Archive for Social Networking
Building a Professional Online Business Profile
Posted by: | Comments
Knowing how to build rock-solid profiles online is a valuable skill in many ways. Websites like LinkedIn for example can help you make career-launching contacts. On websites where you do business deals online like Facebook, Twitter and Google+, you usually need some sort of profile as well. Just knowing how to create a compelling and professional profile will help you establish trust, get more clients as a provider or get better service as a buyer.
Here are a few of the most important things that go into creating an online profile.
A High Quality, Professional Photo
People do judge a book by its cover. Before they’ve read your profile and before they’ve read anything you say, people are already going to be forming impressions of you based on how you look in your photo.
Aim to have a high quality, professional, high resolution photo for online profiles.
Ideally you should be wearing a suit and tie, or for women a suit jacket or blazer. The image should be crisp and it should be color corrected.
If you don’t have such a photo yet, go out of your way to take one. It makes a difference.
Focus on References
Your references will make or break you. Each social network’s referencing system works slightly differently, but by and large most communities have some sort of referencing system.
On LinkedIn for example, the references are called “recommendations.” The more positive recommendations you have, the more solid your LinkedIn profile looks.
On the other hand, on the domain buying and selling forum NamePros, they use a system called iTrader. ITrader allows users to record feedback for one another for every transaction conducted.
No matter what the reference system looks like, do everything in your power to get as many compelling references as you can. People lend a lot more weight to these references than what someone says about themselves.
Your Personal Description
Finally, your description is where you really get the chance to come out and make your case.
Try to touch on the most compelling things about you and what you have to offer. Use credibility-enhancing statements, such as talking about how many satisfied clients you have or any news outlets that you’ve been featured in.
Try to make your profile sound as professionally compelling as possible. However, try to also drop in just one or two little personal tidbits. This will help humanize you and set you out from the crowd.
These are the three most important elements of creating a compelling online profile on any website or online community. If you have a professional-looking photo, overwhelmingly positive references and a credibility-building description with a hint of personality, then you’ve nailed the online profile.
The Ultimate Social Media Giveaway has drawn hundreds of happy marketers!
Posted by: | Comments
You can now get instant access to 350+ Social Media and Internet Marketing gifts absolutely FREE.
Stephanie Mulac, Queen of Giveaways, is returning for her second giveaway event of 2012. The Ultimate Social Media Giveaway is a time limited event with a MASSIVE collection of FREE Social Media and Internet Marketing products and services….
You’ve heard it from me many times…
Social Media is HOT right now with millions of users worldwide logging into popular sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ each and every day.
9000+ jobs were created last year thanks to Social Media – so I think it’s fair to say that having the necessary knowledge and skills needed to use a range of Social Media sites, is definitely something you will benefit from!
The Ultimate Social Media Giveaway hosted by Kerry Russell, Stephanie Mulac and Paul Teague will only be open for a VERY LIMITED TIME – just a few weeks in fact! So if you don’t want to get left behind in 2012, then you need to jump on board as soon as you can.
Here’s just a small sample of the 100s of FREE gifts that are available for you to download instantly once you join the event with your name and email address:
* Social Media Marketing Sniper – Paul Mueller
* Create Your Social Media Success – Ruthi Backenroth
* How To Get 10,000 REAL YouTube Views In A Week! – Karl Reynisson
* The Ultimate Twitter Pack – Mieke Janssens
* 30 Free Ways to Get Traffic in 30 Minutes or Less – Suzanne Morrison
* Social Media 45 Day Traffic Plan – Lianda Ludwig
And 3 items from me…
*Looking Good on LinkedIn
*How to Do Facebook Marketing the Right Way and
*Pinterest for Biz!
Here’s the link to get whatever you need for YOUR social media marketing.
Like any giveaway of this size, you will need to spend some time sorting through the offers to find the gems, but I am sure it will be well worth it. This REALLY is the largest collection of Social Media and Internet Marketing information you have ever seen!
Hope to see you there 
Social Media Can Improve SEO
Posted by: | Comments
It’s no secret that search engine rankings are important to the success of your online business. Even though algorithms keep changing, one thing is for certain – social media is here to stay and it can be quite useful to you and your audience.
If you aren’t already familiar with social media, you might want to get started. In the next few years everyone in the civilized world will know something about Facebook, Google +, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube – to name a few. You can find everyone there, especially those who are within your target audience.
Search engine optimization is necessary if you want to achieve any useful ranking that can impact your business in a positive way. It can take months and even as long as a year or more for websites to gain a garnered spot on the first page. To speed up that process, you can take a look at social media to increase your visibility.
Google is now considering social media stats in their overall algorithm for website rankings. The good news is that many of us use social media anyway, so turning it for business won’t be a stretch. You can use your knowledge and the keywords from your website to help you attract other social media members who are in your target market.
Using Social Media
Here are a few tips to help you utilize social media to improve your SEO efforts.
Join the social networks that matter – There are several social media sites but the ones most used are Facebook, Google +, Twitter and YouTube. Establish personal (if you haven’t already) and business profiles on each of these sites. Within your profiles, incorporate the target keywords that you use on your site to attract visitors.
