Social Media: It’s Impact on the Job Market & Career Development

Are you in the middle of an active job search? Well, you are not alone. In our digital-dominated world, social media has become a juggernaut influencing various facets of life, including the professional realm. It’s reshaping the job market and bolstering career development, effectively becoming a new cornerstone in the job search saga. Gone are the days when classified ads and firm handshakes were the alpha and omega of securing a role. Today, platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Instagram are not just social watering holes but pivotal arenas where job opportunities bloom and professional networks thrive. This article aims to dissect both the lush benefits and the prickly challenges of wielding social media for job pursuits and career growth, guiding you to harness its profound power effectively.

The Changing Landscape of Job Search

Gone are the days when job seekers scour newspaper classifieds to circle potential leads with a red pen. The digital era has ushered in an exciting new chapter where social media plays the starring role in the job search narrative. Platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Facebook have transformed job hunting into a dynamic and interactive experience, far removed from the static methods of yesteryear.
What makes this shift so thrilling? It’s not just that you have more job opportunities at your fingertips but also that you can connect directly with the movers and shakers of your industry. The walls that once separated eager applicants from employers have crumbled, replaced by the open network of social media.

  • Access to a global network – no longer confined by geography, job seekers can connect with employers worldwide.
  • Real-time updates – with social media, job postings can go viral instantly, offering fresh opportunities by the minute.
  • Insight into company culture – candidates can peek behind the curtain to see if a company’s values align with their own.

Indeed, the digital age has brought about a job search revolution, and riding the wave of this transformation is as exhilarating as it is essential.

Leveraging Social Media for Job Search

Imagine turning your digital footprint into a magnet for career opportunities. That’s the magic of social media in the job search sphere. Each platform is akin to a new stage, ready to showcase your professional persona. LinkedIn, the corporate Colosseum, stands as the undisputed champion for professional networking, while Twitter’s rapid-fire exchanges can connect you to industry leaders with just 280 characters. Not to be outdone, Facebook’s groups offer a goldmine for insider information and job postings.

  • Profile Optimization: Start by polishing your digital handshake – your profile. Tailor it to sing your skills and experiences with the harmony of SEO to catch the algorithms’ attention.
  • Engagement: Engage with content from potential employers to show your interest and expertise. Be an active participant, not a wallflower, in the digital dance of your industry.
  • Success Stories: Draw inspiration from success stories that illustrate the power of a tweet, a share, or a connection request in landing dream jobs
    By wielding social media wisely, you turn each post and update into a beacon, signaling your prowess to prospective employers.

Building Your Brand on Social Media

Imagine social media as a bustling marketplace where your profile is your storefront. To stand out in the noisy digital bazaar, personal branding becomes your beacon, guiding potential employers and collaborators through the sea of sameness. Your online persona should be as meticulously curated as a gallery owner would showcase art pieces with thought, purpose, and an audience understanding.

  • Showcase skills: Illustrate your professional repertoire through posts that reflect your expertise and accomplishments. Share articles, join conversations, and display your projects to paint a vibrant picture of your capabilities.
  • Experience narration: Let your career journey speak through a compelling narrative, connecting the dots of your experiences and milestones for onlookers to follow.
  • Authenticity: Your digital handshake should be as genuine as the real thing. Cultivate a profile that is true to your character, allowing your unique professional identity to blossom.

By sculpting a professional and authentic personal brand on social media, you lay the foundations for career opportunities to come knocking at your virtual door, inviting them into a world where your professional story is told with clarity and charisma.

Networking on Social Media

The advent of social media has transformed the art of networking into a digital dance, where connections are just a click away. Imagine social media as a bustling marketplace, ripe with potential partnerships and career opportunities waiting to be explored. One must dive into the interactive world of online groups and discussions to harness this power.

  • Join professional groups: Align yourself with individuals who share your professional interests and goals. It’s like joining a club, but your currency is your insights and expertise instead of a secret handshake.
  • Engage in discussions: Don’t be a wallflower! Participate actively in online forums. Chime in with your thoughts and strike up conversations. You never know when a simple comment could lead to a life-changing opportunity.
  • Build lasting relationships: Avoid treating connections like collectible cards. Nurture them with regular interaction and genuine interest. Remember, a strong network is like a tree—it grows deeper roots and broader branches with care and attention.

Adopting a strategy of thoughtful engagement and proactive networking on social media can be the wind beneath the wings of your career development. It’s not just about who you know but who knows you and what you bring.

