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How to Get Started on Twitter

by Melinda Emerson on June 21, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Branding & Marketing, Customer Service, featured, How to Start, Social Media, Technology

Using Twitter is a great way to start building your online brand. If you can send a text message, you can tweet. You can only communicate using 140 characters on Twitter, but if you want people to Retweet (RT) or share your content, you should cut your tweets down to 125 characters. Here a few quick rules: Listen first, then engage with people directly, then start sharing articles of interest to attract your target audience. Once you establish relationships on Twitter you can then start writing your own blog and tweeting your original content.

Decide what you wish to accomplish before using Twitter. Are you trying to establish your expertise, looking for a new work opportunity or simply want to connect with others who share a special interest or expertise?
Figure out who your target audience is and where these folks hang out online. (You want to be as specific as possible in targeting your efforts.)
Establish your own website. It does not make sense to use social media if you do not have a place to drive traffic, like your own website.
Developing a list of 3-5 blogs or websites. It’s a good idea to develop a daily habit of going out to a few websites and finding content to share on twitter
Remember that social media marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. You will get out of it what you invest in it.

5 steps to Establishing Your Twitter Account:

Set up an account
Enter your profile information & photo
Find your friends
How to follow someone
How to post messages

Step 1: Set up an account

Go to http://twitter.com and click the big green “Get Started – Join!” button.
On the resulting screen, enter the username you want, your desired password, your email address and complete the spam checker
About your username:
- Use your whole name, nickname, name of your business or a description of your service, examples @comcastcares @jenny55 @bizsavvymom @smallbizlady

Step 2: Enter your profile information

Your profile information is important. If you want people to want to connect to you, you’ll need to tell them a little bit about yourself. Try not to write anything scary or silly; or too personal. You need just to explain your expertise and/or interests. And your location should be a larger city nearby.
Log into Twitter, and click on the ‘Settings’ link at the top of your Twitter homepage.
The ‘Account’ tab of the ‘Settings’ section includes a text box that lets you input a 160-character blurb about yourself, along with a link to your website.
The ‘Picture’ tab lets you upload a picture to your profile. It is best to post a smiling picture of yourself

Step 3: Find your friends

There are a few simple ways to find people to follow on Twitter:
Click on the ‘Who To Follow’ to search for people who Twitter suggests you follow.
Invite from other networks will search your email address books (aol, hotmail, gmail etc.) to see if anyone has associated any of those addresses with a Twitter account.
Invite by email is a way to invite your friends to join Twitter through email.
Search tab allows you to search for new people to follow. You can mimic this function by using http://search.twitter.com.
You can search for the city where you live to find other users in your area. Enter your industry to find business peers. Enter your hobbies to find people with shared interests. The potential list is endless.

Step 4: How to follow someone

You can log in twitter from anywhere, you can use desktop applications, or you can connect from your phone.
To follow someone
- Hover over their @username, click link, read their bio & recent tweets. If they seem interesting, hit follow

Step 5: How to post messages

To post a regular message
Just type it into the box that says “What are you doing?” and hit the ‘update’ button below
To send an open message
When sending an open message to someone publicly, type “@” followed by their username, then the message. Here’s an example:
encouragement4u @smallbizlady How did you overcome your biggest business challenges? Check out these stories! http://budurl.com/eqbx

Send a Direct-message

To send a private direct message to someone, type “d” then a space and then their username. So, to send me a direct message you would type “d @smallbizlady That was a great #smallbizchat on Twitter last night!”
Note: you can only send direct messages to people who you follow, and who follow you back.

How to Retweet or RT someone else’s message

If you like what someone says, and want to show your followers that message.
Copy the tweet (not username), then hit grey arrow to reply, add ‘RT’ before the @username Put one space after @username & paste original tweet. If it is too long, You can edit, but only for space. Here’s an example of a Retweet:
Holly_Hanna RT @smallbizlady 32 Tips to make online customers love you –http://tinyurl.com/op9bbk (this is really well done)

Quick Twitter Tips

Remember to click your @username to see messages/tweets folks are sending to you openly.
Remember to Follow your Followers
Under your username & photo click followers to see who followed you and decide to follow back or not. When you have time its nice to send a thanks for the follow note.
Now you are ready to get started. Welcome to Twitterverse!

