Misconception #1: You have to have a massive number of fans to get any results on Facebook.

Not true… Surprisingly, the more fans you have, the less engagement you get (i.e. people commenting, liking posts, etc). Remember, it’s not about the quantity but the quality of the people interacting on your page. A small, but active group of loyal fans is preferred.

Misconception #2: Assuming that all your fans see your content.

Many Facebook fan page owners don’t understand this one. They mistakenly think that all their fans are seeing all their posts, all the time. Unfortunately, its Facebook’s algorithm (called Edge Rank) that determines what content goes into each user’s newsfeed. Even I struggle with this one, because no one really knows the exact calculations that Facebook uses.

The fact is that there are diminishing returns on the number of fans (Likes) and the number of people that actually see your Page posts.

Here are some rather surprising statistics:

• Fan pages with 10,000 fans reach approximately 35%. Only 3,500 fans are seeing the content in their newsfeed.

• For pages with 100,000 fans it’s only 25%, and pages with 1 million fans are only reaching 10%.

Misconception #3: Only fans can interact with your fan page

Facebook recently revealed that you no longer have to click the Like button in order to interact with a fan page. You can write on the wall, comment and share, tag, etc. all without having to first click the Like button to become a fan. However, you still need to build Likes on your page so that your posts will show up in newsfeeds.

Remember, they’re not fans until they click the Like button. They must first click that Like button before they’ll ever have a chance of seeing your content in the newsfeed, so you still need to build a fan base.

So, how do you make an impact with your Page? I’m sure you’ve heard that content is king online and there is no other time that this is more true. You can’t keep putting out the same old, boring, bland content any more.

Your status updates and posts must contain relevant and timely information for your fans. In order to do this, you must have a rock-solid understanding of your target audience and know what they want. Find out what problems they have and then share information with them that helps them move toward their desired outcomes. We are all in business to solve problems, right?

(adapted from Mari Smith, marismith.com)

One of my biggest pet-peeves about networking events (you know the ones where you go around the room and everybody shares their elevator speech) is the sheer lack of originality and passion in people’s pitches. If you can’t sound passionate, articulate and genuinely excited about what you do, how do you expect your prospects to get excited about working with you?

Explaining who you are and what you do in a way that will generate interest and get prospects asking questions is one of the most effective methods of relationship marketing. However, it is often the most overlooked aspects of marketing your business.

Clearly articulating what you do so that the prospect gets it immediately is challenging and takes time to prepare. As you are out and about this summer attending events and barbecues, think about incorporating some of these tips into your conversations. Remember, if you are in business, you are always networking! You never know when or where the right connections can happen!

Determine who and what your audience wants or needs first. You should understand the needs or “pain points” of your prospect before making an introduction. Potential customers don’t really care about you or your business. They just want to know how you can help them. People want quick, painless, easy solutions to their problems, needs and desires. Make that connection for them and you are in business!

Use this simple formula to craft your 60-second commercial:
I help __________________ (your target market)
Who _____________________(the pain point/problem you solve)
To ______________________ (your solution)
So that ___________________ (the #1 result you deliver for your clients)

For example:
I’m Cindy Earl with GetKnownGetClients.com. I help small business owners who want to grow their business to get known online, attract more clients and make more money!

Here are some quick tips:

• Incorporate the prospect’s name in one-on-one introductions. You want to show your prospect that you paid attention to their name and that it matters to you. Remember, the sweetest sound to anyone is the sound of their own name.

• Be focused and clear. All of your focus and attention is on the prospect no matter how many people are in the room or standing by.

• Within the introduction your prospect should hear something that clearly indicates what you offer could be a benefit to her. Engage your prospect by sharing your expertise, knowledge and an irresistible free offer.

• Create a reason for someone to share the news about you and what you offer. You want others to view you as a priority contact, not only for themselves but for others.

• Be flexible! One size does not fit all! Adapt your language to the individual you are speaking to or circumstance you are in.

• Look for opportunities to open doors for others! Successful people make things happen for others. They provide access to people and resources.

• Remember that most purchasing decisions are emotionally based. Create a vivid mental picture for your prospect and how their pain is relieved by your solution.

• Practice! It’s ok to write your introduction down and practice on different audiences. You should have several introductions prepared to use in any situation.

So the next time you’re at a networking event or someone asks you, “What do you do?” please don’t give a standard, boring and bland statement like, “I’m a lawyer” or “I’m a business coach.” Be creative and remember that we are all in business to solve our client’s problems. Remember, your elevator pitch is just about starting a conversation – make it interesting!

