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The Entrepreneurs’ Guide on

How to Grow Your Business

with Social Media

I’m going to start with a bold statement.

While you continue to sit on the sidelines wondering whether social-media marketing is

right for your business, thousands of other businesses are building huge lists of

prospective customers, developing stronger relationships with their current customers,

gaining valuable feedback, and increasing their profits.

In this special report, I’ll show you the following, all of which focus on the target prospect

that you most want to do business with:

1. Social Media: A World Wide Web of Opportunity

2. Thrive on Twitter

3. The Business Facet of Facebook

4. Get LinkedIn

5. Unique Social Networks

6. Invest Less Than Fifteen Minutes a Day

We’ll start by looking at the opportunities, which until now have been passing you by.

1. Social Media: A World Wide Web of OpportunityHere are the topics we’ll discuss in this section.

Who Should Market Via Social Media, and Why?

Planning is Key

Planning Starts with Your Goal

Making Your Plan

Let’s begin with who and why.

Who Should Market Via Social Media, and Why?

The value and importance of social-media marketing cannot be overstated, especially

for start-ups, entrepreneurs, and small-business owners. We all know that in order to

gain a customer, we as business owners need to overcome the “know, like, and trust”

factor. Through a regular stream of good, engaging content on such platforms as blogs,


Facebook, and Twitter, business owners can begin to build valuable relationships with

current customers and prospects, and achieve that “know, like, and trust.”

One of the many great benefits of social-media marketing, particularly for entrepreneurs

and small-business owners, is that it allows them to compete on the same playing field

as huge companies. You see, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a home-based business

or a multi-national corporation, everyone has access to the same 140-character Tweets

on Twitter, and everyone has the same ability to attract new clients with engaging blog

posts.

Social media gives your business big marketing muscles you never knew you had. It

can quickly and easily help your business gain important visibility and exposure to

hundreds, if not thousands, of potential customers.

Another huge benefit is video marketing. Just a few short years ago, you had to have

very deep pockets to connect with customers and prospects using television

advertising. But today, anyone with a flip camera and good message can just as easily

connect with their target prospects. One of the major benefits of video is that it readily

allows people to feel your passion and experience your personality.

A somewhat stealth benefit of social media is that it can more easily get you connected

with people through Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, that you otherwise might not have

a prayer of connecting with via telephone or e-mail.

Another hidden gem is that once an entrepreneur is engaged in social-media marketing,

they become more focused on what their customers are asking for and saying—about

either their products and programs specifically, or their industry in general. Sometimes a

reader will post a comment to your blog that will provide just the idea you were

searching for.

Yet, despite mounting evidence and proof as to the effectiveness of social-media

marketing, too many business owners are still sitting on the sidelines. With Facebook

nearly as popular as Google, there is little doubt that a comprehensive social-media

marketing strategy should be part of every business owner’s plan.

Sitting on the sidelines of social media is not only misguided, it’s almost certainly

robbing your business of new customers, clients, or patients—and higher profits. Social-

media marketing works, and the sooner you engage and take advantage of this low- to

no-cost marketing strategy, the more profitable your business will be.


I need to confess something. I did not immediately embrace social media either. A few

years ago I resisted this new strategy, and despite the mounting evidence and proof, I

too ignored this marketing channel, probably thinking the same thing you’re thinking

now: “I’m already extremely busy. Social media is a waste of time. And I just don’t need

one more thing to do!”

Thankfully some good friends and smart marketers convinced me to give it a try and

add it to my marketing program, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am that I did.

The new connections and powerful relationships I’ve developed through social media

have not only greatly benefited my business, but social-media marketing has also

significantly contributed to my bottom line!

Social-media marketing has put money in my pocket, and it can put money in yours too.

Yes, you read that right—businesses increase their profits with social media.

Having been immersed in social-media marketing for three years now, I’ve discovered a

big reason that it works so well for so many businesses: It’s really fun!