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)

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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.

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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

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Should I put my picture on my business card?

by Melinda Emerson on May 20, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, BYOB2011, Customer Service, Grow Your Business, My Recommendations, Q & A Interview, SmallBizChat, Solopreneurs, Your Small Business

Ask @SmallBizLady: Should I put my picture on my business card?

Every Friday, I answer your small business questions in a video blog segment called Ask Small Biz Lady. This week, we are taking on the question: “Should I put my picture on my business card?”

Here’s the answer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKXIfQM-Kn4

If you are a solopreneur or a brand of one person with a business you can use your picture on you business card. Particularly if your business involves visual branding such as photography, make-up artist, stylist it could make sense to use your photo on your business card to promote your business. It could also work will for speaking and coaching businesses, financial services or if you a real estate agent. You just need to have a reason for using your photo on your business card.

For the record, I do not use my photo on my business card. My book is on my business card instead.

If you have a question for Melinda Emerson, Small Biz Lady, leave a comment on this blog using the contact us page or send me a note on Twitter @smallbizlady, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/smallbizlady or you can hit me up on www.linkedin.com/in/melindaemerson

I’m always here as a resource.

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How to Reinvent Your Business Blog

by Melinda Emerson on November 18, 2010 in Q & A Interviews, SmallBizChat

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 Cathy Larkin @CathyWebsavvyPR & @WhyDoWeBlog. Cathy Larkin is a social media strategist and 20-year public relations pro. Founder of Web Savvy PR, her boutique firm provides traditional PR and marketing support as well as social media coaching, strategy and execution. Her specialty is making social media less intimidating for folks who are not so “tech” savvy. You may also know her as the co-host of #SmallBizChat. For more info: http://WebSavvyPR.com and http://WhyDoWeBlog.com.

Smallbizlady: When do you know it’s time to reinvent your blog?

Cathy Larkin: The most obvious is if your site is not converting readers into whatever you are looking for – RSS or email subscribers; customers; brand advocates; attendees of your classes/webinars/workshops; buyers of your book, ebook, audio products; or not generating enewsletter sign ups. Between the growth and changes of your own business, shifts in the economy, and the ever-changing online landscape – your blog, website or homebase, may no longer be keeping up with your business. Your site may need a cosmetic “face lift” for a refreshing new look; it may need a few tweaks of its features and functionality behind the scenes (themes, widgets and plugins oh my); or it may need a major overhaul of strategy, content, focus and/or look/feel.

Smallbizlady: Are there any reasons why I should NOT revamp my site?

Cathy Larkin: If your brand is well-known, well-liked and is working for you – think long and hard before leaving it behind just because it “seems” old to you. You might just want some “blog botox” rather than a complete “blog facelift, let alone “blog reconstructive surgery.”

Smallbizlady: What are 7 questions small business owners should ask themselves annually about their business website?

Cathy Larkin:

Does my site present my business in the way I want?
Does the look of my site reflect my biz today?
Do I post quality content frequently enough or too often?
Is my content aligned w/ my reader’s needs & my business goals?
Do I get comments/interaction, am I building community, engagement, trust?
Is it easy for readers to navigate; are the buttons and features clear?
Does my site convert readers into customers (or whatever conversion metric you consider important)

Smallbizlady: If someone wants to revamp their business blog what types of changes should they consider?

Cathy Larkin: If your site is looking old and tired, you may need more, better or different functionality. You haven’t been keeping up with plugins, theme or blog software updates/ upgrades. You are on a blogger/wordpress/typepad hosted site and want to move to a self hosted site on your own domain name. If you have a traditional website, you may want to add a blog. Or you may need to revamp your content – pages & posts.

Smallbizlady: What is the biggest reason why people but off updating their web presence?

Most of us know if our site needs work, but we put it off, it seems too much trouble. Some folks paid someone to put up a site for them, and other than putting up new blog posts – they haven’t done much else with it. It may be time for an overhaul.

Smallbizlady: What are the pros & cons of revamping a biz blog?

