TidalWave – An Alternative to WildFire for DIY Facebook Apps

May 10, 2013 Leave a comment

Now that Wildfire is in the process of shutting down their Do It Yourself promotions, you may be searching for an alternative. Look no further, TidalWave can provide you with the features you need to create Facebook Apps and keep your fans engaged. TidalWave is a fraction of the cost of Wildfire’s $2500 min, and is very affordable for agencies, small businesses and established brands. Our team is ready to work with you to achieve your Social Media goals!

Here are some of the reasons that TidalWave is the best choice for you!

  • Thirteen different App templates to choose from including: Photo Contest, Contest, Guest List, Customer Service, Job Posting, Bottle/Table Service, Signup ,Order, Event, Donation, Survey, Coupon, and Blank – where you can create any kind of app you can imagine. In addition, all of our Apps are accessible via mobile!
  • A variety of Themes to customize your Apps, and each theme can be further customized to include custom font colors, background images, font size and type.
  • A multitude of fields to make your Apps visually appealing such as Images, Image Carousel, Video, input fields etc.
  • Social widgets including Referral, Like and Comments.
  • Easy to customize features such as: Like/Fan Gate, scheduling for your Apps and customization of the result page.
  • Publish your App to your Facebook Page in only two clicks!
  • Monetize your Apps with Authorize.Net and PayPal.
  • A Fan database where you can view details of user responses and export them to a .csv file for further analysis.
  • The ability to create fan profiles by tracking fan responses across different Apps.
  • Custom Promotion capabilities where you can directly email fans using your own email address, post to your Facebook Page using an image, send App notifications, post to twitter, etc.

TidalWave is also built upon a Business Process Management solution that enables you to do more with your Facebook Apps. This process management solution enables you to route the responses to your TidalWave for Facebook Apps to different groups and departments for further processing.

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Filed under Apps, Facebook

Create CIM profiles using Authorize.net for your TidalWave for Facebook Apps

May 8, 2013 Leave a comment

TidalWave has added the option to use Authorize.net to accept credit card purchases on your Facebook Apps, in addition to PayPal.  Assign payments to items on your Facebook app using Authorize.net and create a Credit Card Profile, so the next time a customer wants to place an order, their CC and associated information is already on file. This saves your Customer the hassle of re-entering their information each time they want to place an order.

Note: You need an Authorize.net merchant account.

  1. Navigate to TidalWave.
  2. Click the Create New App button and select the Order App from the subsequent dialog.
  3. Provide a name and description for your App, then select the Layout and Color Scheme.  Click OK to create your App.
  4. Click the Dress image and replace it with a picture or images of the items you would like to sell.CustomerCCProfile
  5. Change the default fields to your specification by clicking on them and editing optional fields in the Settings tab.CustomerCCProfile2
  6. When you have finished customizing the fields and text, Save and Close your App.
  7. Next, click the Payment button on the toolbar.CustomerCCProfile3
  8. Under Merchant Setup, select Authorize.net from the drop down menu and enter your LoginID and Transaction key in the fields that appear.
  9. Now, click the check box ‘Create New Customer Profiles’. This is the setting that enables you to save your customer’s credit card information by creating a CIM profile for them. The next time your customer wants to order something from your App, they will simply have to click the submit button.CustomerCCProfile4
  10. Assign prices to relevant fields and click the Save & Close button.

TIP: Don’t forgot to Promote your App, via a post to your Page, your personal timeline, a tweet, an App Notification etc…

Filed under Apps, Facebook, How To's, Uncategorized Tagged with , , , , , ,

Add a Shopping Cart to your TidalWave for Facebook App

April 30, 2013 Leave a comment

You can now apply payment information to multiple fields in TidalWave essentially creating  a shopping cart directly on your Facebook App. Now, you can create a Facebook App and realize profits!

