Tag: Twitter

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Time to revisit LinkedIn? The time might be right to reconsider its importance in your social media strategy…

So you heard that a company called LinkedIn just went public, and want to find out just what the hype is all about and how you can use it? TNW is here to get you up and running on LinkedIn before this very day is over.

LinkedIn is a social network, research tool, and job platform for professionals, although the site’s draw has been bringing in a more diverse group of users in recent months, including many still in university.

The site was founded in late 2002, launched in early 2003, and now claims more than 100 million members to its name in over 200 countries. In short, for the educated working person, LinkedIn is a website in which having a profile is quickly becoming mandatory.

More to the point, as use of the site has grown, and as the willingness of its users to upload increasing amounts of personal information has risen, a person’s profile on LinkedIn is slowly morphing into a living resume of their work that is, for the most part, generally accessible.

Let’s hop into the fun, but before we get you into the site we need to talk about how you are going to use LinkedIn.

via thenextweb.com

LinkedIn is the oldest, and in many ways, the least popular of the ‘Holy Trinity’ of social media [Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn]. You can follow the ‘via’ link above to start rocking LinkedIn if you’ve been left behind…

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I found a great post on the Duct Tape Marketing site that was very timely for me…

To help website owners take full advantage of the most important online marketing opportunities, here are 3 things small businesses can do to attract and engage new customers.

Content Publishing & Marketing – Consumers are interacting with multiple content sources before purchase and businesses that provide useful information beyond product features and benefits can attract more traffic and referrals.

Tips, articles, videos and experts interviews provide customers with the information they need to buy and refer to others. Useful content optimized with keywords also attracts more search engine traffic and links.

Social Media & Networking – 90% of marketers say that social media is important for their business according to the 2011 Social Media Marketing Report. Word of mouth, referrals and buzz on social networks can increase awareness, build trust and influence sales.

Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube offer useful platforms for small businesses to be helpful and share information with networks far beyond their customer base.

Local & Mobile – By 2014, mobile Internet will take over desktop Internet according to Microsoft Tag Lab. Small business websites can increase page views by offering a mobile friendly version of their website. They can also increase visibility on local search by making sure they’ve claimed their listings on Google Places and Bing Business Listings.

via ducttapemarketing.com

I just spoke last night to a group of independent home inspectors about these very issues. Some didn’t even have a site. Those that did had ‘brochureware’. The problem, I explained to them, is how will someone know you’re an expert if they can’t google you? That’s now this next generation of buyers will make there decisions…

The answer is as easy as using a free WordPress site as your business blog and adding Google Apps for corporate email. Next, link the rss feed from your blog to your Facebook page, Twitter account, LinkedIn account and your MailChimp newsletter. Then all you need to do is use Google Reader to ‘listen to the internet’ and make the information you need come to you. Out of that listening will come a lot of great ideas for you to create or curate on your website. This is the ‘lather, rinse, repeat’ cycle of ‘thought leadership’ marketing. I call it the ‘e1evation workflow’.

Anyone who can send an email can use these tools to get known by Google and the best news is every single one is free and completely cross platform right down to the smartphone level. Comment or ‘connect’ so we can talk about how this applies to your organization…

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If you’re a business owner and you’ve heard the recent news about Facebook’s attention-grabbing new feature for location-sharing and checkins, you’re probably itching to find out what Facebook Places can do for your business and how it can help you reach out to would-be customers and loyal regulars in your community.

While Facebook isn’t ready to announce any special brand-platform relationships or tie-ins just yet, one Facebook ad exec told us that the company does have plans to integrate Places with its larger marketing offerings for SMBs. The best thing a business owner can do to prepare for those offerings is get familiar with the ins and outs of Facebook and location marketing now.

