5 Tips for Building Your Business On Social Media

I LOVE social media. I didn't grow up with all this technology but I have learned to really tap into the power of the internet...especially social media. It has allowed me to find my audience, build my tribe, generate exposure...and yes, make money. 

I build my business almost entirely online. Which means I don't spend a lot of time going to "networking" events. I don't make cold calls. I don't do three-way calls, or "opportunity" calls. I have no need. I generate plenty of business without all that.

Think about it. You can use social media to sell your products or services, either directly or by sending people to your website or email list. You can use FB groups and your email list to create a community of people who love you and will become raving fans. You can use it to grow brand awareness. And you can reach people anywhere, because...HEY, IT'S THE INTERNET!

How can YOU use social media to build YOUR business? Here are some tips:

1. Find your market. This is the most important step in building your online message. It can also be the hardest. Most of us, especially network marketers, have been taught to think of everyone as our market. That is simply not true. You need to be as focused as possible. For example, you might think that my market is anyone who wants to build their business with social media. But it's not. My target market looks more like this:

"Small and home business owners, age 50+, who want to use social media marketing and the internet to help build their businesses but struggle with the technology and understanding attraction marketing concepts." 

Does that mean if a 40-year old asks for my help, I'm going to say no? Of course not! But when I'm marketing, I target my my copy and my images to that specific market. And I pick up a lot of "overflow" because guess what! 50-year-olds aren't the only ones who struggle with technology. And a LOT of people don't understand attraction marketing.

2. Go where your market is. You want to get your message in front of the people most likely to relate to it and take action. That means you have to be on the platforms your folks are on. Yes, everybody immediately thinks of Facebook. But there's also Twitter. Instagram. LinkedIn. Pinterest. YouTube. And now TikTok. Do your research and find out where your people are. For example, I don't use LinkedIn much. Most of those people are either professionals with firms or agencies that do their marketing for them. Or they understand things well enough that I am not their person. But I am on TikTok. (Why? Isn't that for like 12-year olds?) I hear you. But again...guess what. There are a lot of more "mature" folks there too. And the fact that they are there shows me they already understand some basic marketing concepts and may be open to learning to do it more effectively.

3. Build your brand. 

People often confuse brands with things like logos, slogans, or other recognizable marks, which are marketing tools that help promote goods and services. But it's so much more than that. It's who you are. It's who you serve. It's what you believe in and value. It's how you serve your market. It's your vision and your mission. It's what makes you different from everyone else out there promoting the same products or services. It's knowing why people should trust and follow and ultimately do business with you.

Once you have all that figured out, you can create a logo, or slogan, or tag line that helps get that message out to your audience.

4. Create content that helps your audience get to know, like, and trust you. Everything you post should have a purpose...either building that audience, engaging with your audience, or selling to your audience. Think of building an audience that trusts you by share valuable info like tutorials, tips, how-tos, or training.

Help them get to know and like you by sharing your life with them...behind-the-scenes look at your workspace or office, family photos, pet photos, your story of how and why you started your business.

Inspire and motivate them by sharing inspirational and motivational quotes. People love them. And don't forget to share the story of your results in business or using your products. If you sell weight loss, share the story of your own weight-loss journey. Cosmetics or jewelry...share the story of how much more confident you feel when you know you look your best. Trying to recruit? Share the story of how your business has impacted you financially.

5. Yes, you can sell on social media...if you do it the right way. First remember the 80/20 rule. 80% of your content should be value. Only 20% of it should be promoting your business.

Use your social media content to connect with people. Don't pitch them! Just talk to them. Once you start interacting with them, you will be surprised at how easy it is to work what you do into the conversation. If they don't seem interested in your offer right now, get them on your list or in your group. Just because they say no today, doesn't mean things won't change tomorrow. Once they are on your list, you can market to them 365 days a year.

Make sure all your promotional content has a call-to-action (CTA). I know it's sounds strange, but people really do need to be told what to do. So make sure you tell them whatever it is you want them to do to move to the next step.

I know. This seems like a lot. But I promise you it works. Take it one step at a time. Make sure you understand each step before you move to the next. For example, it's hard to know where to look for your audience if you aren't sure who they are.

And if you want to be part of an amazing group of supportive, encouraging, helpful, entrepreneurs who are growing their business just like you, join our Facebook group!

Marketing Checklist for Network Marketers

I don't care what your upline tells you...

Being a good marketer will do more for your business than any "opportunity" calls, hotel meetings, or cold-calling/messaging. 

You only have so many hours in your day. How many calls can you send? How many messages? How many people can your realistically talk to?

Forget the endless Facebook Lives showing your products. And please stop spamming your links all over social media. 

Being a good marketer, learning to promote your business and products effectively, will help you recruit more people and make more sales. 

