Linked In for Business

Over the last few weeks I have shared with you the power of Social media for Business.
Read my reports on:
Blogging for Business
Facebook for Business

In this Speak Media Consulting blog you will learn the power of using Linked In for Business.
Linked In is the Professionals networking tool. Unlike Facebook where users go to share stories and experiences of their lives, Linked In is an exceptional networking site.

With Linked In you can:
-Sign up and develop a profile online that highlights your skills and
achievements
-Grow your network by adding to your contacts
-Use it to find prospects, employees & suppliers
-Use it to do reference checks
-Use it to ask questions and get answers
-Join groups or form your own groups
-Search for people in targeted fields, positions and ask them to join your network
-Keep in touch regularly with your contacts
-Build a great online database
(with content provided by BizLaunch)

Linked In also allows you to rebroadcast your Twitter and Blog posts directly to your Linked In account.

Watch this video tutorial on Linked In.

How are you using Linked In?
-Darren

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Spring Cleaning; Tips to Increase Engagement with Customers and Clients

Not only does the arrival of Spring mark the end of the Winter 'blahs', it is also a perfect opportunity to do some spring cleaning of your own to prepare you for an even more successful year.

For businesses big and small, I present the Speak Media Consulting Spring Cleaning check list:

1. Review and update Marketing tools. Ensure all new data is correct and updated to reflect the changes in your market
2. Review and update your Website. Time to update content on your website. Add new staff pictures, be sure all contacts are still employed and all links work correctly.
3. Review and update Media contact list. Media people come and go as often as the seasons. Make calls to your ensure your Media contact list is still current.
4. Clean up your Contact List / email Data base. Each year, people come and go from your life. Nothing personal - it is just time for a purge.
5. Update your Presentations. If you do many public speaking engagements, take a few hours to ensure you have all the current information. Update graphs and slides with the most relevant information. Or if you're really daring - rewrite the entire presentation.
6. Create a new Business card. If you are not restricted by corporate design templates, create a new design for your business cards. Borrow examples from other smart looking cards you have collected over the last few months.
7. Make contact with a long lost friend or former associate. We all live busy lives, but staying in touch (networking) with an old friend might lead to new contacts and a year filled with great rewards for you and your company.
8. Wardrobe. If it has been in your closet for more than 6 months and you have not worn it, get rid of it. Donate all your gently worn clothes to Goodwill or other collection agencies.
9. Update your work space. I am not suggesting you hire a Decorator - take time to freshen up your work space. Clean off your desk, get rid of clutter, update pictures of your family and throw out whatever is growing that funky mold in the back of the refrigerator.
10. Be great. Your clients and customers are looking to you for confidence and charisma. Go out there and be the best you can be each and every time.

-Darren
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What's In It For Me? Effective Email Marketing Tips

In my presentations as a Media Coach and Consultant with Speak Media Consulting, you often hear me use the phrase "what's in it for me?".

To have effective engagement with your customers and clients, you must answer the number one question they have each time; "what's in it for me?".

If you are using email marketing to reach your consumers, are you answering that question?

Is your email marketing still bragging about your 'stuff' and not focusing on the wants and needs of your consumer?
Or have you realized that effective marketing - just as effective communication - you must put the needs of your consumer ahead of your own?

When it comes to email marketing, the trend has always been to use strong words such as "save", "gift", "free" and "now" in the subject line.

From eMarketer.com, the most powerful words for email marketing subject lines are "you" and "your". Finally, the consumer is been recognized as the most important element of the campaign.



Read the full report from eMarketer.com.

Today's consumer is busy and your message has to cut through all the noise created by other effective newspaper, radio, television, email, text, web and Social media messaging.

You read through this message. Something must have grabbed your attention.
Thank you for stopping by. I hope you found this useful in creating your own effective connection with your clients and customers.

-Darren
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Social Media; The Next Addiction

For Smokers, there is the 'patch' that is supposed to help you curb your craving for a cigarette.
Soon there may come a day when Pharmaceutical companies release the Facebook or Social Media patch for those of use hooked on these sites.

How often do you check Facebook, or Twitter, or Linked In?
Once a day? Several times a day? All the time?

From eMarketer.com, Social Media sites are addicting - so much so that a large percentage of users (of social media) check their accounts when they wake during the night and more have to start their day with a check of their social media accounts. So much for having a healthy breakfast.



