Archive for: Networking Nuggets – Page 2

February 2012 in Review

Categories: Marketing Methods, Networking Nuggets
Tags : , , , ,
Comments (4)

The word of the month was:

Pinterest

Although it’s been around since 2010, this virtual pinboarding site completely escaped my notice until late last year. Even then, I paid it little attention until earlier this year when it suddenly moved to the forefront. All at once it seemed that my Facebook news feed was filled with my friend’s recent pins, my Twitter feed with links to articles about the latest social media craze, and my email inbox with requests from clients to integrate Pinterest into their blogs, websites, and Facebook pages.

I learn best by doing, so I began creating boards and adding pins related to my personal and professional interests, using alliterative names as I’ve done for the categories on this blog. Check out my boards here:

Janet Barclay's Boards on Pinterest

Here are a few articles that are worth checking out, whether you’re already using Pinterest or just wanting to know what the fuss is all about:

From GigaOM – Study: Pinterest drives more referral traffic than Google+, nearly on par with Twitter

From ReadWriteWeb – What Pinterest is Doing That Facebook Isn’t

From Ignite Social Media – Brands on Pinterest: Who, When and How Brands Are Using the Hottest Social Bookmarking Site

From Jay Baer – 5 Reasons Pinterest is Addicting and 4 Weaknesses That May Kill it

From Michelle Shaeffer – What You Absolutely Must Know to Use Pinterest Safely

Have you jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon?

Do you think it’s a useful marketing tool, or merely a diversion?

Is it destined to join Twitter and Facebook as a top social media site, or is it just a fad?

January 2012 in Review

Categories: Blogging Bits, Networking Nuggets, Wonderful WordPress
Tags : , ,
Comments (2)

Can you believe we’re already one-twelfth of the way through 2012?

For me, the year started off quietly, then picked up very quickly about midway through the month.

As planned, I’ve been devoting more time to finding great content and sharing it on Twitter. I’ve discovered the Buffer app which allows me to spread my posts throughout the day rather than flooding my followers with a bunch of updates in a row or tweeting in scattered pockets of time. I’m also posting at least five times a week on the Organized Assistant Facebook page, with a variety of discussion questions and links (others’ as well as my own).

I took two sites I’d already created in WordPress and gave them each a polished new design – check them out!

Golden Horseshoe Virtual Assistants Group – WordPress site by Organized Assistant

Before

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Golden Horseshoe Virtual Assistants Group – WordPress site by Organized Assistant

After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kathy Stinson – WordPress site by Organized Assistant

Before

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kathy Stinson – WordPress site by Organized Assistant

After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And to see some of my latest website projects for professional organizers, take a look at Three Kinds of WordPress Websites.

As a guest blogger for Promotion Career Solutions, I tapped into my former roles as an employment counsellor and a professional organizer, writing about Paper-based Tools for Organizing Your Job Search. I was also quoted in Cool Gadgets Every Business Should Have, thanks to an idea I got from GHVA member Jacquie Manore last year.

How are you making out in terms of the goals or resolutions you set for yourself at the beginning of the year?

Building Relationships through Social Media

Categories: Marketing Methods, Networking Nuggets
Tags : , ,
Comments (0)

virtual handshakeWhen I started my business in 2002, social media as we know it today didn’t even exist. Now, less than ten years later, it has become an essential marketing tool for businesses of all sizes.

Unfortunately, some businesses don’t understand the difference between social media marketing and traditional advertising.

Traditional advertising is a one-way street. You put up a website, distribute flyers, or pay to advertise somewhere to let people know what you have to offer and how they’ll benefit from buying your product or services.

What makes social media marketing different is the opportunity to network with the people in your target audience. Just like attending professional networking events, social networking is not about making a quick sale, but about making connections and building relationships which may lead to opportunities down the road.

It’s quick and easy to send out promotional messages to your friends, fans, or followers on a regular basis, at little or no cost, but if that’s the only way you’re using social media, you’re missing out on its full power. When you supplement your promotional messages with links to articles that you’ve read or written, comments on current trends and events, and other useful information, you not only position yourself as an expert in your field, you give others a chance to interact with you by commenting or asking questions about what you’ve said.

To be really proactive, don’t wait for others to come to you. Take time to read what the people in your target market are talking about and engage with them by sharing your own comments, tips, advice, or congratulations.

People need to know that you’re good at what you do, but ultimately they want to do business with someone they know, like and trust. Letting them see your interests, your values, and your personality can give them insight into who you are and help build a connection, even if you’ve never met.

Think about it. Are you more likely to do business with someone who pops in to quickly drop off some flyers at a networking event while they’re on their way to somewhere else, or someone who takes the time to get to know you and the other people there?

Actively participating on social media sites is a great way to keep your name in people’s minds in between live networking events, so when they’re ready to do business, you’ll be the first one they think of.

