Can You Create A Diagram Of Your Online Marketing Strategy?

Hi everyone ...

If you were asked to sketch a diagram of your online marketing strategy could you do it? 

If yes .. congratulations!  You "know" what you are doing or worse case, you know what you are "trying" to do with your online business activities. 

If no .... you are not alone.  It's not a good thing to be in this situation, but again ... most business owners have no idea of how to even begin diagramming their online activities.  When I ponder as to why this is, I come up with too much, too fast!  

Websites grew on businesses very slowly.  It took a while for businesses to know why they needed a website and what they would use one for.  Many businesses dived in with one before they had a clue why, but it all sorted out.  I would say that now, 10 -12 years later,  the majority of business owners with websites know WHY they have one and what it is used for. 

One-to-One email grew with more and more popularity. Believe it or not, it wasn't "that" long ago that you had to ask business owners if they had an email address, let alone what their email address was.  But slowly "all" got in sync with the shift to email and here we are today with email often the preference over the phone and our US Postal system going bankrupt!! 

Newsletters became the next popular resource. Newsletters require ongoing work by users so were implemented by fewer. For a long time it was the one "optional online resource" with the website and 1-to-1 email being "must haves!" 

BUT THEN ... the blog got brought back to life (blogging was actually the very 1st resource, but that's another posting!) .. and with that micro-blogging was born with twitter being the most well-known example of micro-blogging.  Social networks began to bloom,  Fast Pitch was my 1st ( long before facebook was a twinkle) and we all remember My Space (enjoying a rebirth of sorts lately)  and oh soooooooooooooooooo many more sites!  They all were created with or adapted themselves into having a micro-blog feed. 

All of a sudden chaos!  What was a controlled implementation of online resources became an onslaught!  Could they all be useful? If so, can I choose some? Do I need all? How do I use them?  Do I have time?  and so many more questions, confusion, and lost direction surrounded us!

The answer to all of this is different for each and every business out there!  Even if a selection of businesses are benefited by the same selection of resources, their individual use of each resource could vary in large degrees.   Does this make it easier or harder?  Probably more time and attention up front but then easy sailing into all the new and expansive opportunities online marketing brings to all businesses!
The key to the success of all of it is the "basic communication" that occurs on or via chosen resources.  1-to-1 email and newsletters brought the term CRM (customer relationship management) to the front of marketing objectives.  The internet could collect user interests and buying habits .. the computer could store and sort the gathered information ... the basic seeds to grow solid business relationships were able to be planted.  Online communication resources are today the fertilizer and water to have those seeds grow into solid, trusting and loyal customers for new, repeat and referral business.  I often tell business owners to look at online resources as employees and "hire" them accordingly by job description! 

Do you agree? What are your thoughts? Please share.  

Also know, if you need some help making a diagram of what you are using, that's what I do! I help businesses sort it out and come up with what's best for you! 

From, 

Keep Your Business Garden Growing! 

It's Official! Our Garden Club Is Launched!

Hi everyone ...

My weekly mailing is not able to keep up with all the little and big things that are going on and that I want to make sure you all know about ... so I have officially launched  The Keep Your Business Growing Garden Club!!

Join me every Thursday on the telephone at 4:00PM (PST)  Dial In for 30 minutes, or so, to hear a conversation about a  ... 
"How To" ~ "What's New" ~ "Did You Know" ~ "Anything Happening Online!"

It's Open To All  ~  No Sign-Up!  Just Dial The Numbers Below Every Week ! 

Call-in Number & Access Code   Will be the same each week.
 218-632-1688    873572#

Topic For April 5th 
Anyone looking for NEW Prospects? 
Looking for specific needs? Got special requirements? 

I'll be talking about ... 
How To Find & Connect With Qualified Prospects  via LinkedIn and Twitter! 




 Really hope to hear you on the line later today ... if not,  join us next week!

 Keep your business garden growing ...
 margie

What Day Is Best For Sending Email Broadcasts?

What is the best day to send an email broadcast?  This question is asked by just about all my clients and more! To answer it one must start with looking at one's list and the lifestyle of the recipients.  Then the best you can do, because people are checking their emails all day, every day, in today's world .. is go with your gut feel.

