SucceedAsYourOwnBoss.com

Archive | Social Media RSS feed for this section

The Minority Entrepreneur Accelerator Program Could Be Your Answer

by Melinda Emerson on June 8, 2011 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, BYOB2011, Cash Flow & Finance, Customer Service, featured, Grow Your Business, My Recommendations, Social Media, Technology, Your Small Business

Comcast Interactive Capital, the venture capital affiliate of Comcast Corporation, one of the world’s leading media, entertainment and communications companies, today announced that is has partnered with DreamIt Ventures (“DreamIt”), the leading technology accelerator for entrepreneurs, to provide seed funding, training, mentoring and other benefits to five minority-led startups through DreamIt’s accelerator program. The partnership with DreamIt, entitled the Minority Entrepreneur Accelerator Program (MEAP), is Comcast Interactive Capital’s first investment initiative from the $20 million fund created by Comcast as part of the NBCUniversal transaction that is committed to expanding opportunities for minority entrepreneurs.

Comcast Interactive Capital and DreamIt are now accepting applications and will select five minority-led startups to participate in DreamIt’s three-month accelerator program taking place in Philadelphia this fall. The deadline for applications is July 8^th and the program will commence on September 9^th.

Kerry Rupp, Managing Director of DreamIt, said, “We are thrilled to have Comcast Interactive Capital as a partner and are looking forward to working with them. DreamIt is proud to provide assistance and opportunities to help entrepreneurs grow, and we know that Comcast will provide invaluable expertise and partnership to this process.”

MEAP will provide minority entrepreneurs with the opportunity to engage in an intensive, company-building experience. Applicants who are accepted into MEAP will be a part of DreamIt’s broader Fall 2011 initiative in Philadelphia and will be offered the opportunity to learn from, and be mentored by, recognized experts in marketing, brand building, business development, financial modeling, business plans, distribution and customer acquisitions. In addition, they will be provided with office space, working alongside the other startups selected and be provided with donated legal, accounting and administrative help. At the end of the three-month period, the startups will have the opportunity to pitch to venture capital and angel investors at a demo day in Philadelphia to secure further funding to create a sustainable business.

For details on how to submit an application for the Comcast Minority Entrepreneur Accelerator Program, please visit the DreamIt website atwww.dreamitventures.com/about/Comcast-MEAP.php.

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her one of the Top 20 women for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

Comments { 0 }

Are you Google-able?

by Melinda Emerson on June 6, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, featured, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Social Media, Technology, Uncategorized, Your Small Business

google logo

If you’re ready for a midcareer makeover, you can get new clothes and a new haircut. But even more important, you must make yourself what I call “Google-able.” That means you need to create a smart social media footprint.

By day I work as a small-business coach, and I keep coming across amazing professionals with extraordinary credentials who want to build a consulting practice or establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry.

But here’s the problem: When I put their names in Google, I come up with nothing. No website, no social networking profile — not even a guest blog post. These people may have advanced degrees and impressive titles on their resumes, but there is no electronic evidence of their expertise and accomplishments. Since this has happened several times over the last few weeks, it dawned on me that I needed to help fellow midcareer folks understand this new paradigm.

Gone are the days of calling around to get the 411 on a potential business partner or new hire. These days, people do an internet search before you ever get a call about a new opportunity. Recruiters and corporate executives routinely conduct internet searches when looking for talent and don’t always advertise open positions. Many believe you don’t even exist if you don’t have a social media footprint.

Here are five essential steps to get started online.

1. Smile and click.

One of the key things you need prior to establishing yourself online is to get a professional headshot. Go ahead and spend money to get a good photo. It should be a smiling shot that is friendly. Even though you are communicating over the internet, people still want to see who they are talking to.

If you haven’t established an online presence yet, keep this in mind: You are using the skills you already know — how to communicate with people. Creating an online presence simply helps people find you. Think of it as your virtual business card, which is far more useful in 2011 than the paper variety.

2. Sign up at LinkedIn.

The first step to building your brand online is to stake your territory: One of the best moves you can make is to set up a profile on LinkedIn. Yes, you’ll also want to establish a Google profile and sign up for a Facebook or Twitter account, too. But LinkedIn is the most important.

“If you are looking to do anything in the professional world, LinkedIn is where you need to be. LinkedIn is the ultimate buyers’ market,” says Patrice Rutledge, author of Using LinkedIn.

