Allow me to state the obvious. Social media is BIG right now – FaceThis, TwittThat, Link-Schmink. Everyone is talking about it, but there are lots of folks who see it as just another foreign technology language that leaves them feeling left out, overwhelmed and resentful that things aren’t the way they used to be.

I’ve heard more than one frustrated business owner wish for a magic wand that could create and implement a social networking strategy for them. If you are one of these people, I have good news and bad news.

The good news: you can get help setting up profiles and connecting the tools together from people who specialize in things like strategic marketing. (No apology for the blatant and shameless plug.)

The bad news: once it’s all set up, you have to show up to be social and network.

Networking is networking is networking and is built on the premise that people do business with people that they know, like and trust. I suspect this has been true even way back in the days of caveman commerce.

Homo Sapiens are social critters; and yet lots of business owners would love it if buying stationery, business cards and a Yellow Pages ad were enough to cause customers to appear.

All the new social media tools are just that – tools. They are just a new way of doing the same old thing of connecting with people in the hope of finding areas of mutual benefit to do business together.

There was a time when the only way to cut wood was with a hand saw — you know, the kind with a wooden handle and a steel blade with shark-like teeth along one edge. I bet when the electric saw showed up on the scene, there were some guys who thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread and some who thought it would ruin the wood cutting forever!

Same is true with this whole social networking thing. If you’re not getting a warm and fuzzy feeling about the whole thing, maybe some of what follows will help you find a place to start.

LinkedIn is the saw of choice for folks who like to be able to make crisp, controlled precision cuts in the comfort (argh!) of three-inch heels and a business suite. I have a LinkedIn account and belong to a couple of groups – not a couple hundred!. But to me, LinkedIn has much the same feel as the traditional Chamber of Commerce circuit. Others may disagree with this assessment. It’s just my take on it.

Facebook is more like those cutesy craft scissors that scrapbooking enthusiasts use to make all sorts of squiggly and fun cuts. Being on Facebook is like being at the company picnic. People are talking business, but in a more relaxed way, and there’s lots more fun and peripheral conversation going on too.

Twitter is pretty much like happy hour. There’s no need for saws or scissors here, just tear it up! People dart in and out of multiple conversations offering up quick one-liners, tips and links to resources in a really relaxed way. In fact, I’m pretty sure if you try to interact on Twitter wearing a suit, your computer will crash!

The bottom line is this: start somewhere, and start small. Choose one of the “Big 3″ mentioned here. Create a profile and lurk for a while, sort of like a junior high school dance, see how the others are doing it. Once you get a feel for the atmosphere, stick your toe in and just be yourself.

Oh, and one important tip. Would you go to a Chamber event with a ski mask on? Probably not, so be sure to include a photo that shows your face when you create a profile in any of these places. Happy social networking!

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEBSITE? Please do, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: An E-marketing Strategist, Lisa Almeida, shows business owners how to leverage technology with ease to achieve big business results with small business budgets. If you are in the market for simple and effective client attraction strategies which are designed to generate repeat sales then visit http://www.PlanitwithLisa.com today.

Author: Lisa Almeida
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
iPhone iPad apps

Imagine tapping into more than 35 million professionals in over 200 countries and territories worldwide for possible new sales leads, to gain insight from other industry colleagues about upcoming industry trends, and to simply connect with so many different options. This is the amazing reality of social media.

Social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Digg offer you some top-notch professional and business connections that you would never be able to access otherwise. LinkedIn alone boasts these 35 million professionals. So more and more VARs are logging on and logging in to find, be introduced to, and connect with like-minded people to accomplish their business goals. You’ve no doubt heard of LinkedIn and these other social networking sites, and you’ve perhaps even created an account. You recognize the value of being involved in this viral network. Someone asks you if you’re LinkedIn or on Facebook and you say, “Sure.” But quietly think to yourself, “I’m not sure what I should be doing though.”

You’re not alone. So let’s take a look at some of the ways to maximize social networking to your advantage.

First, the network that you develop for yourself will consist of your connections, your connections’ connections, and the people they know, and so on and so on. It’s similar to the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” where you are just a few connections away from key people. It’s the ultimate in networking, and you’re doing it virtually instead of at a Chamber of Commerce mixer or an annual meeting or trade show where you are limited by the physical attendees. In theory, you could be meeting future customers while lounging in your pajamas. Not only will you find partners and business opportunities, but they will find you too!

Now that you’ve set up your account, what do you do next?

1. Put on your sales hat and start selling you! The first step on any social networking site is to create an intriguing and informative profile about yourself and/or your business. Approach this like building an online resume, only you’re creating it within an already developed template. Start with four or five words that sell what you have to offer – let people know not only what you’ve done in your career, but also where you’re headed. One word of caution – don’t just cut and paste your resume into the profile field. It’s great to include that, but you must go beyond the standard resume. What are you passionate about? What are your core values? What makes your business different from your competitors? Why should customers choose you for their VAR? Social network sites elevate resume writing to the creative “self sell” it should be. You are sharing more than just your professional experience – you’re selling the whole package.

