Fear & Loathing in Social Media - How Attitude Can Contribute To Your Success

I hear day in and day out from my clients (especially those just beginning their trek into the world of social media) that they feel overwhelmed, they don't see the point, they are frustrated, that social media and all it entails is scary. I can understand this to some extent. After all, it is new to them, and most people have an adverse reaction to change and all things new. I can't blame them, I myself am sometimes fearful of new things - there have been plenty of times when I just wanted to give up, throw in the towel and work a regular job where I could live on the surface, oblivious to change and just go with the flow. Somehow every time those feelings come up - something deeper comes rushing in immediately following the fear. There comes a knowing that I am meant for something bigger, something better - that I am here for a bigger purpose than simple customer service or administrative tasks.

It's that knowing - that inner voice that pushes me forward through the fear and onto stable ground. I think all of my clients have that same knowing. It's why they keep going past the fear and frustration and keep trying. All of us have a connection to something bigger - we know we are supposed to do something... No... BE SOMETHING that will change the world. We know that it isn't our ego that fuels our desire to BE THAT CHANGE as much as it is our ego that feeds the fear of that change we know is coming.

All that said, I wanted to take the time to write this post for the sole (or should I say SOUL) purpose of reminding you of the spiritual concept that exists in almost every path. We bring back to us the exact thing we put out. This doesn't mean if I give a sandwich to someone I'll get a sandwich back tomorrow - it means that if I give a sandwich to someone with fear in my heart that I may be giving up my last sandwich, I will sit tomorrow in fearful wonder of when I will eat again. We all know the motivational phrases that come through various spiritual teachings, but how often do we LIVE those phrases. How often do we focus directly on the how, rather than the energy, of the task no matter what that task may be? It is the energy we put forth in combination with our actions that really sets things in motion. Our energy in each action is like the Butterfly Effect creating energetic ripples that not only affect our own lives but the whole world. So my question to you is why fear? Why allow yourself to fear what social media brings? I would suggest instead that you focus on excitement and possibility or even better... on that knowing within you that pushes you forward in every other area. Focus on your divine purpose and use social media as simply an additional tool you use to change your world, so that you can change everyone else's world.

Fear breeds fear, loathing breeds loathing, frustration breeds frustration and so on and so on. Is that what you want to build as your foundation as you spread your purpose across the globe? I'd suggest that you let go of the fear and start with the things you know actually work to manifest what you want for yourself. If you put out the energy of fear in your marketing process, then you will become easily swayed from one thing to the next as you try to scrap for a piece of the pie. If you put out the energy of love & peace, it allows you to operate logically and enables you to see more clearly the steps that truly need to be taken in your process, so that you may assess what will and won't work without worry over whether or not you will waste your time. It is no surprise that the clients I mentioned who question and fear while working hard to accomplish things are just simply treading water in their business, while the ones who have taken the time to set their energies and attitudes in the beginning, as a part of the creation process for their marketing plan are moving forward at a steady pace. Which group would you rather be in? The success of the journey is entirely up to you!

4 Great Client Attraction Tips For Social Media

What is the point of social media? Does it make any sense to spend hours of your time each week online just talking to no one but yourself or broadcasting into space with no focus? I'd say no! I'm not sure about you, but I definitely don't have time to spend even one second just talking to myself - I can do that while I'm working!!!

When I first joined the social media world it was for personal connections, not just to be talking. By creating those sincere and consistent connections I created my rankings (now in the top 1% individuals in social media across the globe) and eventually a career. The point of social media is not to broadcast - it's to engage & connect in a way that is mutually beneficial for you and those you connect with.

HERE ARE 4 CLIENT ATTRACTION TIPS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA:

ADD VALUE
It is important that you add value to the lives of those who read your posts and come in contact with. You know just like I do, that the world is a busy place - much too busy for us to spend time on something that isn't adding value and benefiting us in some way. Make sure that what you share adds value without cost to your customers at least 80% of the time and then make sure that whatever you sell to them the other 20% of the time is also something of value.

