Top 10 Technology Mistakes for Small Business

 

 

 

 

 

Facebook: Visa Small Business

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bring on the Bling and Increase the Cha-Ching!! :Introducing fitz.bloomnet.net, the new Fitz design website designed exclusive for BloomNet Florists!

The American Floral Endowment (AFE) announces the release of the Social Media Guide for Floral Retailers and Wholesalers

 

 

The American Floral Endowment (AFE) announces the release of the Social Media Guide for Floral Retailers and Wholesalers.

 

This free guide is your one-stop destination for all things social media! Whether you want to brush up on your social media knowledge or you are brand new to social media and don't know where to begin – this information is a must-have! From written guidelines to videos, your social media presence will benefit from these resources!

The guide features content on:
• Social media marketing best practices
• Channels, tools and techniques
• Optimizing for mobile
• Real Industry Case Studies
• Literature Analyses

This project was coordinated by AFE and funded by The Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF) and the Flower Promotion Organization (FPO).

Visit www.floralmarketingresearchfund.org and register to browse all of the documents and videos. Don’t wait – get your business on the right path to social media success today!

 

10 Things Entrepreneurs Should Be Tweeting About

http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/224972

BY Lewis Howes

 

Apart from creating a vibrant branded Twitter account for your startup, business owners should consider creating their own personal account on Twitter. Fans and followers often want to connect with the person behind the brand.

Giving customers and prospects a glimpse into the entrepreneur's life and mindset can allow them to cultivate a deeper relationship with customers separately from the brand. The goal, of course, is to increase customers' loyalty to the brand.

Here are 10 things every entrepreneur can tweet about, which can allow your clients and prospects to see another side of you:
1. Personal news: Share the big events of your personal life -- vacations, weddings, births -- the type of info you'd share with close friends. It can help keep your followers feeling like they're "in the loop." You're also more likely to make a connection with followers who have experienced something similar.


2. Mistakes and lessons: Sharing mistakes and what you learned is a sign of growth, not weakness. Try doing a "What I learned this week" tweet and see how your followers respond.


3. Answers to questions: If someone asks a question on Twitter and you know the answer, share it. This can also be a way to develop a FAQ within your industry, which you can later point them to via a link.


4. Links to articles: They key to sharing articles is to also include your unique opinion. Let others know why you liked or didn't like an article.
Just remember that your opinion paints a public image, which means you should be cautious about which opinions you choose to share -- ideally only those which are congruent with your market. Keep the rest to yourself.


5. Pictures of unusual things you see: If something catches your attention, it's probably going to catch the attention of others, too. So why not share it? This includes visually impressive products, food and architecture.


6. Wisdom from the book you're reading: When you hit a "golden nugget" of wisdom in a book, share it. It not only shows that you're well read, but that you value wisdom. Those are two things that can only help your reputation.


7. Interesting advertising: When a billboard or any other advertising catches your attention, take a picture and tweet it. Everyone can benefit from seeing smart marketing


8. Fun purchases: Sharing your recent purchases, such as music, video games or sports equipment can stir up comments and conversations from others that have bought similar items and enjoy the same kind of entertainment.

9. Share wisdom from outside the world of business: Quotes from sports heroes, military leaders and artists can teach us about innovation and leadership, which are essential to business success.


10. Your work: The greatest links you can share are links to your personal work, but don't limit that to what you do professionally only. If you have a hobby or passion for something creative, share it

How to sell on Facebook

http://www.americasmart.com/scribit-news?vaid=9976380d8fa574481ecebd3010695ebc

Social commerce – it's a buzzword that many small business owners will have heard. Selling goods and services via the burgeoning social networks could be the next big commercial space for all businesses, no matter what their size. A new study from Deloitte estimates that the Facebook economy could be worth £12.7 billion at the moment with that figure set to rocket over the coming years.

 

All businesses should have a presence on Facebook, but moving from a brand awareness exercise to selling your company's goods or services is the next logical step. The National Retail Foundation in the US recently found that over half of Facebook users have clicked through to a retailers website, with nearly a quarter having made an actual purchase from within Facebook.

 

F-commerce looks likely to be a retail space that all businesses will need to be a part of, as their customer bases will simply expect this in a world were integrated retailing becomes the norm.  

 

Nathalie Gaveau, founder and CEO of Shopcade says: "The difference that we are starting to see now is that consumers are shaping the future of retail in ways never seen before. The adoption of social media now means that consumers are more recommendation hungry than ever before – and when you combine this with technical advancements and the modern need of instant gratification, there's little doubt that social shopping will be a huge part of our futures."

The most important consideration for any individual or brand considering selling on Facebook is to engage with customers - Eugene Kaznacheev, Product Manager Ecwid

With Eugene Kaznacheev, product manager at shopping cart software company Ecwid also commenting: "The most important consideration for any individual or brand considering selling on Facebook is to engage with customers. Facebook is a communication platform, and it is a huge turn-off for customers if a page is transformed into a list of links to products. Merchants should build a community around their items first and foremost, and then offer customers a convenient way to purchase them."

Commercial Facebook apps

There are a number of ways to add a commercial component to your business' Facebook page. Since the introduction of the Timeline, the layout of Facebook pages has become much clearer, which lends itself to F-commerce as your business can more easily showcase the goods or services it has for sale.
The current leading F-commerce applications include:

• Payvment
• BigCommerce
• ShopTab
• TabJuice
• Ecwid

All of these platforms offer either free or low cost start-ups that can give your business a chance to test F-commerce for itself. The key is to look closely at the features that each platforms offers and more importantly, at their limitations before making your choice.
Apps are now available that either link your Facebook profile directly to your store, or they can pull products in from either eBay via Facebook's ebay items or Etsy's Theme Shop to create a standalone store on your Facebook page.

