Facebook Contest Rules – Ignore at your Own Risk!

With all of the talk about Facebook Business Page Cover Photo changes, there's another issue that I keep seeing online that I think is super important to mention because of how often it happens.

What I mean is this – do you know that there are Facebook contest rules for business pages? And if you violate those rules, you could have your page shut down quicker than you realize!

No matter what you've seen other people do, if you haven't read Facebook's terms of service recently, it's time to brush up on your knowledge of how to use Facebook to run a contest, if you're trying to use this form of Facebook marketing for your business.

Worst case scenario, you spend 5 minutes reading something and realize that you already knew it. (Good for you!)

Best case scenario – we save you from the embarrassment of your customers seeing you get your page yanked for a compliance issue, or of you getting banned from Facebook altogether! (Good for us!)

Facebook Contest Rules for Marketing your Business: What You Need To Know

1. 1. Just because you call it a contest, it isn't necessarily a contest.

You can't just put up something that sounds roughly like a contest and think it's okay. (I know that's sort of what we just said, but you'd be surprised at how many people need something repeated).

2. 2. You must include verbiage that eliminates liability for Facebook.

Your disclaimer needs to be on the tab for your contest, and it must include something like this: This is a promotion that is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Facebook. You're providing your information to [Our Company] and not giving it to Facebook. This is important to communicate to your audience that Facebook doesn't have anything to do with your contest other than "hosting" it.

3. 3. You may not use a Facebook action for entry into your contest.

You can't ask people to do anything that is specific to Facebook to enter your contest. That includes liking, sharing, or commenting on a particular post or Page. And – you cannot use Facebook as a way of notifying your winners, either by message, post or comment.

4. 4. You must use a third party app to run your contest.

Because you cannot use Facebook to run your contest, surprise surprise, that means you have to use a "third party application" (one that is created by a neutral third party). There are a number of different providers that make apps that make hosting a contest a smooth process and help keep you in Facebook's good graces in the process.

For many businesses, using a contest to market your business on Facebook can be a great way to generate buzz for your brand. Do it the right way, and you'll give your business the edge of being classy and ethical. Do it the wrong way, and you could lose your ability to market your business on Facebook forever!

What's been your experience with Facebook contests for marketing your business? Leave a comment below – we always love hearing from you!

Why You Must Use Social Media to Promote Your Business Brand.

Use Social Media to Promote Your Business Brand

You know your business has to be on social media or so you've heard. I'm here to tell you again it's a must but I'll tell you the "why". It's where the people are a big group of potential clients that are out there hanging out in Google plus, connecting and sharing with family and friends on Facebook, looking to hire or be hired on LinkedIn, and grouping up and sharing ideas and pictures on Pinterest. Millions of people use social media everyday and are looking to connect with new people. If you don't get your company social you are leaving money on the table, my friend.

It's The Place to Be!

What are the most visited websites on the globe? According to Alexa the top 10 contain social media platforms. Facebook is the number 1 social media site on the list, next is YouTube, and Twitter is number 10. People are on these social sites 24-7 and you could be talking and building important relationships with the very people who are most likely to buy from you. As I have said before social media is like a giant party and you need to be there passing outing out your business cards and making connections.

Put Your Brand in Front of Your Clients

What a great way to give value and gain insight from your clients. You can show them your personal side as well as you gain insight as to what interests them most. Want to test an idea? Run it by the people that you want to attract to your company. Post and see what kind of reaction you get. Every day you can be in contact and get your brand in from of people to remind them what awesome services you have and where to look! Yes, you can get NEW leads and stay in touch with current clients. I hope this was an "Aha moment" for any doubters.

SEO for Your Website

Did you really think I wasn't going to talk about SEO? You know better All of these profiles that you can build generate back links from these popular sites to your BUSINESS SITE! Not just any ole back link but very important back links that show up in search engines. Where do people that are ready to make a purchase go online? That's right, Search engines. People shop online more than ever before and they use search engine to find what they are looking for. You know you want in on that action! I'll take you back to 2003; mom starts business by purchasing a domain and signing up with a company to promote their product. She uses what was social media then and links to her purchased domain. Mom goes humm must get my website in search. Mom does what the big guys do to get her site indexed and at the end of a year mom clears 30K. (This is not a fairy tale that mom was me! True story.)