Challenges of Using Social Media in Job Search

Navigating the social media maze comes with its own set of challenges and risks when job hunting. One stumble can lead to a privacy mishap or a tarnished online reputation. As much as social media opens doors, it can sometimes close them just as quickly.

  • Privacy Concerns: The line between professional and personal can often blur. It’s critical to set boundaries and control the visibility of your online activity to avoid potential employers or colleagues encountering less-than-professional content.
  • Online Reputation Management: Your digital footprint is like a tattoo; it’s pretty permanent and speaks volumes about you. A poorly managed online presence can become a job seeker’s Achilles’ heel.

Don’t let your digital shadow loom over your career prospects. Be strategic and reasonable in your social media use; ensuring a squeaky-clean and professional image is what pops up on a recruiter’s radar. With great power comes great responsibility, and the power of social media in a job search is no exception. Embrace it cautiously, and you’ll navigate the job market like a seasoned sailor steering through the digital sea of opportunities.

The Impact of Social Media on Career Development

The digital age has transformed the fabric of career progression, with social media emerging as a powerhouse for personal and professional evolution. It’s like a high-speed elevator in a skyscraper of opportunities; you can ascend to dizzying heights with the right buttons pushed. Through platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Instagram, individuals are no longer mere job seekers but architects of their career paths.

  • Networking becomes a breeze when you can connect with industry leaders and peers worldwide, exchanging ideas and showcasing your prowess.
  • Skill development is at your fingertips with endless resources, webinars, and online courses shared across social networks.
  • Job opportunities often come knocking at your digital door, as recruiters actively scout for talent on social media, making it crucial to have an impressive online presence.

By leveraging the mighty clout of social media, professionals today are not just climbing the career ladder; they’re taking a quantum leap forward. This phenomenon underscores the potential for career advancement that social media harbors, provided one navigates this digital realm with savvy and strategy.

Conclusion

As we’ve surfed the waves of hashtags and tweets, it’s clear that social media is not just a digital cocktail party but a robust arena for job search and career development. From LinkedIn headhunting to Twitter job leads the employment landscape is at our fingertips, illuminated by the glow of our screens. Social media has come down like a hammer on the old-school job bulletin boards, reshaping how we look for jobs and develop and present our brand.

Embrace the digital age; your next career leap might be hiding in your next online connection. Whether you’re an aspiring mogul or a savvy professional, harness the power of likes, shares, and comments to build a network that transcends traditional boundaries. Yet, remember to navigate this realm with eyes wide open to the challenges, from privacy pitfalls to the ever-watchful eye on your digital footprint. As we march into the future, social media stands as both the paint and canvas for the masterpiece of your career story—use it wisely, and the possibilities are boundless.

Nine Important Digital Marketing Tips for Businesses in 2024

Digital marketing is a term to describe marketing practices that use digital technologies. It is not just about online advertising but also includes online communities, social media, and search engine optimization.
Digital marketing has changed how businesses operate in the 21st century. With the help of digital marketing, companies can connect with their target market more efficiently.
As of my last update in January 2023, digital marketing strategies continually evolve due to technological advancements and changing consumer behaviors, such as AI technology.  While specific trends have shifted, fundamental principles remain relevant. Here are nine essential digital marketing tips that could still be applicable in 2024.

1. Effective Marketing Strategy
Ensure you have a marketing strategy before you begin your campaign. Whether you’re selling a product or service, knowing your goals and how to achieve them is essential. Identify your target audience.

2. Create a Mobile-Friendly Website
You should also make sure that your website is mobile-friendly. This is important. Mobile users are a large portion of the market these days. Your website must look good on mobile devices, desktop computers, and laptops.
Mobile users are a large portion of the market these days. Additionally, websites should focus on mobile-friendly designs. Users should be able to view your website easily and quickly on any device, especially their mobile phones. Enhance user experience across all digital touchpoints. Fast-loading websites, intuitive navigation, and personalized content are crucial for engaging and retaining your potential customers.

3. Leverage AI and Automation
Implement AI-powered tools for data analysis, personalization, chatbots, and marketing automation. AI can streamline processes, analyze vast datasets for insights, and personalize marketing strategies at scale.

4. Video Marketing Dominance
Video content continues to reign supreme. Utilize live videos, stories, short-form videos like TikTok and Instagram Reels, and interactive video formats to captivate and engage audiences across platforms.

