Archive for the ‘Following Up’ Category
At this point, most people have heard of social networking sites such as Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, and a host of other sites. They have been accepted as a great way to connect with friends and as a business networking platform. But if you want to use social networking sites to propel your business to the next level, your best bet is a lesser known site called LinkedIn. It’s a social networking site that is designed just for business-minded individuals like you who don’t want to be bothered with all the useless frills and apps that come with other networking sites.
Taking Care of Business
Not only is LinkedIn preferable for business users because you don’t have to worry about all the junk, but you also don’t have to worry about all the people that are not relevant to your business. It may be a smaller site, but when it comes to your business contacts and clients, quality is far more important than quantity. Plus, if people are talking to you through LinkedIn, they’re more likely to think you’re a quality contact too. If you’re starting a viral marketing campaign, LinkedIn can be just the ticket you need to get things going. The best viral products work on already existing networks. LinkedIn is a great network to start your campaign on, especially if your products serve people in business rather than the general public.
Search Engine Happiness
LinkedIn can help get you noticed on search engines. These pages actually get pretty high SEO rankings, so taking advantage of that can put you at the top of search engines. When you sign up on LinkedIn, use a name based on your own name, or even keywords that pertain to your business. That way, if someone searches that term, your page will come up.
Find Customers
If your clients are regular everyday people, then you might not have huge success using LinkedIn to find customers. But if you cater to people who are in business themselves, then this network is a great place to find new customers. Just check your contact’s networks for people that might be interested in your services and send them a message or a contact request. Just try not to compete with the contacts you’re finding them through; that’s likely to lose you more clients than you make.
Manage Customer Relationships
In today’s market, customer service is key, particularly if you do business online. If you don’t provide people with the kind of relationship they want, they can find ten other people who are willing to. LinkedIn is a great way to communicate with your customers and help keep them happy. If they’re happy, you’ll not only keep their business, but they may just recommend it to their friends and business associates.
Promoting Your Business
When using social networks to promote your business, it helps to only use one or two instead of spreading yourself too thin. If you only pick one, LinkedIn is a great choice.
Deanna Maio, Business Coach & Consultant, teaches women business owners how to attract more clients, make more sales, stop wasting time, and create a business that acts as a vehicle for living the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to increase your income and client base in your business, visit http://www.savvygals.com/
As an entrepreneur you may hear a lot about networking and wonder what all the hubbub is about. Networking, both online and off, is a wonderful way to build connections in your industry. It's a terrific way to increase awareness, build your customer base and ultimately boost your profits. However, you probably know that already. What you may not know is that networking is also a wonderful way to motivate yourself.
Impress Them
Networking pushes you to be at your absolute best. If you’re putting forth the effort to network, you’ll want to stand out. So when you communicate with the public, strive to make your first impression peerless, by being ready, willing and able to give them an informative and inspirational pitch about your business.
Connections Count
You never know where you'll meet your next business partner, a superior customer or one of those coveted 'Paul Revere type' of individuals who spreads news faster than CNN. If you meet a 'Paul Revere' and can get them excited about your business, you’ve just launched your business into a whole new arena.
Moves You Forward
Because networking is usually a scheduled event, it accomplishes two things. It drives you to prepare before you head to the website or event. And it pushes you too put some serious thought into how you present yourself both online and off. Networking forces you to think about your business, where it’s going, what your future plans are, and how you want to be perceived.
Ideas Ignited
For most people, networking with other successful people sparks their competitive spirit. We see other successful people and think, “If they can do that, so can I.” We hear great ideas, product launches, marketing tactics and business strategies and we think, “How can I do this too? Hearing the stories of others is very motivating!
Mindset Shifts
Finally, networking both online and off (though online networking can be done in your pajamas with unruly hair and un-brushed teeth) makes us feel and act more professionally. For the most part, the simple act of being a professional makes us feel more professional. We start to feel less like a person who works at home in their pajamas and more like a business person, a CEO, and most importantly, a successful entrepreneur.
Deanna Maio, Business Coach & Consultant, teaches women business owners how to attract more clients, make more sales, stop wasting time, and create a business that acts as a vehicle for living the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to increase your income and client base in your business, visit http://www.savvygals.com/
