On Tuesday, June 23 I’ll be doing another teleclass with Kristin Morrison of Six Figure Pet Sitting Academy. This class will be all about blogging!
No doubt you’ve heard about blogs, but do you know how smart business owners are using them to gain more visibility for their businesses? Whether your blog is a stand-alone blog or part of your overall website, blogging allows you to create dynamic content that keeps people engaged. It also keeps your customers or clients coming back for more!
With a successful blog you can:
Build a loyal following of clients, customers, and business prospects
Become a recognized expert or leader in your field of business
Sell your services or products to your clients
Sell advertising space on your blog
Build a large list of highly targeted readers
Highlight specials your business is offering in order to generate immediate cash flow.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this Blogging Teleclass:
What a blog is and what makes it different than a website
How to write “Google-friendly” blog posts that help move your blog higher in search engines results.
How you can dramatically increase sales while spending less on marketing
The best software to use for your blog
Why it’s important to have your blog on your domain rather being hosted by a third party
Why you need the best SEO blogging theme available for your blog
How a blog can bring many more visitors to your website
How to use your blog to reinforce your company goals and vision
How to keep readers coming back for more
Tips to help you stay on track with your blogging
Basic blogging etiquette
This teleclass is being hosted by Kristin Morrision of Six Figure Pet Sitting Academy, and you can register for the class there.
Over the past few months I’ve been doing social media teleclasses as part of the monthly teleclass series at Six Figure Pet Sitting Academy. The first one, which was a huge success was a general overview of social media, and in the second one I helped people understand Twitter and how it can be used for both business and personal purposes. The classes have been very well attended by people from all walks of life – pet sitters, writers, retailers, therapists, and others. Some are interested in using it for their business and others just want to learn what all their friends are talking about.
Both of these social media teleclasses are now available, and include a Tips and Tools sheet that covers a lot of what I talked about during the class, and a bit more. You’ll find them on the products tab above.
I taught a social media class with @SueRostvold last night and one of the issues that kept coming up was the idea of sharing too much through social networking websites. What we were hearing is that some people are afraid to do anything with social media because they don’t want to reveal too much of their personal life. They don’t want their everyday activities, personal choices, feelings, or secrets to be ‘out there’ for everybody and his brother to read.
I get the same comment from people quite often actually. For people just getting started with social networking, it can be a bit frightening. Stories that we hear on the news about wierdo online stalkers don’t help matters much either.
One of the many cool things about social networking is that there really is no one right way to go about it. Think about your friends in real life. No doubt you have some who, when they walk in a room, are bigger than life and everybody knows they’ve arrived and the party can start! In contrast you may be the type that quietly walks into that very same room and says hello to a few people you know well. What feels right for one person may terrify the heebee jeebies out of another. But the thing is, nobody expects every one to act the same way when they get together in that room. The same is true when it comes to revealing things about yourself online with social networking.
The thing is, you only need to share what you feel comfortable sharing. I usually tell people to set up their account – whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, or whatever – and then ease into it. Just because you go online and have an account on a social media site where people share their drunken images and intimate details, it doesn’t mean you need to. If you feel more comfortable just looking around for a while, then that’s what you should do. When you feel comfortable, say hello to people you know, share an article you found online you think is interesting, or comment on something someone says.
As you learn your way around, you may feel comfortable revealing a little bit more about yourself and find a way to do it that makes sense for you. It’s all up to you.
Social Media: How to Use Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.
to Make Money in your Business
A Teleclass with Therese Kopiwoda, of PetsitUSA.com
and Kristin Morrison, of Six Figure Pet Sitting Academy
Join us April 28 for a teleclass on using social media
to give your business a boost!
——————————————————————————–
Knowing how to put social media tools like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to work for your business can make a big difference in your marketing plan. Savvy business owners are harnessing the power of the Internet to boost their bottom line, and you should too! Are YOU ready to catapult your business to success?
Don’t be left behind. Learn how to make social media work for you and your business!
In this 90-minute teleclass, I’ll give you an overview of social media and how it can be used to drive traffic to your website, gain more visibility for your company, and help you get started with social media.
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 Time: 5:00pm PST / 8:00pm EST How long is this teleclass? 90 minutes How much: $20 (Registration by April 21) / $30 (Registration April 22 or later)
For more information and to register:
Kristin Morrison, of Six Figure Pet Sitting Academy, is hosting this event. You can find out more about the class and register on her website. This class isn’t just for pet sitters though. It’s for anybody who wants to learn more about social media!
In the past when someone gave a presentation, some of the things he or she had to compete with were people talking to each other, doodling on their notepads, reading books or magazines, or even some of the audience members taking a nap. Things like this can be extremely annoying for any presenter, but they can usually handle the annoyance and go on with the talk.
Things have changed!
These days speakers have to be on their game and ready for anything. They still have to contend with the usual annoyances mentioned above, but that’s not all. Our culture is so wired these days (and I don’t mean from coffee!) that many times people are Twittering, emailing, texting, Facebooking, or in some other way instantly documenting what the speaker is saying or how he’s saying it. In a very real sense it’s not just the speaker’s show anymore!