If the gut feel leaves you a bit "unsure" here is some recent research for the positives and negatives (of sending email broadcasts) for each day of the week. Enjoy!

Monday 
Positive: Office work has not filled inboxes yet
Negative: Consumers are in work mode and won’t be focused on non-work tasks
Best Practice: Send emails late Monday morning, after consumers have cleaned the weekend spam from their inboxes

Tuesday
Positive: People have organized their week, and can find personal time for emails
Negative: Emails poised for a weekend response may be too early
Best Practice: Use Tuesday for emails that request action during the workweek

Wednesday/Thursday
Positive: Consumers are planning their weekends and gearing up for personal time
Negative: Time during the workweek is running short, and requested action may be pushed back to the following week, or even forgotten about
Best Practice: Focus leisure and weekend notifications during these key weekend planning days

Friday
Positive: Studies indicate fewer total emails sent compared to the rest of the week, increasing visibility among the myriad of other messages
Negative: Consumers hurry to leave the office early, and may not take time to view non-work related emails
Best Practice: Send emails early in the day to give consumers more time to take action. An unopened email from Friday will sort to the bottom of an inbox on Monday, and is often discarded

Weekends
Positive: People check emails on weekends, too, so weekends may have untapped potential
Negative: A weekend email may seem overly-intrusive to some people
Best Practice: If possible, try to avoid Sundays and focus on Saturdays, which may have a better response rate

Keep your business growing!
margie

Small Business Online Marketing Resource Checklist

Hi ..

Are you a small business? Using the internet?  Got it under control or are you confused and overwhelmed?

Just sent out my weekly mailing with a checklist of online marketing  resources for all small businesses. Trying to help businesses create a platform, upon which they can create a communications strategy.  A strategy puts all the pieces in their place and allows a business to make sense of what they are doing!

Beyond the selections that work for all businesses some resources on the list were specified for retail and some for businesses who rely upon being "found" via internet searches. You can see my mailing here!

Am curious what "you" find to be your top 4 "must use" online resources?  Can you share?  Here's a list of what was included in my checklist:  Local SE Directory Listings,  Online Newsletter, Social Networking Presence, Video, and for the retail store- Four Square, for the retail store with a storefront window, QR Codes, and for the business who relies upon "being found" on the internet, Stumble Upon.   Websites and Blogs are mentioned as important but not, in most cases, what needs to be done first. 

If you agree with some or all of my list please share your personal "why" .... it just might make someone out there jump in and give it a try for their business!    If you have an addition to my list please also share with us and include your "why" ... think we all love to know more about online resources.  It's impossible to study them all. I welcome your contributions!

Can't wait to see what you have to say.....   and in the mean time,

Keep Your Business Garden Growing,
margie

Have You Heard About SQUARE?

Hi everyone ....

Have you heard about SQUARE? It enables anyone in the US with an iPhone, iPad or Android device to sign up and accept credit cards in minutes. The app is free, the card reader is free, and the only fee is per transaction. It's true!

• Have you ever been at a meeting where someone wanted to order something right there on the spot without a check or money and you had no way to accept their credit card?
  
  
• Do you ever go to a trade show or expo and have no way to accept credit cards?
  
  
• Do you have a seasonal business and refuse to pay monthly year round cc fees?
  
  
• Has the length of a cc company's application turned you off to accepting credit cards?
  
  
• Are you on the move all the time and need your phone to be your office?
  
  

SQUARE is for you if any of the above hit home. It takes about 10 minutes to sign up. All you need is a US Bank Account, a physical mailing address in the U.S. and a social security number. You may use a Tax ID number but they will still ask for your social security number.
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Security is high and the only cost is a transaction fee! Can't beat it. I ordered mine. Would love to know if anyone out there has experience using it? Is there anything we should know??
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For more details check out my weekly mailing:
http://www.todaysway.net/weekly/2011may03_square.htm
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Keep your garden growing .....
margie

"ooVoo ME!" Where Are "You" At With Video Chat?

ooVoo Me!

Has anyone asked you this yet? It's a relatively new video chat service! Much like Skype but with some variances.