Here’s how to build it:

  1. Navigate to TidalWave.
  2. Click the Create New App button and select Order from the subsequent dialog.
  3. Provide a name and description for your Shopping Cart App, then select Ribbon from the Layout drop down and any color  from the Color Scheme drop down . Click OK to create your App.ShoppingCart1
  4. Replace the default text by clicking the text you want to change and in the Settings tab in the Field Label edit control enter your custom text. Replace the default image with the item(s) you want to sell.ShoppingCart2
  5. Switch back to the Fields tab and click on the check box field to add it to your form. Switch to the Settings tab and enter the text you want in the Field Label edit control. Make sure to enter the cost/dollar amount in the field label, so your customers know how much they will be expected to pay. Unless you want to surprise them when it is time for them to checkout:)ShoppingCart4
  6. Next, add a radio button field and specify anything extra you would like to add to your Shopping Cart. In this example,    we will provide different options for gift wrap.ShoppingCart5
  7. Add a drop down field so users can choose which shipping method they would like.ShoppingCart6
  8. Once you have finished customizing your form, click the Save and Close button.
  9. Now, you are ready to apply Payments to your fields. Click the Payment button on the toolbar. The Payment Dialog opens.
  10. Select Authorized.net from Merchant drop down. Enter your Login ID and Transaction Key. Check the Sandbox check box so that you can test your App without your credit card being charged. (Once you are ready, simply  uncheck this option and save the payment settings again..)
  11. Under Assign prices, click the drop down and select the first available field and click the plus button to the right of the combo box. The field is added below the combo box, enter the cost of the item in the Price field. Repeat this step for all of the fields to which you want to assign payments. Once you have finished adding your prices, click the Save and Close button.ShoppingCart7
  12. Take your new Shopping Cart App for a test drive by clicking on the Preview button and filling out the form.

Tip:  You can add any combination of checkbox, drop down or radio button fields.   Test out different combinations to find what best suits  your needs.

Filed under Apps, Facebook, How To's Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

New and Improved Photo Contest App – Showcase photos in an Image Carousel!

April 25, 2013 Leave a comment

TidalWave has just released a snazzy new Photo Contest App! It is now equipped with an Image Carousel. This fun, new feature allows you to display photos or images with forward and  backward  arrows so your users can quickly scroll through and view your images. There are a raft of options that you can apply to ensure that your Carousel showcases your images exactly how you imagine!

  1. Navigate to TidalWave.
  2. Click the Create New App button and select Photo Contest from the subsequent dialog.
  3. Provide a name and description for your App, then select 2 column from the Layout drop down and select any  Color Scheme.  Click OK to create your App.

    photocontest1

  4. Click on the field with the images, these are default images we provide and all you need to do is replace them with your own images. You are now in the settings tab.

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  5. To replace the first image, double click on the field that says Image 1.

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    • To upload a new image:  Click on the  ’Click here to Change Your Image’ button.
    • Next, click the Upload button on the toolbar (if you have already uploaded an image, choose it from the gallery)
    • Navigate to the location where the image you want to use resides and click Open.
    • Click the OK button to add your image to the Carousel.
    • To use an Image URL: If you want to use an image that is hosted on a website (ie. Flicker, your own website, etc.) you can simply Copy the Image URL from the location using your browser’s right hand menu and paste it directly into the Image URL field.
    • Now, give your Image a label by typing it into the Image Text Field.
    • Click the Save button to save your changes.

      photocontest5

  1. Repeat the above steps for the remaining placeholder images.
  2. To Add another image, click the Plus button. To Delete an image, click the X button. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to reorder your images.
  3. Now, click on the ‘Pick your Favorite Image’ radio button field in the right hand column. You will want these to match up with the images labels and the number of images you have in the Carousel field. Add and Edit the fields to match.

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  4. Now just update the remaining text and Contest Start/End dates (simply click on them) to reflect the nature of your contest.
  5. Save and Close the App. Click the Preview button to see your App in Action. Tip: Don’t forget to Publish and Promote!

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Check back soon to see how you can customize  the Carousel Image field in a variety of ways.

 

Filed under Apps, Facebook, How To's Tagged with , , ,

Why doesn’t my Application Logo Appear as my Facebook Tab App Image?

