Getting Started With Social Networks

Are you a business owner who is struggling to keep up with all the necessary maintenance of your social media status updates?

In order to make the most of social media marketing and see results in your business, you’ve got to maintain a constant presence across the most popular platforms.

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to make one update and have it post to all of your social media platforms at once, automatically.  Well you can.

How do I automate my status updates?

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Many business owners struggle with both blogging for their business and managing their social media marketing.  Just not enough time in the business day to get it all done.

How would you like to publish a blog post and have it show up on your social media platforms automatically?

Well, you can if you link you blog to your Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin accounts.  You can also use the scheduling feature in your blogging platform to schedule posts so even that is automated.

So how do I link my blog to my social media platforms?

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A lot of business owners I talk to either have no idea that Linkedin can be a valuable piece in their social media marketing, or, they are aware of the power of Linkedin for their business but don’t know how to harness it.

Linkedin has some of the most successful, affluent decision makers in your industry just waiting for you to give them a reason to invest with you.  You just need to get their attention and lead them to your blog.

So how do I use Linkedin in my social media marketing?:

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Oftentimes when I am out and about networking at events or speaking to groups of business owners, one thing that comes up a lot is, “I just don’t understand how Twitter is effective for my business, it’s to confusing.”

I agree.

Particularly when you acquire lots of followers, it can be difficult to keep up with the conversations in your Twitter timeline.

So how do I get my Twitter marketing clear and organized?

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Many of the business owners I talk to understand the need to utilize a Facebook page for their business, but they don’t understand how to get any real results from it.

The main reason for this is because they have not established a clear objective for the page.

A Facebook page for business must be designed with a specific purpose in mind, such as:

to build a list
to build your brand
for customer service
to drive traffic
etc.

So how do you create a strategically designed Facebook page?

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Years ago, when I began to learn about how to use blogging to enhance my business, I have to admit, I was quickly overwhelmed.

I was taught that I needed to publish a new blog post daily (at least for the first three months) to quickly build a following and really see any significant traffic, in a relatively short amount of time.  This would help build my list, and generate leads and sales for my business.

Back then, long, 300-1,000+ word articles was the standard length for blog posts.

Being a perfectionist in my writing, it was taking me four hours or more just to get one blog post done.  There was absolutely no way, I could spend this amount of time every day on my blogging.  I had a business to run and a family to raise.

Not to mention the challenges of: figuring out what to write, research, editing etc.

I quickly became discouraged as I kept falling behind in my blogging, which carried over into my other systems of online marketing like Social Media and email marketing.

My despair grew even more as I noticed my competitors consistently blogging, building a strong following and presence online.

What are they doing different?

Where do they find the time to do all that writing?

How can they afford to hire outsource teams to write for them?

What am I doing wrong?

What is wrong with me?

Will I ever be able to compete effectively online?

These were some of the questions going through my mind as I tried to figure out how to make blogging work in my business.

So how do you keep from falling behind in your business blogging?

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Many entrepreneurs I coach, consult, or just plain talk to, are often hesitant to use Twitter for business, or anything else, because they simply don’t know how.  Many just don’t understand how sending a few short updates can grow their business.  They don’t see how knowing that “I’m going to the restroom now” is relevant to their bottom line.  It’s not.

Using Twitter for business is far different than just using Twitter for fun, like some kids and celebrities.

Even so, there is no one right way.

What works for one business may be totally wrong for another.  It depends on your company’s overall objective for using Twitter and your desired outcome.  Are you wanting to generate leads, make sales, improve your customer service, find out what’s being said about your business etc.

See my earlier post, “What Are The Benefits Of Twitter For Business” for information on ways Twitter and other Social Media platforms can enhance your business.

Although the “right” way to use Twitter for business varies from company to company, there are some general things you can do, and not do, to make the most out of your Social Media marketing efforts.

For instance:

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I remember the turmoil like it was yesterday.

Do I stay in this job and continue receiving the comfortable paycheck that I need?  Or, do I listen to the voice inside of me saying,

“If you don’t pursue you dream now, you never will.”

At 40 years old, due to personal crisis, I had to put my business on hold to pursue a steady paycheck and I could literally feel the life slipping out of my dream.

A born entrepreneur, I started my first business in elementary school.  I went on to start several others. By age 15, I knew I wanted to own my own successful business, being my own boss and live life on my schedule-my terms.

By age 19, I was way off track and confused about my life and future.  Although I was in and out of church as a child, I was questioning my spirituality and eternal destination.  At age 20, after much inner turmoil, I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and I turned around 180 degrees.

At age 21, I married, and we set out, in business, to conquer the world.

We were in a network marketing business for several years, then started our own limousine company.  When that business failed, we turned to commission sales and Real Estate to earn a living.

Later, the marriage ended and the next thing I knew, I was 40 years old, trying to raise stable, well adjusted children and reinvent myself.

For me, being my own boss means writing my own schedule.  It means my children are being raised by me, not by day care, the school system, television and video games.  It means being able to attend ALL of their school/church activities, not just the one’s I could get time off for.

It means having the freedom to be who I am, working in my God-given purpose and passion, with the possibility of earning an abundant living doing what I love to do.  It’s setting a positive example, and leaving a legacy for my children.

However, in order to do that, I had to step out in faith, and be the entrepreneur I was created to be.  Not an easy task, given the circumstances.  Well, with one family member support, amidst criticism from the rest, I did what I had to do.

I picked up my business and set out to grow it no matter what.  I was prepared to fight through anything to avoid having to go backwards into the misery of someone else dictating every aspect of my life.

So, have you responded to the entrepreneur inside of you?  If so, you may be doing very well.  Or, perhaps you are like I was at first, struggling to make ends meet, wondering if you’ve done the right thing.

If you are struggling, here is a list of some of the things the got me through:

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As a business owner, you know by now that building a strong, powerful, dominating presence online is essential to long term business success.

Staying competitive in your market these days requires well established Internet marking, Social Media marketing, and email marketing skills.

Are you paying too much for advertising that is no longer effective?

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As I mentioned in a previous post, more and more large corporations are turning to Twitter and other Social Media platforms for effective, inexpensive alternatives to conventional advertising.

Originally, Twitter was created and used as a virtual water cooler, a place where it’s creators could gather, without leaving their desks, and share ideas.

Obviously, Twitter quickly caught on and people everywhere started “tweeting”.

Not intended for business at first, marketers soon discovered that the unique ability to build relationships with potential clients makes Twitter (and other platforms) great for business.

As of April, 2010, 105,779,770 Twitter users were reported and there is room for enormous growth.

Also, 51% of Twitter users follow companies, brands, or products on social networks.

These kinds of statistics let us know that, if done correctly, amazing things can be accomplished on Twitter for business.

What Can Twitter Do For My Business?

1. Grow your business/Dominate your market.
2. Establish and/or extend the reach of your brand.
3. Raise the profile of your business.
4. Build publicity for your products, services, events.
5. Build deeper relationships with customers, clients and other entrepreneurs.
6. Gain wisdom and advice from experts.
7. Gain additional streams of web traffic.
8. Give alerts to previous visitors of new content on your websites.
9. Promote blog posts.
10. Turn followers into visitors/visitors into paying customers.

Referring to an example I’ve used before, Twitter makes it possible to totally revolutionize your customer service.  When set up correctly, you are able to respond instantly to customer service issues, or simply follow up with customers and prospects.

So how do I effectively set up Twitter for business?

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