Guest Post: Five Tips to Build Your Business & Your Network Using Social Media

By Wendy Terwelp

1. Remember it’s about quality, not quantity. The goal of social media is truly about engagement. Creating real and helpful relationships leads to business growth. 
2. Social media is where the work is going. According to Chris Brogan, social media expert and entrepreneur, “Here’s how to get more leads, to nurture your prospects, to educate your buyers, to service your customers.” 
3. People buy from people they know, like, and trust. Social media helps people build trust by demonstrating their thought leadership, expertise, and personal brand.
4. “Remember you are dealing with people. Let your organization's real personality shine… work on creating remarkable experiences for your customers,” said Robbin Phillips, BrainsOnFire.com, in a tweet. Social media enables you to do just that.
5. Keep in mind “The Mom & Boss Test.” If your mom would be mortified or your boss would fire you, don’t post it! This is especially relevant advice for our job-seeker clients.

© 2011 ● Wendy Terwelp ● All rights reserved. ● Learn how to Rock Your Network® Online is Wendy’s upcoming class, starting June 9th! This class is designed especially for career industry professionals like you. Dubbed “LinkedIn Guru” by The Washington Post, Wendy is a recognized expert on networking both online and off. She is frequently quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Fast Company, The Philadelphia Inquirer, More Magazine, Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com, ABC, NBC, radio shows and more.

Oprah Finale: The Ultimate Job Change

Resume writers Charlotte Weeks, Robyn L. Feldberg, and Kim Mohiuddin developed a project called "SixDegrees2Oprah." Billed as "Three career gurus join forces to demonstrate the power of targeted networking by doing the impossible -- scoring tickets to Oprah's last season (and maybe an appearance)!"

They were able to "do the impossible," landing tickets on three separate occasions to tapings during Oprah's last season. I've been following the progress of this project on Facebook, and that reminded me of the bigger picture -- Oprah is conducting a very public career change. Retiring after 25 years of hosting the nation's top-rated talk show, she is facing some big changes and challenges with her career change.

This is a huge opportunity for resume writers interested in obtaining media attention for their business -- consider a tie-in to the Oprah finale next week (May 25). Send a news release (but do it today or tomorrow). Pitch the producer of the morning show on your local television network that airs "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Some possible story angles/topics to consider:

• It's easy to succeed in your job when you love it. When you have passion for the work you do, it makes going to work each day easier. It was apparent that Oprah loved her job -- she covered topics she cared about and interviewed interesting people ... and viewers connected with her because they could sense her passion about the topics.
• Career changes can be difficult if you're widely identified with your career. Although Oprah is an actress, magazine publisher, and producer, she is most widely associated with her television show. When you have a high-profile career and then you change jobs, it can trigger some identity and self-esteem issues.
• A very public "good-bye" – career changes can be easier when you can successfully close the door on your old career. Retiring or voluntarily leaving a job makes it easier to move into a new job or a new career than if you are fired.

Guest Post: How to Outsource Parts of Your Business

By Nicole Dean

One of my favorite topics to discuss is outsourcing.

You’d be amazed how thinking about outsourcing and where to begin outsourcing flummoxes everyone from the newest newbies to the seasoned gurus and everyone in between.

Buy why? Why is it so very confusing? Most of us manage to outsource quite nicely in our day to day lives.

I oftentimes pose these questions to my coaching clients: When you go to a restaurant, do you head back into the kitchen and cook your own food? (That’s just silly.)

And, if your appendix burst right now, would you go online to find out how to remove it yourself? (Please say “no.”)

Of course not!

So why do we think it’s ok to do everything ourselves in our businesses?

I can’t figure out what it is, but I think I’m starting to narrow it down.

* Fear of losing control.
* Not knowing who to outsource work to. (Needing a recommendation.)
* Not wanting to take the time to outsource. (You think: “It’s quicker to do it myself.”)
* Costs. (Oftentimes, though, you can get help for a lot less than you think it’ll cost.)
* Lack of confidence in ourselves.
* Lack of confidence in the potential of our business.

No matter which of those it is, there comes a point with all of us, where you HAVE to outsource — at least if you ever want to be able to go on a real vacation where you leave the Internet behind and relax with your loved ones.

I know. I know. You’ve heard this song and dance before. BUT! While outsourcing isn’t perfect, it’s a heck of a lot better than putting the chains on your wrists from a job that you’ve created for yourself – one where you can’t escape.

So, my #1 tip for outsourcing is to try it.

Choose something small and work from there.
Submitting some articles that you’ve written to the article directories.
Finding blogs to guest post on and contacting the owners.
Answering some e-mails regarding customer issues.
Creating graphics to promote your products.

It really doesn’t matter where you start. The big thing is taking that first step so that you can enjoy the FREEDOM that comes with the online lifestyle.

Start small. Don’t go crazy. But, when you find someone who you work well with – build on that relationship so you have access to great people who know your style and who you’re comfortable working with. When I need a project done, I have my own personal rolodex of fabulously skilled people who I turn to on a regular basis. Not only does it save me time – but it also helps me to get great prices because they already know what I like, they know that I’m easy to work with and that I pay on time.

I hope this inspires you to start outsourcing in your business.

-- Nicole Dean can help you to get more done in your business without going crazy in the process. Yes, you can have a business AND a Life! Check out OutsourceWeekly.com and sign up for her free “Outsourcing Mistakes” lessons on the top of the page to get started.

How to Get People To Trust You Online

Yesterday's blog post talked about how to get more traffic to your website. But how do you get them to become clients once they're at your site? One big factor is whether or not they trust you.

I'm a member of Mark Hendricks' Internet Success System. Each month, Mark offers a Q&A call, and last night's was on the topic of building trust with prospects -- but hurry, the recording will only be available until May 25.

Here were some of the areas he discussed:

• How to build trust and how not to build trust
• How to make offers without the "snake-oil sales techniques"
• Do "trust logo graphics" on websites really get people to trust you
• Slick sales process tactics exposed
• The power of personal referrals and why you should be careful who you recommend to others
• Using honest business and trust building strategies for short and long-term success
• An easy way to build trust and goodwill to your customer
• Why people keep falling for the next "magic button, silver bullet or shiny object"
• What kind of offers can you make to build trust and credibility
• What is risk reversal and how can you use it in your offers
• The hidden reason why people should pay you for your products and services
• Why you should narrow your offering down to a few simple choices
• How to get great profit ideas from outside your niche marketplace
• A quick example of how just a few additional words can position you as a trusted person to do business with
• The secret of changing your results by changing the most overlooked thing you can do
• Should you use free offers or low price offers to attract new prospects and customers
• The one marketing tactic you must learn to love that gets you more of the results you really want

Click here to listen to the audio. It's free, and you don't need to register for anything, or buy anything.