5. Social Commerce & Influencer Marketing
Consider social media marketing as part of your overall strategy, especially if you’re targeting specific audiences or demographics online. Social media has exploded in popularity and is now used for all types of marketing, from local businesses to multinational corporations. Leverage social media platforms for direct sales (social commerce). Collaborate with relevant influencers to reach targeted audiences and build trust through authentic endorsements. The key to these platforms is understanding how users interact with them, how they influence trends, and how you can benefit from them.

6. Build a Website That Attracts Customers
In today’s market, businesses often need help finding customers and making sales. The internet has become flooded with similar products, making it difficult to stand out. Select a good web theme and design that captures the eye. And use social media platforms such as Foursquare.com. to target local followers. A presence on Foursquare is one of the most popular social media tools for local businesses in 2024. Just go to foursquare.com and get familiar with it.

7. Create an Online Store with Customized Products
Online stores are a popular marketplace for many businesses to sell their products. There are many benefits of launching an online store, and some of those benefits include high conversions, low overhead costs, and access to social media.

8. SEO & Content Marketing
Prioritize relevant content that addresses user queries and needs. Optimize content for search engines, focus on semantic search, voice search optimization, and featured snippets to improve visibility and ranking.

9. Data Privacy & Personalization
With increasing concerns about data privacy, ensure compliance with regulations (e.g., General Data Protection Regulation GDPR or California Consumer Privacy Act CCPA) and prioritize transparency in data usage. Balance this with personalized marketing efforts that respect customer privacy.

Conclusion
The benefits of digital marketing include increased visibility for your company and increased sales and brand awareness for your brand. And as competition may increase for you in 2024, businesses need to use different types of digital marketing available for their campaigns. Digital marketers can succeed by learning about the tips described above and using them effectively in their campaigns.

How Will You Brand Yourself?

When you think of branding or brand, often you think of a rancher who takes a hot iron in the shape of a logo or a name representing his ranch and stamps it on the side of his livestock so everyone will associate that cattle with this rancher. The same is valid with branding yourself or your business venture. If you are thinking of starting a small business and you’ve identified the market, and you’ve found a niche – or a position that you feel comfortable with, now you need to consider how you will brand yourself. Even without a business and you have something to stand for or something to promote, whether an idea or a cause, you can still brand yourself. What will others see as your brand?

What Is A Branding?
Branding is creating a distinct identity for your business or yourself in the mind of your target audience or people in general. The practice of branding – in the original literal sense of marking by burning – is thought to have begun with the ancient Egyptians, known to have engaged in livestock branding in ancient times. Branding was used to differentiate one person’s cattle from another’s using a distinctive symbol burned into the animal’s skin with a hot branding iron.
In the modern era, the concept of branding has expanded to include deployment by a manager of the marketing and communication techniques and tools that help to distinguish a company or products from competitors, aiming to create a lasting impression in the minds of customers. The key components that form a brand include a brand’s identity, personality, product, and design.

Misconceptions About Branding
Marty Neumeier, author of “The Brand Gap,”- defines a brand this way: “A brand is not a product. It is not a promise. It is not the sum of all the impressions it makes on an audience. A brand is a result. It’s a person’s gut feeling about you or a product, service, or company. A brand is a reputation, your business reputation.” In other words, what reputation will your brand create?
There are two types of brands, but they both accomplish the same thing: a personal and a business brand. Let us examine the difference between the two.

Personal Brand
In a personal brand, you are simply branding yourself. For example: If you are an expert at something or want to sell yourself as such, then you might want to think of going with a personal brand. In other words, you are selling yourself. You can set up a blog, website, or a column of some sort and build a following of “you” and promote your expertise from there.

Business Brand
Business Dictionary.com in regard to the word brand states: “The entire process involved in creating a unique name for a product, good, or service in the consumers’ mind.” In another word with a business brand, you are promoting the business itself, whatever that business may be. If you are selling a product or service or if you are building a “brick and mortar store,” on or offline, then you might want to think of a good business brand that will identify something unique about your business.

What Branding Accomplishes
Shayna Waltower a guest writer for “Business News Daily” or BND wrote the benefits this way:
1. It establishes your credibility. They see you as a trusted authority within your niche.
2. You are seen as an expert. A strong brand reflects your expertise in your field.
3. It sets you apart from the competition. Remember your brand is what makes you unique. It can show people how you stand out on a cause or how your business differs from other companies.
4. It demonstrates your value to others. Your brand highlights your personality, passions, and motivation so potential customers can see and relate to it. It gives them an experience instead of merely a product or completed service.
Branding is the process of creating a distinct identity for yourself or your business in the mind of your target audience or others in general. What will your brand accomplish for you? Your brand may seem like it consists only of elements such as logos and colors, but your brand is actually the entire identity of your business. According to Forbes: “Your brand gives you personality.” Branding can help build trust.