It's all about LEVERAGE...the ability to use something to maximum advantage. Today, there ae so many tools available to marketers. Learn to use them to your advantage.

Let's get started...

1. Brand yourself. Not your company. Not your products. This is your business. You are your business. The only way to stand out from all the other reps in your company is to sell YOU. This is more than logos, and colors, and taglines. Those things are important. But the key element is what sets you apart from everyone else. Why should I buy from YOU? Why should I join YOUR team? WHO ARE YOU? Who do you serve? How will you serve them? What do you stand for? Once you can convey that message effectively, you will be on your way to building your brand.

2. Show up every day. The internet allows you to get in front of literally millions of people. Once you know who you serve (your target market) go where they are. Of course, Facebook is the first place to look. But don't forget all the other social media platforms. Each one has it's own particular demographic. Figure out where your people hang out and then show up. Post valuable content at least once a day. 

Something that inspires, educates, or excites the person watching your video or reading your post.

Be responsive to comments from prospects and potential customers. And make sure you check your DMs daily for any new messages.

3. Meet 5-10 new people every day. In order to grow, you have to have new people to share your opportunity and products with.

Now when I say "meet" I don't mean "pitch." I mean meet and have a real conversation with at least 5 new people every day. You want to take the time to determine if they are a fit for your opportunity or products. "Everyone" is not your customer or your prospect. Finding the right people will help with retention so you spend less time recruiting replacements for those that quit and and more time actually building a winning team. And finding the right customers means more repeat sales so you spend less time having to look for new customers to replace the one-time buyers.

4. Build your email list. Communicating with your prospects through email is still one of the most effective ways to reach them. That’s why developing an email list is essential to your success. Social media is great. But the reality is that any one of them can shut your account down with no notice. If you haven't been building your list, you just lost the ability to communicate with all of your prospects. If you're not sure how to get started, here's a 5-day list building challenge from the Queen of email marketing.

5. Never stop learning. If your company has training calls, get on them. Read books on marketing. Listen to podcasts. Join my Facebook group. Test drive my marketing/training system.

6. Connect and Engage. People do business with those they know, like, and trust. They will join your team because they know, like, and trust you. To build that relationship you have to connect and engage. You can't just throw up some content on social media and then message 5 people and say your done.

Go love on some posts on Facebook. Retweet (with a comment) someone's Tweet. Share someone's Instagram post. Join some groups and get a conversation started on a post that you found particularly helpful or inspiring. The more you love on and engage with others, the more they will do the same for you. It's called the Law of Reciprocity. And the more engagement you get, the more people will see your stuff. And the more people you have seeing your stuff, the better the odds you will find the people who are looking for you and what you have to offer.

These are the things that I did...and still do...to build my business. Did I miss anything? What do you do everyday to build your business? Let me know in the comments. 

Celebrating SBDC Day!

SBDC Day? What's that you ask?

It's the day we recognize the impact our Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) have on the success of our nation’s dreamers, innovators, and doers – America’s small businesses.

SBDC Day unites the nearly 1,000 SBDC centers across the country and the hundreds of thousands of clients they serve by sharing, in real time, the success stories and notable impacts SBDCs collectively have on the small business community at large. This special day will be celebrated with social media campaigns, public relations initiatives and other online events.

SBDC stands for Small Business Development Center. SBDCs provide a wide range of assistance to small businesses through their network of 900 service center. It is one of the largest federal small business assistance programs in the country.

SBDCs will assist in developing your business plans; provide financial packaging and lending assistance; market research services; and much more. They serve all populations: women, minorities, veterans, people with disabilities, and even young entrepreneurs. And the best part is the advice is free!

SBDC assistance is available virtually anywhere throughout the U.S., the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In addition to the free business advice offered through the SBDC, you can find free and low-cost training programs available to help you improve your skill set. Classes can cover everything from how to start a new business to how to export your product. There are classes on marketing, accounting, taxes, and more.

SBDCs are a great resource to help you make your small business a success. Find your local chapter of the SBDC and take advantage of free business advice, business resources, and business consulting today.

These Heavy Hitters Are About To Start Spilling Their Secrets

Imagine getting home business superstars like...
* Ray Higdon
* Diane Hochman
* Mark Harbert
* Stacey Hall
* Erin Birch
* and Lisa Torres
...to reveal their strategies and secrets that got them to the rock star status they're experiencing now.


And that's just a handful of the presenters.

There are 17 in total giving away their best secrets in the Roadmap to Rockstar Summit!

TONIGHT @ 8PM EST kicks the whole thing off with 3 guys who have built a $55 Million Dollar business.


They'll give you a SIMPLE formula to stand out in the marketplace, clearly define your dream clients...


