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How to Get the Most Out of Every Networking Event

Networking events can be wonderful opportunities to generate leads and make new business contacts, or they can represent wasted hours that would be better spent on other parts of your business. The difference, more often than not, is in the approach you take. To help give you a better idea of what we mean, here are a few easy ways to get more from every networking event… Plan Ahead – look to see what kinds of people will be at the event, and put some thought into your strategy. To whom do you want to introduce yourself, and what kind of impression do you want to leave them with? Look […]

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Posted in Networking

Networking for Lead Generation: 6 Quick Tips

Are you doing lots of networking, but not getting the leads you’re hoping for? Or, thinking of mingling with other business owners and professionals but don’t know how to get started? How many times have you given out your business card at a networking event, just to have no leads? Either way, we’ve got you covered. Here are  quick tips to help you start getting more leads from every networking event… Be Selective Where You Network You can’t get leads if you’re networking with the wrong kinds of people. Even if you’re only attending events on a monthly basis, be selective about which ones you show up to. Take a […]

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Posted in Networking, Tips

Tracking Your Networking Success (or Lack Thereof)

In our recent blog post, Networking is Still a Viable Way to Grow a Business, we talked about five tips to help determine what types of networking groups are best for you to join. But once you find groups that are a good fit for you and your business, how do you track the actual effectiveness of the group to see if it’s generating business leads, or business insights, on a regular basis? Assuming that you are a regular attendee of the group, is it really worth your while? To answer these questions, you’ll first need to determine your intention for joining the group in the first place (which hopefully […]

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Posted in Networking, Tips

Networking is Still a Viable Way to Grow a Business

There was a time when a handshake was our social media. Live conversation, awkward pauses, and the exchange of business cards were our means of disseminating information to each other. And although the Internet has permanently changed the business landscape, networking is still an excellent way for many businesses to be more involved in the community, and grow their business. That being said, you may not want to join the very first association or group you stumble upon. Doing some research to find a networking group that offers value to you and your business — either with educational opportunities, or potential to meet customers in your niche — can go […]

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Posted in Marketing, Networking, Tips

Creating a Successful LinkedIn Page, Part 3: Adding Connections

How many LinkedIn connections do you have? Did you know that the amount of connections on your LinkedIn account affects where LinkedIn ranks you? As a matter of fact, if you can attain 500+ connections, LinkedIn considers you a “power user,” which can give your page an immense boost in authority. Now just hold on, before you go and attempt to connect with everyone in your “people you may know” section, let’s examine legitimate ways to increase your connections so you can rise up in the LinkedIn algorithm while extending your reach on LinkedIn. 1. Search for colleagues you know (or knew) at your current job, as well as previous […]

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Posted in Networking, Social Media Marketing, Tips

Creating a Successful LinkedIn Page, Part 2: Skills & Endorsements

Have you ever received an email from LinkedIn stating you’ve been endorsed? It’s always a nice feeling to know that someone you know took the time to give you a shout-out for a specific skill. But what about when the skill is something irrelevant, or something you don’t want highlighted? The good news is that you now have much more control over the “Skills & Endorsements” section of your LinkedIn profile page. Even better news is that this section can have a positive effect on the value of your LinkedIn page, which means you’ll rank higher when people are looking for what you do. Let’s take a look at how […]

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Posted in Networking, Social Media Marketing, Tips

How the Wrong Marketing Piece Can Kill Your Tradeshow or Networking Event

The success of a tradeshow or networking can literally make or break your company. In fact, entire businesses and careers have been built from sales made in a few precious moments face-to-face with prospects and important decision-makers. But, too many business leaders ignore the importance of the marketing materials they bring to tradeshows, conventions, and other similar gatherings – particularly their business cards, fliers, and brochures. It’s not an overstatement to say that the wrong piece, even just one poorly designed one, can kill any progress or sales opportunities you might have made otherwise. Here are five of the biggest reasons why: 1. You want to stand out in a […]

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Posted in Advertising, Networking, Print & Package Design

The Sure-Fire Approach to Social Media Marketing

I really recommend using digital marketing and social media for your local business to help promote and amplify your brand online, to help drive online engagement with your website and, as a bonus, bring some more sales to you. Where small businesses often get digital marketing wrong is:  digital marketing is not a silver bullet for your company’s marketing.  It’s definitely not the only thing to do, and if you think it’s your sure-fire, quick-fix way to market yourself to a booming business then you’re going to be very disappointed. In my opinion, the biggest benefit of digital marketing is the ability to initiate and foster online relationships by directing […]