Here are a few pointers for how SMBs can use Facebook Places and other marketing tools starting today.

via mashable.com

You can follow the ‘via’ link above to go to the source and read the rest of the article if you’d like to dig a little deeper…

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I’m a huge fan of Lee LeFever and the team at CommonCraft — no one does short, simple, insightful technology explanations better than they do and this quick tour de force on Twitter is no exception. I encourage you to watch this as well as all the great videos the have over at their YouTube channel…

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First Impressions

First, your headline matters. It’s what people see when they accept your invite, and it’s probably the fastest first impression one receives. If you work for a company, put that name in the headline. When I don’t see a company name, I wonder if you’re solo.

Your Summary

Here’s where I think the most work can be done. When I look at my profile, I think it’s a bit long, but otherwise, I’ve done the following:

  • Lead with what I do most.
  • Lead with the type of business I want to do.
  • Move into the reasons why you’d do business with me.
  • Move from there into all the nuances of what I do.

In every case within the summary, your plan should be to write from the mindset of the prospective employer (or client), such that when they read it, they think, “I need to hire this person.”

Tip: refresh your summary every two weeks.

via chrisbrogan.com

Thanks, Chris, for posting this. My LinkedIn profile is the ‘red headed step child’ of my social media empire! If you’re like me, you can follow the ‘via’ link above to spiff up your profile…

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I’m proud to have been chosen again to speak at the second “How to be a social media rockstar” event hosted by the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce. I’ll be speaking on the topic of ‘the signs point to social media’.

Since the beginning of business, people have used signs as a means of communication commercial value. They are still an effective tool, especially when combined with social media. I will be talking about effective B2B and B2C communication through the use of commercial signs linked to social media tools, including QR codes as a means of linking traditional and new media…

You can sign up for the event using the information below. I hope to see you there…

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‘Thought leadership’ marketing takes time! Here’s one man’s perspective on taking that time to ‘make media’ as he says…

This is a chicken or the egg causality dilemma for me: as I create more media, my media consumption has changed or my media consumption has changed, hence I’m able to create more media. I really don’t know which came first but what I can tell you is that I definitely watch much less TV, read more than I ever have in my life, and listen to industry specific podcasts.I rarely watch TV anymore and when I do it is usually a sporting event, a movie, or Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. I just don’t find sitting mindlessly in front on the TV exciting anymore. Rather than watch TV, I take time with my family or read. Speaking of reading, I read all the time. Whether it’s a book, a blog, or the newspaper, not only do I find enjoyment in reading – I also find blog topics and ideas.

Finally, I have become a fan of podcasts. In my never ending quest to find time to exercise, which I still don’t do often enough anymore, I’ve started to walk and listen to podcasts at the same time. I feel like I’m killing two birds with one stone. There are many great podcasts out there but two I would recommend are John Jantsch’s Duct Tape Marketing and Copyblogger’s Internet Marketing for Smart People Radio.

via schneiderb.com

Brendan Schneider has put together a thoughtful post on ‘making media’ [you can follow the ‘via’ link to read the whole post] in which he talks about ‘Getting Things Done’, staying away from the ‘idiot box’ [as my father was so fond of saying’], and creating a SMS — a social media system — for managing his social media outposts. I have a lot of similar needs and biases as Brendan and my social media system is called the ‘e1evation workflow‘ — kind of a ‘lather, rinse, repeat’ cycle for ‘thought leadership’ marketing [my way of saying ‘make media’]. Comment or ‘connect’ above so we can talk about a ‘practical, tactical’ approach to social media how this applies to you and your organization…

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Go to the source to learn more: preyproject.com

Travel much? Concerned about losing your computer to a thief? You might be interested in how one man used Prey to track down the man who stole his computer, all played out in social media via Storify…

<script src="

A man’s laptop is stolen, but he’s able to track it remotely and with the help of social media, recover it. (NSFW language. More story links at bottom.)

http://storify.com/btballenger/man-tracks-stolen-laptop-thousands-of-miles-away.js”>%5B<a href="

A man’s laptop is stolen, but he’s able to track it remotely and with the help of social media, recover it. (NSFW language. More story links at bottom.)

