Ty's Tech Blog

With all of the spyware, malware, Trojan horses, viruses, etc. it is a constant struggle to keep your computer protected and running efficiently. However, because of good Samaritans and some for-profit companies, software is available to help us stay protected from these daily threats.

There are literally HUNDREDS of programs available that claim to fight off the demons of e-mail and keep your computer running like the day you bought it. The problem is, only a very small percentage of these programs actually do what they say and some of them are even viruses themselves!!!! So I thought I would share with you my favorite programs for helping keeping my computer running smoothly.

Anti-Virus Protection
I have always been a fan of Norton Anti-Virus, but I have avoided the “SystemWorks” version. Their all-in-one packages seem to cause more problems because out of the box they are OVERLY sensitive to potential threats, therefore slowing you and your machine down. So if you are going to spend money on an anti-virus program, stay with the basic Norton Anti-Virus software. Pricing for this software is around $40.

If you don’t want to spend money on anti-virus software, there are two programs out there that are FREE and do a pretty good job of protecting your machine.

Avast AntiVirus – Home Edition (Click Here to Download Avast AntiVirus) is one of the best free software packages out there. The other is AVG AntiVirus (Click Here to Download AVG AntiVirus). There is NO excuse to not have an anti-virus software package on your machine. I have given you two options that cost you NOTHING to download and install. But with ANY anti-virus program, make sure it is set up to automatically update. Your software is worthless if it isn’t kept up-to-date.

Spyware/Malware Protection
It is always a good idea to occasionally run spyware searches on your computer to clean up any potential problems on your machine. I use three programs to efficiently clean my machine and all of them have FREE versions that work just fine.
MalwareBytes (Click Here to Download MalwareBytes)
SpyBot-S&D (Click Here to Download SpyBot – S&D)
AdAware (Click Here to Download AdAware)

Each of these programs searches for potentially damaging viruses and spyware, but if you run all three, you are likely to catch everything that is on your computer. Again, make sure you update your software before you run the software.

Clean-Up Software
I use two programs to clean up my computer. I run these FREE programs about every month.
ATF Cleaner (Click Here to Download ATF Cleaner)
Ccleaner (Click Here to Download Ccleaner) NOTE: THIS PROGRAM IS PRETTY INTENSE AND CAN CAUSE SOME PROBLEMS IF YOU AREN’T CAREFUL. SO IF YOU RUN THIS PROGRAM, PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL. MY BEST ADVICE, WHEN IN DOUBT, DO NOT TAKE ACTION ON AN ITEM.

So there you have it. These are my weapons of defense for keeping my machine clean and lean. The best part is that almost all of these programs are completely free. Sure, you can pay for the upgrades, but as long as you run them on a consistent basis, I honestly don’t see a need to pay the money. So download, one of these programs, or download them all, and I bet you will improve the performance and security of your computer.

Ok. So you say you want to generate some business using FaceBook. First you need to have your own PERSONAL FaceBook page. That much is obvious. It is on your personal page that you will create your identity. People will get to know you on a much deeper level than just knowing what it is that you do for a career. Your personal page should be made up of no less than 80% personal information and 20% professional. Personal information would be talking about taking your dogs and/or kids to the park. The golf game you played over the weekend. The friends you got to see the other night. Professional would be the deal that you closed yesterday, the person you helped avoid foreclosure, the new designation you just earned. It is important for your FaceBook “friends” to know who YOU are, before they know what it is that you do.

So to get more exposure to what it is that you DO for a living, FaceBook allows you to create what is called a “Business Page”. A business page is the perfect forum for talking about a new listing you have, or a successful transaction or even an upcoming open house. These are topics one would expect to see more frequently on your business page, not on your personal page.

How do you set up a business page you ask? Well, here you go. First, go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php Enter in the information it asks for and be as descriptive as possible. Remember, this is where you will build your BRAND. So when you go to upload your logo, make sure that if you don’t have a logo that you are using a professional shot of you. For your information, add as much as you can. Your website, your motto, anything about your business that will be of use or interest to the visitor. Most of this can be posted on your “Notes’ tab. BE CREATIVE!!!

Upload photos! Upload photos of families you have helped, homes that you have bought or sold, area photos of communities you specialize in. People love graphical content. You have the ability to add captions to each of your photos. Don’t slouch here. If there is a story to tell, tell it! Just don’t go overboard.

Once you have the page built, be sure you invite as many people as you can using the “Suggest to Friends” link on the left side of the page. Also, promote the page on your website and other print media. I recently did a post on how to create a “Vanity” url. Here is the link http://tylerlein.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/facebook-vanity-url/

Once you have created your vanity URL, that is the link you will use to maintain your page. And it will be much easier to remember!

Finally, be consistent, but not overbearing on your posts. If you send out hundreds of messages in a short period of time, you’re likely to lose fans. So go easy. A post every other day is about as much as you want to post unless you have some time sensitive information to share. And always remember, WHAT IS IN IT FOR THE “FAN”? Post information that is relevant to your business and will be of use to the visitor. If you post nonsense, you will lose credibility and fans. If you find a good article online, post the link. If you find a good video, post it. Just keep the content relevant to your business.

Now, because I know many people (myself included) love tutorial videos on how to get something done, I found the following video on YouTube which goes through the Business Page set up. I DID NOT create this, but I felt that the person that did, did a great job putting it together and that I should share it with you.

Now there are NO excuses, just get in and get your page going and don’t be affraid to poke around in your new page. You will be glad that you did!