Easy Access

With a mouse and an internet connection you can tell all your followers and connection at one time about the new product that they'll be dying to purchase. Build a following and millions of people can be reached at any given moment. In less than 5 minutes you can share with every platform worth being on the latest and greats your company has to offer! Oh better still, reward your loyal fans with discounts or gift that only they get for following your company online. See how amazing that will be?

It Cost Nothing

You can advertise, market, and show off your brand for zero money. It costs you only the time you have to invest to network on social media. I spent my time and less than 100 dollars my first year to make 10s of thousands dollars profit in one year. I built relationships and the clients came to me. I studied and found the platforms where my potential clients were spending their time. I created a profile and engaged with my fellow users. It was as simple as that.

Time Sweet Time

What if time is something you don't have? Well there are social media management service providers that you can purchase plans from that KNOW how to make social media work for your brand. If you need help developing a social media marketing strategy or need full service management from top to bottom, there are people that can handle it all. Running my own business was a dream come true for me and I have taken those years of experience and teamed up with the best social media experts in the business to bring companies the same benefits that I received from social media.

What's your favorite way to use social media in your business? Do you still doubt its benefits? I want to hear from you! Leave me a comment and let's socialize!

How to Create a Content Marketing Plan and Fall in Love with your Business Again!

How to Create a Content Marketing Plan and fall in Love with your Business Again!

Do you love online marketing?

Be honest.

One of the most hated tasks when it comes to marketing online is content creation. Whether it’s coming up with ideas and time for blog posts twice a week (minimum!), figuring out what to post on Facebook (or Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and now Google+ too), and let’s not get into “alternative” formats like You Tube videos, content marketing is work. There’s no other way to say it – just like any other successful marketing strategy, using content marketing as a means of growing your business takes planning, persistence, and patience to be successful. The payoffs, if you ask businesses large and small, are worth the time. (And those who don’t agree aren’t likely to be around in 5 years, honestly.) But actually doing your content marketing puts the work back into work for many business owners, if you know what I mean.

Even for those of us who enjoy writing (and playing with other media well suited for content marketing strategies) can find the actual implementation of content marketing to be overwhelming if we approach it without some thought and organization.

And it’s a secret I’m sharing with you today: a content marketing plan can make you fall in love with your business again this year!

Now before you think I’m just blowin’ sunshine, let me tell you what I mean.

Do you sit down at your computer and wonder what to write for your blog? Do you struggle to find time create unique, relevant content for your blog – and procrastinate to the point of rarely (or never) updating your blog because you just don’t know what to write?

And then let’s talk about your social media sites – do you just throw anything up on your Facebook page, not quite knowing what you should be posting in the first place?

Approaching your content marketing strategy via the age old technique called “flying by the seat of your pants” isn’t ideal for many good reasons related to the do’s and don’ts of social media marketing. But there’s an even better reason not to do it.

It sucks the life out of you. And you start to hate your business.

Maybe you’re one of those people who likes to be “spontaneous.” Maybe. And if so, good for you. But for many people, the idea that spontaneity breeds more creativity is actually a myth. For many who use the desire for spontaneity as their reason for not using a content marketing plan, they’re pleasantly surprised at how the structure of a plan for their social media updates and strategy actually frees up time and brain cells to engage in the fun, creative side of marketing.

How to Create a Content Marketing Plan

There are a number of templates and tutorials out there for creating a comprehensive content marketing plan that covers multiple social media platforms.

The simplest, cheapest way to create one is this: Grab a calendar. You can print one from Outlook or use the pretty one your church gave you (if it’s a wall calendar; you won’t have enough room in a pocket calendar). I happen to like the calendar sold online at Flylady.net (it’s not an affiliate link; I just really like the calendar because of the large squares!).

1. To the left of the row for each week, choose a theme related to your overall mission as a company. Jot it in the margin.

2. On each day you’ll be blogging, create a blog topic related to that week’s theme and write it in the square for that day.

3. Choose a general topic for each day that week related to your week’s overall theme. Using each day’s theme as a guide, research and create content for your social media updates. You can jot notes on your calendar if you want, otherwise use the scheduling features in programs like Facebook, or HootSuite or others to actually post the content you’ll use at the times you’ve determined are most appreciated by your audience. Most people work about a week at a time at this step, and as you get more experienced at it, it goes quicker.