You see, the bottom line is that people (your customers and prospects) like to be

informed and entertained. So, one of the big secrets that I’ve learned is that social

media is not all about your business and what you sell. It’s about connecting with people

on a level that they don’t feel intimidated or harassed.

Here’s the best advice I can give you on social media. If you set out to inform and

entertain people, giving them some useful and beneficial information, you will build more

relationships. Let customers and prospective customers get to know you better, so that

when they’re ready to buy, you’ll be the first one they turn to.

People generally don’t go to Facebook, blogs, or YouTube to read or watch long white

papers of what makes your business tick or to discover how smart you are. A big secret

to why some businesses are more successful with social-media marketing is that they

“get it” that their customers and prospects are not always interested in “business stuff”

and being sold to.

Social media is very similar to newsletter marketing, which is one of my popular

businesses. What I teach my coaching clients is that the content you provide needs to

be informative, enlightening, and entertaining, with an emphasis on entertaining.


Planning is Key

Sounds pretty great, you might be thinking, but how much time investment is this going

to take?

There really isn’t any need to spend hours a day on social networking for your business.

In fact, you can easily create a routine of social-media interaction that amounts to fifteen

minutes a day or less.

But what usually happens when people decide to invest time in social networking? Says

mom-preneur Sherri Kennedy, “I know I’m not the only one to find myself checking

Facebook half a dozen times a day, replying to peoples’ posts, and wondering where

the day has gone.”

Says another online professional who wants to remain anonymous, “Frontierville was

my downfall, so I blocked that app. Now it’s CityVille and Fantasy Kingdom.”

Transcriptionist Bev Barlow admits, “I check Twitter on my iPhone far too many times a

day. And I’m addicted to StumbleUpon. I can easily waste the entire morning looking for

cool sites.”

All three ladies agree that social networking eats up more time than they are

comfortable with. All express frustration and a need to change their habits. And all are

typical of a large majority of online entrepreneurs who (eagerly or reluctantly) find

themselves sucked far too deeply into the world of social networking.

So, how do those online entrepreneurs who manage social networking successfully,

well, manage?

The key, they all agree, is in the planning.

But relax! By planning, you aren’t going to end up sitting down and writing little charts

that say things like, “Facebook—30 minutes. Twitter—9 times daily: 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.,

2 p.m. . . .” That sort of rigid structuring never works anyway.

I’m going to show you how to create a simple plan you will be able to stick to

instinctively and easily, without having to refer back to charts, templates, or pieces of

paper. (Though I have included a handy template and worksheet to help you get

started.)


As I said, your custom plan will enable you to achieve focused, effective social

networking in fifteen minutes (or less) per day.

Planning Starts with Your Goal

It’s important to first understand a basic fact about human psychology, one that answers

the question, “What makes habits so addictive?”

Here’s the answer. People fall into habits for several compelling reasons. A habit that’s

especially hard to break . . .

provides the path of least resistance

can result from being the most enjoyable option

results in some gain for the perpetrator

Habits can also result from “goal-driven automaticity,” according to Henk Aarts and Ap

Dijksterhuis in the January 2000 edition of Journal of Personality and Social

Psychology, meaning that “goals are capable of activating the habitual action.”

Why do I mention this? Because it’s important to first have goals, and to know clearly

what they are, both for your business and for your social networking, before rushing to

create a plan.

Print out and ask yourself the questions on the following two pages before deciding

what, where, when, and how to social network. It will enable you to develop the most

effective habit, and the most successful results for your business.


