Social networking is awesome for socializing, networking, and making new connections and friends. The important question when dealing with social media sites for business purposes is, what do you have to do to make it generate business leads and deals? I have three BIG suggestions I want to discuss today and I guarantee there will be more blog posts and suggestions on this topic in the future. 

 

 

1. Adapt to social media
2. Be the expert
3. Stay proactive, be proactive

 

– Find out what your competitors are doing on social networking sites, research who they are friends with, and research what they are posting. Social media is about staying ahead of the competition. In order to stay one step ahead every time you need to know what your competitors are doing, so you can plan how you’re going to strategize your social media efforts. 

 

 

– Treat your social media presence as a referral source. People will go to your page judge your postings, the content, and how you interact with the people who are commenting on your social media pages. Think of your social media pages as an email from a potential customer. If you didn’t get a response from that company for a week or more how would you feel about using their services? I know I wouldn’t feel as comfortable. It is the same with social media- stay active, stay engaged, and stay informed. You must know what is going on and stayed keyed in, in able to achieve credibility and generate business leads. Now if you find you don’t have time to keep up with social networking and the commitment is too much that’s when you give Social Marketing Solutions a call and we manage 100% of your social networking presence for you. 

 

 

Having someone else manage your social networking presence may be more time efficient as well as prosperous for your business. All of our social media managers are trained on how to make social media effective for every industry. We know what works, what doesn’t, what to say, and what to avoid. Our social media managers also know how to effectively reach your target audience leaving you time to sit back and close the business deals. So why carry the weight on your shoulders when Social Marketing Solutions can greatly help your company? Just give us a call today – 973-265-2833

Warmly,
Kelly Jones
Owner and Social Media Manager
Kelly@SocialMarketingSolutionsLLC.com
Cell- 973-722-3469

 If you’re not on at least the first page of your search results then your website needs some SEO work!
 

Getting started with my SEO work was an adventure. My website was created in August by Pinnacle Graphic Communications (didn't they do a great job?), but since I had such a new website and domain I was not anywhere to be found on search engines. 

 

 

After finding a few moments to begin my SEO research I began learning about different levels of SEO work. I looked into tons of different companies – some were very small with minimal work, some were huge with extensively monthly SEO updates. After deciding I was not going to spend thousands of dollars, I was luckily introduced to John Tully of DSM-LLC. John Tully and his team did a wonderful job of analyzing my key words, my websites strengths, my websites weaknesses, and he provided us with suggestions for how to improve. At a low price I realized I had a lot to learn, but I finally had a place to start. 

First off, I identified a list of a few things that were most important to me: 
1. What did I want to get accomplished?
2. How much was I willing to spend?
3. What is most important to me in relation to SEO (did I need to be on the first page or get to #1)?
4. Have I thought about keywords and how I can improve on my own?
5. How much time am I willing to invest weekly into SEO?

 

 

Identifying what you want to accomplish is the first step to moving forward with SEO. 
Without a plan things can get very confusing, very quickly.

For those who read my last post you may have read about my online marketing guru- Alexa Steele. I want to mention her again because, she truly is apart of my online marketing strategy and I wouldn't have the online presence I have without her help. After working with John Tully and Alexa Steele I am so thrilled to say that I now come up on the first page of Google (more often then not)! Alexa has truly helped me find my online identity and she keeps up with me to make sure I am not slacking! Out of anything I have done, it has been most beneficial to have a bi-weekly phone conference with Alexa so she can tell me how I am doing, and what I can improve on. I found if I don’t check in with Alexa I will not complete the tasks we discussed which in turn have positively impacted my online presence. 

 

 

 

SEO is extremely important. It makes a huge difference in who, what, and why people are viewing your website. Make sure your site is updated, clean, easy to search, and easy to navigate. 

 

 

Ask for help if you need it and I would highly recommend DSM- John Tully and The Website Wordsmith- Alexa Steele if you need further SEO assistance! 

