Get over your fear of heights on Facebook

Whether you have a personal Profile or a company Page, your identifying Facebook photo does not have to be square.

Your sidebar photo (or illustration) must be 180 pixels wide, but it can be up to 540 pixels tall.  Make sure a portion of the image will work as a square avatar—that's what people will see when you post updates or comment on your friend's posts.

I often create art for Facebook Pages, Twitter profiles, and other social media sites when I design or update client websites.

To see how these images look in use, just click each client's name.

Dressed Up!, L.A.'s only eveningwear superstore
The dress in this layout can change with the store's inventory. You can change your sidebar photo as often as you'd like.

Huntington Medical Foundation
The landmark Colorado Bridge photo has been used on this medical group's website and ads.

Terri Steuben/Calm Healer
When you have a fun photo, use it prominently.

Doug Brignole 
This simple layout reflects this client's main areas of expertise.

The Joke Gym
For some people, Facebook is the first exposure to your product or company. Presenting all the key information in the sidebar graphic is a fan-friendly approach.

Twick or Tweet promotion for Pasadena clothing store

Happy Halloween! 

If you're a fashionista in the Pasadena area, head to Elisa B. to participate in their Twick or Tweet promotion.

Just give the store a shout-out on Twitter or Facebook and get a discount. Print the coupon for complete details.

Elisa B. is a great store and fun client. I'm looking forward to our holiday promotions.

I (heart) deadlines

November is National Novel Writing Month, a wild and wonderful event that asks participants to crank out a 50,000-word first draft of a novel in just 30 days.

I've yet to hit that magic number in Novembers past, but even the attempt is a lot of fun.  One of my strategies for this year is having Thanksgiving on Halloween so I can write straight through Turkey Day, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Sleep-deprived Sunday (my term) and possibly Cyber Monday.  

Here comes the (mother of) the bride…

After Five is the eveningwear store that makes my client roster international.

Of course, Canada's fashion forecast is nearly identical to that of the United States: Prom Season, Wedding Season, Holiday Season and Resort Season. The latest ad promotes mother-of-the-bride gowns in a wedding magazine.

I also handle marketing for Dressed Up! L.A.'s only eveningwear superstore, but there's no conflict of interest.  The store owners are cousins.

Buzzword of the Day

If you've ever had a staycation when you should have been in Paris, experienced a Targasm while shopping, or had to work under a nanomanager, you're already living in a buzzword world.

Expand your vocabulary by subscribing to Buzzword of the Day.