‘Social Media’ Archives
Author: The Ibis Network Published: January 25th, 2012
The lesson behind the story of the Three Little Pigs isn’t that the pig is a particularly industrious animal. It’s that the pig who used bricks rather than sticks to build his house survived by being the most intelligent pig. He outsmarted the wolf and saved his fat friends by having the smarts to choose a sturdy building material rather than one more easily blown down. In other words, sometimes outsmarting the competition and surviving means choosing the right tools and materials to build upon. And that’s how the story of the three little pigs relates to social-media marketing. You may not feel the need or understand the benefits yet of marketing your business online. But having an online presence means you’re building a sturdy foundation for your business and using all the tools available to you. In other words, you’re not a pig in a straw house hoping for the best.
Here are answers to three common excuses and misconceptions about social-media marketing …
The Internet Isn’t Going Anywhere: It may seem tempting to dismiss social-media marketing as hogwash. It’s a convenient excuse to seem smarter than everyone else by not buying into the newest thing. Unfortunately, the Internet is no longer a new thing nor does it appear to be on the way out. The choice here isn’t whether or not you’re going to use social media to market your business. The choice is between doing it now and doing it later. Small businesses using social-media sites and blogs have found them to be an effective way to boost brand loyalty, communication with customers and clients, and new business. Just because it doesn’t work overnight and without any effort from you doesn’t mean it doesn’t work.
Don’t Think Of It As Facebook: It may seem silly to have a Facebook page or Twitter account for your business. So don’t think of it as social media. Think of it as a mini-website, a branch office, or satellite location. In other words, just because it’s a Facebook page doesn’t mean you have to use it to update your friends on where you’re hanging out on Friday night. Think of it as an extension of your website being hosted on the web’s most popular site. If your Twitter page is just an easily-updated extension of your online brand, then it’s a much easier concept to grasp. After all, making changes to your business website is difficult and not something you want to do a couple of times a day. But if you want to get a quick message out to your clients and customers, having a presence on any of the major social-networking sites means you can. You can never have too many avenues for communicating, keeping in touch, and generating word-of-mouth.
It Does Work, Just Not On Its Own: It’s also easy to say it doesn’t work. Or that you tried and nothing happened once you set up your page. It will take some time and effort but it will work. If you bought a phone and never used it, it wouldn’t be a broken phone. And you couldn’t return it due to a lack of calls. In other words, social media and online marketing is just another form of communication. Having an account on Facebook or Twitter won’t bring in business by itself but if you use your account to get in touch with past and potential clients, it will result in more familiarity with your business, new leads, and new business.
Tags: Blogging, Blogs, Brand Loyalty, Bricks, Building Material, Business Online, Cop, Excuse, Facebook, Fan Page, Free Loan Officer Training, Free Realtor Training, Free Training, Josh Millar, Loan Originators, Marketing, Marketing Online, Marketing Tools, Media Marketing, Mini Website, Misconceptions, Mortgage Marketing, Networking, Networking Strategy, New Business, Pig, Professional Networking Suite, Realtor Marketing, Right Tools, Satellite Location, Small Businesses, Smarts, Social Media, Social Networking, Story Of The Three Little Pigs, Sturdy Foundation, The Ibis Network, Three Little Pigs, Tools And Materials, Twitter, Wolf
Category Networking Strategy, Social Media |
Author: The Ibis Network Published: January 10th, 2012
Trying to figure out the algorithm Google uses to rank web pages in search-engine results would take a degree in mathematics and a minor in computer science. And even then, you may be at a loss. That means, search-engine optimization will forever remain a mystery to any of us outside the bowels of Google’s headquarters. Still, you don’t have to be schooled in calculus and computer programming to know that the more popular and regularly updated a web page, the more easily it’ll be found in search-engine results.
Here are a few simple tips to improving your web presence without hiring a mathematician …
Content & Keywords: You can find plenty of articles online explaining how to optimize your web properties through the use of keywords. Simply put, if you have a blog and use the phrase “ice cream stand” in every sentence in every blog post you put up on the web, then you’ll be more likely to be found when someone searches for ice cream stands on Google or Bing. But creating content around keywords will likely leave your blog posts sounding as though English was your second language. However, if your business is running an ice cream stand and you’re blogging about your industry, then you’ll naturally be including all the right keywords. Which is another way of saying, regular content relevant to your profession or industry will naturally include all the appropriate keywords. That means, creating content regularly and focusing on a target audience is the simplest way to ensure that you show up in the right searches online.
Plugins: If you’re using WordPress, there are plenty of plugins available that promise to increase your search-engine rankings. These plugins, including All in One SEO Pack, WordPress SEO by Yoast, and SEO Smart Links, will require some input and knowledge on your end but can help automatically tag your pages and posts to increase the likelihood that you’re found in the searches you’d prefer. Unfortunately, if you’re already creating regular content and are active online, it’ll be hard to determine whether the plugin or your manual efforts are responsible for any noticeable results. Still, having a look through the available online tools can’t hurt and may help you achieve the results you desire.
