Dropbox is an online virtual storage utility that allows you to bring all your photos, documents and videos anywhere, and share them with other people in just a couple taps.

Dropbox is free for Windows, Mac and Linux that connects a desktop folder with access via a website and mobile phone application. You can pay for more storage space or get it by telling others about it.

How to Get Started

CREDIT: Ms. Kinder

Create a Dropbox account now »

Dropbox for Business

Dropbox has a admin console for teams, and business features like single sign-on for businesses. For users, SSO means ease — one fewer password to remember and one fewer step to get to your work. Once logged in to your system, there’s no need to sign in to Dropbox separately.Dropbox syncs your important work across all your devices. Your files are backed up and you can even return to older versions or restore deleted files. And getting started has never been simpler.

Learn more about Dropbox for Business »

Tips and Tricks

• Send documents via email to Dropbox – www.sendtodropbox.com
• Send a document from a web link to your Dropbox – www.urldroplet.com
• Make Dropbox your default documents folder
• Upload your mobile photos

Credit: CNET

10 Tricks to Make Yourself a Dropbox Master »

• Get as much free space as you can
• Keep your iTunes in sync
• Recover deleted files
• Upload mobile pictures automatically
• Enable two-step verification for extra security
• Share large files and folders easily
• Back up Facebook, Instagram and Flickr pictures
• Download torrents automatically
• Sync selectively
• Favorite a file for offline access

CREDIT: Gizmodo

15 Things You Never Knew You Could Do On Dropbox »

• Automatically back up your photos from your smartphone
• Make your Dropbox Documents folder your “My Documents” folder
• Star certain files on your smartphone or tablet for offline viewing or listening
• Back up your entire Android phone so you never lose anything
• Stream music from the cloud
• Share music and photos with friends
• If you have enough space, store your entire music library in Dropbox
• Send and receive large files using DROPitTOme
• Send email attachments automatically by enabling ‘send to Dropbox’.
• Back up your WordPress blog
• Host a website from your Dropbox
• Request files from individuals even if they don’t use Dropbox
• Protect your Dropbox files with BoxCryptor
• Read PDFs on your iPad through the iBooks app
• Use DropBox for version control

CREDIT: Business Insider

20+ Tools To Supercharge Your Dropbox »

CREDIT: HongKait.com

TAKE ACTION: Start using Dropbox to organize, backup and share your important files. Having a system like this in place as your business grows will increase your productivity!

Do you find yourself at a loss when it comes time to making updates on social media?

An easy way to get started is by sharing other people’s content! Put your own spin on it with a short comment.

Regularly posting informative articles to turn your page into a trusted resource for relevant information. You can add a short comment with why you think it’s important to share.

Increase engagement on your social profiles

More interaction on your Facebook page means more people are likely to see the status updates of Fans who like your content or leave comments about what you’ve posted. Links are an easy way to post regularly. Add a photo to make it pop.

LinkedIn now has LIKES & comments on your updates, and this will also help boost your visibility with your business connections. The new layout really highlights links with the title and a short excerpt and a photo.

Twitter updates with links are more likely to be retweeted.

What types of links should you post?

Your social media strategy should include identifying who your target audience is and what they are interested in. Remember, it’s not what YOU are interested in… it’s about YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE will be interested in.

Articles that pertain to community interests are a great way to provide information and keep people coming back to your social profiles for more. For example, music producers may post a link to the latest concert in their town. A dentist might link to an article about the newest toothbrush on the market.

Mix in links to your own website and blog

You can also link to individual blog pages on your website that feature articles. This is a great way to direct traffic back to your site.

Plan ahead to make it easy to post status updates

Next time you are browsing around getting caught up on industry news, bookmark or make a list of good sources. Look for industry news sources – online magazines or blogs. If you aren’t sure where to start, find your topic on AllTop.com, a collection of headlines of the latest stories from the best sites and blogs that cover a topic. You can also look on SmartBrief and have your headlines delivered to your inbox from thousands of sources.