Warmly, 
Kelly Jones
Kelly@SocialMarketingSolutionsLLC.com 
Owner and Social Media Manager
Social Marketing Solutions, LLC 

• Recently, within the past three months I have developed a newfound love for blogging. I was always told it is a great marketing tool, but to be honest, who has an extra hour every week to spend writing? Well, I am here to tell you I jumped on the bandwagon and it was the best decision I ever made. I find myself writing about situations I feel others may relate to, and if my experiences and advice can help someone else, then I am happy to devote an hour of my time to writing and helping others. 
• When asked the question, “I don’t have time to blog, what do you suggest?” I personally suggest taking a time to schedule weekly and devote it to helping others. Your brain, your suggestions, and your knowledge in your industry or your personal experiences can teach others so many things. You may not even understand the impact your blog has on someone, but think about the growth the blog could have if people are drawn to what you're writing about. Bottom-line, take time to blog. It is extremely beneficial for your brand and it is personally rewarding hearing feedback and expressing yourself in a new and exciting way. 

1. When you write a blog you are able to express your expertise and show off your knowledge to your fan base. 
2. Blogs help enhance your websites search engine optimization. SEO is something that takes time and is an ongoing process; why not bump up your SEO with a blog?
3. Blogging can help provide information for your social media sites. Don’t forget to promote your blog on your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+!

I may not have years of blogging experience, but I am an online marketer who has worked with over 55 different companies to expand their social media presence. I have a gift for developing online strategies for companies of all industries. I would be happy to evaluate your social media presence and provide you with some suggestions and direction for your social media presence. Please feel free to call for your FREE, NO OBLIGATION consultation

 

 

 

 Kelly Jones 
973-722-3469
Owner, Social Media Manager
Kelly@SocialMarketingSolutionsLLC.com
Social Marketing Solutions, LLC

Have you heard of the term "cyberbullying" before? Maybe you have, maybe you haven't, but we need to educate each other, work together, and find a solution to help end this horrible cyberbullying epidemic! Cyberbullying occurs when one person uses technology such as a phone, texting, the internet, and other technological mediums to deliberately harasses, harm, and/or threaten someone else. This can occur between kids, tweens, teens, and even adults!

 

Now if you're reading this you may be thinking, "I know what cyberbullying is. How does this blog relate to me?" Well, I am going to inform you on a grassroots movement that is spreading the nation and making a big impact on our society. Before I go into the juicy details I hope at the end of this blog EVERYONE who read this will help us spread the word by using the power of social media! Post this blog on your status, tweet this blog to all your friends, post your comments on the NO BULL's Facebook page! Whatever you decide take a minute to REPOST AND HELP! 

Even if you personally are not be eligible to submit a video to the NO BULL Challenge you will have the opportunity to get involved and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!  We are educating people, sharing the facts, and getting people involved in a once in a lifetime movement- The Great American NO BULL Challenge which will help us facilitate real change! 

The Great American NO BULL Challenge is the largest, youth-led campaign, fighting against cyberbulling in the US! The campaign is getting kids involved in a national video challenge to help end cyberbullying and bring awareness to the issue.

 

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS: make a short film about anti-cyberbullying, upload it onto the NO BULL website, and then get friends and family to vote and support the best anti-cyberbullying video! 

SOME OF THE PRIZES:
*The top 1,500 qualified entries will automatically win a SWAG bag filled with irresistible goodies only "A-listers" usually receive.  
* 15 finalists will be announced on 5/15/2012
* 8 winners will be announced at the RED CARPET AWARDS EVENT IN SAN FRANCISCO, CA where the winners will get VIP treatment and enjoy the event with the celebrity supporters, singers and high-profile spokespeople! 
*Lastly, depending on the award your group wins you have the opportunity to get cash prizes for your school, IPads, IPhones, scholarships, the opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime production deal AND SO MUCH MORE! 