Here are her top tips to make your profile shine on LinkedIn:

Add your profile and be sure to fill it out 100 percent. Your profile should use the appropriate keywords that your target audience would use to search for your expertise (including job title and certifications).
Use applications to enhance your profile (SlideShare presentations, Google presentations, portfolio display or box.net to add a resume).
A detailed company profile is important for a business owner. Be sure to link it to your personal LinkedIn profile.

3. Create a website.

The next thing you can do is register your name or your business name as a website domain and create a simple one- to five-page website. If you are interested in establishing yourself as a thought leader in your industry, adding a blog to your new website is a great idea.

I realize that this might sound intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. You can register your own domain name and then hire a virtual assistant who specializes in social media to help you set it up. (By the way, a virtual assistant is an entrepreneur who assists business owners and busy people with time-consuming tasks, allowing them more time to focus on profit-generating activities.) With a few basic lessons, and time with tutorials, you can get going in no time.

4. Sign up for a Facebook account.

Cathy Larkin, founder of Web Savvy PR, conducts hands-on workshops to teach baby boomers how to use Facebook. Her clients often want to know what to talk about on their Facebook Fan Pages and how to create a good profile.

“I show people how to use Facebook rather than telling them how to do it,” Larkin says. “It’s all about figuring out what your intended audience wants to hear, learn or know about.”

She offers the example of a real estate agent who posted information about how to clear two feet of snow from your roof, which is much more creative — and useful — information than simply listing houses for sale.

Here are Larkin’s three tips for using Facebook Fan Pages:

Consider your keywords. Your domain name for your Facebook Fan Page should include keywords that people will use to search for you online.
Set your Info page as your default page. If someone visits you on Facebook, they will quickly get a sense of who you are and what you do (and hopefully fan your page).
Upload photos and online videos. It’s a great way to promote your products or services and add rich content to your Facebook Page.

5. Don’t forget Twitter.

Thomas MacEntee, the 48-year-old founder of High-Definition Genealogy, says its best to think of social media as a garden you have to tend.

Laid off from his tech job in Chicago in late 2008, MacEntee reinvented himself as a family historian — helping people investigate their family trees — and utilizes social media to connect with clients. It took MacEntee about a year to build his business.

He’s been so successful mastering the intricacies of Twitter — the free service that allows users to share information in 140 characters or less — that he now teaches a social media class for baby boomers called “Twitter: It’s not just what I had for breakfast anymore.”

He says the key to Twitter is giving as much as you get, and listening as much as you speak. He says some boomers have a problem with these concepts. “They think they are giving away their work for free, but it’s part of building yourself as a brand and an expert,” says MacEntee.

Here are some action steps to get you started building your online brand.

Decide what you wish to accomplish before using social media. Are you looking for a new work opportunity or simply want to connect with others who share a special interest or expertise?
Figure out who your audience is and where these folks hang out online. (You want to be as specific as possible in targeting your efforts.)
Create your LinkedIn account immediately. Add a great photo, import your contact database from your e-mail and join one group.
Expand to your own website, Facebook and/or Twitter.
Start developing a list of potentials blog topics. It’s a good idea to developed an archive of blog posts at least three months prior to launching your blog.
Remember that social media marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. You will get out of it what you invest in it.

If you follow all of these tips, when someone types your name into the world’s most famous search engine, they will immediately have your virtual business card — and so much more — right at their fingertips.

Melinda F. Emerson, known as the SmallBizLady, is an entrepreneur, professional speaker, small business coach and the author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months. In 2010, Forbes magazine named her as one of the Top 20 Women for Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter.

Comments { 1 }

Blogging, & Handling Corporate Inquires & Monetizing your Online Brand.

by Melinda Emerson on June 3, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Business Inspiration, BYOB2011, Customer Service, featured, Grow Your Business, My Recommendations, Social Media, Technology, Women in Business, Your Small Business

Check out this quick video from the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference. Fellow blogger Jewel Figueras of http://www.JewelsFabLife.com was interviewed by LaShanda Henry creator of SistaSense blogs for entrepreneurs and the Black Business Women Online Social Network.

http://www.sistasense.tv/smallbizlady-and-jewelsfablife-talk-blogging-and-working-with-brands-part1/

We discussed blogging, handling corporate inquires and monetizing your online brand. Enjoy!

