We’ve seen it time and time again. You get a LinkedIn account just because you think you should have one. If you’re saying, “Yep, that’s me” (aloud or in your head or even in your secretest heart of hearts), then we wrote this just for you.

(If you didn’t say “Yep, that’s me” or some variant thereof, give yourself a pat on the back. Then read this anyway, ‘cuz you never know when you might learn something or find the opportunity to teach something).

For those of you are not making the most of your LinkedIn account, let’s just be clear: LinkedIn is a tremendously valuable professional network. That’s not in question.

The question is: Do you know how to use LinkedIn to its fullest potential?

Well, fortunately, it’s easy to do and it’s the same advice we give for every social network:

Be authentic, relevant and get engaged.

How to Optimize Your Profile

1. Complete Your Profile
First things first: make sure that your LinkedIn profile is one hundred percent complete. LinkedIn does a great job of tracking this and will let you know what is left to improve.

Take your time with this and do it right; share your work ethic, skills, education, and relevant job history. You can even sort the categories in your profile so that the ones that make you shine like a star are listed first (or at least above the fold).

2. Make Connections

Once your profile is 100% complete, search for people you already know professionally. Begin to make connections with the people in your industry, clients, potential business partners, industry leaders, etc. You can also connect with old professors, past employers, past co-workers, alumni, friends. (Although, remember that this a professional network so act accordingly with your friends; save the jokes, comics, sports talk, new Pinterest obsession for Facebook).

Once you’re in the habit, making connections on LinkedIn will be easy (and yes, even fun). Just like we’re always saying: it’s important to think of social media as face-to-face business development…online. Every time you meet someone in person (at a meeting, conference, speaking engagement, etc), look them up on LinkedIn. Get connected and follow them.

Also, we’re kind of picky about our connections and like to keep them relevant. In other words, if someone is looking to connect with you on LinkedIn (most likely just to increase their number of connections) and you don’t know them or aspire to, don’t friend them. No harm done.

3. Join Some Groups
When you’ve started to build up some connections, make a point of joining groups that look interesting or valuable. Many discussions occur on LinkedIn and being in a group is one of the best ways to build relationships. Some groups you’ll find worthwhile, others…not so much. You can always remove yourself from a group and explore another. If you feel like there’s a great gaping hole where a group should be…start it.

Keep in mind that self-promotion is the fastest way to becoming the loser of the group. You want to join the conversations within these groups when the opportunity presents itself (not just because you want to push your business card around). Using authenticity will help you to network with people beyond your local arena. You can gain a reputation as a thought leader in your industry via LinkedIn. LinkedIn recognizes those that contribute value to the discussion, whether you provoke a conversation or debate or answer a question. You could find yourself in the list of “ Top Influencers This Week”.

4. Get Some Recommendations
Another important, and quite possibly the most valuable aspect of LinkedIn is the recommendations people give one another. Don’t feel intimidated at the prospect. If you are good at what you do for a living, let others sing your praises. Make sure you also give recommendations only to those you truly vouch for.

Other Stuff LinkedIn is Good For
LinkedIn is a great networking tool, but it’s also enormously helpful when you are hiring or, contrariwise, when you are looking for a position. It’s good to point potential employers to your LinkedIn profile. People tend to treat all those lovely recommendations as references or referrals.

And Your Last Idea for Leveraging LinkedIn

Your LinkedIn information and reputation can be leveraged through other social networks or through your emails and email marketing. Place your LinkedIn profile on your email signature if you want people to know more about you professionally. Place your company’s LinkedIn profile in your email marketing if you want people to follow your company’s growth. Always think about how you can utilize and leverage through social tools.

And remember, 100% complete on your profile. That’s important.

S’why we said it twice.

