It’s another Expert Briefs, where I ask really smart business owners to answer your burning questions. If you’ve missed past Expert Briefs, you can click on the undies to see them all –> I have been interesting in doing more webinars recently, so this week I asked our panel of experts … What’s your #1 [...]

Since we have been talking about the new revolution of self-reliance and self-employment and our need to adapt to a fast-changing online and social marketplace, I asked a friend of mine, Simon Mainwaring (a regular FAST COMPANY contributor) to write an exclusive article for us on what he calls The New Measure of Success and how you and I can grow our Social Capital with some specific examples. Enjoy! -Darren Hardy  Social Capital – The New Measure of Success by guest blogger Simon Mainwaring  Social media is disrupting how businesses need to measure success in the marketplace. Of course, profits still matter, but as consumers connect up in communities and networks through social technologies, they are gaining leverage to pressure companies to think about more than just great products and services. What they want from business is a better world, not just better widgets.   How does this impact small companies, entrepreneurs, and contractors? The answer is, it affects you the same way it impacts global corporations that seek to powerfully develop and imprint their brands in the consumer’s mind. When it comes to appealing to today’s socially-minded consumers, your company is no different than Nike, Pepsi, or Starbucks in the need to build social capital, not just financial capital. Social capital refers to the appeal your brand has in your customer’s eyes. It is composed of a mix of respect, shared values, and loyalty. High social capital derives from engaging with your customers in a way that creates a deeper meaning for them, not just selling them products or services. Here are three key insights and tips for how you can accomplish raise your social capital: 1. Make your brand the chief celebrant of your customers’ community, not its celebrity. In your marketing and advertising, stop thinking of your brand as the center of the universe. Instead, reach out to serve the issues your...

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On the CD inside our May issue of SUCCESS you will find two fantastic interviews. One is with our 1-on-1 expert Peter Guber, who I have written about before (read here). The other is with social media maven Mari Smith. During our interview I asked her to follow up our interview with her 10 most favorite social media marketing resources, and she generously followed through. Below is her list. Additional articles on social media you might be interested in: 8 Shocking (and Hilarious) Social Media Gaffes No. 1 Skill for the 21st Century (Part 3 of 3) No. 1 Skill for the 21st Century (Part 2 of 3) Networking With New Media To Tweet or Not to Tweet: Expert Tips about Using Social Media Small Business and Social Media Mari Smith's Top 10 Favorite Social Media Marketing Resources There are many online tools I use every day to manage my social media marketing effectiveness. In my recent interview with Darren Hardy for the May 2011 issue of SUCCESS magazine, I talked about many of these tools. Darren asked me if I would put together my top 10 list for readers of SUCCESS. Here they are! HootSuite.com—a fantastic free online tool for managing multiple social media profiles, pre-scheduling updates for specific days and times, monitoring keywords and analyzing statistics. Plus, check and reply to saved searches, Twitter lists, trending topics, @ mentions, Direct Mentions and more. Also available as a mobile app, which provides an excellent way to pre-schedule your social updates on the fly. Paid version also available with additional features. (See also TweetDeck.com—an alternative tool to try that is equally popular.) Bit.ly—the top link shortening service, ideal for Twitter but equally useful for Facebook and even email marketing to track clicks. Copy your long link and paste into your bit.ly account. Easily make custom links and track how many clicks you get. For...

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It’s another Expert Briefs, where I ask really smart business owners to answer your burning questions. If you’ve missed past Expert Briefs, you can click on the undies to see them all –> I feel that being transparent is really important and shows the “real” person behind the business. So, on that note, this week [...]

Your LinkedIn profile content drives your actions on LinkedIn; your actions on LinkedIn drive your real-world outcomes. You can be an absolute master in navigating the site, exemplary in your approach to connect with others, and a sparkling conversationalist in the groups, but if you have poor, inaccurate, irrelevant, or underdeveloped content in your LinkedIn profile, it’s a deal-breaker. The highly professional environment of LinkedIn provides you with unique opportunities for name recognition and targeting specific audiences for the selling and marketing of products, services and enterprises. A LinkedIn profile that frames you as the subject matter expert (SME), broadcasts an openness to collaborate, and inspires others to take action relative to your service offering is your absolute...

Everything that we do in business today is predicated on our ability to establish a set of ground rules and operate within them. When we fail to set boundaries, we open ourselves up to confusion, indecisiveness and self-doubt that can paralyze us. What governs your activities on LinkedIn? LinkedIn achievers draft a blueprint for success and carry it out to the letter. By adhering to a personal code of ethics and setting realistic limits in using the site, you will stay on course in reaching your objectives. Success Secret No. 2: Define Your Rules of Engagement on LinkedIn How we circulate, connect and communicate on LinkedIn is a matter of personal preference. These are the core activities on the site and those for which LinkedIn achievers have defined their rules of engagement (ROE). ...

