If the Shoe Fits wear it… How will you know if you don’t try it on?

Social Media is like buying a new pair of shoes.  You have to break it in just like you do a new pair of shoes.

Is every social media site right for your company?  NOT necessarily but how will you know if you don’t try it on..

What I mean by try it on..

• Is your target market (those perfect clients) hanging out there.
• Do your clients engage or interact when on the site
• Can you posting regularly
• Can you share the information easily
• Can others spread the news easily
• Can you build your brand awareness
• Can you keep up with the changes

Also, if you wear out a pair of shoes, you have to purchase a new pair.  Social Media if not tried on, your competition will be wearing all the new shoes and your clients are going to be getting really comfortable with them.

If you don’t know where to begin or what to do once you have started trying on your social media, that would be the time to contact me and let’s see how we can take the frustration out of these new shoes not fitting well..

Karen Fox – better known as Karen THE Connector -  is a social media coach, strategist and speaker. Karen works with companies and individuals to take the fear and frustration out of creating their online reputation with social media. She rescues those who are lost on LinkedIn, frustrated with Facebook or afraid of being Twit on Twitter.  Karen THE Connector

First of all you need to give VALUABLE content on your Business Page… It is a BUSINESS page so show your professionalism in ALL things you post on that page… Unless your business is politics or religion in most cases it is best to avoid those two subjects.

Given there are almost 900 million on Facebook many of our perfect clients are on there as well..  There are many of us who jump for joy regarding Facebook, yet others have to have a reason to look at your page, so make sure their experience is worth the time and effort.

#1) Ask Questions… People really do like to give their opinion.  In my business as a social media coach I might ask something like:  Do you spend more time on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ or Pinterest?   I would not necessarily ask something irrelevant such as What kind of Dog Shampoo do you use… ( That would be perfect for the Dog Grooming Salon).  This would be fine on your personal profile but not on your business page.

#2 There is power in the words you or yours..  Help people to take ownership and again share their valuable opinion!   Example:  What are your thoughts about the new timeline on Facebook.  Did you change to the new timeline as soon as it was available?

#3  Know your target audience and what time they would usually be on facebook.. Example:  If I sell custom made bows and tutu I might want to be posting after 8:00 at night because my target market would probably be mothers and they don’t have the luxury of being on until those darling little ones are in bed…

#4  24 hour response time… If someone likes a post, thank them for that post, if they ask a question respond to them with an answer within those 24 hours… After that you lose your power of influence.

#5 Give back to the fan.. I use the Pareto Principle 80/20 rule… I give great content and information for my fans 80% of the time and 20% of the time I can talk about my business and what I can do for them…  Remember you have to build a relationship before they are ready to hear all about you..   Use the Golden rule here..

Also remember NEVER EVER post when angry as your IQ drops dramatically… Happy posting and enjoy your day!

Karen Fox – better known as Karen THE Connector -  is a social media coach, strategist and speaker. Karen works with companies and individuals to take the fear and frustration out of creating their online reputation with social media. She rescues those who are lost on LinkedIn, frustrated with Facebook or afraid of being Twit on Twitter.  Karen THE Connector

Pinterest what is THAT???

To sign up for Pinterest go to Pinterest.com and ask for an invite… Just that simple!  Follow me on Pinterest for great information on Social Media and of course the things I enjoy…..

View this short video with a simple explanation of Pinterest and then view the screenshots below…

You will notice I have pinned John Maxwell as someone that inspires me….

#1 Go to the website of the item or person you want to pin and copy the URL …..

#2 At the top of the page on right you will click add and this frame below will come up with your options….

#3 you are now going to paste the URL in the open area and then click Find Images

#4 You will click Find Images and they will give you any choices  available on that site..  Sometimes if the site uses all flash or have blocked their images , no images will populate. Also notice when you post this to Pinterest you can also post to Facebook and Twitter at the same time.

#5  This is how it appears once it is pinned on your site.. Note the repin is right there in the middle top or for you the admin the Edit is also there in case you put it in the wrong category or need to fix typos or change your information..

Happy Pinning……………… Share your profile URL in the comments so I can follow you….

Karen Fox – better known as Karen THE Connector -  is a social media coach, strategist and speaker. Karen works with companies and individuals to take the fear and frustration out of creating their online reputation with social media. She rescues those who are lost on LinkedIn, frustrated with Facebook or afraid of being Twit on Twitter.  Karen THE Connector

Social Media. Blogging. Texting. Twitter…

Guest Blogger:  Kris the Scribbler is a content writer for businesses just like yours. She’ll tackle the writing and content needs a business needs to thrive, from website content to subject lines for social media. Don’t fight it; let me write it! www.kristhescribbler.com

More and more platforms are popping onto the relationship and connectivity plate that our minds sometimes swim (or drown) trying to figure it all out. What do we say, how do we say it and how do we write it in less than 140 characters or fewer than 25 words? Bill Ferriter, http://teacherleaders.typepad.com/the_tempered_radical/2012/02/writing-25-word-stories-handout.html, and Ellen Britt, http://marketingqi.com/blog/2012/02/improve-your-copywriting-skills-with-the-25-word-story/, are two bloggers who have a few ideas to help.

