About social networking…

For anyone doing business online it is important to incorporate Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and now the Google + social site into your marketing efforts. It can be quite confusing to know just how to get started using each of these. Below you will find a quick overview of these sites and the benefits of using them.

The Benefits of Using Social Network Sites – Creating a business profile allows you to brand yourself and create awareness for your company. You can also like or follow your competitors to get an idea of how they advertise and use these social sites themselves.

The biggest benefit has to be that of increasing customer loyalty and trust. As social media allows you to connect in a personal way, your customers will begin to trust you more quickly and see you as a person and not just a company name.

Facebook – With Facebook you can only have one personal account but you can have as many pages as you wish. These are commonly known as Fan Pages or Business Pages.

With a business page you are able to get a vanity URL when you set up your page. This rule has recently changed as previously you needed to get 25 likes to qualify for the vanity URL. This new rule currently applies to the first new business page you create.

When setting up your business page you want to use your company name and location if your business has an offline connection. If not attempt to get a keyword in the business name as this will help get you found in the search engines.

The point of your Facebook page is to provide your fans and friends with information that is helpful. In this way you can gain trust and they will be more likely to purchase products and or services from you.

Twitter – The principle of twitter is that you follow people and post short “Tweets” of140 characters. People that enjoy your tweets will follow you back. It is very easy to join Twitter and you can link your account to your mobile device if you wish.

For a business, you want to follow the top people in your industry. This allows you to see what they are up to and how they are utilizing Twitter in their business.

An important thing to remember about Twitter is to not sell products in your Tweets. You are much better off to provide easy tips and nuggets to your followers instead. If they find what you tweet about interesting they will follow the link to your website or blog.

Twitter is a great way to help brand yourself and your business, plus find contacts. It takes a little time, but you only need to post one or two tweets each day. You will be surprised how quickly you will start to find followers.

LinkedIn – Using LinkedIn is a good way to connect with like-minded business individuals. You can post your resume on LinkedIn and participate in any of the group discussions. Using the groups feature is a good way to get exposure for your business.

When you sign up with LinkedIn, you will be taken through the process of creating your profile and adding content like your education, current qualifications, places of employment and more. It does take a little time to set up your account, but it provides you with a huge arena for your business.

You can also post what you are up to each day which is a great way of addressing any current projects that you may be working on. Make the posts short and post about other things you find interesting. Don’t just use LinkedIn for self promotion. Connect with the community and make contacts.

Google + – Google + is now open to everyone and is a new way of connecting with your business acquaintances and friends. Google + makes use of something called circles. A circle is basically a group of friends. What is so great about this is that Google allows you to post messages directly to your circle. So this way you can really target those people.

For instance if you run a business you can easily set up a customer list, newsletter circle and even an employee circle. Then you have the ability to send messages to each one. This prevents family and friends from receiving unwanted messages about your business.
While this social site is still new, the possibilities of where this might go are endless. It would be a wise idea to start using Google + and see where it takes you.

Please note that you cannot create a Google + account for a business, but you can create a personal account and be a representative for your business. Google + for business will be out shortly and should be full of great promotional items for you to utilize.

You can see a general theme from all of these social sites and that is to not blatantly sell your products or services. Instead create a community and provide helpful information.

Article Written By: Tammy Embrich

Tammy has been successful in the work at home industry for many years. She is an Internet marketer, article marketer, and ghostwriter. She offers free job leads for the job seeker, as well as other free resources, work at home articles, tips, and more at onestopwebemployment.com.

You can also find Tammy at Work At Home Jobs, offering legitimate work at home companies, more free job leads, work at home articles, and much more.

What does the most popular singer in the world right now have to do with your MLM business? Well, chances are Lady Gaga is not involved in your network, but how she operates the Internet to her advantage is both enviable and possible to imitate if you are serious about recruiting new people to your network.

Regardless of whether or not you like Lady Gaga’s music, it is worth taking some time to research how she uses social media in particular to promote herself as a brand. People listen, after all – you don’t get to over one million Twitter followers and Facebook fans without having a gift for engaging people. When you talk about your MLM business you should exhibit the same passion in keeping those in your network satisfied as the singer does in pleasing her fans.

Lady Gaga knows that her fans are responsible for her success. Every address to her “Little Monsters” is done with affection. Now, this doesn’t mean you need to refer to your MLM business networkers as “little monsters,” but taking to them to compliment their progress and encourage them to sell products and the opportunities can make a difference, a positive one, on your income.

How often do you connect personally with the people involved in your MLM business? You may wonder if you’ll gain a million followers (wouldn’t that be great?), but using social media to interact rather than inform people of your activity is a great first step in growing that network.