Social Networking Worksheet

1. I’ll be networking for:

___ business reasons.

___ personal reasons.

___ Both.

2. Who do I want to reach?

___ Potential clients

___ Potential customers

___ Industry experts

___ Business peers

___ Existing followers

3. Have I identified my target demographic specifically enough?

___ Yes

___ No

4. Who are they? (Be as detailed as possible.)

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

5. Which social networks do they frequent?

______________________, ______________________, ______________________,

______________________, ______________________, ______________________

6. Do I frequent the same social networks they do, or am I missing the party?

______________________________________________________________________

7. When do they hang out? What time of day?

___ Morning

___ Afternoon

___ Night

8. When is their peak activity on their top three networks? (Choose an hour.)

______________________, ______________________, ______________________,

______________________, ______________________, ______________________


9. Are there specific individuals I want to reach?

___ Yes

___ No

10. If so, who?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

11. Why? What do I hope to accomplish?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

12. Which social networks do these individuals frequent?

______________________, ______________________, ______________________,

______________________, ______________________, ______________________

13. Do I frequent the same social networks they do, or am I missing the party?

______________________________________________________________________

14. When do these specific individuals hang out?

___ Morning

___ Afternoon

___ Night

15. When is their peak activity on their top three networks? (Choose an hour.)

______________________, ______________________, ______________________,

______________________, ______________________, ______________________


If you’ve spent any time at all engaged in social networking, you probably have a fairly

good idea of the answers to several of the questions. It’s important to ask yourself these

questions anyway, and pay attention to your own answers, particularly to any

assumptions you might be making.

If there are questions you realize you can’t definitively answer, check several

subscribers’ or peers’ profiles to see when their highest peak of activity is per social

network, as well as which networks they frequent the most.

Making Your Plan

Once you have all the answers to your own satisfaction, you can begin making your

plan. However, if you’re not familiar with certain networks, you’ll need to learn more

about them first—especially, what they are best used for—so you don’t waste time

developing habits that are counterproductive to what you’re trying to achieve.

Next, we’ll take a look at three of the most popular and useful social networks, and how

they can best help you to reach your goals—Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Unless

your audience absolutely does not hang out there, it’s best to sign up for and create a

presence on all three.

The good news is, you don’t even have to visit all three individually to post on them.

(More on that later.) You can literally publish content to all three networks with one click,

within a minute or two.

2. Thrive on TwitterIt’s been a few years now since Twitter marched onto the stage. It took a dip in the latter

half of 2010 as various bugs and shortcomings were ironed out, but with the advent of

the new “social search” phenomenon, its rise over the last six months has not only been

rock-steady but accelerating.


Twitter gave birth to microblogging with its short Tweets of 140 characters or fewer.

And, of course, it wasn’t long before Internet marketers and entrepreneurs were falling

all over themselves to put this easy-as-pie social network to use.

What emerged were five specific forms of Tweets.

Personal comments, venting, quips

Answers to questions

Replies to other peoples’ Tweets

Retweets

Announcements linking to articles and Websites

How to Use It

Those who use Twitter most effectively stress that a mix of all types of posts work best.

The emphasis (with all social networking) should be on what your particular audience

wants/likes to hear, even when you’re posting personal comments.

Before posting, ask yourself, “Will this post move my audience toward their goals? Help

them feel connected and understood? Brighten their day?”

The post types that are often cited as seeming the stalest? Link announcements, such

as this:

How to Use Cabbage in 20 Delicious Recipes: http://bit.ly/abcDE1

The reason for this can be summed up in one word: Relevance.

If you’ve done your homework and you know your audience is obsessed by creating the

perfect cabbage recipe, they’re probably eagerly clicking the moment your post

appears. However, if you just retweeted that post only because it was the first link you

found that dealt with recipes, you’ll leave them cold.

To Shorten or Not to Shorten

You’ll notice that many people shorten links to make posts fit the rigid 140-character

limit by using URL-shortening services such as Bitly. The advantage of this? Well, the

shortness, of course. And also the fact you can instantly track how many click-throughs

your post receives.

The disadvantage? If you’re trying to build backlinks, your shortened URL does nothing

for your blog or article-marketing SEO.


Whenever possible, always leave your keyword-optimized link title as is. If you can’t do

so without running over length, then shorten it. If you’re driving traffic to someone else’s

post, shorten it—unless it’s someone you want to impress, to put it bluntly.