Social-Media: Having social-media pages devoted to your business can also help you show up in search-engine results. But, in order to capitalize on the positive effects social-media can have in getting you found by the right people, you’ll have to make sure your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages are properly set up. For example, though you may be tempted to get creative with your page names, the most effective way to be found in search-engine results is to be straightforward. Use your business name or the closest thing to it and also fill in the most essential parts of your fan pages and profiles. The more relevant information you share online, the more you’ll be found in relevant search-engine results.
Tags: Algorithm, Articles, Blog, Blogging, Bowels, Business Website, Calculus, Computer Programming, Computer Science, Facebook, Fan Page, Free Loan Officer Training, Free Realtor Training, Free Training, Google, Google Web, Josh Millar, Layman, Likelihood, LinkedIn, Loan Originators, Marketing, Marketing Tools, Mathematician, Mortgage Loan Officers, Mortgage Marketing, Mortgage Professionals, Networking, Networking Strategy, Networking Suite, Profession, Professional Networking Suite, Realtor Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Rankings, Search Engine Results, Search Optimization, Second Language, SEO, Social Media, Social Networking, Target Audience, The Ibis Network, Tips, Twitter, Web Presence, Web Properties, Yoast
Category Networking Strategy, Social Media |
Author: The Ibis Network Published: December 20th, 2011
In years past, if you wanted to be on top of the newest and latest in social media, you had to be registered on the newest and latest social-media site. Each year brought with it a potato sack stuffed with new sites and platforms that made whatever you’d signed up for last year obsolete. If you were still using MySpace once Facebook came around, you may as well have been sending your status updates via telegram. Which is to say, social media moves quickly and leaves most of us playing catch up. Fortunately, 2011 was not that kind of year.
Here are the top three social-media trends of the past year …
The Leaders of the Pack: Though there will likely always be new social-media sites popping up and begging for your time and attention, this year’s social-media news seemed to focus more on the continued dominance of Facebook and Twitter. If you still think there’s no reason to start a Facebook fan page for your business, ask yourself why companies now include Facebook and Twitter logos on their print and television ads. It’s not that they’re under the impression you can click on the pages of a magazine, it’s that the top social-media sites are increasingly becoming an Internet of their own and businesses want you to know they’re available there too. Everyone from your grandmother to the mom-and-pop shop on the corner has a presence on Facebook and it’s mostly because, when people check in online, that’s where they start. In other words, there are a lot of people on Twitter tweeting about their breakfast but you can also find just about any other information or entertainment that interests you.
Sharing is Caring: The key to social-media success is getting people to share what you’ve posted with their network. Social media is a 21st century word-of-mouth machine and, in order to benefit from an online presence, people have to see it. Having content people want to pass on to their friends and family will boost your reach and your brand. But where are they doing the sharing? Well, Facebook and Twitter, of course. Facebook is responsible for 52.1 percent of all the sharing happening online. That’s a lot, considering the vastness of the Internet. Twitter, on the other hand, makes up only 13.5 percent but grew 576.9 percent this year. Email, print, and favorites came in with 14.4 percent of the sharing taking place over the past year.
Quality Over Quantity: The number of fans or followers you have would seem to be a pretty good indicator of how popular you are online. But consider how many of your online devotees are either inactive or not even a real person. Particularly in business, having thousands of fans and followers but no potential clients may make your ego feel better but won’t do anything for your bottom line. In other words, it’s not the numbers that equal success it’s the number of real-life connections you’ve produced. Sometimes it’s hard to measure whether or not your efforts are being noticed but it only takes one phone call from someone that found you on Facebook to strike up some business. Which, after all, is the point of all this.
The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com
Tags: Articles, Bran, Dominance, Facebook, Fan Page, Free Loan Officer Training, Free Realtor Training, Free Training, Friends And Family, Grandmother, Josh Millar, Leaders Of The Pack, LinkedIn, Loan Originators, Logos, Marketing, Marketing Tools, Media News, Media Trends, Mom, Mortgage Loan Officers, Mortgage Marketing, Networking Strategy, Platforms, Pop Shop, Potato Sack, Presence, Professional Networking Suite, Realtor Marketing, Realtors, Social Media, Social Networking, St Century, Status Updates, Television Ads, The Ibis Network, Tips, Twitter, Valuable Marketing, Word Of Mouth
Category Networking Strategy, Social Media |
Author: The Ibis Network Published: December 13th, 2011
If you’ve ever been a child, you know that making a mess is far easier than cleaning one up. Which is to say, we’ve all been guilty – at one time or another- of putting off the thankless task of cleaning up after ourselves. Cleaning, however, often exposes things previously hidden by clutter and makes it easier to use what you have. Your Internet presence is no different. Having a social-media presence for your business requires maintenance.
