3 Most Relevant Updates on Facebook, Google Places and Bitly

Last week’s technology news contained quite a few updates implemented by social networks… 

After my return from Europe, I find myself reading & scrambling through the technology resources, trying to get a handle on those updates and measuring their relevance to you. Below, I summarized the three most significant changes on: Facebook, Google Plus and Bitly. 

Please use below links to learn more and feel free to send us your questions via the comment section below or via our “Ask us” page. We will hopefully be able to post the answers quickly… 

Google Looks To One-Up Facebook With Google+ Local

Ever since Google Plus went public, it seemed to be obvious that integration with Google Places for brands, stores, and hospitality locations will be happening further down the line. Doing research for our last edition, “Claiming your Business on Google Places” eBook, we already saw the signs with subtle changes in the look & feel of the pages. 

Now it is official and, of course, we will update our ebook yet again with the newest developments and instructions on how to navigate the local Google space on Google+ Local and how to connect & migrate your current Google Place page to a Google+ Local brand page. 

Moving Google Places content into Google+ Local

Google to Use Zagat to Refine Local Search

This Google+ Local integrates with Zagat, an online restaurant review site which was bought by Google last year. Personally, I am very pleased by integrating Zagat + Google Places for restaurant site. It seems Google created now a serious competiton to Yelp, with a much higher trust factor for both restaurants as well as customers. More about it on Diner’s Journal of the New York Times

Facebook Targets Small Business Owners With New Features

Great overview by Suzanne Vara on SocialMediaToday on Facebook’s new features for pages administration: Multiple Level Admin and what is particularily interesting, a Post Scheduling Functionality. You’ll find good instructions on how to use them.

Bitly launches redesign

The biggest changes have been taken place on Bitly, the most-used URL shortener and click-through analytics tool for social media sharing. Plenty of new features and a completely new user interface for administrators greeted users last week.  As expected, the changes didn’t make all users happy. After a few days, people got accustomed to the changes and are using the new features heavily. 
Mashable published a very helpful slideshow around Bitly’s new features: How to get the most out of the new Bitly

Reminder: SBRN Social Media Summer Series

This month’s, the first of three events in the SBRN Social media Summer Series will take place: ‘It All Begins with the Blog’ on June 21, 2012 5:30pm Holiday Inn Fort Myers Airport at the SBRN (Small Business Resource Network) Mixer. 

$15 SBRN members, $25 Guest, including light snacks. Register at this SBDC seminars page

Over the next few weeks we will work on updates of our ebooks on Facebook and Google Pages and Google Local. We will notify you in this space, when updates are available.

In the meantime, please let us know what you think about the changes and how we can assist you with your updates. Again, here is the page to submit your questions: Ask! Or use the comment section below. 

PS: On my trip to Europe, I used extensively EyeEm, my favorite android photo editing and sharing app. It’s easy to use and integrates with all major social networks: tumblr, facebook, twitter, foursquare & flickr. You can view quite a few photos from Venice, Italy, Solvenia, Bavaria & Metz, France.