Want to connect with us?
Mackenzie Fogelson, Owner: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mackenziefogelson
June Macon, Social Media Strategist: http://www.linkedin.com/in/junemacon
Natalie Touchberry, Design Ninja: http://www.linkedin.com/in/natalietouchberry
Courtney Brown, SEM Strategist: http://www.linkedin.com/in/cabrown4

So, here’s a true thing: Mack Web Solutions loves Fort Collins. Full-on big, sloppy, puppy adoration.

And what is one of the hands-down best things about this town-that-we-love?

Well, the food, obviously. Rumor has it that Fort Collins has more restaurants per capita than any other city in the Union.

This, obviously, has nothing to do with Web Design, SEO, or Social Media. (Except for the fact that we find deliciousness inspiring for mind and body alike).

All the same, we still felt that our giant crush on Fort Collins’ gustatory delights was worthy of some small celebration.

Which is why we’ve put together this list of our top 10 favorite local food and beverage spots. Except, we couldn’t decide on just ten. So we bumped it up to fifteen.

Just ‘cuz we can.

If you, dear reader, are a local, you might already know this stuff or maybe you’ll find something new to try. If you’re not a local, well…you should come visit. Some of this stuff really is worth the trip.

So, without further ado, we present “Mack Web’s Official Favorites (Insofar as Dining, Snacking, and Imbibing Are Concerned).”

(Long, yes. But so descriptive, no?)

1. Onion Rings at The Crown Pub. Just the best onion rings. Certainly around here and possibly in the whole world. They practically melt in your mouth to begin with and they come with this dipping sauce and…yum. Plus, the Crown is one of the few bars where you can Strongbow. Tart cider and sweet, rich onion rings: heaven.

2. Avo’s (more formally known as Avogadro’s Number) great tempeh burgers (2 for 1 on Tempeh Tuesday!) and strawberry milkshakes. They have other shakes, too, but, according to Courtney, strawberry is the only true milkshake.

3. The gluten-free burger buns at Al’s Burgers. These are a dream come true for Natalie, who is partial to (by which we mean “is required to eat”) all things gluten-free. It says a lot when she calls a restaurant “dreamy”. (Presumably, she means that the remainder of the burger is good, too. The rest of us here certainly think so).

4. Drinking margaritas at the Rio (on the back patio). This is a great activity for Friday summer evenings. We think everyone in town would agree. It certainly seems like we see them all there.

5. Ice Cream stops at Walrus. These are an office favorite for sunny afternoons. They have some great original flavors and are just enormously satisfying. Some of us don’t even need it to be sunny as an excuse to visit.

6. Bann Thai’s Drunken Noodle dish (ordered super hot). This is Natalie’s feel-better-quick remedy for colds. Something spicy and delicious always makes her feel better.

7. The Cobb salad for lunch at Austin’s. It is the best Cobb salad in town…and yes, Mack has tried them all. Plus it comes with that cornbread…

8. Coffee (and homemade treats) from Cafe Ardour and Starry Night. We can’t decide between them. And, really, why choose when you can just alternate?

9. The breakfast burritos from La Luz. We love them. We eat them with glee. And great frequency. This has as much to do with how good they are as it does with the fact that our office is right above them.

10.  The Helvis (a bloody mary martini) from Elliot’s. It’s delicious and satisfying, but it doesn’t make you feel full. It has just the right amount of spice, and June recommends pairing it with bleu cheese-stuffed olives.

11. Bottomless Mimosas for brunch at Cafe Vino. It’s only $10 bucks for the Signature and, so far, is the best deal June can find in town. The ambience is relaxing and the outdoor seating area is just lovely in the summer. And what says lazy, luxurious summer mornings like champagne and sunshine?

12. Eileen’s colossal cookies. In our collective wisdom and through careful experimentation, we have come to the conclusion that they make fantastic bribes for your kids. June’s son loves the sprinkled and frosted sugar cookie. And, to be perfectly honest, so does June.

