Grow Your Business With Facebook

Image via CrunchBase

Don’t leave your business out in the cold. Look around you. Almost every major company website you visit or television show you watch has it’s own Facebook page.

Why? Because that’s where the people are.  Facebook has 655 million active daily users. 751 million users who use Facebook mobile products. What does all this mean to you? If you are a business owner you need to have your business listed on Facebook and it needs to be mobile friendly. Not sure where to even begin? Use my handy check list to get started.

Carol’s Handy Facebook Checklist:

• Create a profile page
• Create a Fan Page (This service is provided by Social Media Help 4 U if you simply don’t have the time to create it yourself)
• Complete your Fan Page profile. Include an attractive timeline cover, completely fill in your “about” section, add photos and custom tabs. Custom tabs could include but not limited to connecting your Twitter or Pinterest pages, newsletter sign up, a tab to purchase your book, events tab, music, Youtube channel, Instagram and more. If you are curious as to what tabs might be good for your company look at Facebook pages that are similar to your niche. Pay close attention to the pages that are active and see what tabs they added.
• Start posting updates. Regular updates are very important. There’s nothing worse than going to a companies page and seeing that is has been inactive for months. You know they don’t take their online presence seriously and worse yet, if you wanted to ask them a question about their product or service they’ll probably never respond.
• Use the Facebook scheduler for scheduling posts for times of the day you won’t be able to hop on in person. For instance if you live in the USA but you also have clients or fans in another country set updates to post at various times to cover different time zones.
• Engage – Say hello, visit other pages and engage with your audience. If someone leaves you a comment respond. Show you genuinely care.
• Keep your page professional. Don’t air your problems all over Facebook.
• If you sell products consider adding a “Shop Now” tab through a third party service such as Sort Price.
• Use Facebook ads. A combination of consistent posting, activity, engagement and Facebook ads can grow your page rapidly.
• Be authentic! Serve your customers with authenticity and integrity so they keep coming back for more and more!
• Test, test, test. Hop on and share at different times until you find the best time to engage with your audience.

Using Google Calendar To Keep Your Team On Track

Google Calendar – Month view (Photo credit: Spinstah)

One of my clients loves Google Calender. We use a shared calendar to keep her whole team on track and informed of when blog posts are due, launches are beginning, scheduled team meetings and much more. Here is a video that Anson Alexandar put together that shows the basics of using a Google Calendar.

Google Calendar Video Tutorial 2012 for Beginners

Balancing & Grounding In Nature To Prepare For Partial #Hysterectomy

This article is for those who have been following my path of possible surgery for a partial hysterectomy. As many of you know i’m preparing for surgery soon. I’ve had many private emails and Facebook discussions. None of this is social media related except for the fact my online friends want me to keep them posted and share my story.

After much consideration, research and speaking with my doctor I have decided to have a partial hysterectomy. Anemia due to heavy menstruation is taking it’s toll on my mental and physical health and i’m ready to get my health back. High iron supplementation has not been enough. Living in Montana means long cold winters but once the weather breaks we make the most of it and head for the mountains. I’m getting out in nature as often as I can to ground, balance and replenish myself in preparation for my operation. We loaded up the dogs and headed to Rock Creek last week. It was gorgeous! The cottonwoods hadn’t bursted open yet so there was still a lot of green lacking in it’s normal splendid scenery but we were still in awe. We are always in awe and full of much gratitude for Mother Earth’s beauty.

           (Randy standing next to Rock Creek – Famous for it’s fly fishing and the movie, A River Runs Through It)

I am scheduled for surgery on May 16th. It’s right around the corner. My surgeon will be using the intuitive surgical Da Vinci Machine. Please don’t think for a second I haven’t done my research, been trying alternatives or looked for other options because I have.  It’s time for a major life change. I’ll share an update after the surgery to give you an update on how it went. I’m keeping my thoughts positive. Soon my #hysterectomy will be over and recovery will begin.

The photo below is the walking bridge further up Rock Creek. It’s a hanging bridge. The dogs where quite funny crossing it. My mister Marv looked over the edge once and then straight forward as he crossed it. It’s a suspended bridge pretty high up above the creek. Across on the other side is a hiking trail and a path down to the creek.

