As I continue my review of Facebook Fan Pages I have joined I thought it would be helpful to share this blog post. It is from a really cool blog called Indie Business.
Now, this is what I am going to do. I will review the article on improving your fan page. I just joined the Indie Business Fan page and will study the information and how they format their site.
I am not a Facebook Fan Page expert so it is in my best interest to stand on some tall shoulders. Remember, I am a baby boomer and that is how we do things, right? So, take a few minutes to read this power-packed article on enhancing your fan page.
Please share whatever changes you made to your fan page as a result.
Oh, did I tell you that their fan page has 1,031 fans? They must be doing something right!
I was just uploading my logo to my Ebay invoices and wondered how much we really use our logos online. What do our logos say about us and about our business?
If you look at my logo you see that it is an attempt to capture the myraid forms of communication. For us it includes online talk, offline talk, plus more all connecting with powerful diversity.
I hope that my logo shares the combined business efforts of both Ray and myself. As an artist Ray is teaching, training and teleporting folks into his art as much as possible.
This is another excellent post which is part of the
Boomer Credit Fitness Series
By Morlino and Lathea Morris
Business Credit and Capital: How to Get it
& Who to Get it From
Having access to capital is vital to the success of your business. However, due to the current condition of capital markets – getting capital or credit can be a difficult, if not an insurmountable challenge. So what do you do? Well, continuing to waste your valuable time trying to convince a traditional bank to loan you capital, approve a line of credit or credit card is not the answer. It’s Time For You to Investigate Alternative Sources of Capital & Credit! Most business owners have no idea about the numerous alternative funding sources
Join Special Guest Presenters along with Lathea Morris who will lead this teleseminar. She’s an entrepreneur andsmall business professional trainer who in many circles is known as the “Credit Guru.” She knows about capital resources – who to consider doing business with and who to stay away from. This is a Unique Opportunity to Learn About:
Alternative sources of capital and credit
How to get access to these resources
The new rules of credit and steps to take before applying for capital
Business credit scores
Never before has it been a time so urgent for small business owners to get practical advice on how to take advantage of alternative funding options. Register Now! Get a 10% Discount – Put in code:myguest01
May of us now may be looking to save money with our cell phones. Of course that depends on if you have a cell phone. But if you do this video produced by Bank of America was clear, short and informative. They even gave the pros and cons and decided on the winner.
It does appear that negotiation techniques would be an excellent video also. How do you negotiate for a better phone plan? What are the words you should say? What about your tone of voice? Any suggestuons? I will wait to hear from you before I call Verizon.
Are you making mistakes with your SMM? (Social Media Marketing)
I am honored to have Pam Lontos, a Public Relations Specialist as a guest blogger today. She has a powerful message on Social Media Marketing for every baby boomer business owner who has taken the plunge into the world of social media.
The Top 5 Mistakes of Social Media Marketing
By Pam Lontos
The Top 5 Mistakes of Social Media Marketing
By Pam Lontos
As a business owner, you already know the importance of utilizing traditional PR – print, radio and TV exposure – to keep your name circulating in the marketplace. Now, however, there’s a new PR outlet you need to become familiar with. It’s called Social Media Marketing, and when combined with your traditional PR efforts, Social Media Marketing can help you penetrate the marketplace with your message quicker and easier than ever before.
What is Social Media Marketing? It’s utilizing the various social networking sites to enforce your brand and market your business. A social networking site is simply an online meeting place. Think of it like an eHarmony or Match.com for business people. On such sites, people can post a profile with the hopes of meeting other like-minded professionals for business reasons.
According to the Nielsen Research Group, social networks and blogs have moved ahead of personal e-mail among the most popular online activities people engage in. Additionally, USA Today reports that the time spent on these sites is growing three times faster than the overall Internet rate. More than two-thirds of the world’s online population now visits social networking and blogging sites.