 

First steps to F-commerce

With the rush to tap into the millions of potential customers using Facebook every day, bear these points in mind when developing F-commerce for your business:

1. Facebook is still a social space and should not be treated as just another marketing exercise.
2. Interaction with customers is vital to maintain your business' social credentials. Don't let your business become just another faceless retailer.
3. Remember that Facebook users talk to each other. The power of the shopper has never been greater, so treat them with respect or your business could suffer the commercial consequences.
4. Integrate Facebook into your enterprises other activities. Today, retailing is all about delivering a seamless experience for the consumer.

 

 

Julia Priddle, head of key account management EMEA, at ChannelAdvisor advises: "The key to selling on Facebook is to engage and socialise with customers by offering promotions, giveaways, flash sales and even customer support, all of which are only available to your Facebook fans. It is also very important to keep your content as fresh as possible, just as you would with your website. The most successful retailers have been those who regularly update the products on their page and, more importantly, the discussion topics on their pages. New competitions are a great way of engaging fans."

 

What is vital to understand is that Facebook is not the goose that laid the golden egg when it comes to the next wave of e-commerce. It is early days for this space, but savvy businesses should begin to experiment now. With a range of free apps now available to test how your business' customers react to placing goods or services onto your Facebook pages, small businesses in particular can learn from these experiences and be ready to embrace F-commerce when it reaches critical mass in the very near future.

Planning Layout and Color Scheme in a Retail Store

http://www.americasmart.com/

 



Merchandising displays have been around for quite a while and business managers and owners have benefited immensely from it. In the broad sense, merchandising can be defined as the practice through which products in stores are made available to consumers and clients by stocking and displaying them in shelves. Merchandise displays therefore are those special presentations of a store’s products to the prospective customers-buying public. As a marketing technique, this strategy emphasizes the need for a clear layout and image.
Basis of merchandising displays
While merchandising displays vary from one industry to another , it is done on basic principles which are designed to enhance or increase product sales. As an integral part of merchandising concept, it seeks to boost product sales. This is because, as a marketing technique it’s inclusive of all including coordinating, advertising and sales to ensure business success. There are basically three forms:

1. Storefront displays – This type of signage usually opens up to the streets or shopping mall. It is basically intended to attract passers who may not enter the store if otherwise.
2. Showcase displays – Usually important to the manager or owner if he or she has products deemed too expensive for storefront display set-up. Such merchandising displays are usually located along high traffic areas.
3. Found space displays – Refers to those product presentations which utilize small but usable areas the store.

With the different forms available, having knowledge on how to choose the color scheme and layout for your store is relatively important.
Merchandising displays- choosing the best color scheme and store layout
In a nutshell, choosing the best color scheme and layout for your store helps accentuate your signage. Good retailing for any venture is based on good layout and planning. To a creative designer, business owner and professional in the sign industry, effectively planning the layout and color scheme of a store is imperative. He or she is able to create an irresistible visual merchandising displays which ultimately leads to success in such retail stores. While there are lots of rules on which color scheme to use, it is vital to note that the type of color to use is dependent upon the type of retail organization or store one has. When used properly, color is one of the cheapest and most effective ways through which one can enhance business image to create a successful customer’s vintage point.
What is a good color scheme and layout design to enhance display?
For one to create a successful customer’s vantage point using merchandising displays, he or she needs to conduct a basic research in order to discover which colors customers tend to associate with. More importantly, the choice should be informed by your store’s niche or brand. Some of the key aspects of successful merchandising displays are:

• Economical – It utilizes the only space, materials and products readily available.
• Versatile – To create an impressive and effective signage, the displays should fit with much ease, exhibit several merchandise and convey diverse messages.
• Effective – Successful customer’s vantage point is readily visible to any passer-by to enhance faster reaction to the later.

Conclusion
Merchandising displays are an impeccable way to enhance business sales. To increase the effectiveness of this marketing strategy there is need to allocate available space appropriately bearing in mind the customer demographics, be sure to retain originality, maintain the neatness and cleanliness of your displays and do not overcrowd a display. More so, it is imperative to combine products that are used together the signage. Finally, pay attention to detail when it comes to arranging and arranging the backgrounds of your display.

5 Ways to Get More Facebook Likes

 

By Janine Popick (Inc.) September 14, 2012

You have to be everywhere your customers are, including Facebook. Here are some easy ways to rack up those "likes."
If you don't already know by now, I'm a big believer that social media can help grow a business. But I often still get some pushback from people and customers who are hesitant to jump in.

Here are two of my favorite excuses.
"I'm afraid I'm going to overexpose my business to my customers. Won't that happen?"Here's how I answer that:

• If you communicate with your customers through email marketing, 20% to 30% of your email recipients will open your message--if you're lucky.
• Probably only a few percent of your customers have liked your Facebook page.
• If your "likers" have a lot of friends or are following a lot of Facebook pages, your message in their news feed may have passed them by.

My point? It's not overexposure. You have to be everywhere your customers are as much as you can!
"Getting people to 'like' me sounds pathetic."In reality, it's not that much different from asking people to give you their email address or asking for their business card. And the more people that you've got exposed to your message where they want to see it, the better.
Why do you want more Facebook likes?

• When someone likes your business, that action will show up in his or her news feed.
• When you post something, it could show up in your liker's news feed (depending on how engaging your content is and how they have their feed set up).
• It could show up in the ad to your liker's friends when you use Facebook ads.

How do you get more Facebook likes? Here are a few ideas:
1. Facebook AdsIt's pretty simple to walk through and doesn't cost much at all. Even better, you control how much you want to spend.

2. "Like-gate" With a CouponSend an email campaign offering a link to a killer coupon with a "like-gate." What's a like-gate? It's when the customers click on the link to the coupon and they're brought to a screen on Facebook that simply asks them to "like us" to get the coupon. (I recommend using VerticalResponse Social or Sprout Social for this.)

3. Like-gate With a ContestDo the same as above, but with a contest for customers to win something they'll really value. (I recommend using North Social or Wildfire by Google for this.)

4. EmailSend an email message to your email list asking them to like your page.

5. Message Your Personal Facebook FriendsSend a Facebook message to your Facebook friends (within Facebook) asking them to like your page (be strategic, because you can only send one request).