I’m always here as a resource.
If you have a question for Melinda Emerson, SmallBizLady, leave a comment on this blog using thecontact us page or send me a note on Twitter @smallbizlady, on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/smallbizlady or you can hit me up on www.linkedin.com/in/melindaemerson

Comments { 1 }

Do you need a Small Business Makeover?

by Melinda Emerson on June 1, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Customer Service, featured, Grow Your Business, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Social Media, Technology, Your Small Business

Pitney Bowes wants to give your business a communications makeover worth up to $10,000. If you could use some help with your email, direct mail and social media communications, you can win a free year of using Pitney Bowes’ full suite of business tools. The grand prize winners will also receive in person one-on-one coaching from me @Smallbizlady and my colleagues marketing expert Jane Applegate and technology expert Phil Simon.

You have until July 19th to tell us how you’d improve your business communications. The earlier you enter the better as you will need to get a social media pals to vote for you in order to become a finalist. To enter write a 300 word essay on your biggest communications challenge or send in a one minute video. Click here to enter the Pitney Bowes Small Business Makeover Contest http://www.pbsmartessentials.com/makeover/

Disclosure: I am a paid consultant to Pitney Bowes to participate as a judge and business coach in this makeover contest!

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her one of the Top 20 women for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

Comments { 0 }

4 Things All Entrepreneurs Should Do On LinkedIn

by Melinda Emerson on May 31, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Before You Start, Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, featured, Grow Your Business, Social Media, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

Linked in Logo

LinkedIn is important! 75% of all professionals in the US have a LinkedIn profile, which means if you want to do business you must have one too. LinkedIn is powerful tool that you can use to promote yourself if you are an individual consultant or a company with 2 or more employees. Here are my four tips that all entrepreneurs should do on LinkedIn.

Make sure your profile is 100%: If you do not have a headshot, please add a profession one. Typically, business owners who are not 100% lack recommendations. Look at your connections and ask at least three people to write why they love doing business with you. To make it easy, write the recommendation for them. This might be rough, but go ahead and do it. Actually, you should get in habit of asking anyone you interact with to give to a recommendation. I have over 47 recommendations and counting, you can never have too many.

Know Your Keywords: Your keywords should be spread across your profile. First your description of who you are should include keywords that your target customer would use to find you on the internet. Your summary and skills should also be peppered with keywords. This will also help you appear higher in Linkedin searches for experts.

Join LinkedIn Groups: You can join up to 50 groups on LinkedIn. You should join at least 10 groups that have your target customer in the group. You should have a strategy for how you will engage and attract members of the group to connect with you. Many groups allow fellow members to connect even though you do not know each other.
Answer Questions: One of best ways to standout in LinkedIn is to answer questions. It should become a part of your social media routine. Try to answer two to three questions a week and see how many new connections you will make for your business.

LinkedIn is a powerful tool and a great way to connect with decision makers. Make sure you are in the best position to promote yourself and your business online. Do you have any other LinkedIn secrets to promote a small business? For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her one of the Top 20 women for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

Comments { 8 }

4 Tips for Listening to Your Audience Online

by sss4success on May 24, 2011 in Grow Your Business, Social Media, Your Small Business

One of the first pieces of advice you’ll find about using social media for your small business is to “listen to your audience“. By creating a listening strategy you’ll find out what conversations are happening among your customers (or potential customers), before you dive in and try to become part of the conversation and ultimately sell your wares.

A good Social Media Marketing Strategy starts with an active monitoring and listening plan that helps you learn what’s going on in your industry, as well as what people have to say about your brand. It allows you to plan exactly how you’ll enter the conversation and what valuable content you’ll use to make yourself a valued asset and not just another person shouting about their brand in the already overcrowded social media space.

The following 4 tips will help you formulate a listening strategy to hear what your audience is saying and find out what you can bring to the conversation:

1. Use Google Alerts: Google Alerts lets you get email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on the topics of your choice, where you can choose your topic and have the results delivered via email or RSS feed at the time you specify. The great thing about Google Alerts is that you can set up multiple alerts for your name, company name, competitors’ names, and relevant keywords or search terms for your industry to keep up with the information that you need. This intelligence will be delivered to you regularly, instead of heading to a search engine and running queries yourself.

2. Try Social Mention: Social Mention is a social media search engine that searches user-generated content such as blogs, comments, bookmarks, events, news, videos, and microblogging services. It’s like Google Alerts, but for social media platforms. It works similar to Google Alerts, where you can set it up and monitor your brand and competition in the social media space.