Leveraging LinkedIn

Categories: Networking Nuggets
Tags : , ,
Comments (0)

LinkedInLinkedIn is considered one of the “Big Three” of social media, but it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as Twitter and Facebook, despite the fact that it’s been around much longer. I suspect that it’s because many people use Facebook and Twitter for personal networking rather than, or in addition to, business networking, whereas LinkedIn is strictly for professional networking.

As of November 3, 2011, more than 135 million professionals had signed up for LinkedIn, including 4 million Canadians. Those are impressive figures, but it seems to me that the majority of us don’t take full advantage of this powerful resource. Perhaps there are certain things you know you should be doing, but haven’t got around to, but I’ve found that a lot of people aren’t even aware of many of the things they could be doing to make the most of their LinkedIn account.

Here are a few resources to shed some light on this subject:

This post was inspired in part by Margarita Ibbot’s session at the POC Conference, Taking LinkedIn to the Next Level: finding clients and using the advanced features to grow your business. For assistance with your LinkedIn profile, check out her services!

The Versatile Blogger Award

Categories: Blogging Bits, Going Green, Just Jan, Marketing Methods, Motivational Moments, Networking Nuggets, Productivity Pointers, Tech Tips
Tags : , , ,
Comments (10)

Two years ago, I was interviewed by Erika Liodice about how I chased my dream of quitting my job and starting my own business. We haven’t really stayed in touch since then, so I was surprised to receive an email from her recently, letting me know that she had nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award.

Of course, I know it’s not a real award, not like the Thomas Leonard International Virtual Assistant of Distinction Award I was nominated for in 2009. It’s really just a meme, but memes can be fun, so I’m happy to have an excuse to use one in my blog, and thank Erika for thinking of me.

There are four simple rules for The Versatile Blogger Award:

  1. Post a link to the person who gave you the award.
  2. Tell your readers seven random things about yourself.
  3. Award 15 newly discovered blogs.
  4. Send them a note letting them know you nominated them.

So, here are seven random facts about me:

  1. I won second prize in the Discover Mississauga Photo Contest several years ago for this interior shot of Mississauga City Hall.
    Mississauga City Hall
    (This is a photo of the photo, through the glass of the frame, so doesn’t really do it justice.)
  2. I usually carry the same purse for months, and sometimes don’t even switch with the change in seasons, but I love shopping for purses. Shoes, not so much.
  3. I love to play trivia games and am pretty good at them too.
  4. I was a matched Big Sister for many years, and am still friends with my Little Sister, who is now all grown up and recently gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.
  5. I have signed up for Google+, but haven’t yet figured out what, if anything, I will do there.
  6. I was into Reduce-Reuse-Recycle before it was even a trend.
  7. I make my own granola.

And here are the 15 blogs I’m nominating for the Versatile Blogger Award, in alphabetical order:

  1. LinkedLearning by Margarita Ibbott: Help with using LinkedIn and other social media.
  2. Daily Blogging Ideas by Michelle Shaeffer: Wonderful inspiration for both personal and business blogs.
  3. Fabulous After 40 by Deborah Boland and JoJami Tyler: Fashion advice for those of us who aren’t as young as we used to be. :)
  4. Garious Blog – Up to date information about social media.
  5. Grow with Stacy: Tips for personal development, as well as blogging and social media.
  6. The Lady Bloggers Society headed by Stepfanie Cuevas: Once a week they hold a Lady Blogger Social Tea Party to give readers a chance to share their blog posts – a great way to connect with other bloggers!
  7. Marian Schembari: More goodies on social media and blogging.
  8. MS Outlook for Business: Valuable tips for using email and discovering features of Outlook you never knew existed.
  9. The Other Side of Organized by Linda Samuels: Explores the emotions connected with making changes in your life.
  10. Site Sketch 101 by Nicholas Cardot: A wealth of information about blogging.
  11. Solo-E.com by Terri Zwierzynski: Articles on all aspects of running a small business, including marketing, productivity and more.
  12. Sunday Stealing hosted by Judd Corizan: A great place to find out about different blog memes of all types.
  13. Teatime with Tina by Tina Chase: All about food and cooking.
  14. Virtually Yours by Joanne Burgess: Fabulous tips about social media and small business topics.
  15. WordPress Jedi: Information about WordPress themes, plugins, and security issues, as well as SEO and social media tips.

If you enjoyed this post, why not nominate yourself for a Versatile Blogger Award? If you do, please leave a link to your post in the Comments, so we can learn more about you and the blogs you read.

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Subscribe

I love…

Cheap Stock Photos The Problogger Scorecard for Bloggers Display Buddy plugins for WordPress WordPress Themes iThemes Builder WordPress theme RoboForm: Learn more...

Join My Mailing List

Sign up here to receive new posts from From the Desk of Janet Barclay AND Your Organizing Business in your inbox. You might receive occasional subscriber-only offers as well!