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

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.

Were you thinking about creating a membership site?

If so, you may want to take a look at this great tool Wishlist Member. It’s a solution built for “everyday people” – that means you don’t need to be a technical genius to figure it out. Plus, if you use WordPress, you’ll be excited to know that it was built specifically for WordPress. It has all the bells and whistles you would expect and they’ve also got a number of other VERY cool features. Installation is SUPER easy. It’s just like uploading a regular WordPress plugin.

Now is the time to start your membership site because if you purchase Wishlist Member now you will get 2 exciting bonus items!

1st – A FREE copy of Gary Vaynerchuk’s brand new book “Crush It” The book is a perfect match for all WishList customers as it outlines how to turn your passion into a profitable business by using the internet.

2nd – Exclusive interview with Gary Vaynerchuk on “How to Quickly Build Your Online Community” This will help you make the most of your membership site.

This special offer is only available for a short time so if you have any interest in building a following and business around your passion, then you should take a look at Wishlist Member.

I just watched this video that was recommend from one of my Twitter Followers and had to share it with everyone! This is the best 4 minutes of my day. Check it out.

Get your brand out there, monitor it and watch your brand awareness grow!

I just read an excellent article from Entrepreneur and I have to share it with you. This article highlights some key benefits to working with a social media specialist. After the article I provide one more insight for you!

Between blogging, tweeting, Facebooking and updating a LinkedIn profile, it’s a wonder how a business owner has any time to answer e-mails and phone calls, much less run a company. But the time invested in social networking is well spent in this age where maintaining a social media presence can be a necessary piece of a successful marketing strategy.

Trouble is, as the number of platforms grows, so does the time it takes to feed and groom each account. Not to mention the front-end investment of setting everything up.

For those caught up in a social media blitz–and those contemplating taking the plunge–why not consider outsourcing? A virtual assistant can tackle those time-consuming tasks.

What Can a Social Media Virtual Assistant Do?
Many administrative professionals who provided support services such as correspondence, search engine optimization and event planning via the internet are now expanding to include social media. Now they can help with everything from recommending the right SM platforms and setting up profiles, to finding potential clients and networking groups and maintaining communication with them.

Conduct a Cost/Benefit Analysis
Busy business owners may be tempted to add those social media duties to an existing employee’s responsibilities. But Kimberly LeRiche of JK Virtual Office Resources cautions that keeping a personal profile on Facebook is very different than understanding how it can be used for branding.

“Unless they already have an employee who is well-versed in social media for marketing and increasing online visibility, the only advantage would be that they already know the business,” she says
Another advantage is cost savings. The business owner can save hours trying to add widgets to blogs or searching for relevant industry links and put them back into running the show.

LeRiche points out SM virtual assistants usually charge by the hour, only for the time spent working. Though average hourly rates vary, a 2007 survey from the Virtual Assistant Networking Organization lists median fees between $30 and $40 and information from AssistU indicates rates can go up to $70 per hour depending on specializations and certifications.

The hidden costs of full-time staff disappear also. Business owners won’t have to pay for employment taxes, benefits, office space or equipment. If the relationship with the SM virtual assistant doesn’t work out, their contract can be terminated without the expense of unemployment insurance.

“A virtual assistant is also a business owner,” LeRiche says. “They often view themselves as a partner in the success of their client’s business.” She adds that this dynamic creates an entirely different working relationship than the one between an employee and an employer.

Have a Plan
If analysis favors hiring an assistant, it is time to think about goals. LeRiche says it is important to determine if help is needed beyond creating and maintaining profiles, such as implementing an overall social media strategy. “Having an idea of what they want the SM assistant to do will help guide them to the person with the right skills, qualifications and knowledge.”

She says business owners should be comfortable delegating and communicating consistently. “It can typically take between 60 and 90 days for an assistant to fully integrate and understand the client and their business so it’s important for them to be prepared to provide information and be responsive during the early days of the working relationship.”

Find the Right SM Virtual Assistant
Dawn Pigoni, owner of Be Social Worldwide, says one of the best ways to investigate a potential SM virtual assistant is by checking that person’s existing social media profiles. “They need to show that they are participating in conversations and providing value,” Pigoni says, adding that they should also have excellent references. Active participation is the way for any business to grow quality content, Pigoni says, and if the virtual assistant is already involved, they are more likely to be able to do the same for the business.

Chris Brogan, president of New Media Labs, believes the assistant should understand the operations and online etiquette of the top social media sites, as well as the mechanics of maintaining a blog and other current tools. For novice users, Brogan advises asking for past results. “If the results simply involve using the tools themselves, skip them. Ask them to show business objectives that were met by their efforts,” he says.

Brogan also says the assistant should know when not to use certain tools. “This is worth more than someone who makes a business jump through every hoop like they’re checking boxes,” he says.

Avoid Phony “Experts”
“Unfortunately the rapid rise of social media has seen an equally rapid increase in the number of experts, gurus and evangelists,” Pigoni says. “If someone has to call themselves a guru, there is a good chance they are not.”

LeRiche recommend SM virtual assistants who clearly present themselves as business owners. Ask if they do this full time or in addition to working another job, and find out if they have clear policies and pricing structures.

Pigoni adds that having certification from the International Virtual Assistant Association shows a commitment to the industry standards.

Put Your Best Face Forward
Opinions vary as to who should be creating the social media content. Lon Safko, author of The Social Media Bible, says he had an intern do the administrative set up for a lot of his accounts. However, he says, “Social media is about authenticity, sincerity, and transparency. Having someone write your blogs and tweets can be dangerous unless you are honest about it.”

Safko says it can be done if an SM virtual assistant is open about the relationship, or if a busy executive dictates ideas into a digital recorder and the assistant transcribes them directly into blog posts.

Whether going it alone, or with the help of a virtual assistant, Howard Lindzon, entrepreneur and creator of Wallstrip, says, “We are in ‘Day One’ of social media and your customers are now everywhere. Knowing how to leverage the tools gives you an edge.”

Article provided from Entrepreneur

I would like to expand just slightly on this information. A well versed and educated specialist can help you learn the ins and outs of social media if you are not familiar with them. You can do the research, which can be quite time consuming, or ask a specialist. Most professionals will give you a consultation and offer you more information on social media. Then you can schedule an appointment where you provide more information on your business, why you want to participate in social media and if you are currently participating at all. If you do not know some of these answered asked your professional and they will help you.

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.