Respond to people in your MLM business circle. Ask them what they think of the products, and listen to criticism involving challenges they have in building their own networks. Offer advice, remember names, and remain positive as you think outside the box. Social media doesn’t have to be a “bad romance” if you know how to utilize it!

In the sales industry there is still a big push towards closing a sale, and the traditional scripts and dialogues approach rather than genuinely connecting with people and building a lifetime relationship that leads to repeat and referral business.

My philosophy is that relationships are everything in life and business and there is no greater way or faster way to leverage your business than through relationships.

So where do we find people to meet and how can you fit it all in?

I love to network but I really dislike the word. It sounds so strategic. I believe it is nothing more than focused socializing. The definition of a network is: ‘an interconnected system of things or people’ and everyone should create a strong network to support his or her business. A good network should fill in the gaps where you yourself are perhaps not quite as strong and enhance and support your business.

Now times are changing rapidly and of course there is the traditional method of attending networking events which I do 2-3 times per week and nothing beats that face to face connection however from a time perspective it can take 2-3 hours out of your day to attend just one event. One of the latest trend is towards online networking which for introverts is especially welcomed as they don’t need to meet anyone face to face. It also saves you time as you really only need to be spending 10-20 minutes every other day to maintain your presence and build relationships online.

There is still a fair amount of skepticism around whether you actually get results from online networks like twitter and Facebook. For me the answer is an emphatic yes. Personally I have generated work from contacts I have met through friends of friends and it has expanded my network. I believe one of the core benefits is that you are able to transition a relationship from business to personal which means you can forge a connection faster. For example people may share what they are up to on holidays or pictures of their family which allows you a window into their personal world.

Now there are many online sites out there the big 4 are considered to be

• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Twitter &
• YouTube

They all serve different purposes and attract different demographics.

Facebook is by far the more personal site and if you were in the real world this is more like a family reunion. It allows you to share pictures and posts on what you are doing.

Linked In; Is more like attending a business networking event and certainly has a more professional feel. You can ask questions and get advise on business ideas, posts are generally related to what you are doing in the business world, what books your reading or links to information others would find of value.

Twitter is more like being at a huge party, with people having 10′s of thousands of global followers. It is based around the question ‘what are you doing right now’ with answers restricted to 140 characters.

Now if you are getting started there are some faux pas to look out for.

The rules of the game are very similar to if you were in the real world. With twitter for example you follow people. Now you wouldn’t turn up at a party and start following someone and not have a conversation with them or just stand behind them looking over their shoulder or immediately try to sell them something. You cant follow people on twitter and not interact. It is all about conversations.

The most important rule with social networking is don’t sell! with any kind of networking it is not about money its about building relationships beyond the dollar, you get so many other benefits from these relationships but you must be patient. Remember people don’t care what you do till they know who you are.

Now this can be difficult for some to understand at first. How do we get people to know us particularly with online networks as your not meeting face to face?

For me the key is being willing to be open and share parts of yourself. I have seen many people join Facebook and then load in 1 or 2 profile photos, now when I am on there I want to get to know them I want to see their family or dog or holiday photos and know what they have been up to otherwise why bother being on there. It can leave you feeling like their not sharing & the whole point of being on there is to connect and have conversations.

People want to get to know each other on a deeper level. Authenticity is said to be the new buzzword of the 21st century and its about people wanting something real from someone genuine. So be open. At the same time we don’t want to know what you ate for breakfast. There is a fine line on sharing too much and appropriate sharing. You need to be careful that your not posting inappropriate images that a colleague, boss or client shouldn’t be seeing. Once its out there on the internet it’s out there forever.

The biggest challenge I see most people face with networking. Is they just don’t give it a real go. They get online or turn up at an event and think…that didn’t work I didn’t meet anyone. When I first joined twitter I thought…is anyone listening or am I tweeting to myself. It takes time to get to know the rules of the game and build followers and get to know people. My advise is

• Start slow & learn the rules (Google & webinars have great resources for starting out)
• Don’t get overwhelmed (there is a lot to learn at first so pick one site at a time)
• Be consistent (allocate 10 minutes a day and start getting followers and uploading info)
• Be persistent (don’t give up, give it 6 -12 months

Hi I’m Kirsty Spraggon if you have enjoyed this article and would like more information on how to have more meaningful relationships with your clients then you have come to the right place.

You will find loads of free resources on my website. One audio you may like is on ‘how to build rapport with clients over the phone’. Click here and follow the ‘audio’ link http://www.kirstyspraggon.com.au/resources

As a speaker and author I specialize in working with sales people and small business on building great client relationships. For more info and resources head to http://www.kirstyspraggon.com.au/

I look forward to connecting. K

It is now easier than ever to succeed with direct sales from home because top network marketing companies offer programs where payouts are upfront. In addition, you can earn a residual income from commission structures which offer perpetual leverage.