4. You may decide you want to plan a year in advance, at least in terms of choosing your themes for each month. Doing so gives you a bird’s eye view of where you’re going throughout the year. You can make sure your topics are logical or discover ahead of time if you might need to switch out a few months so your content makes the most sense for your particular audience.

That’s it. It’s not difficult; it just takes a commitment to sitting down and thinking ahead.

But I promise you this – if you do, you’ll find yourself loving this part of your business more than if you’re always worrying about your next content posts, whether on your blog or elsewhere.

What kind of content marketing plan do you use? I’d love to hear – leave me a comment below!

Creating Content that Doesn’t Suck

Creating Content that Doesn't Suck

Pauline Magnusson

My mom might just kill me when she reads that headline. (I’m 30-something, and that concern still crosses my mind)

But I’m becoming more and more passionate about the power of content marketing – and more irritated when I see content marketing that is poorly executed (aka, it sucks).

Creating cintent A special target of my loathing includes keyword-stuffed spammy content marketing that might, if you’re lucky, tell you one or two new things. That’s if you can get over the sense that you’re reading something that says “blah blah keyword, blah blah keyword.” (It sounds a lot like those old Peanuts cartoons when the teacher is talking. Wah-wah, wah-wah, wah-wah.)

Another favorite kind of content to hate (can I have a favorite-to-hate?) is obvious PLR content, especially PLR content that hasn’t been edited and enhanced to be a unique piece of writing. Nothing says you don’t respect your readers by foisting a piece of poorly researched and even more poorly written content on them (that looks identical to the next piece in the meta description).

If you’re not writing your own content marketing materials and you’re not hiring a content marketing professional to create custom content for your blog, please don’t cut and paste PLR content! Don’t buy an article that isn’t uniquely written for your audience and needs. And for the love of all that is holy, please take the time to make it unique for the people reading your blog. (Side note – as those Google algorithms featuring pandas and penguins and future black and white animals get smarter, your blog will actually be penalized for duplicate content if you have bought PLR articles and used them without enriching them and making them uniquely yours.)

I’m being more blunt than usual. But please. Stop creating content that sucks. Sure, you can SEO-the heck out of crummy content. You can land your way on the top line of a Google search even – but if people who are conducting the search aren’t compelled to click your titles, much less invest time in reading your article, it doesn’t matter what your ranking is.

How Do You Create Content Marketing That’s Good – or Great?

Since I’m being blunter than usual, I’m going to throw out another 4-letter word that makes some people uncomfortable, quite frankly, as the secret for creating content that’s rich, compelling, and even great.

The secret is this – it’s work. Whether it’s in the researching, the framing or the actual act of putting the rear in chair and pen to paper (or hands to keyboard), it takes work to get better at creating content.

It takes reading. Obsessively. For those of us who are self-professed word nerds, this is a labor of love, of course. But it’s not just a “nice to do.” It’s so essential to our existence and growth as writers that it’s a planned activity in our personal development, and when we skip it, our writing is deprived. Suffocated. Starved.

It takes practice. Obscene amounts of practice. It takes the ability to step back from one’s own writing and examine it closely for strengths and weaknesses. It takes a relentless drive and desire to become a better writer with each and every piece written. It takes seeking out new techniques and styles and trying them out, seeing how to appropriate them and make them one’s own.

And for those of us crazy enough to enjoy the art and science of content creation – this work is indeed a form of fun.

Creating content that doesn’t suck take something deceptively simple. It takes not settling for mediocrity. And no matter where you are on the road to learning to create content – that’s the very first step that anyone, no matter his or her skill level, can take.

Super Simple ~ How to Increase Blog Traffic

Blogging with a System to get Traffic

Are you publishing your post from your blog all over social media to get targeted blog traffic? First it’s great for SEO. You

KNOW how I love getting in top search placement . It’s a game to be to see how fast I can get a new post in the first past of

Google. I have a system and can get it on out search in what I call flash top 10. They will hold the first page for a few hours

right after it’s publish, so the trick is in the timing. Play with it! You’ll be shocked at how fast you will get a system going.

Getting my page in the first place in Google has been the name of my game since 2003. The blog traffic and money will pour

in with a good produce and key word rank.

New Posts are a Great Conversation Starters

If you publish where you’re friends are hey they want to read what you have to say. Make that title pop and you’ll get a social media friend interested and there

you go. You can engage about your post. Making you what? The EXPERT! See people on social media read blogs and if it’s wrapped up in just the right way, they

will read your post to get the latest scoop.