Getting more likes for your Facebook page should just be a part of your overall social media marketing mix!

Facebook And Small Business: What Makes A Great Facebook Small Business Page?

http://www.americasmart.com/

There’s no doubt about it; a Facebook well done Facebook page can help grow your business….. but what are the keys to success for your business Facebook page? Read on….

There is no escaping it…… and many have tried; if you want to maximize customer and prospect engagement for your business, you need a great Facebook page. That naturally begs the question: What makes a great Facebook small business page, anyway?”

Beyond our own experience working with small businesses to maximize their online exposure, there are several resources that point to common traits of effective small business Facebook pages. I’ll get to exactly what those are in a minute.

While you don’t need a grasp of how to use Facebook that would put Bob Marley’s grip on his favorite smoking appliance to shame, knowing the common threads that effective pages share is a great starting point.


1. Great Header Graphics – They’re the first thing that your visitor sees, emblazoned at the top, as they are with Facebook’s new design. Use that to your advantage, to let visitors know where the heck they are. Your brand, or something very significant to it, should be prominently displayed there. Branding is key to your business and Facebook gives you a great opportunity to grab some more high profile exposure, and boost your brand image.

2. Visitor Engagement – That’s what you’re after, so go for it! Give fans not only plenty of opportunity to engage, but compelling reasons to want to. Update these frequently to keep them involved and coming back. Answer your posts promptly, as on your blog, but even more so with Facebook, it’s one of the best ways to engage your fans.

3. Frequent Updates – Post relevant info frequently, not only does that help you improve your page, it gives people reasons to return. As with almost everything that you do to breed success, it adds value. In fact, in many cases relevant info that people are looking for adds the most value.
As with many things in life, and especially in business timing is everything, so posting your content at the most advantageous moment can give you a significant boost. How do you when exactly that is? Excellent question, that. Thankfully minds greater than mine have heard your cries, and created tools to help you know when that is.

Edgerank is one such tool. They check a variety of metrics that will help you get a handle on when to post what. It will help boost your visitor engagement and get your page more likes.

You can also port your blog to your Facebook page. T hat will not only put more great content on your Facebook page more often, it will help publicize your blog.

4. Use Apps – Most of the best Facebook pages make great use of apps, and with good reason, it adds value for the visitor, and in the end, that’s what your business is all about, adding value. There’s no reason that shouldn’t hold true on your Facebook page as well. Using an app service is a great idea. Unless your business is to the point where you can have a dedicated social media staffer or two, it makes things much easier and more efficient.

5. Ask for Likes – Never forget the strong call to action! It’s the way to get the sale in your business, and it’s also the way to get more likes on Facebook. Of course if your content sucks…. but in any case, give them every reason to like your page, then come right out and ask them to do it. Put a prominent “Like Us On Facebook” button on your website to make it falling-off-a-log simple for fans to both like and find your company’s business page. Remember, make easy that behavior which you want to encourage.

6. Use Powerful Images Throughout – Yes, not everyone is visual, but it is still one of the best ways to create a memorable Facebook experience. Add new ones frequently, so there is always more to love and more reasons to return. Great images are also an excellent way to get the coveted “like” from your visitors.

7. Add video – Why stop at static images? Videos are proven to increase engagement and shareability, so use them. Embed YuoTube or Vimeo images on your page. You can make great video shorts using online apps such as Animoto for dirt cheap. Yo can also create your own using affordable software. We use Pinnacle Studio 16 for video creation and editiing. They are the leaders in this and the software is affordable, powerful and easy to use. Try Camtasia Studio from Techsmith for screen capture videos, such as those you make from powerpoint presentations. It is th most used software for this kind of application, and with good reason. You can get a free trial here.

8. Favorite Pages – Use the “Favorite Pages” option that Facebook offers. Yes, it is a link off your page to others’ pages, but if you’re strategic about ho you do this, it can be mutually beneficial. If there are other businesses you work with, such as suppliers, distributors, or subcontractors, link to their pages. In return, have them reciprocate. You’ll share beneficial traffic and expand your brand footprint. You may have to ask the other business to add you as well, but they should be happy to do so.

9. Specifically Oriented Pages – Create brand or product line pages. Yes, most small businesses will be too small to take advantage of this, but not always, and you may well be growing from a small to a medium sized business. On of the main keys to success here is to make sure you target your key demographics.

Facebook gives you the ability to do this, so grab it by the horns and run with it! You often pay big money for this kind of targeted marketing, so don’t let this opportunity pass you by. For example, if you run a camera store, have different pages for still and video. If you are a small clothing company, with lines aimed at different demographics, that screams for different pages, so build them.

A great resource is to check out Social Media Examiners’ Facebook Business Page content winners here. You can see in action some of the elements I’ve discussed.

So….. Building a strong Facebook business page is a proven way to bring in new customers and increase engagement with existing ones. Does your business have a Facebook page? If you do, submit it using the contact form and tell us why you think it’s worthy. We’ll choose one business to feature each month on our site from the entries we receive

Building Your Personal Brand (Pt 2 of 2)

http://darrenhardy.success.com/2012/08/personal-brand-2/#more-6229

The best protection you have against failure is personal branding.
If a project or your business fails you will always have your personal brand to fall back on.
It is likely you will have several different careers and businesses over the next 20 years. You will probably be selling stuff that doesn’t exist into markets that haven’t been built yet.
The one thing that will keep you competitive and valuable no matter how the market evolves is your personal brand.

The best protection you have against failure is personal branding.

Here are the final four steps of shaping your personal brand into a monument to your life’s vision and mission.


TWO—Develop Your Personal Brand Statement
This is WHO you are, WHAT you do and WHOM you service.
Get it down to a simple LinkedIn headline.
My previous LinkedIn headline was all over the board:
Entrepreneur, Private Equity Investor, Advisor, Bestselling Author, Keynote Speaker and Publisher of SUCCESS magazine.
Clear as mud, right?
Lots of WHO… but no WHAT or to WHOM.
Now it is simply:
Publisher, SUCCESS Magazine & Mentor to CEOs and High-Performance Entrepreneurs.
Ahhh, much better.
WHO, WHAT and to WHOM, all in 78 characters (vs 118).
Your turn.
Paste your new and improved LinkedIn headline into the comments below.