From BizSugar.com- January 2011

We can think of at least 10 reasons to recommit your efforts to small business social media in the coming year…

1. More engagement. Every small business owner understands the importance of word-of-mouth for business. The best way to get people talking about your business is to start talking with people and social media provides the best online forum.
2. More traffic.Attracting more traffic to your Website is probably the first thing many small business owners think of when using social media to promote your site. The following video looks at the many ways social media sites like BizSugar.com can be used to drive traffic back to your site.
3. More ranking. More visits to your site from relevant connections via social media means ultimately higher ranking for your business on the search engines because visitors to your site are connections from social media who have already been drawn to your profile thanks to common interests/ideas. Thus they are more likely to find what they are looking for and more likely to link back to you from their related site sharing your content with their visitors.
4. More branding.Before social media, identifying your small business with a brand that would stick with you in your market and beyond could be incredibly expensive. Now you can build a brand easily and cheaply on a global scale simply by sharing relevant information for your niche via BizSugar and Facebook.
5. More referrals.The real power of social media lies in its ability to help you build community and from this a source for referrals. People who follow you regularly and count you among their connections create a pool from which to draw. The below video discusses how to broaden your community by participating in social media including sites like BizSugar.
6. More leads. More referrals result in more leads, one of the best reasons to maintain a social media presence. Share helpful tips related to your niche including articles, video and, of course, more about you and your business. Over time this activity generates interest from those interested in the products or services you market. Like being at a huge chamber of commerce mixer, social media is way to generate those all-important leads that could turn into more business over time.
7. More networking.The connections you develop in social media lead to yet others including partners, suppliers or potentrial customers and clients you might not otherwise have met. This network, in turn, becomes an invaluable resource, one that you can draw from day-to-day as you speak to them through social media.
8. More opportunities.Without social media, your network remains limited and so do your opportunities. With social media, you can listen in on the news your social network is sharing in your industry 24/7…and learn of opportunities, markets and prospects you might never have even realized exissted.
9. More customers.Customers are developed through longterm relationships not chance encouters. Given this basic fact and the importance of relationship building to the customer recruiting process, the value of social media becomes clear.
10. More sales. All of this leads, of course, more sales. In fact, there’s a lot of talk about having the right metrics for demonstrating the effectiveness of your social media campaign, but in the end whether or not you get more business is one of the best.

We hope you get a lot out of your social media strategy this year.  Happy New Year!

With the ever-increasing popularity of YouTube (it’s been getting more traffic than Google!) video marketing is a powerful tool to add to your marketing mix. It may seem quite challenging to produce your own videos as a solopreneur, but before you say, “I don’t want to see myself on video” or “Isn’t that really hard to do?” read on…

YouTube is now the second largest search engine, according to ComScore, with 50% more searches than Yahoo! And 180% more searches than Bing. YouTube has 300 million visitors every month who watch more than 12 billion videos.

As a social medium, YouTube features user generated content and facilitates video sharing, commenting, rating, and the ability to create special interest channels. These attract friends and subscribers who share interests and can interact with each other; users look for videos to entertain and inform. Businesses participate by providing answers to users’ questions, how-to content, product reviews, instruction, expert opinions, etc.

It is a forum for establishing “social authority” that businesses seek for the topical areas most related to their services or products and there is no better way for people to connect with you than actually seeing you on video! It’s pretty simple to create your own YouTube video channel and start uploading your videos immediately.

If you have a pocket camera (I recommend the Kodak Zi8 – it’s a great little camera for a reasonable cost) and a computer, you are ready to go! You don’t necessarily need a professional videographer – sometimes candid videos showcase your personality and likability even better than scripted, polished videos. Just do a search for your topic on YouTube and you’ll see how many people are doing it to promote their businesses.

How is Video Social?

Subscribe

There are multiple opportunities for viewers to subscribe to your YouTube channel and be alerted on their own YouTube login pages when new videos are added to your channel.

Like & Comment

YouTube provides a system for viewers to “Like” and comment on the videos, which lends weight to the social authority of the experts who create and offer the videos.

Most recent “Channel Comments” are shown toward the bottom of the image. These comments appear much like they do in blogs. Their purpose is to engage viewers (prospects and customers) in the conversation, and build familiarity and trust between them and the business.

Share

One of the best features is YouTube’s “Share” functionality allows viewers to share the video link through their other social media accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter, or post it to their own blogs.

Remember, online marketing is effective whether or not a business currently sells products or services over the Internet. “Brick and mortar” businesses of all kinds are using video marketing with impressive results.