One advantage of a personal brand is if you feel that in time you might want to promote something else or branch off from your original niche in some way, then you can do so without having to re-brand so-to-speak because it can be accomplished with the same brand or reputation.

But if you are building a business and just want to stick with a certain name or brand, then you may want to go with a business brand. One advantage of this is in time the brand itself will take on value if you decide to sell down the road.

How Will You Brand Yourself With Social Media?
Using social media platforms and tools is relatively easy to get your brand “out there!” Just use your accounts with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others to promote your brand online. And it’s free! Digitalmarketinginstitute.com states: “regularly share content to different platforms and keep them positive & engaging. Also, identify your area of expertise. Everyone is an expert at something – whether it’s how to create and distribute great content or having a comprehensive knowledge of your favorite TV show.”
With Facebook, you can create a Business page and invite your followers to view it. Use Twitter to “tweet” your brand or message several times a week. You can use social media tools such as Sprout, Buffer, or Hootsuite to schedule your tweets and blog posts. Or plan it on the platform itself. If you have a business, use Pinterest to create a “Board” as your primary category and then “Pin” photos or information pertinent to your business. Linkedin is a popular site to promote your business and build a following to engage with and share content with others to promote your brand. Foursquare is another social media platform to target local customers by building up local followers and engaging with them as well.

Do Your Homework:
There is plenty of information out there that will provide you with tips and ideas as to how to brand yourself. There are several blogs on branding, what taglines you can use, and websites that will help you to create your logo. Just do a simple search. Give it a lot of thought. Because when it comes to starting a business, there is nothing more important than how you brand yourself.

Conclusion
If you decide to use a logo, an image, a tagline, or a catchy phrase to represent your brand and to promote it on social media then that’s good. No problem. But how you brand yourself will determine how you or your business is well perceived in the eyes of others, as an individual or an established entrepreneur.

Content Marketing for Small Businesses. Expert Tips Just for You!

For the past few years, content marketing has been a definite leader in the field of digital promotion. People are constantly looking for the right information on social networks, watching videos, and reading blog posts. They focus only on useful and high-quality content, so the only way to gain their trust and, eventually, close a sale, is to be the first and only one who’ll provide such content. And this is exactly what content marketing is for.

What Is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material (such as videos, blogs, and social media posts) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services. It focuses on creating and distributing content for a targeted audience online. Social media is an integral part of content marketing

Content marketing thus is promoted through content. In other words, you do not just create any text but write something that will increase sales growth, recognition, or attracts potential users.
Before we dive into some tips and specifics of content marketing for your business, let’s identify the technique itself. It’s all kinds of content that talk about what you do: texts, videos, pictures, animated images, information graphics, podcasts, etc. Basically, they are various types of materials that are used by Internet users visiting your site or reading about you on the web.
The Primary Benefits of Using Content Marketing for Your Business
Here you can see how content marketing can be useful for you:

1. You’ll get highly targeted organic traffic from search engines through the publication of helpful content on visited sites (media, thematic resources);
2. It’ll ensure comprehensive coverage of the audience of social networks and increased brand/product recognition through the targeted distribution of exciting content and its further “sharing” by users;
3. You’ll be able to influence the user’s decision to purchase at each stage of the sales funnel and get the corresponding increase in engagement;
4. Your SEO will boost as a result of an increased number of links to your business site from third-party resources, which will also improve behavioral factors.
As you can see, content marketing allows not only to convey information to the target audience, but also to establish an open dialogue with it, to find out the current opinion of customers, and to build brand loyalty.
According to a recent study, 90% of companies are actively using content marketing; 50% of published messages evoke a lively response and interest from the audience. And yet, only 5% of the posts lead to real actions: transitions to the site, registration, or other targeted efforts.
So let us provide you with some actionable expert tips that can help gradually improve your business.