Tips and Tricks

You can use a social networking app such as HootSuite or TweetDeck (or even certain

other social networks such as StumbleUpon) to post the same message to all your

social networks at once.

You can also use apps and services to schedule your posts throughout the day, while

only investing in that one single session to set this up.

Whenever you do this, however, be sure to weigh the pros and cons. For example,

scheduling posts for later will allow you to be “present” on Twitter all day long without

actually being there. But if you don’t track comments and someone shoots back a

heartfelt response or question to your automated post, they’ll lose interest in you pretty

quickly if they’re typically met with flat silence.

Best Uses for Twitter

Connect in real time and build a feeling of immediacy, as you initiate and join

conversations

Share a valuable link with your audience

Answer requests for help with a tip, useful link to an article that answers the

question, or another resource

Remind people about your live events that are about to begin, or are in progress

Show your personal side

Share life

3. The Business Facet of FacebookIf you don’t know what Facebook is, chances are you’ve just returned from seventeen

years lost in the mountain jungles of Patagonia. Realizing its actual importance in

today’s online marketing, however, is something a lot of online entrepreneurs miss.

Just to make things clear, Facebook holds the #2 page rank in Alexa and Compete.com

rankings, with more than 41 million visits daily. (Google is still number one, and

YouTube is chasing Facebook at number three.)


Facebook’s reach has climbed steadily over the last twelve months. SEO experts

attribute this to two major factors. One, the here-to-stay phenomenon of “social search,”

and two, Facebook’s ease of access by both PC and mobile devices. (In other words,

you can access Facebook from your cell phone. And millions of people do.)

How to Use It

Top entrepreneurs advise separating your personal and business interests on Facebook

by creating a Facebook fan page for your business. Prevent people from seeing overly

personal posts on your Facebook wall by making your personal page private and

“Friends Only.” (Note that business connections who are already “Friends” will still see

your general wall.)

If you’ve decided to allow both business and personal connections to see your general

wall, remember the golden rule of “What would interest my subscribers?” Ask yourself

that question before you post about being in a foul mood this morning. Don’t create

posts like “Babysitting again—ugh!” if your business revolves around “Caring

Parenting,” or sound off about “needy clients” driving you up the wall, if you’re hoping to

attract new ones, and not alienate the ones you have.

The key to a powerful Facebook page is interaction. In order to encourage it, always

remember the principle of “calls to action”:

Provide links and posts that actively incite comments.

Ask irresistible questions people just can’t help answering.

Pique curiosity.

Engage your reader’s emotions.

Share powerful links, ending with call-to-action statements such as, “Want to see

more links like this?”

Use short YouTube or Website-linked video posts.

Invite readers to share your link or leave feedback.

Make sure your comments are enabled on your Facebook page!


Tips and Tricks

Your biggest Facebook tool will be your Facebook page. It’s a real time-saver

because, once it’s set up, you can let it run on autopilot most of the time, with a

daily check and comment by you to keep interest alive.

There’s only one real must when it comes to tailoring Facebook to your business:

Focus on your audience, on what would interest them most. To do that, analyze

your business benefits and services, and share the ones most suited to this goal.

Use other social networks such as StumbleUpon or apps such as TweetDeck

and HootSuite to create instant Facebook posts. Mix business-related posts with

occasional casual, personal ones, so that readers get to know you . . . and

become comfortable with the thought of doing business with you.

Use Facebook Notes to share longer blog-type posts.

Build only quality connections. Don’t accept every Tom, Dick, or Harry who wants

to be your “Friend.”

Take advantage of one of Facebook’s most powerful features—allowing

thumbnail video links.

Create a relevant, audience-related video for YouTube (the # 3 Website in

Google’s page rankings) and post the link on your Facebook wall or page.

People will be able to click right on your thumbnail and instantly play your video.

