livebooks blog

When you share a page from your website on Facebook or Twitter, the social media platforms pull info from your image, title and descriptions to populate the post for you. We’ve talked about the importance of these SEO parameters, and filling them in comes useful in this situation, too. But every share is a different story, so why should they all look and read much or less the same? Let’s take a little look behind the curtain and grasp social sharing like a pro in 4 easy steps.

1. In your content editor enter the page you want to share.

2. In the right hand sidebar, select SEO & Sharing to open the panel. The SEO fields will show first, so use the icon tabs to view a special panel for each of the social media platforms.

3. Select the social media platform you want to customize. Fill in your text fields and add the image from your library that you think fits best.

4. When you’re all done, press publish and start sharing that link!

Skipping these 4 steps will generate a post that will have your logo as the image and unless you have your SEO description customized, the first block on your page containing text will be the content used here. So, in other words, a random and somewhat generic experience that while it speaks true to your website content, it leaves very little personalization to the post you want to share with your followers.

It’s very easy to showcase your skills on any social media platform with the liveBooks features. You can use customization to your advantage every step of the way: for marketing campaigns, news and updates, or, better yet, when you’ve decided to go for a social media strategy that will boost your business and visibility. For more details on how to establish yourself as a sturdy social media presence, check out our two-part article on social media for photographers: part 1 and part 2.

Don’t have a website yet and still using social media as the front of your business, give our platform a try for free today! It’s easy to use, update and share with everybody everywhere!

Instagram Monthly Sweepstakes

Do you want the chance to win a FREE year towards your next subscription? On the second Monday of EVERY month we’re giving you the chance to win! Here’s how to win:

1. Follow @liveBookswebsites on Instagram.
2. “Like” our post announcing the monthly contest. May’s post here.
3. Answer our question of the month in the comments. Comment here.

Don’t forget to tag a friend because they are eligible to win a free year, too!

Official Rules: http://blog.livebooks.com/2018/04/livebooks-instagram-rules/

liveBooks Instagram Monthly Sweepstakes

OFFICIAL RULES

No purchase required to enter or win.  A purchase will not increase your chances of winning.

The liveBooks Instagram Monthly Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) is sponsored and administered by WWLB Management LLC, 2 Wisconsin Circle, 3rd Floor, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 (“Sponsor” or “Administrator”).

1. ELIGIBILITY: The Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the continental United States who are 18 years of age or older as of the Entry Period (defined below) (“Participant”).  Employees of Sponsor, Administrator, their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible.  This Sweepstakes is void where prohibited or restricted by law. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply.
2. AGREEMENT TO OFFICIAL RULES: Participation in the Sweepstakes constitutes the Participant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor and Administrator, which are final and binding.  Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.
   
