So let’s say that you’ve put the time and effort into building a social network online and off. Other than knowing more people, and possibly getting a bit more business, can you do any amazing things by knowing more people? YES! Here are three examples from the Detroit area of people who were able (or are doing) amazing things because of the social network they’ve built. Hopefully you’ll get inspired to try some new things too!
Oct
28
2010
6 Consequences of NOT Using Social Media
I’ve heard from a lot of business owners who are interested in using social media, but when it comes down to actually doing it, they complain about the time and/or money involved. Yet these same people will make time for other things they deem crucial — networking, advertising, etc. Finding the time or hiring someone else to help with social media isn’t an issue if you think it’s important enough. But, there are consequences to not using social media:
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Oct
27
2010
Networking on Steroids
Pretty much anyone will agree that networking is important, whether or not you’re in business for yourself. Most of us will put networking events on our calendars and make an effort to attend, at least occasionally. If we agree that networking is important, why then are we so hesitant to connect with these same people online? One of the best ways to have conversations online is to connect with people you’ve already met offline.
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Oct
26
2010
Blogging in a Vacuum
I had a meeting with a client yesterday who was getting very discouraged because he hadn’t yet received any comments on his blog. His discouragement meant that he wasn’t blogging as often as he should because he wasn’t seeing the value in it. Unfortunately, this sporadic blogging can lead to a downward spiral which will lead to a self-fulfilling failure. While blogging at first can feel like you’re talking to yourself, patience and dedication almost always pay off.
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Oct
25
2010
14 Basic Blog Measurements
Once you’ve started blogging, you want to know how you’re doing, especially if you haven’t had much interaction (yet). Starting to blog can be frustrating since there’s not much feedback right away. Like other marketing efforts, blogging will be more successful if you measure results to see what’s working (and what’s not). Here are 14 basic blog measurements to help you get an idea of how your blog is doing… Most of these statistics are available in Google Analytics.
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Oct
22
2010
Building Relationships by Commenting
Commenting on blogs, posts, videos, and others types of content is a great way to build relationships, not only with the content producers, but also others who see the content. However, treating comments as link bait (commenting just to get people to click on your link), can have just the opposite effect. Such comments can actually hurt you in the long run (plus most blogs and websites have do-not-follow rules for links in comments). Build successful relationships via comments with these tactics…
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Oct
21
2010
Connecting Communities at #140conf #detroit
Yesterday was the #140conf Detroit which featured a mix of local speakers and speakers brought in from elsewhere. While several of the outside speakers were interesting, I got much more from listening to our local speakers. There are a lot of great people doing awesome things in the region, and learning about what they’re doing helps all of us support each other’s efforts.
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Oct
20
2010
4 Simple Ways to Generate Blog Topics
Figuring out what to write can be a major roadblock for any writer. Add the stresses of running a business on top of trying to write and blogging can seem unsurmountable. Just by listening and doing a little research, you can find a treasure trove of blogging topics. Here are some ways to brainstorm topics for your blog…
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Oct
19
2010
Klout Adds Facebook to Influence Measurement
Klout recently added Facebook into its influence measurement (which previously was looking mostly at Twitter). Even after recalculating my Klout score from time to time, it didn’t move from my initial score until I added in my Facebook profile. The Facebook integration still doesn’t look at any fan pages (just your profile), but does provide some useful information. After my previous review, my complaint about Klout using only bit.ly’s data for clicks on links is still an issue — if you don’t happen to use bit.ly to shorten your links, Klout has no data about them, and this may negatively affect your influence score. Let’s look at what information the Facebook integration has added….
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Oct
18
2010
13 Twitter Tips for Increasing Engagement
A major frustration for people trying out Twitter for the first time is figuring out how to get anyone to respond. They set up their Twitter account, tweet a few times and wonder why no one responds. While tweets are public unless you protect them, they probably won’t be seen by anyone unless they’re following you, they do a search for something you mention or you’re on a list. Here are some tips for increasing the engagement on your Twitter profile and getting people to listen to you…
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