May 20, 2012

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Can a Blog Help Your Business?

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If you have an established business or if you’re building a new business, online or offline, you are probably asking yourself if your business needs a blog. The short answer to that question is of course – no.

However, if you ask yourself if a blog can help get exposure for your business? The answer here is a resounding, YES!!

A blog, whether business or personal, can help you:

  • Build a community of like-minded people
  • Connect with your readers
  • Establish yourself as an expert
  • Increase awareness and exposure for your business or cause
  • Optimize your website
  • Add value and new content constantly (very important for SEO)
  • Develop a personal marketing plan
  • Educate, inform, and provide value to your target audience
  • Profit from affiliate or ad sales

Are you trying to decide, Blog vs. Website? Because blogs are so much easier to use, they are often preferred by new entrepreneurs and small business owners. However, even experienced business owners and entrepreneurs choose blogs over traditional websites mainly because search engines LOVE them!

Sporting the capability to look just like a ‘regular’ website, with everything from static pages, forms, advertising, custom headers & graphics, etc. WordPress blogs are irresistible to many! They offer so much flexibility, versatility and ease… including all of the basics and SO MUCH MORE!

So do you NEED a blog? Well, I’ll have to say no… But, will a blog help you catapult your business to a new level? My answer is a resounding, YES!

If you would like to talk with me about what your blogging options are, please Contact Me. I will be glad to share a few ideas with you!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Where Did all My Friends Go? Your Facebook Feed

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Have you been wondering why your friend's feeds have seemed to disappear on Facebook?

One of the main changes in facebook during their recent overhaul effected how your feeds are updated! In a nutshell, by default your feed is pulling from your friends that you interact with the most. All of the others are left out! This to a certain degree overrides why most of us use Facebook, especially if you are an internet marketer or use facebook to keep in touch with people.

I, personally, recommend that you go into your feed settings and change this to make sure you keep up with all of your friends and pages. Whether you are a casual facebook user or you use facebook for your business, you never know when someone will post something that is of value to you… Even if  you do not interact with them on a frequent basis!

Changing your feed options is very easy, just follow these few steps:

  1. Log into your Facebook.
  2. Go to your News Feed.
  3. Click on "Most Recent".
  4. Click the dropdown arrow next to "Most Recent" in the upper right side of your feed.
  5. Click "Edit Options".
  6. Choose "All of your friends and pages" from the dropdown menu.
  7. Click "Save"

Once you have saved these settings you should start receiving everyone's posts via your news feed! Taking the time to set up your facebook is very important. Everything from who you show what down to what personal information facebook can share is editable! I will be covering your privacy and other facebook settings in the next few posts. Your facebook settings are really completely up to you, however… by default a lot of your personal information is getting shared! So, be sure to stay up to date on any changes that come along and double check your setting periodically because as changes are made, settings do get changed as well!!

Filed Under: Facebook, Social Media

Social Media- Why you need it, how you can get it!

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Have you been holding back from joining the world of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or any of the other social media platforms out there because when you look at it you feel completely lost, confused and overwhelmed. They expect you to create an account, set up a profile, upload pictures, find friends and followers and even post relevant content to these sites! Figuring out how to set up these accounts and use them effectively in your marketing strategy can be a huge nightmare for many of you. If you find yourself in this predicament… choosing to forfeit your exposure through social media simply because you do not know where to start… There is hope for you! Take a look at how a virtual assistant can help you take the plunge into Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn…

Your Virtual Assistant can take care of the whole process for you:

  1. Set up an account with each social media platform; inclucing your picture, bio and appropriate information.
  2. Connect each of your social media platforms to automate a constant flow of updated content through each.
  3. Search for and secure relevant people and colleagues within your target market in your field of expertise.
  4. Keep your content flowing by submitting tips, quotes and other content to each site regularly.

Networking and keeping your name out there for your target audience will be so easy once these steps are taken care of by your virtual assistant. Building leads and developing trust with your followers is the key to building a credible relationship with potential business prospects will catapult your business faster than any other marketing method!

It is up to you to develop the "essential" part, which is the Know, Like, Trust Factor. Taking the time to get out there and be social, share the real you and most of all…. ENJOY it! Social media  is the easiest way to reach your potential prospects and leads! It is all about getting to know what people in your market are looking for and HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM! 

So, you can't afford to not be in the loop! It is time to go ahead… let your Virtual Assistant get your social media platforms set up and help you start building your list, one prospect at a time! 

If you are interested in getting Facebook, Twitter and/or LinkedIn, but need someone that can help you with it, CLICK HERE to see how we can help you!

Filed Under: Social Media, Virtual Assistant

Are You Using Social Media?

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Can Social Media help your business get on target this year? Many businesses large and small are now using social media as one of their primary means of targeting potential customers! 
 
Whether you are a small business owner, entrepreneur, or even an established local business, you can no longer ignore the impact that Social Media has on your ability to spread the word about what you have to offer! In today's business agenda, there is a whole new world at your fingertips… the world of social media and the internet as a whole has forever changed the way you can reach thousands, if not millions, of your new potential clients. Through a single click we can now access people, places, information and technologies that simply weren't available to us not too long ago. You can now reach a whole new world through social media, allowing you to engage, interact and connect with target audiences around the world. If you aren't fully utilizing the vast reach that is offered through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and the many other social media platforms, you are missing out on your chance to dramatically increase the awareness of your business and what you have to offer.
 
