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The Power of Decisions

  • Posted on December 30, 2010 at 9:52 pm

All too often, we are faced with decisions – what to wear, where to park, what to eat, where to work, how to get there. We have the power. It has been with us all the time, we carry it around with us every day! We have the POWER to make the decisions that will affect our lives!

Take a few minutes and look at what Tony Robbins has to say about the Power of Decisions.

  1.  
    1. Remember the true power of making decisions. It’s a tool you can make in any moment to change your entire life.  The minute you make a new decision, you set in motion a new cause, effect, direction, and destination for your life.
    2. Realize that the hardest step in achieving anything is making a true commitment – a true decision. Studies have shown that the most successful people make decisions rapidly because they are clear on their values and what they really want for their lives.
    3. Make decisions often. The more decisions you make, the better you’re going to become at making them.
    4. Learn from your decisions. At times, you’re going to screw up, no matter what you do. And when the inevitable happens, learn something.
    5. Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach. Too often, in deciding what they want for their lives, people pick the best way they know at the time – they make a map – but then don’t stay open to alternate routes.
    6. Enjoy decision making. In any moment in life, a decision you make can change the course of your life forever.

We have the power to make our lives what we want them to be! It is the beginning of a new year! Take a stand now that you are going to OWN your life!

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Twitter Etiquette

  • Posted on December 29, 2010 at 10:14 pm
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Twitter

Have you ever wondered how to use Twitter? What is acceptable and what isn’t? Well, here are some Twitter Etiquette tips that should help you get started and to get the most out of this valuable marketing tool!

  1. Don’t auto-follow unless it’s part of your strategy. There are some undesirable people on Twitter who will follow you and you most likely will not want to follow them back.
  2. Never auto direct message people for following you, it only annoys people and you run the risk of them removing you from their list for this insincere first impression. Remember – first impressions COUNT!
  3. Don’t SPAM your followers over and over again with the same message. Posting the same information about a sale repeatedly, with no other engagement is SPAM.
  4. Never direct message people and harass them about Mafia Wars, this will also cost you followers and is considered SPAM.
  5. Don’t always talk about your industry, people will get bored with you and stop following you and it will create the impression that you are only interested in yourself.
  6. Don’t use the information posted on Twitter profiles to gain email addresses for your newsletter. This violates CAN-SPAM laws and does not help you build relationships.
  7. Never engage in confrontational dialogue with people on Twitter. If you wouldn’t want the conversation on the front page of the newspaper, don’t put it on Twitter.
  8. Don’t follow more than 10% of the total number following you or they may perceive you as someone who is a spammer. You cannot follow more than 2000 people until there are at least that many following you back, so fast list building will cost you time and effort later.
  9. Don’t creep people out by using the search function and then jumping into a conversation without correct context. Take time to read the dialogue between them and others before you insert foot (tweet) into your mouth.
  10. Don’t install a bunch of applications that you are not aware of such as sponsored tweets, or applications to get you more followers without doing your due diligence. Many times, people valuable time trying to remove the apps because they didn’t do their homework up front and they didn’t get the response they were looking for.
  11. Don’t let anyone pretend to be you! It is one thing to hire someone to help you with Social Media but if your brand is attached to your personality any dialogue really should come from you.

I hope this helps you to understand how to use Twitter a little more effectively. We need to use these Social Media sites as very strongs for marketing our brands!

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Reducing Work Related Stress

  • Posted on December 27, 2010 at 9:31 pm
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Reducing work-related stress = improved mental health!

Excessive stress can reduce your efficiency and make you ill. Take action as soon as you start to feel overtired or unhappy. Do not allow stress to persist for a long time.