Combine this idea with other Byte Sized Tips:

• Add a photo or graphic to your link on Facebook make your status update pop

• Use Buffer to schedule posts on social networks

TAKE ACTION: Get yourself setup and ready to go to post links on your social networking sites! Start by making a list of 5 sources you can quickly use.

Having conversations with your network IS marketing.

A simple way to end the stress of marketing is to shift from hard-to-implement methods to the basics of leveraging your network.

Don’t get me wrong, I love social media, email marketing and blogging, but those methods all supplement real conversations.

It’s a very easy goal to connect with just 3 contacts a week. Make this a regular goal and you’ll really start to see results.

Now, this isn’t about direct sales. It’s rare that any one single marketing method will bring a sale with just one use.

These conversations are not about selling—they are simply to touch base with your contacts.

Keep it short and sweet

You don’t need to take a lot of time—just 15 minutes will give you time to have a real conversation. I prefer phone calls (use TimeTrade to schedule) if you are short on time. You can always decide to meet up in person.

Touch base with your best referral partners first

See what’s new in their business. Often they will have complimentary services to what you are offering, and it may be obvious on how you can easily refer clients to one another. You’ll be able to provide a great resource to your own clients.

Describe why your products or services would be of value

Recently a new contact sent me a long video and said that he really thought I would be interested in his services. No where did he mention SPECIFICALLY WHY. It was totally generic and unappealing (and I WILL NOT be sending him any business!) Customize what you say here based on what you know about your contact. What are you doing in your business that would likely to be of value to them? Of value to their contacts? Add why you think your services or products are complimentary. Not a sales pitch… just have a conversation!

Ask to get connected in other ways

You can suggest getting connected via social media, offer them your free bonus that you have setup for your email marketing, or follow-up with a blog post. Ask about quality networking opportunities or events.

Describe your ideal client and ask if they know someone like this

This is the point where being clear on your ideal client is essential — you can describe that person and often it helps your contact visualize exactly the person you want to meet! It’s a lot better than saying “well, if you know of anyone let me know…”

Don’t add more to your plate than you can manage

One thing I do caution against is getting distracted with big, complex ideas on how you can create joint ventures together… planning new programs, workshops, etc. If you are truly that busy NOW, you’re only adding MORE to your plate. Write it on your calendar to check back in about it in a few months… and start systematizing and outsourcing so you CAN take that next step.

TAKE ACTION: Leverage the network you already have by checking in
with 3 contacts a week. Keep it up — that’s 156 REAL CONVERSATIONS
a year to super-charge your marketing!

I suggest including a combination of your business name, phone, email, social networks, logo or a short call-to-action.

You can even add functionality like showing your latest blog post or upcoming events (with Wisestamp).

Your email signature should include the BEST WAYS for people to reach you. Include as little information as possible, including your main contact & brand details. Then your website can include ALL of your contact information.

For example, if only a small portion of people need your fax or a main office number, then I suggest you let them find this via your website. It makes the signature much less cluttered.

View the email signature gallery for ideas

How to create your email signature

OPTION 1: FREE/LOW-COST – WISESTAMP

The best option for GMAIL, GOOGLE APPS or OUTLOOK.COM – My favorite one is Wisestamp. There’s both a free one and upgrade option (I upgraded because I wanted more features). You can include images and updates from your social media or blog feeds. Is not yet available for Outlook Desktop, but you can sign up to be notified when this happens.

• Look at the examples that WiseStamp gives you!
• Please use my affiliate links: Gmail or Google Apps

OPTION 2: FREE – GMAIL SETTINGS

You can also create signatures under your Settings in Gmail.

OPTION 3: FREE – BEST OPTION FOR OUTLOOK

The free way to do this is to use the built-in functionality of Outlook to add the signatures. You also may be able to have a template file. Create your signature under Tools.

OPTION 4: FREE – MOBILE DEVICES & SETUP

Depending on your mobile device, your mail program can allow you to have a signature. Someone most likely doesn’t need to know “message was sent from your iPad”, so change it from the default.

Customize your signature to promote your brand

CREATE DIFFERENT SIGNATURES

Have one signature for new prospects with a call-to-action to get to know you. Use another for clients (they really don’t need to be invited to do an intro call) – but they can be invited to schedule a meeting! Use another short one for replies.