Here are a few tips, hints, and motivations for an end-of-the-year social-media house cleaning …
Google Yourself: It won’t make you an egomaniac to have a look at the results that come up when your name is plugged into any of the more popular online search engines. In fact, it’s an effective way of discovering what appears when a prospective client searches for you or your business. If you run your business’ name through Google or Bing and are embarrassed by the results or find pages with old contact information, you can be sure your prospective clients have seen the same. It’s also a good way of finding the Twitter or Facebook fan page you set up and abandoned a year ago. Have a good look at how you’re being presented online and go to work cleaning and updating your presence.
Be Consistent: Having an Internet presence is one thing. Having a consistent presence is another. If you have multiple social-media pages for your business, make sure you’re presenting yourself in an uniform way. That means, they all have the same contact info, bio, photo, name, addresses, and tone. If you’re “Crazy Eddie”on Facebook but “Edward” on Twitter, you’re likely to confuse anyone searching for you or your services. Having a consistently professional online presence means, no matter where someone finds you on the web, you’re well represented and offering the most up-to-date contact information.
Organize It: Once you’ve had a look at where you’re being represented online and spent some time updating your pages, take the time to organize things and make it easier to maintain in the future. Start by saving all your login and password information in one place. There’s no quicker way to lose motivation for maintaining your social-media presence than to try to repeatedly log in to your profiles only to be turned away because of a forgotten password. Next, link your pages wherever possible. Having your blog posts appear on your LinkedIn page or your tweets on your Facebook page makes it easier to keep everything fresh, consistent, and up-to-date. Once you’ve found your pages, updated your contact info, linked them together, and saved your login information in an easily accessible place, you’ll be better able to communicate with potential customers and take advantage of any available online opportunities.
The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com
Tags: Articles, Blog, Blogging, Blogs, Business Name, Clutter, Consistent Presence, Contact Information, Crazy Eddie, Egomaniac, Facebook, Fan Page, Free Loan Officer Training, Free Realtor Training, Free Training, Google, House Cleaning, Internet Presence, Josh Millar, LinkedIn, Loan Originators, Maintenance, Marketing, Marketing Tools, Media Presence, Mortgage Loan Officers, Mortgage Marketing, Motivations, Nbsp, Networking, Networking Strategy, Networking Suite, Photo Name, Professional Networking Suite, Prospective Client, Prospective Clients, Realtor Marketing, Realtors, Search Engines, Social Media, Social Networking, Strategy, The Ibis Network, Tips, Tweets, Twitter
Category Networking Strategy, Social Media |
Author: The Ibis Network Published: November 21st, 2011
It’s hard to argue with numbers, unless you’re a mathematician or Pythagoras. And so, we’ve provided a list of social-media stats, numbers, and raw data to help convert the skeptics and offer encouragement to those who seek it.
There are more than 800 million active Facebook users. That’s right, 800 million. And Americans spend more time on Facebook than on any other website. That means, they aren’t on your website. Which means, you should probably have a Facebook page. Setting up a Facebook fan page for your business is an excellent way of making sure that you have a presence on the website most of us are presently perusing.
Social media apps are the third most downloaded apps among smartphone users. That means, the increasing number of people who access the Internet from their cell phone are, increasingly, using it to access their social-media pages. If people are that invested in their social-media pages that they want to be able to access them wherever they are, that’s a pretty good indication that having a social-media plan for your business isn’t likely to be time wasted on a passing fad.
78% of small businesses are using Twitter. Now we understand this comes dangerously close to the everybody-else-is-doing-it line of thinking but everybody else is doing it. And they can’t all be wrong.
41% of people using LinkedIn for marketing have generated business with it. LinkedIn is often confused for a job-hunting website but it’s also a great place to connect with other professionals, referral partners, and potential clients.
There are 3.5 billion things shared on Facebook each week. That means, blog posts, links, news, etc. That also means social-media is a high-tech word-of-mouth machine. Having your info shared is the quickest way to meet potential business online.
On Twitter, interesting content is the number one reason people retweet. In other words, if your content is interesting you’re more likely to have your content shared. Humor and personal connection were the second and third most common reasons for retweeting. Which means, if you’re not funny, you’d better be interesting.
79% of companies are using or planning on using social media. And that’s according to Harvard Business Review. Their survey found 58 percent of companies were already engaged on social-media sites, while an additional 21 percent had plans to launch a social-networking campaign.
57% of companies using blogs reported that they’d acquired customers from leads they generated through their blogs. And don’t believe it when you hear someone say that blogs are no longer relevant. In fact, between 2009 and 2011, the percentage of businesses that blog increased from 48 percent to 65 percent.