THREE—Package Your Brand

Every great brand is a narrative; it should be a compelling and awe-inspiring story. One that instructs and arouses, illustrates and illuminates.
Think of any great brand: Apple, Nike, Starbucks and Harley-Davidson.
They all have a story and it is through their story that we came to know them, connect with them and maybe fall in love with them.
What’s your story?

 Craft it today.

Think about a few key stories that define who you are today. Write them down. These can be simple things that you remember from your childhood or entertaining stories from your adult life.
Think about a few key stories that define who you are today. Write them down. These can be simple things that you remember from your childhood or entertaining stories from your adult life.

Having difficulties? I can relate
.
Candidly, this step has always been difficult for me. I am so focused on the pursuit of my goals that I give very little acknowledgement (or memory) to my past. I’ve had to interview my family, friends and other people whom I have a shared history with to pull together stories to help with my teaching, audience connection and brand promotion. You might have to do the same.

Don’t like talking about yourself or storytelling? I can relate.

Two things you might be surprised to learn about me. I’m a pretty private person and I am not terribly comfortable (or interested in) talking about my life stories or myself, and in a private setting you will rarely hear me do so. I am always the one asking the questions and inducing someone else to talk.
In my public personal branding I had to get over this. I needed to be more personally vulnerable and revealing. I can tell you it has made a huge difference in being able to engage, connect and make an impact in other people’s lives… oh, and continue to bolster my personal brand.
So, even if you aren’t comfortable with it, start doing it anyway. It will make a big contribution to your success and your connections with others.

FOUR—Distribute Your Brand

Anywhere and everywhere share the stories that make up your personal brand—who you are, what your passion is, what you do, what you stand for and who you serve and what makes you unique and distinctive.
Right now, go check your website, blog, Facebook page, Twitter page, LinkedIn page, YouTube channel—Do they all tell your brand story?
Your story should be featured on all your brochures and other marketing pieces.
Make sure you talk about your story in articles you write, speeches you give, and sales presentations you make.
As Jim Rohn would put it, “Talk about things that matter (value-driven brand stories) to people who care (your target market).”

FIVE—Reinforce Your Brand

This is the hardest part, as it is a 24/7/365 job. This means LIVING your brand.
Imagine yourself as a giant billboard constantly walking around and always visible. Everyone around you is looking at and reading your billboard. Based on what it says they are making decisions about your brand, constantly.
Because my brand word is “success,” I am compelled to bring excellence into everything I do. That’s why I show up on time, prepared and ready to exceed expectations. That is why no matter the dress code of everyone else I am going to show up dressed for ………..(?) You guessed it—SUCCESS!
Imagine if my brand is “success” and I show up unshaven, with ripped jeans, tattoos, an eyebrow piercing, tattered Chuck Taylors and a T-shirt.
Hey, I understand that IS the brand identity of some people and it serves their word—if their word is “renegade,” “artist,” computer “hacker” or “savant.”
But my word and brand is “success,” so I have to show up 24/7/365 personifying that brand
.
Thus, my suggestion: Be careful which word you pick, as you will be challenged (24/7/365, with no vacations or holidays) to live up to it.
So as your last assignment, ask yourself:

Are you living up to your word, and your desired brand 24/7/365?

What adjustments, changes or improvements do you need to make to do so?

Follow these five steps and you will be an unstoppable force in this economy, and in any economy the future might bring.
 

Creating a social media marketing campaign

http://www.facebook.com/ AmericasmartAtl

 

Small businesses can act like big businesses with social media marketing. It isn't just the latest, greatest fad, it's a powerful mechanism to cultivate customer relationships and outclass big businesses without having to spend a fortune on infrastructure.

 

Get your website built first

The first rule of social media marketing is to create a website for your business, preferably with the same name as the business. This will be the main face of your organisation, and will give you a core platform to project the key messages about your business, brand, products and services. It will be one of the main points of contact between you and your customers, and the site that they will find through a web search for your business.

Make the website easy to navigate, attractive and clear to read, and make sure that it communicates the culture of your business. It's important to get your branding right, so that you can replicate it across different social media platforms, and be instantly recognisable for customers.

Creating a Facebook page for your business

Second, make sure that you utilise free social media platforms such as Facebook, which will give you the ability to engage with customers. There are many other social networks apart from Facebook, however, and some of these might suit your target audience better, being aimed at business professionals, teenagers, females, or particular market sectors.

However, having a page for your business on Facebook can help you to start dialogues with a broad range of customers, understand their likes and dislikes, showcase your products and services, and let them know about new initiatives and offers. Another great benefit is viral marketing - the fact that your business customers will tell other people about your site through their own Facebook pages.

 

This is the way to build up brand awareness and an audience, but professional marketing specialists advise businesses to be active on their Facebook business pages, updating them frequently with comments, news, images and videos. This is because people check social networking sites at different times of the day, and with differing levels of frequency, so posts can easily get missed.

 

Tweet little and often

It is a good idea to keep posts short, some say 80 characters or less. When it comes to Twitter, the length of Twitter feeds is limited to 140 characters, but studies have shown that posts with 80 characters or fewer received significantly higher engagement rates. Another important factor is that many people will be viewing social media sites using their smart phones or mobile devices, and may have smaller screen sizes, and be travelling, in other words have other distractions. This is where short and sweet postings can be more effective than long ones.

 

Consistency in posting is also important, because marketing is often an activity that spans the months, and even years before getting results. Don't over-post, in other words, little and often is better than posting ten times a day. Posts should be thoughtful, engaging, and encourage conversation, feedback or sharing, and if it contains some form of media, such as a photo or video, it will most likely garner further attention.