  • Relaxing eyes. From time to time, look up from your work and focus your eyes on objects at different distances.
  • Relaxing face muscles. Frowning can create mental as well as physical tension, so try the following exercise to relieve the stress. Tense all of your muscles, hold for a moment, and then relax the muscles. Repeat several times.
  • Staying active. To keep your energy levels high, do some form of exercise at least two or three times a week.
  • Having lunch. Make time to eat lunch in a relaxed manner. This will stop your blood sugar level from dropping and prevent indigestion.
  • Playing music. If you are not doing written work, relax by listening to music while you work. The music can block out background noise as well as give you pleasure.
  • Scheduling leisure time. Try not to let work extend beyond office hours. Keep in regular contact with friends or family.
  • Boosting morale. Write a list of all your achievements, including minor ones. Refer to this list whenever you feel depressed or uncertain to boost your confidence.
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Tips on Technology Planning

  • Posted on December 23, 2010 at 10:36 pm

Did you ever think that we would have to plan our technology? Know what we were going to need and then almost have instant access to it? Well, yes, it is definitely here. The following are some helpful tips on planning your technology.

  • Design the plan so that it supports your business strategy and goals. Use it to guide technology buying decisions.
  • Think of technology purchases as investments, not costs. And, remember, when you have an overall plan, your company avoids wasting money on unnecessary purchases or quick fixes.
  • Start by determining your company’s needs. Look at what problems need to be solved and how technology can help.
  • Get expert help to guide you. Check your Yellow Pages under “Computers-System Designers & Consultants,” or ask your local Chamber of Commerce. As always, get references!
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How Does Goal Setting Really Help?

  • Posted on December 17, 2010 at 8:28 pm

Not only will you feel like you are accomplishing a lot more work, but you will:

  • Build relationships at work when you align your goals with those of your boss and the organization.
  • Build your self-confidence as you achieve your goals.
  • It will motivate you.
  • You will be able to separate what is important from what is irrelevant.
  • You will better understand what is important for you to achieve.
  • You will be more satisfied with your life when you sit in your rocking chair when you are 90 years old.

I definitely want to be satisfied at the age of 90 (as long as I make it there)! I want to know that I did the best that I could and I have no questions about whether I could have done more or done it any better. What about you?

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How to Set Goals That are Meaningful (socyberty.com)
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35 Ways to Market with Social Media (A Great Read!)

  • Posted on December 14, 2010 at 8:19 pm

35 Ways to Market Content with Social Media: Share Articles, Blogs, Videos and More to Grow Your Business

By Stephanie Chandler

There is no denying that the popularity of social media is increasing by the day. For sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (herein known as “The Big Three”), the fastest growing demographic consists of users 35 years and older. Though social media was once considered a fad for kids, it has evolved into a viable marketing opportunity for business.

For the casual user, social media is a way to connect with friends and family. For the business user, social media works by sharing compelling content to capture the attention of your target audience. When you do this well, you can count on generating website traffic, client leads and even media attention.

“The Big Three” revolve around the concept of a status update. When you update your status, everyone in your network can view what you have to say. This is where the real opportunity lies. Instead of updating your status to report what you’re having for dinner or that it’s time to pick up your kids, share interesting content and watch the magic of social media unfold.

Type of Content to Share on Social Media Channels

1. Your new blog posts
2. Someone else’s blog post
3. An article you’ve written
4. An article from somewhere else
5. A video demonstration
6. A funny or controversial video
7. Before and after photos of work you’ve done
8. Humorous or inspiring photos
9. Client success stories/case studies
10. Free ebook
11. Special report
12. White paper
13. Upcoming event announcement
14. Live reports from an event you are currently attending
15. Book reviews/recommendations
16. Recommended products
17. Recommended services
18. Tips for doing something better
19. How-to suggestions
20. A series of related posts
21. Recent media coverage you have received
22. Inspirational advice (preferably your own, motivational quotes are over-used online)
23. Forward someone else’s update (with proper credit attribution)
24. Breaking news alerts
25. Leads for opportunities (media, clients, etc.)
26. Requests for participation (guest posts on your blog, speaker for an event you’re hosting, etc.)
27. Interesting photo from a recent event
28. Teleseminar/Webinar invitation
29. Contest announcements
30. Special sales, offers and discounts (delivered sparingly)
31. Request for audience feedback
32. A compelling question you want answered
33. Anything offered for free
34. Insider tips that people won’t find anywhere else
35. Your opinion on just about anything with target audience appeal