Knowing this, it’s clear that if you haven’t yet engaged in Social Media Marketing, the time to start is now. But before you do, you need to be aware of the top mistakes businesses make with this PR outlet so you can avoid them and get the biggest return for your marketing investment.
Mistake #1: Having more than one face on the Internet.
When you’re engaging in Social Media Marketing (called SMM from here on out) you’re really building your image from the ground up. The goal of SMM is to virally spread parts of your image across the Internet. The word “parts” is important. Basically, you’re starting with a holographic image of yourself in the virtual world. You then need to break that hologram apart and find the appropriate places on the Internet where you can frame certain pieces of that hologram.
When someone looks at all the pieces at the various sites, they should be able to put them together to see a single whole. They should not see multiple images of who you are, as that would ruin your credibility. Therefore, if you have multiple Facebook accounts, for example, your personal one has to be hidden and by invitation only. You don’t want that other image out there confusing people and possibly diminishing your reputation.
Mistake #2: Collecting friends.
SMM is how you create instant buzz on the Internet by getting the same message out over and over. It’s spreading your message and getting yourself branded so you can get more business. Social networking, on the other hand, is about making friends. For example, you’ve likely seen someone on LinkedIn who has 25,000+ contacts. That’s great, but what do you do with all those contacts? Remember, just because you have a phone book in your office doesn’t mean you can open the book at random, pick a name, and call them for business.
When you collect a contact, you’re supposed to be opening the door to exchange information and build a relationship. Think of it as relationship marketing in the 21st century, and the same rules apply. The only difference is that you’re building the relationship online rather than over coffee.
Mistake #3: Putting out the wrong messages.
You’ve likely seen people put posts on Twitter or Facebook that say something like, “John Smith is watching a great movie and eating popcorn.” Such messages may be fine for personal networks, but for business networks you need to put out messages that are useful to your readers. In other words, don’t talk about yourself. You want to give valuable tips and advice so that the people who read your posts want to repost them to their own sites. That’s how your message spreads virally.
The key is to keep your messages consistent. Remember that people are subscribing to various feeds in order to get your information. They are essentially saying that your message has value. That’s why you can’t do a series of sales tips and then post a couple of your favorite omelet recipes. You have to stay on message, and your message has to be for your readers.
With that said, it is okay to occasionally have a press release type message that says something like, “John Smith is speaking at ABC Convention on employee productivity today.” Such a message does two things: 1) It tells people they might not get a tip today or tomorrow because you’re busy, and 2) It shows that other big-wigs out there think your message is important. It’s a positive reinforcement that boosts your credibility, so long as you don’t do it too frequently.
Mistake #4: Posting inappropriate information.
Don’t allow yourself or anyone on your site to post anything online that you don’t want your most conservative client to see. You never know where something will end up, especially since the nature of the Internet is for things to spread virally. For example, a CEO of a corporation had a picture of himself and his girlfriend on a topless beach in Mexico. In the photo she’s riding on his shoulders with her breasts exposed. For some reason, he decided to post the photo on his personal invitation-only Facebook site.
The only problem is that he was married. His wife (or rather, his now ex-wife) saw the photo. How? Someone on his invitation-only Facebook account thought it was a great picture and decided to repost it on the public Internet. To top it all off, his board of directors got wind of the photo and fired him. Now he’s no longer employable in that field or that position again. The moral of this story: Never post anything on any site that you wouldn’t personally show your own grandmother.
Mistake #5:
Assuming that it is better to have your message in only one place on the Internet.
In the “old days” of the Internet, people believed they had to keep all their content on their own Web site. The theory was that spreading it out ruined your credibility and diminished your reputation as being a unique business. Not so today. In fact, with SMM, the opposite is true. The more places you can get your message to appear simultaneously, the more effective your message will be.