3. Search Twitter: With over 200,000,000 million users, tweeting 155,000,000 tweets a day, Twitter has become a real-time information network that connects you to the latest information about topics you’re interested in. Searching Twitter is a great way to find out what people are talking about NOW, and using a Saved Twitter Search is the best way to monitor topics relevant to your brand and industry.

4. Create Surveys: Regularly polling your customers and prospects is a great way to find out what topics are of interest to them, and what kinds of products and services will meet their needs. Services like Survey Monkey make it easy to gather information from your customers first hand by asking them what you want to know. For the cash-strapped entrepreneur, Survey Monkey offers a basic plan that lets you have up to 100 responses on a 10-question survey, thus providing an excellent tool to learn more about your stakeholders.

Have you tried any other listening strategies that have brought you success in the online realm?

Kindra C. Cotton, Serial Entrepreneur, Technology & Social Media Specialist, and Jill of All Trades (and a Master of Two), channels her energies into her small business consulting enterprises specializing in brand marketing, market research, and strategic information consultancy. A transplanted Nashvillian with years of expertise with the Internet and web-based technologies, she channels her passion for entrepreneurship, information technology, and social media into being an excellent resource for online marketers and people looking to promote their brand on the web as Examiner.com’s National Online Marketing Examiner. Her flagship brand “SSS for Success (Small Business Survival Specialists)” specializes in preparing small and medium-sized organizations to take advantage of the free and low-cost marketing avenues that exist in the online arena.

Comments { 0 }

Do You Have a Social Media Plan?

by sss4success on April 12, 2011 in Guest Articles, Social Media, Technology

“Social Media” is the latest hot button topic. It’s the buzz word on everyone’s lips, and now that there are several verified stories of how it’s being used to grow businesses and forge new era of engagement among organizations and their stakeholders, it’s now at the top of everyone’s list as they seek to improve their bottom lines.

Many small business owners turn their heads in the direction of Social Media, not just because it’s useful marketing tool, but because the term “FREE” is often juxtaposed to it, thereby helping it fit perfectly on a tight budget. One of the first things that entrepreneurs do when they want to capitalize on the “Social Media Wave” is set up a Twitter or Facebook account (or Fan Page) and then they feel that they now are a part of “the party”. But I contend that in order for a Social Media Marketing Campaign to truly be effective, you have to plan how social media outlets will be used within your overall marketing plan to promote your products and services.

To that end, I like to help my clients navigate the Web 2.0 environment and integrate Social Media into their business by mapping out a Social Media Marketing Plan that fits squarely within the overall marketing plan of a company. Specifically, I create a Social Media Marketing Plan that highlights how social media outlets will be utilized to:

1) Drive traffic to a company’s website or blog,

2) Generate interest in the site’s content,

3) Generate sales or leads for new customers, and

4) Provide ways of keeping existing customers actively engaged in the company’s brand through its website, blog, or other social media outlets. Continue Reading →

Comments { 2 }

12 Things to Tweet About on Twitter

by Melinda Emerson on March 28, 2011 in Social Media

Twitter is a very powerful way to build a social media brand and one of the most common questions I get is, “So what should I tweet about?” Here are four basic tips: find news articles helpful to your target audience, tweet other people’s stuff at a 4:1 ratio of your own, tweet your own helpful content, and send personal tweets so that people can get to know you on Twitter. 140 characters is a short and sweet way to communicate with your target market, network and get instant feedback. You can develop relationships and promote your events or your business, but keep in mind it takes 7 contacts in social media to build trust, so go slowly. It’s important to avoid being seen as someone who just self promotes. Keep in mind that every tweet counts; no one cares what you had for breakfast, so don’t just tweet useless stuff

Twitter is all about Give to Get. Most of your tweets should be helpful. Be sure to inject some personality, so that people can feel like they know you.

Here are 12 ideas for what to tweet:

1. Teach something – Highlight your area of expertise by teaching how to do something.

2. Ask for advice: The Twitterverse is great for quick responses. You can also ask questions that encourage responses.

3. Become a Twitter news source: Announce news from your industry and local news from the city where you do business.

4. Share good information: Develop a list of 10 sites or blogs that your followers would be interested in and share links regularly. Be sure to comment on the articles before retweeting them to get the link back to you.