13. Vodka Martini straight up with 2 olives, from Jay’s Bistro. Don’t you be putting no olive juice in Mack’s martini.

14. The Chicken Tortilla Soup from Zquila’s. It is super scrumptious. Just the right amount of fresh avocado and spice.

15. The Chocolate cafe. Really, anything on the menu, but if we have to choose? The Chocolate Noire with Raspberry Sherbet and a split of champagne. Dare we say it? Downright delectable.

So, what would be on on your top 10 list for your town? Will you too, find it too hard to choose just ten.

Back in the day (like, a whole year ago) it used to be that you could invest in some good SEO for your website and, with the right keywords, you’d be attracting some pretty awesome targeted traffic. Thanks to Google (and we mean that in a good way), this is no longer accurate. Things have changed. A lot.

If you’re one of those people who want to know how to get your website on the first page of Google, you should read on…

Blame it all on a guy named Panda
In the early months of 2011, Google launched an algorithmic update that utterly and irrevocably altered the world of search. Even the practices that ethical search engine marketing companies (ahem. that’s us, by the way) were using were no longer enough.

In a nutshell, here’s what happened:

A engineer-type dude at Google named Navneet Panda engineered some updates to Google’s ranking algorithms. These changes drastically changed many of the rankings websites were accustomed to holding. For some this was very, very good. For many it was…not. The whole world proceeded to freak out. Mass panic in the streets, much headless-chicken behavior, etc.

The Panda update necessitated an evolution in the way we approach SEO and search engine marketing. Here’s why:

Before the Panda update all you really needed for decent SEO was a fairly simple checklist:

• build some good content
• integrate some keywords that you researched
• build some links to it
• pat yourself on the back for a job well done

Problem was that a bunch of people, even big, otherwise reputable companies like JC Penney (where grandma buys her shoes! insert sob of betrayal, here), were trying to scam the system. People were generating a ton of mediocre content and farming for links to that content. And, however inadvertently, they were being rewarded in the engines for this shifty behavior with good rankings.

Google was on to them. Panda updates went live. Stuff happened.

It was the search equivalent of heavy artillery fire turned against hordes of rampaging scavengers. Carnage.

And now…
When the smoke cleared and the new world order was established, that checklist had gotten a lot less straightforward.

Suddenly Google (and where Google goes, the others soon follow) was a lot more sophisticated about how they parsed the content on your site. The ways they evaluated your trustworthiness and authority, your relevance and appeal had grown up and gained some discernment.

Their reasons were pretty clear: a search engine’s purpose in life is to provide searchers with the best online answers to the questions they ask.

When you ask a question to a human person, how do you evaluate the information you received? You look at the source: how likely are they to know the answer? Has anyone vouched for them? Do they strike you as knowledgeable and trustworthy? You also evaluate the answer: does it make sense? Is it articulate?

The Panda update was Google’s way of applying those very human and instinctual rules to its own search results.

Of course, because of the very nature of the internet as a ginormous computer program, they still had to find ways to do this electronically. And those clever enough and not overly burdened with scruples can always find ways around electronic measures meant to emulate human response.

But the simple (and fortunately moral) truth is…Google hires the very, very clever, too. And they’ve sent a very clear message: we are watching.

Creepy, I know.

But wait, there’s more…

The new reality of search
It’s fairly safe to assume that any further changes Google makes to its code will trend in the direction of ever more human ways of evaluating your information. What this means is that, in both the long- and short-term, the most sustainable way to conduct your SEO is to meet all the standards that actual people demand of those from whom they seek knowledge.

For example:

You’ve got to be a brand that people know, trust, and want to share.

Links still matter, but the quality of the links have become of even more important. You’ve got to be selective about who you are building relationships with.

Design & user experience, always a factor, is now a screaming necessity. User behavior is one of the ways Google is teaching its engines how to think like people. It is weighed and measured to determine if human people linger on your site or click away quickly. (Word to the wise…most people aren’t wild about a design cluttered with ads and this is one of the first things the humanized search engines seem to have learned).

Pages with low authority (no one links to them, poor content) can drag down the authority of your whole website. There’s no such thing as a throwaway page: you need make all your pages valuable.