Content Marketing Professional Tips
Focus on publishing relevant content. The first tip is easy to follow. When creating content, follow the rule of conformity with the professional field and subject. Post relevant content that is consistent and aligns with the overall goals of your site. Let’s say you sell coffee machines online. In addition to providing all the technical information about the product (photos, reviews, videos), you’d want to post articles related to coffee on the blog (preparation, use, recipes, etc.) d.), in other words, relevant content. Studies show that more than 50% of consumers are happy to read such materials on company websites.

Double-check your content formatting before you post it. Good content requires original, well-developed, and unbiased information on a specific topic. But even if it is just that – useful, unique, and expert – it can easily get lost on the Internet, among other publications if users struggle with reading it and following your train of thought. Proper presentation of any text implies improvement through breaking it into paragraphs, as well as through the use of bold and italic styles, headings, a suitable font size, etc.
Caring for content formatting is also good for SEO because it is a direct sign that you’re trying to create a high-quality website. If you decide to combine different types of content (text, images, video), this will improve the user’s impression of reading the material, which will undoubtedly lead to certain advantages.

Your title can be the key to success. What we’re talking about is the basics of SEO, which don’t get any less important. So, an extensive and bright title performs several functions at once:
● It helps search engines understand the content of your text;
● Gives social networks an understanding of the semantic direction of your materials;
● It attracts the attention of users and stimulates an increase in click-through rates to a specific page.
Do not underestimate the importance of the first impression of the text, so think a hundred times before clicking the “Publish” button.

Try to keep tabs with your competitors. There’s a chance that the number of players on your market is massive. And if you want your content to work effectively for your business, it should be better than that of competitors.
Before you start creating any material, check out related publications on Google, Facebook, Twitter (or another social network that is more suitable for your audience) and find out what type of content they like in the first place. Pay attention to such things as volume, quality, and format, and try to create content that will surpass the others in all respects.
Content that doesn’t outperform competitors’ content can’t cause the hype you need in search engines or social networks, so it’s preferable to spend some more time and work on improving your texts.

Create a perfect schedule for your content. In addition to the desire for relevance and accuracy of content, you should remember the need for its regular publication. If possible, post materials not only on specific days but also at particular times of the day. Having such a “calendar” will help you organize your workflow and create a group of loyal users.

Your content should be helping with conversions. Remember that the primary goal of creating content is to increase conversions. In other words, a conversion can be considered anything from increasing the number of your email subscribers and clicks on banner advertising, to growth in sales of goods.

Good Content and Social Media
Content marketing for small businesses can be very powerful. You can even consider adding a blog to your business website, or post content on social media platforms like Twitter, Linkedin, Foursquare, or a short video to Youtube. Remember people want information. And good content can provide information that your prospective customer is looking for. brand

 

7 Social Media Platforms Effective for Business

Congratulations! You have successfully started your business or at least launched your business website online! How will you market it? Paid advertisement is essential but expensive! Using social media is what many businesses are doing now because of its reach online, and because that’s where the people are!
So the question is: What effective social media platform can be use for most businesses? Or let’s say my business? What an appropriate question!
Nowadays, there are tons of social media platforms at your disposal. These are all effective social media platforms where you can create an amazing following. However, you don’t have to sign up for all new and popular social media sites on the planet. Trust us when we say you would rather be excellent with one or two platforms rather than be mediocre with four five or six!
A number of accounts in different social media sites don’t matter. Instead, pick one or two channels and focus your target marketing there. If you need some guidance on what is the best social media site/s for you, tips and information are available for you to determine the most effective social media channels out there. But for now here are seven of the most effective social media platforms that you can use for your business.

1. Facebook
What can we say? Over 1.11 billion people are into this famous social media site. Besides catching up with loved ones from overseas, Facebook did a wonderful job for many aspiring entrepreneurs out there. If you’re a start-up entrepreneur, we suggest you try the waters of Facebook first before jumping on any other platforms.
Facebook has established itself quite well and you can use that to your advantage. You will be easier seen on this social media site with an option to send you a private message, browse your products and even share your goods to a wider network. We firmly believe your target marketing strategies will not be wasted on this site. Indeed Facebook is an effective social media platform for you business. On facebook, you will be able to launch a seperate business page or “Fan Page” to promte your business and to also leverage the use of group pages as well.

2. Twitter
Twitter is an astonishing social media platform that can promote your business in 140 characters or fewer. This is a site that garners over 215 million active users or potential customers. This great site is generally made for communication so you know that customers can reach you 24/7. What’s more special about Twitter is that you can incorporate your own hashtag brand so you’ll be easier searched or be on the most popular page.
Word of the wise, this effective social media platform can get you viral in no time! Proven and effective way to increase your business’ popularity.