 

Tracking and analysing your social media profile

Facebook and Google offer sophisticated tracking and analysis tools, and these are worth investigating, as are adverts that can be targeted to your customers. Although there may be some cost involved, the results can be good. These tools can tell you about other links to your business or your social media marketing activity from other peoples' sites.

You can share good reports and blog posts about your business with your own audience, and bad feedback can also be useful, as it can enable you to engage with individuals who may have an insight into your business or products and services that can help you to improve.

 

There is a whole host of cross-referencing and linking tools and buttons that are worth using in your social media marketing, such as the Facebook 'Like' button, and social bookmarking tools such as Del.icio.us, DiggIt and ReddIt. By linking both outwards from your social media sites, and inwards from other blogs and websites, you are effectively build awareness of your company, and build up a loyal army of supporters.

Ideally with a network like Facebook it's advisable to incorporate some element of interaction whenever you can, and include a call to action in your posts. So, for example, words like click, comment, share and like will increase engagement.

 

Social media usage is still on the rise, as more people adopt mobile working, and ubiquitous web access, and the great thing is that social media marketing platforms are free. If you want to take it to the next level, you can choose to spend money on hiring a consultant or social media manager, and invest in ads and partnership deals. Saying that, it's well worth trying the free options first.

Building Your Personal Brand (Pt 1 of 2)

http://darrenhardy.success.com/2012/08/personal-brand-1/#more-6208

Describe yourself in one word.

What’s the word?
What one word do others use to describe you?
(Don’t know? Ask a few people.)
Is it the same word?

That word is your reputation, your personal brand.

Is that the brand you want and need to accomplish your goals in your marketplace?

If not, that could be what’s holding you back.

The world is changing all around us (noticed yet?). The 40-year job security is a laughable memory. Pension? Social security? Hilarious!
No, in this day and age YOU have to create your own security. You already know that. That’s why you read this blog and SUCCESS magazine (smart!).
In this whirlwind of change the only thing that is constant and your greatest asset, no matter what the future holds, is your personal brand. It is your only security for your future.

It’s time we build your brand—the one you want and need for your greater future.

First off, let me dispel what you might think a personal brand is. It is not your business card, brochure, website or magnetic car signs.
Your personal brand is the powerful, clear, positive idea that comes to mind whenever other people think of you. It’s what you stand for—the values, abilities and actions that others associate with you. Your personal brand tells your audience: Who you are, What you do and What makes you different or How you create value for your target market.

Look, here’s the deal… know it or not, like it or not, YOU are a brand.
And you have been shaping your brand since you first started walking and talking.

Every day, through every communication and interaction you have, every room you walk into, every hand you shake, every picture you post, blog you publish, comment you make, tweet, ‘Like’ or Facebook posting you make, you are sculpting your brand. These many thousands of chisel marks ultimately shape the statue that is your personal brand.

So the question becomes, How does your statue look to date? Is it as magnificent as Michelangelo’s David or might you need to improve your sculpting skills, just a bit?

Over the next couple posts I’ll outline a 5-point Game Plan to help you select, develop, package, distribute and reinforce your new, beautiful and compelling brand.

5-Point Personal Brand-Building Game Plan
ONE—Pick Your Word

Select your brand. Forcing it into a single word causes you to become crystal clear, thus making it clear how to live up to your word and for others to understand you, in a single word.

Example: What word would you use to describe me and my brand?

My hope is you quickly picked the word “success.” Not because of the title on my business card or the masthead of our magazine, but because I personify, live up to, deliver on that word, every day in every conversation. The way I walk, talk, dress, show up, perform and deliver on every commitment I make. I am intentional about living up to and demonstrating that word in all that I do and all that I am. That’s my brand.

What’s your word? What’s your brand? Pick it now.

 

Tips for Using Social Media to Sell

By Tom Searcy (Inc.) August 21, 2012

 

http://www.americasmart.com/scribit-news?vaid=e8aad71d3c6b1600a311b3bb89a1cf43

You can use social media to land a sale--but only if you're following these key principles.
I just celebrated my 100th discussion on the same topic with the same client. We talked yet again about selling and social media. Before your eyes glaze over, let me quickly add that the conversation ended with a meaningful shift in point of view for me. I've decided that the idea becomes much more valuable if I look at it as "social selling" rather than "social media."
In Matt Heinz's book Successful Social Selling, he helps turn the social-media noise into real strategies. I called him and learned four key principles from the discussion:


1. Getting more "followers" is not a goal.
There is an implied causal link between "followers" or "likes" and real sales activity. However, that link has low correlational accuracy. Most people are talking about themselves and hoping you're listening. Coupons, special offers, and event postings may get some strong responses from people who are already transactional customers. But if the goal is to get qualified prospects, then you need different metrics for judging the success of your social selling.


2. Connection is not engagement.
Social selling is about engagement, and that comes from effective interaction. Posting material in any form and simply waiting for your connections to respond is not engagement. What are they posting that you are responding to? Learn from those interactions. You can't sell if you're just pushing messages and your expertise.


3. Buyers signal by declaring problems.
Listen for the buying signals from the social Web. If you use a third-party tool, such as HootSuite, to compose your messages and read what your followers are writing, make full use of its search capabilities. Look for certain key words as a way to listen for people who have a problem you can solve. If you sell routers or servers, you can flag the word router or server failure, giving you a way to watch across all open platforms for anyone who uses the word. You can even segment the search to a number of miles from your office location.


4. You are not in control.
Many sales folks believe this is the way the process works: Get followers, and then provoke them to want what you sell through your posts. The truth is, it rarely happens that way. The reason is simple: If you tweet, blog, or post about a solution, idea, or product that a person does not have, they won't necessarily connect with you. If you are listening to the social Web and hear someone declare a problem that you can solve or a question that you can answer, giving you an opportunity to send a relevant response, then you are truly engaging

Startup Must-Haves: Perseverance and Optimism (Infographic)

http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/224105?cam=Email&ctp=Newsletters&cnm=Starting%20a%20Business&cdt=August%20%206,%202012&cdn=224105

If you are thinking about starting your own business, you need to have the stamina of a marathon runner. And once you start your career as an entrepreneur, a glass-half-full attitude will serve you well as you face a continuous stream of problems to solve and questions to answer.

