Concerning Social Media Marketing posted by Lee Green, Administrator, Group AdministratorWednesday, February 24th 2010 @ 12:15 PM (1 ratings)    post viewed 653 times

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I have gone over a few facets of social media marketing in a number of various discussions over the years, but as far as I know I’ve never done an “all-in-one” sort of report, explaining the actual differences that can be found with Social Media as well as the various ways you can leverage them.

Social Media is growing like no media has ever grown before. MySpace was one of the first mass social platforms, then Facebook, Twitter and the list goes on and on. As Internet Marketers Social Media is a comparatively new, HUGE market and opportunity, but it’s far from a secret!

Right now there are a huge number of web sites devoted to leveraging Social Media to do this, that and the other. It’s a marketing machine, but nonetheless just a tiny percentage of marketers are actually benefiting from it because almost all are actually just confused by it. This posting is my attempt at clearing up that confusion.

Let’s start off with the actual definition. Wikipedia states that:

 “Social media is content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies.”

That’s the “book” explanation, however it really all comes down to the first word “social.” Any specific website that is actually driven by user-generated information is a social media site!

With that being said, let me tell you some thing that most people do not recognize for a WHILE, which usually causes them to waste time bugging legitimate consumers and spamming those users… eventually getting their accounts suspended.

Here's a tip: There are MANY different kinds of social media websites and each one has it’s own benefits to you as an Internet Marketer. Use each type the way its supposed to be used and your business objectives will be met. Keep spamming people and everyone's businesses will be negatively impacted.

Some can be leveraged in the same fundamental way. Many provide the identical benefit if leveraged properly, but all are different!

For instance, social bookmarking sites such as Digg and Stumbleupon are best leveraged as direct exposure tools. Good, viral content which you generate can gain 1000's, even millions, of new website visitors from these sites when your site visitors bookmark them. But, you really do not go to Digg or SU to be able to build links (it’s all nofollowed) or even to be able to network.

There will be different social bookmarking web sites that will give you a followed hyperlink. In that respect there might even be a few that are great for social networking. That is where my point comes in. They are all different!

LinkedIn is actually a social site which is all about networking. Meeting many folks in your own area of interest. Making pals, which is in fact what social networking is all about!

Facebook and Twitter are handy for direct exposure and social networking. And as a side note, I suggest creating separate accounts for business and private use.

Right now there is a big problem with several social media sites and spam, most definitely Twitter. This problem comes from mixed up internet marketers who don’t understand that each web site is different.

The particular challenge is spam. But this spam is not coming via tricky, unethical scammers like the majority of spam comes from. It is coming from “newbie” Internet Marketers who are getting very broad info relating to the topic and acting on that knowledge not having any kind of real clarity.

I get direct messages on Twitter on a daily basis from people chatting like we’re best friends even though I have never spoken to them in my life. They really don't realize that Twitter (for instance) is just like real life. Use it so that you make friends, talk NORMAL to people. Get to know them, enable them…

Things like this occur on just about all of the big social sites. Every single problem is without question unique to the particular site it takes place on, but it all comes from users attempting to use a social platform in the wrong way.

And so how can I end up being different and offer a clear option? Sorry to say the best advice I can give you, or anybody can give you for that matter, is actually to look at each and every website differently!

Each time a new social media site starts to get popularity I create an account and start using it PRECISELY HOW IT’S MEANT TO BE USED. Once I know it, I then start to think of approaches in which it can benefit my business, if any.

It comes down to this. The majority of social media sites are best leveraged by making use of them EXACTLY HOW THEY’RE MEANT TO BE USED! Please do not force URL’s onto people you really don't know.

Do not bend or even break the rules of the particular sites. Just simply sign up, figure out the main objective and intention of the site and use it precisely that way.

Marketing and advertising tactics aren’t always about ads and pushy sales talk. It is also about getting contacts, expressing ideas and information, helping people realize their dreams and basically being active.

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Lee's "12 Step Cut to the Chase Online Business Blueprint" posted by Lee Green, Administrator, Group AdministratorThursday, February 18th 2010 @ 12:08 AM (not yet rated)    post viewed 619 times

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Thousands of people globally are starting an online business every day. But, sadly, over 90 percent of those new businesses will fail, simply for lack of planning, lack of training, or lack of perseverance. A 12-step program is what’s needed here to succeed.