Like anything else in the success realm, achieving on LinkedIn finds its point of origin with mindset training. By embracing a positive attitude and conditioning your mind for success, you can achieve anything you seek in business and in life. Such is the gospel of many great business leaders and sales trainers and the hallmark of the SUCCESS enterprise. These principles translate beautifully to LinkedIn. Once you take the leap of faith and begin to work LinkedIn with purpose and conviction, things will quickly gel and you can expect positive outcomes. You somehow—almost magically—gain the insight you need and, slowly but surely, you advance out of your comfort zone. You will develop a sixth sense for how people interact and communicate on LinkedIn and your own social networking style...

At every speaking engagement, I usually ask the question of my audience, “Why are you on LinkedIn?” After a brief period of silent contemplation, I stroll about the room, meet their innocent stares and, after a bit of gentle prodding, they begin to shout out their answers: “To connect with other people” “To research companies in my target market” “To share information in my industry” “To become known in my field of expertise” These are all valid reasons. Invariably, there is one response I’m looking for that is never offered (or is held back) until I drop a few hints. Ultimately, someone blurts it out: “To make money!” Why are we so reluctant to admit that—on a social networking site devoted to business—we are looking for business? This is what Reid Hoffman and the founding fathers of...

There is a resounding difference between saying, ‘I want to be successful’ and declaring with fist-thumping conviction, ‘I will do whatever it takes to become successful!’ Success in navigating the popular business networking site, LinkedIn, and using it to meet business objectives operates under the same premise. The road to becoming a LinkedIn achiever is paved with ongoing learning, constant observation, practice and application. Since 2006, I have worked with thousands of top executives, entrepreneurs, salespeople, and job seekers to help create branded content for their LinkedIn profiles, designing customized LinkedIn sales and marketing strategies, and translating their efforts on the site into positive results. My greatest joy is taking someone new to LinkedIn under my wing and...

I am awestruck at the goofs I see people (supposedly smart and decent people) making online. I could summarize this entire post with this: There is no such thing as a private or personal profile and then a professional one. If it is on the Internet, it ALL better be professional, period. Save your crazy private/personal persona for behind closed doors, with the computer off and the webcam draped. I’m not joking either. Don’t believe me, believe these folks: 1. What You SAY Can and Will Be Held Against You (forever)Chicago woman tweets about her moldy apartment and gets sued for $50,000:"Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon really thinks it's okay." That’s about $575 per character. Whatever you say online lives forever... sometimes in infamy. Bonus tip: Careful what you tweet or post after a happy hour!More to the point: Don’t drunk tweet. 2. You’re on Candid Camera (always) While discussing budget cuts Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wields a 2-foot-long knife on Twitter. It didn’t go over so well. While he was making light of the situation (better not to try), people didn’t like the idea of getting their job or personal projects cut by his two-foot knife. Ask Michael Phelps about this one. Just assume that anytime you are out in public (public being even your own friends in a private setting as Michael taught us) that the camera phones are on and rolling. 3. Don’t Make It So Easy for the CriminalsArizona guy tweets about being on vacation far away from home and... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE (GETS EVEN MORE CRAZY AND HILARIOUS!

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New Must Haves for Successful Business Plans Think there’s nothing new in business plans? Still using a dusty ole’ business plan outline or business plan software created a couple of decades ago? Well, think again. The business world evolves, and expectations about business plans change too. Sure, you still have to describe your business, competition, [...]

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Online Networking Still Requires Person-to-Person Follow-up All relationships begin with a conversation. These days conversations start not from meeting someone at a conference, but from connecting online through chirps and tweets. Social media has changed the way we communicate – it allows Joe Smith to direct message Barack Obama on Twitter. And whether or not [...]

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Quick Tips to Manage the Big Risks My husband works in the field of risk management (he keeps me grounded in many ways) and passed on a recent article in Business Insurance magazine entitled “Companies often unprepared for risks social media pose.” The article cites six key areas where businesses may have social media exposures: [...]

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A hundred years ago, we did our business face to face. Someone came along and invented the telephone, and I imagine there were a bunch of people out there offering courses and speeches about how selling over the phone was the next big thing. You can almost hear the business owners: "Pshaw! Talk on the phone? That's madness! We do business face to face." Here we are again. The social Web and the Internet are the new phone. You know how to build business in the offline world, but feel a bit thwarted by the online version. Let's talk about building an online presence so that you can start taking advantage of opportunities when you see them. A Website Is a Great Start As we said in Your First Moves in Social Media, a website acts as your... Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog People who...