Check out this infographic (below) from the startup organization Funders and Founders, which depicts some of the conflicting thoughts an entrepreneur can struggle with. From coming up with an idea to cashing out, you may face dilemmas where you will be pulled in at least two directions. Successful entrepreneurs learn that to grow, you have to be able to make a decision one way or another, often with no absolute right or wrong answer. Just keep going.

While 40 percent of startup business owners expect the economy to weaken in the next year, a vast majority think their own business will succeed, according to a survey from entrepreneurship organization Kauffman Foundation and online document resource LegalZoom this week. Nearly four of five entrepreneurs that started businesses in the past year think that their business will be more profitable in the next year than they are today, the survey found

How to Compete with the Big Chains? Think Locally

http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/224068?cm_mmc=Newsletter-_-sales-_-July%2031,%202012-_-How%20to%20Compete%20with%20the%20Big%20Chains?%20Think%20Locally

What do you do as a small, independent retailer when a major food chain, big-box store or national franchise becomes a direct competitor? All along you've been specializing in items that aren't in the mainstream but sell well, and then some big outfit like Sears or Walmart decides they're going to horn in on your action.

A perfect example is Kroger, the Ohio-based supermarket chain that recently began offering natural foods inside half of its 2,500 stores, setting aside aisles now designated as Nature's Markets. When this happens, what can you as a specialty retailer do to remain in business and retain your dominance in any niche market?

Your first reaction might be to lower prices in order to compete with the big stores. But that's like bringing a knife to a gunfight. There's no way you'll ever compete on price. Yet there are steps that specialty merchants can take in order to maintain position. Here's a list of things your business can do to maintain the customers you already have and win even more business when being forced to compete with a national chain:

• Connect with locals using social media. Large chains and franchises typically do a terrible job of maintaining social media profiles in the local communities where they have stores. Set yourself apart by ramping up local engagement via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.
  
• Blog locally. If the big boys even have a blog, they're not likely spending time focusing on local issues. By frequently blogging about topics that your local customers actually care about, you increase your store's odds of generating positive local search results online. And you're telling your customers they should have more -- not less -- information about the products and services you sell.
  
• Support local causes. National chains move slowly, especially when it comes to sponsoring or supporting local events. As a local yourself, pay attention to what's coming up on the local events calendar and join up with civic-minded organizations that are targeting the same people who might like to buy your products or services. Supporting local causes endears your brand among your target demographic.
  
• State your differences as positives. Don't bash the competition -- either in front of your staff or with customers. Instead, point out the clear differences between your offerings by speaking in positives, not negatives. For example, "Featuring locally-sourced ingredients that are healthy for you and your family since 1997" is a better message than "Buy local!" or "You call that organic?"
  
• Use size to your advantage. In most cases, everything you see on the shelves of a big box or chain store, or being sold or offered by a franchise, is there because one person -- a national buyer or category manager -- approved it. You, however, can start selling a new item on a moment's notice. By specializing in the niche items that helped you build your enterprise, you'll continue to drive business in your direction.

How to "Pull Your Head Out of the Sand" and Use Social Media in Your Small Business

http://www.sba.gov/community/blogs/how-pull-your-head-out-sand-and-use-social-media-your-small-business

Social media is one of the fastest growing channels for businesses to connect with existing and potential customers. However, taking that first step or next step can be a challenge. How do you find the time for it? How do you build a following and engage with your audience? What social media platforms are the best for your business?

If any of these questions have crossed your mind, you’re not alone. During this year’s National Small Business Week Conference in Washington, D.C., in May, hundreds of small business owners posed these and other questions to a panel of experts from Twitter, Yelp, Google, GrowBizMedia and Constant Contact during a well-attended Social Media Forum.

Despite the cultural and marketing phenomenon that social media has become, many small business owners still struggle to juggle the demands of business and justify the effort it takes to engage social media, despite the opportunity social media represents – or as panel moderator, the Wall Street Journal’s Brian Moran observed: “ … stick their head in the sand and pretend social media isn’t there!”.

If this sounds like you, here are some social media best practices shared at the event that may inspire you to pull your head out of the sand!

Getting to Know Your Customers Again

Why is social media so important to small businesses?
Panelist Rieva Lesonsky, CEO of GrowBizMedia, sees social media as an opportunity for small businesses to reignite what they once did automatically in the past, before the advent of big malls. Today, those traditional small town relationships are harder to build. But “…social media lets you have a relationship with existing and potential customers… you’re not just some anonymous business owner to them.”

Luther Lowe, director of Business Outreach at Yelp agreed: “…social media is an extremely powerful way to retain existing customers… and keep that person educated about why they should continue to use you as a small business.”

Jenna Golden, a member of Twitter’s Public Affairs and Public Outreach team, stressed the importance of not thinking about it as a digital relationship, but something as something that can actually turn into an in-person relationship.

Which Platform is Right for Your Business?

Twitter, Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest—the list goes on. But which are right for your business? There is no silver bullet when it comes to answering this question.

As Lesonsky explained: “...find out where your customers can be found, go there first, and then spread out from there… if you run a restaurant, yes, you probably should be on Twitter, but you should really be on Yelp first.”

Erica Ayotte, social media manager with Constant Contact, recommends businesses start with one channel test it and nurture it. Erica also recommends a little diversification, suggesting you “spend a little time each week exploring new platforms and figure out if they might be for you.”

Reaching the Right People

A fundamental challenge for small business owners is finding the right people to follow and engage.

Twitter’s Golden stressed the importance of asking yourself who it is you want to reach? “If you have the right people following you, you can count on them to re-Tweet the information and really get it out further.” In this case, quality of followers is often more important than quantity.

