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(whether you are in Adams County, PA or beyond….)
A lot of business owners in Adams County, PA are just beginning to get their feet wet in the social media whirlpool. Locally, there is a lot of chatter today about the benefits of social media – but it’s all very generalized. When I read web savvy blogs about social media I understand them, but few on the outside do. Let’s face it, if you’re just getting your feet wet then terms like “hashmark” “RSS” and “SEO” do not compute. The first part of this blog post is for you.

Marketing Has Changed
Once upon a time, for a very long time, marketing your business meant buying TV commercials, newspaper ads, and radio ads. This was very expensive. But, if you could afford it, it was effective. And then along came social media marketing. “Social media marketing also known as social influence marketing is the act of using social influencers, social media platforms, online communities for marketing, publication relations and customer service. Common social media marketing tools include Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.” ( from Wikipedia) Suddenly, marketing is transformed. Ads no longer tell people why they need to use your business; instead, people tell people why they do or do not recommend your business. Word of mouth marketing on the internet is the new wave in promoting businesses.

The Social Media Whirlpool
I’m going to warn you up front – it’s easy to get sucked into the glamor rather than the substance of the social media whirlpool. There is a lot of fluffy, useless talk going on about social media right now because it’s the cool topic to discuss. If you’re new to social media then immerse yourself slowly so you can digest one bit at a time. I’m going to present a few social media basics here. After all, you have a business to run and although social media marketing should be part of it, you need to understand what you’re getting into. Oh, one more important fact: Each social media arena has its own culture – a topic I ‘ll cover in another post. You’ll be most effective when you market within the norms of that culture.

LinkedIn
Here in Adams County, PA many businesses are not yet LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals and every business professional should have a LinkedIn account. Why? A good LinkedIn profile, complete with robust contact list, blog posts, recommendations, and best answers in…gives you internet street cred. When I Google my name, the first entry I see is my LinkedIn profile. Here, take a look: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/catherine-lockey. A LinkedIn profile is a fast and easy way for the world to get to know you. It’s like an online resume and yet so much more. Once your LinkedIn profile is complete, who do you invite? I like to invite everyone I meet in person. It’s a great way for others to get to know me better and to keep them posted on the latest happenings in my business. Obviously, this is smart marketing for any business. If you’re a social networking beginner, don’t read any further. Take a little time each day and create your LinkedIn profile. Get to know LinkedIn and send me an invite! (cl@oz2designs.com)

Blogging
Do you like to write about your work? Are you passionate about it? As one of the few bloggers in Adams County right now and I can tell you from experience, blogging is not for everyone simply because it takes up a lot of time. If you have the time, then jump in – the water is great! If you don’t have the time and can afford to hire me to blog for your business, then you have every reason to get your name and your brand out there on the blogosphere.

As I mentioned earlier, every social networking arena has its own culture. The blogosphere is definitely true to form here. So where do you start? Contact me through my web site and oz 2 designs llc will set up your blog the right way from the beginning. Along with a fully functioning, attractive looking blog, we also give you a list of do’s and don’ts created to help you join and become part of the blogging community. The best blog posts come from the heart, are easy to understand, and offer up useful information. They can even be controversial in order to get attention. Like LinkedIn, blogging gives your business internet street cred. Even better, every time you write a new post, you can notify all of your LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook followers who may choose to backlink to your site. ( Do you see how social and SEO are intertwined here?)

Twitter
Now Twitter is a different animal altogether. Who benefits most from Twitter? Restaurants and stores who want tell their followers about specials, discounts, etc… Got a new coupon on your web site – post it on Twitter. Who else benefits? Bloggers, artists, and any business who has a humorous, viral campaign. For example, my business created IHateCockatiels. It’s a ridiculous (somewhat twisted) Twitter account which focuses on my art director’s near hatred of the cockatiel who is a permanent resident in our office and is linked to an even more ridiculous web site he created for it. This Twitter account has acquired over 4,400 followers since last March. This sideways marketing strategy (otherwise known as a viral campaign) allows people to view my company’s design work. The most successful Twitter accounts interact with their followers. This takes time.

Facebook
Somewhat like LinkedIn although known for being much more casual, Facebook accounts allow you to acquire friends who want to know what is going on with your business. Publishing a new book or CD next month? Notify your friends and they will be awaiting its release. Like all social media, interacting with your friends is what helps make the difference. Of course, the more popular and interesting you are, the more interested your friends are in you. My art director just started our oz 2 designs llc Facebook account and I am grateful he is managing it for us.

You Can’t Turn Back Time
Marketing has changed forever thanks to social media. If you aren’t participating now, it’s not too late to get involved. Remember, take baby steps. Scrutinize your options. Leave me a comment or send me an email and ask which social media platforms are the best choices for your business. After you get your feet wet I’m sure you’ll agree social media has opened doors for small businesses which would have forever remained closed without it.

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Visit the oz2Blog at www.cyclonemarketing.info.