2. What details do you include? People do business with people so include a photo of yourself. Remember, a picture paints a thousand words so you’ll want to look professional but approachable in your photo. Lounging on your friend’s boat with an umbrella drink in your hand probably isn’t the best way to tell your story. But being in a stiff suit might not be either. Find a photo that you’re comfortable with and that speaks words about who you are as a professional VAR. Let people know how you want to be contacted. Do you prefer email? Maybe communicating through the social networking site for awhile works fine but do you want to communicate more directly? Or do you want people to call you out of the blue? Be specific about what’s acceptable (and what isn’t) for networking with you. The more honest you are about what you’re hoping to accomplish, the better your chances of connecting with like-minded people.

3. Start building your network. This could be “friends,” “connections” or other terminology depending on the social networking site. But the bottom line is, one connection usually leads to another as you build out your network farther and farther into this vast community. One good way to judge whether or not you want to make a connection with someone is to decide whether or not you would take a phone call from them during your busy day. If you would take the call, then invite that person into your fold. If you wouldn’t, you might want to think twice about the invitation.

4. Maximize the connections you make. Pose questions and answer others. Informed sources will chime in with their information. You become a resource for others. Recommend customers, vendors, and colleagues whom you know and ask them to do the same. Aren’t you more likely to do business with a vendor that is recommended to you by a trusted friend or business partner? The same rules apply here, too.

Of course, when you make yourself public, there are possible dangers and pitfalls to watch out for as well. People can spam and say negative things about you or your business. But that works both ways so never, ever leave negative feedback in public domain. You also might find “leads” on your doorstep that you don’t want or won’t fit within the network that you’re building. And lastly, don’t oversell and build yourself up too much.

The bottom line is that you have an amazing opportunity to develop connections and build quality leads and relationships in these communities. Using social networks will allow you to not only grow your business financially, but it will also enrich your business experience as you learn new and innovative ways to approach business from your peers.

A dedicated marketing professional, Michelle Kabele has been helping technology companies develop award-winning channel partner programs and marketing strategies for over 10 years. Michelle has worked extensively with small businesses throughout North America.

Michelle has an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management (Evanston, Ill.)

Author: Michelle Kabele
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
iPhone/iPad accessory

Not long ago I was asked by a young man about what he should be thinking about as he started his career in the business world. We talked about a lot of things, but more than anything I emphasized the need to network with his professional contemporaries. I recommended he join some industry groups, attend conferences, and basically start to interact with different people in his industry. But I tend to believe young people shy away from such personal interaction and instead prefer the anonymity of the various social networking facilities on the Internet, like Facebook, MySpace, and others. Most young people are familiar with these facilities from High School and College and use them to send messages, flirt, spread humor, rumors and spam, and harass people. You need not accurately identify yourself with such facilities, which means you can cause a great deal of trouble for others if you are so inclined.

There are also several social networking tools for professionals, such as LinkedIn, Plaxo, PerfectBusiness, ZoomInfo, and many others. They may not have the same robust facilities as found in Facebook and MySpace, nor the popularity, but they tend to attract the more serious minded person interested in their career and profession. People tend to more clearly identify themselves as well and, as such, there is less shenanigans associated with them. Nonetheless, anyone can register as a user and create false identities if they want to and abuse the system. Thanks to the cloak of anonymity as provided by the Internet, clods tend to disrupt the harmony of such Internet groups, thereby diminishing their usefulness. As an aside, I find it interesting that people will say things on the Internet they would never dare say to you face-to-face, which is why I no longer engage anyone on the Internet who doesn’t properly identify themselves. No, I don’t want to hear from anyone with a bogus handle for a name, particularly those based on some medieval nonsense. Like I said, clods.

These Internet services may be nice for sending messages and disseminating news, or for bringing people of common interests together, but they are certainly not a substitute for eye contact, a handshake, and the spoken word; they are most definitely not a substitute for personal interaction. As I have mentioned for quite some time, due to our heightened emphasis on technology I believe we are seeing a decline in the socialization skills of our young people. Instead of meeting and interacting with others, they are more inclined to hide behind a keyboard which I consider rather unfortunate. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to get to know someone’s interests, ethics, integrity, knowledge, and personal background by computer. To this end, I discussed with my young friend such things as how to properly do an introduction, how to make light conversation, how to develop contacts, how to dress for industry functions, even table manners and how to socially drink at such functions. Basically, I encouraged him to brush up on his people skills, not his computer skills.