The panel also recommended using search tools to identify and follow people who are influencers in your industry. For example, if you are in the restaurant business, identify the food bloggers in your region, give them a follow, and slowly you’ll start to build and grow your followers and influence.

The panel also stressed the importance of connecting your social media activity to your already loyal email subscriber list. Send them an email to let them know about your social media presence and quickly generate new follows from those who are already engaged with you.

Get Ready to Engage

Engagement isn’t always easy; it takes time to build up a loyal following of like-minded people.

Starting with information that is perceived as interesting is one step. Jeff Aguero, head of Local Marketing for Google, encourages small business owners to “…start with quality content, something that you do really well, and then use social media and web tools to amplify it.”

Web chats, contests and surveys are also great ways to engage, but the panel cautioned small business owners new to social media to resist this form of heavy interaction until their network has had time to grow. “Once you’ve established awareness and trust, then look to step up your approach,” suggested Constant Contact’s Ayotte. “Don’t let perfection be the enemy of progress,” she explained. “It can take some time to figure out what content is going to resonate with an audience… Try something new if no one responds to your Facebook posts. It’s OK. Tweak your posts until you find your sweet spot.”

And last but not least, authenticity is critical. “Try to use your authentic voice,” stressed Twitter’s Golden.

3 Little-Known Metrics That Can Help Optimize Your Facebook Page

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223901?cm_mmc=Newsletter-_-sales-_-July%2017,%202012-_-3%20Little-Known%20Metrics%20That%20Can%20Help%20Optimize%20Your%20Facebook%20Page

inShare140

 

Ever wonder why a particular Facebook post seems to get a lot of "likes" and "shares" one day, but with the next post, there's little to no fan interest? A lot of business owners get frustrated because they don't have the answer to why something works.

Facebook has the answer -- and so should you. Facebook happens to be a powerful repository of data, yet few business owners bother to use this information, either because they don't know how to find it or they don't want to take time to analyze it.
What they don't realize is that Facebook's Insights dashboard, which measures your page's user data, can be quite easy to manage once you become acquainted with a few key metrics. Here's a look at three areas in Insights that most people don't know exist and how to use them effectively:

1. Track "engaged users" to optimize post types.
Don't guess which posts your fans will respond to. Instead, measure which ones are already popular.

Visit your Insights dashboard, where you can click on the tool icon under your Timeline cover photo and select View Insights in the dropdown menu. Then scroll down until you see a chart of page posts. Next to each post are several columns, including the number of "engaged users," which measures how many of them clicked on a particular post.

An example from my own Insights, showing engagement metrics for each of my Facebook posts

Once you check out the metrics, look for similarities among your top posts and less popular posts. Make note of what worked and what didn't. For example:

• Did you ask a compelling question? Was it short, long, yes/no?
• Which calls to action did you use (like this, click here, watch, etc.)?
• Did you include an image or short video? (I got over 1,500 engaged users on a single short video, but less than half that number on other posts.)
• Are the posts long or short? Entertaining or informative?

2. Monitor incoming traffic from external referrers.

For a Facebook page to gain traction, it needs visitors. That sounds obvious, but many of us forget to drive traffic to Facebook, not just from Facebook to our website.
To find out where your visitors are coming from, go to the Insights dashboard, click on Reach and scroll down to find "external referrers" at the bottom of the page. You'll see a list of websites and the number of users who arrived from each. Your website and search engines should be near the top of that list.
If external traffic is low, try the following:

• Optimize for Google. Fill out your profile completely, especially the About section, using keyword-rich information to help Google users find you and the service, product or niche you represent.
• Drive leads to Facebook. Guest posts, webinars, teleconferences, interviews and your own blog are all great places to promote your Facebook page. For example, whenever I do a webinar, I invite people to Facebook to talk about it and ask questions—giving me valuable feedback, higher engagement and often a few new fans, too.
• Include social icons and share buttons on your website or blog. Make it easy for people on your website to interact with you on Facebook.

3. Pay attention to your "talking about this" score.

"Talking about this" is a measure of how many people over the past seven days engaged with your page in any way -- tagging it, clicking "like," making a comment or sharing a post. It's a high-level view of your success on Facebook and can be critical to increase the ratio of "talking about this" to total "likes."

One good reason is that "talking about this" is a public metric. People will see it next to the number of "likes" on your page and know how connected your brand is with its fans. Five or 10 percent week over week is a good target to start with, but the average is much lower than that -- closer to 2 percent -- for most businesses.

To see details about your number, click Talking About This in the main Insights dashboard. Here, you can access the number's change from week to week, demographic information about users, and even more interesting, something called "viral reach."

Talking About This in the main Insights dashboard

Viral reach is a measure of how many unique people saw a story published by a friend about your page. A story could be a new "like," comment or share. On Facebook, the more people who talk about a post, the more feeds it reaches -- which is why engagement is so crucial.

If you want to raise your "talking about this" score, just ask your fans to share an event with friends. Ask them to click "like" on a video. If you're using tip No. 1 to improve your posts, don't forget to tell fans how to show their approval using clear, quick calls to action. Simple, but it works.

A Woman Entrepreneur's Advice for Startups

 

http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/223828?cm_mmc=Newsletter-_-growth-_-July%20%204,%202012-_-A%20Woman%20Entrepreneur&%27s+Advice+for+Startups=

BY Catherine Clifford|June 19, 2012|

New York has Internet Week, Fashion Week, and Restaurant Week. Now, there is a week devoted to women. The first S.H.E. (She Helps Empower) Summit Week launched on Monday with a focus squarely on women entrepreneurs.

Photo credit: Stephanie Badini

The week consists of more than 40 events to celebrate women, including business workshops. For example, Women’s Venture Fund is hosting The Art of Good Networking and Build Your Negotiation Skills workshops. Meanwhile, GoGirl Finance is presenting Your Money, Your Life: Know Your Worth, a personal finance workshop.