Secrets to Social Media Marketing Success

1. Content should appeal to your target audience and provide value.

Also, it doesn’t always have to be directly related to what you do. For example, a mortgage broker might share community resources, local event announcements and family-related tips. This type of information would likely be more appealing to the broker’s target audience than current interest rates and articles about mortgage insurance (though you can occasionally include those too). The point is to become a valued resource.

2. Follow the 90/10 rule.

Avoid selling online and you will achieve more sales. That’s right; we’re all tired of being sold to. When you provide value, you build loyalty and trust. It’s fine to include sales offers up to 10% of the time, but make sure you are primarily serving up useful content.

3. Use compelling titles and descriptions.

You only have a limited amount of space to share information which means that a good title can make the difference between a reader who clicks through or completely ignores your post.

4. Track your results.

Pay attention to user response. If you’re receiving comments and your content is being forwarded to others (for example, retweeting on Twitter), that is evidence that your efforts are working. Also, your network should be growing steadily as a result of the value you’re providing.

5. Use links wisely.

When you share compelling content, it provides an opportunity to link back to your website or blog. This is great for building website traffic. However, not every post needs to have a link. Mix up your posts so that some simply offer something short and sweet. You can also shorten links and track the number of click-throughs with a service like http://bit.ly.

5. Be consistent.

You will get the best results from marketing content through social media by participating on a regular basis. Ideally you should share something every day, even multiple times per day, to stay visible. You can automate some of your updates with services like http://ping.fm, http://socialoomph.com and http://hootsuite.com. But don’t automate everything! Keep reading…

6. Engage with your audience.

Social media involves a two-way conversation. It’s not just about shoving data out into your network and waiting to reap the rewards. Reply to people who comment, forward and share useful content from others and make sure you have a human presence in social media land.

7. Build a social media plan.

You can venture into social media haphazardly or you can form a plan that makes sense for your business. A plan should identify your target audience, include a strategy for ongoing content generation, should identify frequency of updates and indicate the amount of time and resources you are going to allocate to managing your social media strategy.

8. Implement a 30-day challenge.

Use the suggestions outlined here and focus your efforts for 30 days. The results should be obvious. If they aren’t, then there is something amiss with your strategy. Ask others for input or solicit the help of a social media expert. There is opportunity for every kind of business to benefit from social media. You simply need to find the strategy that works for you.

About the Author:

Stephanie Chandler is an author of several business and marketing books including “LEAP! 101 Ways to Grow Your Business” and “From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money with Books, eBooks and Information Products.” She is also founder and CEO of http://AuthorityPublishing.com, which specializes in custom publishing and internet marketing services, and http://BusinessInfoGuide.com, a directory of resources for entrepreneurs. For author and speaker details, visit http://StephanieChandler.com.

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Do You Measure Your Social Marketing?

  • Posted on December 12, 2010 at 9:40 pm

Okay, we are all new in this technology stage of business. Do you need to measure your social marketing? You bet you do. You need to know what works and what isn’t working. Some of the things that we sign up for cost money and we certainly don’t want to have to pay money for something that isn’t giving us a return on investment, now do we?Social network

Let’s take a minute and look at what we need to measure…

Who? Learn more about your audience – who saw the program and engaged in it. By conducting an audience analysis, you can understand the demographic, geographic and psychographic makeup of those who engaged with your brand or campaign.

What? Components for engagement can include:

  • video plays
  • forwards
  • polls
  • time spent
  • clicks
  • installs
  • share/pass along
  • comments
  • ratings
  • contest entries
  • content creation

Where? Understanding where your audience is congregating and engaging is critical for optimizing your social marketing program in real-time, as well as culling learnings for future programs.