Cathy Larkin: Pros: A new updated look and feel can be as simple as a new blog header graphic and a refresh of site colors. Your goal is to create a better response when people land on your site. Better functionality can increase click thru and conversion rates and retention of readers. Better SEO or search engine optimization – organic search traffic; better response via social networking sites

Cons: Revamping a site takes time and or money, and if not done well can make it worse. You could also get push back from existing readers, who are used to a certain look or approach. You could suffer a loss of traffic. If you completely restart with a new URL or change your site to a new structure you could suffer a loss of links and page rank (although this is often temporary).

Smallbizlady: What are some external ways you can update your blog?

Cathy Larkin: Look at your existing branding from your logo and business cards, to your social networking sites and your blog. Do they present a unified brand image and message? If not you may need a graphic designer to help you unify the look and feel of your brand overall. Maybe all you need is a new blog header graphic, that communicates what it is that you do. Another key element is a tagline, which clarifies for someone, that they came to the right place. A strong tagline lets them know what it is that your site can do for them – right from the start.

I’ve added a post on http://WhyDoWeBlog.com – with an expanded check list of items to review and analyze on your site: http://bit.ly/a3eQ87

Smallbizlady: What are some behind the scenes things we can do to our wordpress blogs to tweak it?

Cathy Larkin: Before you do anything, backup your site on wordpress and your webhost before doing any changes to the site. Be sure that your theme, plugins and wordpress software are up to date. Check to make sure everything it working, check for broken links and old plugins that don’t work (or are no longer serving their purpose). Upgrade each plugin individually. When you go to upgrade plugins – make sure they are compatible with the version of wordpress you are running. If you have plugins that aren’t useful, deactivate and/or uninstall them; they can slow your blog down.

If you are active in social media – make it easy for others to share your content. There are many social sharing plugins. Once you add a plugin, be sure to go into the settings and set it up. For example, you can often add your @username to brand your tweets etc. For example, with tweetmeme, you can set it up so your @username is automatically added to the retweet text of your post on Twitter.

If you are using a free wordpress theme, it might be worth exploring a paid or premium theme – anywhere from $49 to $87. Or it might be time to barter with or hire a designer or blog consultant to customize your site and take your theme and blog to the net level.

Smallbizlady: What if I am on a hosted site (WordPress.com, Blogger or Typepad) and I want to get more professional with my site?

Cathy Larkin: I am a wordpress.org kind of a girl. but I’ve talked with a folks who know Blogger and a couple who made the shift to a self-hosted site at http://wordpress.org. If you are taking the time to create content, you want to own your own content. The self-hosted wordpress blog software offers more tools and more robust functional themes and tools to change the look of your site as well. Blogger & Typepad both do have a way to host on your own domain, but WordPress.org seems to be winning the “most functional and flexible” battle.

Smallbizlady: If I’m not a techy myelf – what do I need to look for in someone to help me out?

Cathy Larkin: You want someone who comes highly-recommended, whose sites you like, who is easy to work with. Beware those who want to do it all themselves and resent you looking over their shoulder. Beware of someone who is very techy and talks down to you. I have seen several folks have their sites taken over by “helpful” people and had disasters occur – I’ve had to help a few recover from vendors like that. Ideally – you want someone who tells you in a document – what changes they are planning on making to your site – so if there is a problem later – you can know where to start to fix it. Make sure you get access to passwords and links to anything that they set up for you. NEVER let anyone buy a domain name “in your name.” The one who pays – legally owns a URL. I know of at least two times a designer held a site & domain name hostage against payment when there was a dispute. Be a good client to work with too. Have a few model sites to share with the designer, be involved, but don’t get in the way. Discuss a plan going in, and a timeline for completion, I usually pay 50% upfront, the rest at the end, and get a project plan in writing. Confirm if your fee includes one or two revisions of the header graphic; find out in advance what changes are extra.

Smallbizlady: What about internal strategy and content changes?

Cathy Larkin: Yes, reviewing your content is a crucial part of revitalizing a blog. Make sure that your content (blog posts and static pages) positions you in the way you want your readers to see you – especially if your business model has changed. Look at how often you post. What posts convert for you? What gets comments, what gets retweeted or talked about on Facebook? What posts get linked to from other sites? (This is a big part of Google page rank) What topics have you been missing? What topics should you revisit from a different direction? Don’t be afraid to ask your readers what they want to see more of, or less. Could adding video or podcasting help you reach more readers? Look at what your audience responds to. I decided to launch a second blog site to focus on blogging, separate from my main brand, because that is what my readers best responded too.