Social media tools allow you to connect with your customers, and potential customers, directly. This allows you to get to know what their needs are, what they want and how you can help them. Which in turn helps you build awareness for what you have to offer and how you can help them. This can have a great impact on your business and how you do business.
 
Recent surveys say that over 65% of the internet users are logging in to social media outlets every day! Social media participation helps you get your name, your brand, your product or service out there for these people to see EVERY DAY! Imagine the impact this kind of exposure can have on your business.
 
To the new users, social media can seem foreign and overwhelming… but with a little bit of knowledge and a point in the right direction, it soon becomes a normal part of your daily routine… It does not have to consume your time or attention. If done correctly, it would be just the opposite. However, you must be diligent in keeping content flowing through the pipes.
 
If you know that you are not utilizing social media to it's full potential and want to find out what you need to do to get it going… please contact me, I'd love to share how social media can help you take your business to the next level! I'll be glad to help get you set up and on the right path. If you need help adding your content, take the time to look at our Monthly Retainer Packages, as we gladly help our clients keep their content added to their Social Media Platforms.  
Filed Under: Social Media

How Can a Virtual Assistant Help My Business?

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Today's small business owners and entrepreneurs are now depending on the constant flow of information on the internet to build their web presences and their bottom line.

Business professionals need to have a constant flow of new leads flowing through their sales pipeline. Finding the right virtual assistant can help you capture those leads. Your virtual assistant will ensure a constant flow of leads, leaving you available to stay out there selling. Keeping your virtual assistant up to date in your current marketing system is essential for best results. If your marketing campaigns are already working well, but more needs to be done to keep leads coming in, give some of these duties to your VA. This one simple step will free you up for more important duties such as closing the sale.

Virtual assistants are the savviest of the savvy, using technology to their advantage, they know how to work to stay within budget and keep costs down.

Using the latest technology to communicate with you and get your work done as quickly and efficiently as possible, most virtual assistants are equipped with the latest and greatest software, internet, fax machines, e-mail, copiers, scanners and more. By choosing a virtual assistant that already has all of these things, you save yourself hundreds of dollars in not having to purchase all of these things yourself.

Finding a virtual assistant can free up your time to do the tasks that are important to you and your company. Whether that is making sales, following up on leads, attending seminars, or other essential requirements of your job.

Filed Under: Featured, Virtual Assistant

5 Steps to Finding Virtual Assistants for Your Business

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Finding a good virtual assistant isn't always an easy task. However, a good virtual assistant can be the answer to an online marketer's prayers! When looking for the perfect virtual assistant for your needs, you want to find someone who can handle your tasks competently and professionally. You should also look for someone you can easily communicate with and charges rates you can afford.

 

Below you will find five steps to finding the right virtual assistant to meet your needs.

Step 1: Define what you need. Before you go on a hunt for someone to help you, determine exactly what you need help with. Each virtual assistant is going to have their own strengths. Some virtual assistants might offer a variety of services ranging from basic to quite technical and complicated. Other virtual assistants may specialize in an industry or a specific type of service. 

For example, one virtual assistant may specialize in editing, proofreading and transcription. Another may specialize in forum management or WordPress installation. In order to determine who to hire, you need to first determine what you need them to do. 

Step 2: Begin the search. Unless you are fortunate enough to have a reliable source to recommend a great virtual assistant, this might be your most challenging task. You can start your search by posting the job on classified job sites, social networking sites and your own website. Be sure to ask associates who they recommend, as they can give you great insight into how they chose their VA and how to build a great relationship with them. In your research, start gathering  candidates for the position.

Step 3: Narrow the field. Once you have a list of candidates, start narrowing the field. You can begin to shorten your list by using references and recommendations. Once narrowed down, consider speaking with the top candidates on the phone or via Skype to find out how they work, what their policies are and to see how they communicate. Communication is the KEY to building a great business relationship with your virtual assistant. You must be able to clearly and effectively communicate with each other. 

Step 4: Test the waters. Once you have your top two or three candidates picked, ask each to manage a small project for you. The purpose of this is to essentially test how you work together, how the virtual assistant manages the project and their professionalism. If you end up with more than one perfect virtual assistants on your list, that’s okay. You will then have the opportunity to make your choice based how well you communicate or connect with them on a personall level… or you may want to choose based specifically on who offers the best rates to fit your needs.

Step 5: Keep your new VA busy. Once you’ve found the right virtual assistant to meet your needs, keeping them busy is a great way to keep them. Service providers need to keep their schedules full to keep their business alive. If they can count on you for a certain amount of work each week or month, they’ll make a consistent place in their schedule for you. This means you’ll be able to receive your projects on a timely, and consistent, basis.

 

Great virtual assistants can be difficult to find. Additionally, finding a great virtual assistant that you can communicate with personally and effectively can be even harder! Keeping a good working relationship with your virtual assistant is essential and definitely a two-way street. You should be able to provide clear and consistent communication about what you need accomplished. 

If you find the perfect fit for your business but the price range is a bit out of your league, don't hesitate to contact your prospect and see if you can come to some kind of price agreement that would better fit both of your needs. Most virtual assistants offer a variety of packages that can be adjusted. These virtual assistant packages usually cover both one time tasks and retainer packages to cover an allotted amount of time no matter what the tasks might be. Both packages are valuable to many people and businesses for different reasons.

Filed Under: Featured, Virtual Assistant