A couple of advantages over Skype include:

1. ooVoo allows for your contacts who have NOT downloaded ooVoo, to still be able to talk with you from their web browser via the Web Video Calling feature. Great for those who may be on the move, at a public place, friend's computer, etc., who can't download the program, or don't want to for whatever reason.
   
   
2. ooVoo allows you to embed video onto your blog, website or social networking site via the web video chat feature. Great for building relationships, having meetings, etc.
   

Lots of its features are free.... all you need is broadband internet access and a computer with a webcam and microphone (and a headset works great if you have one).

There is a great breakdown of all the ooVoo features and a short comparison to Skype in my weekly mailing which you may access here! Take a peek! (If you would like to get on my mailing list go to my website.) As with all marketing resources, review and pick out what works best for "you."

All this leads me to asking you where "video chat" is in your marketing strategy? If you are a current Skype user, what are you using it for in your business? Do you think it works for trainings? Meetings? What works? What doesn't work?

My thoughts about ooVoo is that it is one more step towards video being a norm for communicating! More and more video, in the chat format, is like being there! ooVoo brings us more options for when we are on the run in that it supports communications with or without "both" ends having the technology. Not sure how many people are ready to be "seen" as they work, but that aside .... the time for video chat has arrived. Even in email ....something I personally would not support for a long time. Anyone thinking along the same lines?

As always, you want to enhance your business communications with you choice of marketing resources. It's not just having "video chat" that will increase your bottom line. It is what you are saying over video chat and where you have applied it within your communication strategy that will increase your bottom line.

If you are wondering about where you might apply video chat within your business communications please share your concerns here. We can all work together in getting some answers for you.

You may also be interested in my "weekly special" ....part of my weekly mailing that I opened up to my blog readers last week and will do again this week! The first two blog readers who respond will receive my weekly special ... just say "blog" when you call or email.

In the mean time ...

Keep your business growing ...
margie

Who? What? Which? When? How? Got Online Overwhelm?

Ever find yourself looking at a new online resource and asking ... Who? What? Which? When? How? Happens to a lot of people as they get introduced to yet one more online resource that will solve all their online marketing problems.

The good news is that online overwhelm can be easy to solve. Believe it or not the core elements for marketing and selling online are the same as the traditional roles we all know so well - client, product, store/office, advertising, training, service, staff, sales, mail, phone, networking. No different, just different players! You just need to "breathe" ... and create a map.

A map allows you to assign a defined purpose to each of your online resources. It helps eliminate duplication, (the cause of much wasted time & confusion) and makes sure you have all your "crucial' bases covered! It also makes it easier to develop a strategy for all your resources.... making them work together with a goal of maximizing your results from the least amount of resources.

Give it a try. If you need an example, go to my weekly mailing, that I just sent out, where I outlined some of the basic assignments of the more popular resources. It will give you an idea of a basic map. You can access it by clicking here:

What I would love to know in this posting is what is "your" confusion? What makes you get online overwhelm OR how do you prevent it from happening?? Please share with us .... cause as this year evolves with web3.0 and more and more video and more and more mobile interactions, we all need to get control of ourselves and our businesses!

And also ... let me invite you to participate in my weekly special. Be one of the first two to contact me via phone or email and tell me you found out about the special via my blog. The special is any of my trainings listed here at 1/2 off. I'm feeling really good tonight so take advantage!


In the mean time ....
Keep your business growing!
margie

The New Facebook Business Page Look

Hi ..

Did you upgrade yet? If you haven't heard, facebook business pages are getting some capabilities that lots of people have been waiting for! If you are a business owner you will really like the changes ... at least that is my prediction. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Now you can LIKE other pages and leave postings on other pages as a business! It's optional, via settings, but something I believe many of you will want. There is still a personal touch available as page administrator profile images are shown at the top right hand corner of the page. A simple click will take you to their personal accounts.
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• Another plus is that you can target post - per country, state, city and even language!
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• You will be notified via email when a posting is left on your business page. This will be the same as you've been experiencing on your personal page. One addition - you can block profanity! Not that "you" would get such a posting, but good to know!
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• You can choose via settings if first time visitors see only the page postings or all the postings. People who LIKE your page get the same options!

