Video: Get More And Better Clients With Social Media

The video recording of a webinar I hosted last August 26, presenting a fresh way to look at how to use Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) in conjunction with your blogs and web sites to get more and better clients:




This was also a technology test
Screen Broadcasting: Glance http://www.glance.net
Session Recording: Camtasia for Mac http://www.techsmith.com

To join or not to join (WebWorkerDaily)

An interesting article (that I agree with) on WebWorkerDaily:

“We all need to make choices about how we spend our time, and you should not feel pressured to join a social site just because other people have joined. Think about how you want to spend your time and decide whether or not you want to spend less time on another activity to make more time to participate on Twitter or Facebook. There’s no need for everyone to join.”
- Dawn Foster

Link to article: To Join, or Not to Join: That Is the Question
http://webworkerdaily.com/2009/08/05/to-join-or-not-to-join-that-is-the-question/

Social media is a great tool to build credibility

Social media is an excellent tool to build your credibility. On Facebook you build credibility through content, on LinkedIn you build credibility by your connections, on Twitter it's your conversations that count.

Build your credibility by becoming a content creator

As a solo professional, you probably understand the importance of demonstrating your competence in order to build credibility. So on your website you post a description of who you are and what you offer. And if you are particularly detail-oriented, you have a link to your current resumé and a list of customers, selected showcase projects and even some testimonials from happy clients. This should be more than enough to convince your prospect of your qualifications for the job, right?

But what if I told you that all this information has but a minor influence on the opinion your prospects make of you ... what would you do?

Let's be frank: your prospective customers attach little importance to testimonials, client lists and sample projects, because they know that you show only the most glowing reviews (that is, if you didn't invent the whole thing from scratch, or so they might believe).

Remember the old saying: "Don't tell me what you can do for me, show me!" The most effective way to establish your credibility and to attract clients who recognize your value and who are willing to commit, is to demonstrate your expertise.

Photographers, graphic designers, filmmakers, painters and other creative professionals know the value of a portfolio. They accumulate examples of their work to demonstrate their expertise to potential customers. But in professional services, when your products are intangible, how do you accumulate the evidence that establishes your credibility?

Any professional who wants to develop and demonstrate their credibility must become a content creator. By generating articles, videos, photos and other types of content, you make your experience more tangible. Quality content that makes you credible is much more attractive than slick advertising or vague promises.

There are five types of content you can create to present your expertise:

1. "Education": lessons and recommendations that emerge from your experience with your customers (for example, case studies);
2. "Demonstration": Describe how to do something related to your specialty (for example, this "how to" article);
3. "Opinion": Your comments on situations or the news, always related to your specialty and how you want to be known. Your opinion demonstrates how you interpret situations and propose solutions. Be careful to remain respectful and politically neutral;
4. "Recommendation": Provide resources (books, articles, videos, contacts) related to your specialty;
5. "Information": Communicating news about your specialty, passing along items from the media demonstrating various aspects of what you do (example: a tax specialist passing along news of changes to the law).

There are various ways to deliver your content. Keep it simple, choose media and communication styles that come naturally to you, for example:

- Writing articles;
- Short online videos (YouTube) or audio (podcast style through BlogTalkRadio);
- Record your presentations, speeches, seminars, Toastmasters speeches;
- Photos or illustrations, etc..

The important thing is to create content that communicates your ideas with your communication style and your voice.

Develop a steady pace in generating your content, whether monthly, weekly or daily. Your content need not be extensive: it is better to be short and precise. It's the frequency that matters, so if you want more prospects, increase the pace of your output.

Establish a central location to display your content, even if it is distributed to several locations. Your business blog is the preferred place to store your information. I also recommend that you host the best content on your main website, either in whole or through hyperlinks. The more often your content is refreshed, more search engines will locate it, and you will be easier to find.

The time, effort and money you invest in generating quality content to build your professional portfolio will result in a strong positioning and loyal customers. By demonstrating your expertise, you will be able to power your Vision from Passion to Profit!

Facebook for Solopreneurs: About Personal, Fan and Group pages

Facebook is a great tool to establish a loyal network, demonstrate your competence and build trust and credibility. However, to do so, you need to understand how to position yourself on Facebook in an effective manner.