Example:

If you really can’t hang out on Facebook at the time your audience likes to, don’t

despair. If the rest of your marketing efforts are highly focused, you can set your own

time. And if you’ve provided high-value information in other online venues, prepare to be

surprised as you watch people log on at your preferred time, just to catch you, live.


Best Uses for Facebook

Promote your business and drive traffic to your Websites via your Facebook

page.

Introduce yourself to industry peers and authorities by contributing relevant,

valuable comments.

Demonstrate expertise by answering questions or providing resources.

Increase your public prominence and engage in real-time discussions.

Stay connected with your subscribers, peers, and personal connections.

Save yourself time, if you use Facebook wisely.

How Do You Keep Up with the Changes?

Rather than waiting to learn about new Facebook developments from your peers and

competitors, stay ahead of the wave—check originating authorities yourself. Spend a

minute or two daily glancing at the official Facebook blog to see what this ever-changing

network is unrolling.

For explanations, analyses, and practical reviews of these changes, cross-check with

other authority sources such as the TechCrunch blog’s Facebook tab.

4. Get LinkedInIt used to be that this profile-based social network was used primarily by high income,

male, university graduates who were strictly career-oriented and largely childless.

Today, it’s used by a somewhat broader demographic spectrum, though career goals

still seem to be the primary focus.

Areas in green are “over-represented” categories among general Internet users.

Categories in red are “under-represented.”


Translated, this means the percentage of viewers out of grad school is still noticeably

predominant, with the average user being between 25-54 years of age, with females

now outnumbering males.

It doesn’t matter what stats say, however. If you’re a business professional of any sort,

you need to have a basic profile on LinkedIn.

How to Use It

Think of LinkedIn as your powerful resource box on an article you’re sending to a

directory. You want to have the perfect bio blurb on your profile—one that tells your

reader what he wants to know about you, not one that showcases your superb skills—

ready and waiting when your new prospective client or JV partner checks you out.

If you’re not on LinkedIn, people who need products or services like yours may

automatically discard you on the spot. If you are on LinkedIn, you want to reassure the

searcher that you’re the perfect business professional he needs.

So, one way to use LinkedIn is to make connections with prospective customers or

clients.

You can also use it to garner and build reciprocal recommendations—basically, high-

value testimonials—from existing clients and other professionals you’ve dealt with.

Also, join groups and follow industry leaders and existing subscribers or clients to

engage in conversation. Keep in mind, however, that if you want to chat for the sake of

chatting, Facebook or Twitter is your better option. On LinkedIn, stay focused on

professional goals.

Tips and Tricks

Use a custom URL (your name) instead of LinkedIn’s default URL.

Select “full view” for your profile settings.

Make sure the headline you give yourself tells what you do and is keyword-

optimized.

Create a LinkedIn “View My Profile” badge.

Whenever possible, match your profile bio to your résumé or CV.

Match your résumé or CV to your intended audience’s needs and interests.

Upload your résumé or CV to LinkedIn, tailoring it either to the type of job

position you’re hoping to land or to clients you wish to attract. (Use a résumé if


you’re simply job hunting. Use a CV for executive- or graphics-based positions,

or for showcasing your abilities as a sole proprietor.)

Include past Websites, companies, professional organizations, affiliations, and

educational institutes.

Use a simple headshot without background distractions if you are looking for

contracts or job positions. Make sure you are looking frankly and directly at the

camera.

Use the same photo on all your social networks, including LinkedIn, if you’re

concerned about branding.

When adding a new contact, write a personal message that lets the person know

how you know them, even if you think they’ll remember.

Get into the habit of checking the Jobs section daily if your business is service-

based. LinkedIn can be your fastest, and surprisingly easiest, way to upgrade

your client base . . . and your fees.

Best Uses for LinkedIn

Use LinkedIn to impress people when you want to land a job or client, or when

you want to close a high-ticket sale.