This report from eMarketer.com also shows that the majority of social media users can go the full day with only checking their account once. That puts me in the minority as I crave Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites as often as a dozen times a day.

Hi, my name is Darren, and I am addicted to Social Media.
Glad to know I am not the only one.

-Darren
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Effective Communication In Harmony With Your Favorite Song; It Engages You

What is your favorite song? Why is that your favorite song? Most likely, your favorite song is one that captured a moment in your life that you continue to relate to today. A great songwriter has the ability to craft lyrics that are consumed by the masses much the same way great communicators are able to win over the public and their consumers will well crafted presentations.










(photo courtesy Canadian Music Week)

Recently, I was fortunate to attend a Songwriting Showcase in Toronto held in conjunction with Canadian Music Week. On this panel were legendary songwriters Dan Hill, Don Schlitz, Dave Stewart and Paul Williams.
Each of them have written songs you are very familiar with - songs that still connect with you today.

Dan Hill wrote "Sometimes When We Touch" when he was 19 years old to try to win back the heart of a girl. That is just one of many big songs he has written for other performers.
Don Schlitz wrote a song when he was working as a computer programmer at the age of 22 living in Nashville that took 6 weeks to craft until he had it finished. Ever hear of "The Gambler"? That was just one of over 50 Top-10 hits written by Don Schlitz.
Dave Stewart has written many incredible songs like "Sweet Dreams are Made Of This" for the Eurythmics, and other huge hits for Ringo Starr, Tom Petty and Gwen Stefani.
Paul Williams' repertoire includes many of the Carpenters hits like "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days and Mondays", Barbra Streisand's "Evergreen", "The Rainbow Connection" from the Muppet Movie and even the theme from "The Love Boat".

These songwriters are more than just master word-smiths. They are master communicators.

But do not think that writing a hit song and communicating with your target audience can be completed overnight. The process takes courage, creativity, insight and more importantly, it takes time.

Effective communication starts with a well thought out plan and is always focused on impacting and engaging your target audience - your clients or customers.

Ready to write a hit song today?

-Darren

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Facebook for Business

A few weeks ago on the Speak Media Consulting Blog, you read about the importance of using a Blog for your business. Read that story here.
Today, tips on using Facebook to increase awareness about your business and also connecting with your customers on a one-on-one basis.

There is an increasing number of stories these days about the growth to Social Media sites like Facebook and Twitter and Linked In. The reason; be where your clients and customers are. In this case, a large percentage of that group ARE using social media to learn more about you and your company.

Simply put - Social Media will help:
-Grow Traffic to your website
-Increase lead generation
-Increase Sales
-Improve search engine rankings (Google)
-Improve Brand recognition


So why Facebook?

With over 400 million users world wide, it is no wonder that over 1.5 million businesses now have their own page on Facebook. By the way, by the time you read this, the number of users will have grown.
Over half of Facebook users are logging into their account once a day. If you are like me, you are checking in several times a day. The average user will spend about 55 minutes each day on Facebook reading status updates, posting comments, and reviewing engaging information shared by companies and businesses that are important in their lives.

And for Business, more than 20 million people become fans of Pages each day. That is a lot of engaged people.

With Facebook you can:
-Start a fan page for your business and invite people to join
-Include a link to your website
-Encourage discussion
-Answer customer questions
-Ask customers for their opinion
-Allow people to share your content
-Include events, videos, photographs, blog articles
-You can do very targeted advertising on Facebook

(with content previously published by BizLaunch)

Can you do all that with a Newspaper advertisement, a Radio commercial, or a Television campaign - EVERYDAY?

Download my FREE tutorial for getting set up with your own Facebook Business Page and discover a whole new way to connect and engage with your clients and customers.

Was this helpful?
Post your comments below.

-Darren
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Make Each Moment Count

Whether it was the grueling 50 kilometer cross country ski event, or a short track speed skating event, each athlete that competed at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver had to make each moment count.

The Olympics are very much like communicating to your clients or customers. You hire and train staff who are capable of delivering under pressures such as deadlines, split second decisions and risk of failure.

Are your staff worthy of standing on the medal platform, or are they better keeping the bench warm?

When communicating to your clients and customers through the media, you have one chance to make a lasting impression. What you say and the manner in which you say it goes a long way in earning the trust and respect from a prospective customer.

Each time you use media, regardless if it is on-line, radio, television or newspaper, make each moment count. Your team (company) is counting on you to put in your best performance every time.

-Darren
Speak Media Consulting

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