Don’t miss learning the 3 essential Facebook tips that every business networker needs to know!

We will discuss using Facebook as a tool to streamline your marketing efforts and build relationships that lead to more referrals. Facebook can market ONE-to-MANY, which multiplies into LESS TIME AND EFFORT FOR GREATER RESULTS. You will learn SIMPLE ways that you can boost your networking efforts.

Includes open Q&A time!

Where: Sheraton Annapolis Hotel
Beginning at 6 p.m.
Networking session, Dinner, followed by a program and brief business meeting.

Members: $30 each
Guests: $35 each
Walk-ins: charged $35

Register for the MARCH 21st Meeting of the Maryland Capital Chapter of the ABWA

The MD Capital Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) provides women with a venue to hone their professional skills in order to help maximize their professional and personal growth. They do this by providing relevant guest speakers, educational materials, and the opportunity to serve in leadership roles. They do not judge or grade but instead provide a safe environment for women to develop, grow and achieve the confidence that comes with accomplishing goals individually and as a group.
LEARN MORE »

Start the year off right with insights from this HIGH ENERGY panel.

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

• 8:00 AM Registration
• 8:30-9:30 AM Continental Breakfast Program

Four Seasons Hotel
Baltimore, 200 International Drive, Baltimore, MD 21202

The panel will share fresh ideas and help you sharpen your knowledge through creative cutting edge strategies in Brand and Online Marketing, Business Development for the “New Age” and Enhanced Media Exposure. These experienced panelists engage and inspire with their knowledge, motivation and humor. Panel hosted by the Maryland Chapter of HSMAI. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to reposition your product and gain market share in 2012’s competitive marketplace.

Moderator

Monyka Berrocosa, Principal/Outsourced CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) of M. Consulting since 1998. Founder & CCO MyCity4Her.com, a National business focused media company based in Baltimore, MD since 2007. Highlights – Providing forward thinking and ROI focused Media, Marketing and Communications solutions to companies and individuals seeking to secure leader level market share and growth.

Panelists

Laura Pasternak, Principal and Chief Brand Strategist of MarketPoint, LLC. Highlights – Delivering honest, insightful and effective brand and marketing strategies that empower clients to achieve success.

Linda Schenk, Founder and Social Media Strategist and Web Designer at Virtuallinda Media LLC & Byte Sized Learning. Highlights – Expertly teaching technology to EXCEED business goals and build relationships using social media.

Bari Anderson, Vice President of Business Development for Eagles View Consulting which provides outsourced Sales Management and Business Development services. Highlights - Cutting edge prospect strategies, leveraging existing contacts and connections and developing strategic relationships in today’s competitive business world.

Join your Hospitality, Travel, Tourism, and Marketing Industry Colleagues for the best in cutting-edge industry programs! Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to reposition your product and gain market share in 2012′s challenging marketplace.

LIMITED SEATING

Pre-registration:

HSMAI Member $35.00 January 23rd Last Day to Pre-Register
Non-member $50.00

On site:

HSMAI Member $45.00
Non-member $60.00

Click Here To Register

I’ve lost count of how many conversations have gotten completely off-track with me explaining minor details about a new social media trick.

And guess what… that trick probably won’t bring your business any new revenue. There, I’ve said it.

Instead, let’s have the conversation that I wish we could have, free of shiny objects.

It will be about what your business is trying to accomplish. It will be about what your resources are (time, money & energy) to invest in social media. It will be about identifying your target audience and why they should buy from you. It will be about creating a solid foundation for your business. It will be about all the things that should be in your business plan but aren’t if you are trying to quickly act on idea as fast as you can.

But, that’s all PLANNING and it’s really boring and not exciting. Social media is exciting. It seems like it’s a solution but if you don’t know what problem you are trying to solve it IS JUST A WASTE OF TIME.

So now, let’s get back to your business.

What are you trying to accomplish… then let’s find the best fit for how social media can help you achieve your goals.

Did you make an immediate decision to buy? Probably not…so don’t think social media will lead to immediate sales.

Social media is about building long-term relationships with people in your network. Let me say that again… LONG-TERM relationships. It’s not a quick, overnight fix. This requires focus OVER TIME in order to best succeed. It’s not just one conversation you are having… it’s an on-going dialog.

