Category: Marketing

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7 Ways LinkedIn Can Help Build Your Business

LinkedIn is one of the fastest growing business trends in the world. With an average rate of two new users per second (1), LinkedIn has over 175 million users as of August 2012.

So why jump on the band-wagon? Here’s a list of 7 reasons why having a LinkedIn page will help your business.

  1. Search Engine Optimization

    Creating a personal profile for you (or creating a Company Page for your business) will show up in  Google’s search results when people are looking for you. Yes, they may be looking for you already… but doesn’t it look better to fill the entire top 10 Google Search Results page versus only the one for your website? Your credibility (because of your visibility) increases greatly.

  2. Networking

    Why is it so important to network with colleague? Well, perhaps you are a Nutrition Coach and you network with a Personal Trainer. Next time you have a client that needs personal training, you can recommend that colleague… or, next time that personal trainer’s client needs a nutrition coach, they know exactly where to turn. Or perhaps that Personal Trainer needs a Nutrition Coach herself! Also, collaborating with colleagues is an excellent way to augment you audience. How about a Total Health Workshop (or whatever your industry is) that features you and the colleagues you have networked with? All of a sudden, it’s not just your group of regulars that show up!

  3. Professional Development

    Continued education is not just smart, it’s necessary. You must be at the top of your game at all times. This is not to say you must enroll in college, but there are tons of ways to enhance your practice. Conferences, webinars, and workshops are a great place to start. You’ll typically find announcements for these when you join Groups or follow certain Companies and check in on their updates.

  4. Information for Other Social Media Updates

    Run out of places to check for Facebook updates? Is your Twitter feed getting a little low? Simply scroll through one of your LinkedIn Groups and you are sure to find valuable information from fellow professionals. Just be sure to link to their website and give them the credit!

  5. Uniform Profiles

    It doesn’t matter is you have a $10 budget or a $10,000 budget for your website – all LinkedIn profiles are set up the same way. This is great news to you if you feel you have a less-than-inspiring website!

  6. Resume

    You may have all the background and experience in the world, but usually your website just isn’t the place to be posting your work history, skills, and education. Lucky for you… LinkedIn is exactly the place to post all these things! So be sure to post all your great experience to really make you shine 🙂

  7. Recommendations

    You can connect with your clients on LinkedIn and send them a quick request for a recommendation of your services. It only takes a moment and is easy to do. The recommendation then shows up directly on your LinkedIn profile making you quite the sought-after business-woman!

    More resources:

    Slideshow about utilizing LinkedIn to increase you company’s visibility: http://www.slideshare.net/agencypja/smpp-linked-inseofinal
    Up-toDate information about LinkedIn:
    Inforgraphic about LinkedIn users and other stats:
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Are you hiding behind social media?

Are you hiding from the world behind your business social media networks?

If so, you’re not alone. Social media makes it easy to remain faceless and voiceless in the business realm. Sometimes we hide on accident and sometimes on purpose. But it is important for your business to put aside your fears and let the world know who you are!

Looking bigger than you really are.

It’s been a common technique of “business gurus” to promote the idea of making your business look bigger than it really is. But that’s not to say that your business has to remain void of any personal interaction whatsoever. Doing so could do more harm than good.

Why does my business need my face and voice?

Time and time again it has been proven that word-of-mouth marketing is the most effective marketing there is – meaning, you have the highest conversion rate of people who you tell to them becoming a customer. And that type of marketing is contagious! Once someone hears it from you, buys it, and loves it – they are going to tell it to someone else in the same way you told it to them!

But what if my business is totally online?

Guess what? Your business is NOT totally online! YOU are a major part of your business. And I doubt you’re a cyborg! Your daily interactions, community involvement, and the things that make you human can and should be used as powerful marketing tools.

When was the last time you talked about your business to someone you know or just met? Not just what you do or what you sell, but why you do it and who your looking to help as clients. Go a bit deeper, more personal, show the world that you are the face and the voice of your online business (even if you fake it and say you are a manager and not the owner!). Keep it up, and you will surely see the rewards 🙂

 

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7 Low-Cost Community Outreach Ideas to Show That Your Business Cares

““It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” ― Mother Teresa

7 Low-Cost Community Outreach Ideas to Show That Your Business Cares

No matter your business, I’d bet there’s a way you can get involved with your community. For some of the ideas, below, I’ve given an example of industry specific suggestions… but, if you can get creative, you will see that you can do more of these than you might initially think! You’ll notice, too, that these ideas are strictly outreach-oriented – meaning, don’t expect a direct financial gain. However, you can expect an indirect financial gain AND the trust and respect of your community 🙂

  1. Host a mini-festival with other local businesses that are in your industry.

    For example, if you are in the health industry you could host a mini-health festival – a great way to network, too! For this, you would be the Event Sponsor (i.e. Business Name on all marketing materials) and possibly the Host, depending on where the event is held.

  2. Organize a 5k run/walk with your local running store. Select a local nonprofit (preferably one that makes sense to your business) to be the beneficiary of the proceeds!

    For example, if you are in the food industry you could “charge” runners canned foods to enter the race and then have your local food bank be the beneficiary.

  3. Have a booth at a local children’s event.

    Most elementary schools have Family Night Festivals once per year. Also, it’s common for City’s and County’s to host their own family-oriented events. Check with your local health department to start. Why children’s event? Because it’s easy to make children enjoy coming to your booth! Any activity should do the trick. And it doesn’t even need to be related to your business (if it can be, that’d be best, but not necessary!). Children will bring their families to your booth to do the activity, while their parents read your signage (don’t forget signs, banners, and fliers!) for more information about your business. Ideas for activities: hoola hoop-ing (and everyone gets a prize!), finger painting (make sure it’s washable!), temporary tattoos, make your own bird feeders (pine-cone + peanut butter + bird seed + a string to hang it!), ring toss (again, prizes all around!), etc.

  4. Ask a local nonprofit (preferably one that makes sense to your business) what their volunteer needs are and rally the community to get involved.

    For example, if you are in the environmental industry, you could organize a trash clean-up for your local Nature Center.

  5. Organize a community tour that fits your business.

    For example, if you are in the art industry you could organize a tour of your areas best view-points. Invite local photographers (students, professional, amateur) to take photos. (This one could be made into a regular event – in that case, check out your local community calendar or Meetup.com to help you organize & promote the events).

  6. Have a booth at local running (or other sporting) events – you could also sponsor an aid station and hand out water to the athletes mid-race.

    Not only will the race directors thank you for volunteering (and possible include you as a sponsor), but the runners will be thrilled to see you when you are there to hand them their refreshment! That being said, make sure your station (or your clothing) says who you are so that they remember!

  7. Be a member on a Board of Directors for a local nonprofit (this could be the most expensive option, depending on the organization).

    At the very least, if you cannot find (or get into) a local nonprofit’s Board of Directors, I would suggest becoming a member of your local Chamber of Commerce. There are many committees within Chambers that could be perfect for you and your business to have a presence in.
    Now get out there and enjoy being a member of your community!