3. Instagram
Instagram is a good platform if you like photos. Just open an account and build your audience to engage and post any pictures relevant to your business, add a cute or useful tagline and then link them to your website.
If used properly, your followers may skyrocket more than what you’re expecting.

4. LinkedIn
This effective social media platform is made for business people to interact with others. Sometimes it is used by job seekers to find potential employers but most of the time it is used to increase your audience. Business owners realized the value of this site and the opportunities to build relationships and sales leads. An estimated 2.7 million business pages are on LinkedIn, each interacting with each other for partnership, proposal, quotations etc.
Just a quick heads up LinkedIn has a humongous number of professionals so expect important business dealing. It is not similar to Facebook or Twitter where any start-ups can be casual. On LinkedIn, you need to look professional so people can take your business seriously. Nevertheless, don’t be intimidated though as the users on this social media channel are really friendly. You’ll never be out of place here.

5. YouTube
1 billion unique visitors every month – that’s how huge this video-oriented site is. Not to mention that it’s the second largest search engine after Google! How’s that for target marketing and popularity boost? YouTube can literally take you to places with increasing your customers every second someone clicks on your video.
You can even sponsor a commercial where they can stream over millions of videos. Oh, did we also mention that YouTube is owned by Google? You don’t have to worry about search engine rankings at all with this platform.

6. Pinterest
Pinterest is another effective social media platform made for business-especially if your business involves products to promote. All you need are good photos of your products and post or “PIN” them on a board representing a certain category and then build your following to interact. The people on Pinterest are friendly and sometimes helpful to promote even your own products. It is worth signing up just to get a little familiar and start getting your business or brand out there to be seen on the internet!

7. Foursquare
While most social media platforms will connect to people all accross the web, Foursquare is design to target local follower at the exact location of your business. Over 50 million people use Foursquare whether for online or offline businesses. So for storefront owners, you would want to learn how to leverage this effective social media tool. Just simply go to Foursquare, sign up, follow the guides, and engage as you would with other social media platforms, but keep in mind these will be local followers as potential customers to you business.

 

Social media is really simple to use and inexpensive! It’s all about one thing-engagement! Once you get a good feel at using social media-the more you will be effective in promoting your brand and they can become a powerful tool for your business. So whatever you choose from these effective social media channels, just remember to focus first on one or two at a time, so your marketing will be successful to a large degree.

6 Social Media Tools to Simplify Your Social Media Marketing

Social Marketing Tools

How to simplify your social media marketing

 

6 Social Media Tools

 

We all know that having the right tools is essential to simplify or make any job easier-whether large, small, or just time consuming-would you not agree? The same is true with social media marketing! Are you using the right social media tools to simplify your marketing campaign?
It’s a demanding routine for a marketer or a business owner-not only that there is a lot of concerns to address such as the quality content to share with the prospect audience and right tool to use in sharing the content, but there is also the struggle against time. Nonetheless, the social media tools come into existence to shoulder the burden of these marketer just like you.

Presently, social media plays an important role for the effective online presence of businesses or websites. However, it cannot be denied that these social platforms are broad and powerful. On top of this, these networks are constantly expanding and becoming more complicated than usual. Thus, it consumes much time for a marketer or social media admin to manage the tasks on hand.
Although the social networks are upgrading with complexity, marketers can still get a hold of the advancement. In fact, there have been a number of social media tools that are created to cut down the time allotment and ease in the management of social activities. Here are just six!

1. Like Alyzer. Make sure you include in your marketing strategy a Facebook Fan page, then use Like Alyzer as a tool to provide assessment to your Facebook page. This tool will rate your page out of 100 for a free cost. Afterwards, recommendations are given for the improvement of your page.

2. Scoop.it. One of the popularly used social media tools to boost social media marketing is the Scoop it. When your social networks are connected with this app, you can publish wherever you are as you “scoop.” This only means that you are also posting on Facebook, Tumblr, LinkedIn, and tweeting on Twitter. On top of this, you can keep your audience inspired with a random of fresh interesting articles to use and post on your website, Facebook Fan page or both.

3. Post Planner. The Post Planner is one social media tool that you can install within your Facebook. It comes with a pack of features including automatic publishing of content per schedule, database of thousands update ideas, simple analytic s of people who have liked your post, add posts to your queue, and many more. With these features, Post Planner comes with a premium. However, there is a trial version available for you to determine its efficiency and usability.