I honestly don’t think I could have had as much peace about my upcoming surgery if I didn’t work at home through my own home business as a #socialmediamanager and #virtualassistant. Working at home has provided me with the ability to schedule ahead some of my work tasks and work right from my bed during recovery if i need to. I’m so happy I took a leap of faith and started my own business! For our next adventure we are headed to Lolo Hot Springs to rent a little cabin, soak our bodies, decompress and relax. Lolo Hot Springs is pet friendly just the way we like it! I’ll be sure to take some pictures and share them with you soon.

Related articles

• When Your Health Tries To Slow You Down (socialmediahelp4u.com)

Top Ten Writing Mistakes Bloggers Make

blogging (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

1. Not Proofreading

Everything you put out is a reflection of your professionalism. Don’t let a SINGLE thing go out without going over it thoroughly. Better yet, have a professional you can rely on proof all your posts before they go out. This is non-negotiable if you want you and your blog to be taken seriously.

2. Inconsistent Content

 People will read your blog because you are either writing about something that matters to them or writing in a style they enjoy. Find your voice and genre and stick to it.

3. Using a Hard to Read Font

I know it’s tempting with all the choices available to pick a cutesy or offbeat font. Don’t do it. No one wants to be distracted when they’re trying to read. Also, save the colors for images unless a particular color really ties into your brand.

4. Overly Wordy

 A blog is not a book. People want to be entertained or informed in a short format. Blogs are meant to be easy to digest pieces of information. If you feel there’s more to say on a topic, break it into two parts. This will also serve to entice people back and that’s a good thing!

5. Boring Title

A title is your hook. If it doesn’t describe what a reader can expect, or doesn’t invite curiosity, it isn’t a good title. Give your titles some thought; make sure they encourage further investigation.

6. Not Responding to Replies

Not only is this a chance to write, it gives people a reason to come back. Everyone likes being acknowledged. Ask questions and keep your readers engaged. Check your blog often enough that your readers never go more than a day without a response.

7. Hit or Miss Posting

Make a writing schedule for yourself and stick to it. Make sure you blog the same day (or days) every week. Your readers will be more likely to revisit if you’re predictable. Once a week is the minimum posting you can do and expect to get a following.

8. Not Crediting Quotes and Links

When the writing is not exclusively yours, make sure you give credit where credit is due. Not only will your readers appreciate being able to check out what you’re referencing, the person whose work you’re quoting or notating will be grateful too, and may just return the favor!

9. Using Vocabulary Unfamiliar to Your Intended Audience

 If people are reading your blog to learn more about something you know a lot about, assume they may be unfamiliar with technical or industry specific language. No one wants to read something they don’t understand. Rather than being impressive, it tends to make people feel that you’re either a show off or that they’re stupid, and neither of these are good for you.

10. Not Editing

 Did I already say this? Well, I’m saying it again; that’s how important it is. Poor grammar, misspellings, typos, and bad punctuation are the number one reason people won’t revisit your blog. Don’t trust your spellchecker; it doesn’t catch everything.

Happy Blogging!

Jo Spring

Spiritual Editor and Freelancer Coach

www.jospring.com

Children’s Authors And Self-Help Authors Wanted To Be A Part Of A Power Promo Team

I am looking to Create a Power Promo Team for Effective Cross-Promotion… if you are a childrens author or a self help book author and think you might be interested please contact me. 

My name is Dawn O Dell. 

I am the Owner, Founder and Author at Angels of Inspiration, an organization I created in 2010 to motivate our young to dream.

As an author I wanted to give our children the tools, they crave to promote emotional well-being through creativity and positive thinking.

I believe that there is a great lack of learning tools,and guidance being offered to our younger generation.                                                                                                                                                That what our children are learning is outdated and very basic. Through Angels of Inspiration, I am able to fulfill a passion for helping children as well as giving back, to raise funds and awareness for causes that benefit children in our community through the sales of my children’s books.

My drive and dedication are to create the tools required through entertaining children’s books to empower our next generation.  To give parents the help and words to teach their children and help them develop the positive mindset they need to dream, believe and achieve…What I want most for my readers, and customers is for them to dream, to be inspired, to gain a positive outlook on their hopes, desires and emotional well-being. To take a step forward and help children in their most developing years to dream, to reach for and prepare a positive course to create a vision as they travel down their individual pathways of life in pursuit of happiness.

