How To Bring Your Google Plus Profile To Life

Google Plus gives you a blank slate to create a media presence with limitless text and link opportunities. It's a place to create a medium that will attract both customers and followers. Add a stunning cover photo and you can turn Google Plus into a home run for your business.

5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Blog Marketing

Blogging is more than creating and publishing posts. It is about sharing content with others who share your interest. It is about building relationships whether it be with customers or fellow enthusiasts.

Lots of people spend time creating a well written blog with valuable content. But unless you market your blog, no one will know about it and sadly, no one will read it. 

So, how do you make your blog stand out in a crowd of so many competing for attention? Here are some helpful tips to get your blog noticed...

#1 Target your content to a specific group of people 

Before you spend hours creating the perfect post, You should start by deciding who you will be talking to. Who will your audience be and where will you find them. You wouldn’t want to target people interested in hiking if your blog is about quilting.

#2 Be original
We've all heard it said before " Why be a copy when you can be an original". Unless you want to be just another copy, you will need to break away from the herd of followers and create original content. Instead of producing the same content that everyone else is, take a new approach to a common topic. You want to capture your reader's interest and give them a reason to revisit your blog.

#3 Post as a guest blogger  
Writing guest posts is a great way to increase traffic to your blog while building backlinks. But, before you start contacting blog owners, there are a few things you need to do.

• Get to know the content of the blog you want to write a guest post to.
• See who other guest bloggers are
• See how well their posts do
• Become a familiar face in the blog community
• Find out what kind of posts perform the best

#4 Use social media to advertise your blog 
I've said it before but it is worth repeating...You need to get your blog in front of your audience. One of the best ways to get your work noticed is to promote your posts on LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook, or Twitter. But, don't forget that each social channel has its own rules and little quirks. What works on Facebook, might not work on LinkedIn. Regardless of the platform you choose, you will want to take some time and familiarize yourself with the channel. Other things to consider are writing informative articles for LinkedIn Pulse and including a link to your blog. Do you have a board on Pinterest? Include a “Pin it” button on your blog so pinners can pin your content to their boards.

#5 Join sharing sites
Triberr is a website where members share the blogs of others in exchange for getting their own shared. Not only will get a lot of traffic to your blog, you will learn a lot about your favorite topic.

Your blog is your piece of virtual real estate. It has a lot of value. Make the most of it. Did I leave anything out? Feel free to leave your comments in the box below.

What is a social media marketing plan and do you need one?

Social media can take up a large portion of your day. It can be frustrating and hard to keep up with...especially if you don’t have a plan to tame the marketing beast.

If you want to market your business using social media, you will definitely need a plan to help you keep track of everything you do for your business and measure your progress toward your goals. Without a plan, you will probably find yourself wandering aimlessly through the social media jungle with no real destination in sight.

When creating your plan, be specific but keep it simple. Complex plans are easy to abandon if they are too hard to put into action. Your marketing plan will guide your actions and become your daily or weekly routine. So, make it manageable and don’t set yourself up for failure before you even get started.

With so many social media sites out there and more popping up everyday, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. The good thing is that you don’t have to be on every one of them. The best place to start is to do some research and pick one that meets your needs. Stick with one for a while before you branch out.

When you start working to create your plan, keep in mind that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to social media marketing. You will create your plan based on the goals you set for yourself and your business.

Some things to consider are…

1. Your goals- SEO, brand awareness, traffic to your website or blog, interact with your customers
2. Your audience- Who do you want to reach? What is your ideal prospect profile? Where does your audience like to hang out?
3. Your resources- What is your budget and will you be working this plan alone or with a team?

If you haven’t started using social media as part of your advertising strategy, what are you waiting for? It’s time to get started.

7 Network Marketing Tips for Success

Network marketing has been around since the early 1990’s. It is a profession that's not hard to get into, but we often make it harder than it has to be. Anyone who is determined, teachable, and consistent can build a strong, profitable business.

Does success come overnight? No it doesn't. There are some who have built their empires within a few short months but, to be realistic, you can expect to work 3 to 5 years to reach a 7 figure income. That may seem like a lot of time but, where else can you build that kind of income  and live your dream life in only five years?

So, what do you need to be successful in network marketing? The first step is to get started. From there, doing several small things consistently will help you move towards success.

Here are some tips to help you succeed…

#1.  Do something each day to grow your business. 
Decide how much time you can devote to your business everyday and create a business plan. Set a goal for each day. This can be talking to 5 people a day or writing one blog post or article a day. When I first started, my goal was to write one post a day but that turned out to be too much for the time I have to devote to my blog. Now, that goal is a more manageable 1 to 2 posts a week. Find your ideal number and be consistent with it until you reach your goal.

#2 Think Positive
If you think something is not going to work, chances are that it won’t. Being positive will draw people to you because they will feed off your positive energy. A college education or a background in sales is not required to be successful in network marketing, you simply need a positive attitude and the determination to set your goals and meet them.

#3. Learn everything you can about marketing. 
Study marketing like you are pursuing a degree in it. Listen to podcasts, attend events and conference calls, attend webinars. Listen to and read EVERYTHING. Stay in contact with your upline and ask questions about tools and training your company provides. Don’t forget to learn as much as you can about the product(s) your company offers.

#4. Understand what you want to accomplish. 
Whatever your goal is, whether it is a bigger house or savings in the bank, you must define what you want and completely define it in detail. Set benchmarks so you can measure your progress.

#5. Set goals to move forward. 
Once you have your goals written down, break them into smaller steps. These can be daily, weekly, or even monthly steps that will get you moving forward toward your dream life. Let’s say you want to make a certain income in a month. Ask yourself, what steps you will have to take each day to make your target income.

#6. Work on personal development everyday. 
If you stop growing, your business will stop too. Learn to be a leader. Listen to audios, watch videos, and read books to help you improve your personal and professional skills. Youtube offers many videos and audiobooks by personal development authors.

#7. Don’t take rejection personally. 
Marketing isn’t for everybody. Some people don’t believe they can make it work for them. But remember, every no you get brings you closer to the person who will say yes. The trick is to get past the nos  to reach the yeses. Do keep those who say no on a list to revisit in the future. Situations change and those who weren’t interested before may now be ready to join your company.

Following these 7 network marketing tips will help you reach your goals and grow a solid business.

Feel free to share your ideas in the comments box below.