Have you ever produced a PowerPoint presentation for a webinar or other marketing event? If so, did you know that you can get a lot more mileage out of that presentation if you upload it to Slideshare?
It’s true!
In today’s podcast, I share five ways you can use this social networking site to generate leads for your business and improve your profitability!
You can listen to the episode above, or on iTunes or Stitcher (where I’d LOVE to get your reviews when you have a moment.)
When it comes to social media marketing, one thing small business owners struggle with is time management. Tips and strategies are what people ask me for the most. I understand the struggle There are so many options for social networking today. Social media was hard enough to manage when it was just Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to worry about. But now, there’s Google+, Pinterest, Instagram… not to mention YouTube, SnapChat, etc.
Here’s my first piece of advice: Pick one social media platform to start. Then, make sure it’s a platform that your prospects and customers use! For instance, LinkedIn is great for B2B companies. But if your business is more visual, like a travel agency, then by all means, use Pinterest or Instagram.
Linkedin can be a terrific lead generating tool for B2B companies, in particular. But many business professionals still have no clue how to use the social networking site properly to attract clients or find a job. Too many treat it the same as Facebook or Twitter. But there is a different vibe on LinkedIn. It’s more “professional.” Think cocktail party, not tailgating party. The tone is set right at the beginning with your profile. It carries through in the posts you share, and the conversations that take place in groups.
Top Dog Social Media put together a useful infographic that shares 20 LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts. I’ve written about some of these in my own blog articles. Here are a few of the tips to keep in mind when using LinkedIn for business:
Are you struggilng to manage your social media? If you own a small business with only 1 or 2 employees or you’re a solopreneur, I know how tough it can be to manage all the social networking accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. This is one of the areas I concentrate on when I work with clients.
There are only so many hours in the day to get work done. You need to have a life outside of your company! I was thrilled to come across this terrific infographic from Pardot that gives you a schedule to manage your social media in just 30 minutes a day!
One of my first blog posts (and one of my most popular) was called, “6 Places to Add Keywords to Your LinkedIn Profile.” It was written back in 2010, and LinkedIn has certainly changed a great deal since then. At that time, there were 187 million professional members in 200 countries. Today, there are 277 million members. Of that number, 34 percent have incomes over $100,000. There were no company pages back in 2010 either, but today, there are more than three million of them.
LinkedIn marketing expert Lewis Howes once said, “LinkedIn is the number one social networking site on the planet today. And… it’s the number one site for anyone looking to build their business.” I believe that’s certainly true today. I did some work for Scholastic Book Fairs a number of years ago. That job came about because the social media manager who was hiring found my profile on LinkedIn. I’m still getting leads from the site today.
If you’re going to engage in internet marketing to promote your company’s products and services, you need commitment, flexibility and patience. Characteristics that also come in handy if you’re training for a marathon. I speak from experience. Last Sunday, I completed the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon.
I didn’t finish in the top ten. Heck, I didn’t even finish in the top 1,000. I was out on that course for over 8 hours (counting the 45 minutes waiting in the corral to start the race!) but I finished. And more importantly, I raised more than $1700 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, got my Mickey Mouse medal, and basked in the pain and glory of joining an elite group of people who have completed multiple marathons. (Yep, I’m a glutton for punishment. This was my 2nd marathon.)
By Gloria Rand
Are you marketing with Snapchat yet? You may think twice about it in light of this week’s security breach. An anonymous hacker on Tuesday published a database on SnapchatDB.info containing millions of usernames and their corresponding phone numbers, and the leaked information quickly ricocheted across the Web. Privacy experts say the breach could have been worse, but it still may give marketers pause.
If you’re not familiar with Snapchat, it’s a service that allows you to send photos and videos to your friends that disappear within one to 10 seconds after they receive it. It’s popular among college students (unlike Facebook, which we “old” folks have taken over). And it has been gaining popularity among some businesses as the latest, greatest social media marketing tool. Since Snapchat images or videos last only a few seconds, it can be a clever marketing tool for companies that want to offer sneak glimpses of new videos or products.
By Gloria Rand
Michael Stelzner and Social Media Examiner are at it again. They are hosting Social Media Marketing World 2014 in San Diego next March. I attended this year’s inaugural conference, and was blown away by the content, speakers, attendees and venue.
I’ve put into practice the lessons learned from marketing experts like Marcus Sheridan, of the Sales Lion, who talked about the golden rule of blogging, “They Ask, You Answer.” I also took away empowering strategies about
There were also terrific networking events, like the opening night party at the San Diego Natural History Museum and an exclusive evening aboard the Inspiration Hornblower, the largest private yacht in Southern California.
Could your social media marketing efforts use a boost?
Are you looking to improve your professional development when it comes to social media?
Do you feel overwhelmed by endless social media platform changes?
If so, Social Media Examiner has just the event for you.
By Gloria Rand
Facebook is tweaking its Insights again, and from what I’ve seen so far, it’s a change for the better. Here is a breakdown of what’s changing:
