I recently had the pleasure of offering a workshop to local women’s business group. We held the event at a great local cafe, Sertinos, where we enjoyed some wonderful food and coffee before the workshop. I covered Twitter and Facebook basics for all the business owners in attendance.

Check out a few pictures of the workshop on my facebook fan page!

Just a little food for thought, I found this group through social media! Had I not been on Facebook and meet another woman business owner and she not recommend this group I would not have know about them. I would have never had the opportunity to hold a workshop! If you are in the Tucson area and are a women business owner please check out Sharon Michael’s Group, Women Who Want To Successfully Work For Themselves

Add more social media to your website! This is a free Google tool that lets website owners of any experience level add personalized social media features to their website.

I really like the members gadget. This gives you the ability to easily add a member feature to your website. You can also customize what information you ask for. This gives you the ability learn more about those visiting your site, priceless information!

Watch this short video for a quick overview of the options Google Friend Connect can bring to your website.

A quick post to let everyone know that Facebook is making a change to size of your fan pages soon. If you have any customizations on your page you should get them updated as soon as possible.

The width of the pages are been shorten to 520 pixels, that’s down 240 pixels. You will more than likely need to do some redesigning to fit this new width. You or your fan page manager should make these changes right away.

For more specific information visit: http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/Roadmap_Profile

Please let me know if you have any questions.

I have been testing out a few systems lately and asking questions to all the big brands and one has provided a solution. SocialOomph has now added the ability to schedule updates for your Facebook profile and any page your are an administrator for.

This makes me so happy, not only for myself but for my clients too. We can now streamline our tasks even better.

What can you do with the new Facebook feature?

• Schedule status updates — Free up time. Now you can keep your Facebook status updates fresh by scheduling them to appear on your Facebook account at the dates and times of your choosing.
• Schedule page wall updates — Be productive. You can schedule updates to be posted to the wall of any Facebook Page of which you are an administrator.
• Secure Facebook Connect access — Peace of mind.

This is only available to Professional members so get your free 30 day trail and see all the possibilites there are with SocialOomph.

Facebook’s Share Bookmarklet is a simple way to share websites on facebook with two clicks. When you visit the bookmarklet page along the right hand side you will see a “Share on Facebook” button. Click and hold on that button and drag it into your bookmarks bar in your browser.

Now when you’re researching online or just found something that will interest your friends all you have to do is click that button and you can instantly share that page.

Another great featuer that Facebook has labeled a “Pro Tip” is the Share Bookmarklet will recognize when you share videos and music, making them easy to play within Facebook.

I was turned on to Flock some time ago and I have loved it ever since. It not only helps my social media but it also helps me in the work I do for my clients. I put together this short screen cast of the basic features available on Flock. From blogging, to “Twittering” and “Facebooking” right in the browser no need to go to the actual website.

What do you think of Flock the social media browser? Any questions?

I often hear new business owners seeking a way to check their brand name availability on the social networks. With the high activity of social media it is important to check your potential branding. Here are two easy tools that will check the social networks for any name you may be considering.

User Name Check

and

NameChk

When you are thinking of a new product or new business you should run them through these easy tools and see if they are already in use. If they aren’t in use then go sign up and retain the names for when you are ready to use them…or they be gone before you get the chance.

Social media is a unique form of Internet marketing and networking combination that you can use to tactfully market your business, services and products. This form of marketing is geared for the user or the audience. You are giving them valuable information, useful tips, handy tricks and then gently offering them information on your brand.

Starting a social media campaign takes a little planing if you want to be affective. You should establish your keywords, target networks and complete a competitive analysis. This information will give you a guide for creating your profiles, posts, comments, content, media and more. Incorporate your keywords and your site links where you can so everyone knows where to find you and what you are all about.

Now how to actually utilize social media.

Your blog can be the central source of information for your social outlets. Create a normal blog routine, and have your feed attached to your networks. This will feed fresh content into your networks on a regular basis.

You should start with a small targeted social group. The top three social networks being Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can add a few niche sites and some blogs in your field of expertise. Stop by these places regularly, if they have an RSS feed even better! Subscribe to it and you will get updates right in your mail box, or your reader. Get involved in the community, make your presence known, don’t be invisible.