April 24, 2013 Leave a comment

You may have recently experienced an issue where you added an Application Logo on the App Tab in TidalWave‘s Application Builder and this image did not display when the App was published. Don’t worry. There is a solution. Additionally, if you have experienced the following error over and over, trying to manually change the image, keep reading!

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Facebook has an open issue stating that if you do not provide the image with the exact dimensions of 111px by 74px, your image simply will not be loaded.  In addition, the size of the file must be no more than 5MB.

TidalWave has provided an interim fix, indicating that the file must be of the exact proportions stated above. So, please make sure that the image you use as your Application Icon has the correct dimensions and file size.

We will keep an eye on this issue and update you when there is a resolution from Facebook.

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Filed under Apps, Facebook Tagged with , , ,

Publish your Website on Facebook in a Few Simple Steps

April 17, 2013 Leave a comment

In just a few simple steps, you can embed your entire Website into a Facebook App using TidalWave!

Let’s cut to the chase and get started!

  1. Navigate to TidalWave.
  2. Click the Create New App button and select Blank from the subsequent dialog.
  3. Provide a name and description for your Website App, then select 1 column from the Layout drop down and the Color Scheme that fits your Website color scheme the best, click OK to create your App.EmbedWebsite1
  4. Click the YouTube Video button, the field is added to your App. Select the field in the right hand pane and the Settings tab opens.EmbedWebsite3
  5. In the Iframe Tag field, replace the default URL in the src with the URL of your website.EmbedWebsite2
  6. Next, change the width and height fields, until they look good! Click the View button to test the look and feel.
  7. Save and Close your App, you will be prompted to Publish your App to your Facebook Page. Select the page you want the App to reside on from the subsequent dialog.

There you have it your Website has been embedded into a Facebook App!

Filed under Apps, Facebook, How To's Tagged with , ,

Social BPM: Introduce Social Media to your Recruiting Processes

April 4, 2013 Leave a comment

TidalWave’s new premium Job App enables you to merge your recruiting processes with Social Media. You can now quickly create a Job Application form directly on your Facebook Page that accepts Resumes and a couple of processes are kicked off under the covers. Once a user uploads their Resume and applies for the job, a process is created in TidalWave Process Manager that allows your Human Resources department to perform an initial review of the the job applicant and approve or reject the candidate and provide an explanation. If the candidate is  approved, a second process is started where  a phone interview can be arranged and notes added to the candidate’s profile.

  1. Navigate to TidalWave.
  2. Click the Create New App button and select Job Posting  from the subsequent dialog.
  3. Provide a name and description for your App, then select 2 column from the Layout drop down and Blue  for the Color Scheme, click OK to create your App.JobPosting1
  4. The App Editor opens and displays your Job Posting App. You will now want to customize the text with a description of the job you are trying to fill and the requirements. Click on the field and the Settings tab will open, replace the default text in the Field Label edit control. Once you have made your changes, click the Save and Close button.JobPosting2
  5. Next, publish the App to your Facebook Page, click Yes to the prompt from TidalWave or you can press the Publish button on the toolbar at any time. Select your Facebook Page from the subsequent dialog.CustomerService2
  6. A Preview of your App opens, go ahead and fill it out so you have a sample response.  An email is automatically sent to the email provided in the form, confirming that the Job Application was received and is being reviewed.
  7. Now, select your App in the grid and right click, select Process Portal from the context menu. TidalWave Process Manager opens.JobPosting3
  8. In the Inbox, you will see the task ‘Initial Resume Review’ has been created. Double click on the task and the task opens displaying the information submitted. The resume that was submitted on the Facebook App is also attached and ready for review.
  9. To Reject an Applicant:
    • If the applicant is not a good fit for your company, switch to the Reject Applicant tab.
    • Provide a reason for the rejection and click the Rejected button.
    • An email is automatically sent to the applicant thanking them for applying and informing they were not a good match for the company.jobpostingreject
  1. To Accept an Applicant:
    • If the applicant seems like a good fit, click the Accepted button.jobpostingapprove
    • A second task is created, ‘Second Resume Review’, this moves the candidate forward in the application process.
    • Click on the newly created task, an email is displayed so that you can contact the candidate and schedule a phone interview.jobpostingapprove2
    • Based on the outcome of the phone interview, you can again choose to Accept or Reject the applicant. If you accept the candidate, an email is automatically sent to them asking them to contact you and schedule an On-Site interview!