 

Now what happens if you're an adult, but you still want to participate? Unfortunately, you may not have the opportunity to win the same awesome prizes as the teens, BUT you can help spread the word and support the participants for this AMAZING movement. Here are some ideas:

 

• If you're an adult you have the opportunity to help guide the teens while they are working on their anti-cyberbullying videos! On the NO BULL WEBSITE there are guidelines on how to create a NO BULL CLUB in your area! As an adult you can help facilitate a NO BULL CLUB within your local school, community, and/or family and friends in your area. These NO BULL CLUB'S can help raise awareness and provide students with solutions and a place to turn in order to learn how to handle cyberbullying situations which they may be faced with currently or in the future.
• Now if you REALLY want to get involved in this movement check out the NO BULL GEAR on our challenge website. At the NO BULL CLUB you are facilitating throw on your NO BULL GEAR, take some pictures of your group, and post them on the NO BULL CHALLENGE Facebook page! We want to see how you're involved so be sure to keep us posted! =)

We may not be able to single handedly stop every cyberbully, but WITH YOUR HELP CAN WE SPREAD THE WORD OF THIS CHALLENGE TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN SECONDS. Please post this blog on your status, or Tweet this blog to your fellow followers, feel free to check out the NO BULL's Facebook and website and email if you have any questions for us! 

Warmly, 
Kelly Jones 
Owner/Social Media Manager
www.SocialMarketingSolutionsLLC.com 
Kelly@socialmarketingsolutionsllc.com
973-722-3469 – Social Media Expert

 

 

The Great American NO BULL Challenge Facebook-  
http://www.facebook.com/NOBULLChallenge
The Great American NO BULL Challenge Twitter-
 http://twitter.com/#!/NOBULLcontest
The Great American NO BULL Challenge Website- 
http://www.teamnobull.org/

 

* Social Marketing Solutions, LLC is not a sponsor or spokesperson for the NO BULL event. We simply want to help spread the word about cyberbullying because we believe in the cause and we support  NO BULL!

I'm someone who lives, breathes, sleeps social networking. I know the potential social media has for businesses and it doesn’t matter what industry your in, if you use social networking sites effectively. One of the most frustrating parts of being a social media representative is trying to explain the ROI of social networking and overcome the misconceptions that are constantly being spread about social media and its effectiveness.

 

 

 

As a social media representative I hear so many of these misconceptions everyday and finding the ROI on social networking is one of the biggest problems in the industry. Since it's important for any business to use social networking I want to tackle the three most common misconceptions I hear and how to “jump over” the social networking hurdle and make it to the finish line, successfully!

I love this misconception because, I will challenge anyone who thinks they don’t have time to log on to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn at least twice or three times a week (at the least!). I understand a busy schedule. I am a full time undergraduate student and a full time business owner with six employee’s spread out between two states. Time is of the essence every moment of the day, but I know social networking is key for my business and my customers businesses. How I manage everything is by creating a social media schedule. I print out a calendar for the week and block off specific times for social networking. Sometimes it’s when I get up in the morning, other times I will schedule time blocks on my lunch breaks or even at the end of the day. I find that scheduling blocks of time forces me to update my social media sites and whether it’s my own business or my customers it is important to focus on daily updates which takes me a few minutes everyday if I block out times effectively. 
Here is a great link to some examples and suggestions for social media calendars 

 

First Hurdle, Complete. 

It is true, social networking sites are a place to connect with friends, family, and acquaintances, but it is also a place to target your niche audience and connect with them on a more personal level.  People are unintentionally logging onto Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ and making connections to people with similar interests. They then begin to develop a social media relationship and use the information on social networking sites to judge their views on that company. Making a connection with your target audience and presenting them with inspirational, conversational, yet business related posts will allow your businesses social networking presence to have a business environment with the intent for pleasure. This social media presence is most effective although it takes time to develop and build.

 

Secondly, yes it is very hard to measure ROI with social media, but there are ways to judge it’s effectiveness. One way my clients judge their ROI by creating specific links for each social networking sites. Allow me to explain. One of my clients- Ryan Video Productions– is hosting a seminar in January of 2012. They are allowing their friends, fans, and connections to sign up via social networking. Ryan Video Productions created a separate link for Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn so if someone signs up through Facebook, Ryan Video Productions will know that person signed up through Facebook because of the customized link. This is a great way to see where your customers are coming from and now every time some registers for the upcoming seminar my customer can see how effective Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn really is. If this seems like too much work you can also post a question on your website- “Where did you hear about us?” Which is a simple way to track your progress. You can also post contests on social networking sites such as “Share this post and the first 5 people will receive 10% off this months services” or “Retweet and you will get a discount on your next transaction.” Although this may entice people to share or comment it is interesting to see who’s reading and who’s responding to posts. Lastly, the old fashion way- using word of mouth. Ask your customers if they saw your social networking pages and give them permission to comment and share their opinions. The more you talk about your social networking pages the more inclined your customers will be to check it out. 

