The first way to make a business social media campaign easier to use is to have daily goals. Daily goals keep a business owner or a social media manager focused on what they need to do to build the business and the network of the business. Daily goals are the secret to not feeling overwhelmed by some massive amount of information and possible actions that a business can take while on the social systems. Therefore, these daily goals are almost everything inside a social campaign. These goals help save a business owner or social manager's sanity during the day.

Another thing that the business social networks can do, especially when they are combined with a collaborative tool is delegate tasks that must be done effectively. A business owner is a person who has a very limited amount of time. Therefore, they cannot be bogged down with minuscule tasks that do not bring money into a business. A business owner is the driving force behind a business and therefore their time must be used for activities that generate a lot of revenue. This is because they are the only person in the business who could do this. Therefore, the smaller tasks that can be delegated should be delegated. This allows the business owner to focus on building the business and not doing minuscule things that do not help the business grow.

This is why a collaborative tool combined with a social business-networking platform is very important. These tools allow a business owner to effectively delegate the work to someone who is less important in the business. Therefore, the business owner can spend all their time building the business instead of worrying about if there floor is mopped or if they sent a bill out. A business owner needs to worry about growing the business and nothing else.

The last and most important thing that a business owner can do to make their social networking campaign as effective as possible is to find someone to help them. Obviously, this takes an expert in using the social media system. There many people who purport that they are social media experts but they are not. A real social media expert is someone who can build a list, and use that list to sell products and services. Most social media experts rely on their friend and follower list to prove how good they are at the social media systems. However, a large list is not a buying list. Sometimes that list is just a list of people who like to hear from that particular list owner. The truth about social media and its experts is that those who are skilled at using social media systems are able to sell products and services with their list. If a social expert cannot do this then they are not an expert they are merely an amateur who is good at building a list of people who like to hear them talk.

In conclusion, there are many things that a business owner can do to make their business social networking experience more effective than it presently is. Looking at this article in paying attention to all the details will help a business grow their social media campaign larger. This is a massive plus as a larger network is always helpful to grow the business. Therefore, any business that is hesitating to get into social media should not hesitate anymore and find the right help to get them the results that they want.

Scott Buendia consults for Bizbuilt.com. All the views and tactics in this article are tactics and ideas of the author; they do not necessarily represent the ideals, beliefs, or trademarks of Bizbuilt.com. Visit his card on Bizbuilt here, https://www.bizbuilt.com/socialmediaprivacy.

View the original article here

One of the hardest things a business can face is keeping the morale of their workers at a high level. A happy team is a more productive and effective team. However, this is not an easy thing to manage because teams can feel disconnected from each other. Therefore, the feeling of being united together for a common goal can seem like a farfetched idea. This is why social networking is an excellent solution. A person knows that their fellow co-worker is not more than a few clicks away. This ability to communicate quickly allows the team to have more trust in each other and allows them to work together at speeds that were previously not available.

It is no secret that team members need to communicate with each other to be as effective as possible. In some business environments, team members can be separated by levels of floors or even geographical distance. This is why a social networking platform is very important. This allows the team to work together even when they are not together. This ability allows some teams to be in the field while there are other members who stay at the home office to support them. This allows each person to do their jobs effectively and without fear of not having the right resources available at every turn.

Team members can also schedule meetings over the networks. These meetings allow a team to feel more connected because not only can they meet online but in person. Team members can also schedule lunches together to allow them to learn about each other and grow closer as units. This increases the effectiveness of both parties and gives them a reason to stay longer with a company than they would have normally. This is a massive plus when a business owner or a manager needs to increase the morale of their workers quickly.

The power of social networking for morale boosting purposes is well documented by current advertisements. It is hard to turn on the TV without seeing an ad for a wireless company that does not tout how social media program is very effective at bringing people together. One of the most famous commercials even has a team of people getting together for a going away lunch with another co-worker. There are also numerous commercials of employees sharing video of recent happenings around the office at high speeds. This is all made possible by the use of social networking inside a company.

If a company wants to raise morale quickly in the workplace, then they only need to implement a social networking program internally. This is an isolated internal system for employees only. This platform will bring the team together in ways that the business cannot imagine, as well as increasing the productivity of each team member within the system. Communication is very important for any relationship. Giving team members the ability to communicate with each other will allow them to develop deeper relationships that can be beneficial for all parties.

Scott Buendia consults for Bizbuilt.com. All the views and tactics in this article are tactics and ideas of the author; they do not necessarily represent the ideals, beliefs, or trademarks of Bizbuilt.com. Visit his card on Bizbuilt here, https://www.bizbuilt.com/socialmediaprivacy.

View the original article here

Ever since July 2011, Google+ has very well made its presence known in the market. While many hesitated to opt for the change, several jumped at this new introduction. The only problem was that Google+ was new to the whole system of networking and social media, in spite of the fact that the moderators tried to introduce several pages similar to social networking sites.

The Advantages of Google+

The biggest advantage of using Google+ is that; the results found have been made vigilant in the search engine as well. The ultimate advantage of this is that there will be an increase in web traffic and the publishing of your content in Google+ will be displayed as the top results of the search engine.

Though the whole procedure is still in its initial phase, it is apparent that several developments will take place in the coming future. The new system has also made room for several participatory actions which echo a certain social networking site a lot. Such features are like, comments and shares. For the most part, it is advised that a business page is launched on Google+ as soon as possible.

A comparison with Facebook

There are several features in Google+ which will duly enable you to see the whole outlay of Google inside out. Since some changes in the trend of search results were seen some time back, the Google algorithm makes the significance of the customs somewhat easy.