The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com
Tags: Active Rain, Americans Spend More Time, Articles, Blog, Blogging, Blogs, Business Online, Business Website, Cell Phone, Encouragement, Facebook, Fad, Fan Page, Followers, Free Loan Officer Training, Free Realtor Training, Free Training, Job Hunting, Josh Millar, LinkedIn, Links News, Loan Originators, Marketing, Marketing Business, Marketing Tools, Mathematician, Mortgage Loan Officers, Mortgage Marketing, Mortgage Professionals, Networking, Networking Strategy, Networking Suite, People, Presence, Professional Networking Suite, Pythagoras, Raw Data, Realtor Marketing, Realtors, Referral Partners, Skeptics, Small Businesses, Social Media, Social Networking, Strategy, The Ibis Network, Tips, Tweets, Twitter, Valuable Marketing, Word Of Mouth
Category Networking Strategy, Social Media |
Author: The Ibis Network Published: November 9th, 2011
It’s tempting to think social-media success involves a little magic and some sleight-of-hand. There must be some app, service, software, or site that would propel your profits and boost your business. Maybe the spammers are right and you should just buy 1,000 Facebook fans and wait for them to spread the word. Sadly, though there are many helpful tools available to help you along the way (See our previous posts on apps and plugins for LinkedIn, Facebook, and WordPress), social media isn’t magic. It is, however, an effective way to develop relationships and create word-of-mouth if done correctly.
Here are some tips on successfully marketing your business through social media …
Content is King: Social-media success requires a bit of restraint. Which means, while you may want to fill your blog or Twitter feed with advertisements for you and your business, you’ll do better offering content that is interesting to your potential customer base and forming relationships with any followers or fans you make along the way. Keep your content short and easy to read. On Facebook, for example, it’s been shown that shorter posts get shared 27 percent more than longer posts. And, when you think about it, it’s just common sense. If you’re selling cupcakes, people will get tired of hearing about how you’ve got cupcakes for sale. But what if you posted a recipe instead? It’s likely that the recipe would be shared and enjoyed by more people than yet another plea for business.
Relationships Matter: Whether you have 10 Twitter followers or 5,000 Facebook fans, you should make an effort to treat them as something more than potential dollar signs. After all, people will be more loyal and likely to tell their friends if there’s a person behind the page rather than a company logo that rarely responds to messages or comments. Don’t be as concerned with the number of connections you’ve made as much as the connections themselves. Be personable, appreciative, and responsive. You may find shifting your focus from quantity to quality will, strangely enough, end up boosting your numbers.
Sharing is Caring: Your goal is to get people to share your content or your contact info. You may find someone in search of exactly the service you provide through your social-media efforts or you may be contacted by someone who had a link sent to them or had a friend tell them about your business. In other words, it’s about word-of-mouth. And the best way to create word-of-mouth is to do your best to be respectful and not an annoyance. Post regularly to your blog or social-media site but not so much that people tune you out. Share good information and think it through. Think about what you’d be interested in or what would be helpful to your customers and allow that to guide what you post.
The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com
Tags: Advertisements, Apps, Articles, Blog, Blogging, Blogs, Business Relationships, Common Sense, Company Logo, Customer Base, Customer Relationships, Dollar Signs, Facebook, Fan Page, Followers, Free Loan Officer Training, Free Realtor Training, Free Training, Helpful Tools, Josh Millar, Keys To Success, LinkedIn, Little Magic, Loan Originators, Marketing, Marketing Tools, Media Content, Media Marketing, Mortgage Loan Officers, Mortgage Marketing, Mortgage Professionals, Networking, Networking Strategy, Networking Suite, Plea, Professional Networking Suite, Profits, Realtor Marketing, Realtors, SEO, Service Software, Sleight Of Hand, Social Media, Social Networking, Spammers, The Ibis Network, Tips, Tweets, Twitter, Word Of Mouth
Category Networking Strategy, Social Media |
Author: The Ibis Network Published: October 11th, 2011
There aren’t a lot of self-described idiots out there. Which is to say, people like to believe they’re smart. And that’s the reason branding your business online is so important. After all, your customers and clients want to feel like they’re making an informed decision before spending their money. So the more information you share, the more they feel like they’re making a smart choice by choosing to do business with you.
Here are some tips to building a better business brand through social media …
The Foundation: In order to properly brand your business, you’ll need a foundation. That means, having a business blog. Having a blog provides your social network with a focal point. It also offers a convenient way to share content that can then be posted on any additional social-media sites you’ve set up. Make sure, though, that your blog represents your business professionally and consistently. Pay attention to the theme, layout, and widgets you’re using. Though it’s tempting to use all the bells and whistles available to you, a cluttered blog means a cluttered brand. Make sure it’s easy to read and, most importantly, easy to identify who’s in charge. You’ll want visitors to read what you’ve posted on your blog but you’ll also want them to know who you are and what you do.