How to Wrap it Pretty

Twitter should be short, sweet and made to tweet. Less than 140 characters with an eye catching Headline.

Facebook, Google Plus, and Pinterest -The Picture …Yes a picture is worth a thousand words. Facebook has started giving more views of picture post too. Have you

notice? You will see them more often in your timeline. Post a picture from your computer and every time it’s shared it count toward your engagement.

Linkedin has to be smart and savvy to get the reader’s attention. Yeah, those brainy business people love LinkedIn. If you are in business, you should too! Smart

and brainy people with money live there.

Make it Fun

Entertain, engage, then sell, and in that order. No one is coming to a boring business blog. If you want their attention, entertain your audience. Do things to grab

their attention. That Headline can make or break you. If they enjoy coming to your site, you’ll have more opportunities to engage them and they’ll eventually

hopefully) either buy your serves or tell someone about you that will.

Show Me the Money

You have to be selling something right? Unless you are a hobby blogger and of course there are many. Make sure that your blog guest can find your sales page or all

is for naught. A good ole opt-in with that thing they have been dying to get their hands on gets you their e-mail address and you have one in the funnel.

The Real Importance Of Google Plus For Your Business

Google Plus for Business, Google Plus why you need it I bet I know what you were thinking when Google launched Google Plus last year. Because just about every business owner was rolling their eyes and letting out a deep sigh at the thought of yet another social network to grow, manage, and participate in. But this is something different, Google Plus is NOT just another social network.

So What Exactly Is Google Plus?

The way I explain to my friends and family (who are about as social media savvy as my pinkie toe) is that Google Plus is a little like Facebook. They share similarities like updating your status on your profile and it being visible to your friends on their home feed. You can also segment your friends/followers on both networks. Google just calls them circles. But their are way more differences. We won't cover all of them, nor will we get into how to use Google Plus, not in this post at least. But we will get down to the real meat of why you MUST get into Google Plus, despite your moans and groans.

To properly explain to you the significance of this network, I have to remind you what is at the core of Google - the search engine. Although Google has expanded it's product offerings and is essentially taking over, what Google has always done best was search. And why is a search engine important to your business? Because it gives you the ability to connect with your potential customers closer to the point of purchase. But we will get into that later. Back to the point.

Google's primary function is to provide you with the best, most relevant search experience ever. This is why they have become the primary search engine that people use. They are the best at what they do. Why? Because they produce the most relevant search results. Google's addition of Plus One is really just another way that they are differentiating themselves as the premier search engine. I'll explain to you why.

So Google Is A Great Search Engine, What Does That Have To Do With Me?

I'm glad you asked.

Google Plus has staying power and the power to really impact your business. We all know that social media affects your SEO. Search engine algorithms now take into account the social shares that your blog has. The more people are sharing your content, the more relevant and important the search engine will think that it is and when people search for the topic you are writing about, Google will rank your content higher. Real impact that Google Plus has is not the same as Facebook and Twitter or any other social network. It is much more significant.

The +1 Phenomenon

I liken the +1 buttons on a website to a Facebook like button. You +1 an article you like, and it shows up on your profile, visible to all the people in your circles. But the real power that a plus one holds is much greater than a simple like. Whenever you +1 something, you let Google know that you like that. Search engines are all about bringing you relevant information, well, what can be more relevant than information that you've already told Google you liked?

Not only will Google personalize your search results based on what you have +1'd, but also by what the people who you have in your circles have +1'd. Google figures that if 5 people in your circles likes an article, then you probably would too. So when you are signed into Google(this is key for the +1 to matter) you are actually getting a special, personalized search based on the +1's of you, and the people you are friends with. (Thanks Google, we all feel so very special ).

The BIG Bottom Line

We get lots of inquiries about SEO and people who want us to perform nothing short of miracles for their sites that can't seem to compete with their competitors for certain keywords. The very first question I ask is, "how is your social media presence?" and you know the answer is usually that they have very little presence or none at all.

Now here is where I tell you that you need to be using social media. But I am really going to emphasize your Google Plus presence. Because…. Every person that is in your circles will have their search experience affected by what you +1… which if you have a blog, WILL be your own articles. The more people that have you in their circles, the more relevant your content will become to them when they are searching.