I want my readers to take the tools offered and create change, to lead by example. I want my readers to go forward in their journey filled with passion to walk down a pathway toward positive life choices.

Building An Author Platform Info-Graphic

“Your Easy 3-Step Sales Funnel” (PART 1 of 3) by Ali Brown

If you’re like most solo-preneurs who offer a basic service in your business, you likely got started by just pounding the pavement to hustle up some clients. Then, you began to receive word-of-mouth referrals. And then, perhaps you put up a website and began using email and social media to promote your services.

While these methods can surely work, there are probably nights you wake up at 2 a.m. worrying, “Where are my next clients/customers coming from?”

Putting together a sales funnel will not only solve this problem, but it can add thousands of dollars to your business (and for many of my clients, hundreds of thousands). It’s a valuable system I’ve shared with my clients for years, and it’s also one of the gems we teach step-by-step in my Elevate online training program. Today my goal is to give you an easy overview, so you can get started on your own.

Before we start, picture a funnel. You know a funnel is wide and open at the top, and tiny and narrow at the bottom. Our sales funnel has three distinct parts, from top to bottom, which I’ll list in steps:

Step 1: Your prospects (the discovery)

Step 2: Your leads (the invitation)

Step 3: Your sales (the conversion)

STEP 1: Your prospects (the discovery)

The top of the sales funnel is the widest part, and it’s made up of your prospects. These are people who are strangers to you now, but who fit your ideal market. They don’t know yet that you exist, but if they did know they would likely be interested in what you have to offer. So, your objective is to make yourself known, so you can get these prospects INTO your funnel.

For example, let’s say Jane is a prenatal yoga teacher who mostly relies on referrals to get new business. There are thousands of moms-to-be in Jane’s community who could use her services, but 95% of them have no idea that Jane and her services even exist. So how can she get them into her funnel?

First, let’s look at OFFLINE strategies — Jane could start by attending workshops, events, and clinics specifically for expectant mothers. She could rent a booth or offer to lead a free yoga workshop, so women could get turned on to her services. Jane could also book speaking gigs at these and other events, to showcase her expertise. She could also go for appearances on local TV and radio shows that cater to her target market. See how many people who didn’t know Jane before would suddenly know about her? Your main offline goals in this step are visibility and connections.

Then let’s look at ONLINE strategies — To help prospects discover you online, you need a two-pronged strategy:

• Get in front of your prospects where they already are. Figure out where your prospects already are online in large numbers. For Jane’s example, she could look for websites, online communities, and Facebook pages that are geared toward expectant mothers. Once she identifies them, she should be active in their discussions, contact the hosts to see about guest blogging or moderating opportunities, and also any paid advertising options.And don’t forget about Facebook ads, which I love because they can be so highly targeted, affordable, and often an ideal way to get in front of the type of person you’re looking for. (For Jane’s example, she can have her ad show for all women in her area who “like” pages for The Bump, Fit Pregnancy, the Boppy Company etc.)
• Be in front of your prospects when they are looking for you. Now, you want to make sure people who are actually searching for your type of service or solution will find YOU just your competitors. Make sure you are listed in appropriate sections of your local yellow pages (if applicable.) Make sure your website shows up for people searching online for your products or services (either organically or with paid Google Ads). If you have products, also consider adding Amazon.com to your marketing plan, as many people are using it now almost as a search engine to find what they want quickly.

There’s so much more we could go into here, but I hope this got your wheels turning on how you can more easily find your ideal prospects, and help your ideal prospects find you!

Next, in Step 2, we’ll turn many of these prospects into leads.

(continued in Part 2)

QUESTION: Who is your ideal prospect, and what methods are you using to reach them… or help them find you? Please join in the conversation below!

“Entrepreneur mentor Ali Brown teaches women around the world how to start and grow a profitable business that make a positive impact. Get her FREE CD “Top 10 Secrets for Entrepreneurial Women” at www.AliBrown.com“

When Your Health Tries To Slow You Down

When Your Health Tries To Slow You Down!

Warning, if you are a man you may want to skip this blog post completely. I’ve thought a lot about not sharing my personal story because it doesn’t have to do anything with social media directly but at the same time there may be women out there who can benefit from my story. So here goes…..