The Goal: It’s easy enough to get yourself a blog and/or a Facebook page, Twitter account, or LinkedIn profile but you’ll also need a goal. The idea behind social-media marketing is to brand yourself as an expert and a resource. You want people to do business with you and you’re online to give them better access to you, your knowledge, and your business. In other words, your goal is to offer valuable information about your services, industry, and business and to share it with potential clients and customers. If you’re seen as knowledgeable, experienced, and willing to spend the time to make sure your clients are informed, you’ll increase the visibility and reputation of your business.
The Benefits: A properly branded social-media campaign can provide many benefits to your business. Most of all, it increases customer loyalty and referrals as it creates a stronger bond between you and your clients. If you’re communicating with your customers, sharing content, and responding to comments and questions online, you’re boosting the likelihood that those customers will remember you next time they’re in the market for your services or know someone that is. Social media also offers a platform for you to research your region and industry to help you better your business. Most of all, though, it serves as a word-of-mouth generator. The more you participate, the better the success rate.
The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com
Tags: Bells And Whistles, Better Business, Blog, Blogging, Blogs, Branding, Business Online, Business Website, Expert, Facebook, Fan Page, Focal Point, Free Loan Officer Training, Free Realtor Training, Free Training, Josh Millar, Knowledge, LinkedIn, Loan Originators, Lot, Marketing, Marketing Tools, Media Marketing, Money, Mortgage Loan Officers, Mortgage Marketing, Mortgage Professionals, Networking, Networking Strategy, Networking Suite, People, Professional Networking Suite, Realtor Marketing, Realtors, Reason, Reputation, Share Content, Smart Choice, Social Media, Social Networking, Strategy, The Ibis Network, Three Keys, Tips, Twitter, Valuable Marketing, Visibility, Widgets
Category Networking Strategy, Social Media |
Author: The Ibis Network Published: September 27th, 2011
The Internet is an incredible resource but keeping up with an always-evolving online world can be a challenge. Sometimes the lingo alone can stand between successfully implementing a social-media strategy and being overwhelmed by widgets, avatars, and hashtags.
Here’s an update of our previous list of basic terms to familiarize yourself with (New terms in bold) …
Active Rain – The largest social network for real-estate professionals. Launched in 2006, Active Rain has nearly 200,000 members.
Aggregator – A web-based tool or desktop application that collects syndicated content from across the Internet.
API (Application Programming Interface) – A computer system or application that allows programs and websites to communicate and exchange data.
App – An application performing a specific task able to be accessed by your computer or phone.
Archives – An index page that organizes past entries and older posts by date.
Avatar – The image, picture, or username a person uses to identify themselves on social-networking sites.
Badge – A linked image displayed on a blog that promotes a person’s profiles or participation on other social-media sites, such as Facebook or Twitter.
Bit.ly – A popular – and free – URL shortening service that makes it easier to share lengthy web addresses on social-networking sites such as Twitter.
Blog – A regularly updated website or “web log” that allows a company or individual to post content and interact with readers through commentary, subscriptions, widgets, and syndicated RSS feeds.
Blogosphere – A term used to describe the totality of blogs on the Internet.
Blogroll – A list of sites, typically found in the sidebar of a blog, showing the sites that particular blogger recommends.
Content – Content on any website, including text, pictures, video, and audio materials.
Creative Commons - A nonprofit corporation that provides free licenses and legal tools that label creative work with the creator’s specifications on reuse, sharing, and using commercially.
Dashboard – The administrative area on blogs and social-media sites that allows you to edit your information, manage comments, monitor traffic, upload files, etc.
Delicious - A free online bookmarking service that allows users to save web addresses publicly and privately online, so they can be easily accessed and shared.
Domain Name – The identifying name or address of an Internet site.
Facebook – The largest social-networking site for individuals and businesses. Facebook has more than 500 million users.
Feeds (RSS Feed) – A program used by a website that allows the user to syndicate their content and provide subscribers with new blog posts and articles without requiring them to visit the site.
FeedBurner – A Google-based tool that provides a way for users to accept subscriptions by email for their blog posts, podcasts, and online content.
Forums – Online forums allow members of social-media sites to interact with other members by posting messages or questions on particular topics.
Geotagging – Adding location-based data to media such as photos and video to help users find businesses and services by region.
Groups – Communities within social-media sites that allow users interested in particular topics or activities to share information, posts, and messages with other members.
Hashtag – Used on Twitter, a hashtag is a keyword or phrase preceded by a “#” that helps organize posts, making them easier to find in Twitter searches.
Hits – A measurement defined as any request for a file from a web server.
HootSuite – A web-based Twitter service that allows users to manage multiple Twitter profiles, schedule tweets, and view statistics and metrics.