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Posted in Advertising, Branding, Networking, Social Media Marketing, Tips

How to Incorporate Social Media into a Print Campaign

A recent study by the Pivot Conference discovered that 37% of marketers plan to be more active in their social media campaigns in 2012. Why the push for social media? It appears as though people are beginning to grasp the benefits of a social media arm inside of their marketing strategy. There are a number of different ways to incorporate social media into your customer outreach programs but most of them are web based. How can you use your print marketing to boost your social media interaction? The easiest way to bring social media to your print materials is to include your social media information, Facebook web address, your Twitter […]

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Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Networking, Social Media Marketing, Tips

Creating a Social Media Campaign for Trade Shows

A trade show is a major investment in time and money for a business, but it can also be one of the most valuable marketing opportunities around. The challenge is to really create an impression at the trade show so people remember your company and not your competitors (and your competition is probably just down the aisle). Social media can help you get a leg up on your competition and make a stop at your booth a must for all attendees. And, if done properly, the constant reinforcement of your company name and message on social media will make you more memorable. A social media marketing plan for a trade […]

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Posted in Advertising, Networking, Social Media Marketing, Tradeshow Marketing

Create an Effective Social Media Plan

It seems we’re constantly barraged with social media today, from friends to corporate marketing strategies and everything in between. Because of the wide use and acceptance of social media it has become a very valuable marketing tool; so how do you take advantage of it to help your business? To create, develop and carry out an effective social media marketing plan there are three steps that you need to follow. The first step is to listen to what people are saying. Follow your company news, customers, clients etc on social media outlets to see what people are saying about you. Listen to both the positive and negative comments and try […]

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Posted in Marketing, Networking, Social Media Marketing, Tips

Social Media and Your Tradeshow

Remember the good old days of tradeshows; people approached your booth, you shook hands and met and exchanged business cards. Maybe you gave them a pen as a parting gift. Now, with social media  you can virtually meet the person months before the tradeshow, become Facebook friends, create a business circle on Google+, share business contacts and tips on LinkedIn, give them a virtual video tour of your company, and tweet them your every move; all before  you meet in person. By the time the tradeshow rolls around you can have a customized business plan and contract waiting for them at the tradeshow. So how do you go from one […]

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Posted in Advertising, Networking, Social Media Marketing, Tradeshow Marketing

5 Ways for Businesses to Get More Fans on Facebook

Social media is changing the way people communicate, there is no question about it and it’s not going away. A decade ago we heard of people not having land line phones and only using cellular phones and many of us couldn’t imagine living like that. Now, we hear that teens no longer have email accounts and that they’re using social media instead. This means that Facebook, Twitter, and whatever comes along next, are some of the most important forms of communication. If you’re already ahead of the curve and have a company Facebook page, then it’s time to turn your attention to acquiring more fans so you can reach more […]

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Posted in Networking, Social Media Marketing

3 Ways LinkedIn Can Help Your Business

LinkedIn is a social media website that helps professionals connect with each other and it provides a forum for people to find answers from experts in the field. It does seem a bit overwhelming and daunting at first, but people are using this site to find employees, new companies to work with, information and to network. If you want to take advantage of every opportunity available to your business then LinkedIn is a must. Join Groups If you join groups that are interested in the same areas you are or are based in the same field as your company, you’ve instantly got a professional base from which to find out […]

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Posted in Networking, Social Media Marketing, Website Design

The Most Important SEO Component

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is really a complex field that changes almost daily so if you’re a little confused, don’t worry almost everyone else is too. The key thing to remember is that SEO is crucial in today’s computer driven world, and here’s why. The three big search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo) are where most commercial traffic finds websites. If these search engines cannot find your website then almost no one else can find you as well. By optimizing your site to “play nice” with the major search engines you’re more likely to get found by them and by potential customers. In a nutshell, that’s why SEO is important. Why […]

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Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Networking, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Tips

Social Media Networking

Everyone has heard the adage that it’s not what you know but who you know.  Now, while what you know is important, it is true that in business who you know is critical. You could be the best hair stylist around, but if no one knows you and what you do, how will you ever get any business. Networking with other professionals and people in the community not only gets your company name out there, it creates a personal connection that is more appealing to people than simply a listing in a telephone book or on the internet. Today we’re in the midst of a networking revolution with the rapid […]

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Posted in Networking, Social Media Marketing, Tips

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