Smallbizlady: What if our biz model has changed and we really want to make a real branding/site shift?

Cathy Larkin: Rebranding can be tricky, but it can be done. For this you really want to take a hard look at your site, URL, do a hubspot website grader analysis – see the number of incoming links, and your site’s page rank. Look at your RSS subscriber numbers and comments and retweets per post. You should understand know how many engaged readers do you have. Identify your business goals, Identify your niche audience, know where they hang out online, decide what content you can provide to get their attention. An example @JimKukral – kept his same site – but moved from blogging to video blogging for a year, and is now doing only ebooks from his site. Bold moves that seem to have worked for him. @DannyBrown shifted from his PressReleasePR site a few years ago to his http://DannyBrown.me site and let his old site go a month later – after he was sure the new one was working.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

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)

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#SmallBizChat Live Telesummit Recap (Part 1)

by Melinda Emerson on November 9, 2009 in Business Inspiration, Cash Flow & Finance, Grow Your Business, Mompreneurs, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, SmallBizChat, Social Media, Solopreneurs, Telesummit, Your Small Business

(Dear readers: this is the first part of a two part post about SmallBizChat Live Telesummit. Part two will post on Friday, November 13, 2009.)

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. This past week, I presented the first annual #SmallBizChat Live Telesummit. The goal was to give the audience the information to create a new plan for their business in 2010. After nearly a year of communicating in writing on this blog and using Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, I wanted to interview small business experts over the phone. I also wanted our followers to have access to some experts who do not use Twitter, but who have fantastic information to share. In today’s blog post, I have prepared a recap of three key points that each expert shared with us.

Mike Michalowicz @TPEntrepreneur kicked off our Telesummit. Mike is small business expert who is known as the Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. For more information, please visit toiletpaperentrepreneur.com Michalowicz talked about using social media a build your business.

Here are Mike’s key takeaways:
1. Use a 4 to 1 ratio in your content posted on social media sites. Only promote yourself once in every four times you communicate. Always seek to add value to your audience.
2. Take a non-traditional position to stand out among other experts in your field.
3. Blogging and participating in forums is a great strategy, but using Google ad words can be effective as well.

Karyn Greenstreet @kgreenstreet was our second guest. She’s a self-employment expert who runs thesuccessalliance.com. Her website has all the resources a business owner needs to start or run a mastermind group. Karyn talked to us about mastermind group best practices.

Here are Karyn Greenstreet’s key takeaways:
1. Being involved in a mastermind group is something successful entrepreneurs do.
2. Think about the other skills you need in your business when you want to recruit members to start a mastermind group. Mastermind groups are typically four-to-ten people.
3. Develop set procedures for how your group will operate and get all participants to sign the agreement. Using an agreement is one of the best ways to get participants to commit to the terms and then fully participate.

Dr. Mel Gravely @melgravely kicked off day two of the Telesummit. Mel is the founder of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, the leading think tank on issues related to business development. For more information, please visit entrethinking.com Mel talked about how to retool your business in tough times.

Here are Dr. Gravely’s key takeaways:
1. It is more important than ever to focus on your niche market and your value proposition. Gone are the days of the generalist consultant.
2. Do not launch any new marketing initiative that you can’t afford to keep up for at least a year.
3. Business shouldn’t always be a struggle. If you have been struggling in your business for more than four years, and it’s never been profitable; it might be time to move on from that business or that business model.

Tim Berry @Timberry is president and founder of Palo Alto Software the makers of Business Plan Pro, and founder of bplans.com. He’s the author of The Plan-As-You-Go Business Plan, Entrepreneur Press. Tim talked about Managing Cash Flow in a Tough Economy.

Here are Berry’s key takeaways:
1. Make sure you know how your clients process invoices. When you can, build a relationship with someone in accounts payable. When evaluating a deal with a major corporation, make sure you’ve got enough cash reserves to wait on your money, or don’t do the deal.
2. Would you walk a city-block blindfolded? Well that’s what is it like to run a business without up-to-date financial statements. You must have a current statement of cash flow, profit & loss statement, and a balance sheet every month.
3. Do not use your line-of-credit to finance marketing efforts to generate sales. Use you line of credit of finance business you have already won.

