I had the pleasure of meeting a man named Dave Kalstrom yesterday through another gentleman I have been networking with for months. Jim Bannon made the introduction and is a real technical guru that has helped me out in so many ways as I tend to be a bit of a technical-moron. OK – that is an understatement
Dave is the owner of a company called Outbound Excellence and I can assure you he is true to his brand promise. In the span of a just a few minutes, Dave rattled off TONS of REALLY helpful/valuable ways to maximize and leverage the full capabilities of Linkedin that so many of us are unaware of!
Dave and I have opened new doors for each other. I am so grateful to have met him and look forward to learning more from his vast industry-knowledge as he truly is an industry-expert. So without further ado, let me introduce Dave’s “15 Ways To Develop Your LinkedIn Account To Generate Sales” in a video by New Horizons 123 Production.
Please notice that I did NOT put a link to Dave’s webinar above, but check out the end of the video
What do you think? Do you see the value Dave offers in helping us all make better use of our Linkedin profiles and network?
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It might seem like a good idea to just dive right into something because it looks good, sounds good, and you might assume that all the pieces will just fall into place. In some cases, this approach might work – IF you are lucky. However, when it comes to business, and especially when using the Internet, chances are you are going to find yourself all over the map with NO idea which way to turn.
Planning Is Key to Your Online Business Success
Proper keyword research is one of the most important elements of building a profitable online business. Doing your keyword research due diligence will help you make sure you are getting the right message to the right people at the right time – while they are searching for your offerings. There are many free tools out there to help you select the right keywords – Google Adwords Keyword Tool is a great resource. Many business owners don’t realize the subtle differences in results from how keywords are arranged in a phrase.
Take for example, the keyword phrase “Video Marketing Services”. Look at the difference below at the number of searches for “video marketing services” compared to the number of searches for “video marketing”:
Even subtle variations in spacing and the use of quotes – or not – can make a huge difference in the number of searches and the competition of that keyword phrase. If you are targeting the wrong keywords or are not targeting the most optimal ones for your niche, you will either get the wrong results or not as good a result as if you were targeting the right keywords.
As a rule, if you are using keywords that are highly competitive or too generic, you are going to find that you are a teeny tiny fish is a HUGE pond and will likely get lost in the crowd.
The Internet is HUGE! Your competition is fierce (unless you are in a HIGHLY targeted niche market), so it is in your best business interest to be sure you are targeting the right market, with a compelling message that tells your target market…
I just came across a really neat FREE tool and wanted to share. It is called Aero79. Aero79 is:
“An all-in-one solution designed by online marketing experts to make it easy for small businesses to connect directly with more new customers. How easy? Small businesses can create, manage and update their own online promotions and coupons then deliver them directly to new and existing customers through Google, Facebook, Twitter and Constant Contact. Simple tracking allows you to monitor how many people viewed your promotion, submitted a lead capture form into your own database, printed out a coupon incentive and turned that coupon in as a sale for your business. Jump in for FREE and take it for a spin yourself. ”
I literally just found and started using this tool so the jury is out as to how effective it will be. However, I really like what I have seen so far. I have been able to create a Promotion, including a Coupon – that even allows a video. You get to create a pretty comprehensive Profile, share your promotion on Facebook and Twitter, Link to your Constant Contact Account, and measure your results.
I am using the 30-day trial so I am able to benefit during the trial of the full functionality. The basic FREE version seems to be somewhat limiting, but if it works, the upgrade to $36/month might be money well-spent.
Have you heard about or tried Aero79? If yes, what did you think?
So you are minding your own business, working as you ALWAYS do, have changed nothing, and ALL OF A SUDDEN you are unable to open links (with FireFox as your default browser) from your Outlook mail. You have NO idea why! You just did 5 minutes ago!
You Have Three Choices
Pull your hair out like I have done on many occasions?
Brands have power if created and promoted consistently and honestly.
Branding is a powerful message that speaks to your customers and potential customers.
Brands humanize and personalize your company offering. A solid branding strategy is important for any small business and should be the integral part of your marketing strategy. Not convinced?
Let’s do a quick word association quiz. What is the first name that comes to mind when you read the following?
