Author touts Social Media as The New Phone Book
If you're a small business owner and all you have is a Web site, then you're way behind the times, says Jennifer L. Jacobson, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and author of "42 Rules of Social Media for Small Businesses."
Jacobson's book, a modern survival guide to effective social media communication, is part of the 42 Rules series of practical guide books written by real-life experts.
"Social media is the new phone book," says Jacobson, a communications professional who specializes in public relations, brand identity and strategic sales.
"People are getting to where they're not opening the phone book. The majority of them are using Google. If people can't find you when they do a Google search, then it's as if your business doesn't exist," she says. "The more you're on social networking sites, the higher you get in the search engines."
Why thumb through a big, thick, printed phone book when you can Google a business a lot quicker? I can't tell you the last time I pulled out a phone book. Most young folks these days probably don't even know what a phone book is.
New online applications have made it easier for them to forget the tried-and-true phone book, which seems to be an anachronism in today's high-tech world. For example, EveryBlock.com, lets users click on a city and find specific information by typing in an adddress, Zip code or neighborhood. This is what people customarily used phone books for. The site recently was acquired by MSNBC.com.
In her new book, Jacobson answers the question, "What do I do with Social Media?" The book aims to help working professionals and entrepreneurs find the social media channels that fit their businesses and get the most out of their social media presence.
The key for people in business today is to keep your name out in Cyberspace as much as possible whether it's through a tweet or a blog. You need to be where your customers are, says Jacobson. Despite this, few U.S. small businesses have embraced social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter as a business tool, research show.
"Say you're a restaurant and you're not paying attention to things people are saying about you on sites like Yelp, which has a review section," she says. "If people are saying bad things about your restaurant, you could lose hundreds of customers. This is really damage control for a small business."
One tip Jacobson shared to help businesses improve their SEO is to upload photos of their businesses on sites like Yelp and MerchantCircle.com, which bills itself as the largest social networking site for local business owners.
The rationale is that people are more inclined to patronize a business that has its picture posted on the Web - via social media, YouTube, etc - than a business without its image online. This is good to know if you're an image-driven business like a hair salon, where your image can give you an edge over your competitors.
Jacobson's message to small business owners is simple: You don't have to be everywhere on the Web; the key is to find out where your customers are and join the conversation.
If your customers aren't on social media sites, says Jacobson, "they will be very soon and you will want to be there."
Make Learning a Lifelong Quest
My kids laugh at me because I like to read the Dummies books. You know the series of books for Dummies on topics literally from A-to-Z.
I like reading these books because they’re fairly conversational and easy to read, not too academic, just plain and simple facts. I started reading my first Dummies book a few months ago and must admit that I’ve become hooked.
My Dummies collection includes “Blogging for Dummies,” “Podcasting for Dummies” and “Websites for Dummies” as I am interested in building my online media skills. I just learned from a Twitter follower, @romke, that there's a new "Social Media Marketing for Dummies" book.
My 12-year-old son upon discovering that his mom reads Dummies books, said, “Mom you’re not that smart.” I know, it’s tough for a kid who has looked up to his mother as nothing short of a supernatural genius, to suddenly discover that she well, might be a dummy
Guess it doesn’t count that I have a college degree and 20 years of experience as a journalist who has covered a plethora of beats, including courts, education, government and business. All that knowledge becomes worthless once you start reading Dummies books at least from my children’s point of view.
I read these books because I like learning about things I don’t know about (that’s the journalist in me) and I don’t have time right now to go back to school between family demands and establishing myself as an independent writer/blogger and media professional.
I am sharing this information about myself with you because we're living in an era where it’s all about transparency and being real. I don’t care that it might blow my cover as the quintessential journalist who knows everything.I want you to know that I don't possess all the knowledge in the world, because I’m hoping it will help you see that life-long learning is important.
Whether you choose to sit in a classroom, attend a seminar, take courses online, or read it in a book, the point is to keep yourself immersed in learning, which is critical as we move more into a high-knowledge economy. You can even gain valuable knowledge from the information posted on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
For entrepreneurs and small business owners, you can never have too much knowledge and the more knowledge you have, the better, for running a business especially in a tough economy It's what Author Stephen Covey calls "sharpening the saw."
In his book, "7 Habits of Highly Effective People," Covey explains that sharpening the saw is about improving yourself and that we must continually renew ourselves mentally just as a worker must regularly sharpen a saw to keep the blade from becoming dull. Learning is a significant part of Covey's plan for having a balanced program for self-renewal.
Essentially, my hobby of reading Dummies books is part of my self-renewal program. But that isn't the extent of my learning. I try to get out to an occasional seminar or networking event that provide educational opportunities and I regularly participate in online webinars on social media and digital journalism.