USE YOUR BEST CALL TO ACTION!

• If you are trying to build your email list, then include a link to “FREE TIPS”.
• If you are trying to schedule meetings, include a link to your calendar.
• If you are blogging, include a link to your latest Post (use Wisestamp).
• Think about your users – what are you trying to do when you email them?

ADD YOUR SOCIAL PROFILES

• For LinkedIn, there aren’t two icons so you have to choose between linking to your PERSONAL PROFILE or COMPANY PAGE. For a individual, use the PERSONAL PROFILE.
• For the Facebook, use either your PERSONAL PROFILE or COMPANY PAGE.
• For Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or YouTube, use if you are active, otherwise skip.

OTHER TIPS

• Unless you are legally required to include a disclaimer, remove it (or shorten).
• I prefer to just add my contact info instead of using a vCard.
• Skip your mailing address.

TAKE ACTION: Add or update your email signature file today!

Streamline your sales process

All businesses have documents that need signing. For years I’ve used electronic PDFs via email but the process of getting them signed was still a bit slow. I tried creating online forms from Adobe Acrobat, but people would get confused.

I’d get back some scanned via email, some sent by mail and some faxed, which meant my office organization was a bit sloppy.

My problem is totally solved thanks to RightSignature.com!

My sales process is streamlined and organized without any paper clutter. My clients find it super easy to sign contracts, which means we can focus on building our businesses — not shuffling papers!  This is also something that you can outsource to an assistant as part of a standard process.

How it works

It’s super easy to create a document to sign from a PDF, Word, or Text document. You can add fields to create the form – check boxes, text fields, initials and signature.

The document will be sent for signing via email. For users on the go, you can get signatures on iPads or iPhones.

RightSignature tracks the process of showing that people view and sign it. You can send an email reminder. When it’s done, all parties will get a copy sent to them via email. As the account owner, you’ll also have a copy organized in your secure archive.

It also has some other advanced features, like saving commonly used documents, custom branded signing webpage and intergration with other software like Google Drive, FreshBooks, Dropbox, Basecamp, Evernote and Salesforce.com.

I selected Right Signature after doing a comparison to other digital signature software and liked the feature list the best.

View comparison of RightSignature, EchoSign (Adobe), DocuSign and Silanis

See examples of how it works

TAKE ACTION: Streamline your sales process with RightSignature or a similar software!

Can you relate to this – your dreams to build your business are much bigger than what can actually be accomplished in a day, so you wind up in a cycle of not really achieving anything?

I know I’ve been guilty of overestimating what I can get done in one day, and the number of projects I can work on at any given time. Building your online brand at the same time as your business only complicates things… suddenly your TO-DO list has a million things on it.

It can be easy to have Entrepreneurial ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and randomly work on things. Or you can get distracted by bright shiny objects like writing a book. In your mind you may thing you can do it in one week, until you realize that you’ve got a million other projects on the go at the same time!

On the flip side, some projects can look so huge that you just never get started. You keep putting it off and putting it off until you decide you’re just never going to get around to it.

Now it’s too big of a project to overhaul your whole work week, but you CAN start to have a huge impact in just a few dedicated minutes a day. You will feel like you’re making progress even when you don’t have much time to work on a project.

Focus on ONE THING that that’ll take you closer to your goals.

This is enough time to actually see some progress each day, but not too much time that you won’t be able to fit it into your already busy schedule. You may be thinking that projects will take too long to complete if you only give them 15 minutes per day, but they’ll take even longer if you never start! That 15 minute block is a way to motivate yourself, to keep you working consistently, and to help build momentum until you see something through to the end.

Make Sure Those 15 Minutes Are Productive

The best way to make sure you get the absolute most done in those 15 minutes is to be very clear on what you’re doing. If you’re writing a book or report, make sure you write an outline so that you can dig into any section whenever you have time. If not, spend one of your 15 minute chunks of time breaking down any project into smaller, more workable chunks. The chunk is too big if you can’t do it in 15 minutes! This really works to make things easier on you, so don’t skip this step!