Content must be meaningful. Funny is good, but authentic and relevant are requisite. Be professional and engaging and put your personality into your content. Get the multimedia going: photos, maybe an info-graphic or two. Video if you can manage it. You want you site to have bits that people want to tweet, share, like.

And you really need to pay attention to your metrics. Not just how many unique visits you have on your site, but also: how long do they stay? how many pages do they view? do they share or like? are they talking about you out there in the wide world?

This is why you need search engine marketing
So, to recap, SEO now means more than just the keywords that you target on your website. You need to think about the bigger search engine marketing picture (which is brilliantly illustrated in this infographic if we do say so ourselves).

So what does this all mean to you?
What this comes down to is more time spent on generating valuable content and becoming the company you’ve always wanted to be…online. Because really what we’re saying is that if you do all of this and do it right (and Mack Web is behind you every step of the way), you will experience:

• Higher domain authority (trust us, this is important)
• Targeted traffic
• Desired rankings
• More value in your company
• More value for your customers
• Better relationships with your customers
• A clear-eyed view of your company identity and goals (this will change your company, believe us. we know)

If you want more information on how Mack Web Solutions can help your company succeed with SEM, give us a shout. We’ve got some good stuff to show you.

First of all, if you haven’t heard of Pinterest…we’re really sorry. Seriously, you’re missing out. Pinterest is a virtual corkboard. You can show off cards, pictures, quotes, things you like. You can make them yourself, snag them off other websites, or recycle things other people have pinned.

It’s inspiring, it’s informative, it’s entirely visual, and, frequently, pretty dang funny.

You could say it’s addictive, and you wouldn’t be wrong. Pinning yourself, browsing other people’s pins…it’s a delightful way to see several hours disappear without your notice.

You could say it’s the online equivalent of hoarding, if you really wanted to.

What we at Mack Web Solutions say about Pinterest is that it’s the perfect way to share our personalities and a little bit of our culture.

How Mack Web Uses Pinterest
We’ve spent some time thinking about this and we’ve decided that one of the most important and fundamental principles of the way we do business is that we treat people like people. That means we treat our clients like human beings with lives and deadlines and frustrations and joys. And we treat each other like that, too.

To that end, building some kind of relationship with every client is vital to our sense of workplace satisfaction. Unfortunately, as a company in the web world, we have clients across the country. It’s difficult to develop rapport with them over the phone or email. We can do straight-up business that way, but there are a few things we want our clients to know about us that are best conveyed through some other medium.

Namely, that we know our stuff, that we work hard, that we have a passion for our work, and also that we’re people, too. We have names and faces and senses of humor…and we understand that you do too.

This is where Pinterest comes into play. Businesses are still sussing out how to use Pinterest for promotional purposes, but for us, it’s about sharing our culture with you.

All of our team members have personal boards on our Pinterest site where they can pin things that show their personality and interests. We’re all pretty different in the particulars, but a quick glance shows that we have the broad strokes in common: we’re creative and clever and we’ve clearly got a handle on this web/social media/being awesome thing.

We also have a company board to focus on our branding. The theme of the hour (and month and, y’know, decade) is growth, so we’ve got a board where we can pin things relating to that: ideas, images, inspirations…other things that start with the letter ‘i’.

And since we also a) offer a web design service and b) spend a lot of time online, we tend to focus on websites that we personally like. We’ve got a board for that too.

We fully anticipate that the list of boards will grow with new ideas and concepts.

A Shout out to Authenticity (not self-promotion)
So this is the balance we’ve found with Pinterest. We are Mackcentric with our Pinterest, but not in a way that is blatantly self-promotional and runs contrary to the heart of the Pinterest concept. We aren’t selling our souls…we’re sharing our souls.

Cheesy? Maybe. But no less true for all that.