Social networking can be confusing, overwhelming, and darn right frustrating. Take the time to build up your presence and take each social media hurdle one step at a time. It may be time consuming at first and hard to judge it’s ROI, but in the end it is free advertising and it is important to utilize these tools in this economy.

 

 If you have any social networking questions or you need a social networking representative to manage your social media presence please don’t hesitate to give us a call 973- 265- 2833.

Twitter is a fun place to share personal thoughts, ideas, opinions, and market for business, all in one convenient place. Twitter is a fantastic resource, which immediately makes the user get right to the point of the post. Users get a few characters to say what they want and highlight the important statements in the posting. You want to remember a few important things while getting your daily or weekly Twitter taste in- 

 

1. Make sure to use catchy statements and attach articles to your postings. If your are looking to grow your Twitter presence you must share your website, interesting articles, or other relative websites that may intrigue your followers. If you want to attach a link to an outside source use a website such as http://www.tinyurl.com. This will allow you to make shorter links in order to say more in your posting. For example:
   This is the original link-  http://www.facebook.com/SocialMarketingSolutionsLLC 
   This is the link after using tiny URL- http://tinyurl.com/42e3mvp
2. Twitter has millions of users who are interested in similar things to you or your company. Follow people who you are interested in. Use the search options to find your target audience by searching key words related to your industry or your area. (example search: Social Networking or Social Media NJ)
3. Read your Twitter feed. You are not going to be able to actively engage with your followers unless you know what they’re posting. Respond back to anyone who mentions you in a tweet or give a shout out to let your followers know who you are.Stay engaged, stay involved, and stay interested- it won’t take long, but will make a big difference in your presence. 

Facebook has undergone A LOT of changes over the past couple of months. From group and page deletions to a complete redesign of Facebook's layout, Facebook has definitely caused an uproar of emotions in the social media community. Here are a few tips to help clear up some confusion. 

 

1. You have to approach Facebook with an open mind. Facebook's audience is changing. Pre-teens, teenagers, adults, and seniors on Facebook connecting with anyone and everyone. You have to be accepting of Facebook's changes because frankly, they can't have the same content and layout up forever or people are going to get bored. 
2. Spend time connecting with friends, family, and acquaintances on Facebook, but know that Facebook could change any day and any time- so don't become overly attached to your beloved personal profile. 
3. Embrace Facebook's changes. Use the changes to your advantage, play around with what you like, and what you don't like, and really focus on connecting with people you know or engaging with the ones you don’t. It is a marketing tool, use the free site to your advantage and learn about the new changes, you may like them a lot more than you think.

 

LinkedIn is the icing on the cake- it is YOUR resume where professionals go to see where you worked in the past, who you currently work for, where you went to college, what awards you have received, and much more. LinkedIn can be a great resource if you engage daily and accurately.  

 

1. Create your personal LinkedIn page and input as much information as possible. Don’t leave your graduation year out or leave out an area of your past employment history. Although you may be tempted to leave some parts empty, completing your LinkedIn profile helps bring up your search optimization, which makes it easy for others to find you.  
2. Don’t forget to update your page. Make sure your resume is up to date and all the information is correct. LinkedIn can be a great place to find potential employees and post job opportunities and you want to make sure all the information is accurate. 
3. Actively engage with LinkedIn groups and with your connections. Join groups with topics or in industries you may be interested in. You may have great networking opportunities and learn some effective strategies related to your industry. You also want to comment and message your connections so they know who you are and what you do. This is helpful when your connection needs your services because they will remember you because of your online presence. 

Social media is often hard to navigate through. Breaking it down and “tasting” each site a different day will help make the social networking world a little easier. Try contacting Social Marketing Solutions, LLC where we can create your social networking pages, update the pages with inspirational, conversational, and business related posts while also growing your online presence based on your target audience. I would be happy to sit down or discuss our services with a FREE consultation. 

Warmly, 
Kelly Jones
973-722-3469
Kelly@SocialMarketingSolutionsLLC.com 
Owner and Social Media Expert