(NOTE: This is part one of the #SmallBizChat Live Telesummit recap. Part two will post live on Friday, November 13, 2009.)

If you missed the SmallBizChat Live Telesummit, do not worry! We are editing and packaging the calls to make them available shortly… so stay tuned.

My co-host Cathy Larkin @cathywebsavvyPR and I presented the 1st Annual SmallBizChat Live Telesummit because it is our mission to end small business failure. We will be back November 2010 to do this again.

Please follow us at @smallbizchat and join us for #SmallBizChat every Wednesday from 8-9pm Eastern on Twitter. #SmallBizChat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business.

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

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The New Rules About Blogging for Money

by Melinda Emerson on October 12, 2009 in Grow Your Business, Mompreneurs, Social Media, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

Lady Justice

As of December 1, 2009 the Federal Trade Commission is going to require Bloggers, Podcasters and video producers – any producer of consumer-generated content online to disclose any paid endorsements to their followers and audience they communicate with online. These new rules have the potential to change everyone’s online habits. Here’s what you need to know:

If you receive even a small fee in exchange for reviewing a particular product or writing a blog post about it – this new ruling applies to you. Under the FTC’s new rules, all bloggers who blog for dollars will have to disclose that they are receiving a fee for their blog post. In addition, bloggers will also need to disclose any gifts they receive such as books, product samples or even toothpaste. All merchandise now counts as compensation.

Many bloggers already disclose when they are being paid for reviews, but this could get tricky for some blogs who use sponsors, and particularly for some corporations such as Walmart, Office Max etc. who use mom bloggers to target women customers. It will be interesting to see how these relationships will change.

Transparency is what you need to have in social media anyway, but now it’s on another level. Prominent users of social networks such as Twitter will need to pay attention to the FTC’s new rules. If you want to give a business some praise – do it, but if you work there, you need to tell people. If you want to get on Twitter and talk about how great a new book or product is…make sure people know it’s your product or that you are the author.

When commenting on blogs and in forums, please do not pretend to be someone else particularly if you are leaving a negative comment. If you post comments in an online forum that undercuts your competitor without making it clear who you are, you have broken the rules.

The FTC is not trying to fine mombloggers! Repeat offenders may end up being punished, but the new regulations are really just trying to regulate how advertisers pay for endorsements and reviews.

So Blogger Beware!

What you do think about the new FTC regulations? Should you really have to disclose a free book?

Additional resources on the new FTC regulations:

http://www.whitneyhoffman.com/2009/10/06/the-new-ftc-guidelines-on-endorsements-by-bloggers/

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/business/media/06adco.html

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

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

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #SmallBizChat on Twitter. #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 months! A Month-by-Month Guide to Start a Business that Works! is scheduled to be released by Adams Media in Feb 2010.

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How to Take Your Blog to the Next Level

by Melinda Emerson on October 8, 2009 in Branding & Marketing, SmallBizChat, Social Media

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wed. on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Anita Campbell @smallbiztrends. The editor and chief contributor of http://www.smallbiztrends.com, one of the most widely read small business blogs on the internet. Her company, Small Business Trends LLC, is a media and information company. In that role she closely follows trends in the small business market and trends in technology. Her popular website won the Forbes “Best of the Web” distinction for small business blogs in 2005 and again in 2008.

Smallbizlady: How long has Small Business Trends been around?

Anita Campbell–It’s been around for six years. I started out on Blogger at a blogspot address for first few years. Then moved to my own domain and WordPress. That was my first jump to a new level. If you are still on the Blogger platform and dream big, I suggest moving to WordPress. You will need its expanded features. Remember, also, that perseverance is a key to success. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Every blog starts small with just a few readers.

Smillbizlady: How has blogging changed in the last 6 years?

Anita Campbell–In one sense it is still the same. But it has matured. Used to see a lot of shorter posts just dropping links to media articles. Now I think the bar is higher and you must have something original to say. People now point out interesting links at Twitter instead. There’s lots more competition now, too. Many more blogs. The need for a narrow niche is important today. There’s always room for good blogs, though.

Smallbizlady: The niche target market is so important in any small business venture. Why is the blog niche so important?

Anita Campbell–There are millions of blogs today. Many topics are saturated. It’s harder to stand out. A niche is one way to stand out. Your audience might be smaller, but you have the advantage of uniqueness.

