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Is Facebook Doing this to Your Posts? "I Want Thumbnails!"

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Education & Training with Tech Training for You!

I don't know about you, but somewhere in the stream of time, Facebook stopped offering thumbnails of photos from my ActiveRain posts when I post on FB. The ONLY photo it offers now is my avatar. Hmmm, what's up with that?

Now, wait a minute Facebook, you don't do this when I post links from other websites! I did this FB post the other day and you gave me a choice of the graphics that were in the post as my Thumbnail image!

Ok, so the "workaround" brainstorming session began. This will not do!

What can I do?? I know, post as a "photo" an then put a short URL link in the descriptive text!

Wow that thumbnail is even better than the one that facebook gives on posts. Because it is based on a photo, it is even BIGGER!

You want to use a short URL because the long (full) URL will take up way too much space and be unattractive.

At the bottom of every ActiveRain post, there is an option to create a short URL for your post. It will take the visitor to your regular AR blog page. This is fine when you want the primary visitor to be an AR member and they will comment. However, if it is a localism post and the consumer is the primary visitor, you really should send them to your outside blog page. For this, you can generate a short URL using an outside service like google's goo.gl or bit.ly - these are extremely easy to use, and the end result is a short URL for your FB post.

Well there you have it. Another web marketing strategy for you! Aren't you glad you came to class today? :)

-c-

Recent blog posts -
Creating Desktop Wallpaper with Picasa [tutorial video]
Picnik Going Offline - What Can I Do?
Web Design - Inspiration Board - Craig's Clicks

 

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Craig Daniels
This blog is all about technology and helping you to use it smarter! Your digital footprint is your chance to attract new clients. What kind of impression are you making via your website, blog, and social media? We’ll be talking about that! Are you as productive as you can be? What apps might help you out? Do you know how to use all the best tools inside the apps? I enjoy photography and videography, you can expect to see those topics also on this blog.
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PS - get ready for some homework… :) 

Comments(51)

Christine Hooks
Pino Agency - Pennsville, NJ
Celebrating 25 Years in Real Estate!

Hi, Craig!  I've been using the 'link' button to add my blogposts and it usually gives me a choice of 3 or 4 photos.

Feb 06, 2012 04:12 PM
Joan Whitebook
BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH
Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

Thank you for this post. I have no idea why facebook doesn't like those thumbnails.. they will appear on my busines page, but not on my personal page.... this is very helpful

Feb 06, 2012 04:22 PM
Tim Lorenz
TIM LORENZ - Elite Home Sales Team - Mission Viejo, CA
949 874-2247

Thank you for the help.  I enjoy the having the place to get the info.

Feb 06, 2012 04:30 PM
Howard and Susan Meyers
The Hudson Company Winnetka and North Shore - Winnetka, IL

Thanks Craig.  This is an excellent solution to an annoying problem.

Feb 07, 2012 12:36 AM
Craig Daniels
Tech Training for You! - Staten Island, NY
Technology Instructor/Project Consultant

Chris - it seems like when you 'link' in facebook every site BUT AR regular blog works like that (the way it should work) maybe someday we'll get to the bottom of "why so" and AR devs can make a correction that FB likes better

Joan - something is up with it that's for sure, meanwhile we have an alternate now! :)

Tim - you are welcome, thanks for the visit :)

Howard/Susan - great, glad to hear you have a new idea :)

Feb 07, 2012 04:04 AM
Karen Luke
South Metro Property Management, LLC - McDonough, GA
Henry County Real Estate

Wow. That's amazing you can figure this stuff out. I would have just given up. Thanks for posting. I will have to bookmark this one.

Feb 08, 2012 01:02 AM
Anonymous
Anonymous

If I create a short url to my outside blog will it link to the specific post or just the most recent post on that blog?

Feb 08, 2012 11:51 AM
#37
Craig Daniels
Tech Training for You! - Staten Island, NY
Technology Instructor/Project Consultant

Karen - I'm glad you stopped by for a new idea :)

(no name given) - your outside blog main domain URL will show all of your most recent posts lined up one after another. Click on any heading of any post to get a URL specific to that one post. If you want to link to a specific post with short URL, this is the URL you'll want to capture and shorten. hope that helps

Feb 10, 2012 01:25 PM
Mark Delgado
houses for rent, Solano County & Glen Cove - Benicia, CA
Benicia and Vallejo, Property Management, rental h

I had also noticed this about Facebook and I appreciate your very straightforward work around to help keep the Facebook page from looking too repetitive. 

Feb 11, 2012 10:40 AM
Ken Tracy
Coldwell Banker Residential - Naperville, IL
Helping clients buy and sell since 2005

Hi Craig.  I always figured that AR was hesitant to share the pictures with FB...

Perhaps paranoid on my part...

:)

Kern

Mar 06, 2012 12:46 PM
Craig Daniels
Tech Training for You! - Staten Island, NY
Technology Instructor/Project Consultant

Mark - glad to hear it - I've been doing this lately and like the results much better - sometimes 'problems' generate better results than previously!

Ken - why is it only on AR posts! paranoid or conspiracy theory?? ;)

Mar 07, 2012 08:37 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Craig- I knew I should have come here in the first place. I was researching today about Facebook and linking my posts and wound up here.  Now I need to figure out how to unlink my AR posts from going to my Facebook business page and link like you said..

Mar 11, 2012 06:17 AM
Craig Daniels
Tech Training for You! - Staten Island, NY
Technology Instructor/Project Consultant

Kathy - glad you eventually made it here :) this has been working well for me since I started doing it this way

Mar 14, 2012 04:10 AM
Margaret Woda
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. - Crofton, MD
Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation

I was noticing that, and just posted "no thumbnail" - not ideal, as you say.  I'll have to try your suggestion.

Apr 19, 2012 09:59 PM
Terrie Leighton
Ferrari-Lund Real Estate - Reno, NV
Reno Real Estate Agent ~ Selling Homes in Reno

Your comment #7 totally made it click for me! I think I got confused on the short url info and outside blog talk. I need to take your class as well. I also get confused when I try to paste (way off track here) a link on twitter. How to shorten the link will help I realize... 

May 28, 2012 04:24 AM
Debb Janes
Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA
Put My Love of Nature At Work for You

I'm all over this one too. Thanks so much Craig, it was driving me nuts trying to figure out how to get a photo about the post to show in the timeline. Now you've shown me how - thanks much.

May 28, 2012 11:53 PM
Georgie Hunter R(S) 58089
Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers - Haiku, HI
Maui Real Estate sales and lifestyle info

Thanks for this too.  I will give it a try next time I post on AR and my outside blog!

May 29, 2012 11:32 AM
AZ Mortgage Broker: Michael George
Arizona Wholesale Mortgage Inc. - Phoenix, AZ
AZ Mortgage Rates

What great tip! I could not figure this out, so I actually installed a Wordpress plugin that allowed you to set the Facebook picture from the WP dashboard as a temporary workaround until I figured it out, but I like this so much better! Thank you!!!

Jun 08, 2012 06:05 PM
Larry Atkins
State Wide Realty Co. - Farmville, VA
Veteran Owned & Operated

I never fail to find a solution to a problem when I visit your blog! Sometimes to problems I didn't even know I had. Thanks so much.

Jan 14, 2013 04:24 AM
Sussie Sutton
David Tracy Real Estate - Houston, TX
David Tracy Real Estate for Buyers & Sellers

Thanks Craig! I had just written a post asking this very question then it was lost!That is another problem; however, while looking for my post I found yours. 

I am going to see if using the short URL will work for me... wish me luck!

Nov 21, 2014 11:55 PM