Are You In Business? Why You Need Social Media Management!

Apr 282012

If you’re in business, social media management is something you need to know about.

So… what is Social Media Management and why do you need it?

If you have a business and you’re wanting to create an internet presence, you’ll want to use your blog as your main “hub” to all things ‘social’ online.

When you combine your blog with social networking, good search engine optimization, and social media management, you’re looking at taking your online presence (and your business) to a whole new level. That’s because sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube have brought a completely new way of marketing to the table, and every successful business, group, club, and organization is getting their slice of the pie.

Marketing budgets that were once directed toward offline marketing and advertising are being redirected to plugging into the mobile and online campaigns. This is happening simply because of the vast number of people that can be reached worldwide, as opposed to the local community. Have social media management can actually help to get your business recognized all over the world. And depending on your product or service, this could make a huge difference in your bottom line!

Social Media Management is More Than Most People Think.

We all know about the top 5 Power social sites, but did you know that there are literally hundreds of places where you can be social online?

Did you also know that included in being social online goes beyond just the social media platforms, but also includes mediums like videos, podcasting, message boards, forums, social bookmarking, wikis, and more…? In essence, all the places where people gather together online to share information, videos, blogs, pictures, etc… is considered social media, and without social media management, staying on top of all of this is very, very time consuming and often difficult for most business owners to do.

Here’s why your business needs social media management.

Everybody likes perks, and one of the best perks to taking advantage of with social media is that it does not matter how big or small… young or old… your business is. Social media management can fit into your marketing budget – even if you don’t have one yet.

I never recommend that busy business owners try to keep up with their own social media management. When it’s done properly, it can take several hours a day, and most owners just can’t spare that kind of time. One downfall that sometimes, business will push their social media management to the side until they can “get around to it”. Figuring out how to squeeze it in usually never happens unless you actually get someone to mange your social media for you.

Another pitfall… most business owners have no idea how or where to start when it comes to their Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, or blog. This is where social media management really comes into play.

Whoever is taking care of the social media management for your business will make sure that you’re interacting with the right people. They’ll help you follow your targeted audience, share important information about your business, respond to your customer’s questions, and keep you “actively” making updates and posts to keep your online socializing moving forward. This frees up your time so that you can spend it handling those all-important matters that YOU need to tend to most.

And the very best part… social media management all works in the background while business goes on as usual. Nobody knows who’s keeping everything up… they just see the results of you “engaging” with your audience, and that is a major plus for any business!

Social Media Management can also help to build and maintain an amazing reputation and popularity for your business in a huge way. All of your online profiles will be maintained, meaning they’ll always be fresh and updated and the customer service that happens as a result will make your potential clients even more open to do business with you. That’s because as soon as an issue arises, it’s handled right on the spot. Others see this as well… another check mark for your business!

And if you’re really new to the whole social networking thing… your social media manager can help you put it all together and come up with the strategy that’s a perfect fit for you and your business.

When I do consultations with businesses looking to get involved in using social media with their marketing and they’re not sure whether they want to dive in or not, I simply tell them that the reason everybody’s doing it is because it really does work!

Phone books, newspapers, and magazines are not nearly as effective as they once were. Not to mention… they’re out-dated and expensive by comparison. Once the paper is replaced by the next issue, your ad becomes unimportant and your investment is gone. With social media management, you simply continue to build and build until you’ve created an unstoppable online machine that continues to run whether you’ve pushed the button that day or not.

So what’s my point and what should be your “take-away” be from reading this article?

Social Media Management is necessary in this day and age. If you’re not involved yet, you should do whatever you need to, to get there.

If you use the right online strategy with social media management to keep it all going, you could start to see a much greater return from your business’ online efforts.

Now, if you feel a little lost in this arena, don’t be. You don’t have to try to figure it out on your own because I happen to offer social media management services! You’re not surprised are you…

With my social media management services, you won’t have to be concerned about relying on outdated “selling” techniques for your business. You can easily create an online presence that will build relationships that can connect your business with new customers and help you keep existing ones happy.

So if you feel it’s time for your business to take it to the next level, click the link to find out how my social media management services can help you get started building your online presence today!

So Why Is There So Much Interest in “Pinterest”?

Apr 252012

Maybe you haven’t had the chance to take a look at Pinterest yet… If not, now would be a really good time.

And just in case you’re just hearing about it for the first time and you’re not really sure what it is, it’s one of the newest social networking platforms that allows you to publish or “pin” photos for content… Think of it as a little Tumblr and a little Flickr combined.

