Posts tagged as:

facebook connect

Google Friend Connect opens door to Twitter & Yahoo users!

by Todd Lucier on December 2, 2009

Now you can use the social networking sauce of Google FriendConnect without a Google Account.  The Google Friend Connect box (like the one at right) is a neat way to see who else frequents the Web sites and blogs you do.  If a site has Friend Connect installed, a user can log-in using either their Google account or their Twitter account and other users can see their avatar (photo) and username.

Google Friend Connect sign in.

The timing of the Google announcement is interesting seeing that Yahoo just announced Facebook Connect integration with Yahoo! properties  that will allow Yahoo! members like Flickr users to send updates of their activities through Facebook (coming in January).

The integration of Twitter and Yahoo! log-in credentials for Google FriendConnect will enhance the reach of FriendConnect, but I really think it comes a little too late to benefit either Google or Twitter (which only has 10% of the followers of Facebook).

Know your Audience

For most tourism Web sites Facebook Fan Boxes are probably a far better option for adding social networking to their blog or Web site, particularly with the massive scale of the Facebook audience (some 350 Million users!).  We use Facebook Connect widget on our Web site at Northern Edge Algonquin and don’t provide social networking via Google or Twitter (although we link to our Twitter profile).

It’s important to know your who your ideal audience is and provide social opportunities that match their desires. In terms of Twitter community who frequent this blog, I really like the Twitter box at right from TwitterCounter, which provides one click follow access to folks who stop by.  Nifty.
Twitter users can get Google FriendConnect access to the social
Google’s FriendConnect widget provides links to profiles of site users which is beneficial to followers who become members of sites with Google credentials. By clicking on a users avatar, members of the site can also tweet direct messages to Twitter FriendConnect members (identified with the small blue T logo over the avatar) or send messages to Google and Yahoo! members.

I’m not sure the integration of Twitter with Google’s FriendConnect widget will inspire more uptake in logging into FriendConnect.  For that matter, you’ll decide.

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Facebook & WordPress: Two great Internet marketing platforms that go great together

by Todd Lucier on December 26, 2008

WordPress vs. your Web site

The best web sites on the Internet are blogs. WordPress has a number of advantages over other blogging platforms and traditional Web sites. In addition to being a simple way to add multimedia to your Web presence, blogs are also social in nature. A WordPress blog is more valuable to your tourism business or travel region than your Web site.

Why Facebook Matters

Facebook.com continues to grow at an incredible rate with 600 000 new users each day. With total users approaching 150 Million it is clear that social networking on Facebook has become mainstream. Facebook is the #1 photo sharing Web site on the Internet. In addition, users connect with one another and keep up to date by sharing news, videos, Web sites and more with friends, family and business associates. Tourism businesses and regions can set up free fan pages or group pages to help their ideal guests connect with one another and stay alert of current events.

Google arrived to the social before Facebook

Last month Google made it simple to engage people more deeply and grow traffic by making it easy to add social features to your website or blog. With no programing knowledge at all, WordPress blog authors can add Google Friend Connect to a blog in as little as five minutes. Visitors to a Google friend-connected site can use their Google account and Google Profile to share information with other readers of the blog.

Within hours of the announcement of Google Friend Connect, Facebook announced the availability of Facebook Connect. Although the implementation of Facebook Connect is not for the faint of heart, a few programmers have created plug-ins for a handful of blogging platforms. More, easy to implement ,Facebook Connect solutions are sure to follow in 2009.

Integrating Facebook with your blog allows users to “connect” their Facebook account and information with your site, connect and find their friends who also use your site, share information and actions on your site with their friends on Facebook. Can you see any value in extending your “word of mouse” reach to the friends of your ideal guests or Web site visitors?

Start 2009 off on the right foot by connecting Facebook and your WordPress.org blog

You’ll be getting a head start on what is sure to be one of the most important and valuable trends for marketing travel and tourism on the Web in 2009 – the integration of social networking beyond the walls of Facebook.

2009 will be the year blog commenting will reach the masses with Facebook Connect.

When Facebook users come across Facebook Connect enabled Web sites and blogs they will be more inclined to use their existing social profile to participate with like-minded travelers who write and comment or share multimedia beyond the walls of Facebook. Foster social networking between Facebook and WordPress as part of your Customer Relationship Management plan for 2009.

If you have a Facebook account and a WordPress.org blog, keep reading to make the connection between these two vital tourism marketing platforms.

The WordPress.org Solution

If you are using WordPress.org hosted blog, you are in luck, because the folks at Sociable have created a tidy little Facebook Connect plug-in that gives you a very good start to making the WordPress / Facebook connection. Although it’s not as simple as installing Google’s app, Sociable provides simple to follow directions to getting the Facebook Connect Widget on your blog (see it in the sidebar of the Tourism Keys Blog).

There are three steps to getting the app installed on your WordPress.org blog:

  1. download and install the Facebook Connect plug-in
  2. open a Facebook Developer Account and create an app.
  3. edit the api key settings on your wordpress blog

1. Install Plug-in: If you have installed any plug-ins on your WordPress Web site, you’ll find this step pretty basic. Head on over to the Plug-ins tab and activate the Facebook Connect Plug-in. On the Widgets tab add the Facebook Connect Widget to one of your sidebars.

2. Open Facebook Developer Account: Once, you’ve got the widget installed, you’ll need a free Facebook Developer Account. To use Facebook Connect, Web site authors also need to go through the process of creating an app. The name you give it doesn’t matter.

Keep this window on your browser open, you’ll need the api key and secret for step 3. Be sure to put the address of your web site in the callback URL section of the application settings page. If you neglect to do this, your application will show errors. Update and save the application settings.

3. Add the API settings for your app in Facebook: You’ll add two important settings in the Facebook Connector settings tab in WordPress. You’ll get your api key and and secret from your Facebook Developer Account.

It’s a bit of work, but if you take the time to connect Facebook and your WordPress blog, you’ll be ready to take advantage of what will surely be one of the most important trends of 2009.

Oh, and before you go . . . .

Take just a sec, and click on the Facebook Connect link in the sidebar of this blog and see how easy it is to extend your social presence. If you are up to it, your comments are welcome too.

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