WordPress 3.5.2 is now available. This is the second maintenance release of 3.5, fixing 12 bugs. This is a security release for all previous versions and we strongly encourage you to update your sites immediately. The WordPress security team resolved seven security issues, and this release also contains some additional security hardening.
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WordPress 3.5.2 Update
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Ways to Leverage Facebook Graph Search and EdgeRank to Your Advantage
Today’s post has been contributed by guest author, Eric Taylor of Qwaya. The ideas expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Page Progressive. By publishing this post, we are not endorsing the product with which the author is affiliated.
Oh, Facebook! It sure seems quite simple to look at it, an understated elegance if you will. But once you lift up the hood, it’s like a small engine mechanic looking at the electrical intricacies of a Mercury probe. Don’t fret, though; aspects of Facebook like EdgeRank and Graph Search only appear to be complicated. Once you get through some tech jargon, you’ll find that it’s really just a type of site-contained SEO.
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Protect WordPress with Backups & Malware Scans
Think website hackers and data theft is a only concern for governments and large corporations? Think again. A recent Forbes article online reported that 40 percent of cyber attacks are against companies with fewer than 500 employees. Yet many small and medium-size businesses are not taking adequate security measures to protect their websites.
It is always wise to have systems in place for off-site file backup and malware protection.
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11 Tips for Using Social Media to Help Potential Customers Find You
“Ready or not, here I come!” As in the classic children’s game Hide and Seek, someone is looking for you – are you ready? Can customers find your business in the “social” marketplace?
There are countless tools for promoting your business – from T-shirts, pens and business cards to billboards and local event sponsorships. Online, there are websites, landing pages, search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click ads and, now, social media.
Yes, the online world has gone “social.” With increasing numbers of users on these platforms every day (across age ranges!), it appears they are here to stay. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest are among the most popular. Each of these provides new opportunities for your customers to “find” you (and for you to find them) every day.
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Is Your Website Tired or Wired?
Your website is your business card to the world and, as such, you want it to successfully portray what you do. Whatever your line of work may be, your website needs to tell site guests your story and how you can help them. This “storytelling” may be accomplished through a variety of methods – words, pictures, graphics, video, etc. – all designed to encourage people to choose your services rather than those of your competitors.
So how do you go about creating a website that successfully reaches your target audience? What elements does an effective website include? Is there a special trade secret that needs to be followed? The answers to these questions may vary depending on who you ask; a web designer, a graphics specialist and a writer will have differing points of view – all of them valid.
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Understanding EdgeRank for Facebook Success
What content do you want to see in your Facebook news feed? The answer is highly debated and varies according to each individual user on this popular social media platform.
Facebook’s ever-changing algorithm, EdgeRank, determines what shows up in individual news feeds. It’s helpful to understand some basics about the algorithm in order to get the most mileage from your Facebook business page.
EdgeRank sorts posts based on three factors: affinity, weight and time decay. Higher rankings in these three areas means an item is more likely to show up in a user’s news feed.
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8 Best Business Practices for the New Facebook News Feeds
Here are eight ways to get more mileage as a business from the new Facebook news feeds:
- Publish more visual content. Incorporate a photo or video into your posts to garner more pick up in the types of news feeds your fans are choosing. (Some may opt for a news feed of images and exclude ‘text only’ posts.)
- Plan photo-focused ads. Pair strong, persuasive copy with an engaging photo in your ads. (Avoid using ‘random,’ uninteresting photos.)
- Keep your copy short. With the emphasis on photos, Facebook has changed how it displays captions. They no longer appear below the photos but overlay them in the news feeds. Keep your copy brief, informative and engaging. Use a call to action to engage your fans.
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Make it Visual for Facebook’s New Update
Facebook’s latest revisions give greater emphasis to visual content in news feeds, provide users more feed filtering options, and create consistency across computer, tablet and mobile access devices. Knowing how and why this social media platform is changing can help you make the most of it for your business.