5. Offer free advice: Use Twitter Search www.search.twitter.com to find potential customers asking for advice in your area of expertise and then offer them help. This is a great way to build followers.

6. Create a Twitter lists: Highlight awesome contributors in your industry. My post on 25 Business Women To Follow On Twitter is still a major link 9 months after it was originally posted. http://succeedasyourownboss.com/07/2010/25-business-women-to-follow-on-twitter/

7. Book and product reviews: Tweet any reviews for books/products relevant to your target audience.

8. Give Thanks: Be sure to thank anyone for mentioning you on Twitter or RT’ing your posts.

9. Quotes: Everyone loves to read a quick inspirational quote that makes them think or say me, too.

10. Market your latest offers: Market yourself but be careful about not to be saying “Buy my stuff” too much.

11. Give Twitter luv: ReTweet other people’s stuff. It’s a great way to widen your network, and build relationships with other professionals.

12. Be Personal- Post at least one personal Tweet every day. It will allow people to see that you are not just all about business. I have a 5 year old and he gives me great material to tweet about.

My bottom line with Twitter: Be real, useful and helpful. Make sure you have a good picture and sharp Twitter bio that explains how someone can hire you. Remember, the give to get principal. It’s not all about you. Your followers need to understand your thought leadership as well as whose stuff you like to read. Follow everyone who follows you, unless they have no photo, no description or have locked their Twitter account. It’s ok to repeat your tweets. I typically repeat new blog posts four times the first day of a new post.

Do you have any more secrets of using Twitter to share?

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her one of the Top 20 women for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

Comments { 17 }

Ask SmallBizLady: How Can I Get More Followers on Twitter to Promote My Small Business

by Melinda Emerson on February 18, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Social Media

On Fridays, I answer questions on my blog in a segment called Ask Small Biz Lady, where I will post video answers to frequent questions about small business. This week, we are taking on the question How Can I Get More Followers on Twitter to Promote My Small Business? Click here to see my video response.

The answer is: Follow other people, search for people who are asking questions using your keywords, Retweet (RT) other people’s content at a 4:1 ratio to your own, and participate in Twitterchats like such as #Smallbizchat every Wednesday 8-9pm ET. By answering questions you’ll demonstrate your expertise and get noticed. Remember the currency used in social media is value. If you provide value consistently you will earn lots of followers.

If you have a question for Melinda Emerson, Small Biz Lady, I’m always here as a resource.

Leave a comment on this article, send a message using the contact us page, tweet me – @smallbizlady, on Facebook or you can hit me up on LinkedIn.

Comments { 1 }

Social Media Customer Service: Don’t Fake It

by Melinda Emerson on February 8, 2011 in Customer Service, Guest Articles, Social Media

In recent years, social media has effectively taken everything that we know about customer service, and turned it upside-down. Online, there is no place for your company to hide. If you leave your customers unsatisfied, you are pretty much guaranteed to see a rant or rave about it on a social media network somewhere. Consumers are quick to embrace this power that they have received- the power of mass exposure. And this can leave you and your company feeling, well, massively exposed.

One of the most valuable things that you can do as a business owner today is to develop a specific and detailed social media customer relationship management program in order to foster a positive rapport with your customers. There are plenty of small business owners out there who stumble across negative threads about their business, and do not know how to conduct themselves in response, nor do they have a plan for how to handle this type of negative exposure. If nothing is said, the problem is guaranteed to escalate. If the business owner poses as a “fake” customer to post a contradicting positive comment, the falsehood almost always shines through. However, with a plan in place, you can quickly change a customer’s negative experience into a positive one without taking on a false identity.

Oftentimes, what fuels a customer’s discontent in the first place is a company’s lack of response. For example, if a customer writes to a shoe company that he bought a pair of leather shoes that disintegrated the first day he wore them, and receives no response, it is likely that he will post a negative thread about the company on a public forum. Noteworthy is the fact that the likely focus of his thread will be the simple lack of response and lack of customer care from the shoe company, not the lack of quality in the shoes. The relationship that your company establishes with a customer is equally as important, if not more, than the product itself.

When your social media team responds to a customer service issue, such as a negative comment posted on your Facebook page, you must have a specific plan in place. First, ensure that your company has access to each customer’s contact information. A designated customer service representative should contact this customer personally in order to assist him or her. A social media customer service representative should always leave the customer with his or her own email address and personal phone extension. While social media allows your company to be available and accessible to consumers, you should never doubt the power of personal one-on-one contact.

