BNI Minnesota & N. Wisconsin Blog

“But Sue, I only use Facebook for personal, not business. I want to keep my personal and business lives separate!”

If I had a dime for every time I heard that comment, I’d be a very rich woman! I understand the sentiment, but the problem is this: There’s No Such Thing as a “Personal” Facebook Page!

It is important that you understand whoever looks at your profile is going to view it from their intent, not yours. The viewer is usually looking at your profile in an attempt to better understand who you are, your values, and the judgments you make in life as a whole. Are you giving them a favorable “first impression”?

“Google” yourself and you’ll find that your Facebook profile shows up close to the top of the search – this is what others will find when they search for you. Take a close look at your profile page through the eyes of a “stranger”. Are you someone you would want to know?

Here are 5 things you can do to successfully blend your “personal” and “business” images within your personal Facebook page:

1.   Have a photo that is appealing. Do you look approachable? Do you look like someone we’d like to meet? Can we see your eyes? Are you the only one in the photo so we don’t have to try and figure out which person you are in the group? Smile!

2.   If you are tagged in photos, what image do they portray? If these photos are sending out a “mixed” message, simply adjust your settings so that the photos those people post and tag you in are “hidden” to the general public. (do this in Settings) Remember the line, “birds of a feather”? If you are in some photos taken and posted by others that shed less than a positive light on you, people who read your profile may judge you unfairly. You control your own image. Take charge!

3.   Complete your profile by adding business interests as well as social and personal interests. Let people get to see the “whole” you.

4.   Vary your status updates to include a few business comments occasionally. Potential clients and customers are going to review your info anyway, so give them some great info!

5.   Delete or hide “friends” who make inappropriate or stupid comments. This would include the avid updater who is consistently posting irrelevant comments such as “I’m waiting in the car for my daughter”, then minutes later, “I’m driving my daughter home”, etc. You know who I mean! This also applies to political, sexual, religious, and racial content.

Social media has given microbusinesses the opportunity to create large PR on a scale that competes with the big companies. You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. It’s up to you to enhance and control the image others see. Tweak your profile to compel others to want to get to know you. Once they know, like, and trust you, business can happen. 

 In the recent 2010 Social Media Marketing Industry Report*, the following stats were published based on a survey 1,898 people participated in over a 5-day period:

·         91% use social media for marketing their business

·         65% of marketers have either just started or have been using social media for only a few months. B2B companies have been using it slightly longer than B2C

·         76% of marketers are spending at least 4 hours each week on their social media marketing efforts.

·         85% of all marketers indicated that their social media efforts have: (1) generated exposure for their businesses, (2) improved traffic to website, and (3) built new partnerships.

·         More than half indicated a rise in search engine rankings.

·         After only a few months and with as few as 6 hours per week, half the marketers have generated qualified leads using social media marketing.

·         78.3% of marketers reported that it helped them close business.

Social media marketing is not a spectator sport – it takes effort, energy, and specific actions on a consistent basis. If you would like to increase the results you achieve through social media marketing, please attend one of the Advanced MSP’s on Social Media. These workshops are designed to show you, step-by-step, what actions to take. I encourage people to spend 15 minutes a day EVERYDAY working on various social media platforms. You can double that time and get better results faster, but with 15 minutes a day, you should see results in a matter of weeks.

As you can see from the statistics listed above, social media isn’t just a fad, it’s here to stay. Embrace the opportunities it provides, learn what to do and say, be consistent, and you, too, can experience an increase in traffic, new partnerships, qualified leads, and closed business.

*Report compiled by “Social Media Examiner”, Michael A. Stelzner  (socialmediaexaminer.com)

Ten Tips for Social Media Etiquette   

2. Be yourself and let us get to know the real you. Complete your profile and include some personal info (hobbies, other organizations you belong to, etc). Be honest in your bio and on your GAINS profile. Members will be able to preview a short version of your bio, so be sure your message is clear, grammar and spelling are correct, and that it’s complete. People like to do business with people they know, like, and trust. Use this to attract the people who are looking for you and what you do.