Think of it as constructing a funnel. You want to lay several trails of information, all of which lead to your main site. Therefore, no matter how someone stumbles upon you, as long as they “follow the trail,” they’ll eventually find you. That’s essentially what you’re doing with your Twitters and other SMM messages. You’re putting out kernels of information. If someone wants the next kernel, they have to follow the trail. Eventually it funnels them to one Web site, which is where you wanted them to be anyway. You’re creating an environment where people see your message everywhere. As a result, you now have their attention and you have the opportunity to sell your product, your services, or whatever you’re selling at that point of distribution.
Here’s an example of the power of funneling: Recently Aaron Chronester posted a message on Twitter. Someone saw his post and reposted it on their blog. CNN and the New York Times found the post interesting and reported on it. Because of that exposure, Chronester got a book deal from Simon and Schuster. So, what was his post about? Current events? Global warming? A tell-all celebrity biography? Nope. It was a Twitter post with a unique bacon recipe, as Chronester was trying to get publicity for a barbeque club he belonged to. That’s how powerful funneling your message can be.
Get Noticed with SMM
The marketplace is changing, and you have to change with it. Your name has to be everywhere – in print, on radio, on TV, and on the social networking sites. The more you can get your name and message circulating in the various mediums, the higher your chances of clients seeing your information and ultimately hiring you. Thanks to SMM you can get your message out to thousands of people in an instant. And the results are greater credibility, more exposure, and higher sales – all of which positively impact your bottom line.
Pam Lontos is president of PR/PR, a public relations firm based in Orlando, Fla. She is author of “I See Your Name Everywhere” and is a former vice president of sales for Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting. PR/PR has placed clients in publications such as USA Today, Entrepreneur, Time, Reader’s Digest and Cosmopolitan. PR/PR works with established businesses, as well as entrepreneurs who are just launching their company. For a free publicity consultation, e-mail Pam@prpr.net or call 407-299-6128. To receive free publicity tips, go to www.PRPR.net and register for the monthly e-newsletter, PR/PR Pulse!
Trust these 42 online web tools because the author, Lisa Irby is showcasing a deep well of expertise. My hubby, Ray Horner, saw her on Facebook while watching a video post made by my friend Karen of Midlife’s a Trip. Then I get another email blast from Kevin, of Humorous Reality. With those referrals from top notch baby boomers I knew I had to check her out.
Once you read Lisa’s about page you are ready to put down the TV remote and just absorb all the well written and clearly explained blog posts and view the information satuated videos.
Why?
Well, not because she is probably the daughter of a really cool baby boomer, but because she is passionate, results-oriented and knows her stuff.
I honestly do not know much about reverse mortgages. However, I do know that many baby boomers have different opinions about them. I am posting an article from a guest blogger. However, I welcome other articles on this subject that may or may not be in agreement. I also welcome your comments and experiance with reverse mortagages.
My goal is to present information that will add clarity for baby boomers who are exploring this option for their parents. Thank you
A Mortgage That Will Bring a Smile to Your Parents
Courtesy of By Sam Telford from Reverse Mortgage Advisors
Here’s an interesting and informative bit of news for “Baby Boomers” looking to make their parents’ life happy and peaceful without taking a burden on their shoulders! You can take a reverse mortgage loan for your parents if they own a home, this will ensure that they live the rest of their lives with pride and honor. By doing so, you ensure that you continue saving your hard-earned money and at the same time do not compromise with your parents’ lifestyle. Amazing, isn’t it! Surely you would like to know more about reverse mortgages, how exactly they work, and how your parents as well as you can benefit from them. So here goes!
If the borrower is above 62 years of age and needs a constant source of income to sustain a decent lifestyle, he/she can go ahead and apply for a reverse mortgage. A reverse mortgage is a special type of loan that assists senior citizens to convert a portion of their home equity, built up over the years of mortgage payments, into ready cash. Unlike other types of mortgages, the borrower does not need to make any repayments as long as he/she continues using the home as his/her primary residence. In case there is an existing mortgage on the home, it needs to be paid off using some of the proceeds from the reverse mortgage.
