When you get into the realm of the small business owner, you will find that social media is truly creeping in at an amazing pace. The majority of this can be found by the usage of social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Some of the basic benefits of using these sites would include the ability to make business contacts and maintain the links that you need between yourself and them.

The sites that I mentioned can be utilized in several different and very beneficial ways.

With Facebook, both an account for yourself as well as for your business can be created. By developing good communication with customers and contacts, you can eventually get people to just opt in to get messages from your company.

Creating a LinkedIn account is an amazing way of finding and communicating with professionals all over the world, even those who are already in a field specific to your own. This is a great way to share ideas with someone who already knows about what you do because they do the same thing.

Finally, when using Twitter, remember the great benefit that you get of promoting your business in such a few short words. You will find that when you look at other tweets from business owners that they are short, sweet, and to the point most of the time. This is yet another way of bringing customers to you.

Always remember that it’s the content of what you have that is most important. Useless and boring information will get you nowhere, but the opposite will provide for a truly strong and growing business as you head into the future.

Learn more how you and your small business can get started on Linkedin: LinkedIn Power User Strategies Webinar every Thursday at 4pm EST with live Q&A

As a business professional, so much information is available on using Social Platforms to generate business success. With so much noise, I wanted to take the time to provide the business world with three key categories of resources. They are key social media advisors who come not only highly recommended, but have the trackable experience as well. Next, I will share key tools that can help streamline your processes’ to better utilize your time invested. Finally, I will share key educational pieces you may want to take advantage of, before you review these resources take a look at this video.

Advisors
Nathan Kievman CEO of DemingHill, A Leading Social Media Firm
Chris Brogan Considered one of the foremost thought leaders in Social Media and well sought after advisor.
Mari Smith Considered to be the Facebook Queen
Seth Godin Considered to be a foremost business thought leader

Tools
Ping.fm: For Status Updates this tool will save you countless hours of time.
Hummingbird : Growing a targeted following on Twitter is tough enough.  This tool does it on automation.
Google Alerts : Listen to your audience. Without knowing what your target market or competitors are doing online how can you expect to get a creative edge in your marketing process? You must use Google Alerts to keep an ear to the masses.

Education Material
Trust Agents

Twitter Power 

Linked Into Marketing

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LinkedIn Power Users Webinar Every Thursday 4pm & 7pm EST, can’t make it go ahead and register for the playback.  Grabl your spot : http://bit.ly/3wzq9Q

As a business professional, owner, or manager why would you want to engage this space for your business? I asked the same questions and pulled together some videos I have found that help answer the question as to why do it?

Watch this one first:

Watch this one second:

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After seeing these videos, if you would like to learn more on how to engage Social Media For Your Business and create a complete Social Media Strategy, contact us at support@mycorporatemedia.com  , put in the subject, “Help my company with our Social Media Strategy”

For all practical purposes, I will demonstrate one way that companies can benefit using Social Media.

Answer: Through Status Updates

When used correctly you can:

• Generate Leads
• Create Brand Advocacy
• Generate Opt-Ins
• Create TradeShow Buzz
• Secure meetings when traveling

Lets just cover the Big Three LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. If your company will spend a small amount of time building a targeted following with each, then the above listed results can happen on a regular basis.

When utilizing status updates you want to create thought provoking and action requiring headlines. Just like you do in your business in front of your customer you can engage in qualifying questions and event announcements that will create the above listed results.

Some things to think about:

Be sure to bring value to your community with a 12:1 Ratio: meaning be sure to post 12 useful updates that require no commitment or acknowledgement to your company in order to post one that will drive results for your company. This creates authenticity with your community. Next, when you do post announcements, events, or qualifying questions be sure to provide links to your site, opt ins, or blog in order to bring your connections to the next step in your sales process.

These are some example updates that can help you get started in creating opportunities for your business:

EXAMPLE 1: “I will be at the ACME convention in February, looking forward to exhibiting, www.acmecompanywebsite…” You will be surprised but this you may have others who reply back letting you know they are attending and want to meet up to discuss opportunities.

EXAMPLE 2: “How do you currently approach your XYZ category?” This question is built around your qualifying questions in your business. Again be ready for responses back that you can potentially turn into opportunities. This is a soft lead generation approach through Social Media that will be widely accepted as it is not aggressive marketing.

EXAMPLE 3: “Join us for a -TOPIC- no cost webinar with live Q & A today at 4pm EST with –LINK-“ this may require putting together a webinar, but when people sign up you secure their contact info to take it to the next step.

Hopefully these three examples get the wheels turning and helps your business take the next step in capitalizing in using Social Media for Business.

