New Menu and Buttons

We have updated the Menu design in the application. This new simplified menu makes it easier to jump to the things that matter most: Dashboard, Social Conversation, Social Planner, Facebook Fan Page and Calendars & Widgets. Many of the other options and controls will be found in the Control drop down menu (Gear button).

You may also notice that the Events, messages and Promotions "List Screens" are not readily featured any longer. Most users enjoy using the Social Planner as there means of scheduling and we have featured that prominently. If you need to use the traditional List screens, for searching or scheduling, you can find them from the Planner.

At the top of the Planner there is a "See All" link net to Events, Messages and Promotions. These links send you to the full list of each type of scheduled item. The List screens allow you to filter and search in ways the Planner does not, so we wanted to leave them intact in some way. Though, in most day to day usage, the Planner is the ideal choice for planning and scheduling.

Stay tuned for more updates coming very soon.

Tuesday Tip - Run Ads for Extra Revenue

Ads are a great way to earn extra revenue on a popular website or even a calendar. In most schools, churches and non profits, the Calendar page on a website is the second highest viewed page behind the Home Page. Taking advantage of this by running sponsorships or using banners to promote things is a great idea!

Raising Money Is Pretty Much Always Nice

It is hard to argue against an easy way to raise funds for your organization. Running sponsorship spots on your Squareberry calendar is easy and effective. You can easily cover your cost with one sponsor and use the rest of the spots for easy revenue.

Depending on how much work you want to put into it, you can easily raise thousands of dollars for your organization. You don't have to set up sponsors for a year and walk away. You can run sponsorships for 3 months or even 1 month and then get new sponsors. The Squareberry Ad Management feature is designed to give you the power.

Check out the Free Fundraising Guide >

Businesses Like It

Banner Ads on your calendar are appealing to local businesses and sponsors who want to reach your audience with their message. If you are a non-profit or school, many organizations like to sponsor just out of good will or a community mindset. The return you are giving them is better than many other sponsorships they may be involved in.

Get Your Audience Involved

One of the best ways to find sponsors for raising money is to ask your existing audience. If you are a church, ask your members. If you are a school, ask the parents. People involved with organization love to sponsor them and it gives them an even more approachable audience for promoting their business to. In many cases, you will not even need to look outside your existing community/audience to find sponsors.

Tuesday Tip - Fan Only Content on Facebook Pages

Facebook Pages can be a powerful platform for generating leads, driving in new customers and retaining existing customers. A customized Facebook Page is an essential aspect of that. These customized pages and extra tabs are becoming as common as standard websites and allow for powerful and creative interactions.

"Fan Only" Content

Customized Facebook Pages allow you to set content exclusive to those who have "Liked" your Facebook Page. This can be a powerful marketing tool and leads to creative and useful implementations.

With these capabilities, you could offer exclusive items to Fans. For instance, coupons or contest entry forms to those who have "Liked" your page are great ideas for generating more "Likes". The key is to make your "Welcome Page" eye catching and clear. When people visit your page they need to know why they should "Like" it.

Don't Be Too Tricky

While offering exclusive content and elements to those who are fans, it is important to not be too tricky. Remember, the Welcome Page (content for non-fans) is seen by everyone and may be the only thing someone sees. In many cases, you have one chance to get someone to "Like" your page.

Devoting your entire Welcome Page to encouraging Likes can help you get more fans, but it also can cloud your message or make exactly what you are offering unclear. A great idea is to have a video on your Welcome Page. Videos are eye catching and attention grabbing, allowing you to deliver the message you want right away. But remember, you do want to get those "Likes". At the end of your video include a "Remember to Like our Page for More Updates and Special Offers". A message like this at the end of the video is a great way to encourage more "Likes".

Best Social Media Tips from 2011

2011 Was a Great Year!

This week we are looking back at some of the best Tuesday Tips from 2011. We look forward to providing more Tuesday Tips in 2012. If you have any ideas for a Tuesday Tip or questions/suggestions for Squareberry, visit the forum and let your voice be heard: http://squareberry.com/forum/

Here are our 5 favorite Tuesday Tips 0f 2011:

• Add your location to Drive Traffic to your Events and Promotions
• Run Events + Specials That Encourage People to Bring Friends
• Schedule Messages During Events
• Repeat But Don't Be Repetitive
• Show Off Events and Promotions on Your Home Page

Thanks for reading the Tuesday Tips this year. We hope you have a great 2012! We are very excited about the enhancements coming very soon to Squareberry!

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