3. Focus on Quality connections, not quantity. There are 2 types of membership: basic and premium. The number of connections you can have will be determined by your type of membership. Build connections that can turn into meaningful relationships - personal and business. There is no prize for the person who gets the most connections the fastest. The prize is building meaningful relationships that develop into business and profitability.

4. Who do you want to connect with? Potential clients? Customers? Referral Partners? A referral partner can fit into 3 categories: a)someone who knows your client or customer before you do, b)someone who is targeting the same client or customer but for a non-competing product or service, and c)who potential clients or customers go to for advice on how to find you.

Identify who you want to meet and develop a strategy to find them and connect with them.

5. Connecting with other members. There are 2 options to connect with others: Direct Request or In-Mail.

InMail – If you don’t know the person and would like to connect, send an InMail first (like an email) telling the person who you are and why you’d like to connect. They can either “ignore” or send you an invite to connect.

Direct Request – If you’ve met the person, follow on other networks, or have some kind of a personal connection, you can send a direct request to connect. (It’s still a good idea to remind the person how you know him/her). They can either accept or “ignore”.

Just because you are connected doesn’t give you the right to “pitch”, “spam”, or “sell” to others. Building relationships take time. Once people get to know you, business will happen.

3 Status Update Panel. This is where you will see updates from people to whom you are connected. Think outside of the box. Make your update relevant to who you are, what you do, etc. Help us feel connected to you. Add Value. You can interpret “What are you doing now” to also be:

What do you wish you were doing?

What are you thinking about?

What do you love about your career or life right now?

Who have you just helped and how did they benefit?

Have a new product? New service? New website? Free ebook? You can let broadcast but the rule is 7:1. Out of 7 postings or comments, only 1 should be about something you offer.

If you don’t have anything nice to say, then talk about something different.  Be careful with your words – there is no room for criticism, snide remarks, jokes or comments that others might find inappropriate, etc. People do business with people they know, like, & trust.

10. Be Responsible and Accountable. One of the facts of life is that we will make mistakes. It happens to all of us. So when you make a mistake, accidently offend someone, etc., be sure to take responsibility and apologize. Learning curves and the mistakes we make along the way are acceptable when accompanied by an apology and a laugh at ourselves. However, blaming someone else or giving excuses will only turn people away

from you. Remember, you can make excuses or you can make money, but you can’t make both!

By following social media etiquette, you’ll build strong, meaningful relationships with people who are looking for what you have to offer. Somewhere in the world a member is going online to find a person who offers what you offer – shouldn’t they be talking to you? BNI Connect provides the platform for that to happen.

Creating and maintaining an effective social media presence doesn’t need to be a labor-intensive time trap. When you know what your goals are and why, the “how” becomes simple. Here are my top 5 tips to creating social media success in 15 minutes a day:

1. What do you want from your social media presence? Many people in my classes say that they want to educate readers, build visibility and credibility, become known as “the expert”, etc. While this is great, isn’t your real purpose to gain new clients/customers and make more money? It’s important you recognize what you want your end result to be because if you don’t, you won’t position yourself in a way that helps you achieve your goals.

2. Who is your target market? Identify the top 5 clients or customers you would clone if you could. What similarities do they share? Why do you like working with them? What problems do they have? What solutions do you provide? How do they benefit?

3. Now that you know who your target market is, how do you find them? 

• First, look for groups of people who have the same background, interests, etc., as you do. If you graduated from a college, you should have received an inquiry when filling out your profile, asking if you would like to find and connect with anyone with the same info. Do it!
• What other organizaitons do you belong to? Toastmasters? BNI? Rotary? ABWA? Search for online groups and join.
• What organizations, groups, colleges, or industries does your target market(s) belong to? Identify at least one group in each category and join. I look at the number of members and how recent and how often there are group updates when determing which group to choose. I want to be in an “active” group. If you join a group and it’s not what you thought, just click on “leave group. It’s that easy!