Even though Pinterest has been around for a while, businesses are just getting started on this particular platform. If you’re thinking about using it, we recommend a few simple preliminary steps:

1. Think about your purpose: why would you would create a board? what purpose will it serve?
2. Think about what you will pin and share: what topics do you want to cover? what type of media (doesn’t have to be just images; can be video too)?
3. Think about how you will contribute to the Pinterest community: what do you hope people will gain from seeing your board? how will they respond to what you’ve aggregated?

If you’ve taken all those things into consideration, well then…Pin on, MacDuff.

And hey, we’d love to see what you pin so make sure to let us know you’re on board (Hee hee. Bad puns RULE!).

We’re kind of excited (giddy, really) that the City of Fort Collins has recognized our company, Mack Web Solutions, in its recent Economic Newsletter.

‘Why did they do that?’ we hear you ask. (Yes, we do hear you. We hear lots of things).

Apart from our sheer awesomeness, it’s pretty exciting that in a time when unemployment in Colorado is 7.9%, Mack Web Solutions finds itself in a period of growth.

We attribute this growth to the value of all that we have to offer.  In addition to some pretty fantastic web design work, Mack Web offers a robust search engine marketing package which allows our clients to raise their search engine traffic and web visibility in a time when an online presence is quickly becoming a business necessity. We’re on our way to becoming the most knowledgeable search engine marketing company in Northern Colorado (and when we get there, it’s all about world domination).

Thank you City of Fort Collins for recognizing our company and for writing such a thorough article. We love living and working in this town! Seriously, Fort Collins is the best town ever.

Except, maybe, Atlantis. Utopian society, island living. Hard to beat that.

We know, we know. We said the last one was the last one.

But, we promise, this is the last one.

Probably.

Really, we just wanted to thank everybody who came to our birthday party. It meant a lot to be able to celebrate our 9th birthday with such wonderful, inspiring, supportive people.

If you haven’t had a chance yet, you should seriously check out the rest of the new site.

To those of you who didn’t make it:

1. You owe us a present. And it had better be a nice one.
2. Yep. Ninth birthday, complete with a rebrand and a new website. That was the big secret. Was it really so hard to guess?
3. If you had made it to the party, we might have let you use the Mack Web Solutions Time Machine, but it was kind of a one-time-only thing. Sorry.
4. You should doubly check out the site. That way you can meet us virtually, since you missed your chance to do it in person.
5. You should also keep an eye on our facebook. We’ll be posting more pictures of the event, just so you can see what you missed and lament.

For example:

Anyway…

The last nine years have been fantastic and we feel like they’ve primed us for an explosion of growth and success and general awesomeness. We’re just getting started.

We’d also like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the party, the website, and our company.

Amanda Miller of the Place Setting Company helped us coordinate the event and was an unshakeable support while we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off.

Chris Musa of the Campus West Liquor Depot helped us select the libations that provided the party’s social…encouragement.

Chef David Daggett of Tastebuds provided the seriously amazing spread of food that we used to lure hapless passers-by into our celebration.

Without the great team over at Rocket Jones Interactive, there would be no new website. And that would be a crying shame.

And lastly, of course, the person who made the party a success and gave us a reason to celebrate:

You.

Unless you didn’t attend. In which case…we don’t even know what to say to you. You make us very, very sad.

Seriously, though, thanks all for a great nine years.

Here’s to the next nine!

This is it, friends.

The last clue. The very last. The ultimate. The end. C’est fini. Finite Incantatem.
Aren’t you sad?

Okay, let’s be honest. You’re equal parts sad and omg-thank-goodness-it’s-over relieved, right?

Yeah. Us too.

But here, for the finale, we’ve got something special for you.

Remember this little trick?

Think of a big, gray land mammal the large ears and a big nose.
What letter does that animal start with?

What number in the alphabet is that? (a=1, b=2, etc.)
Add 4.

Multiply by the number of letters in your first name.
Add the digits together.