Social media is an excellent way to give people a chance to get to KNOW, LIKE & TRUST you. It opens up communication channels that you can use to promote products or services. But just like that pushy sales person, it will actually REPEL people if your expectation is to have the first thing you say lead to income in your pocket. Instead, focus on adding contacts (which can be done strategically, planning for your later sales) and being SOCIAL.

Now, this might seem like common sense to you, but sometimes when businesses are struggling, they start REACTING and not ACTING. This is the worst time to try and start using social media. You’ll be rushed and skip critical steps that are needed for long-term success. People in your network will sense your desperation and steer clear. You won’t be able to connect to thousands of people overnight (a request I’ve had from business owners!)

The best time to start setting up social media is when you don’t have an immediate need for it. This will give you time to think clearly and pay attention to each contact you are adding. You will have time to build those quality relationships. Get to know others and they will be there when you need help sharing your important messages.

Create a PLAN for your BRAND to reach out and connect with people and COMMUNICATE your message to them.

Use my easy, repeatable process to setup your business for social media success!

Your business needs a strategic plan in order to succeed.

Sounds, so simple, right? Then WHY aren’t you doing it?

Well, if you are like many Entrepreneurs you have the gift (and curse) of having way too many ideas bouncing around in your brain. This can manifest itself in the positive way of allowing your business to quickly change to adapt to market conditions.

The negative impact is the bright shiny object syndrome. That’s really just the nice way of saying that you are busy, not productive. Your business isn’t making money but you are running around networking and connecting like crazy. In the social media world that means randomly using Facebook when you have time, but without any sort of cohesive strategy that is building your brand. Is this how you want to spend 2012?

Now, I’ll assume your business also has limited resources—time, money & energy. Let’s think of those resources as a pie. Every time you add another element to your to-do list, it’s taking up a piece of pie. In order for you to reach each business goal, you need to have the IDEA and take each step with your customer to create a SALE. That’s multiple steps for EVERY SINGLE GOAL.

If your business is struggling and you are going in million directions, you are spread too thin. You will run out of hours in the day to work on every goal. You will run out of time during an 30-second elevator pitch to even TELL SOMEONE about all of the ways you can make money. Your social media efforts are going to be diluted or just neglected completely.

Instead, make a shift and just focus in on ONE BUSINESS GOAL. But wait… what if your business is actually 10 different ideas (yes, I’ve actually heard that, and it was exhausting just listening to them all)…how do you determine which is the best goal to focus on?  

That’s simple… focus on your FASTEST ROUTE TO INCOME.

This is the starting point of my PLAN, BRAND & COMMUNICATE System. You’ll start with this ONE GOAL and the create a strategy (just like those experts advised) and take byte sized steps to reach it using social media.

Yes, it’s that simple. Then WHY aren’t you doing it?

Learn how to create a simple social media strategy for your business

MISTAKE #1: Working on your website without consulting an expert.

So many mistakes can be made here… getting the wrong domain name (or not getting them), choosing the wrong hosting company, purchasing a website theme (design) that doesn’t meet your business goals, trying to set up a WordPress site yourself and making critical mistakes or just wasting time… the list goes on.

It can be just ask big of a mistake NOT TO HAVE ANY WEBSITE. If your budget is limited, schedule a coaching call with meand I’ll work out a plan that will get you started—inexpensively and smartly.

MISTAKE #2: Setting up a Facebook Page too soon.

Being on Facebook is very important to networking, but you can start by building your network by using your Personal Profile. After your Page is really ready to promote—reflecting your business goals, quality content and calls to action—then you can promote it to Facebook Friends. Promoting your Page up too soon,without clearly showing people a reason they should LIKE you (and return) isn’t going to build your brand.  My Facebook training will teach you how this can be done.

When people rush to get their Page setup, they often choose a long username such as “www.facebook.com/ThisIsTheNameOfMyNewProduct“. MISTAKE: That won’t fit on your business card and it can’t be changed after 100 LIKES. Or you ask everyone in your network to “LIKE” your new page that is almost blank and does nothing to sell your product or service. MISTAKE: You have one chance to make a first impression and you just blew it.

MISTAKE #3: Getting a logo made first.

A business NEEDS a logo, right? So it seems like the next best step to hire just anyone to create one for you. WRONG! All graphic design is about PROBLEM SOLVING… this includes knowing exactly where the logo will be used (on a website header, on a Facebook sidebar, on a product, small on a business card, etc.)