When aligning your social media customer relationship management plan, insure that your customer service representative will follow through appropriately with the customer. For example, if a replacement pair of leather shoes has been sent to the customer, the representative should call the customer back in 2 weeks to make sure this pair has not disintegrated. Insuring that the same CSR checks back with the customer is necessary. We have all had the experience of being transferred to 4 different reps on a customer service line before, and it’s an experience that leaves you steamy under the collar, isn’t it? Insuring that a customer is able to correspond with one dedicated representative allows him or her to establish a comfortable, trusted relationship with your company. Enable your customer to provide a satisfied testimonial once you have corrected the problem, and you will see that the level of attentiveness you have provided is reflected in the customer’s new feedback.

As you continue developing and refining your social media customer service methods, make sure that your plan evolves as social media evolves. For example, if you use Twitter as a forum for customer’s to post feedback to your company, how do you handle the fact that Twitter is always on? Will you designate customer response hours in your bio? Will you designate a CSR to Tweet when the CSRs will be offline for the day? Allow your methods to evolve and develop over time in order to provide the best customer service possible.

Debra Leitl is the Mentor in Residence at eMentormarketing.com. You can find her on twitter @MentorMarketing. Her specialty is interactive marketing with a focus on ecommerce and online marketing strategy.

Comments { 1 }

Ask Smallbizlady: When is it Time to Quit Your Job to Pursue Your Small Business

by Melinda Emerson on January 28, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, How to Start, Social Media, Your Small Business

Every Friday, I’m creating a new segment called Ask Small Biz Lady.

I’m posting video answers to your frequent small business questions. This week, we are taking on the question when do you know it’s time to leave you job to operate your small business full-time.

Here’s the answer: Work both the job and the business as a side hustle as long as you can. Check out this video for more….. http://www.youtube.com/user/producerpa#p/u/0/yWse0A8Xo_4

If you have a question for Melinda Emerson, SmallBizLady, leave a comment on this blog using the contact us page or send a Tweet or direct message on Twitter, give me a shout out on Facebook on the SmallBizLady fan page or hit me up on Linkedin.

I’m always here as a resource.

Comments { 1 }

Where will Social Media Lead You in 2011?

by Melinda Emerson on January 18, 2011 in Guest Articles, Social Media

Where will Social Media Lead You in 2011? By Barbara Pender

Mobile marketing will be among the hottest trends. Are you ready? Here is a checklist of the basic items you need to have and to hold as you begin to marry into this next rampant stage of Social Media. I promise to leave you with processes and go-to links for further bookmarking.

While preparing for this article, a friend of mine reminded me that knowledge goes beyond learning; it is action that completes its cycle. So I’m passing that on to you - read and react; because mobile marketing will leave you behind wondering “why wasn’t I part of that movement?”

What is Mobile Marketing, (MM)? It was once referenced or defined as “horizontal telecommunication convergence”….uh yeah. That’s how the geeks start out when honing a new feature or tool; give it an acronym or multi syllable name to scare everyone while we figure out what it is. Now that we know, we can simplify it and let everyone in, so are you ready? Great! Mobile Marketing is marketing with a mobile device, yes – like your cell phone. Here is a link to increase your knowledge via definitions in the MM industry, http://bit.ly/getyoursocialacttogether.

Now that we’ve covered the basics let’s move on to why mobile marketing is the trend. Ask yourself; do you know anyone who does not have a mobile phone? The industry has made it easy to get and the features quite easy to use – hence the phrase “there’s an app for that”. I’m going to focus on one of the definition terms from the link above and that is LBS.

Location based services is what a cell phone network offers, this vehicle is used to send custom advertising to you, the cell phone subscriber; and it is all GPS based. Meaning that you’re not going to receive an ad from a small business in Ohio if you live in Iowa. How does this happen? There is a GPS chip built into your existing phone.

Foursquare, YELP, Facebook Places, just to name a few, utilize LBS technology. How should you use them to leverage your business? There are so many ways to explore and it can be overwhelming to decide which ones to use; yes more than one. The reason is that your clientele will not all be using Foursquare, so it is important to know about more than one and decide which one or ones you will utilize when you put together your mobile marketing strategy. Their concept is to connect with your friends at brick and mortar locations; where you will earn passports, rewards, points, badges and status labels.