I love this about Google Plus because it gives even the small website or blog a shot at ranking, it can make you more visible online. It is a HUGE benefit to meet your potential customers at the point closest to purchase in organic search.

We Have A Google Plus Business Page and would love to circle you! just click the link and join our social savvy fun.

If You would like to get more information about market your business online, branding a business online, building your list, and turning your leads into customers then sign up for our FREE social media Updates.

How To Use Social Media To Promote Yourself, Without Promoting Yourself

You see it all the time. A business owner that is pumped about their business, they have a product or service that they really believe in and they want as many people to know about them and benefit from what they have as possible. So what do they do? A large majority turn to social media to “get their message out. The problem is, they don’t understand how to use social media yet.

IF You Are Promoting Yourself, You Are Doing It Wrong

The quickest way these inexperienced social newborns think to get their message out is to build themselves a profile on a couple of social media platforms and then broadcast their message to the world (or their 17 Facebook fans made up of their friends and family) with advertisements about their products or services.

Your social network is NOT a billboard!

Since your social networks are not billboards, then why plaster advertisements on them? Here are the reasons why traditional, outbound marketing is become less popular:

It is more costly- consider the monthly cost of a magazine add in a popular magazine, or a high traffic area billboard per month
It produces less leads- why? well because the whole premise is based on awareness, and your own brand. It has nothing to do with the consumer. You can only hope that the right people see your company at the right time, and that they are interested in purchasing what you are selling.
It can be invasive- The rise of the DVR. It has been so successful because people are tired of advertisers bombarding their way into their homes uninvited.

In Bound Marketing

So Enter Inbound Marketing… And Changing The Marketing Game Because people have become so desinsitzed and frankly fed up with the unwanted ads, marketers have had to get smarter. Marketing is so dynamic and to be a top marketer you have to understand how to change and adapt to what the consumer is responding to.

And everybody knows that social media is a huge part of inbound marketing. So everyone is using it. But not everyone knows how to use social media to get their message out and build their business. Hence the one’s who are using it as a billboard for their ads. If this is you, it’s okay, we have all been in a place where we didn’t understand marketing. But we are glad that you are here, because we are about to teach you a more effective way to get results.

How To Use Social Media to promote your business

The Right Way Yes, social media is a powerful tool to promote and build your business. No, it is not a quick, one stop posting board for your latest promotions. Social media revolves around relationships and actually being “social”. (What a thought right?). The truth is, social media marketing is about building a relationships, authority, and credibility. Once you have the ear of the people who are following you, they will listen to what you say, but not a minute before.

It is important to remember that just because you have a platform that is potentially limitless, your audience should always be at the forefront of all of your efforts. Adding value, being genuine, and building your presence will bring you much better results in the long run. Social media is a journey and it is not free. It requires great effort, time, and knowledge. Investing in creating a presence the right way, however, will be invaluable to your business.

Don’t Ever, Ever, Do That Again

If you are guilty of using social media as a broadcast platform without building relationships and adding value you have probably already noticed that it is not effective. It’s time to change your thinking about social media and how to use it. It is a commitment, and you must be consistent. Your return will be much higher in the long run if you take the time to use it the way it is intended!

Join the other savvy business owners who are using social media to build their business! Sign up below for FREE Social Media updates delivered right to your inbox!

How To Write Content That Your Audience Wants To Read

The biggest challenge of knowing how to write content is writing content that your audience actually wants to read. How do you determine what to fill the pages of your blog with? Here are a couple of questions to ask yourself and keep in mind when you are creating content for your blog.

What Are You Selling?

Never underestimate the power of your blog to sell your products and services. The best way to nail down what exactly to write about is to always keep in mind what you are selling. The core of your content should be focused on your products and services.

The core of your content should revolve around what products or services you are selling

I once had a blog that was pretty popular but in the end I wasn't making any money. Why? Because I forgot what would become one of the determining factors of me leaving that blog-I forgot to write about what I was selling. Well, truthfully the blog did not start as a place where I was going to sell anything… but wouldn't it be nice to grab an income from any blog? Even the blog for your business?

Who Are You Selling To?

You would not walk into the room full of high school graduates prepared to deliver them the same speech you gave at your business women's luncheon would you? Not if you wanted to truly grab the attention of those high schoolers. You would have to meet them where they are.

