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By Mary E. Fenuta » To
succeed in the world of business, it’s often important to think outside
the box. In today’s economy, it might be just as vital to think inside
the box. The ‘virtual box’, that is.
The emergence of a whole array of web tools that make online
interaction easier than ever presents tremendous opportunities for
business owners. From blogs and forums to social media websites like
Facebook and YouTube, the lines of communication have opened up, and
smart businesses are tapping in.
You need to get out there and participate in blogs, commenting on any aspect of your business and provide value in open internet forums. Having spent most of my life being a professional purchaser in the corporate world, I am constantly looking for cost-saving initiatives in all areas of my life…it’s a habit! Now that I am an entrepreneur, I am more conscientious of such activities in my business. Having recently launched my networking clubs, I am already looking at the next level of networking evolution. Over the last few months, I have been researching and educating myself on social media networks and other Web 2.0 applications – which allow sites to grow with user-generated content rather than the static model used by most companies today. What does this all mean to you? Here are some of my findings and tips on how to expand your business branding while reducing your costs at the same time: - Get your website on a Web 2.0 platform. This will allow you to configure your site to encourage user participation (i.e. blogs, comments, forums etc.). With the shift to a Web 2.0 platform, you will be able to update your site yourself, which could save your company thousands of dollars. According to Craig Stark, president of SocialMediaWave.com and a Web 2.0 expert, “Basic websites are obsolete. Award winning websites can cost far too much and still yield poor results. It is time marketers start to think in terms of their overall web presence, not their website. It is time marketers learn how to create synchronized web strategies using Web 2.0.”
- If you choose not to take an immediate leap from a static Web 1.0 site to the interactive 2.0 platform, set up an account on one of the free blog sites, and create a link on your website to your external blog. Some of the more popular ones are blogger.com, livejournal.com, wordpress.com and myblogsite.com.
- Blog, blog, blog… Write regularly on your blog and participate on other blogs that have similar interests to your business and where you can add value by sharing information on topics that you specialize in or have had experience with. Remember to stay true to yourself and your business in order to build on your credibility. Sharing “lessons learned” will be valuable to many others who have not “been there, done that” yet. If your goal is to expand your branding, you should follow a blog publicly by letting the blog’s author and the world know who you are.
- Reach out for advice via your blog. There are experts out there willing to give free and valuable advice on how to do virtually anything. Take advantage of this as it presents another cost-savings measure to source out information that would have normally not been free.
- Find yourself about 12 blogging partners. Start exchanging information and commit to blogging at least once a week. Post anything from articles to photos or documents, newsletters, opinions, even videos and more.
- Sign up to as many social media sites as possible – exposing your company name but always being cautious of personal information. Some of the more popular sites are Facebook, LinkedIn, Myspace, Ryze and Friendster.
- Invite collegues, clients, employees, friends, etc. to join whatever network you are on. Then advertise your blog URL on your social media networks to get more exposure and appeal to people who might be interested to comment and add value to it.
According to Stark, “Over 67% of North American adults who use the internet also use social media – from blogs and discussion forums to podcasts and videos. So if your company is not using social media, you’re missing a big opportunity to engage with them.” Bottom line: In terms of both exposure and profit, you cannot afford to continue on the old traditional Web 1.0 platform if you wish to grow your business. Do not be intimidated by the immensity of this exposure. It is simple, fast, and less expensive than you could ever imagine. I am totally inspired to get on board, how about you? Do you want to be blogging partners?
• Mary E. Fenuta is CEO of Passionately Inspired Solutions Inc. Her company is shortly launching five Inspirational Networking Clubs, called TIPS, across the GTA for different target markets. TIPS For Business will be introduced in May and will explore the whys and hows of Web 2.0 platforms and social media networks. Similar clubs are being launched in the corporate environment to encourage connection, education and cooperative sharing among stakeholders. To learn more, call 647-233-2133, send an email to
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or visit www.PassionatelyInspiredSolutions.com.
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