NETWORK
Reach out to your customers and connections. Do not just broadcast all your promotions and views to the world without interactions and reaching out. Spend a little time each week looking at what others post (even sharing it when it's relevant to your niche), comment on their posts or just say hello or happy birthday on their wall in a sincere way. Re-Tweet what others are posting on Twitter (when it will benefit your target niche), reply to great tweets posted by others & interact with those who Re-Tweet your stuff. Make true and sincere contact with people you meet just as you would if you were at a physical networking event. No one likes a narcissist or a wall-flower at a networking event and that is just what social media is - A 24/7 online global networking event. Find your niche and get to networking!!

HELP
When your customers, contacts, potential customers ask for help, do what you can. Do you have advice? Perhaps you have a connection you could put them in contact with who can help them. Zappos is a perfect example of this - they make millions of dollars online and have only increased that income after they began helping their customers locate products online that they themselves do not even sell. Their customer service reps take turns sitting at the help desk making sure to answer questions pointing their customers and followers to companies that can help them. It's just a simple, sincere approach to helping their customers & potential customers that establishes them as someone everyone can trust who isn't too busy worshiping the all mighty dollar to help someone out without expectation now and then. The same thing can work for you if you just spend a bit of time helping when you can.

USE KEYWORDS IN YOUR CONTENT
When posting online whether it be on your website, your blog, your YouTube channel, FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn or any other social media or online forum, make sure to use keywords in your content. By keywords, I don't just mean keywords that will be relevant to your particular target niche, but keywords that have been tested to show results online. There are simple searches you can do to figure out which keywords may work best for what you are trying to say & they are free via Google. Use the tools at Google to improve your keywords every chance you get. My personal preference is to write my content first and then use the keyword tool at Google to tweak my words and change them here and there for better effect.

These are some great tools to assist you in your process of reaching your customers and potential customers in the online social media forums and to assist you in bringing them home to your email lists in a way that will be beneficial to both you as an individual as well as your financial stability. Be sure to email me or contact me via my brand new Fan Page if you have any questions. I'd be happy to help answer them, research them and give any assistance possible.

Social Media And Customer Engagement

When considering social media and customer engagement there are a multitude of factors to consider, but in general the three most important things are sincerity, frequency & relevance.

We've already covered in past newsletters how important it is to make sure at least 80% of what you post online will add value to the lives of those reading your posts without directly selling them something. We've also covered how the majority of what you post needs to be relevant and applicable to your niche, while at the same time working to establish you as an expert in that niche. These are important things to remember with regards to posting and are almost equally important with regard to engagement of your customers and potential customers. Customer engagement is the bread and butter of online marketing these days and requires not only consistent participation from your customers/potential customers, but also, your consistent and sincere interaction with them.

THREE TOP CONSIDERATIONS IN ONLINE CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT:

• SINCERITY - All things posted by you or your employees/representatives must be sincere. Not only does this make sense on a human and spiritual level (you are a spiritual entrepreneur after all), but also on a marketing level. The buying trends in the last few years have grown toward relationships involving trust and away from those which do not. This is why brands must actively, directly and sincerely engage with their customers. Not only must you establish yourself as a sincere and trustworthy expert to your current customers, but you must also do this with your potential ones. Statistics show that over 60% of buyers won't buy without a testimonial from someone they trust and that number is steadily growing day by day. You have no choice but to build trust online - whether that be with current customers or potential ones - it's a fate that you cannot escape if you wish to make it in business.

• FREQUENCY - In order to successfully reach and engage with your customers/potential customers, you must be there consistently communicating with them (notice I said WITH them not to them - engagement is a two way street). It is important to remember that with online marketing the market is expanded worldwide so you are reaching people on a global scale. This means that you must be aware of the fact that there are potential customers to reach 24/7. That said, I would suggest that you post to your FaceBook fanpage at least 4 times each day, that you blog at least 2 times per week (if not more), that you post to twitter at least 20-25 times each day, that you post/interact on a LinkedIn group at least 2 times weekly & that (if/when applicable) you post on YouTube a minimum of once monthly if not more. If that sounds a little overwhelming, don't worry, there are a multitude of free tools you can use that will assist you in auto-posting so you can work, sleep and live while your social media is running in the background. I will likely post about those in the future, but if you'd like to set an appointment to go over some of these feel free to email me.