Support your public, professional profile with data it’s hard or inappropriate to fit

in anywhere else.

Showcase credentials, accomplishment, awards.

Achieve results from connections, since LinkedIn participants exhibit a higher

level of being action-oriented. According to author Guy Kawasaki, people on

LinkedIn with “more than twenty connections are thirty-four times more likely to

be approached with a job opportunity than people with less than five.”

5. Unique Social NetworksYou’ve attempted to discover which social networks your target audience prefers.

Following are a few more I’d recommend checking out (if they’re relevant to your

business niche) at least once a week. Your audience might not hang out on these

particular networks, but accessing them on a semi-regular basis can . . .

introduce you to valuable new contacts, and allow you to introduce your audience

to them too

inform you of cutting-edge industry developments

tip you off to interesting but little-known info tidbits about your topic

give you unique, original links to Tweet on Twitter or share on Facebook


Technorati

You’ve heard of algorithm-based search and social search. Well, Technorati is nothing

more than a search engine exclusively for blogs. In fact, its top-ranked keyword is “top

blogs”.

You can spend a lot of time there, hunting for blogs, or you can go directly to a

Technorati-powered offshoot site called Twittorati. Twittorati tracks the Tweets of

“highest authority bloggers.” Why? So you can find meaty links to instantly retweet to

your followers (in between those personal posts and questions answered).

StumbleUpon

Be careful—StumbleUpon can be a fascinating time-waster. But it can also introduce

you to new Websites, videos, photographs . . . really unique, high-value links or sites

you can share with your social-networking audience.

Two suggestions. One, check StumbleUpon only once per week. And two, use a timer

with a loud buzzer—online egg timer, personal timer, even your stove timer—to prompt

you to stop browsing at the end of your preferred period.

Del.icio.us

The place to instantly access and share all your bookmarks. Handy for finding quick

links to share. Share the links with your target audience or an industry peer you’re

hoping to impress.

Del.icio.us also gives you instant top links from the leading authority blogs.

Its “tags” and “hotlists” tabs make it especially useful.

Digg

Content-sharing, voter-based bookmarking site. Similar to Reddit, but most popular in

the United States.


Social Networks around the World

Other networks where your hidden audience might be lurking, particularly if you are not

based in the US:

Orkut. Google’s relationship-driven site. Big in India and Brazil.

Friendster. Lists itself as a gaming site, but draws the dating and socialization

crowd in the eighteen to twenty-four age range. Not prevalent in the US but huge

in the United Arab Emirates. Video-sharing is a favorite pastime.

Multiply. Sharing and shopping. People who are into only buying from friend-

referred sources are often found here. Has a slight edge in Singapore and

Malaysia.

Bebo. Similar to the above sites, it operates more as a personal blog, with profile

pages where members share content. Attracts the high-school/college

demographic. Most active in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand.

In the next section, we’ll take a look at apps and clients (social platforms) that can help

streamline and speed up your social networking.

Apps and Social Clients That Help

One of the easiest ways to cut your social networking time to less than fifteen minutes a

day involves using clients (social platforms) that allow you to post to multiple networks

at once.

Here is a look at five of the newest, best, or most reliable:

1. MobiSuite. If you spend your entire day on your Blackberry, you’ll love this app. It

allows you to:

host multiple Twitter accounts (paid versions only)

Tweet audio and video posts

display Tweet locations via map

view unread messages

save links for ReadItLater

integrate with Bitly

use your own customized background image

prepare and preview photos for Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, Reddit,

Del.icio.us, Twitpic, and other similar clients


2. Bitly.com. Free link-shortening site that allows you to monitor and track your link

views. Particularly useful for microblog posts on sites such as Twitter, where URL

length can seriously crowd the number of characters allowed in a post.