As a solopreneur on Facebook, you need to set up three kinds of pages:


1. Your personal page, under your own real name.

The basic building block of Facebook is the personal page, where you show your real self. You seek out friends and friends will seek you out based on your personal name, building a personal network, the basic network of Facebook.

On Facebook, almost any type of business, Fan or Group page must first be created by an identifiable individual, which is why having a personal page is important.

You must use a personal name for your personal page. Even if most of what you post on your personal wall is about your business project, this is not the place to make offers or solicit clients. Also, remember that everything you post on your personal page goes out to all of your Facebook Friends, so only share information that builds on the personal positioning you want to project.

Having a personal page also builds your personal credibility and helps people begin to trust you. Remember: people don't get excited about doing business with businesses, they prefer to do business with people.

2. A Fan page, under your business name.

Your Fan page is the "personal page" of your business, and is where people join to keep in touch about your business. By joining your Fan page, they give you permission for you to contact them specifically about your business. You can also post updates about what your business is doing. Your Fans can also post comments on your business wall. With a Fan page you have a lot of control over what is posted.

People who join as a Fan of your business may or may not be a personal "Facebook Friend" of your personal page (this is a good thing). It is also a kind of vote of confidence in your business.

Setting up a Fan page is somewhat hidden: Go to the bottom of your Personal page, click "Advertising" then at the top of the Advertising page click "Pages" then on the Pages page click the green "Create a new page" button. Then follow the prompts. There is no charge to have a Fan page for your business.

3. One (or several) Group pages, each focusing on a specific offer or interest.

Your Group pages focus on a specific area of interest (your target market) or offers (like your Standing Invite of a teleclass, webinar or web radio show). On Group pages you can set up events or notices. Group pages are like a mailing list for your specific Standing Invite Offer.

Be careful not to have too many Group pages, however you should have at least one Group page representing your key Standing Invite.

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The three types of Facebook pages are designed to work together. Do not try to shortcut the process by trying to set up a personal page with your business name. Sooner or later you will hit a wall and all your work will be wasted.

This may be a bit confusing at first, but once you get started establishing a Facebook presence, after 3 to 6 months you can have a great platform to build your network, and demonstrate your competence and credibility. Asking for help from a coach will shorten the development cycle and accelerate your results.

For more information about getting started with Facebook, check out my article "How to get started on Facebook as a solopreneur" http://en.davender.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=119&Itemid=31

Happy and prosperous Facebooking!

Five tips to get started with Twitter (and not get burned)

Twitter is a variation on instant messaging where you can communicate with people. Your entries ("tweets") are limited to 140 characters.

A lot has been said in the mainstream media about Twitter - which has also triggered a lot of misconceptions.

Twitter is a valuable tool for the solo-professional. Here are five tips to get started with Twitter:


1. Set up an account using your real name and a real profile.

Complete your Profile settings using your real name, a short description of who you are, your website, and upload a picture. Avoid using underscores (_) or numbers in your name. A natural-looking handle (screen name) will encourage people to "follow" (connect with) you. It is very important that you have a picture of you on your profile, otherwise your account will be regarded as spam by the users.

2. Use the "Find People" function to find and follow people you know that may be on Twitter

The core idea of Twitter is about having near-synchronous (near-real-time) conversations with people you know and trust. Start building your network by seeking out a dozen people you know, and learn how to use the system by interacting with them. ( https://twitter.com/invitations/find_on_twitter )

You may read about the importance of following lots of people in order to have people following you. Over time you will develop a network. Do not blindly click left and right to build up to your 2000 follower limit, in hopes that some people will follow you. Do not use software to automatically "find" followers for you (they tend to be spam, and can get you banned).

Once you start to get the hang of Twitter with your "starter group", then you can start to branch out to connect with people you have not yet met. You can ask your current network for suggestions. Twitter also has a custom that Friday is #followfriday where people recommend other Twitter users that are worth following.

Give yourself some time, and you will build a natural audience for your tweets.

3. On Twitter, content is king.

The media likes to make fun of Twitter because of the many examples of inane and pointless chatter that goes on about what they had for breakfast.

Ignore them.