• RELEVANCE - We all have a plethora of interests and therefore it's easy to want to share things about all of them. In online marketing, however, this is not a sensible thing to do. The key in your online forums is to have as targeted an audience as possible to increase your email lists and customers. This cannot be done if you post about random things every day that don't relate to your particular niche. Keep that in mind when you are sharing links and updates or liking/favoriting things online. It is fine to post things that may be political or controversial if you are a spiritual entrepreneur, or to post products you use, books you read, articles you are interested in etc. - but just keep in mind that all these things need to fit into two categories: A - they must be relevant to your niche while providing something of value they can use & B - They must not compete with your business in any way.

These three points should help you in establishing your presence online, being consistent in your marketing focuses and processes & engaging customers in your target niche. Be sure to email me via the contact link when viewing my full profile or ask a question on my brand new Fan page if you'd like to know more.

The Blah Blah Blah of Online Sales

How many times have you been sitting at dinner when the phone rings and you pick it up only to hear a sales pitch being blasted in your ear? We all know how it starts - the peppy introduction, the insincere "how are you doing?", the lame "I'm a regular guy just like you" joke and then..... THE PITCH. What do we do? We keep telling them no - do they listen? NO. They keep going and going and going & eventually you simply tune them out until you find the opportunity for another no and a take me off your list.

I remember seeing the cartoon below in a book when I was a kid and thinking "that's how I feel when my dad is talking to me". This all too familiar scene is the same whether it's a parent and his teenage daughter or a person in an online social media platform trying to convince everyone to purchase their product. Keep this in mind when you are about to pitch something and remember that no one wants to hear sales language whether on the phone or when they're reading it online.



What is sales language?... Simple - It's any language that includes a pitch of some sort - sales, marketing, campaigns, verticals, leveraging etc. These are all examples of things that use sales language. Sales language generally serves only to alienate your potential customer rather than actually sell them, & the only time it really succeeds in this day and age, is when the net is cast so wide that it simply can't help but to scoop up a few fish as a default of the numbers game. We all have an inner lie detector that goes on immediately when we know we are being pitched to, that has us seeking out the thing within the pitch that makes it too good to be true. When that "too good to be true-o-meter" goes off (which happens quickly) you've lost your audience, and have become just like that time share salesman who looks up after talking for 2 hours, only to realize that no one is in the room and he's been talking to the dust mites.

Just remember, online marketing in social media is all about engagement, interaction and value. Those things don't come from you posting your events, products and services out the wazoo on your pages, and they surely don't come from you blocking people from commenting or posting on those same pages. Your level of interaction and sincere engagement with your potential customers about things of value related to your niche, is going to be directly reflective of your level of success with social media marketing.

Always remember that the person who posts their own views without interaction with others, or the person who's only emails to people are about their own products, events and services is no different than the telemarketer with the lame joke on the end of your phone during dinner. Just like you tune that telemarketer out - your followers and friends will do the same to you - that's why FaceBook has the option to hide people from your news feed and many other platforms have similar capabilities. Don't be deluded into thinking that because you are posting everyone is reading what you have to say. If you are just posting sales lingo posts and/or are blocking people from engaging your page, you're most likely like the time share salesman who looks up to find he's talking to the air because I can guarantee you that most people are simply hiding your posts from their view.

Thinking Outside The Box - Attraction Marketing

When most of us think of marketing, we think of standard methods, thinking and techniques. We've been conditioned to think this way like Pavlov's dogs. We have to consider, though, whether or not these techniques are in line with what it is we truly are. Are these techniques in line with who we are, what we believe, our purpose, or what we envision the world becoming?

I was lucky when I began my foray into the world of social media because I didn't begin my journey for the purpose of marketing. I was merely seeking a place in the world. That purpose is the reason that I came to understand that the market for something to believe in is infinite and social media is where the human race is going to find their connection, their something to believe in, their hope. The internet is to some extent, today's way of rebuilding the Tower of Babel, a way to connect, a way to seek unity, a tangible recognition of humanity as one, and this social connection puts an extremely high value on engagement, trust, sincerity and testimonials from those in their network who exude those traits. These are the reasons we now have to begin thinking out of the box in our marketing techniques & the reasons I believe that Spiritual Entrepreneurs have the biggest potential to make change (& dollars) on the internet.

