May
18
Facebook for Business Explosion
Filed Under Home Business | Leave a Comment
I read a story last week about a real estate agent trying to use Facebook for Business Marketing. With the explosion of Facebook for business use, that real estate agent is part of businesses world wide doing the same.
This agent signed up for a Facebook account and filled out a profile. To my knowledge this real estate professional did not get so far as to create a business page.
You see, Facebook is ’social’ for both personal AND business. You can keep them separate, or you can use both. This agent was contacted by a former high school classmate and proceeded to exchange messages.
The spouse of that classmate did not take it so well, and it turned out to be a bad experience for the real estate agent. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but this agent sure took it hard.
Then came the question: What is Facebook good for anyway? I don’t have time to spend in Facebook with all of the other parts of my job. I don’t want to sit around chatting to people or looking at pictures all day.
This real estate agent was missing the opportunity of Facebook for business. The same way we build relationships and engage in conversation offline, for both present business and to promote future business, is now being done online as well.
Conversations, new prospects, building relationships, sharing valuable information, answering questions, attracting people to a business – this is all being successfully accomplished within Facebook. Sometimes it is by re-connecting with people that already know, like, and trust us. And a large part of it is showing those same qualities with new people that are on Facebook, who are looking for what we have to offer.
Let’s face it. Crazy situations like the real estate agent experienced can happen offline as easily as online. The difference in doing business today is that people are now ‘online’ looking for information. They are talking about what they need, what they are going to buy, their problems, asking questions, asking for referrals. They are doing this in social sites online, like Facebook, and searching on the search engines as well.
The reality is that businesses need to be where the people are. The problem is that most businesses do not know where to start. If you search for information online, you can get completely overwhelmed. There is TOO MUCH information.
What is lacking right now, for small and medium size business owners who like to keep their social media efforts in-house, is a guide or a daily plan to participate in the social media world.
Recently Facebook Pages changed their ‘Become a Fan’ button to ‘Like’. There were mixed reactions although many people like the idea of choosing ‘Like’ since they feel it is more casual than officially becoming a ‘fan’ of different pages.
The changes were quite a bit more far reaching than that. These ‘Like’ buttons have started to appear on third party websites. They are not the same as ‘liking’ something on one of your friend’s page, which stays on that page – within Facebook.
The new ‘Like’ button that you see on non-Facebook pages all over the internet is a very viral action that you take when you click. It is being carried back to Facebook for all of your followers to see – posted on your page and in your news feed for anyone you are connected with to see.
An also, now your profile picture shows up on that third party website for any of your Facebook friends – who happen to be on that site – to see. And the information is carried back to your Facebook page for your friends to see. Think about this for business use – the creative ways to use it are going to be endless.
Let me leave you with a few Facebook suggestions for business use.
1- A Facebook page for your business is an opportunity to build a community of prospects, customers, and advocates for your business. Take full advantage of your page by directing new people to a ‘Welcome’ link on your page (use Facebook FBML to create it) where you can post your message, add an opt-in form as part of your list building process, and personally show them the value you are going to give them when they ‘Like’ your page. There are many strategies available for building business pages.
2- Import your blog so that each time you post, all of your Facebook friends and connections will see your valuable content.
3- The same rules that apply to social media in general apply to using Facebook for business: LISTEN, Interact, React, Sell – in that order. The ’sell’ will take care of itself if you (the business) does the first three. The interact and react steps are focused on helping people that you identify in the ‘Listen’ step by sharing information, answering questions, offering solutions – not direct selling.
4- Last, why do you need to start using Facebook NOW? The future of social media is that it will take on a life of its own – trends will be merged with social media and we will be able to see what everyone is doing, what they are purchasing, etc. Searches won’t be as much about what the search engines think as they will be about what your peers, prospects, and customers think.
Thanks for your time today. As always, we welcome your feedback, questions, and invite you to connect.
Mar
20
Use Social Media Effectively
Filed Under Home Business | 1 Comment
A business owner can Google ‘How to Use Social Media’ and may be amazed at the number of results that are returned. It will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 278 million web pages that talk about Social Media. How are you not to get confused?
The information you read will inspire you – because Social Media is an exciting new way to market a business. It will enlighten you – because there is a great deal of good information. And it is sure to confuse you – big time. That is because there is so much material and it is not very organized for productivity; in other words it is mostly scattered information that is hard to put into a workable plan for the inexperienced social media marketer.
Social Media is not about posting information – whether it be in the form of written content, audio, or video – and then sitting back and waiting for something to happen. Even if you put a lot of time, effort, and expense in developing the content – it won’t be enough to post it and forget it. Social Media Marketing is an important component. It is the promoting of this great content you are sharing.
Being interactive, encouraging engagement, and helping in the form of giving solutions, solving problems, or answering questions, is what creates the buzz around your company, your product, and your service. This is what social media marketing is all about, and it can be very powerful.
Asking your prospects and customers to participate in the conversation that takes place in your brand’s social media space, and inviting them to contribute to the content you provide, will build interest and have people talking about you. Being active yourself in responding to what is being said, and also seeking out ways you can help, will make a difference.
Part of social media marketing is searching for conversations and then participating in a helpful way, not a ’selling’ way. This builds a reputation of integrity and value. The key to social media is the spread of your information, by the people who like it enough to want to share it with someone. This is how word is spread online in social networking sites. It is important because, now more than ever before, people like to buy from people they know, like, and trust.
Social media has opened up a whole new world to the consumer. They can talk directly with the brand now. They feel more important to the brand and they want more information than ever before, including personal referrals for the brand. So they want to hear what others have to say, and the way a brand makes a positive impact on the people that will refer them is to engage with them online. The opportunity to develop content, for little or no cost, that is delivered very publicly on the internet is quite beneficial to the company if done with the primary benefit of the consumer in mind.
Investment in social media is more in terms of time than money. There is money to be spent in online advertising for sure, but right now many social sites have little or no cost. The investment is more in terms of time for the business owner who is tackling the project alone, and money if you have to outsource the work that is time consuming. Some brands choose to invest in a social media plan and have a current employee do the work. Others with a larger budget may hire a social media consultant or outsource the work to a reputable service.
The takeaway is that Social Media is not only about Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, or any of the social websites, even though they are part of the story. It is about providing content that will attract and benefit people, and then the engaging you do with people to build loyalty and trust. A business should realize that authenticity is important because what you say as you represent your brand is turning out to be much more important than how polished and attractive your content looks. Providing value is what will benefit your business because this creates the buzz around your company that people want to pass along.
Feb
26
Social Media PAYOFF or ROI
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This is the 3rd part of a 4 part series on Social Media (links provided in case you have missed the first two): WHAT, WHY, PAYOFF, and (coming next) HOW.
Social Media Payoff (ROI) is tough to measure, and some will say you can’t calculate it yet. It is too soon because Social Media Marketing is so new. That being said, there are definite payoffs being enjoyed by businesses of all sizes and in all markets.
We will list some specific companies and numbers below, but first let’s discuss a very important consideration that will affect ROI outcome. There are many ways to implement social media marketing and some may have little or no return on investment. Participating in social media in ways that are effective involve two major components: engagement in the form of conversation (not selling), and active involvement (not a once and forget method of marketing). Companies that utilize social media in the same way that the people they want to target WANT TO BE SOCIAL, will enjoy the most success in terms of ultimately growing brand awareness and ROI online.
While there is still a place for search engine optimization (SEO), where a website is optimized to rank high in the search engines, we now have social media marketing, including social sites that are ranking high in the search engines. No longer do we have to pay thousands of dollars to buy backlinks to a business website. Today, we must spend the TIME that is required to participate in social media for the greatest payoff.
The fact that social media marketing does not have a fixed cost is true because each social media project is unique and will require varying amounts of time, tools, services, etc. A social media plan should include comprehensive use of available social media sites and opportunities for engagement, and should be targeted to the industry, product, or service. A generic plan without a focus on the business will not work.
What most people who work in the social media field understand is that trying to put a cost on conversation is hard to do. Also, social media marketing usually does not produce instant results. If this is true, how do we measure success?
One way is to measure the feedback you are getting. Are there positive responses being posted, and is there growth in terms of numbers of people engaging with the company online? If the business is getting active supporters, they will – in time – spread the word.
It is important to understand that social media marketing takes hard work, consistent effort, and engaging in ways that are helpful, entertaining, educational, or enlightening. This is the way you build a group of followers who want to take action by telling their online friends when you announce something of value.