Hyperlink – A navigational reference that embeds a link to a document or page on the Internet.
HTML – The coding language used to link documents, text and multimedia files on the Internet. HTML is the programming language that provides content and structure for web pages in order to define layout, font, color, and graphics.
LinkedIn – A business-oriented social-media site for professional networking. Launched in 2002, LinkedIn now has more than 70 million registered users.
Links – Highlighted text that, when clicked, takes readers to another page containing related content or source materials.
Link Building – The process of generating links to your website from other sites in an effort to boost search-engine ranking. Blogging is a popular method of link building.
Metadata – Information, including titles, tags, and captions, used to describe a media item or blog post in order to make it more easily found by search engines and aggregators.
Micro-Blogging – A form of blogging that limits the amount of characters or words per post, such as Twitter.
Open Media – A term referring to any media, including video, text, and audio, that can be freely shared online.
Permalinks – The permanent address or URL of a blog post or web page. A permalink is what is used when linking to another story within an email message or post.
Profiles and Pages – The pages on social-networking sites where a person or business displays their contact information, pictures, posts, and files.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – The process of improving and increasing traffic to a website from search engines.
Sidebar – A column or columns along either or both sides of a blog’s main content area that includes widgets, contact and biographical information, links to previous posts and favorite sites, archives, badges, subscription information, RSS feeds, and more.
Social Media – Websites that provide communities with common interests a means to communicate and engage with one another online.
Social Networking – Socializing online through a social-media site, such as Facebook or LinkedIn, that allows you to create a profile and communicate with other members.
Subscribing – Signing up for a site’s feed, which automatically sends you new content from that site.
Syndication – The process of sharing and distributing content online.
Tag Cloud – A visual representation of the most popular tags on a blog or website. More popular tags are usually shown in larger type while less popular tags appear smaller.
Tags – Keywords associated with a blog post or other content making them more easily found through searches.
Threads – Messages or posts under a single forum topic or the comments and trackbacks of a particular blog post.
Trulia – A real-estate search engine and networking site that allows professionals to create business profiles and allows consumers to find listings, blogs, and real-estate information.
Tweet – A post or update on Twitter.
TweetDeck – A Twitter application that serves as a real-time browser that connects you with your contacts across Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and more.
Twitter – A micro-blogging site where members post “tweets” or messages of 140 characters or less.
Upload – The process of transferring a file from your computer to a website.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) – A URL is the technical term for a website’s address.
Video Blog – A blog that produces and posts video content on a regular basis.
Wall – The shared portion, or discussion board, displayed on a social-media profile.
Webinar – A web-based seminar, presentation, lecture, or workshop transmitted over the web.
Widget – An application offered on social-media sites and blogs that performs a specific function allowing users to customize their profiles or blog.
Wiki – A technology that allows many users to edit a web page, such as Wikipedia.
WordPress – A blog publishing application that offers users an easy-to-use template through which they can create their own blog and maintain their own blog.
YouTube – Popular video-sharing website through which users upload, share, and view videos. It is the largest video-sharing site in the world.
Source materials here, here, here, here, here, and here.
The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com
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Category Networking Strategy, Social Media |
Author: The Ibis Network Published: August 30th, 2011
Whether you’re managing the Chicago Cubs or your local Radio Shack, you’re going to need some organizational skills. Organization is the key to reducing the stress – and amount of work – necessary to manage whatever it is you’re overseeing. And that goes for your social-media accounts too. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with maintaining all the email addresses, Facebook pages, blogs, and assorted Internet properties you’ve setup for your business. Hell, it’s hard enough to remember your passwords without worrying about updating your sites regularly, maintaining a professional presentation, and responding to comments and questions that come in from your friends, fans, and followers. The good news is there’s a better way.
Here are a few tips to help organize your social-media accounts …
Centralize to Minimize: Start by creating a separate email address for your entire social network. Having one email address reserved for your online efforts means, rather than logging in and out of multiple pages and accounts, you receive all of your comments and contacts in one place. It also means you won’t have to remember to update your sites if you change jobs or email providers. Keeping your contacts connected to a single account will reduce the amount of time and effort it takes to keep up with your pages and profiles, if only because it’ll reduce the need for remembering which of your email accounts you used to set up your Twitter page and which you used to set up your blog.
Be Nice: Okay, now that you’ve got all of your correspondence in one easy-to-locate location, you’ll have no excuse for not responding to any messages or comments you receive. That’s right. Just like in the real world, Internet communication requires you to be responsive and polite. It may seem like a lot of work to scroll through your inbox and respond to any questions or criticisms you find along the way but a timely response shows visitors that you haven’t abandoned your site and also helps create a sense of community, availability, and professionalism. After all, if social-media is about communication than communicating has to be the key to a successful social-media marketing campaign.