Not that the same is possible with Facebook. Neither the Google search engine, nor surprisingly Facebook itself can actually revert back to the topic that is relevant to access. The best that can be done on Facebook is to post new and different creations on the wall and at the most choose an update on the status.

Google Plus, to some extent follows the same trend. Several posted points of those who follow you on the new system can be seen, somewhat similar to Facebook. Nevertheless, Google+ will beat Facebook hands down when it comes to the order of the results published in the search engine.

This practice will also enable you to interact with the people who follow you on Google Plus. In fact, it is safe to say that such technique will help you to target the type of messages that will be popular and needs to be sent. Overall, Google+ has done an excellent job in tracking, segmenting and following up with the list of followers.

Moreover, there is a new method of following pages and people who are related to what you are related. Apart from an opportunity to expand your business endeavors, this is a street smart way of learning more. Gaining of information from the Google+ page which exists in Google is an advantage.

A good advice would be to make the content SEO rich. It is rather important that the keywords are placed in the exact point needed, like the subtitles and the introduction.

Ruhita is a passionate writer and she likes to write about different types of online business

View the original article here

Social networking is becoming a very popular topic for movies. There have been several movies that have been made about the topic. However, they are usually in the format of love stories. There has been a rare occasion when a movie was made that was more of a documentary, however, what is true about these movies is that none of them teach social networking very well. In fact, most new users should avoid these movies because they will generate unrealistic views of the networks through the movies or shows.

One of the biggest reasons that social networking (especially for business purposes) is not well represented is because most of the people writing the films are not social experts. Most of these writers only have a rudimentary knowledge of how to use the social networks for anything other than personal use. Personal use is not helpful for any person in a business setting. Those who are trying to learn social media for personal reasons are better suited watching their friends and family use the systems for business purposes than watching these movies and shows. If a person or business owner wants to learn about how to use the social media systems effectively, then they should emulate someone who uses the system correctly.

Writers also tend to romanticize the use of social media. Actors and actresses have to display emotions on their faces that most people would not have when they use the social media systems. In addition, these scenes with social media included are not realistic. Most people would not talk the way these people talk on the social network platforms. This gives an unrealistic view on how people talk to each other and exchange ideas on the social media platforms.

Movies and shows that have social media as a theme also tend to have characters that are blown out of proportion for theatrical effect. This makes the characters more interesting and allows certain people to relate to them more easily. However, it is not true to life and anyone expecting to meet any of these characters online is going to be disappointed. There are a variety of personality types on the internet but they are usually not as colorful as those found in the movies and shows that use social media platforms as a backdrop for their stories.

In conclusion, one of the worst places to try to learn how social networking works is by watching movies or shows that have social networking platforms as a backdrop for their stories. These movies and shows will give a new user an unrealistic view of how the world of social networking works. Any user trying to use the same tactics as their favorite character in one of these shows will find that they will not be successful in generating new contacts or business deals. This is the worst situation that a new user can be in, and should be avoided at all costs. A new user is better served by learning social media by watching how their peers use the systems and emulating their practices that generate results.

Scott Buendia consults for Bizbuilt.com. All the views and tactics in this article are tactics and ideas of the author; they do not necessarily represent the ideals, beliefs, or trademarks of Bizbuilt.com. Visit his card on Bizbuilt here, https://www.bizbuilt.com/socialmediaprivacy.

View the original article here

One of the biggest secrets to making money online is building a list that is targeted. Once this list is generated, it can be used to make money almost on demand (if it is built correctly from the get go). This is one of the best ways to make money from being good at and using social networking for business purposes.

Arbitrage is the ability of a person to take something and sell it at a higher price than it took to get the asset. This is extremely useful on the internet where the ability to make a new business is sometimes as easy as building a new social profile. This ability allows a person to create several businesses with low overhead.

What do you do with these profiles?

These profiles should be generated to gain followers for very niched topics. Every topic will generate unique followers who are interested in the product or service. These people are valuable because they have already raised their hand for the information that was promised. There are plenty of businesses that will pay money to have those people see what they have to offer. This is where a person can build a business from nothing and almost no cost.

The action that makes this all possible is list building. There are many marketing gurus who believe that list building is the most important skill (it is debatable whether or not it is). List building is a difficult thing for most businesses to do because they have no idea that they should even be building a list. This is why social networking is a great place to do this, because social networks themselves are list-building products.

This list is valuable because most businesses do not understand how to build a list or how to get in front of prospects who are already interested in what they have to offer. They will pay to get access to the list and are willing to pay top dollar for this at times. All the business owner had to do was open the profile and deliver relevant content to those people so that they can follow the poster.

This is a form of arbitrage. What a business owner is investing in this case is time and knowledge. A person just needs to have the knowledge already or to get the knowledge to deliver to those markets. Those posts that the readers read on the social networks must be relevant and helpful to the readers' situations. The ability to deliver relevant content is the only thing that this business model needs.

List building is really the same as social networking for business purposes. A business owner is trying to generate a larger pool of contacts and possible clients. This is no different on social media platforms where the focus is on generating larger and larger audiences (also known as "friends" and "followers." A person or business owner who is successful at generating a large number of followers or friends has an asset that they can monetize even if the list does not buy their products and services. Every business needs to take list building more seriously than they currently do. Every business should look at their social networking for business purposes as list building.

Scott Buendia consults for Bizbuilt.com. All the views and tactics in this article are tactics and ideas of the author; they do not necessarily represent the ideals, beliefs, or trademarks of Bizbuilt.com. Visit his card on Bizbuilt here, https://www.bizbuilt.com/socialmediaprivacy.