The result (unless you did your math wrong or have misdefined the words “large,” “gray,” “land,” “mammal,” “ears,” or “nose):

So put that together with everything else:
Icebergs.
Ferris Bueller.
Lords-A-Leaping.
Hollywood Marriage.
The Trojan War.
New Hampshire.

And then take your best guess.

If you guessed right, congratulations! You get to come hang out with us at our party tomorrow and personally receive a high-five from the members of the Mack Web Team.

If you guessed wrong, sorry. You have to come hang out with us at our party tomorrow and we will point and laugh at you.

But there will be food and booze, either way. So that’s okay, then.

And, hey! You want to see something cool?

We (with a little…all right, a lot of help from the ever-awesome development team at Rocket Jones) got ourselves a little present in honor of our celebration.

Wanna see? Check out the best present ever (our new website).

Seriously. It’s even better than a pony.

Well friends, we’re nearing the end of your long and terrible wait.

Soon you shall know the Great Secret of Mack Web Solutions (third only to the Great Secret of the Pyramids and the Great Secret of Why We Put Two Socks in the Dryer but Only One Comes Back Out).

We’ve discussed the nature of icebergs, taken a whirlwind tour of an eighties classic, debated a long-standing Christmas enigma, celebrated successful celebrity marriages, and conducted an overview of the Trojan War.

With hints like that, the subject of our celebration should be blindingly obvious…right?

Just in case it’s not, we’ve got another clue for you.

Today’s clue is…New Hampshire.

Yup. That’s it. Just…New Hampshire.

Not to be confused with Old Hampshire which, I am reliably informed, was a mystical island culture said to have been swallowed by the sea at the dawn of time.

No, we’re talking about New Hampshire. Y’know, 9th state to join the Union, site of the first primary in every presidential election, home of Robert Frost and many cows. Ringing any bells?

Little fun fact about New Hampshire? Their state motto is Live Free or Die. They take this very seriously: they are the only state with no seatbelt laws.

Which seems to imply that they could just as easily adopt Live Free and Die.

Here’s another thing about New Hampshire that I bet you didn’t know: It was once home to Mack Web Solutions’ very own social media strategist, June Macon.

You’ll get the chance to meet June at the big unveiling of the Mack Web Solutions Secret (which, as previously stated, is neither a baby nor a time machine) at our offices on February 9th.

But be sure to let us know if you’re coming.

Otherwise, I will eat all the food that could otherwise be yours.

I will, too. I am not lying.

So, in conclusion, your sixth and penultimate clue was…New Hampshire.

Take it how you will.

So…are you coming to our party? Are you? Are you?

Join us on Thursday, February 2, 2012 from 4-6 pm as we celebrate something big.

Mack Web Solutions
204 Walnut Street, Suite D
Fort Collins, Colorado 80524
970-377-2358

Why the party? See if you can figure it out from these clues:

Clue #1: Icebergs
Clue #2: Ferris Bueller
Clue #3: Nine Lords-a-Leaping?
Clue #4: Hollywood Marriage
Clue #5: The Trojan War

The countdown has begun.

For 800 million Facebook users, myself included, the end is near.

(Not to be confused with our other countdown…)

The Timeline Approacheth.

Whether this is the first time you’ve heard of it, whether you’ve already jumped in with both feet, or whether you’ve been putting it off with a sense of impending doom, change is a-comin’.

Prepare yourselves.

Fortunately, Facebook is giving you a chance to do just that. Once you decide to convert (or even if you don’t decide and let the mandatory switch roll over you as inevitably as the tide), you have 7 days to review your new Timeline before it goes live. This gives you a chance to familiarize yourself with your page before you have to fumble around in real time.

The Scoop:
So here’s a rundown on what’s changing (dun dun duuuun):

Your news feed (the first page you see when you sign in with the listing of everything your friends have been posting) is…hardly changing at all.

I know, right? Huge sigh of relief. It will have some additional functionality, but the interface is not going to be a wilderness of confusion.

No, no. We reserve that honor for….

Your Page!

