Facebook: Gold Mine or Waste of Time?

Social networking is all the rage right now and comes in a multitude of flavors... guaranteed to be something for everyone. There is one however that appears to be on fire right now… and that’s Facebook.

Millions are using it and thousands upon thousands are joining into the craze every day.

So the big question becomes… how about for business… does it make sense to use Facebook as a means to promote your business?

In one word… absolutely! And here are 10 great reasons of why you need to be on Facebook now:

1. Use It to Promote Your Brand
Dunkin Donuts has Facebook users passing out virtual treats from their menu… creating massive top-of-mind and brand awareness. Why not do something similar?

2. Use It to Do Highly Targeted Prospecting
Facebook makes it real easy to both locate and open up conversation with people with specific interests and commonalities.

3. Use It to Connect On a Deeper Level with Your Prospects and Clients
People buy from people, not businesses. Leverage Facebook to become more personable, human, and reachable. Write on your “friends” walls… add some photos of yourself… use Facebook’s “Groups” feature to build your own community within Facebook… the possibilities are endless.

4. Use It to Promote Your Specials and Events
Facebook provides a number of ways to automatically notify your “friends” on Facebook of any time sensitive special or event. For starters try a combination of Facebook’s “Events”, “Status”, and “Wall” features to let others know what you’ve got going on.

5. Use It to Drive Traffic to Your Web Site
Provide some links throughout your personal profile as well as create a page for your business that contains links that drive prospects back to specific areas of your business’s web site.

6. Use It to Improve Your Search Engine Rankings
As far as improving your overall search engine rankings, there is nothing like one-way incoming links from highly popular and trafficked web sites such as Facebook. According to Alexa.com, at the time of this writing, Facebook is ranked as the 8^th most popular site on the web… that means out of all the web sites that exist on the Internet today… and there’s a lot of them… there are only 7 web sites that are more popular than Facebook.

7. Use It to Do Highly Targeted Advertising
Yes this one does cost money however because of the amount of information that Facebook knows about its members, it has the power to pinpoint where your ads are placed... thus giving your ads a greater chance at success than most advertising mediums.

8. Use It to Increase Your Credibility
Position yourself as an expert in your field by sharing some tidbits of wisdom on a regular basis and soon prospects will being seeking you out. Again leveraging features such as “Events” and “Groups” will set you well on your way to accomplishing this.

9. Use It to Obtain Easier, More Direct Access to Mentors
Outside of the Facebook world, what I’ve found is that it has become more and more difficult to reach mentors directly. Typically there is an assistant of some sort playing traffic cop. While in Facebook, at least at the time of this writing, I’ve found it much easier to reach the actual person I wanted to reach. They were actually managing much of the Facebook interaction themselves. Now what you do with that access is up to you.

10. Use It to Aggregate Feeds from Your Other Sources
Whenever I update my blog, a notification gets posted on my “Wall” for all my Facebook friends to see. Whenever I “tweet” using another Social Networking application called Twitter, again my Facebook profile is automatically updated. This stuff is powerful! Talk about working smarter not harder. Facebook, especially with the large assortment of add-in applications, has the capability to integrate some of your key online marketing tactics with your Facebook profile and pages.

So in closing, the name of the game is changing, and that game for right now at least is Facebook. In my opinion, Facebook is the epitome of where the Internet is headed. It provides an environment that fosters community, is experiential, interactive, immediate, unique, and completely addictive. And take it from me… these are all really good things for your business and Facebook.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' at http://www.onlinemarketingmuscle.com/marketingminute/ , -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Social Networking: 10 Keys to Increase Your Networking Success Online (Part II)

In Part I of this two-part article series, I shared five keys to increase your networking success online using Social Networking. To quickly summarize, they were:

1. Personalize Your Invitations to Connect
2. You’ve Got to Give In Order to Get
3. Think Quality, Not Quantity
4. Be Authentic
5. Open the Door and Let Them In

Now there are tons of additional keys that we could talk about, however here are five more great ones that if you apply them diligently, only good things will happen.

6. Know Your “Why”
There’s that dreaded question again... you know… the one you know you need to ask yourself but you often hate to… what’s your “why”… What’s your “why” or your reason for social networking in the first place? And what results are you seeking for your efforts? Knowing your “why” is not only critical for your success in Social Networking, but for any marketing activity you engage in.

7. Wherever You Choose To Play, Play Hard
As much as you may like to, you just can’t market yourself effectively on every Social Networking site out there… there are just too many them. I’m not saying not to have a profile in a bunch of them… I’m all for free marketing. What I am saying is choose a select few to play hard in. These should be the ones that strategically give you the best chance at connecting with your target market. Go deeper than just creating a profile. Use these to connect with others regularly and build strong relationships… the kind of relationships that may eventually bear fruit.

