How to Change the Name of your Facebook Business Page! | Abbotsford IT Support & Services

A lot of local businesses here in Abbotsford, and the Fraser Valley, have gone through some renovations in the last few years.

We’ve gone through a branding change as well, and the reality is that all the steps involved can take a lot of work.

When our grand launch day finally arrived, we were more than ready to share our hard work with the world. All our ducks were in a row, paperwork finished, and the new artwork prepped and ready to go. One of the last things we had to do was announce our new name on social media!

Changing things on most of our social media accounts went very smoothly. Instagram was a breeze, as were Twitter and Google. However, (surprisingly) Facebook was more of a challenge than we had anticipated.

Facebook Procedures

On the surface, it looks easy. You just go to the About section of your business page and click “edit” next to your page name. However, this is where we encountered a surprise.

Facebook’s algorithms will not approve your name change if it looks too different to the previous one. We ran into this problem because our new name looks nothing like our old name… and Facebook refused to approve the change! (Even more surprisingly, though, they had no issue with us changing the username, which gives you your vanity URL!)

In the Page Support Inbox, next to the message telling us of our new name failure, there is an option to appeal their decision. However, our experience (and further research!) showed us that this will do absolutely nothing to help your plight.

So, we found a work around… and it was a success! Being the helpful folks we are, we thought we would share our process…

2-Tier Process

For the easiest success, it is best to do the change in 2 phases.

PHASE 1: First, you change it to a temporary name that incorporates both your new name AND old name. (So, for example, if you are changing your business from something like “Joe Bloggs Plumbing” to “Easy Run Waterworks”, you would make the new FB page name something like “Easy Run Waterworks – Joe Bloggs Plumbing”.) You need to leave it like that for at least 7 days (as per Facebook rules).

PHASE 2: Once your 7 days is up, go back to the name edit option, and repeat the process, but this time change it the name you ultimately want. (i.e. dropping the old name part). Done!

I totally understand the logic behind it. Facebook works on a lot of automation but still wants to protect the everyday user from scams and confusion. You also want your customers/audience to understand that you are the same company with just a new name, and this 2 step process does reinforce that. It is just a tiny bit annoying when you just want to get things done and move on!

WildFrog supports businesses in the Fraser Valley with all their technology needs. Call us at 604-210-9811 for a free quote to switch to WildFrog’s expert support today.

Is AI as scary as it sounds? | Vintage Wildfrog Post

We wrote this post before the big AI boom of 2022!

Now we want to know, how is your Abbotsford business using AI? Comment below if you have any questions about AI that you’d like answered by our IT service technicians.

Enjoy!

AI (or artificial intelligence) is such a big buzz word/phrase, right now, as more and more new products are claiming to use the technology, with plenty more predicted to come. AI is everywhere… from transportation to healthcare. This year’s CES even featured a few products claiming to be AI-infused, although how many of these products are actually AI? Should we be worried about the rise of the machines? Well, it really depends on what your definition of AI is.

To many of us, you say AI and you immediately conjure up scary images from movies like Terminator or iRobot, with a real fear that one day machines will eclipse mankind and relegate us to some form of servitude or post-apocalyptic society. In reality, the version of AI that we are now seeing is actually a subcategory called machine learning. It is really a form of coding that is allowing a machine to finish its programming by learning from various patterns and behaviours that it observes. It really doesn’t have an awareness of self or independent thought beyond the given task. (Big sigh of relief there!)

So, looking at real world examples, take the self-driving car. It uses the data, rules and parameters that it was given (highway code laws, maps, your chosen route, collision avoidance rules) to navigate roads it hasn’t travelled on before and get you to a destination. It may use AI to make an instant decision to avoid a collision or choose a better route in a heavy traffic situation, but it doesn’t actually think spontaneously for itself and only seeks an outcome to arrive at a predetermined destination in one piece. No sudden distracted diversions because of its personal opinion that it thought the little red hatchback was cute and wanted to see where it was going! (On the very rare occasions when these cars have been involved in an accident, reports have shown that 94% of those cases were, in fact, as a result of human error, not the technology).

It really does have some great benefits, as a computer’s black or white “thinking process” can see patterns that the human brain can miss, leading to better results. The learning process also means far less initial programming, as you are not giving it every single scenario or piece of data to work out its results – it is figuring that out on its own. Used right, machine learning can make more accurate predictions, so companies can make business decisions based on that data-driven outcome.

Machine learning technology can save lives –medical tech that requires action when it knows body chemistry isn’t correct (eg an insulin pump that uses data to know when to deliver a dose). It can save time and money – predicting a product’s performance success & making design adjustments in the early development stage, rather than having to spend more time finding those flaws at the prototype stage. The benefit list goes on.

Of course, research and development into AI is still very much ongoing, and its definition (& role in our society) will definitely change over the next 10, 20 or 50 years. It may replace the jobs of some, but it will create jobs in other areas. For now, though, it is very much at the forefront of current technology development trends and is something to embrace rather than fear.

Fraser Valley Businesses in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Langley and Mission are always welcome to give us a call for a free quote and discussion about how we can help them improve their company’s tech at 604-210-9811.

How Your Fraser Valley Business Can Leverage Automated Services

The strategic use of automation allows us to protect your business from harm.

Business technology is the bane of the modern worker. No matter how well-intentioned the members of your staff are, when they have computer troubles, it complicates everything they are trying to accomplish. This, in turn, complicates every goal you are trying to accomplish.

The automation of IT service delivery gives you a direct line to a stronger business by streamlining the services that your customers rely on. This is accomplished by removing downtime from the equation, while also securing your data and protecting your infrastructure. Since we only automate repeatable and routine tasks, it makes it so we can provide a comprehensive IT management service for an affordable monthly rate.

What Can Your Business Automate?

Many of the services we are responsible for can be automated, and many of them, in our opinion, work better as automated tasks. By taking the human element out of the equation, the time-consuming tasks that humans could conceivably mess up are replaced with repeated perfection. So the first step for the company in search of leveraging automation for IT management, and for the right managed services provider, is to determine what tasks absolutely need to be automated in order to save capital. We will assess what kind of management your organization needs, and customize our powerful solutions to protect your business.

Some of the most common automated tasks include:

• Patch management

• Backup management

• Mobile device management

• New hire management

The key to our automation is our enterprise-level Management software. This includes pre-built automations and customizable options to build more services. In some cases, it’s as simple as clicking the options in a menu, but you have to know what systems you want control of, and what maintenance is required to keep those systems working efficiently. With tools being managed by knowledgeable technicians, you will see a precipitous increase in IT availability, which will immediately decrease the amount of downtime your organization sees.

How Do You See Value From Automation?

When your technology breaks, you have to fix it. That much is understood. What many business owners don't understand is that the costs that are really hurting their business are the ones that come from employee downtime. These costs add up quickly and can, depending on the problem, be a major reason your organization’s profitability wanes.

We use automation to ensure that your hardware is up and running properly, that your network is free of process-hindering threats, and that your software is current. These processes, if done manually, would cost you (and us) a fortune in man-hours. We have done the legwork to ensure your IT is stable and running efficiently, which leads to a stable and efficient business.

Are you a business in Abbotsford BC or the surrounding area, seeking to optimize your business’ tech?

WildFrog Systems’ services are the solution your business needs to eliminate downtime. If you would like more information about automation, remote monitoring, or any of our other managed IT services, call us today at 604-210-9811.