As a business owner, you can embrace those titles and accolades by offering a discount to those who are the Duchess of your establishments (Yelp), or the Mayor of the town in your area (Foursquare). The LBS is doing all of the work for you, it will be displayed on your social media tool and you should be running your marketing on that same platform.

Remember that mobile marketing will allow you to send out exclusive and targeted promos, rewarding those who patronize your business and make others wonder why they are not and therefore will envy the deals. Get on board with the mobile marketing trend!!

Start with locating a good Social Media Strategist
Know your customer base
Know your audience
Arm your business with the right mobile marketing tools

Take a deeper look at the benefits of using some of these tools, expanding the search to practices that will actually benefit your small business. Sharing location updates, geo-tagging, commenting with customers; becoming part of their mobile address book, online social networks, communities and blogs.

Barbara Pender is a Social Media coach, providing training and speaking opportunities covering this fast paced industry. Connect with her on Facebook — and follow her on Twitter.

Comments { 2 }

How to Have Balance in Your Life as a Small Business Owner

by Melinda Emerson on January 6, 2011 in Business Inspiration, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, SmallBizChat, Social Media, Women in Business, Your Small Business

Each week as Smallbizlady, I conduct interviews with small business experts on my weekly Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. This is excerpted from my #SmallBizChat interview with Debi Silber @themojocoach. Debi is a Registered Dietitian with a Master’s in Nutrition, a Personal Trainer, Whole Health Coach, author, speaker and founder of www.TheMojoCoach.com . Debi’s branded The Mojo Coach^® because she’s personally led hundreds of clients to achieve their ultimate body, mind, image and lifestyle; inspiring them to “get their mojo back.” She’s also the author of A Pocket Full of Mojo: 365 Proven Strategies To Create Your Ultimate Body, Mind, Image and Lifestyle. http://www.themojocoach.com/book_pocketfull.php

SmallBizLady: What are some of the common health issues you often see with small business owners?

Debi Silber: The most common health issues I see are stress related illnesses, chronic disease (which is largely caused by stress and bad habits/conditioning), unmanaged stress, frustration and overwhelm.

SmallBizLady: Why are stress related issues so common?

Debi Silber: It’s a combination of many things but with the small business owner, it’s usually due to where we place our priorities. Many of us put our work at the top of the list. This usually means that our health and wellness gets pushed to the bottom of the list and we take care of ourselves if we have any time, energy and motivation left after all of our other priorities are taken care of. Unfortunately, by the time we’re finished with everything else, we’re usually too tired to do anything different, especially if it involves change. For many people, we’ll live this way until a health crisis or illness forces us to make changes.

SmallBizLady: What can a small business owner do to find more balance?

Debi Silber: There’s really no such thing as balance because your attention is given to whatever you deem important at the time. The key is to make the decision to view health and wellness as important too because really, the better you feel and live, the better your business will be. You’ll have more energy, confidence, be more productive and positive. You’ll exude a sense of confidence and personal power that makes people want to work with you. Can you wake up earlier and get your exercise in? Make lunch plans with a friend each week? Cook healthier meals on the weekend when you have more time? Journal, meditate, or find another way to de-stress? Take away from any unproductive time during your day and allot it to time spent on making yourself healthier and happier.

SmallBizLady: What are a few tips to eat healthier during a busy day?

Debi Silber: Always start with a healthy breakfast. It kick-starts your metabolism and is a great place to fuel up on fresh fruit, whole grains, lean protein and high fiber. Also, pre-plan your day. If you’ll be out, make sure you have some healthy snacks/meals and plenty of water to keep you nourished and hydrated. It’s also best to eat well-balanced meals (healthy carbs/protein/fruit or veg/little bit of fat) every 3-4 hours to keep your blood sugar and mood stable. This will prevent an energy surge and crash as well as prevent a binge because you got overly hungry or ate too much sugar.

SmallBizLady: What are some unhealthy habits you often see with your small business clients?

Debi Silber: We think we can only have a dysfunctional relationship with people but we often have it with food too. Binge, mindless, social and emotional eating behaviors can have us struggling with food, weight and health for years, and often decades. Some are just bad habits and something like emotional eating for example, is a way to soothe, calm, numb and relax us. It’s a way of self-medicating. We stuff ourselves to “check out” or “stuff” the pain from an uncomfortable emotion we don’t want to deal with. It’s an easy way of meeting an unmet need like anger, frustration, loneliness, boredom, feeling unfulfilled and even fatigue.