My goal is to eventually pursue a master's degree, but I'm not sure about journalism with so much upheaval in the news business.Understand that this is not my personal endorsement of the Dummies book series, but just a message to say keep seeking knowledge. It doesn’t matter what stage you are in life, you’re never too old or too successful, to continue to develop yourself and learn something new.
Read any good Dummies books lately?
LinkedIn: 50-million Strong and Proud
LinkedIn reports it expects that figure to grow at one new member per second.
Meanwhile growth for Facebook and Twitter has flattened, according to research. Such news represents an important milestone for LinkedIn, which typically has lagged Facebook and Twitter in popularity, even though it was on the scene before both social networking sites. LinkedIn was launched in 2003.
According to to the latest comScore data, which was cited on TechCrunch.com, LinkedIn is steadily growing in terms of unique visitors. For September, LinkedIn had 9 million unique visitors in the U.S. compared to 8.7 million unique visitors in August, according to comScore data.
Get this, about half of LinkedIn's total membership is international; there now are 11 million users in Europe alone, LinkedIn reported on its blog.
LinkedIn's growing popularity in the U.S. and around the Globe doesn't surprise me because of its focus on business and careers, and the fact that in a recessionary economy, you need as many professional contacts as possible.
It's no secret that LinkedIn has become the preferred social networking site of job seekers looking to get an edge in a tough job market. What's more, career coaches are urging people to establish a presence on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn essentially is like your resume online and having a strong profile is important in creating a strong personal brand and demonstrating skills. It's now a known fact that many employers are tapping LinkedIn to research potential candidates and to weed out undesirables. If you don't have a LinkedIn profile, it could hurt your career, experts warn. Research shows that a LinkedIn profile that's 100% complete is 40-times more effective.
But LinkedIn isn't just a tool for job seekers. Many small business owners and entrepreneurs are discovering the power of LinkedIn for making connections and finding opportunities. The recommendation feature of LinkedIn has been a good resource to entrepreneurs and small business owners in winning business deals just as it can make a difference in a job seeker getting hired.
If you're not on LinkedIn - you could really be missing out. For those of you who are wary of social networks, LinkedIn is a good place to start. It's fairly user friendly and it allows you to establish a professional web image which can help you in the business world.
My first foray into social media was on LinkedIn about four years ago. I thought it was a passing fad back then.
But now considering that its valuation at $1 billion, its growing global appeal and popularity with business users, I realize that to compete in today's fiercely competitive marketplace, LinkedIn is one place where I need to be.
How about you? Are you on LinkedIn? If so, how has it been helpful to you? What business opportunities have you landed as a result of being on LinkedIn? Which groups do you belong to?
Meanwhile, here's the link to a great 2007 blog post by Guy Kawasaki on 10 ways to use LinkedIn:
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/01/ten_ways_to_use.html#axzz0TwIVF0MG
Treat Marriage Like a Business Partnership
After nearly two decades of marriage, we're still as close as ever and our love remains deep. Quite honestly, I view this milestone as nothing short of a miracle as we have weathered our share of tough times. Yet, we're still as committed to each our as on that fateful October day back in 1990, when we shared our wedding vows.
While romantic love has been an important part of our marriage, one of the underlying reasons we're still together, besides hard work and a lot of faith, is that we've always treated our relationship as a business partnership. The fact is, a strong, mature relationship requires that each partner takes it seriously and to approach the marriage as if they were running a private company - never losing site of the bottom line and keeping an eye toward growth.
Good communication is the key to any successful enterprise, especially a marriage. At times, communication has been a struggle for us, but we've learned from our mistakes over the years and have continuously worked to improve in this area, like any good, viable company would.
Throughout the course of our marriage, we have made it a point to set goals and to work to achieve those goals as a team. Financially, we have striven to be on the same page, except last summer when hubby wanted to purchase a motorcycle and I didn't agree with the idea because I felt it was too dangerous. After we reached an impasse on the issue, he compromised and got a sports car instead, which I consider a safer choice.
We try to tap into each partner's unique qualities and strengths. For example, he's more analytical and detailed-oriented, while I'm more creative and outgoing. It's valuing each other's attributes and figuring out how they can best be utilized to help the family move forward in the same way that business partners recognize each other's strengths.
The same qualities that make a marriage works, also apply to running a business. Good healthy marriages not only help to promote strong families, but also can help the bottom line. Businesses with multiple owners are more likely to survive longer than sole proprietorships, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. (See link below):
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20091012/BUSINESS/910120310
It's the pooling of resources or in the case of a small business - the pooling of capital - that can help you weather the storm. So the bottom line: Run your marriage like it's a corporation with good communication, financial responsibility, respect for each other's differences and shared duties. The honeymoon stage may not last forever, but if built on a solid foundation, your marriage, like any strong, viable business - will enjoy long-term success.