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Be sure to grab our:

Fast Start Guide to LinkedIn
Fast Start Guide to Twitter
Register for our next LinkedIn Power Users Webinar with Playback
Five LinkedIn Power User Strategies

So you and your company have a social media presence. How do you generate a lead using your status updates application? While I could write a book about this very subject, I would like to share just some practical strategies that will help move you and your company forward in this arena.

Some Practical Strategies for Generating Leads with Status Updates in Social Media:

1. First and foremost, be sure to use the 12:1 Ratio strategy. What do I mean by this? You should always be pushing 12 status updates that are not directly related to generating a lead. Rather these 12 updates should be informative, resourceful, and thoughtful to help your community. So for every single promotion you should focus twelve updates that are not, before making the next direct plug for your company. Otherwise your community will get tired of you quickly.
2. Just like in your business, what type of qualifying questions do you use to take a cold brand new lead to a warm lead? Use these qualifying questions in your status updates.
3. Next, give away a resource, book, or report with opt in of an email address.
4. Share your travels and upcoming events. You will be surprised who responds. Someone may be in the area and want to meet.
5. Integrate your status update application in one single place, read my recent article on Status Updates on Social Networks Made Easy.

These are just a couple practical ways to generate leads using Status Updates. What tips do you have to generate leads using Status Updates?

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Be sure to grab our:

Fast Start Guide to LinkedIn
Fast Start Guide to Twitter
Register for our next LinkedIn Power Users Webinar with Playback
Five LinkedIn Power User Strategies

Are you on multiple Social Networks for your business? Are you looking to bring continuity and one seem-less process to your status updates? Many services offer you the capability to send one status update that will update multiple social platforms at once. Many of them fall short of truly encompassing the majority of social networks online today. Except for one, that is Ping.fm, As a business professional myself this tool is a great resource to communicate one consistent message in just one full swoop.

Ping.fm should really be called “Status Updates Made Easy” for Social Networking. You can do status updates from Email, Chat, SMS, Blackberry, Android, WEB, Windows, OSX and much more soon. This is why Ping.fm is extremely easy to use and access –just send an update and it can touch on 50 social networks including Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Ning, WordPress, TypePad, Yammer, Status.net and many more. Ping.fm is compatible with every single Internet device in the world, which why it has become so successful among thousands of users.

Setting up your Ping.fm updates is really simple, first create an account then login and this screen will come up. On the lower left you see “add networks” click here to select which networks you want to add.

Then the list of networks comes up as seen below and you simple click on which ones you want to add and follow the directions to add. Usually it’s as simple as putting your username and password in for the account.

Recently Seesmic acquired Ping.fm, I would really call it a partnership as well since all the players at ping are working with seesmic. I am sure we can expect even more seem-less integration in the future.

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Be sure to grab our:

Fast Start Guide to LinkedIn
Fast Start Guide to Twitter
Register for our next LinkedIn Power Users Webinar with Playback
Five LinkedIn Power User Strategies

After several conference calls today discussing the value of Social Media and platforms such as Linkedin. My business associates asked me to give them a few measurable takeaways that have happened for me recently.

These 3 (three) examples actually cover Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook.

First, using Linkedin I wanted to drive event participation and schedule meetings for an upcoming tradeshow I was attending. So I posted the tradeshow event using the Linkedin Event’s application and then posted a link to the event in groups that it would be relevant too along with asking the group owners to feature the post. Through this simple step, I received multiple people acknowledging their attendance to the event. So what I did next was what any smart salesperson would do, I scheduled times to meet with those who seemed to be a good prospective customer.

Second, I used Twitter to post some of my travel schedule and events/ tradeshows I would be attending and also received responses (direct messages or DM’s) back of those who would also be attending. So again, I did what any smart salesperson in my position would do. I scheduled times to meet with those who seemed to be a good prospective customer. I also recently used twitter to contact a Fortune 100 company that got me several appointments and is resulting in several million dollars in business this year alone.

As you can now see I used Facebook to do the same thing in posting my schedule, events, etc…

Third, I use the advanced search on Linkedin all the time to find targeted prospects for my company. Through this I have sent inmail and request to meet yielding ongoing business.

If you would like to learn more first hand tips on how to use Linkedin and other Social Media platforms you can start by registering on the right to receive my “no cost” Fast Start Guide to Linkedin Success.

In addition let me share with you about two complimentary webinars.
1. Linkedin Power User Strategies Webinar This Thursday at 4pm EST w/ live Q & Following. Register Here

2. Facebook & Twitter Power User Strategies Webinar “Instant Access”

~Randy