Take a look at a complete listing on my weekly mailing ....click here Take a look and tell me if you like these changes? What is your favorite? What don't you like? Would love to know ....
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Right now the upgrade is optional. You can preview and then go ahead and upgrade if you want ... however, once you do upgrade there is no going back. On March 10th everyone's business pages will receive this upgrade. I'd get myself ready now!!! Call with questions!
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Keep your business growing ...
margie

Join my weekly mailing list!

Foursquare - Did You "Check-In" Today?

The word is out about foursquare ~ a web and mobile application that allows members to connect with friends and share where they are located.. People can learn about new places to go, where sales are going on and where foursquare is offering "specials!" It's becoming a fun game for users and a money maker for some businesses.

So, who's using foursquare? How are you using it? Share with us please!

Foursquare seems like a fun way for businesses to attract repeat business ... actually more than attract. They can actually "lure" clients to their venues. I would love to hear "live" actual stories of how people are using Foursquare as a business and as a user.

If you are not familiar with foursquare visit my newsletter this week. It explains it all: Click here!

Ok .. now I'm waiting to hear from you!

Keep your business growing,
margie

How Well Do You Target & Maximize?

Hello all ....hope you had a fun Halloween!
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All the Halloween activity got me thinking about how even "trick or treating" is a study in communicating. Think about it ... we target homes within communities and we dress up in accordance with the holiday in order to please and receive candy! If we target those who know us best and they know they will be targeted, the odds are pretty good that the candy will be "really" good!
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It's the same thing in business. Various levels within the business process have different communities of conversation. Each of these communities needs to be worked to get the best results, i.e. candy. Prospects are a community close to, but not quite, the same community as customers. Your strategic partners are a community as well as your staff.
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How many communities does your business have? Have you ever stopped to think about it this way? I'm really curious and would love it if you would share.
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Upon identifying your communities it is so important to maximize your communications within each community ... engage, interact and build strong and loyal communities. Online resources can play a huge role in assisting you with this. My weekly newsletter covered some of the many.
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You can see my mailing by clicking here. Take a look and see if you use any of the online resources I highlight for the specific reasons I mention. OR ... are do you have some that are using you? If you know of others please share as well! Would love to hear from you.
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Keep your business growing ...
margie

QR Codes

Do you have your QR Code yet? They are those square black and white boxes you are starting to see all over the internet and soon in offline places!
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QR stands for "Quick Response" and that's what happens with a QR code. They were created so that mobile phones can scan them and have instant access to what ever online information you want to provide access to! My weekly mailing goes over some specific sites where you can create your own QR Code as well as sites where you can find apps for scanning. Right now I'd love to know how you are using your QR codes? Do you have one yet? Are people scanning them?
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Looking at some of the uses I think the retail shop owner is going to have lots of fun. They can be put in store windows and connect people directly to Yelp accounts and Foursquare if you are using either site for local referral status. Also a great idea for offering giveaways! Or maybe a direct connection to your facebook page! The ideas are endless so let's share some.
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My facebook friend, Anise, first introduced them to me. Check out her QR Marketing Group on facebook. She has put them on T-shirts ... another great way to get your QR Code around town. It's possible to put the on coffee mugs also and of course hats and other promo items.
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What do you want people to have "Quick" access to? Create your QR code today! Here's what they look like.....this is my QR code for this blog!


Can't wait to hear from you ... but in the mean time ...

Keep your business growing ....
margie

Online Marketing Confusion?

Anyone get confused about which online resources to use when? ... and where? ... and how? You are not alone. It can get "cloudy" out there!
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One way to help yourself clear up the confusion is to break your marketing functions down into the basic components you have seen over the years in traditional marketing. There is a central office or hub of operations with advertising, a sales force, and prospecting as the primary marketing components. Do you agree with that?

Now, take it a step further by realizing that each individual marketing function can and will multi-task all the functions, i.e. advertising will happen at the central hub, prospecting can obviously be a part of advertising, and I'm sure you have more examples.

The same thing happens with online marketing resources at an even higher rate ... which is probably why we can get sooooooo confused! Would love you to write a comment on where you see cross-utilization and are not quite sure which or what way to "best" use a resource ...or when?

