The Easy Way to Add Facebook Visibility to Your Website

Facebook has been in the news a lot lately. They were slammed about the, “privacy settings” well that is all done now and they have given us back our control on our privacy. I have to say that Facebook on a whole listens to its public, they make mistakes or leaps that are not progress to us but in the long run they go back and modify it so everyone is happy once again, or at least the majority.

Facebook has developed a “script” you can add to your website that will show a “LIKE” button adding this button to your website allows your readers to click on it, activates a count on that page along with notifies the “readers” facebok page/profile” that they liked this page! How great is that! Advertising you cannot pay for!!! The secret is writing posts that give value or a website that is useful to the visitor!! You can do it! You can find the instructions for adding this button to your website at http://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/like OR if you are like me and LOVE wordpress you can log into your plug in area and search for the plug in called WP FB Like – you can simply install it there! (be sure to check the settings when you install it)

Branding…Are You Paying Attention to Your Branding & Marketing? Part Seven

Most people use electronic mailers to keep their clients/prospects updated throughout the year. Some are sent weekly, monthly or even quarterly. Popular programs are Constant Contact (very user friendly), their shopping cart program (helps keep their list together in one place), aWeber (offers the ability to have a structured autoresponder created) – if you have any questions about these feel free to call me. BUT what I want to talk to you about is Old Fashion Letters and Cards.. do you do that too or not at all?

• Old Fashion Mailings still work!: Now that I have said that – let me clarify, I am not speaking of the old fashion advertising mailers that just promote your business but the old fashion connecting mailings – letters and cards! There is a service that I have found to be a viable tool in my (and several client’s businesses too), SendOutCards. It allows you to pick from over 15,000 cards or create your own with your own logo or pictures! Reach out and touch your clients/prospects just because – touch them and ask about them do not advertise! Rebuild or Continue that relationship. We are all overwhelmed by emails and they are not personal! We are all guaranteed bills in the mail – why not send someone a smile in the mail and give them a card to brighten their day!! It makes a HUGE difference. Check it out and send 4 cards on me for free! Promise no hassles just an introduction to a great tool!! – click on the banner SEND FREE BRANDING/MARKETING messages and set up your free account!

Personal touches are so important – we need to get back into the habit of reminding people (friends, family, business connections) how important they are. We need to get back to “Relationships” with our clients and prospects! I hope you have gotten some nuggets out of this series!

Branding… Are You Paying Attention to Your Branding & Marketing? Part Four

Now that we are planning BIG.. do not let your past (or any future) failures stop you from launching new things. All companies, small and LARGE have had failures in a launch they have done.. if you let anything you have tried in the past that did not work out so great stop you from tying something new again OR the fear of failure stop you from trying something new you will not be growing BIG!!! Just a side note, do not launch too many things at the same time – one at a time and even one every 6 months should be your limit – you do not want to confuse your market, you don’t want to overload them and you defiantly do not want to not have enough time to evaluate the “success” rate of your product/service launch.

• Use Failures for Knowledge and Growth Using Coke as anexample, remember when they launched “New Coke” in 1985.. what a bomb. It was quickly removed from the market and the old formula returned as “Classic Coke”. Sales for them increased and that failure has turned into a HUGE success for them.

Marketing niched Virtual Assistants are a great way to have support and to have a support person focusing on this area!

The BIG Debate, Picture or Not!

I wanted to discuss the BIG DEBATE going on at some “open” networking events. Your Picture on your business card – should it be there? Yes or No? I have run into people that support both sides of this argument. I have to say YES in my opinion… In this world of networking, facebooking, twittering and so on we rely on visual reminders – if all I have is a name I run the risk of not recognizing someone I have done business with, chatted with or just met before. I changed my business cards mainly for that reason. I know my logo has become very visible and when people learn what company I am with they go “oh you are the one with that great card” but they did not connect the two right off the top. I want it to be easy to recognize me while I am out in the community or re-visiting different chambers and meetings – adding my picture will help in this.

So that is where I stand on the debate! Check out your business cards you are bringing to events and look at all of your “marketing” materials together – do they the information they should: Biz Name, Your Name, Address, Phone Number, Fax, email address, website address, tag line and your pic? Do they tell everyone exactly who you are and give them something to remember you by?
Personal touches are so important – remember we are building “relationships” with our clients!

How Big is Your Bowl?

I know when I ask that question and everyone thinks of the size of their candy bowl they had for Halloween that is not what I am referring to. I am referring to your “life, experience and business” bowl! Take a plant for instance, you purchase plants to decorate your home or office with from stores like Home Depot and they are in 2 inch pots. It is recommended for it to continue to grow that you change out the pot and replant it in a slightly bigger one and then do it again for the plant to be able to grow bigger and bigger. OK, see the similarities? The plant (and fish are the same way) need a change of surroundings along with a bigger location to continue to grow. It cannot grow to its full size if you keep it cooped up in the same small habitat! Now relate this analogy to you and your business. Are you networking in the same groups you have been for years? Are you holding onto all of the “needed to be done” tasks for yourself to do? Open up your bowl size… reach out to new groups whether it be social networking on the internet with Facebook, LinkedIn and so on or meeting with a new networking group – find a 5 Minute Networking event – they are great! For those tasks that are holding you back from getting more work because you cannot keep up with what you have, hire an assistant whether it be in your office or a virtual assistant. The cost of paying an assistant will be more than covered when you have opened your bowl up for growth and more business comes in!

Networking… Don’t Miss The Opportunities

It’s all in the relationship! Networking is a way of life today for Entrepreneurs. You can work for a company or be a solo-preneur and have a need to network. With the downturn in the economy people are turning to those who “care”, those who have “time”, those that “follow-up” and those who “offer a resolution to a need”. Is that you? Network – Network – Network You never know who someone else might know and by networking you get your name and services out there in the running for work. Also in turn, by networking you might find a person that fits a need you might have! It is a win win situation. There is an art to networking, the main key is to be authentic and be YOU! We all know that when you network you should be there to get to know the others you are meeting and not just “sell” yourself. Practice that! We have some great networking groups here in Santa Clarita that meet weekly or monthly. There are networking groups that have affiliations outside of our little valley if your services are not just for local customers. There is a fun website – www.meetup.com that lists every kind of “Meet Up” group you can think of from personal self-care to hardcore business people. Look into, join and get notices – the most important part is NETWORK!!! Build Relationships!! You never know who and what you might find! Good luck and Have a GREAT Time!

Inviting Through Facebook

OK by now you should have a Facebook Profile/Fan Page… did you know that you can use that profile/fan page to market your services. Please be aware that Facebook frowns on you using it to solicit sales of products but to market a free event it is GREAT. Free events could be something like Stephanie Graziano’s, Building Your Own Business – once a month coaching conference call (www.buildingyourownbusiness.com) or Judith Cassis’ Teleseminar Series she is prepping for (www.successmadesimpleteleseminars.com ). When she has a topic that is open to the public she can “invite” through Facebook. Even the great “gatherings” McKenna and Green do in the store for their clientele, they too can send invites through Facebook events. How great to open up your visibility and get more exposure. True Stephanie’s and Judith’s are set for an “audience” from anywhere in the world but do not discount the marketing you can do just by sharing information. You never know who is really in your backyard! Use every available tool out there to get noticed! More advertising!!! Don’t forget Merchant Circle also, this is more for local businesses…

LinkedIn and Plaxo “a bit of news”

• LinkedIn  for Social Networking

There are several ways to network.  You can network in person and you can network “virtually” through venues set-up for Social Networking.  One of these Social Networks is called LinkedIn.  Linked in was started May 2003. It is a “corporate” setting and structure compared to other venues.  It is noted that 7.8 million people have used LinkedIn since its start and the daily growth is 6,980 new members.   You might have been asked to join it already.. have you?  Do you log in and use it?  Do you know how to?  LinkedIn is a site where people sign-up (register) and you import your entire database of contacts.  At this point anyone you invite or accept into your circle can see your database as well as you can see theirs.  And so on as the tree grows bigger.  This allows you to see who your “friend” knows and gives you the chance to ask for a warm introduction to that person – you connect with them and there you have it, you are now socially networking through LinkedIn.  LinkedIn has its own emailing area so you can communicate as well as make announcements about upcoming events to your contacts and all of the contacts you are linked to.  The key is to build relationships just as you would in face to face traditional networking.  Take advantage of this free way to network especially if your business can travel outside of your local area.

• Plaxo for Social Networking

In addition to your traditional, check out all that is available to you… we are working on a series of information about Social Networking.  Last week we talked about LinkedIn and today Plaxo.  Plaxo was started in November 2002.  It offered members an easy way to keep their contacts up to date.  It also is integrated into your outlook or outlook express. This allows for an easier way to keep up with changes in contact information with family, friends, clients, vendor and suppliers.  Plaxo also offers a paid service where you can connect to your information via your mobile phone!  Plaxo is used all over the world and manages over a billion contacts collectively.  Plaxo’s focus is keeping your records up to date at all times with the members of your database.  It has a different view of your contacts and that is, they are YOUR contacts and they are in a sense private.  You do not share contacts with other Plaxo members unless you share a contact directly.  The company put out a notice in Aug. 2007 stating they are looking into the social network value but at this point they did not have anything in the works.  Plaxo is a great way to keep your ever changing, ever updating outlook file clean and current but is not considered a great way to socially network.