SmallBizLady: Exercise is important but we’re either too busy or we just don’t want to do it. What are a few tips to make sure we exercise?

Debi Silber: The first step is to understand our “fitness personality” so we can create a program we like based on our needs, health, preferences and lifestyle. Next, it’s usually best to get it in before the day starts because as the day progresses, things come up and exercise is one of the first things to go if you have a lot to do. If that’s not an option, keep your gym bag packed and ready to go, exercise on a lunch break, hit the gym before you come home, find a fitness buddy for accountability, TiVo your favorite shows and treat yourself to them while you exercise, create a reward system for getting your workout in, etc. The key is to find a way to get exercise in and stay motivated while bringing results.

SmallBizLady: When running your own business, especially from home, it’s difficult for many of us to “leave the office.” Any suggestions?

Debi Silber: Having my business from home, I find it helpful to physically leave the office and shut the door behind me once my kids come home. Shutting the door subconsciously reminds me that that part of the day is over and it’s time to move back into my role as wife and mom. I try not to go into the office much once the kids are home but when you love what you do, it’s especially hard to leave because it doesn’t feel like work! It’s also important to realize that there will ALWAYS be more to do so learn how to pace yourself for the sake of your health, your wellness, your sanity while keeping your priorities and values in check.

SmallBizLady: How does stress affect our health?

Debi Silber: When we’re stressed, we’re not interested in making healthy choices, reading labels, etc. We want comfort foods (which are loaded in fat, sugar and calories) because we’re looking for that feeling we felt when they were served to us long ago. Under stress, we’re also secreting more stress hormones, which encourage us to eat more. Stress also suppresses the immune system. A weakened or compromised immune system puts us at risk for many illnesses and diseases. Stress also affects our ability to heal, affects our nervous system, digestive system, reproductive system, hair, skin, organs, cells…just about everything.

SmallBizLady: What are some of the dangers of stress?

Debi Silber: Stress creates physical, mental, emotional wear and tear. It’s hard to imagine though because we think a physical cause causes a physical pain (ex: stub your toe, it hurts) but think about it. You hear something and your face reddens with anger, you’re embarrassed and you flush, you’re nervous and you feel butterflies, you’re upset and your stomach hurts. These are physical reactions to emotions/feelings. These emotions release stress hormones and chemicals and over time, these chemicals cause huge wear and tear.

SmallBizLady: Sometimes our lifestyles (spouse, family, running a business, etc.) can affect our sleep. What’s the link between a lack of sleep and our health?

Debi Silber: When stressed, we’re not sleeping well and will look for more energy through sugar and caffeine. The empty calories coming from sugar is one of the easiest ways to gain weight. A lack of sleep also leaves us groggy which makes us less productive during our day. It also makes us irritable, less patient, etc.

SmallBizLady: What’s the best way to start living a healthier lifestyle and making changes that last?

Debi Silber: Start small, making changes that work for you. Make 1 change in each of these areas-nutrition, fitness, relationships, emotional health, stress, and spirituality.

Here’s some examples: Nutrition-can you leave over a few bites of food at dinner, drink more water, make a healthy substitution? Fitness-can you commit to walking 1 day this week, bumping up the intensity of your jog, joining a class, working out with a fitness DVD or taking the dog for a run every day? Relationships-can you go out on a “date” with your partner, make plans with a friend, play more with your kids, call an old friend or make a new friend? Emotional-can you talk back to your “inner bully” (that voice that tells you that you can’t, you’re too old, not smart enough, not ready, etc.), change your perspective, lighten up? Stress-can you take 10 minutes to read a magazine, get more sleep, journal, meditate, relax in nature, listen to soothing music, laugh more, exercise to de-stress, knit, do yoga, etc.? Spirituality-can you find a way to feel more connected to something bigger-be more appreciative, donate your time or money to a cause you find meaningful, pray daily.

How to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e

For more tips on starting or growing your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog at www.succeedasyourownboss.com

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. She has been featured on NBC Nightly News, the Tavis Smiley Radio Show, in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur and Black Enterprise Magazine. She hosts #SmallBizChat weekly on Twitter for emerging entrepreneurs and publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)