A basic platform or guideline is:
Central Hub - Website
Advertising - Online Newsletter, Email Promo's & Ads
Sales Force - Blog for conversation on business specifics
Prospecting - Social Networking

Does this make sense? Let me know "your" thoughts. Again the above is a very 1st layer of "assignment" of roles and basically serves in assisting you in knowing where to start. The layers build and get more complex.
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TIP for success in assigning roles & priorities: Always keep your business needs "FIRST" and the resources second.

My weekly mailing adds lots more detail to this discussion ... if you are not on my list, please join us! There is a sign-up link on the right side of this page.
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In the mean time ...
Keep your business garden growing ..

margie

Do You Ever Struggle When Creating Online Postings For Your Business?

Do you ever struggle with creating a social networking business posting? How many times do you head to your social network of choice and become clueless as to what to write and resort to something trivial from your day?

If this is you .... you are amongst many out there! There are so many telesminars on strategies for timing, types of postings, places to go to post, etc... but there is very little to help you actually create your postings.

There is no larger pond to fish in for new prospects for your business than the social networks ... so why is it that we don't know what to say about ourselves ( our businesses)? I would really love it if you would share what your specific thoughts are on this subject.

Social networking should be a core activity within our business marketing plan and we should have fun while we are doing it. I have some ideas of my own that I shared with my weekly mailing list to make it much, much easier for business owners. If you would like to get a copy you can subscribe to my mailing list at http://www.todaysway.net/welcome.htm#struggle. You can also find out a little bit more about what you will be receiving via this same link.

In the mean time I would still love to have your input on what "you" find challenging about creating social networking postings for your business. Leave me your comments, please!

Keep your business growing ...
margie

Branding Via Your Text Messages/Postings

There are so many ways to brand your business in addition to your logo and colors! What are some of the ways you have developed your branding? It is always interesting to see what people have discovered ... it also helps all of us in our own branding.

With social networking the "text" message is in many cases the first place a new prospect sees our business. It is important to start the branding process within these initial text communications. Branding "sinks in" upon repeat occurance and where else do you get such frequent visiblitiy than when social networking?

How do you do this, you ask? Text is text ... how do you apply a branding process with plain text? Here are several ideas for you to try "just" on your business postings. When being personal don't apply any branding ... it can negate the effect, I believe. See what you think.

• Have a consistent "sign-off" from your business postings. I end my postings with "Enjoy!"
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• Have a consistent "opening" ... begin each posting in the same manner. Doesn't have to be a formal greeting, per se ...just same intro, i.e. "once upon a time," "a funny thing happened, " etc.
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• Use a consistent "tone" within your postings. Be positive, be negative, be inviting ... but be consistent.
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• Use the same" format" consistently. Maybe your business postings will always be in the form of a question, or an analogy, a story, etc..

If you haven't noticed "consistency" is the name of the game when developing branding. You don't want to overdue it ... subtle consistency, I believe, works best. I'd pick one of the above to begin with and see how it works for you!

You can easily expand this to your email messages and blog postings as well! Before you know it your business will have an "image" just from how you present it within simple text postings. How cool is that?

Let me know how it goes for you?

Keep your business growing ...
margie

How Do I Make Money Via My Blog?

The question of "how to make money via a blog" often arises. The constant updating of content and in most cases, the casual conversation mode, leads one to assume that it might not be the best platform to sell from.

I'm happy to say, "not so!" In fact the constant updating of information and casual conversation mode can lead, support, strengthen and lead the reader into buying what you sell! It's up to you how far you take this.

Have you tried selling? If so, you may already realize that the sides of your blog are the where you sell from. This is where you can place pictures, videos, links and even more for the direct purchase of anything you sell. Items can be seen as readers click onto your blog. You can also direct readers to specific items within your postings. Do not be shy about doing that! Even if you don't have anything on the side ... always remember that you can put links in your blog postings directing people to buy something on your website. This is said ... knowing you will do this in good taste and in keeping with the conversation. DO NOT be aggressive in your selling, it defeats the purpose of a blog, in most cases. There are always the exceptions to the rule :-)

The trick to it all is to have a bit, if not a lot, of strategy. Here's an example that I heard more than several years ago in a seminar on blogging that works beautifully.