As a Spiritual Entrepreneur, you are already thinking outside the box on most levels. What you believe your intent and purpose in the world to be, is completely out of the standard box. Most Spiritual Entrepreneurs want to connect with people at a heart, mind and soul level rather than just approaching people from the standard position of fear and scarcity. You know that what people are looking for is hope, or at least if you don't know that is what they are seeking, you know it's what they need. People want something to believe in, they want hope, they want unity, they want to belong to something bigger than themselves, they want to be happy and to live lives of purpose, and you understand that. You yourself are striving for the same thing. Those desires and connection to a bigger purpose are what makes you a good friend, a good leader, a good teacher etc. Those traits that make you good in those areas are the same exact traits you need to be displaying online.

Think of your online connections on the same level you think of your friends, your family, your students etc. The point is, that if you think of them in this way, you will be sincere with them and you will share with them, give them advice, help them with whatever you can, share stories with them regarding things that have improved your quality of life etc. This is what we do with our friends and it is no different with our online connections. It is true that many of them may not actually be your friends, but that doesn't mean that you can't share with them as if they are. I don't mean tell them your private business or give them your home number and address - I mean be sincere, sell to them only 1% more than you sell to your real friends when you go out to dinner or coffee. Establish yourself in their hearts as a sincere, trustworthy and knowledgeable expert in your niche who is willing to share not just a bit of your time, but the truest essence of who you are.

Use social media to connect to the integrity of the human race & mirror it back to those you connect with online in a way that allows their spirits to be renewed.

Nothing Comes From Nothing

Last week I put out a post that was all about good things coming to those who wait. What does that mean? Do we have to do anything? Should I just sit around on FaceBook watching and waiting for someone to justify my presence? If what you put out comes back to you & good things come to those who wait and nothing comes from nothing then what the heck can I expect?

When I first started in social media, I created an account on all the various forums and then sat there wondering what to do next. At first my friends and family located me and friended/followed me and then that was about it. At some point (after observing what the other monkeys in the forest were doing) I started talking about whatever it was that I was thinking. I began speaking about what was important and then the people who cared about the same things came around to have discussions about it all. At that point I had created a following and a ranking but it was merely a presence. I had to do a lot more talking and a lot more believing and a lot more talking about what exactly it was I believed before anything monetary came of it and even that took 2-3 years. So you see, good things do come to those who wait, but there's something to be said about waiting for a response rather than waiting for a savior. We are all the savior we've been looking for - our savior exists within us and what we put out comes back. So let's discuss what you're putting out there into the social media universe.

MOST IMPORTANT - you must have & be actively working, a defined social media plan/strategy that defines your target audience, places you in the appropriate social media platform in which to reach that audience, gives you insight to the key topics that audience cares about & how they want to hear about it, and that enables you to have a timeline of what should be going out... and when.

INTERACTION - after putting your social media strategy into action the second most important thing, is your interaction with your target audience. Your inputs, comments and advice to your target audience are what is going to draw them in over time, in turn leading to increased conversations, added value and the eventual request for services.

If you're looking for a quick win - rethink why you're using social media. There's an old, but well known, saying in the urban community "don't start nothing, won't be nothing" and that saying however lacking in grammar, makes its point perfectly. Work your social media platforms with a defined strategy and good things will come.

Because I'm addicted to smiles and fun, I'll end this post with a video link to Billy Preston singing Nothing From Nothing - perhaps you remember it (if you're as old or older than I) or perhaps you can have a listen to something old but new to you, and have something to bop your head over while sitting at your computer wondering about your social media plan.

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

We all want our products and services to just fly off the shelves as people from all around visit our website seeking just what it is we have to offer. Is that what is happening for you? Probably not. Regardless whether or not you're using standard marketing, social media marketing or a combination of both there is generally a time gap between the marketing and the sale. So just how long does social media marketing take for you to see a return on your investment (ROI)?

For me, it took at least 2-3 years before I ever made any money worth mentioning via social media. That time frame isn't necessarily the standard for every person or product but it is a good time frame to keep in mind. Just last week, I listened to/watched two separate social media webinars. One of them was hosted by HubSpot and the other by David Riklan of SelfGrowth.com . Both of these people/groups are very well known and both of them referenced how both the general social media statistics as well as their own experience don't show a significant profit from social media until around the 3 year mark. Why is that? Part of the reason for that is because there is almost always a learning curve & the other part is because social media is a different kind of marketing than other marketing routes. So what is the reason for a person to make a go at social media?