I was recently approached byJupiter Jim about a video I made YEARS ago. He loved the video and wanted to feature it on his Youtube Channel and blog. I find it interesting that he refers to the video as “short (4 minutes)” when in today’s terms it is actually “long”. However, he got great responses on his post WordPress: Why should I blog? How do I get a blog following? and some really nice compliments about the video. Here is an excerpt from his blog:
I just happened to have stumbled across this really cool, informative, short (4 minutes), helpful, entertaining video about WordPress blogs which explains so simply and so amusingly why you need one and how to use it to gain more followers and customers.
So I emailed Julie Weishaar, the creator of this dynamite video over at New Horizons123 and asked her if I could share her video on my blog post — and she said — YES! I even told her to add a watermark to the video, because it just might go viral. Read full post HERE!
Now THAT is something I would love to see! One of my videos go viral
What do you think? Do you agree with Jim’s reader’s that:
2) “Very nice and well done video. Cool music, clear presentation. I will use it too. Very good find.” (Philippe Moisan recently posted..Making mistakes in online marketing?)
4) “Thank you for sharing this awesome and entertaining video. The tune is “catchy.” You are correct that this video contains a lot of great facts and figures about blogging in a very short period of time. The main point of blogging is that “Content is King.” Refreshing content regularly and consistently is the greatest challenge of having a blog, but it is essential for its vitality. “ (Raena Lynn recently posted..Does Attraction Marketing Work?)
FACT: People Like to do Business With People They Know
The Internet allows you to get “known” by a ton of people virtually. So how can you do this? You join all the social networking sites you can possibly handle and “get to know” people. Interact, engage, build relationships, let them “know” you, trust you, etc. At the end of the day you find you are exhausted trying to keep up with all the new “friends” you have made on the various social platforms! The next day you get up and continue where you left off establishing, building and nurturing these relationships! Don’t get me wrong, some really wonderful connections/friends can be made in this way. I have been fortunate enough to have connected with some super smart, helpful, kind, caring, and valuable people. A special thanks to Susan Oakes, Sherryl Perry,Keyuri Joshi,Dennis Salvatier, Hollis Brown, Susanna Hess,Kim Jensen,Caterina Alexon,Gary Smith, and more. I met these people online via the social media route and am very grateful to them for the various ways they have added value to my life!
Turn Your Virtual Handshake into a Virtual Business Card
However, what if you could fast-forward the “getting to know you” stage of your relationship-building process? You know, the personal stuff that we openly share like marital status, children, hobbies, etc. What if there were a way to put your profile information into a virtual business card so that those you meet on the web can get to”know” you instantaneously like in the video below?
Re-Purposing Video
The video above was originally made as part of a challenge/”homework” assignment from Kim Jensen to create a profile video. I liked the idea and ran with it. She even liked the video . Today I came across a contest on ActiveRain by Rebekah Radice called Create a Killer Elevator Speech That WINS Business Contest. I loved this idea as well and ran with it too! I used the profile video I had created for Kim, added a little elevator pitch content, and turned it into my Virtual Business Card. See, I even put it in my sidebar on my website(s)!
What do you think? Do you think using a virtual business card like this can save time in the initial “getting to know you” phase of an online relationship? Do you think this video gives the viewer an overall indication of who I am?
I had the pleasure of meeting a man named Dave Kalstrom yesterday through another gentleman I have been networking with for months. Jim Bannon made the introduction and is a real technical guru that has helped me out in so many ways as I tend to be a bit of a technical-moron. OK – that is an understatement 
Calling all Gifted Writers
Are You Looking For More Exposure and Recognition?
As a verified commentator, you can become known and respected in your field, enjoy huge exposure nationally and internationally, get help from, share ideas with, and mentor others.
It’s Easy to Apply! But Yes, You Do Have to be Approved
First complete the Application. Once your application is approved:
You Will Get Specific Article Statistics
The Ability to Participate in Their “Hire an Author” Program
Your Own Personal Article RSS Feed
Author Chat
Chat online with authors who are logged in to their account. Exchanges ideas, offer suggestions, corroborate on articles, all in real time!
Greater Exposure Translates Into Greater Brand Recognition
The Article Niche is a writing resource, and every article submission is reviewed by a HUMAN in-house editorial team ensuring integrity of the articles in the database. “Ezine Publishers have come to recognize that only high quality articles are approved at the Article Niche Project“.
Build Your Brand as Part of the Article Niche Project Community
Become a Verified Commentator and Reap the Rewards by Leaving Your Brand with Your Expert Comment