8. The Power Is In the Follow Up
Just like in the offline world, it’s not enough to meet someone once, exchange business cards, and do nothing. If your objective was to do nothing, why waste your time, and theirs, in the first place… time is money. Have a plan for follow-up! Know “who” you’re going to follow-up with… by “when”. And know “how” you’re going to follow-up with them… and “why”. As you mine your contacts deeper by continually following-up, the real gold starts to surface. Remember it’s not only who they are that counts, but who they know as well. And people generally are more likely to introduce you to their network once they know, like, and trust you… so continue nurturing those relationships and watch new doorways open!

9. Be a Connector
Want to improve the quality of both your current and future contacts? Then make it a primary objective to continually find ways to add value to them. The Law of Attraction tends to kick in here as like attracts like. The more value you give, the more value you get as others tend to flock to and mirror those they respect and appreciate. The best way to add value to relationships, help others get what they want. Regardless of what it is they want, just about anything is possible through relationships. So who do you know that may add value to someone else you know? Connect them and they’ll both be grateful that you were thinking of them. And because of the “Law of Reciprocity”… as author Robert Cialdini shares in his great book “Influence”… those now happy contacts quite possibly will feel a sense of obligation to reciprocate and help you back.

10. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For What You Want
It’s this simple… you don’t ask… you don’t get. In my observations, people are generally very willing to help others… they’re just not sure how they can… so tell them how… give them a little nudging. Be willing to ask for help and get others in the habit of helping you. No one should be above asking for help once in a while. Just don’t become a “taker”… you know… someone who’s apparently only concerned with their own well-being.

So in closing, Social Networking can be a tremendously valuable marketing strategy for both you and your business. I highly recommend that if you haven’t already, make the effort to test the waters a bit and see whether or not it makes sense for you. But remember, you’re likely to get out of it what you put into it, so if you’re going to play here, play hard. In order to really benefit from Social Networking or any type of networking activity for that matter, continually work at establishing mutually meaningful and lucrative relationships.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: articles, Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, social networking, networking

Social Networking: 10 Keys to Increase Your Networking Success Online (Part I)

Social Networking is all the rage! Web sites like MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Ryze, and more are popping up every day and working their way not only into our personal lives, but our professional lives as well. As a business professional, Social Networking can be your biggest boon… leading to new connections you may have not been able to make any other way – without great difficulty that is; Or, it can be your biggest bane… enticing you to continuously waste your most precious commodity, your time. The choice is yours. Social Networking can become whatever you want it to become for both you and your business. Now anticipating that you want value for your efforts, in this 2-part series, I’m going to share with you 10 keys that can help make your online Social Networking efforts a success.

1. Personalize Your Invitations to Connect
Just because you can hide behind your computer doesn’t give you an excuse to be lazy. Give people a reason to want to connect and network with you. Don’t send dry and impersonal invites to connect … ever! I don’t care who you’re looking to connect with. In my opinion, because of its already built-in cold nature, social networking requires even more personality and vitality injected into it, than traditional offline networking.

2. You’ve Got to Give In Order to Get
Nobody likes to hang out around the proverbial “taker”. You know… the type of person you don’t pick up the phone for when they call… thank you Caller ID! So to make sure you don’t end up like our friend “taker”, always be on the lookout for, as Dr. Stephen Covey says in his much heralded book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, opportunities to make deposits into the personal bank accounts of others.

3. Think Quality, Not Quantity
Social Networking shouldn’t be a popularity contest to see who has the most connections. You’re better off having fewer mutually lucrative and beneficial relationships than having tons of connections that bear no fruit.

4. Be Authentic
Nobody likes a liar… a cheater … a fake… a phony… or whatever you call someone who presents themselves as something they’re not. Be true to yourself and others and your natural magnetism will shine through. And it’s that magnetism that brings stronger more genuine connections that can really bring results. Yes we can all improve our game a bit here or there but, trust that you’ll bring more to the table when you’re being yourself.

5. Open the Door and Let Them In
The more you’re willing to share about yourself, the more parallels others can draw between you. These parallels can serve as a great stimulus for conversations to begin. Having things in common certainly helps break down comfort-level barriers. People tend to be more willing to connect and engage in conversations with others who share similar backgrounds, experiences, tastes, hobbies, et cetera. So be willing to share a bit about you. Just be careful not to share anything you wouldn’t want everyone in the world to know because once it’s posted online, it’s available to all to see.

So in closing, remember that these keys only work if you diligently and consistently apply them. And I firmly believe that much like the offline world, strong relationships lie at the core of any and all business success.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, social networking, networking, web sites, MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Ryze

6 Ways To Help Turn New Contacts Into Sales

You attend local networking events meeting people and exchanging business cards; you participate in lead exchange groups like BNI in hopes of getting referrals; you create profiles on popular social networking sites like Ryze, LinkedIn, and MySpace; yet you’re still wondering why all this networking isn’t translating into increased sales.