And magically get them to buy YOUR products & join YOUR business today!


Register Now to Sneak Into Day #1 of the Summit for FREE!


See ya there!

Go GIF Yourself!

I just learned something really cool!
And of course, I just had to share!!!

Everybody loves a good GIF....

Right?

Well, I just learned how you can GIF yourself!

I've wished I could do that sometimes...

Just for fun.

Now I know how!

Here's a VIDEO that shows you how to do it too!

So go GIF yourself and have some fun!

How to Find Bundles to Participate In

I REALLY wanted to grow my email list quickly once I got it set up. I’d heard that bundles could be a good way to do this. With a bundle, several contributors get together and offer a product. Sometimes, the products offered are free, requiring that customers simply opt-in to your mailing list.

However, with some bundles, the products might be paid. Typically, the products are deeply discounted so customers are saving money. Since the customers will use your shopping cart to make the purchase, you’ll get their email address, causing your mailing list to grow.

Bundles are fun to participate in and once you know how to create a product, they can be profitable, too! The challenging part can be finding a bundle to participate in. Here are a few tips to help you do that…

Ask Around

If you’re already part of groups on Facebook or LinkedIn for bloggers or business owners in your niche, simply ask. There might be group members who know of upcoming bundles and will point you in the right direction.

Don’t be discouraged if someone posts about a bundle that’s already over. Keep a list of these bundles as many creators offer them regularly. That means they might be looking for a fresh round of contributors in just a few weeks or months.

Do Your Research

Before you get involved with a bundle, take some time to do a bit of research first. You want to make sure that the creator and the contributors are worthy of your audience. If it seems like there’s something fishy or if the contributors don’t honor their deals, then don’t sign up.

Just like in real life, you will be painted with the same brush as those you associate with. If you hang out with scammy marketers, your audience will think you’re the same way. They won’t trust you and you’ll need to spend extra time repairing your reputation.

Connect with Bundle Creators

Once you’ve found a few bundles that look legitimate, connect with the creators behind-the-scenes. Follow them on Twitter or Instagram. Subscribe to their mailing list and comment on their blog posts. Get a feel for who they are and the community they’re trying to create.

Engaging with them and their audience gives a creator a chance to get to know you. Many bundle creators carefully consider who they let contribute. That’s because they don’t want to be associated with a business owner who lacks integrity and puts together shoddy products.

But when you show up in their community and you bring value, you automatically set yourself apart from the crowd. Now you’re no longer a faceless contributor but a business owner who cares about serving your mutual audience.

Bundles are a wonderful way to grow your mailing list. But don’t just join up with the first one you see. Take your time to do your research and only participate in bundles that will benefit your community.

How to Quickly Boost the Value of Your Package

 

As you’re designing your package, you’ll want to think about how to boost the value of it. Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to do this that won’t take you much time but can add hundreds of dollars to your bottom line. Here’s what to do…

Make It a Bundle

Sometimes, it makes sense to bundle your services to provide more value to your clients. If you have a client who needs a website redesign, they may also want their logo updated, need an SEO expert, and a virtual assistant to move all of the old content onto the new site.

You can make things easier for clients by offering to do all of these services so they don’t have to hire multiple freelancers and you can partner with another service provider to do these things.

Pick a provider with a stellar track record. Your reputation can easily be damaged if you choose to work with providers who do poor work or have terrible customer service. You don’t want to be associated with that negativity.

Instead, choose a provider with a fantastic reputation and passion for customer service. Since you’ll be working closely together, make sure you like your partner’s personality and enjoy spending time with them.

Outsource Parts of the Package

If you’d rather not take on a partner, you can still offer bundle services by outsourcing to another freelancer. Perhaps you’ve decided to offer graphics as a compliment to your writing services.

You can outsource the sales page graphics while you work on the copy. This makes outsourcing a wonderful way to increase your income without requiring you to work longer hours. Just make sure that your package price reflects the cost of a graphic designer.

Proximity + Services = Value

Another way to increase the value of your package is to offer private one-on-one sessions along with your services. This allows you to share your knowledge and experience with your clients.

If your client wants a website design, you could offer an hour or two of private teaching. Use this time to show your client how to edit their new website.  Demonstrate how to add blog posts and other content. Explain how to upload their graphics and what steps are needed to create a slideshow.

While these tasks may seem easy or even basic to you, they can be helpful for clients who want to control their websites or who are challenged when it comes to technology.

Just by showing up to teach, you’ve brought an incredible value to your clients and made their lives easier. But that doesn’t mean you’re limited to teaching. You can use consulting services to boost value and accomplish many things!

Approach your package creation like an experiment. Try different things and see what works best for your clients. When you hit on one that your clients love and that excites you, you’ll have found a sure winner!