There are tools to use that can help measure ROI in terms of: your reach, traffic to the website, influence in the market, conversions, and
retention. Google analytics is a free service that can track information for any website. There are other free services and many paid services as well. Links to the website can be tracked with backlink tools. The numbers of fans, followers, members, etc. in social sites is readily accessible in each of the individual sites.
Worthy of repeating is the idea that social media marketing is ongoing and requires active participation. People will not stay engaged if there is not regular, new content posted. There are many other websites that will pull for their attention. If you give them a reason to come back, they will not only come back but tell others to do the same.
Some numbers that testify to the ROI businesses can achieve:
BlendTec increased its sales 5x by running the often humorous “Will it Blend” Videos on YouTube blending everything from an iPhone to a sneaker.
Dell sold $3,000,000 worth of computers on Twitter.
Vaynerchuk (WineLibrary.tv) found first hand that $15,000 in Direct Mail = 200 new customers, $7,500 in Billboard Advertising = 300 new customers, AND $0 with Twitter = 1,800 new customers.
Naked Pizza, all natural Pizzeria in New Orleans, that specializes in healthy pies, set a one day sales record using social media. In fact 68% of their sales came from people “calling in from Twitter.” And 85% of their new customers were from Twitter.
Safeway has 62,615 fans of Facebook.
Intuit introduced “Live Community” into their TurboTax® products 2 years ago. Due in part to the resulting word-of-mouth, they have seen unit sales increase +30% each year and have now integrated “Live Community” into their other products like QuickBooks, Quicken, etc.
Tweets for a Cause sent out a tweet from Atlanta to encourage support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. As a result of retweets, the Atlanta Chapter site received 11,000 visitors in 24 hours as a result of this initiative by ResponseMine Interactive.
Software company Genius.com reports 24% of its social media leads convert to sales opportunities.
Burger King’s Whopper Sacrifice Facebook program incented users to give up ten of their Facebook friends in return for a free Whopper. The estimated investment for this program was less than $50,000 yet they received 32 million media impressions which roughly estimated equals greater than $400,000 in press/media value. Which to put in context is somewhat like reaching the entire populations of 19 states (understanding this doesn’t account for unique vs. repeat visitors, etc.)
One survey found that 71% of companies plan to increase investments in social media by an average of 40% because: a) Low Cost Marketing b) Getting Traction c) We Have To Do It.
The takeaway is that if you work your social media plan with integrity and the commitment to contribute value, on an every-day consistent basis, the same as you would do offline in relationships with prospects – it becomes easy and natural. That is what people are looking for in advertising and marketing – and that is what they will reward by doing business with you and referring you to others as well.
To learn more, visit our social media marketing page.
Jan
4
Dr. Shaklee once said, “Your future life will be exactly what you decide to make it.”
I am excited for this new year of 2010, mostly because we really don’t have limits placed on us. We can have what we choose.
If what you want includes your own business, some extra income every month, or earning money to save for future goals – whatever it is that you want – we can help you achieve it.
Have a listen to our CEO Roger Barnett talk about how a home based business as an Independent Distributor with the Shaklee Corporation can help you live The American Dream.
Click on video and it will open in a new window.
2010
Click here to learn more about living The American Dream.
Aug
2
Network Marketing Report
Filed Under Network Marketing | 4 Comments
A Network Marketing Report will list the benefits of this business model. From extra income to time freedom to tax advantages, there are many benefits. Have you heard that a home business should be a part of everyone’s financial or investment portfolio? Robert Kiyosaki believes that statement and explains why in the video below.
Why is network marketing such a great business plan? A perfect network marketing system is not required for you to see success. In fact, network marketing is more about being an independent entrepreneur and tailoring the business to you and your lifestyle. In my experience, a simple network marketing plan that focuses on taking action, over and over again, is what makes a success story in a Network Marketing Report.
May
20
Network Marketing Business Model Stands the Test of Time and is Now More Beneficial Than Ever
Filed Under Home Business | 1 Comment
Network Marketing is a business model that incorporates the concept of buying high quality products from people that you know, like, and trust. Products are shipped from the manufacturer to the customer, and the only middle part of that is a distributor representing the network marketing company. There are no wholesalers, or advertising agencies, or any other entity in between. The concept of network marketing is for the distributor to connect with the customer in order to personally explain the value of the brand, the difference in quality of the products, and why buying from this brand will produce better results for the customer.
