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Generating and Converting Quality Leads Through Social Media

There’s a difference between being popular and being profitable. And the difference is money. In other words, if you’re launching a social-media campaign for your business, you’re likely not in it to make new friends. You’re in it to generate leads and convert them into business. Here are some ideas to help increase the effectiveness of your social-media efforts …

Play it Cool: Even though you’re on Facebook for business, it’s still primarily a social tool. That means, you can’t come on too strong. In order to grab attention, you’ll have to create some content and make it interesting. And, more importantly, make it interesting to your target audience. If you hope to generate quality leads through social media, whether you’re using a blog, Facebook, or Twitter, you have to first build trust – and an audience – and the only way to do that is to offer something for nothing. If you’re posting quality information about your region or industry, you’re establishing yourself as a knowledgeable source and forming positive associations among visitors to your pages and profiles.

Be Discreet: You don’t want to fill up your blog or social-media profiles with solicitations and blatant advertisements for your services. You can, however, use areas around the margins to create an ad for your business. For example, if you’re keeping a blog, take an area typically reserved for ads and widgets to create a call to action. It doesn’t need to be sophisticated. At first, just having something on the page is better than nothing. Experiment. Write up a short description of your specialties with a link to your website. Having a few well-placed reminders of who you are and what you do will give visitors an opportunity to further explore your business online and raise the possibility of converting them into clients.

Be Available: Social media is about creating dialogue. So, in addition to keeping your page updated regularly and offering content that will interest and attract visitors, use your social-media presence to find and contact potential business in your area. If you have a Twitter page, for example, search for keywords related to your industry, then limit the search to your region and answer anyone in your area who’s posted questions related to your line of work or expertise.

The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com

Personal Branding, Social Media, And The Art Of Presentation

 

If you’ve ever thought enough not to wear overalls to a business meeting, you know something about personal branding. Which is to say, branding isn’t just for corporate logos, high-profile advertising campaigns, and big-budget marketing efforts. At its root, branding is about how you present yourself, whether you’re a multinational corporation or in business for yourself. And these days, the Internet and social media provide professionals with more control over their personal brand than ever before.

Here are some tips for building your brand online …

Use Your Name: Buy a domain name in your name. In other words, www.yournamehere.com. Whether you’re setting up a static website or a blog, having your own domain name – or something close to it – gives you a home base. Generally, blogs rank higher in search engines and provide an ability to communicate regularly with your contacts. But whatever you do, put it in your name. Setting up a blog, Twitter or Facebook page under your company’s name means, if you switch jobs at any point, you’ll have to reestablish your brand with new pages and profiles. Setting up a network of pages in your name will allow you to build your own brand and provide potential clients and partners a place to form a first impression.

Create Some Content: Once you’ve created the destination, you’ll need to create a reason for people to visit. That means content. And content, in this case, should be thought of in terms of presentation. Before you post anything consider how it’ll be viewed by potential business that may stumble upon your blog or Facebook page. Use your online properties to promote your professionalism, expertise, and attention to detail. That means, in addition to posting relevant and interesting, industry-related information on your blog, you should also have a professional photo and bio, along with easily located contact info.

Sweat The Small Stuff: Building your personal brand means paying attention to even the smallest details. Keep things linked and consistent. Setting up pages under your own name and making sure your contact, bio, and photo are updated – and the same on each page or profile – will prevent guesswork. Litter the Internet with multiple email addresses, out-of-date web pages, and 12 separate phone, fax, and cell numbers and risk losing possible business contacts to confusion. Also, if you have a business blog, use its RSS feed to send your posts to any of your other business-related social media sites. Having a network of online properties that present a consistent representation of who you are personally and professionally will establish your brand, along with your business, online.

The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com

Apps For Business: How To Stay Organized, Automated, And Connected

Chances are the first time you heard the Apple commercial proclaim “there’s an app for that,” you were relieved but wondering what an app was to begin with. Well, app is short for application. And, in this case, application is just another word for tool. Which means, apps are tools that perform particular functions whether they’re accessed through your smart phone, Facebook, or iPad. And, as with all things Internet-related, there really is an app for just about everything. Including business.

Here are a few apps to help manage your business on-the-go …

MyStickies: MyStickies is exactly what it sounds like. Which is to say, it’s a web-based app that offers you the ability to place sticky notes all over the Internet and your desktop. Write yourself reminders or take short notes while browsing the Internet and MyStickies will keep your note there for the next time you visit the page. Helpful for organizing, writing to-do lists, and reminding yourself not only where you saw something but why you were interested.

RSS Graffiti: RSS Graffiti is an app for Facebook that allows you to share content, posts, and updates from any of your social-media sites that has an RSS feed. In other words, if you’re keeping a blog but don’t want to have to copy-and-paste everything to your Facebook page, RSS Graffiti does it for you. In short, RSS Graffit will automate your output and make it easier, and less time consuming, to spread the information you want across your social network.

Business Card Reader: This iPhone app allows you to scan a business card and automatically import the contact information to your phone. Sure, you’ll need an iPhone to use it but it’s a lot more effective than carrying around cards or trying to organize them.

Mute-O-Matic: Not only will this Android app allow you to set your phone to silence itself when you’re in meetings or events, it also allows you to pick and choose what calls to silence. In other words, you can set your phone to ring for certain people while silencing others. You can also set the phone to send a specific reply message. So, when you’re in a meeting with a client, your phone will silence itself and let anyone that calls know that you’re in a meeting and will get back with them soon.

Aviary: This Google app offers a suite of tools and templates to create, modify, and share images. It can crop, resize, markup powerpoint slides, business cards, letterhead, add arrows and text, and create logos and icons. It also comes with an audio editor that allows you to record audio, then apply effects and filters if you choose.

More business apps here, here, here, and here.

The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com

YouTube For Business: How To Create, Curate, Direct, And Distribute Video Online

If reality television taught us that people would do just about anything to appear on TV, YouTube taught us that deep down everyone really wants to direct. Which is to say, the popular video-sharing website has given anyone with a webcam the ability to create, produce, direct, and distribute their videos across the Internet. And, based on the more than 30 hours of video uploaded every minute, people are taking advantage of the easy-to-use free service.

So how can you market your business on YouTube without having to first find a talking dog or hilariously cute baby to help your videos go viral and pull in millions of viewers? Here are some tips …

Start Small and Stay Small: If your goal is international stardom and a guest spot on a late-night talk show, you’re probably going to be disappointed. If, however, you set your expectations a bit lower, you may be surprised at the results. That means, making videos that appeal directly to your prospects, potential clients, and partners. Having informative, interesting, and entertaining videos to share with your business contacts is more important than having six million views. Besides, you’re not going to get six million views. Know that in advance.

You’re Gonna Be In Pictures: Creating content for videos shouldn’t be any more difficult than coming up with blog posts or updates for your social-media pages. In other words, anything you’re writing can be turned into a video. Answer frequently asked questions, address customer concerns, discuss pertinent industry and regional news, or upload a slide show or screen cast. As with any other social-media marketing, your sales pitch won’t make for a compelling video. Try to avoid, or disguise, your sales message. Keep it interesting, informative, and entertaining and, most importantly, aimed at your business audience.

Curate Rather Than Create: Say you’re technologically challenged or having a hard time developing and producing your own videos. Well, starting your own YouTube channel is simple and allows you to add videos you’ve found and would like to share with your clients. That’s right. You needn’t produce all the content yourself. Search for videos that pertain to your industry or region and share them through a playlist on your YouTube channel. Then link it to your blog or Facebook page to syndicate your videos across your social network.

The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com

Three Email Marketing Tips To Remember Before Hitting Send

Email isn’t any less personal than any other form of communication. It may feel that way because, unlike a telephone or a face-to-face meeting, there isn’t any direct and immediate feedback. But your inbox is your inbox. Which means, you don’t want to spend your time sifting through hundreds of unsolicited and incomprehensible messages any more than anyone else.

Which brings us to email marketing. Having a successful email-marketing campaign means putting yourself in your contact list’s shoes. If you were on the other end of the send button, would you be interested in what you are sending out? If not, it’s time to rethink your email strategies.

Here are a few things to remember when launching an email-marketing campaign …

Get Permission and Be Specific: The first, and most obvious way, to improve the reception of your emails is to get the recipient’s approval in advance. If you’re only emailing a list of people who’ve asked to receive your emails, you’ve already improved the chances of your message being read. So ask potential subscribers to opt in and let them know what they’re going to get at the same time. That means, get specific about what you’ll be sending and how often. Once they’ve opted in, confirm it. Now you’ve got a mailing list that’s receptive and willing.

Focus and Customize: Now that you’ve got a list, think a little about what you’re going to send them. After all, having a confirmed mailing list doesn’t mean they’re going to stick with you regardless of what you’re sending them. Make your messages easy to read and focus on one particular message. There’s no better way to be ignored than to send out 1,000 words of meandering sales talk and desperate pleading. Make your emails interesting and useful and make sure to customize them. If an email looks like spam or too much work, it’ll be treated as such. Use the recipient’s name and make it appear less like a mass marketing blast and more like you’ve sent it to them specifically because you thought they’d be interested.

Use Social Media: If you’re using social media for your business, you should use it in your email-marketing campaign too. Include links to your various social-media pages and profiles in all of your emails. Not only will it encourage your contacts to visit and learn more about you and your business, it’ll likely boost the number of fans and followers you have online. That means, building opportunities to communicate and interact with your clients, contacts, and partners. It also means more contacts, word-of-mouth, and potential business.

The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com

Top Tips For Properly Presenting Your Business On Twitter

All social-media sites are the same. Really. It’s your info, messages, and updates just wrapped in a different format. And, in that way, social-media is a lot like Mexican food. After all, most of the dishes on a typical Mexican menu are identical. The only thing that changes is the tortilla. The difference between a chimichanga and a burrito? One tortilla is fried, the other isn’t. A taco and a tostada? One’s folded, the other isn’t.

And so, when trying to determine how to properly use Facebook as opposed to Twitter or LinkedIn, don’t get overwhelmed trying to extract the unique purpose of each site. You’re using them all for the same thing: To connect, communicate, and create a larger audience for you, your business, and your services. It’s all a technologically advanced way of spreading word-of-mouth. The differences, like a Mexican menu, are only in the presentation.

Here are some tips on properly presenting yourself on Twitter …

Keep it Short: Obviously, the main difference between Twitter and any other social-media site is that you’re limited to 140 characters per tweet. That means, you have to have something quick, interesting, and understandable to share and you have to do it in very few words. This, while appearing easy, can be difficult. Start by linking up your blog or Facebook page to Twitter. Most sites offer the ability to automatically have your updates, posts, and messages sent to your other pages and profiles. This will make it easier to keep your sites updated without having to login to each. You can also update your Twitter account with relevant industry stats or quotes, re-tweet something interesting you’ve found, or call attention to others in your industry or region whose account you follow. In short, the more you mention others, re-tweet their messages, and follow their feeds, the more attention your account will receive in return. And, after all, attention is the idea in the first place.

Use The Hashtag: If you’ve heard the term but haven’t yet understood the concept, here you go … Hashtags identify the topic or subject of your tweet and make it easier for people to find through searches. For example, if you’re tweeting about real estate, follow your tweet with #realestate. That way, it’s more likely your tweet will be found by people searching for real estate on Twitter. But think it through, as a hashtag for something as general as real estate will likely be among thousands of others. The more specific your tag, however, the more unlikely it is to be someone’s search term. In other words, it takes some balance but incorporating hashtags into some of your tweets is a good way to gain more attention for your message.

Interact With The Twitterverse: Twitter is about communication. It’s meant to be conversational, which explains the character limitations. Ideally, you’d encourage a back-and-forth with your followers and those you follow, using your tweets to respond and reply to questions, concerns, and messages. Twitter allows for direct messages, which operate a lot like email. Respond to the messages you receive and to people who tweet about you or your business. A simple thank you may be enough. It may sound like a lot of work but, if done correctly, the benefit to your business will outweigh the time you invested building a following. Keep your expectations reasonable.

The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com

Three Keys To Building A Successful Facebook Fan Page

 

 

Since its launch in 2004, Facebook has more than proven itself to be an effective way to embarrass yourself, friends, and family online. But as the popular social network has grown, so have the opportunities for businesses hoping to capitalize on the millions of members logging in each day. No longer is social media only for college kids and online voyeurs, creative brands, businesses, and major corporations have found marketing success using social media, and no network is bigger than Facebook’s.

Below we offer a few helpful hints and tips to building and benefiting from your Facebook fan page …

Online/Offline: The anonymity of the Internet offers people an excuse to do things they wouldn’t in everyday life. Scroll through the comment section of an average news story online and you’ll see how eager people are to engage their most obnoxious instincts. But having a successful social-media marketing campaign means treating people with the same respect you would if you ran into them at an industry or community function. In other words, slow down your sales pitch and develop a relationship with your Facebook fans before pushing your services.

Use Apps: Though you may think your job is done once you’ve got your contact and business info up, you’re not. Facebook offers a multitude of resources and applications that can make your page, not only more dynamic, but more functional and interesting to visitors. Have a glance through the available applications and choose those that seem to fit your business and audience. For example, there are many options to link your fan page to your other social-media sites and blog. If you’re keeping a business blog, kill two birds with one update and have your blog post automatically sent to your Facebook page.

Encourage Participation: Try to view your fan page the way a potential client or curious web browser would. Having a page that is interactive, updated regularly, and offers interesting info and ideas, will keep people visiting and, once they are, more accepting of any directly sales-oriented materials you post. If you set up a fan page and only update it with messages urging visitors to buy, buy, buy, you’ll likely have, not only bored them, but assured that they won’t return. As always, communication and relationships are the key to a successful social-media campaign. Restrain your urge to advertise and, in time, you’ll reap the benefits your efforts.

The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com

How To Drive Traffic To Your Website And Be Found On Search Engines

On the freeway, traffic is something to be avoided at all costs. On the Internet, traffic is the only way to generate leads and grow your business. Driving traffic to your website, whether through pay-per-click advertising or keeping a blog, means more potential customers visiting your website, learning what you do, and paying you for your services. So how’s it done? The easy answer is by making your business more readily found by search engines. How you do that, though, is up to you.

Here are a few strategies to help you start driving up your numbers …

Blogs and Social Media: The good news is this option won’t break your budget. The bad news is you’ll have to invest some time and come up with content to share on your network. Getting noticed by search engines takes time. So, if you’re looking for an overnight success, perhaps an advertising campaign is better suited to your needs. If, however, you’re able to regularly contribute, post, and interact with your social network, you’ll build word-of-mouth and traffic to your business website. The more you participate, the quicker it’ll happen. Not only will each blog post, tweet, and Facebook update boost your traffic and search-engine rankings, if done correctly, they’ll be an effective way of keeping in contact with referral partners and clients while attracting new business.

Online Advertising: The advantage of pay-per-click advertising is that you only pay per click. You set the keywords, target your region, and budget and pay only when someone visits your website as advertised on search engines, websites, or advertising networks. That means, unlike an ad in a newspaper, pay-per-click ads cost you only when they deliver traffic to your site. The disadvantage is you have to pay whether that traffic generates new business or not. Which means, it can get expensive if your ads aren’t properly targeted. And, until they are, you’ll be paying for errant clicks and aimless visitors.

Everything Else: Ultimately, the benefit of building your presence online is there are limitless tricks and tips to help you – not only get started – but effectively build your business. Blogs and social-media sites are packed with resources and tools to help you share your content across your network, easily link back to your business website, and offer added value through widgets, plug-ins, and apps. And, though it may seem daunting at first, any help you need along the way is no further than a quick Google search. Additional tips here.

The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com

Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn: Finding The Social Media Site That Works For Your Business

If you were opening a restaurant or shoe store or even a lemonade stand, finding the right location would be among your top priorities. After all, a spot on a popular street with a lot of pedestrian traffic would be more beneficial than, say, holding your grand opening 100 miles from any recognizable sign of civilization. And though that seems a rather obvious point to make, many businesses begin social-media campaigns with little thought to where they’re likely to have the most success. And, make no mistake, there are choices. The Internet is ever-expanding and, depending on your business, you have your pick between niche sites that cater to your particular crowd and the wildly popular favorites you’ve no doubt already heard of – if you haven’t already registered for a page or profile.

For our purposes, we’ll start with the big three …

Facebook: Facebook has more than 500 million active users, of which 50 percent log in on any given day. And, for the mathematically challenged among us, that adds up to a lot of potential page views. Which is why Facebook has become the go-to social-media site for businesses launching an online marketing strategy. It’s hard to argue with those numbers and especially since Facebook offers highly-customizable pages specifically for business – so you needn’t worry that your personal info will end up in front of your professional contacts. And, because you may not be trying to develop new business in Mongolia, Facebook has millions of groups you can join in order to participate with people and business in your region or industry.

Twitter: Twitter is a micro-blogging service, which doesn’t mean you blog using impossibly small fonts. But it does mean, anything you post – or tweet – has to be fewer than 140 characters. Which means, even more so than other social-media sites, Twitter is about communicating. Because you’ll be limited to only a few words, you’ll have to have a plan going in. Some businesses use it as a customer-support service while others release important company or industry related news to their followers. In the end, it’s still about content and, with a little creativity, can be an effective way of keeping in touch with your clients. It’s also handy, as it can be linked with your other social-media sites or blog. Which means, your Twitter followers will be updated with a link when, for example, you post something new to your blog.

LinkedIn: More than 100 million professionals have a LinkedIn profile but, despite its popularity, it can’t be used in quite the same way as Facebook or Twitter. That’s because LinkedIn was created to be a social-media site for professionals, which is why you may have first heard of it as a website for job seekers. And though its quite good at that, it’s also an effective way to keep in touch with, not only past clients and professional contacts, but potential referral partners and new business. LinkedIn offers groups and forums much like any other social-media site. And it’s within those groups and forums that you’ll not only be able to locate, listen, and learn from others in your industry and area but also connect with new contacts and communities that will help build your business.

The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com

The Secret of Social-Media Success and Branding Your Business Online

Advertising is about grabbing attention. It’s the reason fashion ads feature so little clothing, which – when you think about it – doesn’t make all that much sense. But a photo of fully dressed models won’t grab nearly as much attention as bare skin. The same is true on the Internet – though no one’s suggesting you resort to nudity.

Branding yourself online, whether it’s through a blog, a Facebook business page, or a Twitter account, is about grabbing online attention and getting people to take notice of your page … and then your business. Very few television ads spend that 30 seconds explaining their business credentials. More likely, there’s 28 seconds of a talking monkey and two seconds explaining who the ad is for and how you can buy their product. Which is a way of saying, social-media marketing is no different than any other kind of marketing. You’ll need to grab your target audience’s attention before you’ll see any benefits.

Here are a few ideas to remember …

The What: Okay, you’ll need some content on your pages to keep people interested but that’s not to say your business info and credentials aren’t necessary. Once you’ve registered for a page or profile, fill out all the provided places for your bio, websites, past experience, and whatever else is offered. The more you fill in, the easier it will be for people to find you. This information will provide the keywords through which people will find you in searches and such. It’ll also make it simple for interested visitors to learn about your business and find ways to contact you.

The How: So that’s not the difficult part. After all, anyone with a couple hours can set themselves up with an online profile and fill in their business information. If that’s all it took to bring in new business through social-media marketing, we’d all be on yachts in the South Pacific. Sadly, in order to keep visitors, build word-of-mouth, and brand your business, you’ll have to consistently offer content on your pages, profiles, or blog. And, unlike television or radio ads, you can’t schedule when people will look at your page. Which means, the more you update, the more reason they’ll have to visit. The more visitors, the more potential business. Finding a pace and type of content that suits you and appeals to your clients will take time. Don’t get discouraged. Also, be sure to interact with your audience whenever you can. If someone leaves you a comment, respond. The more available you seem, the more trust you’ll earn.

The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com