Many Small Businesses Avoid Social Media
It's surprising to learn that few small businesses are embracing social networking.
Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook can be a cheap form of advertising for small businesses with limited marketing dollars, so one would think they would automatically be operating in thissphere. And, in light of these tough economic times, when just about everybodyneeds to be out there networking, you would think more small businesses wouldbe plugged into social networking?
Not so, according to a survey released Thursday andreported on Reuters.com: www.reuters.com/article/smallBusinessNews/idUSTRE59759L20091008
In the survey, conducted for CitiBank Small Business, three-quarters of small businesses say they have not found sites such as Facebook Twitter and LinkedIn helpful for generating business leads, or expanding business in the past year.A whopping 86% said they have not used social networking sites for information or business advice, the survey also said.
In my former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel business column, I featured several small business owners who are successfully building their brands through social networking. One example is Joe Woelfle, the owner and CEO of Blatz Market &Liquor in Milwaukee. He has built a loyal fan base by tapping into Facebook tomarket his Milwaukee liquor store. Joe talked about how he uses Facebook to post updates about new products he's offering.
Based on such reporting, I held the view that small business owners were increasingly tapping social networking as a resource for marketing their products and connecting with consumers.
But now, based on this new survey, I realize that's not thestory at all. The Reuters.com piece notes that many small businesses are focused on bottom-line issues such as generating sales and managing cash flowand that social networking isn't a priority.
Unfortunately, the little guys don't have that kind of time and resources to devote to social media, especially in a tough economy.
While I think it can be advantageous for small businesses to tap into social networking, I also realize that it's better for them to take time to figure it out and develop a strategy before taking the plunge.
BarCampMilwaukee4 Coming Soon
Milwaukee has been hosting BarCamp since 2006. Dubbed BarCampMilwaukee, the two-day, technology-focused event brings together individuals, who mostly are self-employed freelancers and Web workers, to discuss technology, the Internet, creativity, productivity, blogging, social media and dozens of other topics. Sounds like my kind of event.
Previous BarCamp events in Milwaukee have drawn anywhere from 125 to 300 people from as far away as Illinois and Iowa, says Pete Prodoehl, BarCampMilwaukee4 organizer.
"We think it's a good thing for Milwaukee and helps show that innovation can happen anywhere, even in the Midwest," says Prodoehl.
A large part of the appeal of BarCamp is that the agenda is flexible and it's a great venue for learning and exchanging ideas. The free, low-cost structure of the BarCamp events is ideal for freelancers who may not have the benefit of company-sponsored training.
Sessions are led by participants and not by a committee of conference organizers who tend to be paid professionals. This means that unpaid participants and volunteers get to set the agenda.
The biggest downside I see to BarCamp is that it is held mostly on weekends, which often conflicts with family commitments for those of us with children. Still it's worth the sacrifice if you're looking to network, share knowledge and learn from others, which is vital to staying a step ahead in this recessionary environment.
That said, Milwaukee's fourth technology unconference, BarCampMilwaukee4, will be held at 10 a.m. Oct 3 and 4 at the Chase Commerce Center, 3073 S. Chase Ave., Milwaukee. The event is sponsored by local heavy hitters like Web414 and Bucketworks, and a host of other organizations.
Enough talking about why you should attend BarCampMilwaukee4, it's time to take action. If you don't want to lead a session, Prodoehl says they can always use volunteers to help run things.
For those of you who have attended BarCamps in the past, what's been your experience? How has it helped you?
To register for BarCampMilwaukee4, click on the link below:
You can also follow BarCampMKE on Twitter and Facebook.
Birdy Replaces Twitter Avatars
What I found in place of my cute, little avatar (not that I'm vain) was the little white, Twitter birdy fluttering it's wings against a sea of blue.
After sending out a few tweets, I noticed that the avatars of some of my followers were slowly disappearing as well. I got several responses from fellow Twitterers who said they had the same problem. I guess Twitter has received a flood of complaints about the missing avatars, which according to Mashable, is likely due to some kind of bug:
mashable.com/2009/09/17/twitter-new-avatar-takeover/
Hope Twitter gets this problem resolved soon. While the little birdies are cute, I much prefer the wonderful faces of all the cool people with whom I regularly interact. Stay tuned.
Want to be Happy? Become Your Own Boss
In fact, business owners are happier than doctors, lawyers, and corporate executives - the movers and shakers of society, according to survey highlighted by Wednesday's Wall Street Journal.
The survey, dubbed the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, looked at how occupation affects happiness and found that business owners outranked 10 other occupational groups in overall well-being.