http://storify.com/btballenger/man-tracks-stolen-laptop-thousands-of-miles-away&#8221; target=”blank”>View the story “Man tracks stolen laptop hundreds of miles away, calls thief” on Storify]

h/t Mitch Joel…

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Gmail recently kicked butt in a Mashable poll asking users for their favorite email client. Adam Pash writes…

“Way back in 2006, I showed you my favorite tips, tricks, and tools for making the most of Gmail. A lot has changed in the Gmail world since then, so much so that it seemed like a good time to revisit our favorite tips, tricks, and tools for getting the most from Gmail. Most, if not all, of these tips and features will also apply to the Google Apps accounts set up by businesses and organizations, but your administrator may not have enabled everything you see here.

No one really needs to be sold on Gmail anymore. Either you like the threaded conversations, powerful search, built-in filters, and awesome Gmail Labs functionality or you don’t. I love these things, and below I’ve attempted to put together my comprehensive guide for turning Gmail into the ultimate communication and productivity hub. (I’m focusing on covering territory that I didn’t cover in my previous guide, so if you’re looking for a more beginner guide, read that first. Much of it remains true.)

I’ve broken things down into sections, starting with keyboard shortcuts, then moving down into the best Labs add-ons, third-party add-ons, search techniques, etc. Ready to power up your Gmail? Let’s get started with how to set up and use Gmail’s robust keyboard shortcuts—my favorite Gmail productivity booster.” Source: Become a Gmail Master Redux – Gmail – Lifehacker

Gmail [and Google Apps for Business] is the killer app for email. If you want to become a Gmail master and master your email, follow the link and read Adams article. Comment, call or contact me if you’d like to know more about how to leverage Gmail in your business…

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Connecting (Chris Brogan)
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If you want better answers, ask better questions. I most recently heard that by listening to a Tony Robbins CD (wrote about that here), but I’ve heard it before. The thing is, with all good advice, if you don’t hear it often, it falls under the waves. So, I’m here to repeat it.

“If you want better answers, ask better questions.”…

I was reading the latest issue of Entrepreneur magazine, about the guy who started the Ace Hotel, and about how it’s turning into a branding thing. I felt a bit of joy and a bit of envy. I started thinking, “What can’t I have a brand like that?” Of course, if you look at the phrasing of the question, what I’m asking is for all the negative reasons why I don’t have that. So, I rephrased:

“What could I do to roll out a brand that means something and transforms across more than one platform?”

This answer was much better. It then made me think of ways that I could grow what I’m working on and really get it into the mindset of a brand. How?

via chrisbrogan.com

Couldn’t agree more with Chris Brogan — I believe intelligent question asking is the single most important skill anyone can possess. Agree/disagree?

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John Jantsch
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2011 marks my eighth year of blogging. In that time I’ve logged over 2500 blog posts, acquired around 143,000 subscribers and had this blog named by the likes of Forbes magazine as their favorite for both marketing and small business.

If this asset has delivered any measure of success I can tell you that the primary reason is that in that same time I’ve also read some or all of approximately 120,000 blog posts written by others. I’ve stated repeatedly that anyone that wants to start a blog, get better at blogging or make their blog a serious marketing tool for their business must first and foremost get very good at reading blogs…

Go to the source to read the article if you’d like to know John’s logic. Find it here: ducttapemarketing.com. Business blogging for both production and consumption are two of the most important activities in my day. ‘Connect with me’ if you’d like to know more about it…
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This one really has me scratching my head…

“One of the interesting trends of 2009 has been the gradual decline of RSS Readers as a way for people to keep up with news and niche topics. Many of us still use them, but less than we used to. I for one still maintain a Google Reader account, however I don’t check it on a daily basis. I check Twitter for news and information multiple times a day, I monitor Twitter lists, and I read a number of blogs across a set of topics of most interest to me.