Well while many business professionals work very hard to gather new contacts, the area where I see so many of them break down is in their ability to nurture those new contacts into long-term relationships. Relationships that can eventually turn into the increased sales that most of them are looking for.

So how do you go about nurturing those new contacts?

Well here are 6 ways that can help you take your professional relationships to a deeper, more prosperous level for all:

1. As humans, we’re never too old to enjoy positive attention. So if you stumble upon someone you know being quoted, discussed, or acknowledged publicly either in the media or by other professionals in their absence, give them a call or send them an email to let them know and congratulate them.
2. Acknowledge them on holidays, birthdays, and other cultural or religious special days. For example, in Greece, a person’s name day is highly celebrated -- so familiarizing yourself with what’s important to your contacts, and reaching out to them on those special days can go a long way in building a solid bond.
3. If you witness them doing something great or selfless, let them know how their actions touched, moved, or inspired you.
4. Always be on the lookout for opportunities to connect people. Someone’s looking for an electrician, refer one. Someone’s target market is Dentist’s and you know a few, introduce them. Someone’s looking to join a networking group, connect them with someone who runs one. Two people that you’ve met separately at the same networking event share a common interest, become the conduit and introduce them. My point is, helping others connect typically doesn’t go unnoticed, and is a win-win for all.
5. Forward along timely, useful, and/or entertaining information. Stumble across a great article on golf, send a copy to those you know who are golf enthusiasts. Read a great book on sales that has helped your business grow, recommend it to others who may also benefit from its wisdom. Don’t be stingy here, share the gift of knowledge whenever possible.
6. Inform them of events that may be of interest. Now when I say events, I mean any professional networking, entertainment, or educational events. Some examples might be, if you have a contact who is struggling with their finances and you know of a financial guru giving a free teleseminar, let your contact know about it. If you’re attending an event that you expect to be excellent for networking with real estate experts, and you happen to have a contact that serves that target market, invite them along. In other words, always be in the know of what events are happening around you and always ask yourself who else do I know that may be interested in this event?

Now in order to successfully carry-out these 6 ways I’ve shared with you here, there’s one key skill that you’ll need to employ and continually develop, and that is to be a great listener. No I’m not talking about the type of passive listening that many of us engage in most of the time. I’m talking about active listening -- The type of listening where you are actually paying attention well enough to learn what’s really important to the person you’re speaking with. It’s through the skill of effective listening where you’ll harvest the seeds necessary to ensure healthy relationships down the road.

So in closing, always remember that people buy from people they know, like, and trust. So it behooves you to continuously look for ways to nurture your professional relationships. Do that effectively and watch their value, and your success, soar.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, networking, target market, BNI, referrals, social networking, Ryze, LinkedIn, MySpace

15 Creative Ways to Make Your Business Card Sizzle

In my opinion, probably the most important and misused marketing collateral that small businesses have is their business card. Now I network an awful lot and tend to gather my fair share of business cards and I have to say, I’m often at a loss how people put such little thought and effort into constructing what very likely will become the lasting image that they leave me with. That being said, if you’re willing, with a little effort, you can use your expertly-crafted business card to easily stand out from the pack.

Let’s try a little exercise. Grab a handful of business cards that you’ve received from people you’ve met and spread them out on a table, face-up so that you can easily see all of them. Now take your eyes off the business cards for a minute and then look back at them. Select the top 5 business cards that for whatever reason just seem to catch your eye. Then analyze those business cards. What about them grabbed your attention and why? The idea here is to learn what works and what doesn’t work in terms of having an immediate WOW impact.

Now once you’ve grabbed their attention, at a bare minimum, I highly recommend that your business card contain the following staples: your name, business name, business address, phone number, email address, and web site address.

Now in my book, these should be a no-brainer. However, I can’t tell you how many times I get a business card from someone without one or more of them.

Another possibility for the above list of staples could be your “title”. However, I’m not crazy about titles and often they are more limiting than anything else. So unless they serve a dual purpose of maybe say communicating what you do, such as “Business Coach” or “Certified Financial Planner”, I’d leave it out and use the real estate for something more valuable.

Now are you ready to step up your game? Well alright -- here are 15 of my favorite tips that can make your business card really sizzle:

1. Use Both Sides of Your Business Card

I don’t know about you but the majority of the business cards I see very rarely take advantage of this precious real estate. Why? I couldn’t tell you. Just remember to leave a little white space if possible for the receiver of your business card in case they want to jot down a few notes about you.