Many people think of market research and target market data as boring and laborious when in fact it is as simple as watching the behaviors of many of the people in your life and maybe asking some questions. The good news is that most people who sell online, especially services, sell to a similar demographic as themselves so it is easy to know how to deliver the value that you have.

Keeping in mind who you are selling to will help you to create content that is relavant, compelling, and information packed. It will also make it easy for your audience to feel like they can relate to you, which in this day of relationship/social influence marketing, is always a big plus.

Who Are You And What's Your Message?

After you consider your product or service, and your audience, you then need to inject YOU in everything you do. Don't try to be someone else, market the way someone else does it, say what someone else says… You are enough. One thing I have noticed about bloggers is that some of them run out of content and ideas to write about simply because they don't think what they have to say is compelling enough.

Here's food for thought. You came from somewhere. There was a time when you didn't even know how to set up your own domain name, or change the theme on your WordPress Blog, but you have moved on, you have learned and grown. There are people out there right now searching for the answers to something that you have already experienced and they need your product or your service. They need your voice, because it is unique.

Need help writing content for your blog? Sign up below to get FREE tips on blogging, social media, and marketing delivered right to your inbox!

9 Non Negotiable Of Social Media For Business

Social Media For Business – Don't get Left in The Dust by your Competitors

When using social media for business there are a few things that you should ALWAYS do. Make them a part of your social business culture, make them non-negotiable. Here are the things that we think are social media for business MUSTS:

1. You MUST be consistent

This is number one for a reason. And the reason being that the most effective way to build a presence on social media for business, is to be consistent. You have to be relentless. You have to be present, be "social". If you are not present, there is no "social" media. Just an empty platform. Consistency is one of the biggest factors in increasing your engagement. Here's a great tactic for those of you pressed for time and lacking social media consistency: Schedule your social media time! You can use a tool such a Crowdbooster to see when the majority of your audience is engaged and then schedule your time accordingly. Maybe that means 30 minutes in the morning, and 30 minutes at night. Remember consistency is not about quantity. Use this time to say hello to new connections, share some of your amazing knowledge, share knowledge from others, and answer any mentions, tweets, statuses, or updates that are directed your way.

2. You Must make meaningful connections

It is NOT enough to have followers or fans. You actually have to make some connections. You have to network and build relationships. You do this by talking to people. Trust me, a little "hello" can work wonders. Remember, social media is like being at a cocktail party, only the whole world is there and the space and time are unlimited.

3. You MUST utilize the best platforms for your business

If you are a fitness instructor I better see a booming YouTube presence or else… If you are making crafts then you better be on Pinterest, and Facebook. EVERYONE should be on Twitter-period. My love for twitter runs deep. Find out where your customers are, and then be there, and work to create a strong presence. B2B companies- LinkedIn is your baby… It is hard to do everything well. So choose your focus wisely and focus on building that presence.

4. You MUST utilize the search function

I have got to mention Kim Garst in this because, well, she is amazing when it comes to this and taught me how as well.. Such a simple concept, but so often overlooked. Use the search functions to find out who is talking about your industry, who is looking for your services, you can even narrow it down to your immediate area. You can actually generate leads right from search!

5. You MUST be authentic

We could never stress the importance of this more. Our clients genuinely "like" us. Not that you have to be friends with everyone, and believe me, not everyone will like you, no matter what you do. But being authentic is part of what makes you unique. It is part of what will set your marketing strategies apart from your competition. And guess what? Being "liked" means being referred. Who doesn't want to be referred?

6. You MUST listen to your audience

Social media for business is a two way street. It gives you an opportunity to share with your audience but don't forget to also take the time to listen to what they say. Don't be afraid to ask questions to determine how to better serve your clients. Use polls, surveys, quizzes, etc. Or just simply ask.

8. You MUST use Google+

Google+ is not just a social network. Everyday we are found on Google, not just because of keywords, or social media necessarily, but because of Google+. I'll explain how this works. At the core of Google's launch of their plus1 platform is fine tuning your search experience. By providing you the best results based on what you are looking for, Google stays on top of the game. Enter Google+, designed to allow you to plus 1 what you like Google can now easily see what you want by your plus1's. And when you search while logged into Google, the results of articles that have been plus1'ed by you and people in your circles will show up first. Get this in your marketing strategy, like yesterday. Many people don't understand Google+. It is so much more than just another "social network".

