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The Wrong Way To Use Social Media

Do you use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter regularly?

If you do, do you use them the right way?

One of the most effective ways I’ve found to connect up with people in the LinkedIn community is through groups. So I’ve made it a point to join quite a few relevant groups that allow me to build relationships with likeminded people. This morning, I entered a new group and found the usual “posts” from people that don’t quite get social media. Post after post looked like this:

  • Do you know someone who will be selling or buying real estate within the next year? Seeking agents for a rare opportunity…
  • Instantly work 15 hours less a week
  • What’s the bare minimum when working social media each week? Don’t miss this opportunity to sign up for training this week…
  • Use mobile devices while traveling? Take our survey and win a $25 Amazon gift card.

Arrrrgggggg. The only thing the titles of these posts say to me is: Get me out of this group!

There was no interaction, no conversation between the members, just post after post from people trying to “sell” me on something that will benefit them.

I don’t want to buy, that’s not why I’m a part of this group. That’s not what social media is all about.

I visit social media sites to learn something new. I use it to build connections. I use it to discover new things.

And every once in a while, I’m intrigued by something someone says. So I follow the links, read some more, and only then do I sign up for something, make a connection, or actually purchase a new product or service.

But it’s on my terms. I decide where my interests lie, what interests me the most, and what I choose to connect with.

And it’s not just on LinkedIn; it’s on every social media site I use.

If you do use social media, think about how you use it. Do you read your newsfeed to learn something new … or to buy something? Do you click on things where people ask you to buy something? And more importantly, have you asked your followers to buy from you?

What should you do instead? Follow the lead from one of my favorite LinkedIn groups, Connect: Professional Women’s Network. The people in this group post multiple topics every day, and most questions receive dozens of answers, comments and responses. Over time, you begin recognizing names, and responding differently because you know who people are. They are “friends”. You’ll find things like this:

LinkedIn3

LinkedIn2

LinkedIn1

 

See the amount of comments for each post? With the right question, I’ve seen comment numbers go into the hundreds. That’s because its an active group, and people are there to network, not to sell.

The more I connect in groups like this, the more likely I am to click over and read a profile, and have a true interest in what a person does. As I recognize a name again and again, I remember how we met, what they do, and what they have to offer. And when the need arises, I may connect for the sale.

If you aren’t using social media in a friendly way, it may be time to re-evaluate your approach.


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Blogs can benefit any website but don’t worry if you can’t do all the writing yourself … you can hire a ghost blogger for that!

Written by GhostBlogger · Categorized: Blog, Social Networking · Tagged: how to use social media, LinkedIn groups, online networking

10 Things To Think About Before You Put Up A Profile Picture On Your Social Media Accounts

Just a few years ago, people of all ages would work hard to create an image they were proud of and willing to use to represent them in a business environment. Not any more. Now it seems like just about any selfie taken is acceptable. But is that really the best thing for your business and your brand? Is that really the image you want to portray to your potential clients and customers?

10. Your image is your voice. Remember when you “judged” people by the way they said hello or they way they shook your hand? Now we judge based on a simple image. Does your image convey the message you’re trying to convey? Does it show professionalism?

9. Is your image too large? If you’ve recently taken an image and loaded the file to your hard drive to use in a variety of ways, uploading it as-is could be a big mistake, depending on where you’ll be using it. Large files mean large load time. Yes, a lot of the social sites degrade the file and make it more appropriate in file size, but it still could be difficult to load, meaning the people viewing it could grow bored and move onto another site.

8. Is it the right size? Almost every profile image is a square format. So why aren’t you using a square image? Don’t rely on the social media platform to adjust the image for you. Create the perfect size for each platform, and showcase exactly what you choose to for your brand.