Smallbizlady: What’s the #1 thing you should do to get your blog to the next level?

Anita Campbell–Think about your blog as a product. You are the manufacturer and distributor of that product. This gives you purpose and structure. Makes it easier to know what to do. It makes the process of creating content much easier. No waking up and wondering “what do I write about today?” Instead, it’s like a magazine – a clear concept. Problogger has a brilliant piece where he dissects a magazine as a way to shape a content plan.

You can find it in his e-book “31 Days to Build a Better Blog” (not free – but worth the modest price). Thinking of your blog as a magazine helps you set goals and stay on track.

Smallbizlady: Do you recommend having a marketing plan?

Anita Campbell–Yes! You should have the typical elements of a marketing plan in it. Clear target market. Unique selling proposition of your blog. Online marketing building blocks: SEO; email marketing; social media marketing. For an easy starting place, create plan for marketing a single blog post. Read Problogger’s post – how to get your post read by more than mom: http://adjix.com/uwkv After learning how to promote single posts, work your way up to a marketing plan for the blog overall.

Smallbizlady: Should you plan an editorial calendar for your blog?

AnitaCampbell–An editorial calendar will help you be more organized and make sure you stay on point. Strive for a general sense of what you publish when – but not too rigid. Allow yourself some flexibility.

Smallbizlady: What is the biggest mistake to getting to the next level with your blog?

AnitaCampbell–First mistake: trying to monetize a blog too soon. Not enough focus on your audience. You need to build an audience who clamors for your content. Focus on serving readers first. You are not likely to make any money from ads in the first 6 months — So why distract yourself?

Second mistake is not blogging enough. Most of the big name blogs post a MINIMUM of once a day. Your growth will be limited by how frequently you post. Here’s analogy: what if you developed a product, and only shipped it out now and then? When you “had time”? Would you expect that product to become a big seller?

Smallbizlady: Can a part-time blog be successful?

AnitaCampbell–I’m not saying you can’t benefit from a blog with 1 post a week. Just that the blog’s growth will be limited. You may be OK with a part-time blog – there’s not a thing wrong with that. Perhaps you have a full-time business and your blog is there solely to market the business. If so, be proud! But adjust your expectations — traffic will be modest. You will need to work at your blog full-time if you expect to become a popular end destination.

Smallbizlady: What about other mistakes preventing you from getting to the next level?

AnitaCampbell–Another blogging mistake is inconsistency. Inconsistency in how often you post. Inconsistency in your topics, sometimes getting off topic. Readers like consistency. Your readers want to know what to expect. Example: that you write about email marketing and they can get email tips at your blog. But if one day you write about your dog, and the next email marketing – don’t be surprised if readers are confused.

Read “Why They’re a Successful Blogger and You’re Not”: http://adjix.com/zvcx

Smallbizlady: What about guest bloggers?

AnitaCampbell–Guest bloggers are good. Readers like to hear different voices. Vet your guest posters carefully. Your voice and what makes your blog unique can get diluted if you are not careful. Don’t make mistake of thinking guest bloggers are freelance writers, either. Think of them like Op Ed contributors to a newspaper Editorial page.

But they are not newspaper reporters. Don’t expect them to be your workforce & only source of content.

Smallbizlady: How to do become a paid guest blogger for a corporate blog?

AnitaCampbell–Consistent top notch writing. Having something worthwhile to say in a conversational tone. Face it — large sites can afford to pay freelance writers. And there are plenty of laid off journalists. You must offer something different, such as an edgy tone or unique perspective or a well-developed reputation.

They also will want you to “bring your audience with you.” Get good at promoting your articles. Then you become more interesting to such sites.

Smallbizlady: How important is it to tie-in current events to your blog posts?

AnitaCampbell–Two schools of thought on current events. One school says “yes, current events make you relevant.” Another school says “stick with evergreen content.” No surprise, then, that mixing both types of content has merit.

If you found this interview helpful, subscribe to smallbiztrends and join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

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

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Developing a Blog vs. Website Strategy

by Melinda Emerson on September 28, 2009 in Branding & Marketing, How to Start, Social Media, Your Small Business

Blog vs. Website in Business

This is the second of a three part series on blogging for business. It is such an essential issue for small businesses today that I felt it important to dedicate some real time to the topic. The first article focused on building a small business blog. Today’s piece investigates the decision to have a separate website verses using a blog as your website.