A photographer wanted to become known in the blogging communities and also sell photography equipment. He was up against other photographers and many, many other places selling what he was selling. He made an effort to look at what other blogs on photography were talking about and made sure he came up with fresh content. Eventually he became known for having the most unique and current "content" on photography and gathered a following. Meanwhile he had images of what equipment he was selling on the sides of his blogs with links to purchase instructions. Because he had the followers of his "content" he also received the sales.

The moral of the story is to gather a following to your content .. place what you sell on the sides of your blog making sure it relates to your ongoing content, information wise or emotion wise. The rest will be history.

Hope this helps! As always, please share with us your experience. Have you tried selling? How well are you doing? What has worked, what isn't working. Tell us all!

Keep your garden growing ....
margie

How Do People Find My Blog?

In the beginning it can seem like blogs are the most hidden of all your online resources! You can't just send them out to readers as you do with an online ezine or newsletter! Readers do initially need to find your blog. Does this thought ever get you down?

Well, good news! It's not a difficult thing to do especially if you make a point of getting your blog out there. Here are seven very "easy to implement" ways of having people find, read and use your blog!

1. Start with your warm circle of clients and prospects Announce your blog in a special emailing with a link to your blog. You will want to create an initial posting that invites these first visitors to leave a comment for you ( see my last posting on comments). You also might encourage them to share your blog with those that "they" know.
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2. Place links to your blog on your website and also within your daily email signature line. Add it to your business card and include it in all your online social networking profiles.
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3. Do you have an online newsletter or ezine? If so, include links from your "news" paragraphs to your blog inviting readers to go there and interact and share their opinions of what you are presenting in your newsletter. You should have a related posting waiting for them on your blog so they know where to participate.
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4. Register your blog in social network blog feeds. A blog "feed" will automatically have your postings appear on the associated social network feed. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter I know for sure have such feeds ... I am sure there are many more!
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5. Use keywords related to what you are writing about in your blog headline and within the main content. Search engines keep an eye on blog postings so do try to make good use of their affection :-)
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6. Leave comments on other blogs that complement what you do. Comments often allow you to leave a link back to your own blog and presto ... you've not only been found but your comment has planted a seed for a solid connection!
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7. Sign up for a 30 day blog challenge with Connie Ragen Green!

Hope these ideas have helped you! Apply consistency and sincerity to the above and watch your blog be found, read and used! It does take a little time but hang in there, you'll be glad you did.

If you have used something in addition that has worked please share with all of us via a comment. If you have questions on any of the above let us know here on the blog via a comment or you are welcome to contact me privately.

Keep your business growing ...
margie

4 Pointers For Twitter Business Success

Hello everyone,

By now you have to realize that Twitter is here to stay. And, I am sure most of you have an account on Twitter ... the question is how often do you use it and simply "how" do you use it? Have you had success?

I got on Twitter when it was still pretty much a whisper and have watched it grow and change, sometimes for the good and sometimes for what I thought was bad.

My first success in meeting new people and acquiring new busines came early on.. and then the spammers and advertisers arrived on the scene. Instead of opportunity for interactive connections, to me, Twitter became an information center. I got bored ... has anyone else felt this way on Twitter in the last year or so??

Well things have changed and I am once again totally excited about Twitter. Guess, like all things, it is growing up and finally evolving through "ugly" adolescence into something I feel is great! I have taken a new control of Twitter and started to use "it" instead of it using me! Walking my own talk you might say.

Here are 4 simple steps I implemented to reacquaint myself with the joys of Twitter: (1) I tailor my list of who I follow to "only" those I want to follow. (check out the new list feature - really helpful here ) (2) I make a daily goal to reach out to three new people a day (already in my feed) and leave comments to set the stage for more future interactivity and a true connection. (3) I think about my postings ... what I say and how I present what I say in the 140 character limitation. I try my best to be conversational and speak in terms of the benefits of my business. .. making it fun by relating my activity to fly fishing ( see my recent posting on this under social networking) (4) I am consistent.

There is still nothing like creating a new "real" connection on the internet. Hopefully these 4 pointers will put you in the right direction for the same success.

If you think you would like more guidance and instruction in making Twitter work for you, I have put together a fantastic 1-on-1 hand-holding training that we implement at "your" pace! I guarantee that at the end of it you will own your use of Twitter! It is being offered at a fantastic "roll-out" fee this month only.
Check it out here: http://www.todaysway.net/rollout/1on1twittertraining.htm

Otherwise, make sure you follow me on Twitter at: www.Twitter.com/margiehanson. I can't wait to tweet with you!