What really makes it possible to succeed with direct sales is the LEVERAGE of the internet as well as a dynamic compensation plan. TECHNOLOGY will now enable you to maximize your prospective reach allowing you to put your opportunity in front of literally MILLIONS of people looking for what you have to offer.

The first step toward your ability to succeed with direct sales is finding the right MENTOR that will give you the skills and marketing you need to position yourself as a LEADER. A combination of TRAINING and ACTION can lead to a predictable outcome, one that can almost guarantee you a positive result.

SOCIAL MEDIA has now become one of the most popular mediums to reach multitudes of hungry prospects searching for the right OPPORTUNITY. Sites like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, when used correctly, can make it easy to succeed with direct sales due the shear volume of people hanging out on these sites. You can meet hoards of like minded individuals where you can build TRIBES and deepen your RELATIONSHIP with them by driving them back to your blog or website and getting them to sign up to your e-mail list.

There are also SYSTEMS out there such as www.your7figureresidual.com/ that can provide additional training and marketing that makes your job so much easier saving you both a tremendous amount of time and money. These systems can also become INCOME streams in themselves through affiliate marketing. You can introduce all your business partners to the product and in turn generate even more residual income.

Bottom line is that direct sales gives you the ability to earn an income TODAY as opposed to traditional MLM where the time period to earn a substantial amount of money takes much longer to create. Combine that with the leverage the internet provides as well as all of the new technology now available and you have a recipe for success in direct sales that simply didn’t exist before. Older more traditional methods are quickly becoming outmoded and obsolete.

Fredric Schwartz-Social Media and Internet Marketing Coach and Consultant [http://www.FreedomWithGlobalResorts.com].

If you are with one of the Direct Sales companies and trying to build a portion of your business online, it is very important to get involved with popular online social media networking sites like Twitter.com. When new business professionals start marketing their businesses on Twitter, they often make a big marketing mistake by tweeting out massive amounts of business spam messages instead of trying to network and get to know their followers.

When people join social media networking sites, they don’t want to be spammed 24/7 with business messages. They do want to learn more about the company or business they are following along with the products you are marketing…but…they also want to engage in meaningful conversation with that company’s consultant who is doing all of that Tweeting. In the case of Direct Sales…that means they want to engage in meaningful conversations with YOU.

When it comes to marketing your business on Twitter, here are a few important tips that you should know.

1. Try to engage your followers by asking them questions or asking them for their opinions on the products you are trying to market.
2. Don’t make your Tweets all about business all of the time. Mix them up with some general chit chat topics. You can discuss non-confrontational current events or daily life topics with your followers.
3. Don’t have every Tweet contain a link to your web site. That is viewed as link spam and is often reported by followers to Twitter as spam.
4. Offer up some general Direct Sales, home business, networking, marketing, etc. types of tips that you find beneficial that you think other’s would be interested in. You can visit other web sites that offer home business resources and tweet out links to those articles if you are not great at sharing your own business tips. In addition, if you enjoy great inspirational business quotes, tweet out a few of those a day too!
5. Never send out out direct messages to followers with your business information in it unless that specific person has asked you for the information.
6. Never send @ mentions to people who are not following you advertising your products or services. This is considered to be @ mention spam and is reported by followers to Twitter. If people want to follow you or they want your information, they will request it from you.
7. Make sure your profile page is filled out correctly with a working live link to your web site or blog. Many times when I click on profile page links they are broken and incorrect. In addition, you will need a business logo or a photograph of yourself to use as your avatar. No one enjoys seeing the Twitter standard bluebird avatar when they are talking to someone.
8. Don’t bombard your followers with too many tweets! People will quickly unfollow someone who sits on there 24/7 sending out hundreds of messages.

Marketing your Direct Sales business online can be a profitable endeavor if it is done correctly and if you work on it consistently. By following the tips I have outlined above you will have more success with your marketing efforts on Twitter.

Shelly Hill has been working successfully from home since 1989 in Direct Sales. Shelly is the owner of the popular Work At Home Resource Site called Work At Home Business Options at http://www.workathomebusinessoptions.com where you can find free Direct Sales articles, home business tips and free resources to help you build a strong Direct Sales home business.

It’s official. Social media is here to stay. It’s not a fad like so many initially thought and it isn’t going anywhere soon. Businesses have realized that not only is it a great way to connect with current clients, but a great way to land potential clients as well. And that’s only the beginning. Social media also allows you to promote all your upcoming events and products, and even gives you front row access to editors and reporters who might write on your area of expertise. The possibilities are truly endless. But the big question now is, how can entrepreneurs best use the current social media opportunities to help increase business? Here are some tips we feel will help.