I don’t think any of us knew exactly what to expect when this new social networking site first came out and you may have already formed your own opinion. But the fact that this new online ’picture party’ went viral in a social networking world that’s already seemingly saturated, makes you want to stand up and take notice. Obviously, the owners have done something really right with this one.

Here’s the idea behind Pinterest…

As a user, you have what’s referred to as a ‘theme board’. You are able to “pin” images that you select from anywhere on the internet to your board. These images direct people to whatever content you have them linked to.

This new social media magnet has grown by leaps and bounds in a very short time… probably because of its’ visual appeal. This new platform actually reached 10 million unique visitors per month faster than any other site in the history of social media.

Wikipeda describes it this way:

Users of Pinterest curate themed boards, populating them with media found online using the “Pin It” button, or uploaded from their computers.[15] Each such item of media is known as a “pin”, and can be a picture, a video, a discussion, or a product. Pins can be grouped into “boards”, which are sets of pins focused on a specific topic. Pinterest can be accessed by adding the “pin it” button to the desktop bookmark bar, “follow me” and “pin it” buttons added to personal website or blog pages, and the Pinterest iPhone application available through the App Store.
To register for Pinterest, new users must receive an invitation from a friend already registered on Pinterest or request an invitation directly from the Pinterest website. The registration process currently requires users to link their Pinterest account to their Facebook or Twitter account. Users choosing to log in via Facebook must be using (or opt in to) Facebook’s “Timeline” format.

One great thing is that this new social media platform is great for anyone who wants to promote an already existing blog or website, or expand an existing online network. And as always, many internet marketers are already using it to market their businesses and use it as another way to make money online.

And also… as usual… the spammers have already shown up, but… that’s pretty much expected whenever something really good like Pinterest comes along.

The best way to determine if Pinterest is right for you is to check it out for yourself!

And as always, if you want to stay up to date on the latest internet info, be sure to join my newletter or subscribe to my RSS feed.

Tagged: Pinterest

How Safe Is Too Safe When It Comes To Being Transparent Online?

Apr 142012

Here’s Part 2 of some benefits to being more “transparent” on your blog.

Read “Are You Comfortable Being Transparent Online” if you missed Part 1.

Depending on your set-up, your customers all over the world can have instant access to you.

Using Social Networking in your marketing is one of the best ways to give your clients instant access to you, and that’s really what people want. Giving people access is one form of being open and transparent. In other words, you have an email… you have a phone number… you’re accessible and real, and your potentials can actually make a real connection with you.

Your Business Will Last Longer When You’re Honest and Transparent

There are many business that have died simply because they were dishonest, or weren’t willing to “reach out and touch” or “be touched”. If you want your business to continue moving forward and not end up in the business graveyard with a tombstone that reads “Here Lies Another Failed Business”, you want to learn how to be transparent with your readers.

You’ll Be Able to Target the Perfect Customer For Your Business

When your customers know more about you and what you can offer them, they’ll be more likely to make a decision whether to do business with you or not. People want to do business with those who can offer them exactly what they want and need. When you’re transparent online, it’s the best way to let your online community know how you can help them, and it will actually have them come looking for you.

Rise To The Top of Your Niche

Being transparent will keep you out of the pool of online marketers who are all ‘pretending’ to be and do things that they know nothing about. The days of trying to pull the wool over your readers’ eyes is over. People are too smart for that now. If you are truly professional at what you do, share it and watch your target market continue to return to do business with you time and time again.

You Will Be Able to Communicate With Your Potential Customers

Being completely transparent allows you to open a line of communication with your customers that you would otherwise never have. You can use social networking to deliver your message to your potential buyers and have a two-way dialog on a continuous basis. Constant communication is one of the best ways to keep your customers coming back for more.

When you are real with your customers and clients, it gives you an opportunity to share your life, a little piece of you. There’s something about being transparent that moves your audience from customers to associates to friends. This type of business to customer relationship only happens with honest communication, and it’s not a difficult thing to do.

Just keep in mind that you just need to be authentic in your communications.

Be transparent, but don’t be too personal when it comes to what you share online.

People don’t need to know about your most intimate personal affairs. But you can easily share your thoughts, ideas, hobbies, activities and interests. Just talking about your everyday life and lifestyle can go a very long way.

You’ll be surprised at how you can connect with your readers when they can find places to connect with you… outside of what you’re offering in business. Being honest and transparent is how you invite “like-minded” people into your world and attract the right people for your business.

