So, you’ve decided that your company needs to have a presence in social media. Maybe you’ve already set up accounts and pages for the various networks, like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and more recently, Google Plus.

Perhaps you have an official company account for each of these, but you’re also encouraging the various “faces” of your company to set up their own individual accounts on a professional basis too. With that in mind, you have to decide what you want to use for the avatars.

Contemporary social media conventions would tell you that each individual person should use a personal photo/headshot for their accounts, while the company should use the company logo. However, this may not be the soundest advice for your social avatar. You want that avatar (also known as a profile picture) to be appropriate and easily recognizable.

This could mean developing a specific color scheme or using certain types of imagery, rather than using headshots and other photos of the people themselves. There are certainly pros and cons to every approach. What do you think is the best way to utilize these opportunities to market your company effectively?

Do you have time-sensitive content on your blog that needs to be removed or added on certain dates? You don’t need to do this manually! Just as you can automate so many other processes in WordPress, you can automate post updates too.

You need the Before and After WordPress plugin. This is a very simple solution. All you have are two main types of tags. One will show text (and other content) up until a certain date, after which it will be automatically removed from the live post. The other tag will hide text (and other content) up until a certain date, after which it will automatically be displayed on the live post.

The syntax does not appear to allow for specific times, but you can designate specific dates. For instance, if you to show a product announcement on September 15, 2012 but not before that, you would use this syntax:

<AFTER 2012-09-15>We are proud to announce the availability of Product XYZ.</AFTER>

The Before and After WordPress plugin works in both posts and pages. Get more information on the developer’s site, though it is in Dutch. The download button can be accessed on that page too (it’s the “down” arrow at the end of the post).

In business, it makes sense to pay a lot of attention to the bottom line. Every time a potential customer sends you an e-mail or gives you a call, you have an opportunity to close a sale. However, always wearing the “salesperson hat” may not be the best way to sustain long-term profitability.

I recently had an experience with a locksmith that very much illustrates this point. I used this gentleman to re-key some of the locks in my house and everything seemed to be fine. However, a few weeks later, one of the locks failed to operate properly.

The key mechanism was fine, but the latch portion inexplicably got “stuck” in a certain position. This was not at all the fault of the locksmith. He offered to come over to fix or replace the lock, being very upfront about the charges that would be involved. When I told him that I’d rather just replace the lock myself, he didn’t try to continue pushing the sale.

Instead, he told me that when I went to the hardware store, I should be aware that locks aren’t all the same size, that I should make certain and specific measurements to know I’m getting the right size, and that locks have a specific grading system. He told me what I needed to know to buy the “right” lock, even if he wasn’t the one selling and installing it for me.

As a result, I still have his business card on my desk and I still have his name tucked away in my brain. The next time a friend, colleague, or acquaintance mentions that they need a locksmith, I know who to recommend. If this same locksmith was hard on the sale, I wouldn’t have as positive an impression of him and he would not receive any referrals from me. For his long-term success, his overall helpfulness trumps getting that single sale.

It’s the Fourth of July, so let’s start out by wishing a very happy Independence Day to all the Americans in the audience, both at home and abroad. It is during this weekend that you may head out to watch some Hollywood blockbusters, but what if you’re not into the whole 3D thing.

This product could be just the ticket. What you see here is a set of 2D glasses. Yes, two dimensions. This isn’t just a gimmick either, because it really does have a functional purpose. If you don’t like 3D but the local multiplex is only showing the movie you want to see in 3D, you can bring these along.

Compatible with current movies being shown with RealD 3D technology, the 2D glasses effectively filter out the image that is supposed to be destined to your left eye. Instead, both eyes get the image that was intended for your right eye. The result is no 3D effect; you get the regular old flat 2D image instead.

Go against the grain without sticking out from the crowd. Check out these un-3D-ifying 2D glasses at Thinkgeek for a very reasonable $8.99 each.

Many different people from many different industries choose BlueFur as their preferred web hosting partner. One such example is Alda’s Place, the official website for Alda’s Childcare Services.

Located in southern Ontario in Canada, Alda’s Place is run by someone with over 23 years of childcare experience. Alda offers a range of activities for the young ones, while still providing a positive and structured environment. Depending on the needs of the parents, Alda is able to provide full day care, half day care, or temporary care.

In fact, Alda’s Place appears to be very popular among the parents in the area. If you look at the page regarding openings, childcare services from Alda is currently fully booked! There are openings starting in September 2011, so it’d be a good idea to snatch up your spot now if you’re interested.

Do you use BlueFur to host your websites? Let us know and we can feature you in a future blog post. Send an email message to blogfeature@bluefur.com with your name, website URL, and a brief description of what you’d like to see highlighted.

WordPress themes can take on many forms to approach many different genres and audiences. You can get more floral themes for a more feminine touch, just as you can have bright and cheery colors for a more energetic feel.

If you’re looking for something a little more masculine in approach, the new Industrial Theme for WordPress could be a good fit. Not surprisingly, it makes use of a more industrial color scheme, including various shades of grey, possibly emulating the look and feel of steel and other metals. The text is equally powerful and utilitarian.

The core design includes two columns; the sidebar is located to the left, while the main content area is located to the right. Each post is shaded into its own gray box and each post title is equally given the same level of separation and impact. Key navigational links are placed above the header for easy access.

Head on over to Empty Nest Themes to check out a screenshot of Industrial Theme. It is also there that you can download this theme for free.