Work Smart, Work Less: For one, you don’t have to create unique content for each of your sites. Share your updates, link your pages, and syndicate your output. There are more and more opportunities and applications aimed at helping you share your messages across your entire social network. Reduce your workload by sharing content and updates between sites. It may boost traffic from one site to another and it’ll certainly reduce the stress that follows feeling like you’ve got to come up with a tweet, a Facebook update, and a blog post every few minutes.
The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com
Tags: Amount Of Time, Blogging, Blogs, Chicago Cubs, Correspondence, Email Accounts, Email Address, Email Addresses, Email Providers, Excuse, Facebook, Followers, Free Loan Officer Training, Free Realtor Training, Free Training, Internet Communication, Internet Properties, Josh Millar, LinkedIn, Loan Originators, Marketing, Media Accounts, Media Management, Mortgage Loan Officers, Mortgage Marketing, Mortgage Professionals, Networking, Networking Strategy, Organizational Skills, Professional Networking Suite, Professional Presentation, Radio Shack, Real World, Realtor Marketing, Realtors, Remember Passwords, Social Media, Social Networking, Strategy, The Ibis Network, Timely Response, Tips, Twitter, Valuable Marketing, World Internet
Category Networking Strategy, Social Media |
Author: The Ibis Network Published: August 16th, 2011
If you’ve ever thought enough not to wear overalls to a business meeting, you know something about personal branding. Which is to say, branding isn’t just for corporate logos, high-profile advertising campaigns, and big-budget marketing efforts. At its root, branding is about how you present yourself, whether you’re a multinational corporation or in business for yourself. And these days, the Internet and social media provide professionals with more control over their personal brand than ever before.
Here are some tips for building your brand online …
Use Your Name: Buy a domain name in your name. In other words, www.yournamehere.com. Whether you’re setting up a static website or a blog, having your own domain name – or something close to it – gives you a home base. Generally, blogs rank higher in search engines and provide an ability to communicate regularly with your contacts. But whatever you do, put it in your name. Setting up a blog, Twitter or Facebook page under your company’s name means, if you switch jobs at any point, you’ll have to reestablish your brand with new pages and profiles. Setting up a network of pages in your name will allow you to build your own brand and provide potential clients and partners a place to form a first impression.
Create Some Content: Once you’ve created the destination, you’ll need to create a reason for people to visit. That means content. And content, in this case, should be thought of in terms of presentation. Before you post anything consider how it’ll be viewed by potential business that may stumble upon your blog or Facebook page. Use your online properties to promote your professionalism, expertise, and attention to detail. That means, in addition to posting relevant and interesting, industry-related information on your blog, you should also have a professional photo and bio, along with easily located contact info.
Sweat The Small Stuff: Building your personal brand means paying attention to even the smallest details. Keep things linked and consistent. Setting up pages under your own name and making sure your contact, bio, and photo are updated – and the same on each page or profile – will prevent guesswork. Litter the Internet with multiple email addresses, out-of-date web pages, and 12 separate phone, fax, and cell numbers and risk losing possible business contacts to confusion. Also, if you have a business blog, use its RSS feed to send your posts to any of your other business-related social media sites. Having a network of online properties that present a consistent representation of who you are personally and professionally will establish your brand, along with your business, online.
The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com
Tags: Advertising Budget, Advertising Campaigns, Attention To Detail, Blog, Blogging, Blogs, Business Meeting, Business Website, Corporate Logos, Domain Name, Facebook, Fan Page, First Impression, Free Loan Officer Training, Free Realtor Training, Free Training, Josh Millar, LinkedIn, Loan Originators, Marketing, Marketing Efforts, Mortgage Loan Officers, Mortgage Marketing, Mortgage Professionals, Multinational Corporation, Nbsp, Networking, Networking Strategy, Networking Suite, Overalls, Personal Brand, Professional Networking Suite, Professional Photo, Professionalism, Profiles, Realtor Marketing, Realtors, Search Engines, Setting Up A Network, Small Stuff, Social Media, Social Networking, Static Website, Strategy, The Ibis Network, Tips, Twitter
Category Networking Strategy, Social Media |
Author: The Ibis Network Published: August 10th, 2011
Chances are the first time you heard the Apple commercial proclaim “there’s an app for that,” you were relieved but wondering what an app was to begin with. Well, app is short for application. And, in this case, application is just another word for tool. Which means, apps are tools that perform particular functions whether they’re accessed through your smart phone, Facebook, or iPad. And, as with all things Internet-related, there really is an app for just about everything. Including business.
Here are a few apps to help manage your business on-the-go …
MyStickies: MyStickies is exactly what it sounds like. Which is to say, it’s a web-based app that offers you the ability to place sticky notes all over the Internet and your desktop. Write yourself reminders or take short notes while browsing the Internet and MyStickies will keep your note there for the next time you visit the page. Helpful for organizing, writing to-do lists, and reminding yourself not only where you saw something but why you were interested.