First - everyone is moving toward social media and all of the experts are predicting that any company that is not consistently doing a portion of their marketing on social media within the next 5 years will not be lasting.

Second - social media is a perfect, tangible symbol of the spiritual concept of how we are all connected. I believe that all people are seeking that deeper connection and that quest to find a deeper connection is what pulls them toward social media like an moth to a light.

Third - Social media provides a lower cost of sale. With a properly functioning plan being put into effect, social media can be very cost effective in comparison to the cost of standard marketing. Whether you do your marketing on your own, hire a full time employee to take care of it all for you or hire an outside company, you are still spending less money than you would on comparable standard marketing endeavors.

Fourth - Social media provides you with the opportunity for longer client retention. In social media marketing, you are literally creating a relationship with your customers/potential customers and it is relationships in combination with a good product that creates loyalty in the hearts and minds of those customers. Social media is all about a personal, trust-based business relationship & it creates a feeling between the business and the client that is much like the small mom & pop shop where the owners knew everyone who came in & were willing to help them with much more than a simple sale.

That relationship and that connection is what social media is all about, it's what makes social media work, it's what attracts your customers and potential customers to it like moths to flames. In fact, even if marketing and making money are not the focus, I don't believe it makes sense for the spiritual community to not connect and inspire the world via social media. The general spiritual community believes that there is a deeper connection that unites us all & the world is seeking that connection through social media..... so why not you?

I'd like to share another video with you - This one was shared with me by one of you who receives my newsletter and it happens to go perfectly in line with the video you already watched in the article above. Where do you fall on the bell curve?

6 Great Ideas For Sharing Value Without Selling

You've heard and read again and again all about how social media is about being SOCIAL, creating trust & nurturing relationships with soft leads that with proper care will one day become solid leads for your business. The question is just how do you do that?

I've scanned the internet looking for ideas and clues of how other, already successful, companies and individuals are managing to do just that. Here are 6 great examples and/or ideas:

1 - Help your customers and followers find things they need

Zappos is one of the most successful online companies out there in the land of social media. This company provides a long list of products for their customers ranging from shoes (one of their most popular items) to eye-wear and accessories. Zappos doesn't spend all of their time using their sales force to push products. In fact, they spend significant amounts of time actually looking for products they don't even stock - despite the fact that they make no money from it. They have an approach to customer service that actually helps them build customer appreciation and trust in their brand, and they realize that the power of social media allows for disgruntled customers to reach millions on a global scale and effect their buying patterns in turn effecting the Zappos bottom line. They have a long term strategy of transparency and sharing with their customer that successfully nurtures the relationship and significantly increases the potential for a future sale as opposed to focusing on the immediate.

2 - Help your customers expand the use of their products

Pottery Barn has a YouTube channel where they focus on great ideas for how their customers can use their products (& sometimes the products of others). On their channel, they focus on how-to's for party planning, they feature designer profiles & products, they give advice and actually create/build/share a story beyond the products. These strategies of sharing beyond just what products they have available are serving to build a great relationship with their customers.

3 - Help your customers with tech support

Boingo uses their social media presence for the purpose of tech support, customer engagement and community building. They use a plethora of mediums from Facebook & Twitter to LinkedIn & Flickr to engage with their customers. They are transparent in their communications with customers, and their reps are right up front on the profile with their names and faces to add a personal touch. They spend time on Twitter scanning for customers who make comments about their brand and they immediately address and assist whatever is said in real time. They use their FaceBook page to troubleshoot with customers and though they do share company and product posts, the majority of their posts are relevant links, videos, discussions and questions that are of interest to their customers without an attempt to sell. They are there to help not to sell & that assistance creates the potential for both future sales and long term customer retention.