I’d like to offer some additional ideas. Emotion is a big factor; if you can reach your audience by twanging a few emotional cords, then you’ll hook them. We all feel the pull to belong and that’s what we search for no matter what we need: health care, a new car, a good restaurant, tax breaks, whatever! We want to know we’re not alone and your blog is the tool that can get the message across—fast.

As a business owner, think about what your audience needs. What must happen for them to search you out? Can you narrow it to a word or two? Start with emotion words like frustrated, concerned, stressed, overwhelmed. These tend to be heavier on the emotional scale, but also consider cheerier words like excited, overjoyed, relieved. Depending on your audience and your service, the emotion words they seek will determine which ones you use will vary. You can also use opposite emotion words to add twists and irony to a message.

Next, how do you solve the problem or share the joy? Address the issue in quick bursts because that’s all the time someone will take to find you. Choose a few strong words that will matter to your audience. If you can talk and write like you KNOW what they are experiencing and what they need, then they will contact you.

Some critics will harp on the importance of power nouns and verbs or curse you for using adjectives and adverbs. Scribble some ideas down and see which grab you. Bill and Ellen give some examples on how to avoid these ‘weak’ words, but don’t worry too much about this. The focus now is to practice short, brief and emotional.

Once you have a sentence or two—that’s all your working on right now—then you can stretch it out into a longer blog post. Grab them with that first sentence then share how you KNOW what they’re going through in the remaining 300 words or so.

Thanks Kris for a Great  post.. Feel free to connect with Kris through her website if you could use some help in writing your content.  I would highly suggest Kris to bring her humor and expertise into a speaking engagement for you as well..

p.s. She is going to be a Grandmother any minute now!!!  Go to her Facebook Page  and leave her well wishes…

Karen Fox – better known as Karen THE Connector -  is a social media coach, strategist and speaker. Karen works with companies and individuals to take the fear and frustration out of creating their online reputation with social media. She rescues those who are lost on LinkedIn, frustrated with Facebook or afraid of being Twit on Twitter.  Karen THE Connector

Facebook for personal can be an advantage for business however according to facebook rules you should only be using pages to sell your services or products.  You can share links which could be to a great article you wrote or blog post.  This helps you to cross pollinate your information to personal and business.

Example:  I could post this blog (or a link) on my business page Karen THE Connector. Then if I  LIKED it from my personal page  it comes up in the feed I could hit the share button and that would help it to be seen by my FRIENDS yet I have not make a post directly about my business I have just shared what came through my feed!

Notice if posted from my regular profile it has my photo, yet posted from my business page it displays my logo..

Start building your strategic plan and using facebook for business and share it on your personal profile…  You would be surprised how many friends and family have no idea what you really do… If you are an entrepreneur you need to make sure they are aware of it without pouncing on them to buy buy buy….

If you have not built lists in facebook yet, you may want to view this video and get started…  (this is a private video the only way to see it is with the link)

Start cross pollinating…  Would love for you to share one of your cross pollination..

Karen Fox – better known as Karen THE Connector -  is a social media coach, strategist and speaker. Karen works with companies and individuals to take the fear and frustration out of creating their online reputation with social media. She rescues those who are lost on LinkedIn, frustrated with Facebook or afraid of being Twit on Twitter.  Karen THE Connector

Are your friends missing who use to comment on your posts in Facebook?  Are you missing  people you were use to connecting with on Facebook?  This may be why… View the short Video below for details to why they may no longer be showing up in your feed.  Video is less than 2 minutes.

As the video says once you are subscribed to all their posts on Facebook that is exactly what it means ALL.  The screenshot below will show you a short time and let you know how often you will see posts from those individuals you follow that closely..  The ones that are starred are the ones I am subscribed to.

 The Screenshot below shows you do have options on your notifications…

One other reason they may not be commenting or seeing your post is because of ………

Recently ran into this. It was defaulting to one of my lists that was custom and very few were seeing my post so therefore not commenting on them.  If you are using Klout this is a quick way for your Klout score to drop.  Make sure each time you post your settings are correct.

Hope you found your friends and they are no longer MIA.   Please feel free to share if you have run into any situations like this..

Karen Fox – better known as Karen THE Connector -  is a social media coach, strategist and speaker. Karen works with companies and individuals to take the fear and frustration out of creating their online reputation with social media. She rescues those who are lost on LinkedIn, frustrated with Facebook or afraid of being Twit on Twitter.  Karen THE Connector

Do you know the Difference?