3. Post.ly. The really fast way to Tweet, post to Facebook or to any other social site.

4. HootSuite.com. Multi-function social-networking dashboard that allows you to:

update Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, all in one go

schedule prewritten posts

post via your mobile phone

track your messages

track your mentions, so you can respond quickly

customize your interface to suit your communication style

use language localization

5. TweetDeck. An Adobe AIR desktop app for managing social networking. Similar

to HootSuite, it allows you to update Twitter and Facebook simultaneously.

“Don’t Forget to Share”

I still have memories of my grandmother handing me a big bag of jellybeans and saying,

“Now, don’t forget to share. . . .” It’s like that with social networking. Not only do you

want to share links you’ve found or like, you also want people to share your posts and

Websites. So make sure you include “Share,” “Retweet,” and “Like” buttons on all your

Websites and blogs.

Make it easy to share your posts. Give people an incentive, such as powerful or

entertaining information geared to their audience, and make it easy for them to share

your content by providing one-click buttons.

And, ironically, speaking of jellybeans, this is what Tweetmeme just served up:


(This social client does provide an easy way to go viral by entertaining your audience!)

6. Invest Less Than Fifteen Minutes a DayAt Last! Your Customized Plan!

By now you should have a solid idea concerning the social networks you want to invest

in and how you want to integrate them.

Notice we’ve been pretty goal-oriented in our focus so far, in increasing your Web

presence and business reach. So now seems like a good time to remind ourselves that

social networking is, above all, social.

This doesn’t mean you have to spend precious hours entering into everyone’s pain or

chattering when you’d rather organize your desktop. Instead, it means you can use the

social-networking clients, apps, tips, and tricks we’ve talked about to finely streamline

the advancement to your goals.

One way to keep social-marketing efficient to maintain is to form a structured process.

In this section, you’ll find an easy plan to follow, one which should take less than fifteen

minutes per day.

Keep in mind, the real key to making your plan work effectively is to concentrate on

quality communication:

What your audience will be most interested in

How much, or little, your comment will help the poster (and his audience)

Whether or not your comment is really needed or wanted

Above all, avoid these three fatal mistakes:

1. Resist the urge to hastily throw out token comments and responses

2. Resist the urge to make your fifteen-minute time frame more important than your

audience. You might take a little longer to post at first, but following a format will

soon make the process speedier and easier.

3. I mentioned this one earlier, but it bears repeating. Don’t vent on social networks

in the grip of emotion. Allow yourself to calm down first, and ask yourself, “Will

anyone be edified with this? Will they empathize? Will I cast a damper on their


day? Will I come off as unprofessional or a whiner? Is it appropriate to express

this?” And, most importantly, “How could I better express this?”

Now that you have a clearer idea of how and where to network, make your own plan.

Or, follow the suggested template, which I will share with you in a moment. Remember,

a template can always be changed or tailored to your needs as you settle into a

comfortable stride with your social-networking routine.

Yes, you have a lot of good options in addition to Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. To

sum up, here are the most common tools (or platforms) that businesses use to attract

and communicate with customers and prospects.

Blogs (a very simple Website)

Microblogs (like Twitter)

Social networks (such as Facebook)

Video distribution sites such as YouTube

Video blogs (Web TV)

Podcasts (blog talk radio)

The most exciting part of my wildly popular No Hassle Social Media is that I provide you

with content that makes it quick and easy to use all of these platforms, even if you’ve

never Tweeted before! Just follow the No Hassle Social Media “Easy as 1-2-3” plan,

and you’ll be amazed at how easy and beneficial it is for your business.

Don’t Overengineer This!

Just like your customer newsletter, social media is not the place to always push content

that proves how much you know about whatever it is you do. If people sense that you’re

only there to sell, they will leave you in a hurry.


Your 15-Minute Social Networking Template

(Check off each task when complete.)

LOG ON to your favorite social networks at your predetermined optimum time of

day. (At the same time, open and use a client such as HootSuite to make the

process even faster, if all you want to do is post and respond to comments.)

Facebook 1. ___ Answer 1-3 posts that resonate with me.