If you think of your main website as your home base (be that a blog or a shopping site or a corporate site) and if you think of all the social networks as outposts, then you're halfway to understanding one of the best ways to market online, in my not-so-humble estimation. The trick is this: knowing when to engage on the outpost and knowing when to drive people back to the home base. The Old Days and Home Bases In Web 1.0, it was all about getting people back to your site. Please click the banner. Please fill out the form. Please do something to give me more traffic at my primary website. If you think about it, the real-world equivalent would be requiring you to drive to Japan to check out which TV you wanted, versus just popping into the local BestBuy. That was the old days. Outposts...

I’ve been privately venting about something and I think that it’s time I bring it out in the open. If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know how I feel about marketing and what I teach my coaching clients. Choose ONE method of marketing and be GREAT at it before you get overwhelmed [...]

Before I was a blogger, I was an employee. After I became a blogger, I was someone with an opinion. I was a writer. I was a publisher. I was a business. In a word, learning how to use my voice set me free in ways that continue to expand and provide opportunity for me every day. Your Voice as Gatejumper On September 4, musician Kanye West decided to use Twitter to talk about his year-old outburst at the MTV music awards, wherein which he interrupted the process of Taylor Swift receiving an award. One could say that it was the worst move of West's career, and that he's felt the financial, the social, and other repercussions ever since. He went to Twitter because he felt he'd been censored and advised against and otherwise hampered in his efforts to communicate. Here's a rather salient...

We often think of social media as one of two things: something kids do or something for big companies. If we've heard about people using social media, it's either something from a news story about a teen bullying another teen or it's hearing how JetBlue uses Twitter to improve customer service. The thing is, more and more people are finding success stories in social media. For instance, let's talk about a hamburger restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Joe Sorge runs AJ Bombers, a place I had the pleasure of visiting last winter after Joe reached out to me via Twitter. (To be fair, Scott Baitinger of Streetza Pizza also reached out, but because my belly wanted burgers more than pizza, Joe gets the story.) He made a simple offer. Hungry? Swing by @AJBombers and try out a Barrie...

My coworker, Colin Bower, has a problem that I'm fairly sure you've never faced. Last year his children were abducted by his ex-wife and taken to Egypt against his will. It's been over a year that Colin has been working on getting his kids back. And how will he do it? Using a network. So far, every bit of success we've had in moving the story forward has come through our networks, which were built via years and years of relationship building and development. We had access to the Vice President of the United States, several media people inside big networks like NBC, CNN and USA Today, and several other business and industry leaders, all via our work on social networks. If that's too obtuse, how about the world of job searching?... Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog People who read...

My coworker, Colin Bower, has a problem that I'm fairly sure you've never faced. Last year his children were abducted by his ex-wife and taken to Egypt against his will. It's been over a year that Colin has been working on getting his kids back. And how will he do it? Using a network. So far, every bit of success we've had in moving the story forward has come through our networks, which were built via years and years of relationship building and development. We had access to the Vice President of the United States, several media people inside big networks like NBC, CNN and USA Today, and several other business and industry leaders, all via our work on social networks. If that's too obtuse, how about the world of job searching?... Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog People who read...

In February, 2009, I asked people on Twitter where the cool kids were staying in New York City these days (rumor has it that there are more than one hotel there). The first person to answer me was Chris Kieff. The second to answer me was Brett Petersel from Mashable. The third person to answer me was the Roger Smith Hotel, who said I should drop by—they have a blogger's special. And so began one of my favorite case studies in the use of listening tools in social media, and part of the reason I shared the importance of growing bigger ears with you. Let me explain what happened. Listening for Business Brian Simpson and Adam Wallace work for an interesting man. James Knowles never does things by half measures, and he's all about the creative experiment. One of these experiments was...

The most powerful tool in social media is listening. I say this because at the same time you're thinking about how to engage in all this new stuff, people out there are pushing commentary all over the place about what they like and don't like about your product, your competitor's product, their needs. They're screaming out with opportunities for you to solve, and all you have to do is listen, process what you've heard, and engage with them in a reasonable way. It's the closest thing to printing money that I can tell you about. Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog People who read this also read...Brogan: Why Social Media Aids Success You're hearing about social media everywhere. First it was blogs. Now, you're being told...How Social Media Maps Into Your Marketing Whether you're a big...

Okay, so you've decided I'm not crazy, and you're going to try out some of this social media stuff. Where should you start? I've got some advice. Grow Bigger Ears First and foremost, read this post about how to grow bigger ears. By that, I mean, create a free listening station. If you don't start with listening, you'll miss all the very best parts of social media: the serendipity and moments of "listening at the point of need," as Radian6 CEO Marcel Lebrun calls it. By that, I mean that people are talking about you, your brand, your company, or mentioning something they need help with that you can solve. Set up some listening tools to monitor for certain phrases and terms, and you're on your way to finding opportunities that your competitors don't even know exist... Post from: SUCCESS...

