More information on having a “stunt double” do your social media for you…

Find the right people to follow and befriend. To reach your goals, you probably want to connect with as many people as possible without getting labeled a spammer and losing your accounts. The key is to move slowly and consistently: connecting with ten old friends and maybe twenty new ones per week. Your social media specialist knows how to find the best prospects for you online and approach them in a way that builds relationships first.
 
Be who you are, share what you love and build those connections!  In just one fifteen-minute appointment, your social media specialist can gather enough information to keep your accounts spinning and your online presence fresh and engaging all week.

Are you ready to step up to the challenge of social media? 

For more information on having a “stunt double” contact us at jo@simmonsvirtualassistant.com

Imagine being able to be a social media star in just 15 minutes a week! You could gain all the advantages of lively online relationships—all the exposure, connections and referrals—without disrupting your all-too-busy life!

The trick is finding a “stunt double” to drip your content into the networks at the appropriate time and place. Simply add a fifteen-minute appointment to your week to provide the needed information, and your social media marketing specialist will take care of the rest

1.  You’ll start out on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.  Your online reputation starts with your “profile” on these three sites. Each one presents your basic biographical information, but with a different twist: LinkedIn is you buttoned up in your business suit; Facebook is business casual and Twitter is the cocktail party. Give your information ONCE to your social media specialist and she’ll tweak it to work in these three environments.

2.   Set out your goals for Social Media, and then put a plan into place to achieve them. Want to reconnect with previous clients and customers? Meet new, qualified leads? Build interest in your offerings and drive traffic to your web site? Let us know what you need social media to do for your business and we’ll show you the strategies and tactics to achieve them.

3.   Follow your plan consistently. Need the exposure of tweeting every day, posting to your blog three times a week, publishing an article once a week or e-mailing a newsletter every month? Your social media specialist takes care of these repetitive tasks so you can focus on building your business.

I have Virtual Assistant’s that work for me that can act as your “stunt” double for your social media.  In as little as 15 minutes a week you can have that presence on the social media sites. 

Don’t be afraid to let yourself get involved in social networking.  If interested I will give you a Free 30 minute consultation to see if we are a good fit for you and your business.

Email me at jo@simmonsvirtualassistant.com for more information.

Happy Networking!

I am changing it up a bit today.  Sometimes we just need a little food to come our way.  In addition to working on my virtual assistant business and blog I have also developed a work out fettish.  Last summer I was stricken with some bad stomach problems and I knew that I needed to start exercising more and eating more healthy.

I came across this recipe from my mentor and guardian angel Patricia Drain of www.patriciadrain.com.   Patricia not only helps me with my business but she also helps me keep focused on life and what I need to put one foot in front of the other.

If you are interested in her mentorship program please feel free to contact her at patricia@patriciadrain.com.

But in the meantime enjoy this wonderful recipe and join me on my exercise workouts and let’s get in shape together!

Have guests write their name on a quart-size ZIPLOC freezer bag with permanent marker. Crack 2 eggs (not more than 2) into the bag and shake to combine them. Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shakes it up. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up. Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water. Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily.

BE PREPARED TO BE AMAZED… IT IS A GREAT CONVERSATION PIECE!

Some suggested ingredients to add to the 2 eggs:

As my 18 yr old son was getting ready for prom the other night I sat and thought about his first day of kindergarten (I know, I know I probably shouldn’t reminisce so much but it was fun).  How times change in what seems like a blink of an eye.  How did my “little” boy grow up so fast?  Where did those last 12 yrs of school go?

Isn’t that the same in your business?  If you don’t put action in place to grow your business soon a year will go by, then two, then 5 and so on.   You will be stuck in the same trap you are now.  

I know that trap as I was also stuck in it.  However I finally put goals into action and started working toward my goals. 

3 ideas to help: 

*The night before write out your game plan for the next day.  This will keep you organized and on task.

*Put a timer on for 15 minutes, 30 minutes or even an hour.  This will help you concentrate on what you are working towards and make you feel like you accomplished something.

*Set out a small goal for the day.  Then accomplish it.  Make sure it is something that you can do that day.

Don’t let any more time slip away from you.   Go for it!

This is taken from my mentor and mastermind coach Patricia Drain of www.patriciadrain.com.  Enjoy!