Once you have completed your tasks, they will appear in the Completed Tasks tab in TidalWave Process Manager and an entry will be added in the Reports tab in TidalWave for Facebook.

Filed under Apps, Facebook, Social BPM Tagged with , , , , , ,

Social BPM: Create a Customer Service App with Built-in Processes for Follow-Up

April 1, 2013 1 Comment

TidalWave‘s new premium Customer Service App creates a ’round-trip’ solution for your Social Customer Service needs. By combining Social Media and BPMS into Social BPM,  you can now address your clients needs directly through a combination of TidalWave for Facebook and TidalWave Process Manager.

With our Customer Service App, you can create an App for your Facebook Page that allow customers to privately submit Support Cases or Customer Service Requests. Logic is built-in so once a user submits a support ticket the page owner receives a notification. The user who submitted the ticket will also receive a confirmation email.

Now, here is where it gets really interesting!

Underneath TidalWave is a cloud-based BPMS engine (TidalWave Process Manager) that kicks off a follow-up process once a user has submitted a response. This follow-up process creates a Task which can be assigned to a Technician/Support Rep not associated with the Facebook page AND where you can put a response to the initial question asked by the user! Once a response has been submitted, an email is automatically sent with the answer to their inquiry! There you go, you have a Social BPM App.

Let’s dive in!

  1. Navigate to TidalWave.
  2. Click the Create New App button and select Customer Service  from the subsequent dialog.
  3. Provide a name and description for your App, then select 1 column from the Layout drop down and Black  for the Color Scheme, click OK to create your App.CustomerService1
  4. The App Editor opens and displays your Customer Service App with all the fields you need already configured for you.  Save and Close the App.
  5. Next, publish the App to your Facebook Page, click Yes to the prompt from TidalWave or you can press the Publish button on the toolbar at any time.CustomerService2
  6. A Preview of your App opens, go ahead and fill it out so you have a sample response.  An email is automatically sent to the email provided in the form, confirming that the Service Request was received.
  7. Now, select your App in the grid and right click, select Process Portal from the context menu. TidalWave Process Manager opens.CustomerService3
  8. In the inbox, you will see a task has been created. Double click on the task and the follow-up response form opens.  This is where you can review your customer’s case, enter a response and resolve the issue.CustomerService4
  9. Click the resolve button once you have entered a response.  An email containing your response is sent to your customer.  In addition, you will now see an entry in the reports tab of TidalWave for Facebook.CustomerService5
  10. Your task has been completed and moved to the ‘My Completed Tasks’ tab.

Filed under Apps, Facebook, Process Manager

How to Configure the FROM: field using your own Verified Email Address

March 27, 2013 Leave a comment

Want the email you send to your fans to come directly from you and not a pre-configured TidalWave email address?

Now, that you can send emails directly to your Fans, you may want to send the message from an account associated with your company rather than a TidalWave email address!  TidalWave makes this super easy to do! Once you have verified your email address via Amazon Web Services, you can quickly configure the From: field of an email message to you use your own email.

  1. Navigate to TidalWave.
  2. On the Apps Tab, select the App to which you want to add an Email Campaign. Right click to bring up the context menu and select Promotions from the menu. The Promotions dialog opens.directemail
  3. Next, select the Post an Email to your Fans radio button and click the ‘Configure Email Post’ button.
  4. In the From Email:  field enter the address you want to use to send the emails.customemailaddress1
  5. You will see a message stating that an email has been sent to the email address you specified in the From: field. You will need to click on the link sent in the email to verify your email address and send the promotion. Click the OK button.customemailaddress2
  6. Once you have verified your email with Amazon Web Services (AWS)  and received a confirmation you can complete your email promotion.customemailaddress3

See this blog post on how to customize the body of your email message and send the email to your Fans.

Filed under Apps, Facebook, How To's

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