Create a Routine

Pick a time of day when you will typically have 15 free minutes, and block this time off on your calendar for your task. Or, if you’re the kind of person who constantly seems to be on the move, keep a notebook/ smartphone/ eReader etc. on you so you can work on your project whenever you get a chance: at the doctor’s office, while waiting for a friend, sitting in a taxi and so on. Refer back to your priority list — which can be as simple as knowing what the next day will be focused on.

Hold Yourself Accountable

Let someone else know your goals. A partner or friend or coach can help to keep you accountable, or you could even post daily updates on a blog and get others to join in. Whatever works for you! It’s also a great idea to keep a running list of what you HAVE accomplished. It’s a great motivator to see your progress.

Does It Really Work?

I think a ton of energy can be wasted thinking about your long to-do list (I know this is true for me!) Ask yourself: when do you feel the happiest and most successful…when you’ve been thinking about doing something for a while but are trying to get the motivation to actually start, or when you stop thinking and start doing? You will actually be IMPLEMENTING change instead of THINKING about change! That should be enough for you to stop beating yourself up and to start feeling proud that you’re taking action on your goals.

TAKE ACTION: Every single person can find 15 free minutes in their day. There are no more excuses! You’ll be IMPLEMENTING CHANGE in no time!

Just because someone gave you their business card, it does not mean they gave you permission to added to your email list.

Follow the same rule for people that you already have a relationship with — your past and current clients, social and real-life networking contacts and friends.

First of all, it’s illegal.

The CAN-SPAM Act prohibits the sending of commercial messages (and unsolicited messages with marketing content) through email without the recipient having specifically requested to receive such information.

Second, it’s not the best way to build a relationship.

Chances are, the person receiving the email is going to see your email and think: “I didn’t sign up for another newsletter.” They have several choices:

• Unsubscribe, with the option of reporting the email as spam
• Flag the message as spam so most of your messages will wind up in their spam box
• Delete it, so your message is ignored
• Filter it so it goes to a junk folder, so your message is ignored
• Be annoyed that you didn’t ask, which doesn’t help your brand
• Be happy they are getting the information –> that’s the result you wanted!

So how DO you legally add someone to your list?

I recommend you work with a third party service like Aweber or Constant Contact to help you properly do this. They have guidelines to follow:

• Aweber’s Anti-SPAM policy
• Constant Contact’s Anti-SPAM policy

I recommend a second level of permission, called a double opt-in, that has people click a link indicating their permission is granted after they are added. This gets used whether they enter their name in a form OR you add them manually.

Shift your focus to how your email marketing can help them, and start to build a real community. Start by give people an incentive for doing so, and be clear on “what’s in it for them” to be subscribed to your list. It’s NOT ENOUGH to “get updates about your company”.

What’s an incentive to signup? A simple opt-in gift is to have a “breakthrough call” with you. Later you can add a giveaway like a checklist, ebook, audio or video on demand.

Promote your list in multiple places to encourage opt-ins:

1. Add the incentive to your business cards, and ASK SOMEONE when meeting them to subscribe. (Mark as YES on their cards, then manually add).
2. If you don’t get permission when you meet them, send them an e-mail, call them or message on social networks asking for permission prior to sending any unsolicited emails. But FIRST — actually start a conversation! The email opt-in is secondary to REAL CONVERSATION!
3. Include a link to signup in your email signature. When sending individual emails, you promote the opt-in to your business contacts.
4. Add a page(s) to your website which encourages people to sign up. Successfully doing this requires web design & strategy to make sure it will lead to opt-ins.
5. Drive traffic to a sign-up page on your website using social networks or ads, with a compelling incentive to sign up.
6. For speaking events, use a paper signup form at each seat (collect afterwards) − clearly labeled that they will get your opt-in gift and be subscribed to your list.
7. For sponsoring tables at events, use a bowl to collect business cards − clearly labeled that they will get your opt-in gift and be subscribed to your list.
8. Give the option to opt-in on your contact forms on your website.
9. Give the option to opt-in when scheduling an introductory phone call.

Properly setting up and using your email marketing requires strategy, design & tech setup.

It’s not really a Byte Sized Tip to explain all of the ins & outs…but knowing not to add without permission will prevent you from making a poor first impression by doing it wrong. But let’s get your business setup right!

TAKE ACTION: Schedule an Online Brand Breakthrough session
and let’s discuss the steps your business needs to take.

Plant the marketing seeds that will grow all year

Look outside at the budding trees and flowers. It’s hard to believe they will be in full bloom shortly. Just like this, your marketing needs time to grow. It is almost inherent for us to feel inspired when winter months have come to an end and warm spring months are drawing closer. When you see the world around you renew itself and prosper, you can’t help but feel inspired! Planting the marketing seeds NOW will lead to big success later in the year.

Here are some easy ways to get started:

LinkedIn Tips

• Customize Your Public Profile URL
• Personalize the Standard Invitation to Connect
• Use Testimonials to Build Your Credibility

Facebook

• Include Your Business Contact & Info on Your Personal Profile
• Use Photos or Custom Branded Graphics to Make your Status Update Pop
• Join & Participate in Groups to Build Quality Relationships

Marketing

• Use Your Business Cards to List Social Networks & Calls-to-Action
• Network Locally Offline to Market your Online Business

Productivity

• 25 Ways to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions (Useful all year!)
• Use Buffer to Schedule Posts on Social Networks
• Use TimeTrade to Easily Schedule Appointments Online

Simply get out of the office

Simply put, the purpose of all networking and marketing is to have sales conversations. Meetings with prospective customers are the fuel that makes the marketing machine run.

Adding an online calendar can turn even a basic website into a powerful sales tool that works 24/7. TimeTrade is my favorite of the options available.

The “old way” of asking someone to call you — during weekday business hours — means the majority of the time your business is closed. A huge percentage of my calls are scheduled after hours — that’s normally when people have time to read websites or social networks!

A call-to-action to email you still means you’ll need to find time to follow-up with a conversation. So just fast-forward this process.

Add a link to your business cards for even more impact!

Here’s another big benefit…

Many people tell me they don’t have time to do online marketing. But how much time do you spend a week playing phone tag or emailing back and forth to schedule a simple meeting? Have you sent availability times, only to have those filled before the person responded? Online appointment scheduling makes it fast and easy.

Then you can trade that time for doing other marketing or revenue-generating activities!

There’s a small yearly charge for an account, and I do recommend upgrading to add your logo. But with the time I’ve saved, it’s totally worth it!

The features have streamlined my sales process and made it easier for my clients to book appointements:

• Create different meeting types – demos, intro calls, coaching sessions, lunch or coffee meetings – whatever you need.
• Connect to your Outlook, iCal or Google Calendar so you never have to worry about double-booking.
• Email or post your online scheduling link and let people book appointments with you.
• Use the mobile app to book appointments while you’re out of the office
• Use the follow up tracker to remind people to schedule.

That’s it! It’s added to your main calendar and You and your invitees get instantly confirmed appointments and automated reminders.

TAKE ACTION: Turn your Website visitors into sales meetings by adding TimeTrade!

It only takes a few seconds to make your message warm and inviting.

You would never actually say to someone in real life, “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.”

Take a moment and use it as an opportunity to ask how someone is doing (especially good if you can comment on a recent update they had, like a new job). Or to followup after meeting someone at a networking event. Or to catch up with an old colleague, by seeing if they want to meet up in person. Remember, this is just the beginning of getting back and touch, but it IS a way to let people know you want to (re)establish a connection with them.

TAKE ACTION: Connect with 3 people this week, & customize your invitation to connect.

Use a short but personalized message with one of these ideas:

• Share what you or admire about them
• Add why you want to connect and how you can help them
• Ask a question unique to them about their career or expertise
• Suggest how your network could benefit them and/or why you’d like to connect
• Explain how you know each other or what you have in common, why you want to connect
• If you follow them online, comment on a tweet, blog or their comments.
• Name dropping is very powerful – “Jane Doe mentioned we should get in touch”
• Be friendly – “Hope all is going well for you in your new office! Let’s connect!”