The real magic of Twitter is what one Tweeter @jayrosen_nyu calls "mindcasting" - the sharing of ideas.

What I appreciate about Twitter is that I can share ideas, insights, questions I'm asking myself (and others), in order to spark conversations.

Start your Twitter experience by sharing two or three ideas a day: observations, maybe one favorite quote, maybe a question you are pondering. Be concise, don't use too many abbrev. If you can't fit want you want to say into 140 characters, reconsider your thought to boil it down to its essence. Twitter is a great exercise in clarity.

Once you start tweeting interesting stuff (see below) you will attract a loyal following. Good content will get you hundreds of followers in a matter of weeks, without spamming.

4. Instead of using Twitter through the web page, use specialized tools.

The Twitter web site is not built for extensive use. The real magic of Twitter comes from the large universe of specialized tools that use the Twitter messaging system but organize the information in ways much easier to understand. Here are two free apps that I recommend (you only need one of them):

- TweetDeck (PC, Mac, Linux): Tweetdeck is a social media browser application that allow you to manage the information you get from your Twitter, Facebook and other systems. It works on any computer through Adobe Air (free). Strengths: being able to organize my social messaging in easy-to-understand groups. You can follow, reply, search and manage your Twitter account through TweetDeck. Only downside, it takes up a whole screen. Get it at http://tweetdeck.com

- Twhirl (PC, Mac, Linux): Twhirl is another social media browser. I prefer its compact interface especially on my small-screen netbook. I really like the search function - I set a couple of search profiles (on my name, on topics of interest) and it automatically returns the latest tweets from anywhere on the search terms. I find it works better in Mac and Linux than TweetDeck (personal opinion). Get it at http://www.twhirl.org/

As you get more into the social networking way of communicating, you will discover other apps that are more tuned to your way of viewing information. The great thing is that all of these tools are FREE.

5. Budget your Twitter time

Twitter can be a huge timesink, especially when you start out. After many wasted hours, I finally understood that the smart way to use Twitter is to consider it as a "timestream" - it relentlessly moves forward. I dip into the timestream when I have a few minutes here and there, catching up on conversations, contributing some tweets, then move to my next activity.

I suggest you start by setting aside two or three 15-minute periods a day doing the following:

- responding to an interesting comment or question, whether I know the person or not (in Twitter, we are all one big family)

- Retweeting or RT-ing (forwarding) an interesting tweet to your follower network. Retweeting is a way to signal that you like the tweet, and RTs are a measure the popularity of a tweet

- Suggesting a link to an interesting article, blog post, website or video (yours or some else's. The proper way to pass on a link is to summarize the idea or title, followed by a shortened link. Most Twitter apps like Tweetdeck or Twhirl will automatically shorten the link for you. Or you can use link shortening sites like http://www.tinyurl.com or http://www.is.gd Keep your links short to maximize the use of your 140 characters.

- Sharing an idea, thought, or question. This is the fun part of Twitter, where you are contributing to the conversation. Tweet ideas that reinforce your personal positioning or brand (i.e. don't get too personal, stay clean, remember that you are posting on a very public bulletin board). By tweeting intelligent, provocative, funny or emotive tweets, you will start to attract interest, your tweets will be retweeted, and you will gain a following.

- Seeking interesting people to follow, by clicking on handles (@username) in other people's tweets. I like to look at people's tweets before I decide to follow (subscribe) to them. You are the ultimate decider of what you want in your twitterstream, so only follow people you find interesting (following is not reciprocal, in that because you follow someone, they don't follow you until they decide to, and vice-versa)

It may look like some people are spending all of their waking hours (and some sleeping hours) tweeting. Don't fall into that trap. 30-45 minutes a day is more than enough to derive a good benefit from Twitter.

Be inclusive, conversational and interesting and you will build a following that is interested in your thoughtstream. With your Twitter group, aim for quality people instead of quantity.

As you become more comfortable with Twitter, you can then progress to the intermediate level, where you can start to use Twitter to build your brand and attract prospects.

Happy Tweeting!

p.s. Please follow me @coachdavender or http://twitter.com/coachdavender , and let me know your Twitter name so I can follow you!