Tim Bryce is a writer and management consultant located in Palm Harbor, Florida.

http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

He can be contacted at: timb001@phmainstreet.com

Copyright 2009 Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Author: Tim Bryce
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Tissot virtual reality

By now, many people are familiar with Cybersquatting – a process whereby a person registers a domain name in bad faith with the intent of reselling it later for a profit. Recent legislation has made it easier for trademark holders and famous persons to obtain their domains from squatters, but the process is by no means full-proof (just ask Kevin Spacey and Bruce Springsteen). However, this is just one layer of an increasingly complex wired world…

I Registered, Therefore I Am All large and most small/medium/micro businesses (though still not enough) are finally coming to the realization that online invisibility is a tremendous liability. But what about your personal online visibility? Many people have registered their personal names as domain names. Indeed, most domain registrars beat you over the head with requests to do so. But this article is about far more than domain names – that ship pretty much sailed years ago along with Gmail and Hotmail addresses. This is about establishing your online homesteads to be prepared for the current and future waves of social networking.

“Do you have a flag?”

This is a brilliant and hilarious skit by comedian Eddie Izzard He satirizes imperialistic England, who claimed ownership over indigenous civilizations “through the cunning use of flags.” And so it goes with the new wired world – possession, as they say, is nine tenths of the law. You need to claim as much territory as possible as soon as possible and all you need is a flag: your name.

More and more every day, web sites are becoming tools for learning more about individuals. Sites like LinkedIn and VisualCV are becoming de facto online résumés. Blogger and Wordpress are windows into peoples’ expertise and opinions. Flickr, Delicious, and Netflix allow people to share their interests and experiences. Of course, there are the mothers of all personal identity sites; Facebook and MySpace. Finally, there are aggregators like FriendFeed and Plaxo that attempt to tie them all together. You may utilize few if any of these sites right now, but do you want to bet your online future on the fact that you never will?

He Who Hesitates Is Lost

I’m fortunate in the sense that my name is not all that common. My identity is pretty readily available on most platforms. However, I’m not leaving it to chance. I registered my domain name years ago and have been on a land-grabbing tear recently, snatching up my identity on any site with which I come into contact regardless of whether or not I think I will use it. It’s the sports equivalent of “the best offense is a good defense.” I firmly believe that more and more prospective employers and customers will be using online searches for individuals sooner rather than later. If nothing else, don’t let them find the other “Jane Smith” before you.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Register

If you’re new to social networking and/or personal branding you may have no idea where to begin and that’s understandable. In my opinion, these are the top priorities:

• General
  • Domain name
  • Email
  • Twitter

• Professional
  • LinkedIn
  • Blogger
  • Wordpress
  • Technorati

• Personal
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

• Sharing and Aggregating
  • FriendFeed
  • Delicious
  • Digg
  • Flickr

Jon DiPietro is an entrepreneur and technology consultant with 20 years’ experience in software, web, and database development. His blog, Domesticating IT, offers tips, tricks, and advice for small businesses on a wide range of information technology subjects.

Author: Jon DiPietro
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
iPhone/iPad apps

You’ve heard that using social networking groups is a “must do” for business and personal reasons. So where do you start? These quick tips and resources will help you get started:

Twitter: A free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.

Do: Post messages with useful information and resources that position you as an expert in a specific field.

Don’t: Use Twitter to list trivial information like what you are eating for dinner or what you are wearing. People who follow you are looking for your expertise, ideas, and thoughts.

LinkedIn: A business-oriented social networking site used mainly for professional networking.

Do: Create a professional profile and invite business colleagues and clients. It is a great way to keep your information organized and updated.

Don’t: Invite people to link with you if you don’t have a connection with them. If you heard of a person or met someone through a friend, write a personalized message in the invitation letting the person know why you want to be connected and how it may benefit him or her.

Facebook: A popular social networking website where users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people.

Do: Connect with friends and colleagues but be careful about what you post. Remember that everything posted (including pictures of yourself on spring break in 1982) and can be retrieved online. Forever. If you haven’t heard about Wayback Machine, type it into Google and learn how the site tracks and stores website content from 1996 of almost everything posted online, even when you think you have deleted it!

Don’t: Assume that Facebook can substitute for a professional site like LinkedIn. Some clients and prospects want to keep the relationship professional rather than personal. Inviting them can cause unnecessary discomforts.

Remember, just because it is called “social” networking, doesn’t mean you let professional manners and standards go out the window.

2009 Jessika M. Ferm & J.Ferm, LLC

Jessika M. Ferm is a writer, coach, speaker, and consultant on leadership, management, and business topics and is known for her “no frills no fluff” approach to sharing information. She is the President of J.Ferm, LLC, an international leadership consulting firm and is the trusted adviser to leaders and managers ranging from Fortune 100 companies to start ups. For more information or to sign up for the free “Leading Edge” newsletter, visit: http://www.jferm.com/ To connect with Jessika on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jessikaferm

Author: Jessika M. Ferm
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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