You must understand that whether you’re all in or not, using the internet and social media is the way of the world. You’ll either hop on board and reap the benefits that go along with it or get more and more left behind every day that you don’t participate.

Becoming transparent online is a very smart thing to do… for anyone in business. Embrace the fact that social networking is here to stay and the sooner you learn to become more transparent, the sooner and the more your business (online or off) will explode.

For more tips on finding online success through blogging and/or other internet habits, don’t forget to subscribe to my feed.

And by all means, please comment and let us know how social networking and being transparent online has affected your business.

Why Do Social Media Bloggers Seem to Make the Most Money!

Mar 312012

As a lifestyle blogger, you probably already understand the importance of using social media to maintain your online presence.

These online social media relationships can be built with customers, business partners, or other bloggers. The important thing is to realize that the communication and trust that you build with others through the internet can have a lot to do with your level of online success.

Using social media to build new relationships is nothing new, but definitely necessary.

Every time you get a new friend request or follower through social media, you get another opportunity to put your blog in front of new people. If you haven’t started using the social networking sites to make these connections, you’re missing out on a huge online opportunity.

There are tons of social media outlets and circles you can join and participate in, but the main point is to choose something that suits you, then be consistent. This means that you should engage yourself with the community you have chosen. Post often, reply to messages and update your status regularly. (I sometimes get side-tracked and struggle with this level of consistency… so writing this reminds me that there is much for me to do… still.)

One benefit of using social media as a lifestyle or marketing blogger, is that it’s 100% free. Or should I say… free when it comes to spending money. But when it comes to time, there is a price to pay, and that price is so worth it.

When you really get involved in social media in a serious way, you can’t be sluggish about it. Making a status update here and there and tweeting once a week will not cut it. Consider your social media activity as important as your daily marketing.

You also want to be sure to interact with your circle of influence in a way that lets them know that you are genuinely interested in what they have to say as much as you want them to hear what you have to say. Just like everything else in life, you’ll get out of it what you put into it, and social media is no different.

Important Note: If you want to become a career blogger, meaning your blog actually makes you money, you have to use social media as more than a place to post links.

Social media bloggers get the opportunity to not only share their products and services with those that they interact with, they also get the chance to establish themselves as a voice that people want to hear. Not only does your business grow through sales you make, but you gain a level of trust and credibility that usually comes no other way… and this is priceless.

Keep in mind though… you don’t want to become one of those “salesy” types who uses social media as a platform just to “pitch your wares”. You have to find a way to ‘woo’ your audience, not chase them away. Go too far in the wrong direction on social media marketing and you’ll do more harm than help, and your online community will start to run in the other direction when they see you coming. And when you do make offers, make sure that what you’re offering is relevant to your community.

When you’re just starting out as a social media blogger, pay close attention to the market place, and specifically, to your circle. Watch, listen, and learn. The things in social media that turn you off or rub you the wrong way, you’ll probably want to steer away from. Those things that you feel good about, study them and find out why. Believe it or not, you can learn a whole lot from your competition.

And most importantly, remember that with social media, you’ll get back the same thing you put out. If you want people to follow and interact with you, you’ve got to be willing to do the same with others. If you want people to make comments on your blog posts, (I mean real ones… not that automated stuff that makes no sense..) you’ve got to go out and comment on your fellow bloggers posts, as well.

The internet can be a strange bird, but when you treat her right, she can become your very best friend. Using social media the right way can definitely help you build an online business that will give you that lifestyle that most successful bloggers have.

Now, all you have to do is go out there in social media land and be social!

For more blogging tips and tactics on using social media effectively, be sure to join my newsletter and subscribe to my RSS feed.

Tagged in Social Media.

Are You Using the Most Common Social Networking Sites?

Oct 302011

Get the full understanding of what the Social Networking basics are all about and you’re more than halfway there.

I’ve written this post for all the grandmas and grandpas who are completely clueless about what’s going on on the internet. I’ve tried to keep everything in lay terms… and as simple as possible so you can get an understanding of what the social networking basics that you keep hearing about are all about.

Also, if you’re not a grandma or grand-pop and you’re completely new to the internet and social networking, this is where you can get a little up to speed. I’ll include some tips on how to use social networking to help market your business online.

