencing…which yesterday was a meeting of the North Front Entrepreneur Alliance.

This also brings out the reporter side of me which I’d do more of if I could get paid decently to do it.

North Front is for entrepreneurs who live in Davis and surrounding North Utah counties. This was their 2nd ever meeting and it gave me a chance to check out the DATC (Davis Applied Technology Center) and their very nice entrepreneurial center. I’ve lived in Davis for about 9 months now and I’m still looking for my community. I found it here. Finally.

“If you’re in business, you’re in politics whether you know it or not”

“If you want to make an impact, “pick a battle you’re not expected to win and win it”

- Rich Nelson, CEO of Utah Technology Council

Rich was fascinating - I get email from UTC but haven’t ever gotten involved. I had no idea what they were doing from an advocacy perspective. I’d like to accompany them on a trip to Washington. They build local coalitions and take powerful business leaders to Washington to impact legistlation. They were instrumental in stopping a dumb bill about trademarks online.

I only wish he couldn’t slowed down and explained more (give more background information) but now I guess I better start reading the emails. I felt like he started assuming we were informed when at least I wasn’t. I want to learn more about the TechAmerica affiliatation and Singapore Math.

Majority leader, Utah Senate Sheldon Killpack spoke also. Killpack shocked me because he’s admits he loves roads. As an environmentalist I tried to prevent them. However, I see his point. He gave a stat I wish I’d gotten about how much revenue we get back when we invest in road projects. He talked about all of the good things he and Jason Perry (who I had as a teacher when I was 21) are doing to draw tech firms to Utah.

He also talked about health care in the state, a big issue for the growing ranks of the uninsured. It’s expensive to do universal coverage - some countries do national healthcare but if you’re over 70 you probably won’t get served. He summed up this way:

“It’s easy to control costs if you’re willing to let people die”

Other News/Tidbits:

Northern Utah Business and Economic Summit May 7 all day. Following will be a meeting for NorthFront. Don’t know the location.

Centerville Business Incubator - executives who are transitioning meet to discuss starting businesses. 1-3 pm Thursday afternoon. Didn’t give exact directions (frustrating) but it’s near Pages Lane.

I met Curtis Funk of Funeralrecording.com who webcasts funerals and talked about UtahTributes. He says sell then build, which I think is crazy, but some people have more guts than I do. He told me about eternalspace.com where you can have a online memorial and purchase virtual pieces to enhance it. This is interesting because the only physical product I’ve ever wanted to make has to do with the funeral industry (one niche). I stopped when I couldn’t find frames at a cost that would make the entire thing profitable. Might do downloadables instead. Need good designer to partner with who is skilled in typography design. Might consult with folks at entreprenur center. Also think Paul Allen should incorporate the death piece into his geneology sites.

Food of the Gods Chocolatier had amazing chocolate dipped strawberries on hand. No web site on card but in Kaysville.

I finally got to meet Roxy I know from Twitter who heads local tweetups and seems well-connected. She was great. We were two of about 5 women total.

Good folks, good food and ideas = fun times.

As I was writing my last post about forums I realized in the approximately 4 years I’ve been actively online as a marketer I’ve been banned from various sites a few times. Before that I was an HTML programmer when that was a marketable job skill. I used the internet for entertainment and socializing - not business. As a newbie I made mistakes and learned. I’m still learning all the time - which is why I love what I do.

However, I’ve had somewhat painful lessons along the way (as I’m sure we all have).

Sites I’ve been banned from:

1. My Wordpress hosted blog got banned. I found a personal contact and begged. I got it back. Then a few months later it was banned again. For ONE LINK that they considered spam. I learned to get my own host. I gave up on getting it back ever again (and I haven’t).
2. 3 years ago I was kicked off Google Adsense. I got back on. I’ve been making a bit on it since.
3. Probably about the same time I was kicked off Commission Junction. 6 months no commissions. When you’re doing SEO it takes time to see results. Plus I had no idea what I was doing. Luckily they were friendly and I got right back on and started making money not long after.

That’s all I can remember. My friend Paul got kicked off Digital Point this week which is maddening because he ran some design contests for me. Including one that resulted in this blog design. If you have two accounts you’ll get banned for 6 months. If you complain they’ll hate you and it won’t get you anywhere. Replies are generally 1-3 curt sentences. Doesn’t matter why you had two accounts. No warnings and it’s not negotiable. And that’s the problem.

I would say, too bad, it’s free to you. To that I’d say: too bad you don’t have the option to pay for some better service or a pro account where they’d work with you. Luckily with Wordpress I had migrated my content and could buy hosting and prevent that from happening on my own domain.

Consultation - it has happened to the best of us - even Scoble got kicked off Facebook

Any stories you want to share about getting banned from a web site?

First, I apologize for the delay on the book contest! I had to contact my publisher and the director who is overseeing my book. Both are busy! I learned that my book already has a certain format that I need to follow…it’s part of the NOW WHAT? series. So it needs to end with NOW WHAT? The follow-up to the book would be: I have a press release, now what?

EXAMPLE book title: I Want a Killer Press Release…Now What?

Thanks for your submissions - I still love a lot of them. Future books…from this press release writer (me).

I hate business cards. I love text messages. I hate being on the phone when I’m driving and someone gives me their phone number.

So thank you Pete for writing about CONTXTS - where you can text your business card. All you need to do is send a text message to 50500 and just put the word Newspapergrl as the text message. Then it will give you my business card.

Amazing. Now I need one for work.

I listened to a great show on NPR today about the newspaper industry. They talked about how it’s not so much a crisis in readership but in advertising revenue. They only get 10% of the ad revenue online that they did with their print editions. It made me think…what if newspapers acted like online marketers.

If newspapers acted like online marketers…they would sell information. There would be downloadable PDFs (ebooks) from the local movie critic, restaurant reviewer, and sports writers. Sure you could get the information free, but not in one place.

If newspapers acted like online marketers…they would become affiliate marketers. They could run affiliate ads for products that their readers might be interested in. If they ran a story about a sports tournament they could run an ad for tickets to the game and make a percentage off of every sale.

If newspapers acted like online marketers…they would learn SEO. They’d select their online niches and optimize their site for those words.

If newspapers acted like online marketers…they would be available on Amazon’s Kindle.

If newspapers acted like online marketers…they would run PPC ads for their products. i.e. Best books (local music, restaurants) of 2009 from the New York Times. This would be local information or whatever their market is.

If newspapers acted like online marketers…they would reach out to local bloggers and feature them.

If newspapers acted like online marketers…they would start an email list with a rundown of things on the web site and get sponsors for it (have ads).

They’d also raise their prices for the print edition, beef up the content as far as in-depth reporting, especially for the weekend editions. They’d use their web site for breaking news and video.

Couponers love the Sunday paper. Maybe you could sell just the ad inserts in bulk for the coupon crazed who are now buying 6 or more copies of the paper. They could also publish weekly guides to saving on your grocery bill that incorporates the coupons.

I’m not an expert on newspapers but these are my thoughts as an online marketer and newspaper reader.