I’ve seen countless logos that might look great at first glance but are not very usable. You’ll wind up with something that all of your important marketing must work around OR you will need to pay to redo it. Another secret is that you might not really NEED a fancy logo…work with your entire team (print designer, web designer and marketing expert) to PRIORITIZE your budget.

Treat your idea LIKE A REAL BUSINESS and not JUST A HOBBY and give it the careful thought that it deserves.

I help Business Networkers & Entrepreneurs create successful strategies and make smart choices when building their business online to use their limited resources wisely.

Let’s schedule a call to discuss how your business can grow!

However, they can be a great way to find more time in a busy schedule.

Use social profiles to prioritize your contacts and focus on your target audiences.

It’s simply impossible to develop deep relationships with EVERYONE that you meet. So instead of scheduling an initial introductory coffee or phone meeting with EVERYONE, use a social profile to see if the person is a good match and whom you are looking to connect with.

Develop both broad networks and deeper relationships with key contacts.

Think of this as your COMMUNITY and your TARGET AUDIENCES. Every day you can be in touch with the areas of interest that matter the most to your business. Get to know specific people better if they are in your target audience and you want to move the relationship along. This process will allow you to decide if a longer meeting with them will be a good investment of time (for both of you), based on common interests and business goals.

Read profiles and updates of your contacts before your next phone call, email or meeting.

We are all much more than our business card or even our website. What we choose to share on social networks on a regular basis reflects our personality and values. Use the information you learn from what your contact has shared to spark conversation in real life to build better relationships. This practice will give you a broader, more up-to-date picture of a business and the personality of your connections.

Update your own profiles and share regularly.

If every week just ONE of your contacts learned more about you and your business through your profiles, at the end of the year that’s 52 relationships that have been enhanced. Your profiles are online 24/7 and are easily sharable as free advertising. Your sales conversations become warm leads. Each update remains online and builds over time, so it’s truly an investment in building future relationships.

Do you see social networking as a waste or an investment of your limited time?

Many businesses spend a fortune on search engine optimization (SEO) , internet marketing or time going to random events, forgetting to put effort into the people that already know, like & trust them!

In addition, all current recommended SEO techniques INCLUDE USING SOCIAL MEDIA!

This includes blogging regularly (at least 3x per week), using social networks to share links and keywords, adding videos to YouTube.

It’s NOT a choice between the two, it’s a question of if you want to ADD SEO TO YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY. If you are limited on resources—time, money and energy—start with a simple social media strategy to focus on the people that already know, like and trust you. As your business grows, you can always add in SEO. The key is to be realistic about what you want to do and set yourself up for success.

If your business is ready to create an online strategy, with or without SEO, you first need to start with your social media strategy.

I can help your business create a realistic strategy to
PLAN, BRAND & COMMUNICATE effectively online.

Let’s talk about how social media can help you reach your business goals!

If you are an Entrepreneur, your cash flow might not be where you would like it to be.
So you might start seeing dollar signs instead of making decisions to work with someone based on a thoughtful process. This is ACTING and not REACTING.

Here’s 5 reasons why you should sometimes say NO:

1. A product or service that is “good for everyone” isn’t specific enough to be of use to anyone.

Therefore, it won’t be a good fit for MOST PEOPLE, which means turning potential clients away. Focus on getting it to the people that need it most, which makes for very satisfied customers and will make you a happier Entrepreneur.

TIP: Use a website and social media to communicate effectively to your ideal client to cut down on the 1-on-1 time you spend trying to sell your products & services.

2. Saying YES to everyone gives off the vibe of desperation.

This feeling will be picked up by others, making it more difficult to attract quality clients. Feel confident that there is enough abundance in the market to bring the right people to you and that your product or services delivers real value.

TIP: If your business is struggling, you may need to rethink your business model. A viable business plan and market research to back it up will give you confidence.

3. The clients you hesitate about are more likely to be problem clients.

This will cost you MORE time to make sure they are satisfied, especially if you have pride in your work. Think back to any difficult client you have had…they gave off subtle signals that were yellow flags early in the process. Had you listened to your intuition early on, both parties could have walked away with no hard feelings.