Entrepreneur Claudia Chan, the brains behind S.H.E. Summit Week, spoke at the kickoff breakfast at skincare company Dermalogica in New York this week. Chan is the former president of Shecky’s Media, an entertainment company that caters to women. She quit her role with Shecky’s to start her own project, ClaudiaChan.com, a website for women that covers lifestyle and business issues.


"My mission is really to inspire women to dream and do big," she says. Here, Chan offers her best three tips for women entrepreneurs:

1. Bake purpose into your mission. "As a business owner, really think about: yes, you want to be successful, make money, and create jobs, but you also want to create a greater good for something," Chan says. "That is what creates the sustainability." So, be sure to keep a laser-like focus on your mission -- and your purpose -- as a company, as well as the good that you are creating.

2. Give back. "Be cognizant of the fact that you are a very small percentage of entrepreneurship, and so really support other women along the way," she says.

3. Take care of yourself. "We have a tendency to just go, go, go and not take care of ourselves," Chan says, "and then nothing works out." Take that time for a meditation break or connecting with the people that support you.

Business Quote 6/19/2012 Dave Thomas

   “Share your success and help others succeed. Give everyone a chance to have a piece of the pie. If the pie's not big enough, make a bigger pie.”

 Dave Thomas

R. David "Dave" Thomas (July 2, 1932 – January 8, 2002) was an American fast-food tycoon and philanthropist. Thomas was the founder and chief executive officer of Wendy's, a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in hamburgers. He is also known for appearing in more than 800 commercial advertisements for the chain from 1989 to 2002, more than any other company founder in television history.

3 Ways to Supercharge Fan Engagement on Facebook

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223701?cm_mmc=Newsletter-_-sales-_-June%2019,%202012-_-3%20Ways%20to%20Supercharge%20Fan%20Engagement%20on%20Facebook

By:  Amy Porterfield
For most business owners, their biggest Facebook challenge is keeping fans consistently engaged. Whether you have 135 or 13,500 likes, the only way to really profit from a business page is to motivate fans to click, share and, eventually, act by buying a product or signing up for an event.
Unfortunately, persistently low engagement is a catch-22. Your brand page's EdgeRank score -- Facebook's algorithm for determining how content is featured in the News Feed -- is determined largely by user interactions. If your EdgeRank drops, your updates can languish, meaning users won't see them and may not interact with your page. That will result in an even lower EdgeRank.


But when applied consistently, these three strategies can turn the tide and increase fans' interaction with your Facebook page:


1. Market content with images.The rise of the social networking site Pinterest underscores how much people love images and, more importantly, love sharing them. Visual marketing is about creating what I call relevant viral content -- content your core audience can't resist sharing. They're the people who are most likely to buy from you, so focus on catering to their interests with relevant and appealing images and strong calls to action.


Here are a few techniques to try:


Showcase key industry influencers. There's something irresistible about quotes. I recently posted a bright yellow image of Seth Godin with a quote that got more than 100 shares the first day. This isn't about selling. It's about crafting a message fans care about. As a bonus, it can show the big players in your field that you're listening.

Highlight your expertise. After a live chat on her Facebook Page, international speaker Carren Smith posted an image containing one of her inspirational quotes and this call to action: "Please share this message with someone who needs to hear it."

Tell a story or share news. Every time you decide to post something -- a brand update, an upcoming event, etc. -- ask yourself, "Can I tell this story in a picture?" For example, show a happy user explaining how your product led to a success or memorable moment, instead of another routine product shot.

 

Ramp up lead generation. Create a series of visual images relating to a new marketing campaign or product launch. Just remember to include the destination link to drive traffic to your campaign.

Have fun. Most people aren't on Facebook for business. They just want to have fun. So, be playful, just as Los Angeles-based pet photography business Little Friends Photo did with a "fill in the blank" photo that received 314 likes and 113 shares:

2. Ask better questions.If you pose questions and get only silence, you might be asking the wrong ones. Before posting a question, put yourself in your fans' shoes: "Would I really take the time to answer this?"
Here are a few effective question types with some real examples:
Yes/no: These questions often get the most responses because they take just seconds to answer.



Feedback: "I need a cover designed for my next book. Think I should run a design contest on Facebook? If I get 25 YES responses, I'll announce details next week." Bonus: Your audience is involved in the outcome, which means they'll care more about the product.



Emotional/provocative: "Who here feels like they're fulfilling their LIFE's PURPOSE right now, and how do you know?" Provocative questions work best when you know the topics and themes most likely to ignite a reaction from your audience.



Value add: "I just finished my new e-book and I'll release it next week. Who wants a free copy of chapter 1? Say YES and hit 'like'!" Bonus: This is a great way to get momentum before a product launch.



Fun and fast: "Quick: 'Hunger Games' or 'Avengers'?" It's nice to mix in entertaining questions, especially if you can later use the answers as new content.


3. Use video teasers.
Video can quickly establish rapport and, on Facebook, that goes a long way. Just remember to keep the videos short -- one to three minutes at most.
Here are a few approaches to consider:



Ask a question. Use the tips above to create a short video instead of a status update, and solicit responses in the comments.


Offer a quick tip. Outline one tip you've covered in a blog post and ask users to go to a custom URL (within a Facebook app such as Lujure) for the full post.


Make a short video about an upcoming event. It could be a webinar, book launch or other live event. Drive viewers to a sign-up link within Facebook.


Share a funny story. If you're a great storyteller, show it.
If engagement is your goal, always ask yourself, "What's in it for my fans?" If you can provide value week after week, your fans will be more likely go the distance -- and the results will speak for themselves.

How to Know Which State to Incorporate Your Business

entrepreneur.com

Some entrepreneurs might be tempted to incorporate their businesses in “incorporation-friendly” states such as Nevada or Delaware, but attorney Mark Kohler says they should think again. Instead, incorporate in the state where you live and where your company does business
.
“If your state filing fees are a lot, don’t think that you can avoid them by setting up in another state and hiding,” Kohler says. “Too many [people] get into lawsuits where they don’t get legal protection they thought they’d get because they were incorporated in the wrong state.”