4. Razor Social.  Get free juices on the social media innovations from Razor Social. It will provide you information relevant to social media tools available online to boost up your presence and reputation. Hence, cutting down the burden of managing social activity through knowledge application. Moreover, Razor Social is a community that continuously motivates its people to share significant and quality content.

5. Mention me. This is one excellent and efficient monitoring tool. The key to this application is the keyword at which will merit you to connect with other people or find potential businesses. Hence, the tool will alert you through your email or any other social media as it encounters particular keywords from various sites around the web. Nevertheless, Mention me comes in a free trial and paid versions.

6. Feedly. If you want to be updated on the news, Feedly serves the purpose. It will simply provide you with a myriad of posts at which you can subscribe to. Furthermore, Feedly can be integrated with Buffer that will allow you to share content with ease. This is because Buffer will be responsible for disseminating the posts. Furthermore, the articles that are featured in Feedly can be viewed with convenience using your very own computer or smart phone.

With the available social media tools online, workload is relatively lessened. Thus, it allows you and your website maintain credibility online. Furthermore, it maximizes your time for far more important tasks and duties.

I hope you can make use of these 6 social media tools to boost your social media marketing! Please leave a comment below.

How to Craft a Killer “Elevator Pitch” For Your Business

This article will explain the elements of a powerful elevator pitch and then walk you through how to craft your own.

What is an Elevator Pitch?

This is the 30-60 second business description of what you do and why someone should work with you. It’s called an “Elevator Pitch” because it describes the challenge: “How would you explain your business and make a sale if fate placed you in an elevator with your dream prospect and you only had the time it takes to get from the top of the building to the bottom?”

Why Is Having an Elevator Pitch So Important?
You only have 30-60 seconds to make a powerful first impression. The attention span of the average person is just 30 seconds before their mind starts wandering. The other reason is people have less time today. You need to grab them quickly or lose them forever.

Essential Elements of a Powerful Elevator Pitch
1. Concise. Your pitch should take no longer than 30-60 seconds.

2. Clear. Use language that everyone understands. Don’t use fancy words thinking it will make you sound smarter. Your listener won’t understand you and you’ll have lost your opportunity to hook them.

3. Powerful. Use words that are powerful and strong. Deliver the “Sis-Boom-Bang” to grab their attention!

4. Visual. Use words that create a visual image in your listeners mind. This will make your message memorable.

5. Tell a Story. A short story, that is. A good story is essentially this: someone with a problem either finds a solution or faces tragedy. Either type of story can be used to illuminate what you do.

6. Targeted. A good elevator pitch is aimed for a specific audience. If you have target audiences that are vastly different, you might want to have a unique pitch for each.

7. Goal Oriented. A great elevator pitch is designed with a specific outcome in mind. What is your desired outcome? You may have different pitches depending on different objectives. For instance do you want to: make a sale , gain a prospect, enlist support for an idea, or earn a referral.

8. Has a Hook. This is the element that literally snags your listener’s interest and makes them want to know more. This is the phrase or words that strike a chord in your listener.
How to Craft Your Killer Elevator Pitch

  • Write down what you do. Write it several different ways. Try writing it at least 10-20 different ways. Don’t edit yourself at all. You will edit later. This first step is for generating ideas. Don’t hold back. Ideas can be goofy, serious, wild, funny, or conservative. It doesn’t matter. The goal is to get at many ideas as possible down on paper.
  • Write a very short story that illustrates what you do for people. If necessary, the story can be long. You will boil it down later. Paint a picture with words.
  • Write down your objective or goal. Do you want to make a sale, gain a prospect, enlist support for an idea, earn a referral, or something else?
  • Write 10-20 action statements. This is a statement or question designed to spur the action associated with your goal.
  • Record yourself. You can use Dragon Dictation if you don’t have a recording device. Dragon Dictation is a free phone based service that translates your messages into text as well as providing an online link to the original audio.
  • Let it sit. Come back to what you’ve written with fresh eyes and ears the next day or later on in the same day.
  • Highlight the good stuff. Listen and read through what you’ve recorded and written. Then either highlight or circle the phrases that hook you with clear, powerful, and visual words. Obviously not all the words will fall into these categories. You still need connector words, but you want them to be as few as possible.
  • Put the best pieces together. Again you’ll want to write down several versions of this much tighter pitch. Tell us what you do and why people should want to do business with you. Include elements from your story if you can fit it in.
  • Do a final edit cutting as many unnecessary words as possible. Rearrange words and phrases until it sounds just right. Again, the goal is 30-60 seconds maximum.
  • Dress Rehearsal. Run it by as many people as you can get to listen to you. Get feedback from colleagues, clients you trust, friends and family.
  • Done for now. Take your final elevator pitch and write it down. Memorize and practice it until it just slides off your tongue naturally.
  • Continue to improve. Over time, always be on the listen for phrases that you think could make your elevator pitch more clear and impactful. And then test it out. Every once in a while you will probably benefit by starting from scratch because things always change: you, your business , your goals, and your clients’ needs.