In my twenties and thirties going from sun up to sun down was no problem. Keeping up with the kids and all their activities was a breeze. Once I hit 40 life started to change! Now let me jump back in time a bit. Guys here’s your second chance to bail out. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Every since my period began it’s never been easy. I can remember  going to the nurse’s office every month for Tylenol or what ever kind of pain reliever the nurse had on hand for pain relief and rest. My periods where always heavy and tiring but manageable.

During my late thirties, early forty’s. I’m forty-four now. My periods have begun to get “really” heavy. So heavy it would be really gross to give you all the details. The last six months or so I’ve began to feel really crappy. I figured I was low on iron even though I took iron supplements, cooked in cast iron pans and ate food high in iron such as red meats, spinach, lots of beets, baked beans and more.

The last few months have been particularly draining so I had my blood work done at a local hospital lab and took the results to a doctor. My iron is so low if it continues to get any lower they want to do a blood transfusion. I’m on a high iron supplement, but a partial hysterectomy is the over all recommendation. All the other solutions are just  a band aid to a bigger problem. A partial hysterectomy leaves the ovaries in-tacked. I’m still processing this all and I’m not that thrilled about surgery but being exhausted taking multiple naps and sleeping the majority of my time is cramping my style. I have a new business to nurture, clients to attend to and books to write. Luckily my kids are grown and my husband works from home with me so now is a good time to make major life changes starting with taking my health back and putting myself first. (Yes I do plan my life around my periods.)

An article on self nurturing and an update on my latest visit to the doctor will follow in a few weeks. Final surgery decision soon to follow.

Signs of Anemia that I found to be true for me. Some of these symptoms can be related to other possible illnesses or deficiencies. Check with your doctor if you have any concerns.

• Constant craving to eat ice.
• Ridges in fingernails.
• Consistent Exhaustion
• Leg pain
• Spaciness – harder to think
• Sometimes catching your breath even while lying down is difficult due to the lack of oxygen transfer in the blood.
• Cold & White toes, do to limited circulation. Hot baths help get my circulation going.
• Numbing in legs and arms.

If you are a heavy menstrual bleeder and you are noticing any of these symptoms have your blood checked! Don’t wait.

Have you had similar health problems? Please share your story. You can also connect with me on Facebook.

Follow along with Carol’s story. 

Related articles

• Balancing & Grounding In Nature To Prepare For Partial Hysterectomy (socialmediahelp4u.com)

11 Secrets to Kindle (and Amazon) Best-Seller Success(Part 1) By Ellen Violette

Cover via Amazon

11 Secrets to Kindle (and Amazon) Best-Seller Success(Part 1)

After working with many clients, and doing research of my own, I’ve identified 11 parameters you must master to have a Kindle best seller. In this week’s newsletter, I will reveal 6 of them and next week I’ll reveal the remaining 5.

1. Title/chapter headings. According to Jay Conrad Levinson, father of Guerrilla Marketing, half of your success is attributable to your title. If your audience doesn’t connect emotionally to it, and see the benefit of it in their lives, they aren’t going to give it a second look, let alone purchase it!  So, it is imperative that you write a title that gets their attention and tells them why they should want to read it.Once you’ve got their attention, and if they like the cover (which will cover next) they will probably look inside at your Table of Contents.  And again, if they aren’t wowed by what’s inside, they will move on.  So you also have to give careful thought to your chapter headings. Make sure your chapters cover what you said you would cover in the ebook, and that they capture the attention of your audience.
2. eBook Cover. After your audience sees the title,  they will look at the ebook cover.  If the ebook cover is messy looking, hard to read, too dark, or just plain boring, they will go to the next one.  You have to have a professional-looking cover that captures the essence of what your book or ebook is about, It has to be appealing to the eye. And it has to make the reader want to take the next step and look inside) Read the rest of this entry »

The Power of a List By Sandra Martini

It’s amazing how when things get super busy and we try to speed up, Murphy’s Law or nature in general takes over with things to slow us down – whether we get sick, overwhelmed, or just mess things up in general.

From my days of simultaneously launching the AmeriCorps program and handling Presidential event logistics, I learned a valuable lesson:

When everything starts to speed up and spin out of control, stop.  Stop, assess and create a list.

Sounds oddly simple and yet exceedingly frustrating all at the same time.  Most people react with, “Are you crazy? I can’t slow down let alone stop to create a list” – often with several expletives woven in. Read the rest of this entry »