At SXSWi this past week, at literally every session I attended people were armed with iPhones, Blackberries, laptops, or cameras. Many of the speakers, especially when there were panels with more than one person, were monitoring the Twitter stream, ready to address comments…good and bad…from audience members as they happened. At times it side-tracked the conversation, and made it apparent the speaker hadn’t intended on going in a certain direction. In most cases though, it didn’t detract from the presentation itself. Instead, it changed the dynamic from an “I’m teaching you” atmosphere to a “we’re learning together” atmosphere. So in that sense the interactivity it created was pretty valuable.
Below are a few examples (positive and negative) I pulled off of Twitter today. One thing to be sure of, people aren’t shy about saying what they think about the speaker’s style or content. It’s all fair game.
I have mixed feelings about pulling out my laptop during a presentation. Instead of the old fashioned pen and paper note-taking I used my laptop, so that part isn’t much different than the many college lectures I attended with notebook in hand. However, during most of the presentations I sat in on at SXSW, I also had Twitter open a fair amount of the time. Even though I was listening to the speakers and taking notes, I have to admit, they didn’t have my full undivided attention. Watching Twitter during the talks did serve a purpose though. I was able to read what others were thinking at nearly the same instant the speaker said something and gain different perspectives on what we’d just heard.
So was watching Twitter during the talks a good thing? A bad thing? I’m not sure. I could probably argue either way, but next time, I may just leave Twitter off, use my laptop to take notes, and do my best to give the speaker my complete attention.
I’ve been attending South by Southwest Interactive (SXSW) this week and eating, sleeping, and breathing internet and social media. Yea, I know…that’s nothing new. But the fact that I’ve been doing it (well…all but the sleeping part anyway) with thousands of other people is. SXSW brings people from all over the world together to learn and share about the some of the things that make us tick.
In his talk about video blogging (and way more tha that) on Sunday, Gary Vayrnerchuk made the point that we need to keep legacy vs. currency in mind when we’re putting ourselves out there. His idea is, and I totally agree, that our work, our lives, shouldn’t be all about the money. Selling ourselves out can have a negative impact, especially if that hunger for money drives us to do things that are contrary to our beliefs. It’s that “to thine own self be true” kinda thing.
For many of us, our lives can pretty much be chronicled, through our blogs, Facebook profiles, or by piecing together little bits we find here and there on many different websites. The thing is, what we put online is likely to be there long after we’re gone. This means our friends and relatives…even our kids and grandkids…may at some point learn things about us that they never knew, and possibly things we wish they wouldn’t learn about us. Do we really want to have them find compromising photos of us, or stories of how we cut throat we were just to make a buck? Some people may not care, but I think the vast majority of us want others to get a good impression of us, whether we’re still here or long gone. So we have to ask ourselves what’s more important? Getting ahead at all costs, living totally in the moment with no thoughts for consequences…or the overall picture of our lives? Just as a painter uses brush strokes to create a masterpiece, we each create our very own life masterpiece, and I’m guessing most of us want it to be a worthwhile picture.
So, with Vayrnerchuk’s legacy vs. currency theory in mind, the internet may be a tool that can help drive us to live better lives…create a better legacy. It’s not that I think having our lives online can turn bad people into good (although I won’t say it can’t). I do think it’s beginning to making us think twice about doing something that may eventually (or instantly!) find its way online. Whether we’re concerned about potential employers, clients, family members, or friends finding less than flattering stories or photos about us online, many of us are probably more likely to fly the straight and narrow rather than getting ourselves into compromising positions.
Not sure who Gary Vaynerchuk is? Check out his blog or his Wine Library site. He totally kicks ass in the motivation department!
Back in November I bought an awesome little Asus laptop computer at Best Buy (I love the computer, btw!). When I got to the point of paying for it, I got the “buy the extended warranty” talk. The guy said it would cover the computer if it broke and left it at that, and I decided against it.
Fast forward to yesterday. I went to Best Buy with my brother who bought his own way cool computer – just like mine. (He’s been drooling over my little Asus computer ever since I got it, so he wanted to get his own.) When he went to pay for it, he got a different story about the extended warranty. The guy told him that it would indeed cover the repairs if it broke, but the warranty would also include an extra battery as well as a new power supply should he need one. At only $59, Alex decided it was worth it and got the extended warranty.
Had I known what the warranty really covered, I would have bought when I got my computer too. I was a little taken aback when I heard what all it covered, and when I mentioned it to the guy helping my brother, he suggested I call 1-888-BESTBUY and talk to the customer service folks. His thought was that the guy who checked me out probably just didn’t know the warranty very well. (DUH!)
So, this morning I called 1-888-BESTBUY and talked to someone who told me warranties have to be bought within the first 14 days after purchasing a new computer. They said due to the way their warranties are written, there’s no way around it. It didn’t seem to matter that I wasn’t given all the info to make an informed decision. So, I was transferred to the customer service folks in the corporate office.
The answer I got from the first person at the corporate office wasn’t any better…I had to buy a warranty within 14 days…blah…blah…blah. Again, it didn’t seem to matter that I didn’t get the full info about the warranty.