Social Media profile picture image size

7. Do you have options? A great portrait makes you more noticeable. Don’t shoot one or two images – have a selection to choose from. Then you can add variety to your social sites, yet have your overall brand remain the same.Is this what your profile image looks like

6. Pixilation isn’t a good thing. You’ve found an image of yourself – 20×20 pixels. Then you try and upload it into a frame that takes 200×200 pixels. The result is nothing but a blurred mess. Yes, your profiles might be small. But if they are anything but clear, people will notice.

5. Is that an alien? This is always one of my favorite What you shouldnt use as a profile imageapproaches to profile pictures. Instead of having an image taken specifically for their own use, they use an image from a group shot they had taken at a party. The result is a smiling face with lots of arms wrapped around. Really?

4. Does it look like you? Are you squinting into the sunlight? Do you fade off into a mass of color behind you? Do you have tears streaming down your face? This image represents you. Make sure you are putting your best face forward.

Vector Image placement for social media sites3. Skipping it all together. People usually choose to leave the image blank when they first sign up for their social media account. What amazes me are the people that become active on an account like Twitter or LinkedIn and choose not to use an image. Your brand becomes the little icon associated with the social site itself. Do you think that person carries any weight in the community when they can’t even take a moment and finish their profile? Me neither.

2. Is it legal? Yes, you don’t own all images. If you recently had a portrait created by a professional photographer, you can’t go in and screen shot the image from her Facebook account. Make sure you have permission to use all images you post to avoid any legal problems later.

1. No selfies. Not now. Not ever. Selfies can be fun to share in a newsfeed, or as a way to remember a moment in time. But if you’re all about showcasing yourself as your brand, no selfies. Period.

Lori Profile PhotoAre there exceptions to the above rules? Of course. With social media, there are always new ways to approach things and fun ways to try something new. I have a friend right now on LinkedIn who has been uploading a new image every day to his LinkedIn account for weeks – most of them selfies – and I love his ingenuity at reaching out to people. But in this case, he is conscious of what he is doing with his image and is purposely doing it to reach out in a new way. That’s marketing. That works.

But if you are loading up one image to represent you for the next few years, don’t skimp on what that image means to your overall brand. Be conscious of what you use, and make sure it represents all you choose to be to your potential and existing clients.

Keep Learning:

First Impressions Are Everything
Improving Your Brand On Social Media

Enjoy!

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Written by GhostBlogger · Categorized: Blog, Social Networking

Why You Should Be Using Pinterest For Your Creative Business

Just when you think you have Facebook and Twitter figured out, along comes another site you simply can’t ignore.

Pinterest has been a major player in the marketplace for the past few months, and with good reason. Pinterest is a social site that calls themselves a virtual pinboard. It allows you to organize and share all of the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, organize their wardrobe/closet, and find favorite recipes. They use it to find interesting ideas and to share different things they love, for both home and office use.

Yet Pinterest is more than sharing information – its about sharing things in a visual way. The image attracts attention and makes people want to share. The more they share, the more exposure you will receive.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out Pinterest yet, now is the time. Use these ideas to set up and draw attention to your business.

Dedicate time

One of the key ways to make Pinterest work for you is to dedicate the time to make it work. If you’re active, others will notice and share what you pin. Its not like Facebook where newsfeeds can quickly get overwhelmed. You can dedicate even just a day or two with a few minutes each and quickly find a following. Start by following a few movers and shakers to see what they do. Then build contact and let the fun begin.

Keep it simple

Pinterest is attracting a heavy female audience. Its easy to use and because its visual in nature, you can quickly scan things and find something to share. Every board is set up in the same way, giving it a clean, uncluttered look. And every pinned photo includes a link back to your site, which can help boost the page views and attract attention to any specific post or content you desire.

Share the love

People have preferences for where they spend their time. If they love Facebook, they probably won’t dedicate a lot of time to your Twitter feed. Yet when they recognize a site and learn you have an account as well, they will quickly look you up and follow. Create Pinterest logo links from your blog and let people know where you are active.