Surely, if you are a “Baby Boomer,” you would not qualify for a reverse mortgage as it requires the borrower to be above 62 years of age. However, this special type of loan is ideal for your parents. Reverse mortgages are rapidly becoming popular in the U.S. because of the benefits that it offers. For all senior citizens, a reverse mortgage can assist them in:
Maintaining a decent lifestyle and being financially independent
Leading a secure life with the comfort that they are not a burden to anybody
Paying off their daily bills that includes the telephone bill, electricity bill, and grocery bill as well as maintaining their home
Staying in their sweet home for the rest of their lives and without any restrictions on how to use the received money
Retaining total ownership of the home and ensuring no tax deduction on the proceeds
Living with pride and honor as well as purchasing gifts for children and grandchildren
Traveling to various destinations without having to ask for money from children
With so many benefits for senior citizens, a reverse mortgage is a blessing in disguise. In addition, it is a government-backed procedure that ensures no one loses in the bargain. Not only this, reverse mortgage also offers a lot of benefits to all you “Baby Boomers” who encourage your parents to go ahead for reverse mortgage.
Without paying a penny from your pocket, you ensure that your parents live a decent lifestyle with pride and honor.
You continue saving your hard-earned money while ensuring that your parents pay off all their bills without having to depend on you.
The home continues to be in your parents’ name; therefore, they never need to look for a residence.
You continue to have a healthy and happy relationship with your parents without ever feeling that they are a burden.
After the home is sold off and the existing debt is paid off, all the extra money comes across to you
However, one fact that you should know about; is that reverse mortgage is a loan that has increasing debt and decreasing equity. This means that the longer thr reverse mortgage lasts, the less will be the equity of the home. Therefore, when the home is eventually sold off, you as an inheritor will get less money. However, the abundance of benefits that reverse mortgage offers to senior citizens as well as their children overshadows this meager fact! Moreover, such a fact should never stop you from encouraging your parents to go ahead for reverse mortgage. For all the pain and compromises your parents made to ensure that you are entitled to a decent lifestyle, this is the least that you can do for them; make sure that they live comfortably in their own home for the rest of their lives.
I simply love the Dolans. They are two of the finest baby boomer role models I know. I used to listen to them on the radio all the time. So I was delighted to find them online. Here is an article on saving money for you to enjoy.
Their site is a powerful resource so be sure to keep it around by putting it into your RSS reader or bookmarking it.
Multicultural issues and our understanding of those issues are becoming more critical. I found out today that a speaker collegue and expert in cultural diversity has been busy addressing some of the major multicultural issues via a collaboration with Universities and major businesses.
Well, you must know that Carole Copeland Thomas is a baby boomer woman of class and distinction who has crossed the globe with her messages of cultural unity. Yet, she is not alone, there are others with the same message who are expanding into the social marketing arena to increase the scope of discussions. At some point I want to feature more of those experts. This will be my way of helping us all to work together and understand each other.
Carole Has Developed A Multicultural Symposium Series.
You can become a member of the 2009 Multicultural Symposium Series and participate in the hottest multicultural movement of our time. Now you, your organization, and your staff can stay connected to the latest developments in the field of multiculturalism, global diversity, and inclusion.
If you have been hanging out on this site you know how passionate I am about ABOUT pages. So here is a portion of the page which features the efforts of the Multicultural Symposium Series.
The Multicultural Symposium Series (MSS) will create new opportunities for academia, business, government, education, students, and the community at large to build new strategic alliances that will forge stronger relationships across the global divisions of ethnicity, race, gender, economics, age, religion, politics, class, and
ideological differences.
MSS Is A Collaborative Partnership with Bentley University
Carole Copeland Thomas of C. Thomas & Associates has formed a strategic partnership with Bentley College to produce a twice-yearly
Multicultural Symposium Series and other related activities at Bentley University.