My next person to talk to was the CSR rep’s supervisor. His story was pretty much the same as what I heard from the others. He said he was sorry it happened but repeated what I’d already heard about the 14 days. He said the best he could do was give me a $15 gift card to Best Buy. He did offer to talk to the store I bought the computer from and let them know they need to train their people better. Other than that, he said there was nothing else he could do. That’s definitely a good thing, but it sure didn’t feel like they valued my business very much.
Time for Twitter!
I had Twitter open while I was on hold and was tweeting as I waited, which caught the attention of Jason, a Best Buy rep, who obviously monitors what people are saying about the company.
In the end, Jason came through for me! He said they couldn’t do a warranty the usual way, which I understand. Since they use a third party for the warranties, they’re set up in a very specific way, and even if they tried to sell me one it wouldn’t be valid. So instead of giving me the same song and dance about the 14 days he actually did something. He offered a work around for the warranty….and it totally works! I’m perfectly happy with what Jason worked out for me and finally feel like someone understood what I was saying. He actually listened…and totally got it.
I’ll definitely be shopping at Best Buy again…something I wasn’t so sure of earlier today.
If you’re new to Twitter and are trying to play by the rules, it can be a bit daunting! There are, of course, the official Twitter rules that you need to be mindful of. The folks at Twitter make it clear they dont’t want people doing slimy things like impersonating others, violating copyright laws, threatening people, and the like. If you get caught breaking one of these rules you’re likely to be banned. Not a good thing!
As with any community though, there are other rules besides the offical get-your-ass-in-major-trouble rules. These are rules created by the community members themselves, and while they may not be hard and fast like the others they can get you in a bit of hot water…at least with your peers. Some of the things many Twitter users don’t like to see are auto responders, constant self-promotion, using Twitter as an RSS feed, and of course spamming all your followers. There are others but these seem to be some of the biggies.
If you Google “twitter rules” you’ll get a long list of websites coming up with their version of the rules Tweeps should follow. (Even this post will likely be in that search result soon!). Here are just a few of the people who have written about Twitter rules:
@Scobelizer (Rober Scoble) – The 10 rules of Twitter (and how I break every one - This guy actually writes about breaking the rules, which some folks can get away with! Some people may not appreciate his lack of adherence to rules, but with nearly 50,000 followers he’s a definite presence on Twitter.
@GrantGriffiths has a bulleted list of things to do and not do on Twitter.
Some Twitter rules are definitely worth taking into account, but when it comes right down to it, it’s about respect. If you respect your followers, chances are you’re going to avoid many of the downfalls the rules have been built around. If you don’t like getting tweet after tweet from someone trying to sell their fancy automatic plant waterer, chances others won’t appreciate your multiple tweets about what you ate for dinner. If, on the other hand, you simply like to piss people off, go for it! I’m sure you’ll find some like-minded followers, but you’ll also find those who will unfollow you once they find out what you’re all about.
Remember those old black and white TV commercials? They aired long before the Internet, and mostly even before remotes. Well, I was wandering around YouTube today and found a few of my favorites, including this one enticing kids to have a Mr. Bubble pool party. The first time I saw the commercial I decided I simply had to have my very own pool party with my friends. Mom didn’t didn’t seem to mind though, and was happy to pour the magic flakes into my tiny pool for my friends and me. After all, what mother wouldn’t jump at the chance to have a clean kid without the bath-time whining?!
Anyway, I’d like to think social media is a little like a Mr. Bubble pool party. It has a way of bringing people together and can be a heck of a lot of fun!
The church I go to now and then, Gateway Church, is pretty cool. It’s non-demoninational and way non-preachy, but that’s only part of what makes it so appealing. The pastors are real people, just like anybody else, and understand what it’s like to live in the real world with the Internet, Blackberries, iTunes, podcasts…you know…technology! But rather than ignoring the technology, or even worse, fighting against it, the folks at Gateway put it to good use! They seem to really get it when it comes to using media (social and otherwise) to reach out to people and get their message out.
Gateway has two separate campuses…the main one is in north Austin, and the one I go to is here on the south side of town. That doesn’t mean one group of people gets left out in terms of hearing a good speaker though. Instead, the folks at the south campus are able to see a simulcast of the Pastor at the main location. They also combine music and videos into their sermon when it makes sense…it can be a real treat actually. Today for example, the Pastor chose excerpts of the Nicholas Cage movie, Family Man, to help get his point across. (And, unlike the church going I remember as a kid, I haven’t heard any snoring during the services at Gateway!)
Gateway uses online media too. They have an eye-catching website, a few blogs, podcasts of the sermons, and Yahoo groups where people with similar interests can connect with each other. They even have a Facebook page! They’re all about helping people reach out to each other both online and off and they use all these tools to get to their goals.
Gateway certainly isn’t church like I grew up with, and I appreciate that. The fact that they understand what life is like in today’s world, and use tools that I use in my every day life (and how they use them) really makes the messages more relevant for me. And from the size of the congregation I don’t think I’m alone…they seem to be reaching quite a few people by living in the 21st century and using 21st century tools.
