There’s a good article on the WordPress site with instructions for Updating WordPress.

There are a few main points in the article that need a little more explanation.

Check Requirements

Most of our wordpress sites are hosted with Bluehost and currently they meet the system requirements for the most current version of Worpdress, and I would imagine they will always meet the system requirements. If you’re not sure check with your web host.

Take a Backup

In the Control Panel of your web host download a backup of both your database and your website files. In Bluehost’s control panel it’s under Files > Site Backup & Restore you’ll want to download “Website Files” and “MySQL Databases (All)”, or alternatively you could just download the “Full cPanel Backup”, although it might take a little while longer.

Disable Plugins

In the wordpress dashboard go to plugins. Select all and disable. You might make note of which are currently disabled already so you don’t inadvertently enable them later.

Ready to Update

After clicking the update button in the wordpress dashboard you’ll see information for upgrading WordPress and down below information on upgrading your plugins. Update the plugins first, and then wordpress. You’ll want to do the automatic update. If you are unable to continue because wordpress is requiring ftp connection information, you can often use your control panel user and password but it would be more secure to first create a new ftp user and password in your host’s control panel and to then use that connection information to upgrade wordpress. Once wordpress is updated go back into plugins and activate those plugins which were previously active.

If You’re Feeling Lucky

You can always just click the “Update” button, and ignore these instructions.  We are not recommending this, however we have clients that do it all the time.

I just updated our Winter Street Design Group facebook page… not everything on the list, but a few quick changes, and published it.

Even if you don’t have time to give it your full attention, at least preview it sometime in the next 30 days so you aren’t surprised later!

http://techcrunch.com/2012/02/29/how-to-use-timeline-for-pages/

We recently designed a site for Ocean Frontiers, a new environmental film about ocean stewardship. The site is built in WordPress, and includes: editable flash slideshows, random testimonials, and recent news items posting to the home page with thumbnail images. Check out the website at: ocean-frontiers.org

Read the article:  ”Businesses Going Mobile.”

Hope you all have a wonderful 3-day weekend!

Yesterday’s Brand Building

• Come up with creative.
• Hire and agency.
• Buy ads on TV and in print.
• Buy more advertising.
• Your brand comes out all perfect (and sterile).

Today’s Brand Building

• A brand is whatever people say it is.

What does that mean?

Today you need to grow your brand by cultivation, not control.

• Stop thinking like an advertiser.
• Start thinking like a publisher and socializer.
• Commit to the new inbound strategy (blogging, SEO, Free Tools, Social Media, and Opt-in Email Lists).
• Don’t dip your toe in the water.
• Jump in ALL THE WAY.

To learn more, watch the entire webinar How Marketers Succeed in a Social World at Hubspot.com, or view the slideshow. Or, view more presentations from HubSpot Internet Marketing

1. Everyone is doing it

Many businesses are now setting up custom facebook pages with their message and brand, and setting this custom page as their landing page, so that when a visitor goes to their facebook url, they first go to the custom landing page, instead of the company’s wall.

2. It’s one more place to build your brand

Facebook is known for displaying all content on pages in a uniform fashion.  Unlike youtube.com where you can customize your channel with your own colors and backgrounds, facebook pages always have the same white background, black text, and blue headings.  You can’t change the style of the page, but you can add custom pages to your facebook page with your unique message and identity.

3. Facebook pages are becoming mini websites

The trend of setting up mini websites on facebook, is only going to continue.  It’s hard to ignore how many people use facebook now.  If you’re not sure how popular it is, check out The World is Obsessed With Facebook video.

4. It’s easy to get started

It doesn’t take long to add a few custom pages to facebook.

We recently set up a custom landing page for the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce that highlights the upcoming events in Nevada City.   http://www.facebook.com/nevadacitychamber note: if you are already a fan, you will be taken straight to the wall

In addition to a custom landing page, we also added an Email Sign Up tab to the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce’s  facebook page, so visitors can sign up to receive news from the Chamber’s blog, without having to go to the site to do that (making it far more likely they’ll sign up, than having to make a few more clicks to the website to get there).

1. The Eastern timezone has the greatest population, with Central, then Pacific next.
2. Late in the day and week is the most retweetable
3. Weekends are best for Facebook sharing
4. Experiment with emailing on weekends.
5. Send email very early in the morning.
6. Your newest subscribers are your best.
7. Most people read blogs in the morning.
8. More men read blogs at night than women.
9. Blog on the weekends for comments.
10. Blog early in the morning for links.
11. Blog more frequently.

1. Try sending emails on weekends.
2. Send very early in the morning.
3. 80% of users report reading email on mobile devices.
4. Use lots of links in your emails.
5. Give your subscribers special access.
6. Don’t be afraid to send too much email.
7. Ask people to follow you, not share your emails.

Definitely worth watching if you send email campaigns.

The video below gives a brief explanation on the best way to insert images so that they look good in both your blog and your newsletter.