The Video below: How to set up a Group in Facebook

Much of this was based on information directly from Facebook regarding the differences… Now do you need a page or a group? Do you need a custom landing page?  If you are still not sure contact me and we can discuss it.  Karen@KarenTHEConnector.com

Karen Fox – better known as Karen THE Connector -  is a social media coach, strategist and speaker. Karen works with companies and individuals to take the fear and frustration out of creating their online reputation with social media. She rescues those who are lost on LinkedIn, frustrated with Facebook or afraid of being Twit on Twitter.  Karen THE Connector

2011 may or may NOT have been what you would have liked it to be..

Good news you have the opportunity to start fresh again now in 2012.  The video is my Wish for you… The links below are my gifts to you…

HUGE SPECIALS through Jan 10th 5:00 CST

Have you ever been Frustrated with Facebook, Lost on LinkedIn or Feeling like a Twit on Twitter?  The calm to your frustration is in the link below.

             Self Study CourseFacebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Blogging,Posting Calendar, Free Tools, and Video

Click here for the Special pricing 

Coaching packages at unbelievable prices and the price goes back up on Jan 10th

Click here for the Special pricing

Karen Fox – better known as Karen THE Connector -  is a social media coach, strategist and speaker. Karen works with companies and individuals to take the fear and frustration out of creating their online reputation with social media. She rescues those who are lost on LinkedIn, frustrated with Facebook or afraid of being Twit on Twitter.  Karen THE Connector

Marketing Your Business using Facebook or Google Plus – Short Overview                                   

Do you use both of these marketing Giants?

We could start off by saying that using social networks like Facebook or Google+ will definitely grab the attention of countless marketers and businesses out there. It does not matter whether you are online or offline as a business, you need to learn how to use the new face of these marketing giants.  These are no longer the future of business but business NOW.  A MUST have!

We will give an indication on how to make use of the marketing power that lies within these two Giants.

Facebook Marketing Potential

By just putting in a little effort for 10 days or more, you can boost your interactions on Facebook by as much as 30 percent. You will quickly learn how to attract customers who will spend real money as a result of your social marketing efforts or help you create your ROI (Return on Influence).

One quick way is to watch and learn. Spend time for one day exploring other pages on Facebook. Do some searching and find complementary businesses as well as competitors on Facebook, that you can learn from. Enter keywords in your industry to find pages that may be in your niche.

Make some notes on what is working for the businesses you are examining. What they are posting? What is getting the most interaction? Is it pictures, links, videos, questions (Hint: copy what is working). Look at things like – How many people are posting on the page? How many respond to a post? Do this over a seven day period. You will quickly start to see what make others successful. Copy their success. 

Marketing with Google Plus

Google+ launched their business pages early November. In an article for the New York Times – Bradley Horowitz (Vice President Product Division Google Plus) said that brands have taken notice of the huge marketing potential and will certainly build their marketing plans around it. Now is the time to get on the Google Plus bus. The social networking platform of Google Plus is set to explode in the very near future. This is especially true as far as marketing are concerned.  I predict this will become the larger of the two Giants.

Google Plus is a completely new market and will prove to be the key weapon the search engine giant will use to achieve its goal. The question remains if this new network, with its improves feature set, will get to beat Facebook? Only time will tell. Meantime we encourage you to set up your business page with them. This way you will be able to make full use of the power within Google Plus.

Few shortcuts on Google+                                                                                                         Space = Scroll down stream       Shift Space = Scroll up stream         J= Single post down scroll       K= Single post up scroll       Q= Jump to Chat  Return = start comment

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Karen Fox – better known as Karen THE Connector -  is a social media coach, strategist and speaker. Karen works with companies and individuals to take the fear and frustration out of creating their online reputation with social media. She rescues those who are lost on LinkedIn, frustrated with Facebook or afraid of being Twit on Twitter.  Karen THE Connector

The Power of Social Media Platforms Like Facebook or Google Plus

With its more that 800 million users, Facebook has become the Social Marketing Powerhouse not only today but in the future as well. While everyone understands the potential that Facebook has for some small to medium size businesses, many still find it challenging in understanding how to maximize its full potential, that will help them drive their revenues through the roof.

Google Plus on the other hand is still new on the market. It launched in June 2011, and is simply known as Google+. In just a few months though, this social media giant already has a following of more than 40 million users. In effect, they are two thirds away from overtaking Linked In, who has around 135 million members. Despite this, Google Plus still have a long way to go in catching up with Facebook. Social Media is therefore huge.

Twitter is also huge and works very effective in its marketing strategy that is the face of the future. It has done away with the old way of marketing. Instead using “Push Marketing Out” techniques, it is using “Pull People in” to their business techniques. Twitter is one of the most powerful platforms for any business. With regular tweets, you will have your followers constantly updated on any new developments going on in your business.

Just remember no matter what platform you use…It is called “Social” media so you are “Social” and building relationships online just like you do off line…

Feel free to share with us in the comments what social platforms you prefer..

Karen Fox – better known as Karen THE Connector -  is a social media coach, strategist and speaker. Karen works with companies and individuals to take the fear and frustration out of creating their online reputation with social media. She rescues those who are lost on LinkedIn, frustrated with Facebook or afraid of being Twit on Twitter.  Karen THE Connector