3. ENTRY PERIOD: The Sweepstakes is a monthly drawing on the second Monday of every month, continuing until terminated by Sponsor, in Sponsor’s sole discretion (the “Entry Period”).  Entries that are submitted before or after the Entry Period will be disqualified. Administrator’s computer will be the official timekeeping device for this Sweepstakes.  Administrator reserves the right to end Sweepstakes at any time, including prior to the expiration of the Entry Period.
4. HOW TO ENTER: Follow @liveBookswebsites on Instagram, and like and comment on the Instagram post for the Sweepstakes (“Entry”).There will be no credit for bot, automated, or spam entries, each as determined by Sponsor or Administrator in its sole discretion.  Sponsor and Administrator are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, invalid, illegible, or misdirected Entries, which will be disqualified, or for any error, whether human, technical, or otherwise.  Sponsor and Administrator each reserve the right in their sole discretion to disqualify any Participant found to be tampering with the operation of the Sweepstakes or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules.  In the event of a dispute as to the identity of a Participant, the authorized account holder of the Instagram account used to submit the Entry will be deemed to be the Participant. The “authorized account holder” is the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.By entering the Sweepstakes, you represent and warrant that you are the owner or licensee of any and all materials and information, including photos, videos, and personal information, submitted by you to the Sweepstakes and you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to Sponsor and Administrator an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully-paid-up, royalty-free, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense at multiple levels) to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate, excerpt (in whole or in part), transfer, distribute any such materials for any purpose and in any format on or in connection with the www.livebooks.com website or its affiliated or partner sites, the Administrator’s or Sponsor’s respective businesses, or the promotion thereof, prepare derivative works, incorporate into other works, and/or grant and authorize sublicenses of the foregoing.  Submissions must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of the Sponsor and/or Administrator, contain obscene, provocative, defamatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate content, and Submissions must not infringe any intellectual property rights of third parties. You furthermore represent and warrant that all persons and entities connected with the materials and information submitted in connection with the Contest, and all other persons and entities whose names, voices, photographs, likenesses, works, services and materials have been used in such materials/information or its/their exploitation, have authorized the use of their names, voices, photographs, likenesses, performances, and biographical data in connection with the advertising, promotion, trade and other exploitation of the materials and information and the rights granted herein.
5. JUDGING: Two (2) “Winners” will be selected by Administrator on the second Thursday of each month, or as soon as practicable, (“Drawing Date”) among all Entries received and processed during the previous Entry Period.
6. PRIZE EXPLANATION: Each of the Winners shall receive one (1) free year towards a liveBooks subscription worth up to $720.00 (“Prize”).  The total value of this Prize will not exceed approximately $720.00.  No transfer, cash equivalent, or Prize substitution allowed, except at Sponsor’s sole discretion. The Prize is nontransferable.  Any and all Prize-related expenses, including without limitation any and all federal, state, and/or local taxes shall be the sole responsibility of the Winner.
7. PRIZE NOTIFICATION AND FULFILLMENT:Each potential Winner may be contacted by Sponsor or Administrator on or about the Drawing Date via Instagram direct message and may be asked for further explanation based on their initial answers submitted online.  Each potential Winner will be required to respond to such direct message and execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability and Publicity Release (where required and/or permitted) within seventy-two (72) hours of notification attempt.  In the event a potential Winner is determined to be ineligible in accordance with these Official Rules (including by failure to respond to any notification attempt within the specified time), such Prize may be forfeited and may be awarded to an alternate Winner in a drawing from among all remaining Entries received.  Each Winner may be required to supply Administrator with his/her social security number for tax purposes. Subject to the foregoing requirements, the Prize will be sent to Winner [directly by Sponsor] and Sponsor may contact Winner if more information is needed.
8. CONSENT AGREEMENT: By entering this Sweepstakes, Participant: (1) agrees to be bound by these Official Rules; (2) consents to the use of his/her name, voice, picture, and likeness for advertising and promotional purposes in any medium throughout the world in perpetuity without additional compensation unless prohibited by law, and (3) agrees that Sponsor and Administrator may send Participant information, promotions, or special offers that Sponsor and/or Administrator determines may be of interest to Participant. Should a Participant wish to opt out of these communications unrelated to the Sweepstakes, please email social@livebooks.com.
9. INDEMNIFICATION AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: By entering, each Participant agrees to defend, indemnify and otherwise hold Sponsor, Administrator, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, the agents, officers, directors, and/or employees (collectively, the “Released Parties”) harmless from and against any and all liability of any nature whatsoever arising out of or relating to (a) unauthorized human intervention in the Sweepstakes by or directed by Participant; (b) breaches of or inaccuracies in any representations or warranties of, or license grants by, Participant or any other terms and conditions contained herein; and/or (c) injury, death, or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from Participant’s participation in the Sweepstakes or receipt or use of any prize, including any such claim by the Released Parties’ employees or agents or any third parties.By entering this Sweepstakes, each Participant (1) agrees to release Sponsor, Administrator, and each of the Released Parties from any and all liability for any loss, harm, damages, costs, and/or expenses, including without limitation property damages, personal injury and/or death, arising out of participating in this Sweepstakes or the acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize, (2) waives any and all claims against Sponsor, Administrator, and each of the Released Parties based on publicity rights, defamation, invasion of privacy, or any other intellectual property or privacy right, and (3) acknowledges that neither the Sponsor nor Administrator have made or are responsible or liable for any warranty, representation, or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to any prize, including but not limited to its quality, mechanical condition, or fitness for a particular purpose.Neither Sponsor nor Administrator shall be liable for any damages whatsoever related to or arising from (a) any technical errors that may prevent any Participant from participating in any way; (b) unauthorized human intervention in the Sweepstakes; and/or (c) errors in the administration of the Sweepstakes.Participant waives the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.  Participant further agrees that in any cause of action, the Released Parties’ aggregate liability for all claims will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Sweepstakes, and in no event shall the Released Parties be liable for attorneys’ fees.
10. DISPUTES: Except where prohibited by law, each Participant agrees that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Sweepstakes or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in the State of Maryland.  All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of these Official Rules, Participant’s rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor and Administrator in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Maryland without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of Maryland or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Maryland.
11. GENERAL CONDITIONS: In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Sweepstakes is impaired in any way for any reason, including, but not limited to fraud, virus, or other technical problem, the Sponsor or Administrator may, in its sole discretion and at any time, (a) suspend the Sweepstakes to address the impairment and then, at Sponsor’s or Administrator’s sole discretion, resume the Sweepstakes in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules (b) award the prize from among the eligible Entries received up to the time of the impairment and/or c) terminate the Sweepstakes.  Any attempt by any person to undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, each of the Sponsor and Administrator reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Failure or delay by the Sponsor or Administrator to enforce any provision of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

This Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by Instagram  or similar social media sites.

Questions or comments regarding the Sweepstakes can be submitted by email to social@livebooks.com

The liveBooks website editor allows you the freedom to create a custom navigation bar that fits your website’s specific needs. Whether this includes a drop-down menu that organizes your portfolio galleries into a visual index for your viewers to choose from, the use of social media icons, or the use of links and buttons to direct your viewers to another webpage or websites, you’ll be able to customize every aspect of the navigation bar.

Here are some helpful tips to get you on your way to creating a navigation bar that fits the design of your website:

Creating Drop-Down Menus

1. Log in to your liveBooks website editor
2. Select the Content tab
3. Select “Add New Pages”

4. Check the box next to “Navigation Item” and then select “Add”

5. From the drop-down, select “Text (No link).” This will allow you to create a title for the portfolio/gallery without leading your viewers to a blank page. Once you have chosen this option, change the Text Label to the name you would like your drop-down menu to have.

6. Once you have successfully finished all of the above steps, you can begin adding portfolios that will showcase your work. In order to organize the portfolios to display in the drop-down menu you have just created, you will need to indent your portfolio pages.

Social Media Icons in the Navigation Bar

The new liveBooks8 website editor allows users to easily and seamlessly integrate social media outlets to their website. What’s the difference between having your social media icons in the navigation versus in the footer? Here are some of the most contrasting differences:

• Depending on the layout that you have chosen, social media icons may catch viewer’s eyes more in the header of your website
• Having your social icons in the navigation bar highlights the importance of social media outlets with your work; they are equally as important as other pages on your website
• The navigation bar allows up to 4 social media icons at a time; the footer allows for unlimited social media icons to be added
• If you have added a variety of pages to your navigation bar, we recommend that you consider adding social media links to the footer of your site. With a number of pages in your navigation, viewers may find it to be too crowded.

Adding social media icons to navigation bar:

1. Log in to your liveBooks website editor
2. Select “Content”
3. Select “Add New Pages”
4. Check the box next to “Navigation Item” and then select “Add”
5. From the drop-down, select “Social Icons”

6. Select up to 4 social media icons that you would like to display on the navigation bar (Tip: Make sure to keep the “Open in new window” box checked. Otherwise, your viewers will leave your page immediately upon clicking the icon.)

7. Make sure to copy and paste the exact URL from your social media outlet. Also – check these icons frequently to make sure they are still linking to your social feeds correctly. Changes in usernames and domains from social media feeds may cause you to lose viewers along the way.

Creating Links and Buttons

The links and buttons feature on the navigation tool can help navigate your viewers to a specific part of your page that you want to showcase. This is especially true in the case of buttons. Links, on the other hand, are more commonly used for external links, which will lead viewers to another website.

Adding links and buttons to the navigation bar:

1. Log in to your liveBooks website editor
2. Select “Content”
3. Select “Add New Pages”
4. Check the box next to “Navigation Item” then select “Add” (look above for image)
5. From the drop-down, select either “Link” or “Button”
6. Change the “Text Label” to what you’d like your Link of Button to read to viewers (i.e.: “My Blog” if the link leads viewers to your blog)
7. Copy and paste the URL into the “Link” section

Is there a liveBooks feature that you want to learn more about? Let us know at social@livebooks.com!