View the original article here

My inspiration for that post origins in a recent Podcast of the SoLoMo Show, hosted by Cory O'Brien and Adam Helweh. In my opinion, by far the best Podcast for Social Media Marketing. It covers current developments around social, local and mobile marketing and gives excellent recommendations for hot online tools. It is a must for every online marketer, so check it out.

Adam and Cory were discussing the meaning of a Facebook Like based on a recent case, where a deputy got fired because he liked the Facebook page of the opposition. The whole conversation went in the direction whether or not Social Media should be considered free speech. I don't want to dive too deep in the topic but follow the thoughts. I asked myself which meaning a Facebook Like has for myself. Which emotions, feelings and expressions do I connect with a click on the famous button?

Facebook's statement about the Like Button

What is the Like feature?

"Like is a way to give positive feedback or to connect with things you care about on or off of Facebook. You can like content that your friends post to give them feedback or like a Page that you want to connect with on Facebook" What does it mean to "Like" something? "Clicking Like under something you or a friend posts on Facebook is an easy way to let someone know that you enjoy it, without leaving a comment."

What does it mean to Like a Page or content off of Facebook?

"When you click Like on a Facebook Page, in an advertisement, or on content, you are making a connection. A story about your like will appear on your Wall (timeline) and may also appear in your news feed. You may be displayed on the Page you connected to, in advertisements about that Page, or in social plugins next to the content you like... Facebook Pages you like may post updates to your news feed or send you messages. Your connection to the page may also be shared with apps on the Facebook Platform."

The official Facebook statement about their button is as rational as expected. The takeaway is that Liking something is a sort of positive feedback for things you care about. Clicking the Like Button shows that you enjoy a post without commenting it. Very important is the point that a Like appears not only on your own timeline and in the news feed but is also shared with third-party apps. A Like is not limited to your own Facebook community and can travel quite a long way. Therefore, you shouldn't underestimate the impact of a quick Like.

When do you click the Facebook Like Button?

There are different motives for clicking the small Button on a mouse or touchpad. Since the Facebook language changed form "Become a Fan" to "Like", it could simply mean that you want to follow a brand or a page to get the latest updates. Pages often give discounts or further insights after you liked their page. Maybe you are really a fan of the organization, maybe it's hip to follow them or the action is only based on give-aways by the page you like. Clicking the Like button for a brand is a form of self-expression or public endorsement - simply a matter of individual interpretation.

Away from pages, a Like may mean that you endorse a status, statement, image or comment. It does not necessarily mean that you actually like the posted content, but you agree with it. Basically, it is a quick and casual way to express approval and show your sympathy. For instance, liking a status "your friend went from being in a relationship into being a single" expresses probably your concern instead of liking the split up (at least in most cases).

A study from ExactTarget reveals interesting findings about the meaning of a Facebook Like to users. They conclude that a Like is ambiguous and can have subtle variations in meaning that are highly dependent on context and the individual user. The study states that a Like is light-hearted, casual and fun and no commitment to anything.

"I like it, but in a different Way"

I asked some of my friends what they think when clicking the Facebook Like button. I got different answers. Some act intuitive because they really like a page or a post, others want to show support for an action or share interests with their friends. My personal use of the button is rather limited. I follow some brands because I really appreciate what they are doing and I want to keep up with their latest news. I like images and posts of friends in my network to express that I enjoy the contributions. In my perception, Facebook is still a social network, which is meant to be entertaining and let us connect which each other. Meaning that I don't put too much weight in a Like and simply see it as a tool to share my interests with others.

When it comes to pages, brands or organizations, the perception of the Like Button changes. Everyone should be aware that a casual click has a future impact and doesn't stay inside Facebook. Still, brands shouldn't overstate Likes since it can have completely different motivations and doesn't necessarily mean people support the page or become brand advocates. There is definitely a demand for a legal framework when it comes to shares, likes and tweets in the future.

Interpreting a Like can probably end in a discussion that lasts for hours. Finally, it depends a lot on the content that was liked and the person, who liked it. I am very interested in your opinion. What do you express with a Facebook Like? How do you use the small button? I appreciate your comments and, of course, a Like for this Post...

I would like to invite everyone, who is passionate about Social Media Marketing, SEO and Online Analytics, to visit my Blog. It will be regularly updated with new articles about the latest online developments, do-it-yourself guides and helpful tips. SebKuehn - Social Media Blog

View the original article here

Social Media Marketing is about using various resources on the internet to market your business. When you interact with customers or your clients through social media, you can allow for more personal interaction. This enables you to understand your customer psychology better and tune your business services to higher levels of perfection.

Now-a-days, you can find hundreds of thousands of people interacting through social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube. If your business has a presence in such networks, you can reach out to so many people out there who might be looking for the products and services that you have on offer. Companies seeking to create a powerful brand image through online resources will find social media marketing to be a perfect choice. For example, you can create a fantastic and creative online community that customers will cherish to visit, which will in turn boost your brand loyalty and bring in more traffic to your website.

One of the easiest ways of bringing attention to your products or services is by advertising it in a social media site like Twitter or Facebook. The kind of attention that's received afterward is tremendous. There is such instant attention and popularity that you find lots of customers coming your way, which means bigger business and sales for you. When you put forth a promotional offer, you will find lots of people interested in it, when the offer is promoted though social media sites.

It is common knowledge that constructive criticism can make things better. The best way to serve your customers is when you know what they really feel about the products and services that you are offering. Social media sites are a perfect platform where you can hear what your target audience has to say. You can use the feedback to incorporate better features or functionalities in your products. This will in turn help to serve your customers better and it will bring more attention to your business. People simply love forums where they can express their opinions. If you can devise your social media pages to receive their comments, you can use it to tweak your products or series to more suit customer preferences.