Offer your audience a variety of media! Video, audio, PDF, slideshows anything you can. This will keep them intrigued. Videos let your audience get to know you. In this virtual world a video is a nice break from the ‘norm’. Take every opportunity you can to get closer to them and connect with them on multiple levels.

When you make a connection you need to nurture it. Keep it going, don’t let yourself be forgotten. In social media you have to reach out, you have to make offers, give tips, tricks and free content. Don’t let a good audience slip away.

I have been ‘hearing’ this question all over the Internet. It’s important for businesses to be a part of this explosive new era, Social Media Marketing. But before I get ahead of myself lets get to ‘what is social media?’

You’ve probably heard about LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs, Twitter, Squidoo and others. All of these and many more encompass social media. This new type of communication is a unique form of Internet marketing which strives to build your branding. You participate by writing quality content and comments that match your communication goals with newsworthy and interesting material. Social media utilizes networking and user-generated platforms to communicate, while gently promoting a product or service.

Where is the best place to start? Have you heard the saying ‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket?’ This is true to social media. Start with about three to four networks. You don’t want to spread yourself too thin. The top three networks are currently Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. For the fourth network you may want to chose a niche site where your target audience frequently visits. You can also use your blog to supplement these networks with valuable content. You need to be sure you are sticking to your outlined plan as it is very easy to get distracted with all the applications within each network.

Creating your profile. Be sure you take your time when creating your profiles. Provide your website links, use your keywords and provide a good bio. This is your one chance to catch the eye of audience, make it a good impression. You can have a expert help you with setting up your profiles for optimum results.

Your business blog. There are many online platforms where you can connect with your target audience. Your business blog being one of the most important. Use your blog to incorporate different types of media such as audio and video. Then use the social bookmarking sites to spread the word about your content. Also look for niche forums, wikis and online communities that will bring you great opportunities. Other valuable places to share your content are Squidoo and HubPages. When posting on multiple platforms be sure that you are providing original content, do not copy and paste.

Analytics. The last part, and be sure not to skip it, is the analytics piece. You can use tools to measure your campaign’s effectiveness. You need to see what is working and what needs adjustment or tweaking. Analytics can take a lot out of your schedule but it is necessary. You can have your social media specialist create your analytic reports. Your specialist can then offer suggestions on how to improve your current campaign.

Social media will bring your brand to your target audience, you will interact with them and learn from them. Ask questions and you will see exactly what your customers are looking for. By being create and unique you will be off to a successful campaign..

This new era can change the way people see your business. It can get your name out there and improve or start your online reputation management. Now is the time to act on this new era before your competition does.

The only limitation is your imagination.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Info: Erin Stinson
Web Address: www.premierevirtualoffice.com
Business Blog: blog.premierevirtualoffice.com
email: info@premierevirtualoffice.com
Phone: 309-750-5147

Premiere Virtual Office Now Offering Certified Social Media Marketing Services

Social Media is essential for all businesses and Premiere Virtual Office is here to help you get the most out of this new marketing avenue.

(Rio Rico, AZ Monday, June, 15, 2009) – Certified Social Media Marketer, Erin Stinson, is excited to announce her new line of services. Premiere Virtual Office is now offering consultation and coaching services to businesses that are new to social media, and businesses looking to improve their current social media campaign.

Social media marketing is now the 4th most popular online activity noted by Nielsen Online. Bringing in 67% of the global online population, time spent on social networking is growing at three times the internet rate. Now is the time to act on this vast growth for the benefit of your business and your brand recognition.

Social media is a large task for every business, but none the less a necessary one. Implementing these daily routines will create your online reputation, brand recognition, and drive more traffic to your online real estate. All of these objectives are also laser targeted to your specific audience. This is the miracle of social media marketing, you are not throwing an ad up that will be seen by people uninterested in your product or service, rather you are knocking on your viewers door.

Premiere Virtual Office can take the stress out of this new explosive market and turn it into success for your business.

For more information
About Social Media Services please visit www.premierevirtualoffice.com or contact Erin at info@premierevirtualoffice.com

About Erin Stinson
Erin founded Premiere Virtual Office in 2008. During this time she has received an entrepreneur award as well as her Social Media Certification. Her love for this field helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and virtual businesses all over the world.