Goals
•Reinforce cultural bridges
•Strengthen retention and recruitment efforts within business, education,
and non-profit organizations
•Create new dialogue within the multicultural community and beyond
•Bridge the gap between academia, business, government, education,
healthcare, students, and community groups
•Provide an ongoing platform for cross cultural exchange, conversation,
ideas, and partnerships
What Makes This Unique:
An Ongoing Dialogue With Global Communication
Between Each Symposium
Unlike most conventions and conferences held on an annual basis, this initiative will be different from the start. Ongoing dialogue will be developed so that each symposium will NOT be a stand alone event.
Each event will be interconnected to the total framework of the Symposium Series.
Ongoing Activities Linked To Each Other
Each symposium will build on the strength of the previous events by using technological resources:
• An Interactive Website with Social Networking Capabilities
• Electronic Newsletter
• List Serv Creation For A Virtual Online Community
• Teleconference Series on Key Topics
• Webinar Series On Multicultural Issues
• Focus Groups
• Other relevant communication instruments
• Projected initial online community 3000-5000 participants
• Four Color Print Magazine (2011-2012)
Catch The Remaining Webinars
There are still a few remaining webinars scheduled for this month that you can view. But the earlier webinars are also still available. So if you are serious about the issues related to multiculturism than spend some time participating in some of the efforts of this exception symposium.
Note, that Carole’s contact information is also available so you can chat with her yourself.
BackType is a site that allows you to search for old comments made by you on blog posts. I found out about it only this morning when I saw a google alert. I have also seen a comment, made on a blog about this site, where one blogger felt this new site was Google Alert on steroids.
What Does The About Page Say?
The ABOUT page on the site says:
BackType is a service that lets you find, follow and share comments from across the web. Whenever you fill out the “Website” or “URL” field in a comment form when you publish a comment on a blog or other website, BackType attributes it to you. We give comment authors a profile featuring all the comments they’ve written on the Internet. If you don’t have a website to use when you fill out comment forms, sign up and use one of ours.
So What? How Will Baby Boomers Benefit?
This baby boomer has found several cool benefits that evolve out of their innovative features.
You will be able to get alerts on any blog post you made whenever a COMMENT has been made to your post. This alert will be sent directly to your mail box. You just need to use the SUBSCRIPTION feature. Of course, you probably have your blog settings so that you are already notified of comments. But here you can moniter ALL the comments via RSS feeds. So when I finish and publish this post I will submit the url to this post.
You can submit a post url to some hot discussion you read on a blog by using the CONNECT feature. Even if you did not make a comment you can check out what other people are saying on places like , Friendfeed, Blogger, Twitter, etc. Imagine reviewing posts on politics, sports and other issues. Did someone say what you meant to say but because you did not want anyone to know what you were thinking just did not say it.
Just like Google Alerts, you can moniter conversations related to your brand or any term you want to stay informed about. But According to the site authors, BackType is the only site that will follow mentions in BLOG COMMENTS.
Twtter like follow on comments you make. What I mean is, just like Twitter, when you click on the PEOPLE tab you are able to follow other folks and they can follow your comments. Right now the person with the highest number of followers is super blogger Chris Brogan. It becomes another social network just for your blog comments.
SO WHAT HAVE I DONE?
I set up an account for Blogging Betty Boomer. She(I) have a Twitter ID with that name and entered that information also. I also began to follow some folks who don’t have a lot or any folks following them. I noticed, as I keyed in some names, that some folks show up with different websites and names they have used to make comments.
Yes, you do not have to use your real name. But what ever name you often use to make comments on sites and the associated website.
I will probably go back and do accounts for names I often use, like my real name. But, for now I will play and learn. I also realized how many sites I need a presence in besides Facebook. They provide a way to import all the comments you have made on sites like Vox, Friendfeed and 11 other sites. How cool. Some I am on with my real name but imagine having a presence with your branded name as well as with your regular name. Or, if you are involved in a non-profit you can establish a presence in these sites and do relevant comment tracking. Umm
It seems to be fun and useful so join me in this exploration. Remember, we babyboomers must always be willing to learn something new. Funny, I just wrote that on a new site I put up based on one of my key notes, My Best Is Yet To Come.