Understand your demographics

Is Pinterest a place for you to attract potential business? Do a little research before you begin spending time developing your pin boards. Pinterest is very visual and highly concentrated in the female marketplace. If you have things to share visually – photography, art, weddings, fashion, decorating, crafts and more – it may be a place to explore. Make sure you understand what you will be promoting and what your overall goals and plans are for developing boards.

Its not about you

I’ve been to great profiles that have amazing boards. Most are themed in precise ways so people understand immediately what they will be looking at. Some things are about their businesses, yet most things are linked all over the web. What makes them great is they realize people want tips, resources and ideas related to your concept, yet don’t want to be overwhelmed with a sales pitch, no matter how subtle it is. If you have great advice, they will be back again and again.


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Blogs can benefit any website but don’t worry if you can’t do all the writing yourself … you can hire a ghost blogger for that!

Written by GhostBlogger · Categorized: Blog, Social Networking · Tagged: online marketing, pinterest, social media sites, traffic

5 Steps To Making LinkedIn Work For You

5-steps-linkedin

What’s the best social media platform for you? It depends on your business, and who you are trying to reach out to.

If your client is corporate, it may involve LinkedIn. While LinkedIn hasn’t zoomed to the top like Facebook in recent months, its still a platform used my millions of business people all over the world. Its set up exclusively to connect with other business owners, and provides you with everything you need to find connections, prospects and clients.

If you haven’t looked at LinkedIn in a while, head back over and give it a try using these five steps.

Step One: Build A Dynamic Profile

If you’ve ever created a resume, it’s easy to assume your LinkedIn profile should resemble your resume. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Take a moment and think about how people would search for you. Would they search for President of ABC Company? Or would they search for your type of business or niche: product photographer or retail marketing expert for instance? Keywords are important in the online world because people search by keyword, not by business name. You can also be found in a variety of ways, including on LinkedIn and on sites like Google.

Make sure you fill out a complete profile, and make it as detailed as possible. Put in a professional portrait of yourself – not your business logo or a photo of your dog. People want to connect with you as a person, and build a relationship before they take the next step. A professional photo gives you more credibility, and helps people visualize doing business with you. [Read more…]


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Blogs can benefit any website but don’t worry if you can’t do all the writing yourself … you can hire a ghost blogger for that!

Written by GhostBlogger · Categorized: Blog, Social Networking · Tagged: linkedin, small business marketing, social media, Social Networking

The Future Of Television In A Social World

Right now we are going through a massive change. We’re changing the way we watch television, use technology, and market our businesses. We can only imagine what it will be like 6 years from now, when things happen so fast, even 6 months is a long time on the Internet.

Television is now using interaction between viewers and technology in order to be a part of the production of the show. Shows like Dancing With The Stars allow you to vote off one contestant by voting online or by texting. Shows like Heroes allow you to interact with other fans on their sites, and see more in depth highlights by being a part of their online fan club. And last night, America’s Got Talent wrapped up their final week of looking for talent – but you can still participate by uploading your video to YouTube. Head over to YouTube and you can vote on the top videos, and help choose which one will join the final run in Las Vegas.

Social isn’t just a fad. It’s a way of controlling your business. People will talk about you whether you want them to or not. The eyes and ears are everywhere with cell phone cameras and the power of commenting. You can’t avoid it. But you can control it.

America’s Got Talent has a tremendous marketing budget, and can afford to market in a lot of different ways. Yet one of their strongest methods is a YouTube channel.

As a small business owner, you can have a YouTube channel too – and its free.

So emulate their ideas. Why not start a YouTube channel just for your prospects and clients – the best video showcasing your product gets free products or services?

Start your own YouTube channel and make it into a how-to television show – ever seen one of the shows on HGTV? If you’re a plumber, hvac or painter, you can give tips and strategies, prove your expertise, and create quite a following at the same time.

The tools are there. What are you going to do with them?


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Blogs can benefit any website but don’t worry if you can’t do all the writing yourself … you can hire a ghost blogger for that!

Written by GhostBlogger · Categorized: Blog, Social Networking · Tagged: The Future Of Television In A Social World

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