As always, please leave your comments and thoughts. What success have you had on Twitter? Have you experienced the numbness with it that I went through? What do you love about Twitter?

Keep your business garden growing,
margie

Six Steps For Going Fishing On Social Networks

Hello all ...

Is social networking a bit confusing for you?
Are you wondering how you make it work?
Are you just not "getting it?"

Well, here's an approach that I hope will be fun, helpful and believe it or not, productive for you! It's my six steps for "Going Fishing" on social networks.

Put a "GONE FISHING" sign on your door and let's catch and cook some fish!!!!

1. First we must decide what kind of fish we want to catch?
   When social networking:
   Who are the people that buy what you offer?
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2. Identify the waters the fish you want swim in ... fresh, ocean, stream, lake, etc?
   When social networking:
   Which social networks do the people who buy from you use the most?
   Strictly Business - LinkedIn
   Fun & Business - Facebook - Twitter - Plaxo
   Maybe they are found on blogs?
   Maybe on YouTube? Maybe MySpace?
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3. What kind of hooks/flies will the fish you want bite?
   When social networking:
   What are your buyers looking for?
   What do they crave?
   What are your hooks?
   What connects you to a buyer?
   Break your services/products down into individual "luring bites."
   Create a hook per bite.
   Create lots of these "bites" .. the more you have, the more prospects you will connect with!
   x
4. What casting methods will place your hooks where the fish you want will bite?
   When social networking:
   Pay attention to how your "hooks" are presented!
   Communicate "with" your readers as if they are right in front of you!
   Have a conversation. Engage - Relate - Be With - Share
   Speak with .. not at!
   x
5. Reel your fish in!
   When social networking:
   Sometimes your prospect comes in with one try!
   Sometimes you need to "play" with the line a bit.
   Whatever you do, don't let it get off the hook!
   x
6. Catch and Cook!
   When social networking:
   Yes .. . now your prospect can be cooked into a sale. Sometimes it's a one-step cooking procedure. Sometimes you need to cook in stages...
   You might "hook" your prospect in Twitter but have to bring them over to Facebook for them to really get to know you. Facebook can sometimes create a more bonding community of fans and friends depending on how one has built out their fan and/or friend base.
   
   
   So grab your gear.. keep it simple and have some fun!
   Put a "Gone Fishing" sign on your desk for at least 30 minutes a day.
   Let me know what you catch! Keep me updated by posting comments here!
   
   Keep your business growing ..
   margie
   
   
   

Target Search Capabilities On Facebook & Twitter!

Hello all ....

All of a sudden there seem to be more and more ways to do targeted searches on Facebook and Twitter!! Do you think they finally realized that people had begun to go in circles???

Have you found them yet? They really are useful and allow you to be quite creative and targeted!!!

On Facebook you can now search for any keyword of your choice and see where it is used in your friend's news feed, everyone's postings ( yup, all of facebook), fan pages, events, and groups! Did you know Facebook has over 500 groups about healthcare? Don't worry, you can apply filters to your searches so you can narrow down your results.

Twitter has 3 great resources for searching. My favorite is tweepsearch where you can enter any keyword of your choice that is found in a person's Twitter bio. It also targets cities, etc. A very targeted and cool tool. Came up with over 3,000 target contacts who like to fly fish for my client who sells fly fishing equipment. He was a very happy man that day!

Two other resources for Twitter are the twitter search ( found right on the home page). Here you can enter any keyword of your choice and see where it has been used in recent tweets. A similar searching resource on Twitter is the ability to search via hash tags. This is found on the right side of your Twitter page.

All of these will bring you targeted contacts! Contacts you can "connect" with based upon specific interests, needs, location, etc. There's room for lots of creativity here and that's what I want to hear about!

Share your ideas on how these great resources for targeting your conversations can work for you. Have you used them already? What have you discovered? Are you making more solid connections? Maybe we can come back to this topic in a couple of weeks and talk about your creative ideas. Let me know all!

Keep your business garden growing ...
margie