When? When the timing is right, the pass along value starts to occur. When others are passing along information about you, it can make a tremendous impact on marketing objectives.

Why?  Performing a key conversation indicator so you can better understand what people are saying about your brand, your social marketing footprint, and your competitor’s brand.

How? 

  •  Before, during, and after: Measuring qualitative and quantitative data, sentiment and competitive mindshare throughout the campaign can help gauge effectiveness of the campaign as it integrates throughout the marketing spectrum.
  • Adapt traditional metrics: How many TV commercials are equal to a blog post? You need a formula that measures quantity of TV exposures against brand health measures or favorability.
  • Integrating into existing customer research: Incorporating answers like “from a blog” or “from a friend online” or “from a social network” can help measure the impact on awareness, purchase intent or even sales.
  • Building an index: Building an index that accurately represents the contribution of each component to an overall objective provides the basis of effective benchmarking and intelligent decision-making.

So basically, you are going to look at all the questions. You need to decide if you are reaching your target market, where they might be, when are they passing along information to others, why they use you and not another competitor, and how they are using you. If you answer all of these questions, you should have a good idea of how your social marketing is doing and what you need to change in order to get it to do what you want it to do.

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How to Track Your Social Media ROI Webinar September 28th, 2010 2-3PM EST (webmetricsguru.com)
Social Media Marketing: Measuring Audience Engagement Part 2 (convonix.com)
Show 303 – The New Social Learning Concept (theengagingbrand.typepad.com)
The Social Media ROI or 100 Ways to Measure Social Media (wolpers.posterous.com)

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How Can You Help Your VA?

  • Posted on December 11, 2010 at 10:10 pm

If you use the services of a virtual assistant, you are already business conscious about saving money. You are using the VA so you won’t have to hire an employee, which is quite expensive once you factor in worker’s compensation insurance, taxes, benefits, and supplies.

Don’t you want to know how to make the relationship work very efficiently with your VA? Well, I am going to give you some advice that should prove to be very beneficial for you and your VA. These tips will help you to develop a long-term, mutually enjoyable and profitable relationship to help you get the most from your partnership.

1.  Share information about your business goals with your VA. Most virtual assistants (VAs) – most admin professionals, for that matter – do what they do because they are helpful by nature. By sharing your goals and dreams, your Virtual Assistant will have a better idea of tips on how to help you achieve them. Make sure to let your VA know when your objectives change. They will be glad to meet with you periodically to discuss your goals and the best way to achieve them.

2.  Don’t disappear.  This actually happens quite frequently and is particularly distressing to VAs. Whether you have decided to pursue another means of having your administrative needs met, hit a temporary downturn and cannot afford to pay your VA, or have just decided to close shop, let your VA know, preferrably with as much advance notice as possible. As a fellow business owner, a VA will most likely understand the reason you’ll no longer be utilizing their services. Besides, it is just plain considerate. On top of that, despite the vastness of the World Wide Web, the virtual world can sometimes seem very small, so why burn bridges?

3.  Be honest. Trust is so important in the Client/Virtual Assistant partnership. For example, if your Virtual Assistant has suggested a tool the person feels will enable them to support you more efficiently and you would prefer not to use it, let them know – dont just keep putting them off.  The more your Virtual Assistant knows about you and your business, the more value they will be able to provide to you.

4.  Don’t assume anything. Open communication is absolutely vital to a successful Client/VA relationship. Be certain your VA understands tasks you assign. Ask questions and be available to answer them to, particularly when you first start working together.

5.  Treat your VA as a professional and fellow business owner. Being repeatedly late for scheduled meetings makes it appear as if your VA’s time is not as valuable as yours. If you’re unable to make a scheduled telephone meeting, provide advance notice. To paraphrase the Golden Rule, do unto your Virtual Assistant as you would have your Virtual Assistant do unto you!