Frankly I’m more likely to use Google Reader to search for specific information nowadays, than to scan my subscribed feeds for their latest posts. So what’s happened to RSS Readers. Do people still use them and is there still a viable market for them?” Source: RSS Reader Market in Disarray, Continues to Decline

Personally, I consider mastering RSS feeds to be a key competitive advantage for thought leaders. I think the reason why RSS readers are in decline is because feeds are still hard for most people to master and they just don’t get it! If you’re one of those folks, contact me and I’ll be happy to help you figure it out…

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Citibank
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In a sign that small businesses are finally emerging from the recession and looking to grow, an increasing number of business owners are adopting social media as a way to better market their business and reach more customers, according to the latest Citibank small business survey. The increased use of social media represents one of several findings in Citibank’s survey that shows small businesses are taking concrete action to grow in 2011.

According to the survey, use of social media increased significantly over the last year, with 36 percent of small business owners saying they use social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn to market their business, compared to just 19 percent a year ago.

Additionally, when asked what steps they will take to attract more business in 2011, 68 percent of small business owners say they will increase marketing and 54 percent say they will offer new products and services. Of those who plan to do business in a larger geographic area this year (38 percent), 49 percent plan regional expansion, 18 percent plan national expansion, and 16 percent are looking toward international expansion.

“As one of the main drivers of job creation and economic growth in the United States, small businesses are crucial to a robust and sustained recovery,” said Raj Seshadri, the head of Small Business Banking at Citibank. “We are thrilled to find that many small businesses believe the time is right to expand their business and find new customers, and at Citibank, we are committed to helping them succeed and grow.”

via businesswire.com

Interesting information from Citibank that indicates social media is becoming more and more mainstream for small business. Personally? I think the reason why is that smart business owners know that social media is one of those activities that takes more time than money — while both are scarce, owners are willing to get more efficient at some activities so that they can effectively engage in others. Comment below or ‘connect’ above to discuss how this applies to you and your organization…

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The key to zooming in on purpose and usefulness within social channels starts with the realization that there is no one audience. Nor is there a sustainable market for branded messages, marketing campaigns, or “Tweet/Like to Win” contests. Indeed, every channel created to represent the brand must carry a purpose, mission and corresponding value. One of the most common questions I’m asked by businesses of all shapes and sizes is, “What is the right number of accounts we should have in each social network?” Or, “How many profiles is too many or too few?”

The answer is as simple as it is revealing. Create the number of channels that meaningfully extend the focus of your business. Only create channels that enhance the brand message without diluting it. And make sure you have the capacity to keep all the channels relevant.

So what are the best practices for creating an engaging social stream? Let’s take a look at the traits of some of the more successful and regarded brands in the business.

via mashable.com

Another awesome article by Brian Solis. You’ll have to follow the ‘via’ link if you want to get all 14 best practices. My favorite? “Construct a Listening Framework: The best listeners make the best conversationalists. Build a listening framework that monitors the brands as well as the distinct conversations related to each account.” There are still a few seats left for my ‘Google Reader Rockstar’ event next week. Sign up here — you’ll get the listening framework Solis recommends…

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We preach it every week.

Attract the right kind of traffic by creating exceptional content.

Engage your audience so they know, like, and trust you. Let them know you’re the likable expert who’s going to give them the information (and eventually the products and services) that won’t let them down.

Then use smart copywriting and conversion techniques to turn those raving fans into customers.

No, it’s not paint-by-numbers, but it is a proven, systematic way to build your business.

But sometimes I hear people say, “Geez, that sounds like a lot of work.”

Well, ok, I’m going to give it to you straight. It’s work.

But a lot of work compared to what? Digging latrines? Losing your mind in a cubicle farm? Spouting half-baked opinions on a reality TV show?

So let’s break it down … building a business our way versus building a business by other people’s methods.

via copyblogger.com

Want more? Follow the ‘via’ link…

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Gina Trapani talks about managing your online reputation…

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via nonprofitmarketingguide.com

Personally, I swear by HootSuite as a social media dashboard — I find it’s the best tool for small businesses and people who are just getting started in the space. Comment below or ‘connect’ above if you want to know why! You can follow the ‘via’ link above if you’re interested in learning more…

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