By K Stone of Life Learning Today

10 Efficient Tips to Keep Your Personal Life and Still Be a Social Media Rockstar

I think we can all feel confident when saying “social media is here and here to stay.” What we probably are not so comfortable with is juggling our social media endeavors with our personal life. I’m sure social media doesn’t take away all of your personal life, but it can impose on it greatly if you aren’t careful. There are probably people who haven’t even begun to dabble in the social media
world for fear of not having time or it taking up too much time. Great point! However, at this point in the world, you really can’t afford not to be a part of social media. In either case, listed below are 10 tips to avoid losing out on life and how to manage your social media time.

1. Just Skim: When beginning a promotion, most of the first phase is conducting research and reading. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, blogs or websites, to cut down on time spent, just skim it. By doing this, you can pull what you feel is worth spending your time reading and not have to worry about the rest.

2. Use your RSS Feed: Be selective when subscribing to different RSS feeds, but definitely use it. Any information you want to catch up on will be listed there. These same rules apply to who you follow on Twitter and newsletters you subscribe to. Choose wisely and be sure whatever it is adding value.

3. Consider a Timer: If you’d really like to manage your online time, set an allotted amount of time dedicated for this. It may help to set a timer and when it goes off, you’ll know it’s time to move on to something else.

4. Automate whenever possible: Automating can be the key to your online happiness. When you have autoresponders or auto content generators in place they can save you scads of time. An easy and quick way to implement this might be your newsletter sign-ups. There are a variety of systems that will allow you to easily automate sign-ups. Even if you have a giveaway for signing up, the system can handle this too

5. Consolidate, Don’t Reiterate: If you are trying to keep up with everything, your Twitter, Facebook, Squidoo and a blog, there are ways to minimize updating them all. You can do so by doing it all at once. “How?” you ask. All of these programs can be linked together so when you update one, it will go out to all social media accounts. Many of these sites can be linked together and to a main site. This main site can be your blog, if you wish. Twitterfeed is a great place where you can update your Twitter, every time you update your blog. Your Twitter can be linked to Facebook and Squidoo.

6. Develop a Routine: Dedicate a specific time for social media on a regular basis and stick with it. It should be long enough to update your blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

7. Stick to Essentials: The internet can be considered a great influence on “lost time.” One second you’re looking at a TV listing, and then something about how to make money online, and then possibly an ad for shoes we just have to have. Four hours later and you’ve found new interests in paranormal studies, cherry tomatoes and how to move to Alaska. Stick to what you were planning to do and then leave. Also, over time you will learn where to spend your time the best and it will get easier to stay on track.

8. Don’t be a Follower: Many people may give you their advice on which sites are the best for what. The thing to do is to decide which social media tool will benefit your needs the best. You don’t have to use them all, and if one isn’t working for you, go try a different one.

9. Plan: To make sure you’re spending this social media time wisely and to its full advantage, it may be good to make a simple plan. With your “dedicated social media time,” knowing to stick with the essentials and a routine put into place, developing a list of “to-dos” and goals around these should help you to stay focused. If you’re focused and determined, you’re bound not to waste any time.

10. Hire a Social Media Virtual Assistant: Ultimately, if you don’t feel you have time to even start a social media quest, or if you’ve tried and it’s just not for you but you still want to take advantage of all the awesomeness that it can bring, hiring a social media virtual assistant is another option and a fantastic idea. For example, https://regjackonline.com can help you quickly, effectively, and it’s affordable. Reggie at RTJ Online, can help create, manage and update all of your social media needs, which can be WAY more rewarding than doing it yourself if you feel like you’re in a crunch. So don’t miss that dinner date! Cruise on over to his website and see how many things he can do to help guide your social media presence, while keeping it updated and running efficiently.
By Dawn Pigoni of http://besocialworldwide.com

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