6.  Do not pay late.  This is related to the previous tip. As a business owner, you don’t like being compensated late, so why do it to someone else? If circumstances arise that make you unsure youwill be able to pay on time in an upcoming month, let your VA know. He or the person may just be willing to work something out with you.

7.  Show your appreciation periodically.  An expression of gratitude goes a long way in making a VA’s day. A thoughtful testimonial is one of the best gifts you may give your VA. And if you’re planning to give a holiday gift or bonus, well you will be the customer VAs dream about!

8.  Don’t rely solely on your Virtual Assistant.  They won’t always be available to you. If they are not going to be available, a good VA will ensure that alternative plans to help you have been put in place. It’s still a good idea, however, for you to be able to handle at least the most important administrative tasks yourself to keep your business running smoothly in an emergency.

9.  Understand that your VA does have a personal life.  I know of one VA who was “fired” for ocming down with the flu. A professional VA will do whatever the person can to take care of you no matter what is going on in their life, but stuff happens.

10.  Don’t wait until the last minute to ask your VA to handle something. If you are the type who works best in crisis management mode, you are only going to cause yourself to be frustrated and your VA will be happy to help you plan in advance so emergencies are rare.

11.  Give referrals. As a business owner yourself, know these are as good as gold.

If  you follow these tips, your relationshp with your VA will run a lot smoother. Not only will your VA be bragging about you, but they want to make sure your business succeeds too. As long as you succeed, they will succeed.

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Client Highlight – Tuck Self, The Rebel Belle

  • Posted on December 9, 2010 at 5:49 pm

I think it is important for us to use the best adverstisement we have and that is word of mouth. One of my clients is Tuck Self, The Rebel Belle. She is one of the most inspiring, motivational people I have ever met. Her business is to coach others on how to live their lives on their terms – full out!

Tuck is a coach, speaker, interviewer, and radio show host. Not only can she coach you to where you want to take your life, she can also decipher your Human Design System so you know where you came from, where you are going, and really – WHO YOU ARE??? As Tuck puts it, it is really your very own operational manual! I know that for me, it has definitely been a tool to help me open my eyes on what I really wanted to do, what my strengths are, and what areas I need to work on. It has helped me to understand who I really am.

Take a minute and virtually explore what makes you tick…….Tuck Self, The Rebel Belle.

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Client Highlight – Maggie Self, Children of Spirit

  • Posted on December 8, 2010 at 10:54 pm
Savasana It is amazing the kind of people we are fortunate to surround ourselves with. Although I met Maggie Self through her sister, Tuck Self, I would have to say it was almost a kindred spirit kind of thing. Maggie is the founder of Children of Spirit. The love and passion she has for children and their growth is amazing. She truly cares about who this little person is going to be and what their aspirations are. Being a former school teacher, she has had a vast amount of experience seeing the growth of the adolescent and what role the environment plays on that growth. Maggie has charged Children of Spirit with serving children, parents, caregivers, educators, and communities with offering a wide variety of services to those who seek alternatives to traditional ideas, methods, and systems of parenting and caregiving. Children of Spirit empowers children to be who they are and to develop their own natural gifts instead of living in the shadows of others.

One memorable time was when I met Maggie for a late afternoon lunch and I brought my son along. He is 10 years old and she sat at the table and colored with him while we chatted. It was really nice because instead of it being a business lunch where adults talk and the children are told to be quiet, he was included in the coversations that we had. Not long after that lunch, he was asking when we were going to see Ms. Maggie again.

Some of the services offered are tutoring, child mentoring, and family coaching. One of their newest services is Laughter Yoga. Although new to me, I attended a laughter yoga session and was so relaxed when I left. I would recommend everyone check it out. It is even offered to children because it helps to relieve stress, boost immune systems, and increase endorphins. Wouldn’t it be great if when everyone got home at night for family time, they weren’t so tired and stressed from homework and their long days? You know they say that laughter is the best medicine!

When you get a minute, check out Children of Spirit and what is offered. You will be in awe of what passion she has for our children!

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