4 - Post materials relevant to your client's niche

Obviously, your niche is whoever your client or potential client happens to be, but what is your client's niche? Generally, if you take some time considering your client's niche you can post things relevant to them without any issue. For example, if you are a Pilates instructor, your clients are likely interested in fitness, they are likely women that fall into a specific age range etc. That niche would be interested in anything that would assist them in balancing their hectic schedules while still nurturing their ability to enhance their physical abilities. Highlighting vitamins & nutrients or recipes for healthy meals are a great way to add value to their lives and nurture your relationship with them. This is just one example but there's a plethora of ideas that will apply to your clients.

5 - Consider connecting your ideal client with contacts in your network that might benefit their business.

In your industry you have come across multiple contacts of value. Why not connect those valuable contacts with your customers and potential customers? Most people have a plethora of clients, potential clients and contacts who are not in direct competition with their business. With the economy the way it is, it would be a blessing to any one of them to get more business, not to mention the value you would add to the lives of your followers by connecting them with people of integrity who can serve their needs. Highlight some of your best clients and contacts in your newsletter or on your social media forums now and then. Everyone will be grateful for your willingness to share.

6 - Connect your followers to useful content across the web.

Science has proven that the sharing of good news and transformational stories actually inspires people to be better. It seems inspiring people to be better and in turn improving the world is one of the primary focuses of any spiritually tuned-in individual. That said, it only makes sense to share stories of inspiration and good news with your email list and social media forums. Share stories that inspire & then ask questions that prompt your followers to make changes in both their lives and the world. Share your own stories of inspiration. Write a blog or article about something that inspires you. By inspiring your followers, you improve their lives. There are sites such as DailyGood out there that focus purely on good news where you can find all sorts of great things to share. Ode Magazine is another great source for positive information. I say while we're all holding positive space for the transforming of the world we may as well create some positivity while we're standing there!! Bring Sunshine, Joy, Happiness & Love to your community.

Your Secret To Social Media Success

No matter what you are posting or where you are posting it, 80% of your online posts should be adding value to the life of the reader without selling to them. Think about it... We've all got someone in our FaceBook or Twitter feed who speaks of nothing but whatever it is they are selling. Social media is about relationships of value. That is something that every Spiritual Entrepreneur should understand isn't it? Who better to understand the value in relationships with others but someone who is deeply in tune to spiritual concepts? I can't think of any spiritual practice that doesn't talk about loving others in some way shape or form. Who feels love from someone always talking AT them rather than TO them?

When I first began spending time in the land of social media I spoke about what I cared about & paid attention to the same, but no matter what, I always took time to connect with people in some way. I always made sure to know who I was speaking to and how our interests were similar. By doing this, I began to form relationships and I began to connect with people about things that were relevant to them. By simply making connections relevant to what I was doing and what I cared about, I raised my ranking in social media to the top 4% worldwide never once attempting to sell a thing! Now I have formed a multitude of wonderful and sincere relationships with people who have come to know me in a way that allows them to trust what I say in particular areas. What do people value more than trust? There are, of course, a few things but not many.

Social media is about providing value to people who you are speaking to or interacting with. The wide availability of internet connections combined with the sincere and real connections people make with friends from all countries and generations has created an unlimited resource for your potential customer. Most everyone on the internet now has a connection to someone (if not multiple people) who can give them a testimonial or opinion on whatever it is you're selling, and most of them are going to put the most weight with the person they trust the most. Not many people trust someone who is merely there to sell them something when their other option is someone with whom they've spent time forming a trusting relationship with. That is what social media is all about... CONNECTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS & TRUST.

YOU are the first thing of value that your potential customer needs to have access to, and the best way to provide that access, is to let them know you care by giving them something of value that will improve their life in some way.

I believe you are the perfect person to share what you value with the world, don't you? As you know, people in the spiritual community seem more aware than most, of the concept of providing something to others that is truly of value in that it gives people access to something that empowers them or brings them closer to the Divine. We in the spiritual community know all about bringing value to the collective. And we frequently tend to focus on whatever level of understanding we may have of the balance between paying our bills, and enabling humanity to achieve a level of awakening that will bring them closer to the higher power as we see it. We've all heard &/or participated in conversations about how to achieve this balance & where the line in the sand should be drawn with regard to what should and shouldn't be charged for with when it comes to spiritual awakening. It is for that reason that I believe the spiritual community has the most significant potential to use social media successfully. Share with others what it is you care about and before you know it you'll be ranked higher than you can imagine in your niche on whatever social media forums in which you spend your time. We all know that those things which are the most truly and deeply valuable things on earth cost us our time not our dime.