Ten tips to incorporate social media into your marketing plan:

Determine What Social Media Sites Are Best For You. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are the top three, but that’s only the beginning. Determine who your target market is and then meet them where they are. It’s okay to ask by taking a survey by email or on your website asking which social media avenue your clients prefer. Once you determine that, be consistent and realize that you can’t be everywhere all the time. Pick the ones that are best for your business and really engage.

Team Up With Other Entrepreneurs.By teaming up, you allow easy access to retweets, Facebook posts, etc. Plus, it’s a great way to provide your audience with more valuable information on topics that would interest them by sharing information that is provided by the business(es) you team up with. Just make sure that your choose teammates with information that is a good fit for your audience.

Don’t Just Advertise, Build Relationships. – We’ve all seen them. The tweets and Facebook postings that we know are scheduled and we know are only trying to sell us something. We aren’t saying that you can’t promote your services or products. In fact, we encourage you to do that. But do it right. Don’t just be about landing the deal. Truly connect with your audience and show them why they would want to work with you. We know you’ve heard it a million times already, but it speaks for itself and bears repeating: Social media is meant to be “social.”

Make It a Two-Way Street. You post and you post and you post on Facebook. You’ve tweeted away on Twitter & you’ve updated your status on Linkedin. Finally you’re done. Social marketing is ready to be checked off the list. Not so fast! Realize that just like you are posting there are others out there posting and building relationships as well. Get out there and respond to others, too. When you think about it, how do you feel when someone posts on your Facebook posting or blog entry? It feels good, doesn’t it? When you see a Facebook posting that you like leave a comment – always making sure you add value and are not just promoting your business.

Make It Exciting. We see this often: business owners on Twitter who get on for 20-minute increments and during that time we are inundated with retweets. They will throw in an occasional tip or two, but basically it’s just 20 minutes of nonsense. Now we love a good retweet, but we don’t enjoy this at all. When you are marketing your business via social media, make sure that you engage with others and make it exciting. Give some good information and tips – don’t just retweet to be seen. Provide great value and your followers will not only enjoy your messages, but when they are looking to refer someone who needs your services, you will be on the top of the list.

Learn From Others. One of the best things about being in business these days is that you have the opportunity to follow the pros and see what they are doing right. They eagerly give out tips, videos, etc. Make it a point to follow those who you respect and can learn from. Sit back and take notes. But more importantly, take the action steps necessary to make these points work. It’s more than learning from them, you need to actually do what they recommend as well.

Contribute to Other Networks. Another great aspect of social media is getting your message out to more than just your audience. Offer to guest post for other networks in your area of expertise. You never know who may see your posts and become a client.

Create An Expert Status. Why do people follow you? Many times it is because they see you as the best at what you do and they want to learn from you. Therefore it’s important to always give solid tips and advice to really show your expertise. Create high quality blog postings, tips lists and posts to share with your audience. It may take extra time to create high quality work, but the effort will be well worth it in the end.

Spruce Up Your Page. Social media has come a long way in a short time. No more are you limited to a tiny avatar of your logo. Most of the social networking sites today allow you to fully customize your page with images, backgrounds and more. Spend the time to create a page that will draw in your audience and make them want to come back daily.

Be respectful. One of the things that most business owners value most is time. It’s important when you are on Facebook, Twitter and the other networks, that you be respectful of others’ time. A few ways you can do that: Don’t Expect An Instant Response. Sending an Instant Message (IM) to a colleague or respected leader is fine, but recognize that they may not be able to chat with you immediately. Often times that person has allocated a certain amount of time to be on the site. If they are constantly on an IM, they can’t get what they need done. We’re not saying you can’t IM, but be respectful when you do.

Don’t Take Advantage. Social media is a relationship builder and gives us instant access to industry leaders. However, be careful not to take advantage of someone’s goodwill by asking a zillion questions. Most business owners enjoy helping others, however, to provide personalized coaching is a different story. Always respect the person you are communicating with and we bet you’ll find you get way more back than you ever imagined.

See how easy social media is. When done right it can bring amazing results for your business. Not only will you establish yourself as an expert, but you will be promoting your products and services regularly. Make it a commitment to master social media marketing and we promise you next year at this time, you’ll be so glad you did.

Jill Hart, Founder of Christian Work-at-Home Moms http://www.cwahm.com and Diana Ennen, President of Virtual Word Publishing, http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com have teamed up to write So You Want to Be a Work at Home Mom: A Christian’s Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business http://www.soyouwanttobeawahm.com. Start or expand your business today with their help. Article is free to be reprinted as long as bio remains.