Xerox Let's Us Say Thank You To Our Troops!

It is Saturday and I just got the most wonderful email in my inbox. I am sharing it on my blog!

Xerox is providing us all with a very simple and easy way to send a "real" thank you card to our troops in Iraq. It takes all of 10 seconds! You simply go to the website shown below and pick out a thank you card of your choice and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq.

Here is the web address: http://www.LetsSayThanks.com

You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services. Whether you are for or against the war, our troops need our support and care.

Please share with all you know ... make a huge difference in the day of someone very far from home.

Keep your business garden growing ...
margie

Social Media Strategies ... OK, Sure!

I just was in a question and answer section of a social network I belong to and one of the questions was if anyone had a Web.2 social networking strategy they could provide.

The answers went on and on providing listings of "to-do's" -- write articles, do press releases, create a blog, join facebook and other social networks, start a group, participate with a nonprofit, and on and on and on!! A whirwind of activities that could leave you exhausted.

FIRST ... the very idea that there could be an "across the board" social networking strategy defeats the purpose of Web.2. Web.2 is all about individual one-to-one communications ( albeit, en mass one-to-one) that build relationships. So right off the bat what will work for one company or business will not necesarily work for anther. Even if you use the same "tools," as I refer to the "to do's" listed above, they would have to be implemented differently per individual company communication goal.

The best approach to beginning your social networking marketing activities is to determine your own communication strategy. If the internet wasn't in the picture at all ... how would you begin conversations with the people you need to meet. On what level would you approach them. Also who would you try to meet to introduce you to those with whom you want a relationship? Get this down on paper. Understand what you are trying to do.

THEN .... go to the "tools" and determine "if" they can be used for your objectives. You will find that each "tool" has a different focus. Work with it and find out "how" you can best make use of that "focus" to support your communications strategy. Some of the more obvious tools just might not be useful for your needs ... fancy that! Then again, maybe some of the more obvious tools have to be used for just a certain part of your communication strategy.

Some specific examples ... two social networks are LinkedIn and Facebook. LinkedIn is all about business. Ask a business question, connect with someone for business reasons, answer a business question ... here you can "go for it!" Facebook on the other hand is more social. Business can successfully enter the picture only after a certain amount of non-businesss rapport has been created.

Hope this makes sense to you all ...

Keep you businss garden growing ...
margie

Communicating Is Connecting!

I was listening last night to a reporter describe how and why she had asked some recent interview questions. It was an interview that, as presented to the public, did not go so well for the interviewee. However, when I heard the reporter describe where they were coming from with the questions I understood why the failure occurred.

Basically the reported acknowledged the following:

• One of the "series" of questions included difficult questions and NOT what the person being interviewed would be prepared to answer in an "off the cuff" interview.
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• The person being interviewed was giving the reporter time in the middle of a very busy schedule and the reporter again acknowled that some of the entry questions were from a prepared for list that, again the person being interview would not have anticipated.
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• The reporter asked some questions from a personal interest, not finessing the question to accomodate what might be some sensitivities of the person being interviewed.

Need I say more! As in all communications ... no matter what you ask, present, teach, etc. ... both ends need to be in sync. If you are the initiator you simply cannot just think about what you want from the communication. You must bring the other "end's" position, mind-set, being, etc. into your question, presentation or teaching. If you don't know about the other end ... either be generic or find a way to inquire via intro steps more specifics so your final communication will "connect!" It is that simple ... just look at it as a connection. Are you meeting in the middle??

In the age of social networking, email and public communications of all sorts, it is more important than ever to pay attention to both ends of what you are trying to achieve! Communication can lead to a success or a bust! The above interview has been perceived as a bust. The reporter did not try to connect at a level that would have achieved quality communications.
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Good business is good communications.

Keep you business garden growing ...
margie

Never Say Never!

Well ... how many of you have said "never" ... only to find yourself going back on your word within a short timeframe?

Ah yes, it happens to us all. My latest episode, with this experience, has been with Twitter! Now, how many of you use Twitter? How many of you started out as I did questioning "why" one would even consider such a "twit" of a resource???

Needless to say, Twitter is "now" one of my most favorite online resources! It just works in all capacities. I post both personal and business posts. In the beginning I had to discipline myself to keep at it ... as in the very beginning I was simply tweeting (twitter communications are refered to as tweets) myself! But as in all things online, it grew and is developing a nice life of its own.

NOW ... I check in several times a day and have made new acquaintances and met new business contacts! Just fascinating how it works for building relationships, but it works! Mostly I like to use it as a fun diversion to whatever I am working on during the day. I will take a break to check out who is doing what on Twitter! Almost like taking a walk to the water cooler. It is fun, enlightening and profitable.

Guess if you look back at many of the "norms" in our lives today, there was a time when we all went "huh?" Get over it! It's time to be more open minded about all new things.

Keep your business garden growing ...
margie
"Now" A Loyal Fan of Twitter!

No Excuses - Ways "You Too" Can Sell Online!

OK ... no excuses! My last post talked about finding something to sell online. How are you doing? Have you discovered something to sell?

Fear not. Amazon is making it "very" easy for all to sell their huge line of products and services. First you must go to Amazon.com and sign up as an affiliate ( link is on the bottom - they call it being an associate). Next you can do what they have always made possible and that is to put a link on your email on your website and connect to a specific product, a section or even just a gift certificate. This is nothing new and a good idea .... but now there is more!

NOW ... Amazon is letting you create an Amazon STORE of your own! You can duplicate their entire store ... something of an overkill in my way of thinking. What I "do" like is that you can create a store based upon just one or several categories and/or pick and choose products you want to sell from anywhere on Amazon and put them into your own store.

It gets even better ... you can have up to 100 stores! I created a PDA store and also a Computer store. For the holidays I am working on a "My Favorite Gifts" store.

AND ... guess what? Each store takes less than 10 minutes to set up. Anyone can do it ... their instructions are very easy to follow. You can simply link people to your brand new online store.

AND ... my last piece of good news on the Amazon stores is that they are complementary! They cost you nothing ... just make you money!!!

So no excuses ... you certainly can find "something" to sell online now!!

Keep your business garden growing ....
margie