So get out there and start sharing that which is most valuable to the world and give the gift that is nothing short of divinely created.... YOU!

Top 10 Mistakes In Social Media Marketing

On your journey toward increasing your social media activities and effectiveness, it is important to remember a few significant things.

THE MOST IMPORTANT thing a person needs to do with regard to using social media, is to create a marketing plan for their business that is specific to social media marketing. Without a plan you may do fine for a while, but eventually you will plateau and wonder why it's not working in the way that you've seen or heard it work for others. If you aren't familiar with exactly how to create a Social Media Marketing plan or what it entails then you're best bet is to contact a consultant to get started. Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.

EQUALLY IMPORTANT, is establishing your online presence. Create your accounts in the top 4 social media forums, set up an appropriate bio and profile for those mediums, make sure all of your current followers, customers, clients and friends know where they can find you & then begin engaging and nurturing your community. Whatever you do, don't just create accounts and then start blurting out announcements.

The top 10 mistakes made by people in social media marketing:

1 - Creating profiles & bios that don't match the purpose of that particular social media platform.
(Each site has a focus - some are B2B, some are more socially engaging etc. Know the purpose of the social media platform you've joined and know the second layer - which is your purpose in being on that platform.)

2 - Creating accounts without complete profile and bio.
(No one who is a valid or firm contact will follow people they know nothing about. You could get millions of followers, but how many of them will be viable is dependent on how viable you appear to be yourself)

3 - Creating accounts, profiles, bio etc. and then failing to properly & sincerely engage the community.
(There's nothing worse than someone who is on a social media platform who seems to have forgotten that the first word is SOCIAL for a reason. Make sure you communicate with all of your community not just your favorite people or the ones you know best)

4 - Blocking access for comments, wall posts, responses etc.
(There's a reason the word SOCIAL is at the beginning of the phrase "social media marketing." By blocking your community from posting on your wall or making comments you are failing to accomplish what you set out to do. The lazy way of social media where you are the only one talking, no one is able to write on your wall, people are restricted from commenting etc. will only serve to make you look as if you are either too lazy to monitor your page directly or too narcissistic for your own good.)

5 - Covering topics in the feed that are all about you.
(No one likes a narcissist. 80% of what you cover should be something of value to the community without selling your own services or products. People want to follow experts, movers and shakers, like minded & positive individuals - not sales puppets & spammers. Social media is about building relationships & if you're not willing to do that then perhaps something like billboard advertising & paid internet ads are more your speed.)

6 - Infrequent posts and comments.
(Social media is about communication & staying in the minds of your community. You can't do that if you're only posting once a week, especially considering that there is an impression being made in online social media once very 12 seconds. With millions of people to follow and something new every 12 seconds, no one will bat an eye at your weekly posts.)

7 - Creating a presence and engaging a community without a logical plan.
(You're building community and making connections and people are beginning to recognize how great a person you are thanks to your immense sincerity. Now, after all this nurturing, they are ready to ask you/for you to tell them what it is they need from you. Where will you be sending them? Why? Do you have a specific social media campaign going on or have you just been willy-nilly posting your events and information? If you have a focused purpose and a detailed schedule to govern each move you make - then there will never be that limbo where people are lost due to your inability to lead them where they need to go next.)

8 - Paid or Forced Crisis Brand Management
(When Taco Bell has suspect materials in their foods or BP pours their oil across American shorelines killing millions of living creatures, their smartest move was not to pay for social media advertising in attempt to propagandize their image back to a positive state. The social media community is very unforgiving to those who create things so fubar as these guys have, and they don't react well to force-fed social media campaigns. The place for crisis brand management in social media is the one on one, direct and sincere interaction & if that is not possible then the next choice is television, radio & billboards.)

9 - Not knowing where to draw the line with personal vs. business.
(Using a personal page to post mainly business information is a mistake. Keep your personal page personal and direct your customer base & followers to your fan pages and business pages for business specific information. This is not necessarily something you need to do 100% of the time, but it should be 80-90% at least. Using your personal page for business any significant amount of the time indicates either a lack of information or a tad bit of fear & desperation that you won't be able to reach your audience without holding them captive on your personal page.)