Here are the top 8 social networking sites you need to know about:

Facebook: The world’s largest and most popular social networking site is a planet within itself. Members go to find other people who share the same interests or activities. You can build your own online profile and share different types of information with your friends and fans, such as pictures, videos, blog entries, links to other sites, and music clips. A good marketing strategy is to create a Facebook “Fan or Business Page”to help promote your business. Encourage your clients to join also, then you can easily alert them whenever you have updates to share about your products,services and events.

Twitter: A “micro-blogging” social networking site. Members send each other short text-based posts of up to 140 characters. When you find members whose “tweets” you like, you can subscribe to their feed and be updated whenever they send a new message.

YouTube: The internet’s top social networking video-sharing site. Members share and comment on each others videos. You can post a link on your profile page can direct other people to your site. Also, the videos you share can help establish your reputation as an expert in your industry. For example, you could share a “how-to” video that shows your market how to solve a common problem. If you’re not the next Stephen Spielberg, don’t worry — your videos don’t have to be super professional. In many cases, a video shot with a regular digital camera will work just fine.

LinkedIn: The most popular business-oriented social networking site on the Web. This site has hundreds of thousands of registered users. It’s a great place to find potential business partners as well as people who may be interested in your products or services.

Digg: One of the most popular news-sharing social networking sites. Members post links to their favorite news articles and then comment and vote on the ones they like best. If you get a good rating on an article that includes a link to your site, you could see a huge rush of traffic overnight.

Stumbleupon: Wikipedia calls this social networking site a “personalized recommendation engine.” Members can explore and rate Web pages, photos, and videos. When they hit the “Stumble!” button on the site’s toolbar, the results displayed are ranked based on your previous ratings as well as the ratings of friends and of members with similar interests. If Stumbleupon members give your site or blog a good ranking, your site will be shown in their results more often, which could lead to a surge of traffic to your site.

Yelp: A popular review social networking site where members write reviews about local businesses. If you own a local business, you want to be sure to get in on this one!

Delicious: A popular bookmarking site. Members save links to their favorite websites or articles — just like the bookmarks in your browser — and share those links with other people. Members of this social networking site are able to comment on each others’ links. Every comment you write links to your personal profile where you can include a link to your site. The more comments you make, the more people you encourage to visit your profile page — and the more traffic you’ll end up directing to your site.

There are many, many more social media sites with a lot of similarities, although each one has a personality of its own.

I will be continuously adding information to this site that will give you the basics on how to use the most popular aspects of social media, so check back often for the updates.

Or better yet, subscribe to our newsletter and you will be among the first to receive more information on social networking as they’re posted!

Are You Social Networking or Social Pestering?

Sep 272011

If you have a product or service that is targeted towards a certain niche or market, one of the best ways to get the word out is through Social Networking.

Now when I mention the actual words ‘social networking’, please don’t get them confused with ‘social media marketing’. I prefer to view social networking as relationship building.

While this popular topic is all about meeting “like-minded” people and building relationships with them, it can also lead to enormous success in your niche. This is because millions of people are all over these popular networking sites every single day. What you want is to meet some of them, develop a good business relationship and let them know how you can help them.

Remember… the trend today is all about doing business on a more personal level. Internet marketing and blogging, when joined together with social networking really does work. It’s all about working with and buying from ‘real people’ rather than huge brick and mortar offices.

Social Networking is about people… Build A relationship first… Get them to know, trust and like you, then they will buy from you!

Those who are most successful online have learned how to build good relationships with people they’ve never met and turn them into people who know, like and trust them. It’s about branding yourself and your business, and one of the best way to do this is through social networking also referred to as social media.

Social Networking is fast, it’s viral — and with it, you can reach a lot of people in a very short period of time!

The problem that most bloggers and internet marketers have, is that they go at it all wrong. One of the worst things you want to do is turn people off with a wrong approach before they ever get the opportunity to find out what a nice person you really are!

Like in any other profession, learning to be a successful online marketer with social networking takes a certain amount of skill and knowledge to pull it off the right way. Do it wrong, and you’ve got a long journey ahead of you to try fixing it. In my opinion, if you’re going to do something… why not strive to do it right the first time. It’s always better to do it right from the start rather than try to undo the wrong and start over.

When you learn the proper way to use social media in your business, you’ll find out things like..

How to brand yourself so that people trust you
How to find a large base of leads and potential clients that will work with you or buy from you…
How to build a high-quality e-mail list with people that are actually happy to hear from you…
And how to continue meeting new people and building new relationships on a regular bases

Where most people go wrong is through buying things over and over again that is usually filled with so much “techie” stuff that most people can’t even figure it out.