2. ___ “Like” 6 Facebook posts.

3. ___ Write an original post. Share a:

___ link

___ video

___ resource

___ quote

___ personal observation

Twitter 1. ___ Scan Tweets that have occurred in the last 20 minutes.

2. ___ Comment on 1-3 Tweets that interest me.

3. ___ Check “@mention” tab and respond (either with thanks,

answers, or a comment) to any new @mentions.

4. ___ Check “Retweets” tabs. Thank anyone who has

retweeted my content.

LinkedIn 1. ___ Check inbox or connection requests.

2. ___ Respond, or (if it threatens to require a lengthy response)

acknowledge receipt and let writer know I will respond in

X hours/days.

3. ___ Mark task (promise to respond) instantly in agenda or

Day-Timer.

Other/Weekly ___ If time allows, check other social networks for content.


Okay, Jim, Where Do I Begin With Social-Media Marketing?

In my opinion, a company blog should be the main focus of your social-media marketing

campaign. Blogging has many benefits, but the main reason for regularly posting

information to your blog is to connect with customers and prospects so you can inform,

educate, and entertain them. (Remember that from above?)

Another semi-unrelated but quite beneficial point of blogging is that regularly posting to

a blog helps tons with search engine optimization (SEO). Without getting too technical

here, search engines love fresh content. So when you post new information to your

blog, the search engines keep coming back to take a look, and this helps with your

Website ranking. That’s as technical as I’ll dare to get here!

While blogging is a good strategy in and of itself, it becomes even more powerful when

you use Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to promote your blog.

Conclusion

Finally, there’s one more key element to remember. This one is so important, it’s the

only element in this entire special report that gets all capital letters:

Make your social-networking routine a DAILY HABIT. At the very worst, don’t let

yourself be absent for more than three days.

A social network is only as good as its usage. Meaning, if you don’t engage, you risk

being written off as unreliable. Or worse, you risk being forgotten.

Social networking can really pay off, if you use it well. Enjoy the tools provided here to

help you do just that.


About Jim Palmer,The Newsletter GuruJim Palmer is a marketing and business-building expert and host ofNewsletter Guru TV and Stick Like Glue Radio. He is knowninternationally as The Newsletter Guru—the go-to resource formaximizing the profitability of customer relationships. He is the founderand president of Custom Newsletters, Inc., parent company of No HassleNewsletters, No Hassle Social Media, Success Advantage Publishing,Concierge Print and Mail on Demand, Magnetic Attraction and RetentionTraining Program (MARS), and Double My Retention. Learn more about

these programs at www.GetJimPalmer.com.

Jim is the acclaimed author of:

The Magic of Newsletter Marketing – The Secret to More Profits and Customers for Life

Stick Like Glue – How to Create an Everlasting Bond with Your Customers So They

Spend More, Stay Longer, and Refer More

The Fastest Way to Higher Profits – 19 Immediate Profit-Enhancing Strategies You Can

Use Today

It’s Okay to Be Scared – But Never Give Up – A Book of Hope and Inspiration for Life

and Business

Jim was also privileged to be a featured expert in The Ultimate Success Secret, Dream, Inc., ROIMarketing Secrets Revealed, The Barefoot Executive, and Boomers in Business.

Jim Palmer speaks and gives interviews on such topics as newsletter marketing, client retention,how to build a profitable business, and how to achieve success.

Jim is a cancer survivor, has been married for thirty-two years, andhas four grown children. He lives in Chester County, Pennsylvaniawith his wife, Stephanie, their cat, Linus, and Toby, the marketingdog. Jim and Stephanie love to kayak, travel, and spend time withtheir family.

Connect with Jim on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn®, andtune into his Web TV show.

Documents

Copyright © 2012 by Custom Newsletter, Inc.tngbooksandreports.s3.amazonaws.com/successstore/grow-biz-with-social-media.pdfmarketing strategy should be part of every business owner’s