10 - Not quickly & immediately responding to negative comments via your social media pages.
(Everyone knows that social media is the perfect platform for us to air our grievances with a business or product. The world has become a place where we all like testimonials before we officially decide to purchase a product or service. We all want to know what experiences our peers have had with the same products or businesses & true or not a negative comment can be devastating to a small business. There should never be a time where a negative comment sits on your page unanswered or is simply deleted without response. It is your job to make sure that those who feel negatively about your business are addressed quickly, responsibly & with grace. In social media, a negative commenter will become a loyal follower when you address them respectfully without fear or hiding & you guide them to communicate more directly with you via email or phone. Always make sure the comment thread can be followed by other readers in a way that shows you are respectful and willing to give immediate & quality resolutions.)

Good luck on your quest toward a smoothly running social media system for your business & be sure to let me know if you have any questions.

Do You Have Presence?

Establishing an online social media presence involves much more than simply being a warm body or a signpost where your ideas are presented to the world. Granted being physically present is, of course, the first step, but what comes after that?

Working directly with successful spiritual entrepreneurs on their social media campaigns for some time, has enabled me to come to an understanding that being present is much more than just simply existing. Being present is existing in a way that allows our most divine self to literally be a precious gift to others. Spiritual Entrepreneurs don't simply exist - we exist to change the world - and there's no getting around the fact that living on the surface of being present isn't going to serve to create the change we all desire.

Though we all as Spiritual Entrepreneurs know that we existed long before we became beings of flesh, we are also aware that there is a divine purpose to us being present on a physical level. It is much the same with social media. You and your ideas have always existed in their divine purpose, but now it's time for you to become physically present in the online social communities where you can really make a difference and live your purpose more fully. There are four main forums where you should establish your initial presence with social media.

FaceBook - Your focus here is mostly on direct engagement

Twitter - Your focus here is engagement & informational

LinkedIn - Your focus here is professional & Business 2 Business

YouTube - Your focus here is video marketing & promotions

In addition to these four forums, you will also want to establish a presence for yourself via a website as well as a blog if you haven't already done so.

Now that you know where you need to be - go out and establish yourself on the forums listed above. Create your accounts (They're all free). Spend some time setting up your profiles, biography & privacy settings making sure to keep in mind what the main focus of each site is. Let everyone know where they can find you. Always remember, social media is the same as life, in that you cannot help others if you are not completely aware of how to take care of yourself - so make sure you have a plan & then get started living more physically into your divine purpose!

Those Who Fail To Plan, Plan To Fail

The most Important part of getting started as a business in social media is your social media marketing plan. All too frequently, that is also the least paid attention to item on the list of things to do for a business getting started in the virtual world.

A social media marketing plan accomplishes a plethora of tasks ranging from understanding your own business skills and purpose in more depth, to discovering what is and isn't realistic about your goals, and most importantly, to understanding your target audience and customers. Without a thorough social media marketing plan and a person to put each step into action on time, you won't be successful at much more than simply establishing a presence.

At some point without a proper social media marketing plan your marketing efforts in the online social world will plateau and you will be left to wonder if your skills in manifestation are what you thought they were.

A social media marketing plan is a bit different than a standard marketing plan in that it is, in many cases, much more detailed and it is perpetually adjusting to the changing scenery in the virtual world. Additionally, whereas the focus with a traditional marketing plan is on the hard sell/lead, the social media marketing plan focuses much more heavily on the soft sell/lead and long term customer retention and relationships.

If you are considering beginning a social media campaign for your next promotion, sale or event make sure you know what a social media marketing plan consists of and what is entailed in following through on it. If you're not sure exactly what is to be included in your marketing plan, whether it is how many tweets per day, how many blog posts per week, article posts per month, press releases per month etc. then you will most benefit from contacting a social media consultant to help get you started.

I hope this post has helped you to gather at least an idea of the importance of getting a proper social media marketing plan before starting your quest into the virtual world. If you feel confident that all is in balance with your plan and you are ready to take action, then by all means get going, but if you're still a bit unsure please feel free to contact me to set up a consultation.