Seven Secrets to Success

Before you jump in, consider what you’re going to need to do to be successful. You must commit to:

1. Authentic participation. Be ready to share your authentic self online.

2. Consistent participation. Establish a regular schedule for networking online—typically in a brief status update or “tweet” one to fifteen times per day.

3. Building relationships first. Be genuine in your intent to connect with people and give before you get.

4. Adding value to the community. Make the world a better place by sharing your expertise, writing recommendations, answering questions, providing useful content, and referring helpful resources.

5. Building a positive online persona. Represent your personal brand consistently in every social network you join. Be professional, personable, interesting and memorable.

6. Choosing your connections strategically. Strike a selective and strategic balance between personal and professional, between those you know well in the real world and those you’ve only met online.

7. Staying on target. Distractions abound, so keep your focus. Try out a number of networks, but invest at least 80% of your attention on the top three that work best for you.

Are you on the social media sites and sometimes really wonder what you should be “tweeting” about?  You really don’t want to share what you had for breakfast on there but people do it. 

I have made a list of questions that will get you thinking of what you should write on the social media sites to gain attention. 

1.  Do you have any speaking engagements coming up this week? 

If yes, where will it be, when and what time zone will it be, is there anyone you hope to see there? What is the topic? Are you speaking for a specific group? (Chamber, AARP, eWomen Network, etc.)?

2.  Do you have any new projects you are beginning/working on?

3.  What’s the most pressing business question the Universe could answer for you this week?

4.  What “learning” (tip, encouragement, trend or technique) do you want to share with the world this week?

Answer these questions and start posting away!  Also remember that quotes are great and people really do want to know what you have been up to.  They want to get to know the “real” you before they do business with you. 

Good luck and let me know if these help!

“The successful networkers I know, the ones receiving tons of referrals and feeling truly happy about themselves, continually put the other person’s needs ahead of their own.”  ~Bob Burg

For Social Media & networking it is all about relationship building.  90% relationship building and 10% business building.    IF you do this you will see success. 

Social Media is Hot, Hot, Hot right now and if you are not on the social media bandwagon you better jump on because this is where business is happening.

Twitter doubles in size every 90 days.  Facebook has over 450,000 new people sign up every day.  The fastest growing population on Facebook is the 50+ and older generation.  Isn’t that crazy?

The average person reads 6 Blogs per day. 

18-34 year olds spend 40% of their free time on Social Media.

Are you ensuring that your business is out there for all of these people to see?

Do you need to achieve business goals and are not sure how to go about it?  Try more networking! 
 
Networking is defined as an extended group of people with similar interests or concerns who interact and remain in informal contact for mutual assistance or support.  The goal of effective networking is, ultimately, to achieve a positive outcome.  However, sometimes it can take a while to get there.  In order to get what you want, try to remember to “give first” to others to help satisfy their goals.  It will come back to you. 
 
What can networking do for you?  It can establish new contacts, build alliances and partnerships, facilitate business transactions, help you gain insight and knowledge, provide access to needed resources, and leverage the collective purchasing power.

Some networking groups you might join are your local Chamber of Commerce, Business and Networking International (also known as BNI), Business and Professional Women (yes, both men and women can join this), eWomenNetwork, Toastmasters or other networking groups in your area.  If you do not know if these groups are established in your area, do a bit of research, and call your existing contacts in your community.  This is a great way to begin your networking, by networking for information.
 
Once you have found a networking group, always remember the golden rule “give first to others.”  Always think of others when networking.  If you know of someone who could use a certain service or product, give that person a referral and connect them.  You will be networking with others who will support you. 
 
If you are not used to networking, take small steps.  Often you are permitted to attend a networking group at least twice before you must make a decision to join.  This way you’ll have time to determine if you have a strong connection with that group.

Small steps will lead you to bigger steps that will ultimately achieve your goals.

Definition:  quality characterized by honesty, reliability, and fairness, developed in a relationship over time. Customers and clients have much more confidence when dealing with a business when they can rely on the representations made.

I heard some good descriptions of integrity this past weekend but the definition above really describes it.  Does your business have integrity? 

Make sure your business is reliable, honest and fair.  You will go farther if these qualities are engrained in you and your employees.