9. You MUST use other marketing strategies

Although social media plays a very important role in you inbound marketing activities it is not the only activity that is important and to have an effective marketing strategy you will have to integrate other forms of marketing into the mix. Email marketing, SEO, and blogging are invaluable to creating a powerful marketing mix and should not be overlooked. Social media is a great tool, but your marketing efforts MUST not stop there. Inbound marketing has to be a mix of several elements.

How To Get More Followers on Twitter

Do you look at your list of Twitter followers and wonder how on earth you’ll ever grow your list to be more influential?

You’re probably thinking you have enough things to do running your business day to day, let alone keeping up with your blog and your other social media. Now you’re trying to figure out why your list of Twitter followers seems to have hit a plateau.

And then you see other people with tens of thousands of Twitter followers on their list and it’s growing every day. You might wonder how they get more Twitter followers even in their sleep?

In a way that’s exactly what’s happening. With a few easy tips, you can learn how to do the same and enjoy the benefits of a growing Twitter list – without having to be glued to your computer all through the night.

How To Get More Followers on Twitter

Add yourself to Twitter directories

This is one of the keys to getting more followers – make yourself able to be found! Sounds simple enough, and really it is. The two most popular and reliable Twitter directories are Twellow and WeFollow. By adding yourself to Twitter directories in the appropriate niche that applies to your business, you make it possible for people wanting to follow someone in your niche to find you! Make sure to choose the right niche, as well as including appropriate keywords in your description so that people searching find you, not your competition, and can then follow you.

Promote yourself

It’s time to get comfortable with promoting yourself and your brand. Not in an obnoxious way, but in a way that shows your audience how you can benefit them, solve a problem for them or answer a question they need to have answered.

To use this to grow your Twitter list, include a link to your Twitter profile in your communication, whether online or offline. Add it to your e-mail signature, on your website, on your business cards, etc. Give people the information to make it easy to follow you and chances are they will.

Follow quality people

Finding and following people who are interested in your niche is one of the best ways to grow your list of followers quickly. Follow people in your niche. Follow people who follow your influencers. Follow people based on use of particular hashtags or keywords. Follow friends of friends.

In all of these examples, you are following people who are in some way related to what your area of expertise is. Many of them will follow you back, increasing your list of targeted followers.

Getting more Twitter followers isn’t rocket science, and it doesn’t have to take tons of your time on a daily basis. Taking a few minutes a day to implement the suggestions above will yield consistent growth of followers who are interested in what you have to offer. Keep it up, and you’re likely to wake up each morning to find you have new followers waiting for you to engage with them.

Which suggestion will you implement this week to grow your list of followers?

These are just a few of the many strategies to increase your list of Twitter followers. If you’d be interested in more strategies to get more targeted Twitter followers, click here to receive my free eBook: “13 Ways To Get More Twitter Followers”

Edmund Lee received his B.S. in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California Irvine ('07) with an emphasis in Education. He has been personally mentored by some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world, including the #1 Small Business Guru in the world, Michael Gerber. Edmund is an author, entrepreneur, social media strategist, and speaker. His specialty is in helping companies transform their branding and utilize Social Media Marketing "Online" to create extraordinary companies that generate PROFITS. He works with a world class team of 7 renowned business partners, talented graphic designers, and social media strategists, which includes leadership under one of "Forbes Top 50 Social Media Power Influencers". Additionally, Edmund is one of a select few of individuals chosen by Michael E. Gerber to facilitate The Dreaming Room, an Entrepreneurial Incubator that leads people through the creation of a successful business. Aside from teaching and educating others on how to effectively utilize Social Media in their businesses, Edmund loves to transform the lives of individuals through his emphasis on awakening the entrepreneurial spirit and creating businesses that are rooted in profound purpose.

You Can Follow our Fellow Mast Mind Team Member and Friend At The following Social Media Links:

http://www.facebook.com/EntrepreneurSuccessPrinciples

http://www.twitter.com/edmundslee

http://www.linkedin.com/in/edmundslee

http://www.pinterest.com/edmundslee

Tell us What you Think.. Do you Have A Twitter Tip to Share? Can you Use these tips Edmund shared with us? Leave us a comment or Question?

Part of our marketing activities here at ASM is to invite you to join our community! We would love to connect with you via email. Sign up below to join in and begin learning tips and tricks to market your business through social media!

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