This Week: More Clients, Your Web Site, Content Marketing, Business Networking

Tuesday, February 10, 2:00pm-2:30pm Eastern
"Get More And Better Clients" Accountability Group with Davender

30 minutes of Laser-Focused Accountability, focused on helping you develop your network and get qualified referrals so you can book More and Better Clients. Report your successes big and small from the previous week, and share your Big Hairy Audacious Action Step for the next seven days! Your action step should be focused on Getting More and Better Clients, using the Networking strategies based on "Book Yourself Solid" by Michael Port (Networking, Direct Outreach, Referral and Keep-In-Touch)

With Coach Davender
Conference Dial-in Number: (218) 339-4600 Participant Access Code: 191192#
(live teleconference, FREE - you pay the long-distance toll to the conference number)
This accountability call normally takes place every Tuesday at 2pm Eastern, same number. Join us!


Tuesday, February 10, 8pm-8:45pm Eastern
"Get More and Better Clients" Open Telecoaching with Coach Davender
Your Web Site: Four Myths and Fallacies That Could Cost You!

An open discussion about various aspects of attracting More and Better Clients so you can Power your Big Dream from Passion To Profit... without selling your soul!

Are you thinking of spending big money on a new web site (or improving the one you have)? Then you need to be aware of the myths and fallacies that could cost you, big time! In this telediscussion we well explore four widely held (but misguided) beliefs about web sites. You will also discover tips, tools and techniques that will save you thousands of dollars, as well as help you generate true trust and credibility on and off the Web.

With Coach Davender - Tuesday, Feb 10 2009, 8pm-8:55pm Eastern
Conference Dial-in Number: (712) 432-0800 Participant Access Code: 556643#
(live teleconference, FREE - you pay the long-distance toll to the conference number)
See the other calls for February here: http://is.gd/iltv

Wednesday, February 11, 3PM-4PM Eastern
AuthorTeleseminars.com: Get Content Get Customers
Hosted by Elizabeth Marshall with with Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett, Brian Clark, Rohit Bhargava

This is the 2nd call in the Get Content Get Customers book tour featuring Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett and experts Brian Clark (copyblogger) and Rohit Bhargava (big following on twitter). Content-based marketing is a remarkable opportunity for you to connect with customers like never before. (Hint: there's much more to it than just writing articles and blog posts.) They will discuss the key shifts and steps you must take in order to effectively reach customers and to leverage this powerful way of marketing. Their first call was a BIG hit, so I know this one will be great as well. (Hint - their first call has me re-thinking some basic assumptions about how I'm marketing myself!)

Hosted by Elizabeth Marshall of AuthorTeleseminars.com
Register to get dial-in number and links to recordings of past calls:
http://www.authorteleseminars.com/getcontent2.html
See the other AuthorTeleseminars.com calls for February here: http://is.gd/iLHc

Friday, February 13, 2PM-2:30PM Eastern
Book Yourself Solid Radio with Coach Davender and Coach Wil Hart
Turbocharge your Network with Business Networking Groups

This week, Certified Book Yourself Solid Coach Davender Gupta will receive Certified BYS Coach Wil Hart to discuss Networking Groups, especially BNI (Business Networking International). Business Networking groups are a powerful tool to implement the Networking and Referral strategies of the Seven Core Self-Promotion strategies in the Book Yourself Solid method. Both Davender and Wil have extensive experience being part of these groups, and will share practical tips and advice on how to make them work for you. Wil is a fun and loving gentleman who gets excited about almost everything that is good. Life is invigorating and he makes it his aim to derive as much joy as possible from each day! Wil is passionate about working with people who run their own business. In January of 2006 Wil and his wife Sydni Craig started Craig Hart Consulting as a springboard for her to work from home. Since then, they have cultivated the business growth of many of their clients by utilizing simple methods which help entrepreneurs save time and increase their profits. Find Wil at http://www.craighartconsulting.com Join this spirited discussion about how the Book Yourself Solid System can help you achieve business success, even if you hate marketing and selling!

Listen live through the web at http://is.gd/iz99 and access past shows with hosts Davender Gupta and Trish Lambert at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bookyourselfsolid


See the full updated calendar at
http://www.visioneering-institute.com/calendar