TIP: Look to these difficult clients for clues of what to avoid in the future. The past is doomed to be repeated if you don’t learn from your mistakes. Next time it’s your own fault things went sour.

4. Potential clients are PEOPLE, not dollar signs.

After all, if you are ONLY looking at them as a dollar sign, won’t they be looking at you the same way? Money is an important part of the process because we all associate VALUE with DOLLARS. People won’t VALUE something that is FREE. Entrepreneurs need to be confident in their pricing and feel confident that they are delivering something of far greater value than that dollars they are charging. Focus on delivering real value in exchange for money and the right clients WILL find you.

TIP: I strongly advocate having offering lower-priced packages that can scale up. This will give your business more options to serve a wider range of people. If you do, and someone still haggles over your price, walk away. 

5. Time invested with someone who isn’t a good fit for your business is time that isn’t available for someone who is.

Just like dating, business relationships need to be a good match for both parties. It may “hurt someone’s feelings” to be “rejected”—not true, but isn’t that what you are THINKING?! You are really freeing them to find a business that IS a good fit, which helps everyone.

TIP: Gain clarity on who you are meant to be serving. There are people who want what you are offering. Every time you say YES so someone else it means you can’t work with the people who really need you.

I recently had the opportunity to practice my own advice, and it was truly liberating.

A potential client called me to ask the price for working 1-on-1 with me on social media design, setup & strategy.

I needed to return their call, which gave me a few minutes to explore their business. My gut told me that it was not something that I felt comfortable in promoting, yet I still hesitated. My inner voice of negativity and lack of confidence said “maybe you can do it and not tell anyone” or “well, if they are willing to pay…”

Then I took a deep breath and practiced what I would say to gently tell them I didn’t think it was a good match. I returned the call and spoke my truth. They didn’t care, they just wanted to know my price. So then I told them. They were shocked because it was clear they were looking for the cheapest possible solution, not quality. I confidently said, “I have 18 years of design experience, and the process involves training, coaching, strategic planning and web design. I have scalable solutions that can work with a range of budgets. It’s too bad this isn’t a good fit, but I appreciate you calling me.”

I didn’t take up any more time for either of us, and I know we can both move on to find an ideal partnership.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: Have you said YES when you should have said NO? What did you learn from the experience?

Yesterday scientists predicted that Comet Lovejoy would hit the Sun and its long journey would end… but it surprised EVERYONE by appearing on the other side. This story reminds me that we all can keep going!

Comet Lovejoy was discovered and being tracked as the brightest sun-grazing comet ever observed from space-based telescopes. It was about the size of a football field, taking about 800+ years to orbit the Sun. That’s one LONG journey!

• Details on what was predicted to be the Comet’s last day.

Thanks to the social media efforts of Camilla SDO, The Sun Today and scientists at NASA, people all over the world were able to be tracking this comet in almost real-time. Never before has mankind seen a sun-grazing comet so bright. 6 spacecraft were all pointed towards the event to capture the end of the comet’s journey, using technology that allows us to capture this epic moment. The data gets sent back to earth and minutes later it gets sent out via social media channels. (This is why I LOVE technology… so much cooler than a science textbook!)

People all over the world were tuned in last night to watch what was surely the end as it burned up.

Then Comet Lovejoy surprised EVERYONE! It reappeared on the other side!!

From Camilla SDO:

Somehow it survived being immersed in the several million-degree solar corona for almost an hour and has now re-emerged back into the views of the LASCO and SECCHI coronagraphs, almost as bright as before! The only noteable exception is that it appears to have lost its tail, as you can see in the image. In fact its tail is still gently floating out in space where it was before perihelion! I think that what we’re seeing here is the dust particles following the same path as the comet, but just at a slightly slower speed. So, for example, dust ejected from the comet when it was 10hrs away from perihelion will still follow the same path as the comet, but just reach perihelion much later as it should still have some forward momentum. That “pre-perihelion” tail will gradually dissipate today, but I’m pretty confident that we will see Comet Lovejoy grow a new one.

People all over the world are cheering the little comet that could! Such an amazing story of LOVE & JOY!

• Photos & video from Mike Salway on the Central Coast of NSW, Australia 
• Video from Colin Legg rising over rising over Western Australia

Are you a survivor like Comet Lovejoy? I’d love to hear about your own amazing journey!

Credit: NASA/ESA SOHO & Karl Battams