Finally, digital media services give you the chance for a more personal interaction with your customers. This personal interaction helps to build trust with customers and retain their loyalty towards your business, which will help you achieve your goals and objectives. Also, interacting with your clients directly gives you a chance to understand the impression of your consumers on the product. This helps in product enhancement, client satisfaction, and eventually more business.

Ravi Paul is an expert writer, writing for WebExcel Digital. WebExcel Digital - A digital media search marketing agency providing services like SEO, social media advertising, SEM, PPC, analytics, media planning and buying and web development.

View the original article here

View the original article here

Such a big agreement is likely to once again provoke cries of a website bubble and draw incredulous pants from user wondering why a 16 month old image sharing application is value so much finance.

So what is instagram, and why is it made so much finance?

Instagram bills itself as a big fun way to share image with friends. Users snap images with cell phones and then select from more than a dozen filters to give the images a special look. They have caption and their place, and share with friends on social networking websites such as twitter and Facebook.

But the true value to Facebook is the cell phone community instagram made in such a small time.

It is now one of the biggest social networks with more than 40 million sign up users, which can follow friends like images and comments on them. More than 1 billion images have been downloaded or about 6 million per day. The amount of daily user is very high, the images generate more than 600 likes per second and more than 85 comments per second.

Instagram holds the record for the quick application to reach 1.5 million downloads, on 21 Dec, 2010. Apple titled it the application of the years in 2011.

Like so many other application and social networks websites. Anyway, Instagram has not yet figured out a company model. But firms such as Urban out filters and Ann Taylor have made accounts to market their brands, and many politicians and celebrities are members.

Instagram has a largest connection to Facebook and twitter, which has also been rumored as a powerful buyer. Instagram application CEO and founder Kevin was an ODEO, the firm that spawned social networking website twitter. In 2006 Stanford University spend two years at Google search engine, working on Google reader and Gmail, and also on the corporate development group.

Users

By 2010 December, Instagram had 1.5 million registered users. In june 2011 instagram released 5 million users announcement, passing 10 million in 2010 September.Instagram announced that 100 million images have been shared to its service as 2011 July. The sum reached 150 million share in 2012 April to August, it was released that over 30 million registration of instagram application.Instagram fresh android edition in Google play a vital role and have more than 1 million download within only half day.

Awards

In 2011 January, Instagram was the best little guy for Mobile phone application at the year 2010 Tech Crunch crunchies.In 2011 May, Best and fast firm scheduled CEO Kevin systrom at number 66 in the, top best people in Business 2011.In 2011 June, Inc magazine haven co-founders Krieger and systrom in its 2011, 30 list and 30 under.In 2011 September, instagram won "top locally made mobile phone application award" in the SF weekly.7x7 popular magazines issued in 2011 featured Krieger and systrom on the first cover of their top business deals.In December 2011, Apple Inc, title instagram "Application of the year in 2011"

View the original article here

One of the hardest things for a person trying to get started in social media is to figure out what they should talk about in those moments. Many people occupy niches that they find are boring for other people. Many of these people have a hard time creating content that drives customers and clients to their respective systems. Therefore, most people avoid social media like the plague because it is an area of marketing they do not understand and mostly believe that they do not have the time to manage the systems.

However, what most people need to understand is that they are not trying to generate a massive amount of people on the social media systems. What they are trying to do is to find people who are interested in what they have to say it like how they have to say it this is no different than fielding a USP to the respect marketplace. The business needs to have a neat selling proposition then present that USP to the market to find out who in that market is open to that particular marketing message.

Social media, if anything, it is about being yourself and generating a tribe of like-minded people who want to listen to what you have to say. Social media also allows you to ignore those people who do not agree with your standpoint and therefore are not good clients for your business. On many other articles I have said several times that social media is the ultimate list building exercise. This is absolutely true because these systems allow a person sort and sift through the sea of people. it allows a business person or business owner to find people who are interested in listening to what that particular person has to say on the social programs.

Therefore, business people and regular individuals should not be afraid of social media. What social media does take his a definite opinion on a variety of topics and the ability to allow his or herself to be true to their own nature while using the social systems. If a person can be true to his or herself on the social media systems, they will find that they will grow a follower base of like-minded individuals who want to listen to what they have to say these people are more likely to buy their products of service whatever that product might be in that case. They are also a lot easier to deal with because they have the similar mindset to the one that the speaker already has and uses on the social media systems.

Therefore, if you have an opinion about something in your industry you should place it on the social system. This will naturally sort and sift the people on the social programs to reveal who are the ideal clients for you to be working with in that situation. You will be building a list of people who respond to you and like what you have to say. Therefore, they are more likely to do business with you in the future because they already know, trust, and like you.

Scott Buendia consults for Bizbuilt.com. All the views and tactics in this article are tactics and ideas of the author; they do not necessarily represent the ideals, beliefs, or trademarks of Bizbuilt.com. Visit his card on Bizbuilt here, https://www.bizbuilt.com/socialmediaprivacy.

View the original article here

Everybody is enjoying the Facebook craze and we have all figured out that it is here to stay. So what are you doing to make your presence on Facebook more known? After all anybody can set up a basic page and even post their day to day. But do you really know how to use Facebook to get the most response to your page?

Are you looking to spruce up your basic page that you share with friends and family or are you looking to create a page or maybe even a Fan Page or Facebook Group and you want as many people involved as possible. Do you even know the similarities and differences between Facebook Fan Pages and Facebook Groups? Did you know that you can use these to share ideas as well as products, opinions, and an unlimited list of other options on Facebook?

