Welcome!

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn…you’ve heard those words, but what exactly are they? These are just three venues within the exploding Social Media Networking landscape which is intriguing millions and millions of business owners all over the world.

Although face-to-face networking is still the number one way to make connections, a handshake is no longer the only way to seal the deal!

Hi, my name is Eydie and I’m a Social Media Coach. I, along with my team, specialize helping my clients increase their online visibility using social media and email marketing.

This blog is here for all you social media newbies. I’d like you to feel free to leave your burning questions about marketing your business online – and either myself, or one of my team members, will answer your question as soon as possible! We’re here to guide you through the maze of social media networking corridors.

Let’s begin by defining what social media is:

Social media is, very simply, any tool or site which allows interaction with it’s users. If you can comment on a site, interact and engage in conversation with others, or even re-arrange the design of a site…then that’s social media.

Now that we have established what social media is, let’s get into what social media networking is.

Networking comes in when users begin taking those tools to make connections and begin building relationships with others. By using tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogging, and even email marketing, people can make connections with other people who have similar interests and backgrounds.

Some of the social media venues include:

  • Blogs
  • Social and Business networking sites (Facebook, Linkedin)
  • Micro-blogging (Twitter)
  • Bookmarking/Sharing (Digg, Delicious, StumbleUpon)
  • Membership/White Label Sites (member created, such as Ning)
  • Message Boards
  • Podcasts
  • Teleseminars/Webinars
  • Email Marketing
  • Wikis
  • Picture/Video/Music sharing (Flicker, YouTube, iTunes)

With these tools are our fingertips we can now reach out to more than just our local community. We have been presented with this colossal opportunity to network with people all over the world! Imagine negotiating business deals with potential clients in Australia, Europe, Japan and other countries we never thought we’d be able to connect with!

By spending about one hour a day, (yes, that does sound like a lot, but if you add up the time you normally spend in face-to-face networking, the drive time to and from meeting locations, not to mention the money you spend on gas and food – spending an hour a day networking online isn’t as time consuming as it seems), you can maintain online connections via posting comments, blog articles, reply to e-mails which come from network members and search for new connections.

The most important thing to remember while developing lasting online connections is to always be yourself. Be genuine and true to who you are. By being transparent you will attract the people who are best suited to your personality and your business. The old marketing adage says that people do business with people they know, like and trust. THAT hasn’t changed! Matter of fact, it is even more important now – more than ever before!!! And especially online – where building relationships takes a bit more work and time.

Networking online isn’t easier than face-to-face networking because with that live connection you develop a certain emotion about a person which forms a first impression in your mind. Our first impression of someone online is their profile and profile photo. It’s a start, but you don’t really get to KNOW a person until you begin chatting with them.

With that said, remember to always put your best foot forward and understand that it’s not all about you! Be an active participant within your community – share the news of others and not just your own!

Send in your social media and email marketing questions by placing them in the comment box below and we’ll answer them in a future blog article.

Please note that we are available for private, one-on-one consultations.

Sending you successful social vibes,

Eydie :)