An essential tool for your marketing/sales toolkit I feel compelled to Yelp! I was in New York City on a family vacation this past week and I regularly used Yelp to find restaurants, open museums, directions and even shoe stores (I desperately needed new shoes when my feet started to yelp ). As a consumer [...]

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Whether you're a big company or a solo act, social media has become part of the marketing mix for most organizations. You might be skirting around the edges and wondering what to do. You might have a hunch that your buyers are on Facebook, or LinkedIn, or both, but how do you know? And how should you mix this in with your other marketing? Let's cover that. What Social Media Marketing Is Not First, realize that social media isn't just a new channel to stuff old marketing down... Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog People who read this also read...Brogan: Your First Moves in Social Media Okay, so you've decided I'm not crazy, and you're going to try out some...Brogan: Why Social Media Aids Success You're hearing about social media everywhere. First it was blogs. Now, you're being...

You're hearing about social media everywhere. First it was blogs. Now, you're being told that you have to be on Facebook and Twitter and a whole bunch of other services that don't exactly make immediate sense. Wasn't LinkedIn supposed to be the one-stop business site of choice? What's the answer? How can you use social media to improve your success? Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog People who read this also read...Brogan: Your First Moves in Social Media Okay, so you've decided I'm not crazy, and you're going to try out some...How Social Media Maps Into Your Marketing Whether you're a big company or a solo act, social media has become part...Social Media 101 If you still call the Internet the "Information Superhighway," you need to read this....

Social Media is here to stay. Here’s how to hop on board. Getting your business going with Facebook, Twitter and the rest may seem like a big chore, but it need not be. And it is important to do it, even if it does seem daunting. Why? Think of social media is as a conversation. [...]

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Promote Your Biz Locally with Social Media LIVE Webinar With John Jantsch, Duct Tape Marketing Date: Tuesday, May 18 Time: 1:00 PM ET Fee: No Charge Sign-up: Register Now SCORE & John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing bring entrepreneurs real-world advice on making the most of social media locally. If all business is local, then getting close to the customer [...]

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Are Women More Connected? Do you use social media in your business? I hope so. Chances are you’re also using it differently than a male business owner would, according to an interesting article in ForbesWoman. Jenna Goudreau, author of the article, reports that Facebook is 57 percent female and attracts 46 million more women per month than [...]

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Effective Networking Skills Marketing has always been building trust with your customers and knowing what they need and want.  The more ways you can get in front of and get to know your customer the better. Networking is an integral part of business that allows people to know who you are and what you do.  Attend as [...]

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Live Webinars with Jeanne Rossomme Join marketing expert, Jeanne Rossomme, for a live webinar this Thursday. She will share her insights to help you increase profits and grow your biz. Register today. About Jeanne Rossomme Jeanne Rossomme creates practical marketing roadmaps to help business owners arrive at their growth goals. Jeanne is a recognized national speaker on marketing and sales [...]

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10 Tactics to Get the Growth You Want from the Resources You Have Smart marketing requires focus and consistency. Check out this SCORE webinar with Jeanne Rossomme to get expert growth tips. She shares 10 low-cost techniques for gaining customers and increasing profits.  No matter your focus or industry, you should leave this hour informed and [...]

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Social Media Tips to Help Your Biz Succeed Title: Social Media Road Map for Your Business Description: A consise and successful six week Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn program for your social media success. Date: Thursday, March 25 Time: 12:00 PM EST Duration: 1 hour & 15 minutes Presenter: Ronan Keane Register: Sign-up At the end of the webinar, ask expert, Ronan Keane, all your [...]

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Be More Productive & Get Engaged If we weren’t already working 24/7, it’s now 24/7 combined with social media, endless Twitter and non-stop meetings. Many entrepreneurs are busier than ever. The question is, are you focusing your energy on what matters most? Pause. Think about direction. Identify what can make it easier for you to succeed on your [...]

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Use Social Media to Promote Your Biz Are you a social media enthusiast? It seems most people are either “all in or all out.” Used wisely, social networks afford the opportunity to connect with target markets in a very effective way. The best part? It’s free! Social networking is not only enjoyable but it can have a [...]

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Webinar Series, Thursdays in March Title: Social Media Road Map for Your Business Success Description: A consise and successful six week Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn program for your social media success. Dates: Thursday, March 4 Time: 12:00 PM EST Duration: 1 hour & 15 minutes Presenter: Ronan Keane Register: Sign-up Here Find out more about Ronan Keane. Check out his blog: www.ronankeaneonline.com SCORE Association, SCORE View more [...]

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Expand Your Network Online Get good Google search results. Create a LinkedIn profile.  Basic business info and professional info about you. Invite colleagues to your network. That’s really the first step of interacting online. What you will discover is that your biz contacts post updates and you will too. Post updates on a new blog posts, book you published, new [...]

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