Part I: Person to Person…
Small business owner, you know the routine. Dressed professionally with business cards in hand, you enter a room full of people to network. You only have one hour before it’s time to get home and take care of your family. How do you maximize this limited person to person networking opportunity?

Connect with a Few People
There might be 200 people in the room but the reality is, you only have one hour to get to know people. Introduce yourself and join in a few conversations. Before you know it, you’ll find a few people you feel comfortable with. Take some time to get to know them. Find some common ground to discuss (it could have nothing to do with business) and, before you move on, ask for a business card.

Follow-Up
So, you connected with a few nice people and now your next step is to send each one a follow up email. In your email subject, be sure to write the name of the event where you met. Within your email, let your new connection know you were pleased to meet him/ her and would like to invite him/her to join you on LinkedIn. If this new connection is a potential customer, now is the time to share your website URL and note you are always available to help them if needed. After you send your “nice to meet you email”, wait a couple hours and then invite your new connections to LinkedIn.

Part II: LinkedIn

Your Profile
A robust LinkedIn profile gives you “business street cred.” When it comes to person to person networking, most times it’s best to find common ground with people rather than tout your business. Yet, once your new connections accept your LinkedIn invitation, the first thing they’ll do is visit your profile. Now is your time to shine. An impressive LinkedIn profile allows your new connection to clearly see your business expertise.

The Basics
There are many features on LinkedIn you can use to create an interesting, even exciting, profile. Remember, a little creativity goes a long way on your profile.

1. Your professional headline is a great place to start. I’ll use my own profile as an example which reads, “Design and Marketing Visionary.” That sounds a lot more interesting than C.E.O. of oz 2 designs LLC. Create an attention-getting professional profile.

2. Your picture. Don’t take a mugshot of yourself with your cell phone and load it to your profile. Instead, think about how you want others to see you. Dress professionally and make sure the shot is close and clear. LinkedIn photos are very small which is why you want the shot to be a close one.

3. Your summary is another great place to write a little more about who you are as well as what you do. My summary is written in a way which shares a little bit of my personality as well as what I love most about my work, “I consider myself so very fortunate to operate my business in East Berlin – a farmland rich and visually gorgeous place. My professional experiences as CEO of oz 2 designs are vibrant and rewarding because I work with such interesting people! Each business owner has something special and unique to offer the world and my business gets to reflect that. All of my clients have seen an increase – some a very substantial increase – in business thanks to oz 2 designs llc. Who could ask for a better job than mine! “ When you write your summary, don’t just write about your business, write about why you’re passionate about your business.

4. Recommendations: Your LinkedIn recommendations list is extremely important. I repeat, your recommendations are extremely important. After viewing your basic information this is what people who know LinkedIn scroll to next. Make sure you have a healthy list of at list of at least five glowing recommendations.

5. Connections: Grow your connection list and invite all of your professional connections to join you. A nice list of connections – 50 or more – gives you that “business street cred” I’ve been talking about.

6. Twitter: If you have a Twitter account you can add it to LinkedIn so everyone can see your Twitter posts. Obviously, if your Twitter posts are not professional or are political in nature, you should not add it to your LinkedIn profile.

7. What Are You Doing Section (under your name and professional headline): This is a great place to let people know about your current projects. For example, last week I wrote, “Catherine is working on a 24 page brochure to support a national marketing campaign.” This information is automatically sent to all of your connections, so use it wisely grasshopper and keep your business on the top of their minds.

Beyond the Basics: Enhancing Your Profile for a Wow Effect!

1. Applications: Use at least one if you can.
There are a variety of LinkedIn applications to choose from. If you’re a blogger then the Wordpress Application is a must. ( I love seeing my blog posts show up on my LinkedIn profile.) Other useful LinkedIn applications include Box.net, SlideShare Presentations, and BlogLink (I use this one too). It doesn’t hurt to try one out and see if you like it. You can always delete it from your profile if it doesn’t work out.

2. Questions and Answers: You Can Be An Expert!
Get to know LinkedIn Questions and Answers. Why? Because when your answer is rated as the best answer, then you become the resident expert. What’s great is your expert ratings show up on your profile for all to see. Currently my profile says I have expertise in Internet Marketing (5 best answers), Web Development (2 best answers), Graphic Design (1 best answer), Public Relations (1 best answer). So go ahead and answer those questions you feel most comfortable answering. When you do this you enrich your profile and help someone else in the process.

3. Join and Participate in Groups
Groups are great resources. They hold training workshops, offer free advice, encourage discussions, and keep you up to date professionally. Apply to join groups which match your business and personal interests. If you’re a blogger, you can submit your blog to groups as news or for discussion. Every time you comment in a group your profile is viewed by anyone who likes or dislikes what you have to say. As you join groups, add connections, answer questions and more, each of your interactions is listed and regularly sent out to your connections.

LinkedIn alone will not bring you lots of new business. Yet, combined with person to person networking, LinkedIn is an extraordinarily effective way to build your business credibility, stay on the top of everyone’s mind, grow your business reputation and, in turn, grow your business.

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Visit the oz2Blog at www.cyclonemarketing.info.