It used to be that all you had to worry about was having a website, now you need a blog and a complete social media footprint to go along with it to reflect the many ways that your customers are using the internet. Whether you have a professional services business, a brick-and-mortar retail establishment or an online business. Your business needs a website as the anchor of your online marketing! All websites should include a static home page that has been designed and written to clearly explain what you have on offer to people who visit your site. The question then becomes what kind of website do you need?

One of the most common questions I get about building an online brand is whether a small business should:

a) Have a website and a separate blog

b) Have a blog as the company website

c) Import a blog into an existing website.

I polled my @smallbizlady followers on http://www.twitter.com/ for advice on this: Here’s what a few had to say:

“With the right web team, you can power the blog within the website using WordPress.”

”Unless one can add value and maintain a blog long-term, I suggest just developing a website and importing dynamic content like Twitter feeds.”

“If your goal is heavy on the commercial side then go with a web site. If you want to create a community, go with a blog.”

Let’s define the basic business website terms: A blog is an online journal written by one person, or a team of staff people focused on a particular area of interest. Blogs are typically written in a conversational style and updated 2-3 times a week minimum. Search engines love blogs because of the fresh content. If possible, it’s best to have the blog as part of your website. Then, the fresh content on the blog attracts the search engines to your entire website.

Blog-based websites are cost effective, search engine friendly and can have both static information (like a traditional website) and dynamic information by way of blog posts. It is also very easy to update a blog without hiring a web designer every time you make a change. Cathy Larkin of WebSavvyPR.com says, “Blog posts are a way for service businesses to build trust in their brand. A blog, done well, gives you and your staff a way to showcase your expertise in a way that makes people think of you when it comes time to buy.”

A website is a collection of related web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are available under a specific domain name on the World Wide Web. Websites are essentially online brochures designed to provide information, build a contact list, make money, and raise awareness of a small business. Information on a traditional website typically does not change very often. The static information on a typical website includes 5-7 pages: home page, about us, contact us, services/products, in the news, and an online store.

If you are just getting started, a self-hosted blog is the best option to help promote your business online. If you are starting from scratch, I suggest using WordPress.org, with your own hosting package. What I like about WordPress is that is designed to have both static pages and blog pages. Go for a hosting company that has a one button install for WordPress.org blogs. Customizing a WordPress blog can be tricky, but once its rolling along it’s pretty much maintenance-free.

If you already have a website, adding a blog section to it can be a way to update your online presence, and bring more traffic to your existing site. It’s best to have the blog as part of your website, but this isn’t always possible. “You may have started a blog a long time ago on a free hosted site such as blogger or typepad and may not want to go through what it takes to transfer a hosted blog to your website. In this case, you should link your blog from your website (and vice versa) and add frequent new content to your website, such as articles, white papers and special reports to provide fresh content on the website,” says internet marketing consultant, Phyllis Zimbler Miller, Millermosaicllc.com. The only downside is you will need to engage a professional web designer to upgrade your website to import your blog, and add the additional content unless you learn to do it yourself.

When would you use a blog and website separately? If your blog is targeted to a very specific niche market and your website is targeted to a larger market, two sites make sense. Some advocate creating a completely separate blog and stand alone website if you are an infopreneur. This works for authors, coaches, professional speakers etc. (a micro-site designed to sell each book, for example). I use Melindaemerson.com and Succeedasyourownboss.com.

To get up and running quickly, I advocate hiring someone to help you set up your blog. You will have an expert to help you build the most professional presentation, create a branded banner, customize your blog with a theme, and show you the ropes.

No matter what method you decide to go with, it is very important to have a static home page on website and/or blog where what you offer is clear the moment someone lands on your page. The headline, banner graphic, and the text all work together to keep that unique visitor on your site.

Next week, the final part of the blogging for business series: 10 Ways To Get Your Blog To Shine.

Part 1 http://succeedasyourownboss.com/09/2009/how-to-build-a-small-business-blog/

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #SmallBizChat on Twitter. #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 months! A Month-by-Month Guide to Start a Business that Works! is scheduled to be released by Adams Media in early 2010.

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

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