4. Read the group discussions and comments. Get a feel for how the conversaitons flow, what seems to be acceptable, and make appropriate comments. The more you share helpful tips, ideas, etc., the sooner others will respect what you say. How can you help? This is about building credibility - it’s NOT PITCHING your product. However, you can share short stories of your clients or customers, what their problem was, the solution you provided, and the end result for them. We relate to stories. Stories sell.

5. Connect with all the people you know. It doesn’t matter how you know them: high school, previous employment, social activities, past clients/customers, etc. You are already at the visibility, credibility, or profitability stage with some of these people, so use social media to renew these friendships and associations. Connect with them, read what they post, and make appropriate and sincere comments.

Social networking isn’t about how many people you are connected to, it’s about how deep your connections with these people are. People do business with people they like, know, and trust. You CAN build meaningful relationships in 15 minutes a day when you show sincere interest in others and offer helpful tips, ideas, suggestions, and yes, products and services.

 Occasionally I hear people talk about hiring someone to be responsible for their social media and it makes me want to shout, “No! That’s not something you can outsource!”

This blog post by Leesa Barnes offers a great explanation about why WE need to do our own social media tasks.  It’s truly worth reading and thinking about.

Why You Should Never Outsource Your Social Media Tasks & What You Should Delegate Instead   By Leesa Barnes

     I often see notices from outsourcing companies promising that they can make your social media burden light by doing the tasks you don’t want to. These virtual teams promise to:

• Ghostwrite and post articles on your blog.
• Find and approve friends for you on Facebook/LinkedIn.
• Find and approve followers for you on Twitter. 
• And will do this anywhere from 4-10 times per month for a few hundred dollars.

     Huh? When did outsourcing your relationships become okay?

Social Media Wears Prada (Didn’t You Know?)
     In the movie The Devil Wears Prada, Anne Hathaway plays a naive entry level secretary by the name of Andy Sachs. Andy heads to New York after she’s hired to assist Miranda Priestly, the editor of a New York fashion magazine, who’s all bitch and little personality (played by Meryl Streep). 
     In one scene, Miranda drags Andy to a charity event. The reason Miranda needs Anne is because Miranda can’t remember anyone’s name. So Andy has to walk 5 paces behind Miranda with a book that includes the names and faces of New York’s socialites. 
     Every time Miranda shakes someone’s hand, there’s a 3 second pause as Andy quickly flips through her book and then whispers the person’s name in Miranda’s ear. 
When you outsource your selection and maintenance of your social media relationships, I liken this to the book that Andy carries around. If you aren’t cultivating these relationships through Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn on your own, how then will you know who to call on when you need them? 
     For example, if your assistant is the one approving and finding friends and posting things on Twitter on your behalf, you’re missing out on the friendly banter that happens between friends. 
     My pal, Scott Stratten, is always spinning tunes and sharing his playlist on Twitter. If he plays your favorite song and you’re not there to tell him so, how can you expect to build rapport with him? 
     Click here to read the rest of this article and to provide your comments…

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Feel free to do so just as long as you don’t edit or alter the content in any way and you include the following: Leesa Barnes is an award winning blogger and critically acclaimed author who helps businesses get active using social media in 3 simple steps. To learn how you can become Marketing Fit, visit http://www.marketingfit.com to get your complimentary to get your complimentary kit called the Marketing Fit Success Kit containing a social media checklist, mindmap, MP3 file and a complimentary subscription to the Marketing Fit ezine.