Highly regarded businessmen Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki believe in network marketing, especially for home-based and small business owners, and teamed up to write a book about it, “Why We Want You To Be Rich.” That being said, there are companies that have tarnished the reputation of network marketing by operating in underhanded or devious ways. Most of these companies do not last long, and many times there was not a reputable product to sustain the company. Unless there is a solid foundation of products that people want to buy, and even refer to others because of the benefits they receive, a network marketing company can not survive, much less flourish.
Network marketing was introduced to the world a very long time ago. I know that it is at least 53 years ago when my primary business launched under this business structure. People who are part of our brand believe that they pioneered the business model and are proud of it. Network marketers are business owners. It is their job to find customers and introduce them to products that are superior to those found in stores. If any of those customers want to have a home-based business of their own, it is the network marketer’s job to help them get started and provide support and leadership. Even though the network marketer takes on many hats in their business, they are not alone. Most parent companies provide training, support materials, all kinds of tools and services including home office staff. Upline business leaders help everyone in their group, and in general an unlimited amount of assistance is available.
The opportunity to earn income is unlimited in network marketing. A business owner can work under the premise that the sky is the limit in regard to how many people they introduce to their products, their business, the benefits and solutions that their products provide. They enjoy support while they are in charge of their own business. It is the best of both worlds because they are independent and yet they are not alone. Some feel that network marketing is the very best business model in the world today.
The internet has transformed network marketing companies. In the past, distributors would stock products and sell out of their homes or small businesses. Now, customers can order direct online, or by phone, and have products shipped from the company direct to the consumer. This saves a tremendous amount of time, inventory money, and offers the opportunity to use business time to reach more customers or spend more time educating customers on the value of the products. The internet also allows the opportunity to have a global business, connecting with people and business all over the world.
There are as many compensation programs in network marketing as there are companies, almost. It is worth the time and effort to compare income structures because there are vast differences involved. You might find one company that will pay out up to 50% while another company may limit earnings to as little as 10%. Product is as important as income. It is also worth the time and effort to research the company’s products, their value, the potential to find customers interested in buying, the market trends, and length of time the company has been in business. Another factor that interests potential consumers is that high quality products from companies with long-term legacies of success will have a guarantee established because the brand is confident in the performance of the products.
It may seem like there is a lot to consider when making the decision to join a network marketing company. It is more than worth your time invested, especially when you consider that for every successful home business network marketer, there is at least one that became associated with a failed company and may have lost both money and time that they can never get back. 53 years is the longest track record you will find in network marketing. A company that has a 53 year legacy of success, and is growing in distributors and expanding around the world, can offer a fantastic opportunity for a new network marketer. When the company’s products are in five major growth trends for the next ten years, it is not too late to get started. It is the perfect time to join and build the income of your dreams.
I invite you to learn what you can about network marketing. See if you agree with the folks that consider this business model one that anybody can use to earn income and build a significant business. Think about the lives that you can impact with both the products and the ability to refer the business opportunity as well. Consider the time freedom and financial security that you can enjoy when you are in charge of your personal and financial destiny. In 2009, the best network marketing companies have laid the foundation for you to not only get started and grow quickly, but also earn income right away. There is a definite need for immediate income and you can find companies that recognize this and have implemented programs to deliver that money immediately.
What I like best about the network marketing business model and the products that come from these companies is the personal communication involved and how unique and effective the products work. In today’s world, you often feel like a number ‘out there’ and it is hard to connect with a ‘live person’ to get help. And I know that I have purchased products, of all kinds, that simply do not live up to what they should. It is disappointing and you feel robbed of your hard earned money. With network marketing, that is different. There are people that you know, like, and trust behind the products and the business opportunity. They will answer your questions, and refer you to what can provide the solutions and results you seek. I prefer to use products from network marketing companies, whether that be nutrition, personal care products, home care products, computer products, or internet services. And it makes me feel good as a network marketer to offer this kind of value and service.
May
18
Mommy blogs combine social networking and home business opportunities
Filed Under Home Business, Social Networking | Leave a Comment
For women who want to incorporate sharing their knowledge of motherhood with earning some extra income for their families with a home business, mommy blogging can be an effective way to integrate business with pleasure.
Life for a mom who’s connected online to any of an abundance of social networking websites like Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc., is very different than it was for moms of even a couple of years ago. I know that I would have appreciated jumping online any time of the day or night and getting words of wisdom about the latest mommy crisis, or just chatting with another mom who has survived a phase in the life of a two year old.