Okay, when you first see it, I want you to take a deep breath in and then let it out. Repeat after me: It’s going to be okay.

Because, honestly, folks, it is going to be okay. With the exception of the Cover (discussed later…kinda), this is pretty much all the same information that has always been available. It just looks a little different now.

Apart from the layout shift, the biggest change is the way your information is organized. Now you can find all the info Facebook knows about you sequentially. It’s all arranged through the handy-dandy, easy to use…Timeline.

I know. So literal, Facebook.

The vertical timeline is surprisingly unobtrusive on your page. Just a vertical listing of dates going back to your birth off to the right on your page. Click on a year and it shows you the events, posts, pictures from that year.

Not so bad, eh?

There are, of course, more changes than this, but I’m going to let you explore those for yourself.

‘Cuz we best remember what we teach ourselves.

What does it all mean?
This doesn’t really change all that much in your world. Yeah, sure, it’s a little easier for people to find those embarrassing college photos… but it’s probably time to grow up. Facebook is maturing and so should we.

And, as always, you can remove anything you post from your Timeline or choose who can see it.

All of these changes are actually a good thing. Not just because stagnation is death (though it is, and I don’t want you to die), but because Facebook has added some pretty cool new features:
-Posts are easy to read
-The new layout is clean and interesting
-More opportunities to customize your information
-Your profile now actually is…a profile. Of YOU. It shows who you are, not just by who your friends are, but from your photos, posts, likes, and affiliations.

Facebook has also expanded its interactivity with the other things you like. If you’ve joined the Pinterest craze, for example, you can easily share what you’ve pinned through Facebook.

Now, keep in mind, all of these new application options also give you the capability to be approximately a million-and-three times more annoying. Because you now have even more sources to glut the monster that is your news feed.

Or, more to the point, your friends’ news feeds.

Keep that in mind as you allow third party applications to post on your Timeline. You don’t want to be that guy, do you?

Some closing thoughts…of the deep and insightful kind, naturally
Okay, quick note: Facebook Timeline is not currently available to your business pages. There is no word on when that’s coming. So if the Timeline becomes overwhelming, you can retreat to the familiarity of your favorite businesses.

May we suggest…Mack Web Solutions? (hint, hint. Really. You should like us. We’re just that cool).

Secondly, here’s a little list of things to be mindful of as you make the adjustment:

1. Upload an awesome Cover. Your page now prominently features a large area in which you can upload a horizontal photo, image, quote…anything your heart and imagination can desire… so long as it fits the dimensions of course.
2. It’s always best practice to use a photo of yourself as the profile picture. Otherwise, people might think you’re a creeper posing as you. That doesn’t sound like it leads to good things, now does it?
3. Your ability to organize your photos is now unprecedentedly broad. Do it. Share ‘em. A picture is worth a thousand words and all that jazz.
4. Resize posts that carry importance. There is a little star on each post that lets you enlarge it so the post stands out on the timeline. This can be a quote, photo, video, status, anything. Let people know what really matters to you. What’s Facebook for, if not that?
5. Take advantage of Facebook Places. It’s pretty neat to look on the map and see all the places where you’ve spent time. (And no…Facebook is not just following you around with a map and a pencil. It’s based on your own shared information. They have not hired a flock of private eyes to skulk around in the bushes behind you, wearing trenchcoats and fedoras).
6. Be aware of who/what you like. This is something everyone who views your Facebook Timeline can see easily. If you don’t want everyone to know that you secretly watch America’s Next Top Model and listen to The Spice Girls…don’t post that in your likes.
7. Choose your friends wisely. Each month shows what new friends you have acquired in a pretty little box.

So…thus far, 242 people we know have signed up for the timeline. Who’s next?

And if you still have questions… check out this link to watch the awesome presentation Facebook made: https://www.facebook.com/about/timeline.

If you have questions after that…well, good luck.

Just kidding. Let us know. We can look into it and get back to you. Also, if there’s anything we’ve missed, let us know that, too.