Recently I read a great article by one of my favs, Kathleen Gage. I’ve taken a couple of social media courses from her and have gotten so much more than I paid for. She knows what she’s talking about and truly delivers value through her experience and expertise.  Here’s the link to her blog post: A hidden reason you are likely not generating online revenues:

As I travel around teaching social media courses to our BNI members, I am often asked if regular people really do generate income through social media. The answer is “Absolutely!”  You can go to my LinkedIn page (Sue Henry + BNI) and read some of the recommendations I’ve received where people are sharing the successes they are experiencing.  One of my favorites is from Wanda, a hair stylist. Since implementing some of the strategies I taught on FaceBook, she’s averaging one new client per day. Not bad!

Sometimes the inability to generate profits stems from other influences, such as our belief systems.  If you think you should be getting from your online experience, read Kathleen’s article. Do a “gut-check”.  Do you fall into any of the areas she talks about?  If so, figure out how to overcome them. There’s so much information available online and once you know the issues, you can search for effective solutions.

Remember, someone is buying what you have to offer today… shouldn’t they be buying it from you? 

I taught two classes at Get Connected 09 in St. Pete’s Beach, FL. One class was on blogging, the other on LinkedIn and Facebook. Each class was 45 minutes in length, so I prepared accordingly.

I knew that 45 minutes wasn’t enough time to share much more than a few basics, so I wrote a Social Media Reference eManual that provided more information on all three topics and offered it for $10 per copy if the person ordered and paid before 3/1/09.

At the end of my blogging class on Saturday, I took a minute to explain the ebook and ask for their orders (they were handed a sheet describing the contents and an order form when they walked into the room).  Half the people in the room purchased the ebook.

On Sunday, I taught a few basics about LinkedIn and Facebook and how to position yourself for profitability. Believe me, the time I had for these too “hot” topics went very fast! I wanted to make sure that all of those attending received value, so I didn’t take time to explain the merits of my Social Media Reference eManual and ask them to buy. Each person was handed the content description and order form at the door, just like the day before. However, only 4 ebooks were purchased.

What was the difference?  It was in the “ask”.

If you want to increase your sales, share with others the value of what you offer and then ASK them to buy!  Imagine what this one simple concept could mean to your bottom line!

Creating and maintaining an effective social media presence doesn’t need to be a labor-intensive time trap. When you know what you are trying to accomplish and why, the “how” becomes simple. Here are my top 5 tips to creating social media success in 15 minutes a day:

1. What do you want from your social media presence? Many people in my classes say that they want to educate people, build visibility and credibility, become known as “the expert”, etc. While this is great, isn’t your real purpose to gain new clients/customers and make more money? It’s important you recognize what you want your end result to be because if you don’t, you won’t position yourself in a way that helps you achieve your goals.

2. Who is your target market? Identify the top 5 clients or customers that you would clone if you could. What similarities do they share? Why do you like working with them? What problems did they have? What solutions did you provide? What was the end result for them?

3. How do you find your target market now that you know who they are?  You are going to want to join groups that your target market belongs to. Look for groups where: (a) members have the same or similar backgrounds, (2) members belong to the same organizations, clubs, etc., (3) members have the same or similar hobbies, interests, etc. I recommend joining at least 1 group in each of the 3 areas. You’ll want to choose a group that has many members and has recent activity from a variety of members. If the group hasn’t had activity for the past 2-3 days, I don’t join.

4. Read the discussions and comments posted on each group. Get a feel for how the conversations flow, what is acceptable, who are the most active members, and make appropriate comments. The more you can share helpful ideas, tips, etc., the sooner others will respect what you say. Ask yourself “How can I help?” and then share your thoughts.

5. Connect with all the people you know. It doesn’t matter how you know them: high school, college, previous employment, social activities, past clients/customers, etc.  You are already at the visibility, credibility, or profitability state with them, so use social media to renew these friendships and associations. Connect with them, read what they post, and make appropriate and sincere comments.

Social networking isn’t about how many people you are connected to - it’s about how deep your connections with these people are. People do business with people they like, know, and trust. In 15 minutes a day, you can build meaningful relationships when you show sincere interest in others and offer helpful tips, ideas, suggestions, and yes, products or services.