Posts by bb4b_linda

You’ve had your Facebook brand page for months, invited your friends and received some initial Likes, filled in your About section and started posting here and there – but after that first couple months when your total Likes and overall reach started to taper, you began to wonder – What is this doing for my business? The truth is – if you aren’t doing anything with Facebook, it probably won’t do anything for you. A hammer purchased and then left in the tool box won’t drive any nails, after all. But rest easy – these three simple tips can help you boost your online image, spur your Facebook growth, manage your relationships, heighten your visibility and – ultimately – drive your sales. Reward Your Audience – Whether you offer a coupon or simply just mention your audience members, a little reward can go a long way. Try creating a ‘Fan of the Week’ or ‘Fan of the Day’ to create interpersonal engagement that drives Likes to your page. If people see their friends are getting rewarded, odds are they’ll want a free slice of pie too! You’ll also want to make sure you’re providing your audience with a mix of information they can use in their daily lives, in addition to promotions for your business. If you make it about THEM, they’ll make it about YOU. Keep Your Content Fresh – If you don’t update your content regularly, your page will fall by the wayside and people will have no reason to check on it, aside from never being reminded about your presence on their newsfeed. How often you post a photo, status, link or event may depend on how busy things are for you, but don’t forget that the social space is all about sharing. Ask your audience how they are, share industry news, and talk about current events with a spin that ties your business into the equation. The Web is near infinite, so you should never really have an excuse not to have something to say. At the very least, post 2-3 times a week – but not more than 2-3 times a day (people don’t like to be bombarded either). Be Proactive – Many argue that the social media space is a new public relations function – and PR is all about establishing and maintaining relationships. Keep in mind that it’s highly likely that no one is looking for your page, which means you have to invite them in. Ask your friends to give you a Like and connect with other local non-competing businesses and non-profit organizations by Liking their page and sharing their content. Facebook is all about taking the initiative to start a conversation and then making the effort to keep it going! These three tips should help you get your Likes up, improve your reach and boost traffic to your page – but it’s important to have realistic expectations and to be patient. If you keep yourself focused and have a daily or weekly social media plan that utilizes all of these ideas, keeps you focused, and efficiently maximizes your gains by minimizing your time spent, you can expect realistic growth in your numbers and carry that over to your...

Guest post from Bryan Whittington, sales associate at Sandler Training by Peak Performance Management. An effective LinkedIn profile can be the difference in getting noticed by a prospect. As a small business owner, you need to use your time and resources wisely. Set up your LinkedIn profile the right way the first time and you’ll have an effective platform that can help generate new business leads. Most people believe their LinkedIn profile is just a networking tool that can help them get a job. Therefore, many people don’t pay much attention to it, until they are actively seeking a new position. Below are some items to consider when creating your LinkedIn page. Consistency on your page is key. If you don’t have the time to devote to maintaining and updating your profile on a weekly basis, then you might not want to waste your time. You want to show uniformity in your updates and profiles. Create a schedule for status updates and stick to it. This way people know they can count on you for fresh, new content and they will regularly check your profile. This will also put your information in front of your connections more often and prompt a possible business discussion. The headline area of a LinkedIn profile for many is wasted space. Typically users leave it as the default and it lists what their current position is. Since that information is listed elsewhere on your page, why not change it to something that’s compelling and would prompt someone to want to read more about you and your business? If a user is doing a LinkedIn search, this is the only other item they will see besides your name, so use a description that will draw them in. Your headline should also include relevant keywords. What would a prospect be searching for that you or your product and services could provide? These words should be included in your headline and throughout the other copy on your profile. You’ll then be more likely to pop up when someone is looking for your product or services in a LinkedIn search. Next, write an accurate summary in the first person that tells profile viewers exactly what you do, what client services you provide and what your point of differentiation is. Don’t forget those keywords. They will help you come up higher in a search than your competitors. Finally, seek recommendations and endorsements from your connections. Approximately 78 percent of consumers trust peer recommendations. This statistic shows the true power of a recommendation or endorsement. If a sale comes down to you and one other person, your recommendations or endorsements could be the deciding factors. Only give recommendations or endorsements to people you have actually done work with and truly deserve them. If those people feel like you deserve it, they will typically return the favor. Now that you’ve got an effective and compelling profile, it’s time to get in front of your prospects and start generating leads. Jump into the discussions in your LinkedIn Groups or answer some questions in LinkedIn Answers. You will notice a dramatic increase in the amount of views your page gets and – combined with an effective profile – more people could reach out to you for your services. For more valuable information, download our complimentary eBook, “Tools to Help Enhance Rapport with Your...