Utilize every area of these sites – Link updates on your website to posts that you make on these sites. Uploading a video to YouTube? Use keywords in the description and add a link to your site. “Like” pages that are similar to your niche market.
Join sites relevant to your target audience – This is an old one but a good one. For instance, when you sign up for community forums, become an active member. Two-word comments, or posting to promote your site, can be viewed as spamming. You will gain more traffic from other members and influence in the community if you genuinely participate.
Follow other relevant blogs – Make comments, offer to guest blog for influential bloggers in your niche and offer useful information.
The more engaging that you are on social media sites, the more you will rise to the top on the lists of others who also patronize those sites. This can elevate your status and increase traffic to your website. Also, communicating with your target market here can offer valuable insight towards profitable changes to your website business.
Every Blog Should Have…
Posted by: | Comments
There are a few pages that every blog should have. These pages will help give your readers an idea of who you are and what you blog about. They’ll help your readers navigate your website. Also, some pages are required for other reasons, such as web regulations or search engine optimization.
Here are a few of the pages and widgets that every blog should have.
An About Me Page
At the end of the day, people want to know about who you are.
If they’re reading your blog and taking advice from you, they want to know who you are. They want to know about your past accomplishments and failures. They want to know what makes you who you are. They want to know your story.
Put this in an about me page and make it easy to find.
Contact Page
Not all bloggers want to be contacted. However, it’s a good idea to at least have a contact form. Why?
You could be contacted by potential partners or someone could be considering referring a buyers to your site and just wanted to ask you a question.
You don’t have to answer every single question you get, but it still helps to have contact information up.
Social Media & RSS
Give your readers a number of different ways to follow you.
In your sidebar, have buttons that allow people to follow you on Twitter, on Facebook and even on Google+.
You should also have a clearly displayed RSS button that allows people to subscribe to your feed.
The Best Posts
Also in your sidebar should be a list of your best posts, most popular posts or your personal top picks.
When someone lands on your site, they don’t necessarily just want to read your blog in chronological order. A lot of people would prefer to start by reading your 5-10 best articles to decide if they like your content.
If they do, then they’ll start reading your blog regularly. Having these 5-10 top posts easily accessible helps give new visitors the best stuff right up front.
Privacy Policy, Disclosures, Sitemap and Terms of Service
These four pages are meant mostly for search engines and regulatory agencies.
If you’re using Google AdSense, collecting email addresses or using tracking software, you need a privacy policy.
Google strongly recommends having both a privacy policy and a terms of service. Not having them could be detrimental to your ranking. They’re also required for AdSense.
Having a sitemap will help search engines index your site.
These are a few of the pages and items that every single blog should have. Adding them will increase both your usability and your compliance.
10 Tips and You’ll Be on Your Way to Becoming a Networking Guru
Posted by: | Comments
Online or off, networking takes a bit of skill and know-how. It’s not enough to show up or be present at networking events or on networking sites. You have to participate and take an active role. Here are ten tips to network like a pro.
1. Ask Questions
When you meet people, whether you’re at a networking event or just standing in line at the supermarket, ask questions about who they are, what they do and what they’re interested in.
Asking questions accomplishes several important goals. It signals to the person you’re speaking with that you are interested in them. People are automatically drawn to those who are interested in them. They’ll like you and remember you. Asking questions also helps you learn more about this new person. It puts you in a position to help them out and to maybe gain a new associate or friend.
2. Have an Elevator Pitch Ready to Go
Your elevator pitch is your thirty-second “Here’s who I am and this is what I do” speech. Have an answer ready when people ask.
3. Don’t Forget Your Cards!
Always have business cards with you. Keep them in your wallet, bag, or purse.
4. What’s Your Goal?
When you attend networking events or you’re networking online, make sure you have a goal or objective. Do you want to make sales? Do you want to build your audience? Do you want to expand your reach?
5. Do Your Research
When attending networking events, spend some time researching who might be there and what they offer and need. You then put yourself in a position to make a more powerful and potentially lasting impression.
6. Help Others
The goal of networking isn’t just to make connections that help you. In fact, if you approach it that way you may not get the results you desire. Instead, focus on how you can help others. That’s the real key to making an impression and making good connections.
7. Introduce Yourself
It sounds so simple, but many people wait for others to come to them. Chances are half the people there are hesitant and just waiting for someone to approach them. Be the one who makes the move online and off.
8. Listen Attentively
When speaking to people, listen to them. Actually listen to what they’re saying. If you’re distracted or trying to think about what you’re going to say next, you’ll lose some of the value of the connection.
9. Know When to Leave, or Take It Offline/Offsite
There comes a time in every conversation when it’s time to bring it to a close. Learn to recognize this point and be ready to take it offsite.
10. Take Notes
Unless you have a spectacular memory, you won’t remember everyone or everything they say. It’s okay to take notes!
Networking online and off is a fabulous way to build your business. Learn how to do it well and you’ll be able to optimize your networking time and achieve your goals quickly.