2. Add Your Photo

Take it from a guy who networks a lot; don’t waste any opportunity to be remembered. A photo on a business card definitely makes your marketing work overtime for you and in my book should become a staple. Three of the most important benefits of doing this are one, that it’s personal, two, it establishes a comfort level with you, and three, it makes you easily recognizable.

3. State What You Do

Don’t make me guess. This is typically the kind of note someone will jot down on the back of you business card unless of course you make it easy for them and include it.

4. State Who You Do It For

Again make it easy for me to either hire or refer you.

5. State a Key Competitive Advantage -- Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Why buy from you? Give me a reason. What makes your product or service special? Include this little tidbit on your business card so your target market won’t soon forget.

6. Have a Call to Action

Clearly spell out for me what action you’d like me to take next (e.g. sign up for your newsletter, visit your blog, etc.)

7. Use an Odd Size or Shape for Your Business Card

Some possibilities may be a larger business card size, rounded edges, a specific and relevant shape like a flower if you’re a florist, etc.

8. Magnetize the Back of Your Business Card

People seem to have a hard time throwing away business cards if they are magnetized. As a matter of fact it’s pretty common that they’ll stick them on something like a file cabinet or a refrigerator.

9. Include Tips Related To Your Business

How about a list of 5 things to look for when hiring someone who does what you do? And obviously you can slant this towards your competitive advantages.

10. Include a Calendar on the Back-side of Your Business Card

This technique is one that can keep people referring back to your business card as often as possible.

11. Include Important Dates Hinting When Someone Should Think of You

If you’re an accountant serving small businesses, maybe you include important tax dates that they need to remember. If you’re a landscaper maybe you provide dates on when they should call you for specific services like mulching in the spring, pruning in the fall and so on.

12. Make It Serve Double-Time As A Frequent Rewards Card

Stamp it every time they buy something from you and after a certain number of purchases, give them something of value for free.

13. Make It Serve Double-Time As A Coupon to Use during Their Next Visit

Just leave a spot where you can handwrite an expiration date to cause some sort of urgency to purchase again soon.

14. Make It Serve Double-Time As an Appointment Scheduler

Just leave spots where you can handwrite the time and date of your next appointment.

15. Include Other Web Site URLs Where They Can Connect with You Further

For example your blog; your pages on Social Networking web sites such as MySpace, LinkedIn, or Ryze; Squidoo pages; etc.

So in closing, don’t miss this golden opportunity to have your business card work overtime for you. Implement one, two, or all of these techniques if they make sense of course and watch your business connections bear bigger and better fruits.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, business cards, target market, blog, social networking, web sites, MySpace, LinkedIn, Ryze, Squidoo

5 Ways to Leverage Your Voice to Market Yourself and Your Small Business

Have the gift of gab? Well lucky you because in the world of marketing, the gift of gab can be a huge asset for your small business -- that is so long as you leverage it properly.

To plant some seeds on how you can do this, here are 5 of my favorite ways to leverage your voice to market yourself and your small business:

1. Public Speaking

There are not many ways that will unequivocally set you apart from the pack as well as public speaking does. It immediately lends credibility and positions you in the mind of your target market as the obvious expert in your field.

2. Teleseminars and Webinars

If either the face-to-face of public speaking is too uncomfortable for you, or if you just want to supplement you public speaking efforts, conducting teleseminars and webinars may be the way the go. These are best used in marketing to inexpensively leverage your voice talents to both educate and allow prospects to test drive what you bring to the table for them.

3. Podcasting

Using audio to educate your target market on a regular basis via podcasts is a fantastic way to build credibility and top-of-mind awareness with your target market. Podcasting holds a certain attraction for its rather large community of enthusiasts -- almost cult-like in terms of their passion for it. And that passion can potentially be leveraged into major success for you.

4. Radio

Becoming a guest expert on business radio talk shows both on traditional radio stations as well as Internet-based ones can have a huge impact on exploding your business quickly. If you are finding it difficult getting on radio shows as an expert, start building relationships with the show hosts by calling in regularly as a listener in an attempt to add value to the show.

5. Networking

This is the forum for flexing you gab muscles. Whether it’s in person at networking events, seminars, or trade shows, or online in forums or social networking sites such as MySpace, Ryze, or LinkedIn, your ability to chat it up with your target market will definitely set you apart from the competition.

So in closing, if you happen to have the gift of gab, go with it. Continually nurture and leverage it so it can serve as a means to get you where you want to go. Typically, the marketing strategies and tactics that are based on this gift are inexpensive yet extremely effective.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, small business, public speaking, target market, teleseminars, webinars, podcasting, podcasts, business radio talk shows, radio, networking, networking events, seminars, trade shows, online forums, social networking, MySpace, Ryze, LinkedIn, marketing strategies, marketing tactics