Most of us think we have a pretty good idea of what we can do with Facebook but the fact is there are no limits to what you can learn to do with your personal or business Facebook account. You only need access to the right information and later on we will get to some free video training that you will want to check out.

Do you know the differences between Fan Pages and Facebook Groups for example? Let's talk about a couple of the bigger ones here. With a Fan Page you want to understand that it will be visible to everyone on the internet unlike your Facebook Profile. However a Fan Page can only be created by an official representative of the organization or entity represented by the Fan Page. This is where a Facebook Group might be better for you.

The Facebook Group is also visible by everyone on Facebook but it can be created by anyone interested in the topic since it operates more like a forum. If however your topic is one that you are able to create a Fan Page with you will be happy to know that with your Fan Page everything you post will be mass distributed to everyone who has liked your page. This is not the case with a Facebook Group as your posts are not automatically updated to a News feed.

Another advantage of a Facebook Group is that you can mass mail up to 5000 people at one time in a Group and you do not have this ability with a Facebook Fan Page. But here is yet another difference. Facebook Fan Pages are indexed by Google buy Facebook Groups are not. So if you are looking to get your page and topic indexed that could be an important fact to consider.

So as you can see it is important to get a better understanding of both these parts of Facebook as well as topics like getting the most from Facebook Ads in order for you to get the most from your Facebook experience. As Facebook continues to evolve we all have to do our best to keep up with this cutting edge technology.

You are invited to learn more about Facebook with our Free Video Training on every aspect of Facebook. James D Patrick is the creator of numerous web sites including his Home Building Questions web site where he is an expert in the home construction industry.

View the original article here

LinkedIn has some useful tools to help you build your network, enabling you to find people and connect with them. LinkedIn informs you of mutual connections you have and categorises them as first, second or third degree contacts.

There is incredible value in not only mutual connections but also in second and third degree networks and where we may have problems keeping abreast with our first degree network, LinkedIn tracks all of these for us. This information is accessible and very powerful.

Your first degree connections are gathered by uploading your contacts from your various mail accounts and any other address books you have using the 'add connections' tab. Contacts in your address book that are LinkedIn users have a small blue icon with 'in' next to their name. Select these names and write a semi-personal message to them by adding a personal note to your invitation and replace the standard note with one that relates to how you know them. It is best not to be too personal if the note is going to several selected names.

While waiting for these people to accept your invitation you can add to your network by using the LinkedIn tool for retrieving colleagues and classmates. Select the people who are already members as they will be the most responsive to your invitation.

Since LinkedIn uses the information in your profile it is important that you have completed fully the section about companies you have worked for and schools, colleges and universities you have attended.

LinkedIn is a powerful tool that helps you add value to your network by finding new customers, partners, experts and suppliers. To find these various types of people LinkedIn offer several different ways but it is important that you have defined clearly your target groups. Once your target groups are defined then you can use the tools to help find them.

Your immediate network can be determined by browsing and visiting profiles. The connections on the right-hand side of the page, are names that LinkedIn suggest you may know. If you notice someone of interest invite them to connect.

Use LinkedIn's advanced search to find people you would like to connect with. As you do not know them you now need to check whether you have any mutual connections and if so, ask them for an introduction. People in your immediate network that you consider interesting and valuable to your network can be invited to connect directly.

Joining LinkedIn groups that your target market are in gives you opportunities to interact with others in the group. Joining in the conversation will increase your visibility and people will begin to contact you. Your searches for people can be saved within LinkedIn and alerts sent out. Email will be sent to you via LinkedIn with new prospects weekly or monthly.

By ensuring you receive updates and interactions you can see if there are any opportunities for you to build valuable relationships and when someone mentions an interesting person you can be quick to ask for an introduction.

My name is Tamara Baranova. I run TJConsulting and I help small business owners grow their business by delivering effective online marketing mentoring, support and training.

Want to know more? Go to my website http://www.tjconsulting.co.uk/ to grab my free eCourse 7 Steps to Online Marketing Mastery and learn how to plan your unique social media strategy. Use our step-by-step jargon-free guides to master all popular online marketing tools: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, email, blogging, and more! Sign up today to get immediate access!

View the original article here

In today's market, there are many marketing strategies employed by business owners to help get the competitive edge. One such marketing strategy is the use of a Facebook Fan Page. Creating one of these allows business owners to connect with both existing and potential clients in a way which many people are familiar and comfortable.

There are many internet marketing service providers that specialize in creating them for their customers. If you are short on time, or perhaps aren't especially technologically inclined, you can hire someone to create a professional-looking fan page that can act as a landing page for your presence in social media, or as a media-incorporated destination for your Facebook fans.

Benefits of Having a Facebook Fan Page

Having one of these pages for your business gives you the opportunity to greatly increase your visibility in the market. It differs from a personal page in that it is a public profile. This means that Facebook users are not required to login or be on your friend list to view your fan page. When you consider the fact that about 96% of American adults use Facebook, you can see that having a fan page for your business opens up virtually unlimited customer potential. Furthermore, Facebook is currently one of the most commonly used platforms for business marketing. When existing and potential customers see a business with a fan page, they view the business as being very current and up to date.

In addition to increasing visibility, having a fan page also allows businesses to increase communication with their customer base. It provides the opportunity for business owners to engage in informal communication with their customers in an environment in which their customers are comfortable. Business owners can spotlight new products and services, and encourage their fans to interact by responding to polls and statuses. Receiving instant feedback from customers is very valuable to business owners as they continue to grow their businesses, regardless of their industry. It also gives business owners the opportunity to post photos and videos of things that are going on within the business. Putting real human faces in front of customers as opposed to just company logos and names gives personality to a business. As the amount of interaction between business owners and customers increases, a sense of community is formed. The individual connection that is felt by customers eventually leads to customer loyalty.

Having one of these pages also allows you to get your customers involved in and excited about your business by allowing you to create and run polls of your business and products. The instant feedback you are able to receive from your customers is an invaluable tool to have to make sure future success for your business, no matter what industry you are in.

Hiring a Professional to Design a Custom Facebook Fan Page for your Business

When you choose to have a professional develop a custom fan page for your business, you have the ability to choose from a range of packages to fit your individual needs. Many internet marketing services even offer packages come with Facebook fans!

If you are serious about marketing your business in the most cutting-edge fashion today, start a Facebook Fan Page for your business as soon as possible.

Many businesses today are building pages to connect with their customers. Learn about the benefits of having a Facebook Fan Page, for your business.

View the original article here

Every user needs two profiles. If a person is in business then they definitely need two profiles. The reason that a person or business needs two profiles is that a person must separate their personal life from their business life. A person who cannot separate their business life from the personal life is a person who will ultimately hurt themselves when a job opportunity comes to them in the future. The truth about the world we live in is that businesses are in the habit of checking social media profiles to see what a person is all about at this very moment and who they might be in the future. Whether this is legal or not is not in issue at this moment what is an issue is that companies are using social media to make hiring and firing decisions therefore it makes sense for a person to put their best foot forward on social media as much as possible.

The personal profile is very useful for a business owner. There is a phenomenon in the business world called piercing the corporate veil. This means a business entity is mixed with a personal entity to the point where both of the entities can be considered the same. In general, this is not a problem until a lawsuit happens. A person who can Pierce the corporate veil of a Corporation and reach the assets of the owner is able to get access to many more assets than should have been protected by the veil of a Corporation. Social media is just one of those ways to pierce the corporate veil of a Corporation. Therefore, it is smart for a person to have a social media profile that is separate from the business activities.

The other social media profile should be used for business. The business activities on this profile will help focus the marketing messages for that particular niche. If the business owner mixes their personal account with the business account then they will deliver messages to the populace that may or may not be useful for converting those people into clients and customers. Therefore, the message is diluted in the power of a marketing message is stifled. People need to be careful about how they run their social media programs for the business in the personal life.

The best amount of protection that a person can get is to have the two profiles. Unfortunately, most social sites will not allow a person to have to or more profiles. Most of the social media companies called these extra profiles "fake profiles" and they seek to find these profiles to remove them off of their service. Often times, this includes the original owners own personal profile. However, as we've seen above, it is very dangerous for a person to run their business marketing through a single social profile.

A business needs its own social media profile so that it can keep its marketing message consistent with what the target market wants to hear. If a business owner mixes their personal social media with their business then it becomes easier to pierce the corporate veil and damage not only the business but the business owner as well. Therefore, it is smart to find a social media system that allows a person to have to or more profiles without fear of losing any profile on the system.

Scott Buendia consults for Bizbuilt.com. All the views and tactics in this article are tactics and ideas of the author; they do not necessarily represent the ideals, beliefs, or trademarks of Bizbuilt.com. Visit his card on Bizbuilt here, https://www.bizbuilt.com/socialmediaprivacy.

View the original article here

Small business-to-business (B2B) businesses that focus on LinkedIn as one of their main social media channels have been and are continuing to be successful at getting more leads that eventually lead to increased business. It is a worthwhile tool.

Many business people seem to be having a difficult time using social media channels for business. If you are one of those people who is not so well acquainted with LinkedIn, the following information should help you to understand why it is so important for your business. Leveraging LinkedIn will help you to achieve positive results for your business and before long, you will not understand how you managed to leave it out of your online marketing strategy.

Generating leads for your business

Undeniably, LinkedIn is widely used among professionals. The reason that it is so popular is that it is an extremely effective social media channel that is easy to use and extremely user-friendly. When it comes to lead generation, you need to identify what works for you and your business and what doesn't work. If you find that something is working for you, use it as much as you can. Of course, if you have tried something that doesn't seem to be working, don't waste your time and effort on that because your time will be much better spent on things that cause positive results. In order to successfully generate business leads, the first thing that you must do is to complete your LinkedIn profile. Completing your profile doesn't mean simply putting your name and a few details about who you are and what you represent professionally. You need to fill in as many details as you can so that you allow other people the opportunity to get to know you. After all, you need to build relationships with people so that they will eventually buy whatever you are selling. Building a relationship means that you are going to build trust and credibility as well as your positioning yourself as a subject matter expert. Your goal in that regard is for the other person to think of you first when they have needs that you can fulfill.

Realizing the fullest potential from you social network

LinkedIn is a much more powerful tool than a great deal of people realize and it can help you to achieve your business goals in an extremely effective manner. It won't cost you much money, if any. the only things that you will have to invest are time and effort. Those are investments that you would make for your business no matter what tools you used to achieve success.

Handling customer service properly

It is very important for you to examine precisely how your business is handling customer service and how it is tending to the needs of your clients. You can tie in LinkedIn with this as well. The discussions through LinkedIn are critical to your success and all sorts of interesting and stimulating pieces of information can be discovered through that particular form of communication. If you want to achieve greater success with your business, you need to pay a great deal of attention to the timing. You must always respond in a very timely manner and your clients must always feel that they are your first priority.

Engage with people on a very regular basis

You should regard LinkedIn just as you would any other social media channel except for the fact that it is one of the top social media channels for business and should be respected for that. Engaging frequently can take on many different forms. You should synchronize your blog posts to LinkedIn as well as other social media channels with which you engage so that you increase your reputation and exposure.

Conclusion

LinkedIn is an amazing social media channel that will enable you to engage at the next level with your valuable professional online connections. More and more people are starting to understand what an important social media tool LinkedIn is and they are learning how to use it to its fullest potential so that they can achieve greater and greater business success.

We are pleased to provide you with the insightful comments contained herein. For a free assessment of your online presence, let's have coffee.

Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in IT and web technologies. Mr. Cohn spent a significant amount of time at a major telecommunications company, where his main focus was on initiating and leading synergy efforts across all business units by dramatically improving efficiency, online collaboration, and the company's Intranet capabilities, which accelerated gains in business productivity. He also reduced company travel and travel costs by introducing and implementing various collaboration technologies.

His expertise includes business analysis; project management; management of global cross-matrix teams; systems engineering and analysis, architecture, prototyping and integration; technology evaluation and assessment; systems development; performance evaluation; and management of off-shore development.

Mr. Cohn earned a Master's degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.

Mr. Cohn is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

View the original article here

If you have a church and are looking for a method by which you can keep your congregation abreast on news, prayer requests, and schedules, the social networking service, Google+, has some great ways to manage information and filter communications.

If your church staff doesn't already use Gmail or Yahoo Mail, the first thing to do would be to sign up for a free account to either, as a valid email address from one of those services is required. Once this is done, you'll want to connect with members of your congregation. If your church had been using Gmail or Yahoo Mail in the past to communicate with the church body, Google+ will use your established email address book to show you those individuals that already have a profile. For everyone else, you are allowed to invite them to join. You will want to give your congregation notice beforehand that you will be inviting them to follow you on Google+ a couple services before starting the process, and pass around a pen and sign-up sheet so you can gather their email addresses. You may also want to briefly explain the benefits of connecting on such a website by highlighting how it can offer a new way for church members to interact.

After you have set up your profile and invited members of the church to join, you'll want to start organizing folks into circles. Circles on Google+ are groups of people who have something in common to distinguish them apart from others. Certain individuals can be sorted into more than one group. For churches, some ideas on circles you might want to include are for the youth group, Bible studies, the board of trustees, the outreach team, and the general congregation. What these circles allow you to do is filter your profile posts so that only relevant friends can see a given post. Suppose one member is in the youth group and the worship band. By dragging and dropping his profile icon into those circles on your profile, he will receive any news and updates regarding the youth group and worship band, but not be bothered with posts regarding the Bible study.

Google+ also features hangouts. Hangouts are video-chat rooms that allow you to meet with people on a page of simultaneous, live video feeds from all participants. This face-to-face group chat might be a great way for a Bible study to meet, particularly if some members are too far away or have challenged mobility. This also might be a way for prayer groups to share testimonials and ask for support in a community setting while not having to travel to the church or another house. You can also share YouTube videos in hangouts, which might be a great way for foreign missionaries to show you the work they've accomplished, all while maintaining live interaction between participants.

If you would like to get ordained to start an online church, or want to expand the options for your congregation to connect with one another, Google+ has quite a bit to offer. To read more tips on growing your internet ministry, browse the free blog at the Universal Life Church.

The Universal Life Church is an online church that allows anyone to get ordained for free. It specializes in using modern tools to further its religious goals. The church has an ongoing series detailing how you can implement services offered online to grow your own church and stay connected with current members. theuniversallifechurch.org can help you use the internet to your advantage.

View the original article here

I talk with people daily about social media management. Whether it's helping a friend with their own promotion or working with my clients, I know how stressful social media management can be, especially when you're not sure what you're doing. Even one site can be difficult but when you add in more than one, you're looking at a cumbersome task for the average person.

But it doesn't have to be that way if you take some time to plan what you're doing and also to find the fun in your social media. Here are some strategies to save you time and stress:

Build a Social Media Cheat Sheet

This will be your guidebook through the world of social networking. Here you will determine what sites you will post to, how often you want to post, who your target audience is and what your goals are. There will be short term and long term goals in your social media plan.

You will need to play around with this a bit. You can experiment with your audience to see what they respond to the most. Get a system down of where you post to and what you post and it will go faster and faster with each time you do it.

Prioritize Your Postings

Determine which sites are most beneficial to you and your niche and devote at least a half hour each day learning more about these sites, posting on these sites and replying to your audience. There are many sites out there but you don't have to submit to them all. In fact, it can hurt your efforts more than it helps them if you try to spread yourself too thin. Instead, narrow your focus and focus your efforts.

Find Some Fun

Things are always easier to do when they are fun. Can you find your fun in social media? Try to find a positive way to look at what you're doing so it's more enjoyable. If you are not a person who naturally enjoys social media, look at it in terms of taking charge of your business and doing something productive that will benefit the business and bring you results.

Maybe there is a way you can turn it into a game or find an angle that you enjoy so posting is more fun. Each person has to find what works for him or her but anything worth doing is worth enjoying.

Track Your Progress

You won't get far in social networking if you do not track your progress. There are tools to help you do this - some are built right into the sites that you are already using. Some are free and when you want more than just the basic features, there are paid tracking and analytics as well.

Tracking your progress is key to knowing how your efforts are paying off and what is beneficial to continue and what is a waste of time. You will shave hours off of your social media efforts when you track your progress and adjust your methods accordingly.