In my experience, I’ve found that for me… the best way to learn is by doing… not by just reading about someone else whose just telling you what they did in another e-book. You need to “see” it, “follow” it… then you’ll be able to reap the rewards.

All of my “aha” moments of working online and learning how to use the internet properly came when I was actually able to watch over someone’s shoulder. In other words, don’t just tell me or give me another e-book to read. PLEASE SHOW ME!

I was practically begging someone… no kidding–anyone… to show me how to get sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn to actually work for me. I knew about them… I read about them… I even signed up for them… now what?

Here’s the deal. First, you need to understand what Social Networking is really all about. Not long ago poll was conducted on Mashable on this topic. Here are some of my favorite responses…

Set of updated communication tools that allow us to build new communities at a time when our local community had almost been lost… Jerry Daykn

…is a virtual framework consisting of tools which enable users with a common goal or interest to set up communities and exchange information… Christophe Debruyne

Social Media is on-demand, real time interaction, that uses technology to enable genuine engagement with others around media vs simply sharing data with them… corecorina

It is the ability to connect and see the world in your own way.The personalization of one of the greatest human achievements: communication… Benjamin Fischbein

A new set of tools that allows humans to do what we love most, tell stories, connect and commiserate with one another… atlantawineguy

Sharing your interests, feelings, likes & dislikes, thoughts & views from past, present & future, for not only your friends but all to see… Niagara Falls Hotels

Social Media is a network of communication conducted through various online channels that builds and strengthens relationships between companies, customers and potential customers in order to satisfy the needs of all who are involved… Charles Falls

I could go on and on… but here’s the bottom line. Did you notice that none of these statements talked about stalking people with affiliate links to sales pages? And thankfully, most of them had the same underlying message. Build Relationships!

If you want to learn all about social networking, if you want to use it to build a successful business and develop a positive online presence, I’ll say it again… you need to learn how to do it the right way.

While there are many, many sites, e-books, courses, and the like out there on the net that promise to teach you all about Social Networking (I know… I’ve bought them all…) I haven’t found one that’s more complete, helpful and easy to follow… hands down… than what I found at the Social Networking Academy.

Even if you don’t have a business or a niche in mind, the Social Networking Academy can help guide you… honestly… every step of the way. And the best part, you don’t even have to understand all the techie stuff. It’s for regular, every day people!

All I’ll say is this. You owe it to yourself to at least check it out. Once you see all that the academy has to offer… YOU be the judge. Then, be sure to come back and let me know how it helped you.

If you’re serious about building an online empire, or even just a small business, learn the skills. Don’t tick people off because you’re doing it wrong. It’s not your fault if you were given bad information.

If you’re in business, social media management is something you need to know about.

Social Media Management is More Than Most People Think.

Here’s why your business needs social media management.

Social Media Management is necessary in this day and age. If you’re not involved yet, you should do whatever you need to, to get there.

Related Posts:

Maybe you haven’t had the chance to take a look at Pinterest yet… If not, now would be a really good time.

Here’s the idea behind Pinterest…

The best way to determine if Pinterest is right for you is to check it out for yourself!

Related Posts:

Here’s Part 2 of some benefits to being more “transparent” on your blog.

Depending on your set-up, your customers all over the world can have instant access to you.

Your Business Will Last Longer When You’re Honest and Transparent

You’ll Be Able to Target the Perfect Customer For Your Business

Rise To The Top of Your Niche

You Will Be Able to Communicate With Your Potential Customers

Be transparent, but don’t be too personal when it comes to what you share online.

Related Posts:

As a lifestyle blogger, you probably already understand the importance of using social media to maintain your online presence.

Using social media to build new relationships is nothing new, but definitely necessary.

Important Note: If you want to become a career blogger, meaning your blog actually makes you money, you have to use social media as more than a place to post links.

Now, all you have to do is go out there in social media land and be social!

Related Posts:

Get the full understanding of what the Social Networking basics are all about and you’re more than halfway there.

Here are the top 8 social networking sites you need to know about:

Or better yet, subscribe to our newsletter and you will be among the first to receive more information on social networking as they’re posted!

Related Posts:

If you have a product or service that is targeted towards a certain niche or market, one of the best ways to get the word out is through Social Networking.

Social Networking is about people… Build A relationship first… Get them to know, trust and like you, then they will buy from you!

Get the right info and become successful at social networking with the help of the Social Networking Academy today!

Related Posts: