Archive for May, 2010
Creating Social Networking Profiles That Stand Out
One of the most basic but most important pieces of your social networking presence is having an effective profile. Not only is it a snapshot into who you are and what it is you do it’s usually the first impression others will have of you. Here are some ways to make your profile work for you and get you noticedwithout boring people to tears.
Use a real photo of yourself. On certain sites you occasionally see people using their brand logo as their picture or avatar but I advise against this. You want others to relate to you as a real person especially if they are thinking of hiring or buying from you! In most cases that is something you just can’t convey through a graphic. Unless maybe you re CocaCola!
By all means use a professional photo if possible. If not you should choose one that is of you alonewith all due respect to your family and pets. If you are using social sites to even remotely drum up business you need to appear professional as far your main photo goes.
Location location location. Include at the very least your state province or town. Even though it is the world wide web you never know when local opportunities will pop up. Make it easy for others to seek you out.
Have a well thoughtout bio. Your bio is what people will be looking to in order to get the essence of what you are all about. You can include a succinct version of your “elevator pitch” here as long as you avoid sounding too salesy. When you read it back to yourself you should be able to get a feel for how it comes off. Adjust accordingly. Write it with an emphasis on how you provide value to others.
Include all of your relevant links. You want to give people an easy way to find out more about you. Plus there’s no one who doesn’t want more web traffic right? The amount of space you are allotted for this varies from site to site but definitely include your website and/or blog as well as the profile URLs of any other social networking sites you are active on.
Use your full name if possible. Depending on the site you may or may not have room to fit your whole name. Also if your name is common it may have already been taken such as on a site like Twitter. In the case of my full name I went with my first name and last initial on Twitter because they don’t allow enough characters for both words to fit. I am satisfied with that however because people are still able to associate it closely with my full name.
Personal tidbits are not a bad thing. Don’t be shy there is a reason it’s called social networking! Some people are reticent about exposing anything about themselves outside of their business persona. However part of what draws others to you is your authentic self. You may have a snazzy professional profile photo but posting pictures here and there of your latest vacation won’t do any harm. In fact it could be great for business.
Fill out your background completely. Part of what helps others find you is the information that you fill out about your education interests past employment and groups and associations you belong to. This is especially true on a site like LinkedIn. Keep your information up to date so that opportunities can easily find you.
The most important takeaway?Ensure your presence is consistent across all networks. This not only strengthens your personal brand but helps to establish credibility as well.Plus to make it even easier on yourself keep a document on your computer with all of your profile information. That way you can just copy and paste it when needed.
Now get out there and network!
About the writer: Christine Gallagher MLS MSIS founder of CommunicateValue.com teaches solopreneurs and small business how to boost their business and their profits by using online marketing and social media tools to communicate effectively and authentically. For F.R.E.E. tips on how to build profitable relationships leverage technology and create your own successful online business visit http://CommunicateValue.com
Information Marketing: Landing Site Opt-ins
People like choice. People like to know that they have made a qualified decision based on the information they know. It is common for Information Marketers to add more options to their landing pages. The problem is that the infopreneur is seeing results without knowing where the results are coming from.
As the president of the Information Marketing Association I host a monthly coaching call for infomarketers who have questions and are trying to launch their infopreneur business. Here is a question from Robert in New York. He would like to know whether offering two product choices instead of one product choice is a good option. Since this is a common question I have decided to prepare an article about this challenge to help you.
Robert said he would like to offer multiple optins because he is marketing both his information service and his coaching business. If the consumer sees the need for a coaching program and believes that you have the information they want they will seek you out. Viceversa if they desire the information you are offering then they will go that way. They may even choose to seek you out later on down the road.
Offering multiple program offers and optins on the landing page is becoming more and more common. The results infopreneurs see are increasing. The problem is that without the proper tests you will not know which offer the purchaser originally responded. You may have had purchases on one option more than the other one however that is not always an accurate measure of your options.
The problem with having multiple optins is that you are allowing the visitor to see too much information that could effectively decrease the onthespot sales. Then you will need to work harder to bring them on board. Sure some will buy immediately. However in Roberts case he saw 50 sales on day zero with the first initial visit to the site and the other half took him about three months to cultivate. This can be because they are overwhelmed with information or that you have not provided the information they need to make a qualified decision. Remember the word NO. No is not actually the negative word. It is actually KNOW. They are saying no because they want to know more.
There are ways you can measure the success of your offers without coming out and asking the consumer. One option is to test the site with an analytics program. Google Analytics has proven itself very effective in this matter. You can easily measure the hits on the site and gather your results quickly and effectively.
The Google Analytics software also includes a website optimizer which will allow you to accomplish splittests. This will allow you to test the options by themselves and together. Once you have gathered the results you will have the opportunity to see which optin has produced more hits. The idea is to work smarter not harder to accomplish your sales.
There have never been greater more diverse more lucrative opportunities for everyone experienced successful entrepreneurs to rank beginnersin the field of information marketing. If you can name a topic there is a market for providing information about it. People buy information about almost everythingfrom hobbyist topics like dog training to business topics like how to sell over the telephone to selfimprovement topics like fitness walking. The key is to find a responsive market and then package the information that customers want in convenient forms such as DVDs books eBooks cds magazines websites teleseminars webinars coaching programs seminars and conferences. Watch a free video revealing several how several infomarketers created their products and became infopreneurs at www.infomarketingstartup.com
About the writer: Robert Skrob is president of the Information Marketing Association with members marketing products in hundreds of different business categories. The IMA offers newsletters howto courses business resources and coaching for its members. For information on how you can create an information marketing business visit www.InfoMarketingStartup.com.
Motivation Is Your Key To Success!
Many people can get involved with network marketing and quickly find their niche. Some feel more comfortable talking oneonone some enjoy presenting to groups of several people at a time and some don’t like either choice. In fact some may hate either choice with a passion. The paralyzing fear of rejection and the overwhelming pressure to overcome shyness can be enough to cause someone to fiercely shake their head “no” to the very idea of entering the world of network marketing.
Common objections from prospects are “I don’t have a background in sales” or “I don’t think I would be good at this.
If someone is truly not interested that is one thing…but the saddest thing to see is someone with the true desire but who lacks the confidence in themselves even though others can see their potential.
So I’m here to tell you that you CAN overcome your fears of shyness and rejection and that you CAN find your niche it just may require you to venture into territory that is out of your ‘comfort zone.’ Know this now and accept it think of it as a “necessary evil.” We all have to do things in life that are less than comfortable but often we end up better off for it.
I recently heard a very successful man speak and a statement he made really stuck with me the following is paraphrased “People will not find success in their comfort zone because successful people are willing to do what unsuccessful people are not.” That made perfect and total sense to me!
The people who never want to take a risk and never want to try something new are usually the people who get “pigeonholed” into a work or life situation and become defenseless to their own debilitation. One person may stay in the same dead end job for 20 years because of their fear of change…they may have skills that could be very productive in another environment but they are rendered useless in a stagnant atmosphere.
On the other hand those who are willing to try new ventures try new marketing tools and try to overcome objections as well as their own shortcomings these are the people who will ultimately be successful sheerly due to their own strength and endurance! The tenacity to not give up will keep these people going and then success will follow!
Trust me I am not an extrovert by nature. I have dealt with shyness and that paralyzing fear of public speaking my entire life….HOWEVER I have not let that hold me back from pursuing things I want to accomplish. I was pretty shy and reserved in high school but I managed to find my niche in high school theater. I worked hard and after plenty of self talk and training from my director I managed to snag a lead role in the fall production my senior year. As a result I ended up having the most lines of any character in the entire play and had to perform multiple showings to an audience of 700 each time! The play was a huge success and my confidence level rose from there!
Positive self talk can be wonderful while self doubt is downright debilitating. If someone has convinced themselves that they ‘CANNOT’ do something then they either have to A change their mindset to succeed or B accept their fear for what it is and then live with the regret that they didn’t attempt to overcome the force that was holding them back.
Go into something and totally surprise yourself don’t go in with the attitude “I can’t do this” but instead think “I will NOT fail at this.” Remember your mission statement What is your motivation? What do you hope to gain from this? Don’t give up until your mission is accomplished!
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Courtney O’Dell is a successful network marketer who found a way to generate new leads and prospects without cold calling or harassing friends and family!
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