RSS Graffiti: RSS Graffiti is an app for Facebook that allows you to share content, posts, and updates from any of your social-media sites that has an RSS feed. In other words, if you’re keeping a blog but don’t want to have to copy-and-paste everything to your Facebook page, RSS Graffiti does it for you. In short, RSS Graffit will automate your output and make it easier, and less time consuming, to spread the information you want across your social network.
Business Card Reader: This iPhone app allows you to scan a business card and automatically import the contact information to your phone. Sure, you’ll need an iPhone to use it but it’s a lot more effective than carrying around cards or trying to organize them.
Mute-O-Matic: Not only will this Android app allow you to set your phone to silence itself when you’re in meetings or events, it also allows you to pick and choose what calls to silence. In other words, you can set your phone to ring for certain people while silencing others. You can also set the phone to send a specific reply message. So, when you’re in a meeting with a client, your phone will silence itself and let anyone that calls know that you’re in a meeting and will get back with them soon.
Aviary: This Google app offers a suite of tools and templates to create, modify, and share images. It can crop, resize, markup powerpoint slides, business cards, letterhead, add arrows and text, and create logos and icons. It also comes with an audio editor that allows you to record audio, then apply effects and filters if you choose.
More business apps here, here, here, and here.
The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com
Tags: Android, Apple, Apps, Browsing The Internet, Business Card Reader, Cards, Desktop, Facebook, Free Loan Officer Training, Free Realtor Training, Free Training, Graffit, Graffiti, Ipad, Iphone, Josh Millar, Loan Originators, Marketing, Mortgage Loan Officers, Mortgage Marketing, Mortgage Professionals, Mystickies, Network Business, Networking, Networking Strategy, Networking Suite, O Matic, Professional Networking Suite, Reminders, Smart Phone, Social Media, Social Networking, Sticky Notes, Strategy, The Ibis Network, Tips, Tool, Tools
Category Networking Strategy, Social Media |
Author: The Ibis Network Published: August 2nd, 2011
If reality television taught us that people would do just about anything to appear on TV, YouTube taught us that deep down everyone really wants to direct. Which is to say, the popular video-sharing website has given anyone with a webcam the ability to create, produce, direct, and distribute their videos across the Internet. And, based on the more than 30 hours of video uploaded every minute, people are taking advantage of the easy-to-use free service.
So how can you market your business on YouTube without having to first find a talking dog or hilariously cute baby to help your videos go viral and pull in millions of viewers? Here are some tips …
Start Small and Stay Small: If your goal is international stardom and a guest spot on a late-night talk show, you’re probably going to be disappointed. If, however, you set your expectations a bit lower, you may be surprised at the results. That means, making videos that appeal directly to your prospects, potential clients, and partners. Having informative, interesting, and entertaining videos to share with your business contacts is more important than having six million views. Besides, you’re not going to get six million views. Know that in advance.
You’re Gonna Be In Pictures: Creating content for videos shouldn’t be any more difficult than coming up with blog posts or updates for your social-media pages. In other words, anything you’re writing can be turned into a video. Answer frequently asked questions, address customer concerns, discuss pertinent industry and regional news, or upload a slide show or screen cast. As with any other social-media marketing, your sales pitch won’t make for a compelling video. Try to avoid, or disguise, your sales message. Keep it interesting, informative, and entertaining and, most importantly, aimed at your business audience.
Curate Rather Than Create: Say you’re technologically challenged or having a hard time developing and producing your own videos. Well, starting your own YouTube channel is simple and allows you to add videos you’ve found and would like to share with your clients. That’s right. You needn’t produce all the content yourself. Search for videos that pertain to your industry or region and share them through a playlist on your YouTube channel. Then link it to your blog or Facebook page to syndicate your videos across your social network.
The Ibis Network / www.theibisnetwork.com
Tags: Address Customer, Answer Frequently Asked Questions, Articles, Audience, Baby Videos, Business Audience, Business Contacts, Customer Concerns, Cute Baby, Free Loan Officer Training, Free Realtor Training, Free Training, Hard Time, International Stardom, Josh Millar, Late Night Talk Show, Loan Originators, Marketing, Marketing Tools, Mortgage Loan Officers, Mortgage Marketing, Mortgage Professionals, Networking, Networking Strategy, Networking Suite, Pertinent Industry, Professional Networking Suite, Prospects, Reality Television, Realtor Marketing, Realtors, Regional News, Sales Message, Sales Pitch, Slide Show, Social Media, Social Networking, Strategy, The Ibis Network, Tips, Video Sharing Website, Webcam Direct, Youtube
Category Networking Strategy, Social Media |
