LinkedIN and your business

Image by M. Keefe via Flickr
Over at the smallbiztechnology blog they have great starter information for someone looking to build their business by getting involved in social networking and specifically LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a social networking site that focuses on business relations and is good way for small business owners to get their name out and make contacts that could increase your business.

One thing to keep in mind when it comes to social networking is that there is paradox when it comes to them. If you are looking to help your business you need to study the network and find out the best places to sign up for and get involved.

However, too many people end up spending too much time on the social networking sights and it comes at a cost to both personal and business. Therefore you need to walk a fine line between using the networking sight enough to bring attention to your business but not too much time that you are actually wasting time.

One of the suggestions that the blog makes is to get involved in groups after thoroughly researching them. Groups are a good way to gain information but you must thoroughly research the groups so you are not wasting time on a group that is not going to benefit you. One possibility would be to join some groups and see what you get out of them.

There is a lot to be gained by getting involved in social networking. However, you must make sure the time being spent is paying off for you in the long run and not just wasting time.

Social Newtorking can be your friend...

Image by luc legay via Flickr

While many think of social networking sights as a place for friends and meeting people, there is also many opportunities to build your business and take care of problems before they arise. I will go over ideas that you should be looking at to build your business and reflect back on the situation in my previous post on how it could have been taken car of as a win-win situation.

1. You need to have a blog. I know, you are a busy person and don't have time for worthless prattle in a blog. Instead you need to look at a blog as a way to personalize your business. In your blog you can discuss new items in your store, let people know about special offers, explain how to use some items, let people know about recalls, and other information that lets them know more about your business.

2. You can also Twitter. Many people still think of Twitter as something for useless talk, but it is another opportunity to network with others and let people know what is happening with your business. You can include links to postings on your blog or to the websites of companies you do business. One thing to avoid is too many posts directing people to your website and nothing else. If that's all you post and you do it too frequently (there is people out there doing 20/30 posts and hour with this kind of stuff), then you will loose followers and your message will not get out.

3. Get yourself on Facebook and MySpace. I deal with Facebook more than I do with MySpace but make sure you have a presence on them. You can also set up your facebook account so that your twitter messages will show up on your facebook page. Not only should you have a personal page on Facebook, you should also have one for your business so which will allow people to become fans of your business and to get more information about it.

Now lets go back to the situation mentioned in my last posting. The customer who was upset with the business told all his friends on Twitter and Facebook excactly what happened. Even though the business was also on Twitter and a follower of that person, they did not respond in any way shape or form. The customer is a member of a close nit group who is the main niche of this store. While some people may continue doing business with this store do you think that some of the people that followed the customer will stop doing business with said store? Of course they will and the silence made the situation worse.

So what should the store have done? They could have made a blog post and posted links to their other social networking sights telling their side of the story and what they tried to do for the customer. Once you make your statement you do not want to say anything else. The other person will most likely want to get in a shouting match with you but no one will win in that situation. It is easy to get emotional in these situations since the person is putting down in your business but the best thing to do is sit back, let others see your side and make their decision from there.

Use social networking sights to your advantage. It is an opportunity for your customers to know you better, find new customers, give your customers more information about your business to your customers, and deal with your customer service issues.

Are you Twittering?

Image by luc legay via FlickrSocial Networking has become a major way to promote your business and the Business Coaching blog talks about Twitter.

Twitter is one of the many forms of Social Networking that includes Facebook, My Space, and many others.

Twitter is relatively easy to use and a great opportunity to meet people. In Twitter you basically follow what people have to say and they follow what you have to say.

However, there is many on Twitter who just become marketing machines and all they do is inundate you with marketing and PR. There is a fine line that you need to be careful not to cross.

I have had many people follow my twitters only to check out their pages and it is full of self promotions and advertising links.

So remember, Twitter is an excellent opportunity to meet people. It is also an opportunity for people to find out what you have to offer. Just remember the social aspect of it and make sure you are not using it way to SPAM people.

When you set up your account be sure to include a picture, have a link to your website and additional contact information. Many people will check out this information before following people. Then follow some other people that you find interesting and before you know it, you will be a Twitter expert.