We just released a new update for our FB Member Lock plugin.  We have incorporated the use of both Google Plus and LinkedIn into the plugin.  Now, along with the Facebook Connect features of the plugin you can now connect new members on your WordPress blog with both of these other Social Networks as well.  This was a high demand set of features and we have listed to what you wanted from the plugin.  Now you have it.

Because of this change, we are now changing the name of the Plugin from FB Member Lock to Social Member Lock.  Same Plugin, just new and very powerful features.

In case you are are new or just unfamiliar with what Social Member Lock does, allow me to give you a brief overview.  Social Member Lock will allow you to create Socially Connected Memberships on your blog using Facebook, Google Plus, and LinkedIn Connect.  Much more than a Content Locker like the WP Social Traffic Blaster, SML allows you to use any Content on your site as a way to convert Visitors into “Members” while simultaneously adding them to Your Mailing List.  You can use Multiple Pages of Content just like any Member Area you would create with any membership plugin or you can use small slices of content like a Video, Download, or other select content from inside a single page using SML shortcodes.  There is really no limit to what you can do with it.

I personally like to call it the only plugin which allows you to turn any content, page, post, or custom post type into a Squeeze Page.  You can offer anything, have Visitors to your site Subscribe to your site, become “Social” Members, and be introduced to your mailing list all in one shot.  You can use any 3rd Party Mailing list provider as well.  Aweber, Getresponse, Mailchimp, Mad Mimi, etc.

The difference between using this and an Optin Form is….You don’t need an Optin Form and you can put deliver actual high quality content in a Member Area in which your Social Members can return and log back in via our Sidebar Social Login Widget.  I have personally used this to give away free Video Training and have seen an increase in Subscriber rates up to 250% over traditional optin forms.  People are used to connecting Socially now and this allows Visitors to your site to Connect and get content in just 3 clicks.  No forms to fill out and their email address is added to your Mailing List Optin Cycle.

For Facebook Users, you will also be able to post custom messages to their Facebook Walls and send messages to them via Facebook about their Membership and Content Updates.  This is a great way to build a Community using Facebook.  We are simply waiting on the Google Plus API to open up to allow this same feature set for them and LinkedIn as well.

*We wanted to add Twitter, but Twitter will not allow the connection of email addresses through their API, so we couldn’t use it.

The one question I get the most about FB/ Social Member Lock is:  What is the difference between Social Member Lock and the WP Social Traffic Blaster?  The answer is easy.  Social Member Lock “Connects” you to Visitors and Visitors to your site and increases your Subscribers while the Traffic Blaster increases Traffic via Social Media Signals generated by Facebook Likes, Google +1’s, Twitter Tweets, and LinkedIn Shares (not to mention it also uses the Facebook Friend Inviter system to generate traffic as well).

If you haven’t upgraded automatically via your WordPress Blog Updates section already, you can always get the new updated version of Social Member Lock in the Member Account Dashboard now.  We haven’t changed the Ecover graphic from FB Member Lock to Social Member Lock yet, but no worries it will happen in the next few days. 🙂

If you haven’t tried the Social Member Lock plugin yet, remember we are running a Special until the end of the day April 14th.  You can get 25% Off your entire order here at WP Social using Coupon Code:  april25off