Get Ahead of Schedule

One of the most common complaints I hear is "I'm just so far behind" or "I don't know how to catch up!" The thing is, you can't ever really catch up on your social postings. It's like saying you're going to catch up on sleep. It never really happens. We can't go back in time and recapture what has passed. Instead, you need to get ahead of the schedule by planning posts, scheduling them at the times you want them to go and creating a social media calendar so you always know what is coming up next. You'll be ahead of the game instead of playing catch-up.

It's easy to get burned out managing the social side of you r business but with these tips, you can keep pace and avoid stress. Social media marketing does not have to cause you to lose your mind.

What techniques do you have to make managing your social media more pleasant?

About the Author:

Lisa Mason is a content marketing specialist and social media marketer with more than 10 years of experience. As VP of Special Media for Social Media Sun, she makes sure that readers have access to the most relevant and helpful information that she uses to provide social media solutions to her clients. You can see Lisa's work at her website and book your own special media solutions.

View the original article here

Developing a business using online social networks is a low tech yet highly effective strategy that does however require a bit of your time! It is important to realize these social communities are not meant to be marketing platforms but with the proper approach they offer much potential! Marketers must accept that patience needs to be applied to make the best out of what can be a very effective strategy for internet business growth!

By putting 'people' and NOT selling first, here's 3 ways 'nurturing' relationships at these social communities can help boost your sales!

Making 'Friends' Take Time

Considering that the best foundation for increasing sales is by building relationships it only makes sense to follow this advise using online social networks! Making friends first will only serve to help you build trust with others so when you do promote, people will be more receptive! Of course meeting new people and gaining their trust takes time so commit to this process and you'll find what an effective strategy it is for business building!

'Small' Talk Matters

Although your motives are to make money working social communities on the internet, do NOT expect instant gratification! Even the most 'trivial' exchange can lead to expanding your network of new 'friends' so be patient! These people are folks you need to make feel more comfortable with you and this does not always require serious conversations or exchanging deep thoughts! Small talk is typically what people engage in to explore if whether there is any common ground upon which a relationship can be built! As a marketer you MUST respect this process when cultivating friendships at any of these communities or you'll find this will not be a very effective strategy for your marketing purposes!

Allow For Follow-Up

Developing interpersonal relationships involves the occasional need for follow-up! This displays your sincerity and genuine interest thus giving any relationship deeper roots! Once again you'll need to exercise patience since the process can take time however when done properly you'll realize why it is such an effective strategy to use! You are basically increasing your exposure, building credibility and eventually reaping the benefits in the form of more traffic and thus sales growth for your business!

Developing a business through the use of online social networks requires placing the emphasis on relationship building! Since these social communities are not primarily intended for business purposes marketers must resist the urge to 'blitz' the site with promotional content! To make this approach a more effective strategy the 3 suggestions above serve to help businesses first establish trust with site members! Only in this way can any marketer expect to experience success working within many of the freely available social communities found online!

TJ Philpott is an author and Internet entrepreneur based out of North Carolina.
For more tips about developing a business through social networking and to also receive a free instructional manual that teaches valuable niche research techniques for your online marketing needs simply visit: http://affiliatequickstart.com/

View the original article here

You've created a LinkedIn profile, joined a few groups and connected with some people that you know and then what? LinkedIn represents a relatively untapped source of leads - highly influential leads - for your business. It's no Twitter or Facebook that is for sure. There are many LinkedIn users, but not many of them know how to really use LinkedIn as a part of their overall lead generation strategy. Like all other social media platforms, LinkedIn requires an investment of time and consistent interaction. Let's take a look at how you can use LinkedIn Groups to generate leads for your business.

For starters, if you have not already done so, join a group. There are over 100 million people on LinkedIn and so you obviously cannot interact with the entire community. There are high level and mid-level professionals on LinkedIn. Therefore; the best bet is to join groups that are complimentary to who you are and what you do. Choose groups that are active and target those groups with a user base of 1,000 to 3,000 users. LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 groups, but it is a good practice to focus on a few since you will not be able to engage and dialogue in too many different areas. Once you've join a few groups, what do you do next?

Here are 6 Tips for Developing LinkedIn Leads

Spend some time on crafting your profile. Remember your audience. LinkedIn is a community of mid-level and high-level professionals. How do you fit in?

Do not jump right in and begin promoting your products and services, ever! This is a major violation on LinkedIn. Participate in discussions. Reply to existing comments and offer your insights on the topic.

Initiate a new discussion. Ask a question. Take the time to observe the dynamics of the group. The last thing you want to do is to become an unwelcomed member. After you've participated in group discussions, start asking your own questions. With this strategy, you are attracting people to you. Take note of the people that respond to your questions the most and connect with them outside of the group.

Be an active participant. Generating leads on LinkedIn will not have an immediate return. You must take the time to be active. This can be done in a few minutes per day and will render rich rewards over time.

Participate regularly in discussions. Answer questions. Offer feedback. Ask questions. Comment. The more visible you are the better.

Be of quality. If you are posting content make sure that it is quality content! You will be judged if you are posting junk. Take some time and produce value added articles.

Take it offline. Get off of LinkedIn. While LinkedIn is a social network, you don't want the relationship to stay there. After you've gone through all of the above - you joined a group, participated, been active, and connected with people, when the time is right, take the relationship offline.

LinkedIn is a tool to interact with sophisticated people - especially new people and begin to build genuine, professional, inner circle type relationships. Attract people to you by what you contribute to the groups that you join. Add value. Be mindful of the fact that LinkedIn is a community of sophisticated users. Your leads will then naturally gravitate towards you in the form of people that you are building relationships with.

Visit http://www.veronicagold.info/ to steal my Sexy Internet Marketing and Social Media Secrets that have taken my business to another level!!

View the original article here