These women connect over the bond of having children, and they are eager to help each other, and help in return. They become friends, virtual friends, with other moms all over the world. How else can these women connect so easily, and 24 hours per day, if not for the internet and these online social communites.
These mommy blogs link their readers to other blogs, many creating directories or blogrolls of their favorites. They share resources relating to motherhood, kids, families, and even business topics. Some mommy blogs review products for brands who want to publish feedback for easy access. Other home business blogs earn income from advertising or they incorporate their online business in their blog.
If you think about it, just like you do offline, you build relationships of trust with people, friends, who you have something in common. And who better to look to for information when you need a referral for baby or family products than your friends.
Most mommy blogs are high quality websites featuring useful information, entertaining stories, and enlightening tips that are of great benefit to new moms or moms struggling through a particular parenting challenge. The website designs, graphics, personal pictures, and creative content keep readers coming back to visit often and passing the site along which makes these websites very viral in the online world.
If you are a new mom, or a new reader of mommy blogs, interested in home business or social networking, below are some resources to check out. They either list the top blogs, or give reviews of popular mom blogs.
Apr
23
Free To Start A Home Business Shaklee CEO Roger Barnett Announces
Filed Under Home Business | 1 Comment
Today is Earth Day, and out in Pleasanton, CA (near SanFrancisco) at Shaklee’s world headquarters, CEO Roger Barnett joined Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Wangari Maathai to plant the 1 Millionth Tree of Shaklee’s Million Trees – Million Dreams campaign.
What a contribution to the environment to plant one million trees! Shaklee Independent Distributors were part of this effort by incorporating the incentive for the company to plant trees for certain products bought and sold. This is one example of a 52 year legacy of leadership that this brand has modeled in many environmental projects.
A very exciting part of the program today was Roger Barnett’s announcement that the company is now trying to reach out to 1 MILLION FAMILIES and offer a new economic oppoturtunity that all families can start at no cost. For the next 30 days, the company waives the fee to join the company, while still keeping present options available to anyone who would like to join the traditional way. We have always made it affordable to start a home business with our brand. Where can you start a business and come in at the highest level for less than $300, plus have unlimited income opportunity. You are the boss. You design your paycheck.
Have a look at Roger’s 2009 message to us. When Roger bought our company, he was already a billionnaire, having taken multiple companies to a billion dollar in sales. When he researched his next company to buy, he knew that he wanted it to be his lifetime mission. He already had money, now he wanted to make a difference. He wanted to help other people become successful. He spent 20 million dollars finding his company of choice: Shaklee. The search to find the best products in our industry might have taken some time, but he feels it was worth that time and so do we. All Shaklee Independent Representatives are happy to represent a family owned company once again.
Feel free to contact me by email to discuss: vicki@yourhealthwebsite.net
Or visit our website at: New Economic Opportunity
Mar
6
I would like to introduce my new Social Marketing Home Business website which provides the details for starting a social marketing home business representing a revolutionary new product (the next million dollar product) that can be a business all by itself. The brand also represents a complete line of health and wellness products that have a 52 year legacy of changing peoples’ lives, and also the brand’s business opportunity (let’s consider it a product also).
Social Marketing Home Business
Special Earning Offer through March 31, 2009:
Watch this video from our CEO and learn why we want to offer an amazing opportunity to anyone who wants (or needs) more income. And he is putting the money out behind it.. in the form of an extra $1 MILLION just doing the first quarter of 2009 alone.
That is on top of the other 5 ways we earn money. Plus for the first time in company history, we are paying out money weekly!
That is on top of the other 5 ways we earn money. Plus for the first time in company history, we are paying out money weekly!
Have a look at an actual example of numbers. There is no limit on these numbers. You can multiply your work and simply multiply the income. The support we provide will help you jump start a successful home business.
You can use the calculator below to view earnings with Vivix, the next MILLION DOLLAR product from the Shaklee brand. And remember, we represent a complete line of health and wellness products.
Vivix Calculator Shows You How Much You Can Earn with Vivix.
Dec
12
Your Home Business Success is Your Choice
Filed Under Home Business | 1 Comment
If you are struggling.. in your personal life or in business.. have a look at this video and you may get a new perspective.
We can do what we want to do.. it is our choice.. what will you choose? If you want a successful home business where you are in control of your income and your time, go for it!
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