The survey of 100,826 working adults measured six criteria of contentment - emotional and physical health, job satisfaction, healthy behavior, access to basic needs and overall life quality.
In the WSJ article, a psychologist noted that the findings reflect the importance of being free to choose the work that you do, how you do it, how you manage your time and react to adversity.
That's important as certain occupations, particularly management and executive jobs, have gotten tougher as the recession drags on, the WSJ article points out.
There's a lot to be said about being your own boss and and finding a business that supports your passion and unique talents. I'm inspired by this story as I now find myself on the path to self-employment and entrepreneurship. It's good to be in the company of people who have a bright outlook , even in these tough economic times.
You can read more about the Gallup-Healthways Well Being Index at the link below:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/122960/Business-Owners-Richer-Job-Types.aspx
Let me know your thoughts.
The Hustle and Flow of Freelance
Since launching my website and blog last week, I feel as though I've officially arrived as an independent journalist/freelance writer. I’ve even picked up my first freelance assignment, which could lead to a long-term, free lance contract.
The entrepreneurial side of me likes the idea of hanging out my own shingle and putting into practice some of the things I've learned from years of writing about entrepreneurs and small businesses. But the practical side of me worries about being broke.
For those of you who aren't aware, I took a voluntary buyout from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in July after 19 years as a reporter and columnist.
To tell the truth, I'm a little nervous about my ability to bring in enough money as a freelancer to help pay my family’s bills. It's a big adjustment when you've been accustomed to a nice, steady paycheck for most of your working, adult life. Fortunately my husband is a bank executive who makes a good salary and has health insurance. Millions of people who freelance aren’t as fortunate.
Since venturing out here on my own, I'm finding that life as a freelancer is a tough hustle. Let me tell you, “It’s hard out here for a Freelancing Sister.”
While this is the economy for freelance workers as more employers are tapping such workers to avoid the costs associated with hiring permanent staff, the pay can be sporadic, which means you literally have to string together jobs to make any real money.
“It’s having an array of diverse projects that you regularly bill for. That’s where networking comes in. That’s were a lot of self-discipline comes in, having a savings,” says Jenn Turner, director of Milwaukee’s Bucketworks, which provides a supportive and connecting environment for freelancers from the art, theatre, dance, business technology and leadership communities.
“Let’s say you get one big payout from one big job, some freelancers will go and buy an investment plan so that they have dividends coming in.”
There are people out there who are finding success in the freelance market. One of them is Lydia Dishman, a freelancewriter/blogger from South Carolina, who happens to be one of my Twitter pals.
She contends that freelancers shouldn't put up with “penny-ante” pay and should charge every dime of what they're worth, factoring in the time they spend working on a piece or a project.
Read more about Lydia's thoughts on negotiating the freelance economy on her blog,"The Other F Word, which stands for freelance, BTW: http://lbdcommunications.blogspot.com/2009/05/on-negotiating-freelance-economy.html
There's a natural inclination to want to charge less as a new freelancer because of self-doubt and lack knowledge and experience, Jenn, of Bucketworks, explains.
“It’s intimidating asking people for what you think you’re worth,” she said.
That’s why both Lydia and Jenn urge freelancers to give a lot of thought to what fees they intend to charge.
Navigating the freelance landscape and figuring out how you’re going to make money is no easy feat. Thank goodness there are pros out there like Lydia and Jenn who are willing to share their advice.
How about those of you who are established freelancers? What tips and advice can you offer on how to become a successful freelance entrepreneur? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Right now, I sure could use some guidance.
Journalist Joins the Blogosphere
No longer the business columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that many of you came to know, I've now transformed myself into an independent writer/blogger and social journalist.
While my Connections column has ended, it doesn't mean that my passion for exploring how people network and make connections to start and grow businesses will end. Over the past year, I had the opportunity to take the lid off of social media and to highlight small business owners and entrepreneurs who have had success in using social networking to build their brands.
Well, just because I'm no longer writing under the banner of a daily newspaper doesn't mean those stories will go away or that my passion for writing them has waned. I'm still an avid user of social media -(FYI - my Twitter name is@telie), and will continue to share my thoughts and my experiences with this phenomenon that has transformed the way we communicate and conduct business.
Not only do I plan to use this space to discuss social networking as a business tool, but to share my observations on small business, diversity journalism and life. I figure by keeping my topics broad, I will have plenty of material to work with.
I invite you to share your personal stories about how you're using social networking - the pitfalls and the successes - particularly if you're an entrepreneur. Also, I'd love to hear your tips on making connections and finding balance between online and face-to-face networking. I hope this space will be a place where people can find a forum for new ideas and innovation.
Hello world, it's good to be back.