Have you noticed how many 12-step programs are out there? Gilad’s Bodies in Motion promises to transform your body in 12 weeks.  Project Aardvark offers 12 Weeks With Geeks. And the original: The 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

No, I’m not saying you have to give up your glass of wine or overcome your ice cream addiction. But making excuses is an addiction that will never earn you a million dollars, and definitely worth breaking.

So, here’s my 12 Step Cut to the Chase Online Business Blueprint:

1. Make a plan. Put your online business idea in writing. Include a summary, an action plan, a marketing approach.  Make a business plan, even if you don’t need financing. This first step will boost your confidence in quantum leaps and add substance to any cloudy areas.

2.Make deadlines. In this world, death is certain, and the time of death is uncertain. Don’t be dead before you fulfill your dreams and goals. That’s why it’s called a deadline.

3. Build trust with integrity. Call the person you promised to call. Pay back the 20 bucks you owe, even if it’s a two-year old debt. Lose the excuses. Stop trying to peddle your wares constantly. Develop friendships, a flow of free advice and fresh ideas. Build your voice as an authority. Care, care, care.

4. Own your passion. Excitement to jump out of bed in the morning is a good gauge to tell if you’re passionate about what you’re doing. Passion gives you energy to make a plan, meet the deadline, and attract a following.

5. Run with ideas. Successful online marketers and social media mavens crush it because they believe in, and act on, what they can imagine. Write it, draw it, film it, publish it.

6. Ignore the haters. Why do your keep telling the same negative people your ideas? Why do you let them deflate your balloon?  Find positive people, and develop your inner pep squad. Stop worrying and start playing.

7. View failures as steps to success. Abraham Lincoln lost eight elections. Luther Vandross lost at the Apollo Theaters "Amateur Night" the first couple of times he tried. Perseverance breeds successful outcomes. Think of failure and success as two sides of the same coin, and winning projects will begin to emerge.

8. Listen on the Web 2.0 platform. The best problem solvers are those who know how to listen. They hear what people are looking for and provide a solution. This advice applies to the digital arena, too, with your online business.

9. Be consistent in your brand building. Customers trust the consistency of a brand. They flock to recognizable comfort and trust. If a recipe is a hit, don’t change the ingredients.

10. Develop your community thinking. A famous author noted that a "Conversational Era" is emerging from an old Broadcasting Era. Connect with like-minded thinkers. Interact with one or many communities.

11. Find the help you need. No one is a success alone. Concentrate on your strengths and outsource the rest. With all the free help found in communities, a lack of money is no excuse to hold you back. Partners playing off of each others’ strengths is a key ingredient to online success.

12. Analyze and tweak.  Keep doing the research. Use analytic tools or hire a data specialist. Review the 12 steps and produce. Keep jammin’ till your genuine.

These steps are only the beginning. Stay tuned for details on how to implement each step so you can rock the online business world.

Peace and Blessings,

Lee Green, Chairman, National Black Business Trade Association (NBBTA)

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That Google Buzz Thang ... posted by Lee Green, Administrator, Group AdministratorFriday, February 12th 2010 @ 3:55 PM (1 ratings)    post viewed 468 times

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Everyone and their momma is talking about Google Buzz huh? So yeah I felt like jumping on the bandwagon too….

Jokes aside, I believe Google Buzz might actually become something. It is tough to say who will end up using it, how they are going to use it and so on, but Google managed to accomplish at least one thing: to make the tool accessible and easy to use, thanks to the integration with Gmail.

To illustrate my point: I received a Google Wave invite early on from a friend, but never actually used it, because the setup process required more than two clicks. I just figured that I would wait and if the thing went mainstream I would start using it. So far it has not.

Google Buzz is different because with one click on my Gmail account I accessed it. After that I just needed to pimp my Google Profile a bit et voilà. If you want to follow me here is the link: http://www.google.com/profiles/nbbta.network

My first impression is that Google wanted to get a piece of the microblogging/real time web action. Hence why they adopted the “following/followers” nomenclature. It reminds me of Twitter inside Gmail at times…

One drawback I see is the interruptions and emails you get while using Gmail from people using Google Buzz. If they become too much of a hassle I might need to turn the thing off.

Have you tried it? What are you thoughts so far?

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