The Facets of a Social Network

Your online social communities and the way that you conduct social networking are critical to your continued (and increasing) success as a business owner. Social networks are still increasing in strength and number on a steady, regular basis. It is important to understand how the facets of a social network function together.
The influence of social networking
Social networking has become much more personalized (but in a credible way) than it was in the beginning of its inception. Gone are the days when nobody took the entire online, social phenomenon seriously. Nowadays, people are definitely taking it seriously and they are going way beyond that. They are involved with the social networks in much more serious, sustainable manner. They can see that their efforts are paying off for their business so they are becoming more and more involved. Right now, people don't have a choice but to be involved with social media and their interactions are proving to be fruitful more often than not.
One of the most interesting ideas, when it comes to social networks, is that new tools and actions are being introduced all of the time; in many cases, those tools don't cost anything; and that those tools are boosting the success and effectiveness of businesses on a universal level. It is truly amazing! As a business owner, it is up to you to make the most effective, productive use of those social networks that make a difference in your particular situation. Each person needs to come up with his or her unique formula that works. In many cases, it will be a matter of trial and error but you must trust in the fact that you will get there and that it will be sooner rather than later.
There are many social networks from which to choose and, ultimately, only you can make the final decision about which ones work best for your particular business and your particular needs.
The facets of a social network
What should you choose, open or closed networks? Well, there is no black and white, simple answer to that question. They both serve an important purpose. Open networks are a great way to get started and there is more or less a guarantee that you will become a member right away and that will give you the opportunity to start interacting with other people. On the other hand, although closed networks are more difficult to get into, you may feel that if you are accepted (and, in all likelihood, you will be), you will be bound to have a valuable, rewarding experience as a member of that particular group. Going back to open networks for a second, you will have access to a large number of people. If you are just starting to build your social networking communities and you are gathering your people, it is a great way to accomplish that. Of course, you should keep in mind that quantity over quality is not always a good thing. Of course, then there is the credibility issue. As you get more and more involved with social networking, one of your goals must be to gain increased credibility, position yourself as a subject matter expert, have other people view you as trustworthy and boost your professional reputation. You want people to think of you first when they need what you are offering.
Protecting your reputation
Because of the anonymity of social networks and all things cyber, people have gotten bolder and more honest than they were before the advent of social media and other online connections. Of course, that can be good and that can be bad. It is good because you get a clear understanding of what people think of you and of your brand. You can take that feedback (provided that it holds value) and use it to improve upon what you have developed already. On the other hand, it can be bad because the other person can choose to deliver negative feedback in an extremely public way. It should never be done in that way but it often is. Additionally, you may hear the person say that it isn't personal. It is just business. However, it sure feels personal a lot of the time and if you react emotionally, you won't be able to see beyond that point. Who could blame you?
Dealing with the cultural gap
It is a sound concept (and you should consider yourself extremely fortunate) to be able to interact with your social networks on a global level. However, it is also important to remember that you may find cultural gaps, which may be difficult to overcome. Of course, if you and the other person both really want to find a way to make your relationship work, you will. You may just have to put in some extra effort, which will be well worth it in the long run.
Be yourself
If you are genuine and sincere, people will know it. On the other hand, if you don't show the other person who you really are, he or she will know that too. It is also important to keep in mind that your first priority (when it comes to interacting) is to connect with the other person on a human/emotional level. It is critical to your success that you do that. Of course, along with that is the WIIFM (What's In It For Me?) concept. In other words, your first priority is solving the other person's problems. If you can do that, you will be golden!
Make sure that your social connections understand how much you value them
You are not in a silo so you are not allowed to behave like you are in one. The other person matters and you need to understand and express just how much. Without the clients, you wouldn't have a business. Everyone (that means all human beings) need to feel that what they think and feel are important and that they are making a contribution. It is your job to let them know just how important that contribution is to you.
Conclusion
Social networks have many facets that work together for a very effective result. The main facets of a social network (from a content perspective) are appropriate topics, frequency of posting, consistency of posting, time of day that you post, and the ideas that you string together in your writing. Once you have satisfied all of those concepts, you can concern yourself with the other aspects of social networking, such as customer service, dealing with global differences, and analytics. They are all important and they all work together to create a successful experience for you. Social networking is an extremely important part of your online strategy and you need to work hard to make it work hard for you and for your business.

Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in IT and web technologies. Mr. Cohn spent a significant amount of time at a major telecommunications company, where his main focus was on initiating and leading synergy efforts across all business units by dramatically improving efficiency, online collaboration, and the company's Intranet capabilities, which accelerated gains in business productivity. He also reduced company travel and travel costs by introducing and implementing various collaboration technologies.
His expertise includes business analysis; project management; management of global cross-matrix teams; systems engineering and analysis, architecture, prototyping and integration; technology evaluation and assessment; systems development; performance evaluation; and management of off-shore development.
Mr. Cohn earned a Master's degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.
Mr. Cohn is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

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Bringing Your Marketing Efforts to the Next Level With LinkedIn

You are probably working your marketing strategy pretty effectively, including through LinkedIn and the other social media channels. No doubt, your marketing efforts include all sorts of online activities. Do you find yourself wondering how the marketing professionals use the tool?
The approach of social media professionals Get the backing of LinkedIn for your status updates: When it comes to leveraging LinkedIn and making the most out of it as part of your marketing strategy, there are several different things that you can try. Only you will be able to decide for your particular business what combination works most effectively. When it comes to posting updates, using the background support of LinkedIn is a wonderful way to start. If you have that support, other people will notice and it will do a great deal for your credibility in your particular niche or industry. If that happens, you will be positioning yourself as a subject matter expert (SME), which is one of your goals anyway. You can also track the analytics on the support and it will help you to determine what you are doing right and what you may have to adjust.
Make use of graphic images: Graphic images will help to make your LinkedIn profile even more attractive and more effective than it was previously. It is interesting to note that many people are unaware of this capability within LinkedIn. If you use the image feature, people will notice and if they notice, they will remember you and your business more easily. You can use the image feature to highlight many different aspects of your profile. It is important to remember that you shouldn't merely make use of that feature once and then forget about it. You can revisit it regularly and use it to keep enhancing your profile over time. You overhaul many different parts of your professional image. It is important that you don't forget to do the same thing with you LinkedIn profile as well. You may be surprised at how effectively the changes will attract other people.
Develop meaningful relationships on LinkedIn: You must be aware by now that at the heart of social media success is the relationship itself. You will develop (and cultivate) relationships with all sorts of people. Some of the people with whom you build relationships are influential. One of your goals, of course, is to stand above your competitors. One really good way to do that is by interacting with influential people. If you surround yourself with people who stand out in the crowd, you will stand out in the crowd as well. It really is about who you know in a lot of cases.
Make a solid contribution in your LinkedIn groups: It is meaningless for you to be a part of a LinkedIn discussion group if you don't contribute anything to those discussions. It is very important that you add value to the discussion. The value can be in the form of a comment, a question, sharing an interesting article that someone else wrote, writing about someone else's innovative, new product and/or service, etc. You must really walk the walk. You may be surprised at how much valuable material can come out of one discussion. You have a lot to contribute and other people really want to be a part of that and they want to benefit from your knowledge and experience.
Use LinkedIn connections in the right way: Having many connections will not do you much good if you don't actually manage to turn them into relationships. You want to turn the opportunity into a bona fide set of interactions. Allow people the opportunity to get to know you and you also need to get to know them. That means that you talk to them, share valuable information with them, ask questions of them, etc. Connect with those people on a human/emotional level and they will want to do the same thing with you. Before you know it, you will be sharing a relationship that is mutually beneficial and enduring.
Conclusion: LinkedIn is an extremely valuable social media tool that can really help you to bring your business to the next level. Any professional who is not interacting through LinkedIn and who is not working LinkedIn to its fullest potential is really doing him- or herself and the business a disservice. If you are not using it effectively, you should start as soon as possible. Make sure that you really allow your online LinkedIn connections to get to know you and to embrace what you can do for them and for their business. LinkedIn should be an important part of everyone's marketing strategy. Is it a part of yours?

Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in IT and web technologies. Mr. Cohn spent a significant amount of time at a major telecommunications company, where his main focus was on initiating and leading synergy efforts across all business units by dramatically improving efficiency, online collaboration, and the company's Intranet capabilities, which accelerated gains in business productivity. He also reduced company travel and travel costs by introducing and implementing various collaboration technologies.
His expertise includes business analysis; project management; management of global cross-matrix teams; systems engineering and analysis, architecture, prototyping and integration; technology evaluation and assessment; systems development; performance evaluation; and management of off-shore development.
Mr. Cohn earned a Master's degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.
Mr. Cohn is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

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Positive Impact on the World a Social Networking Site Can Have

Choosing a social networking site to join and contribute to
People generally go through lots of things during a day: some to remember and cherish, some to forget, some to get inspiration from, some to be happy about, some to learn lessons from and much more. Apart from the family, social networking sites are the best places to share these thoughts, feelings and moments we go through every day with our friends and the world. There are so many sites out there. So which one should one want to be part of? What are the criteria in choosing a site to join?
Is it different from other sites...
Current generation of social networking sites are more for entertainment, and people spend hours together filtering through the pool for posts thrown at you. But towards the end of the day, one gets nothing but some entertainment and avoids boredom. How about a site where there is mix of entertainment as in other sites and the same content leads to inspiration, motivation and lends a helping hand to self and others.
Connect with Positivity and Happiness...
Now-a-days it is very hard to find people with positive thoughts around us because of the level of overall negative influence today's social networking sites have on people. One should contribute to a social networking site where you can connect to people with one or more of the following: positive thoughts, share happy moments, share motivational quotes, inspirational stories, charity oriented posts, encouraging to surpass someone's donation, motivational content etc.
Social share and Social care...
Every site out there is helping in sharing information person to person, person to groups, groups to groups and to the whole world. When this social share is happening, why not social care at the same time. If the content the users contribute to the site can be utilized in a way to reciprocate to the same community with good deeds, donation, good social cause wouldn't that be great?
Think before you choose a site...
The best advise is to think before joining a site as these are the places where information exchange happens in a rapid way. These are the places where you build virtual relationships as well. If we can limit the amount of negativity that spreads in these sites and contribute to positivity, the world can be a better place than today for us to live happily ever after.

SIGN-UP TODAY to a Positive world with iKare Cafe and you'll find big hearted members, sharing their real life motivations, happy moments, great stories and positive things that they do or contribute to.

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Bringing Your Marketing Efforts to the Next Level With LinkedIn

You are probably working your marketing strategy pretty effectively, including through LinkedIn and the other social media channels. No doubt, your marketing efforts include all sorts of online activities. Do you find yourself wondering how the marketing professionals use the tool?
The approach of social media professionals Get the backing of LinkedIn for your status updates: When it comes to leveraging LinkedIn and making the most out of it as part of your marketing strategy, there are several different things that you can try. Only you will be able to decide for your particular business what combination works most effectively. When it comes to posting updates, using the background support of LinkedIn is a wonderful way to start. If you have that support, other people will notice and it will do a great deal for your credibility in your particular niche or industry. If that happens, you will be positioning yourself as a subject matter expert (SME), which is one of your goals anyway. You can also track the analytics on the support and it will help you to determine what you are doing right and what you may have to adjust.
Make use of graphic images: Graphic images will help to make your LinkedIn profile even more attractive and more effective than it was previously. It is interesting to note that many people are unaware of this capability within LinkedIn. If you use the image feature, people will notice and if they notice, they will remember you and your business more easily. You can use the image feature to highlight many different aspects of your profile. It is important to remember that you shouldn't merely make use of that feature once and then forget about it. You can revisit it regularly and use it to keep enhancing your profile over time. You overhaul many different parts of your professional image. It is important that you don't forget to do the same thing with you LinkedIn profile as well. You may be surprised at how effectively the changes will attract other people.
Develop meaningful relationships on LinkedIn: You must be aware by now that at the heart of social media success is the relationship itself. You will develop (and cultivate) relationships with all sorts of people. Some of the people with whom you build relationships are influential. One of your goals, of course, is to stand above your competitors. One really good way to do that is by interacting with influential people. If you surround yourself with people who stand out in the crowd, you will stand out in the crowd as well. It really is about who you know in a lot of cases.
Make a solid contribution in your LinkedIn groups: It is meaningless for you to be a part of a LinkedIn discussion group if you don't contribute anything to those discussions. It is very important that you add value to the discussion. The value can be in the form of a comment, a question, sharing an interesting article that someone else wrote, writing about someone else's innovative, new product and/or service, etc. You must really walk the walk. You may be surprised at how much valuable material can come out of one discussion. You have a lot to contribute and other people really want to be a part of that and they want to benefit from your knowledge and experience.
Use LinkedIn connections in the right way: Having many connections will not do you much good if you don't actually manage to turn them into relationships. You want to turn the opportunity into a bona fide set of interactions. Allow people the opportunity to get to know you and you also need to get to know them. That means that you talk to them, share valuable information with them, ask questions of them, etc. Connect with those people on a human/emotional level and they will want to do the same thing with you. Before you know it, you will be sharing a relationship that is mutually beneficial and enduring.
Conclusion: LinkedIn is an extremely valuable social media tool that can really help you to bring your business to the next level. Any professional who is not interacting through LinkedIn and who is not working LinkedIn to its fullest potential is really doing him- or herself and the business a disservice. If you are not using it effectively, you should start as soon as possible. Make sure that you really allow your online LinkedIn connections to get to know you and to embrace what you can do for them and for their business. LinkedIn should be an important part of everyone's marketing strategy. Is it a part of yours?

Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in IT and web technologies. Mr. Cohn spent a significant amount of time at a major telecommunications company, where his main focus was on initiating and leading synergy efforts across all business units by dramatically improving efficiency, online collaboration, and the company's Intranet capabilities, which accelerated gains in business productivity. He also reduced company travel and travel costs by introducing and implementing various collaboration technologies.
His expertise includes business analysis; project management; management of global cross-matrix teams; systems engineering and analysis, architecture, prototyping and integration; technology evaluation and assessment; systems development; performance evaluation; and management of off-shore development.
Mr. Cohn earned a Master's degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.
Mr. Cohn is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

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How to Acquire Clients Through LinkedIn?

LinkedIn continues to be one of the most favored social media sites for marketers and networkers as it proves to be of profound significance in their marketing strategies. LinkedIn does a fantastic job in generating B2B leads.
Did you know?
LinkedIn is present in more than 200 countries.
LinkedIn currently has over more than 350 million users and almost 35% to 40% of these users log on to LinkedIn daily.
No marketer should ignore these mind-boggling stats of LinkedIn because this is where the business will come from. In business parlance, LinkedIn is more powerful than Facebook and Twitter.
So let's explore some tricks and ways to crack the LinkedIn code in acquiring clients!
Start with having a larger LinkedIn network
Many social media experts will ask you to make your profile easy to search for; however, I believe, it is more important to expand your network and not be limited to only the current first-second-third-forth level of connections. The larger the network you have, the higher number of searches you will be shown in, and higher the exposure of your brand.
Grow your connections!
Find Prospects
Another tactful way to grow your business on LinkedIn is by finding and networking with the right prospects. Join common interest groups because that's where you will find your potential clients. Make sure you stay active in that group by posting relevant comments and giving valuable feedbacks. Do not make a mistake of promoting your services and products immediately as you join the group. Learn the art of engaging your brand in the communication.
Get an Upgrade
Upgrading your LinkedIn account to a higher version will remarkably elevate your networking standards. You will get access to some cool features and tools such as getting contact information of your stalkers, availability of using niche targeted search parameters, and using inMail that can let you directly send email to absolutely anybody on LinkedIn.
Having the privilege to use all these tools really helps you in generating powerful leads for your business.
Use keywords wisely
What this means is that you must use keywords in your profile information by anticipating what your potential clients are likely to use when searching for people like you. You should be using key phrases by focusing on what your clients will type when searching for products and services, or anything that they are looking for, or wanting to know.
Be absolutely mindful of words and phrases while filling your profile information on LinkedIn.
Try arranging for an in-person meeting
It is not ideal to do all of your business with the potential client on LinkedIn. You must opt for arranging a personal meeting with your client in a local coffee shop or any other comfortable place where you can talk. This is how business relations take place. Your job is to provide solutions to your client's problems and, therefore, make sure that in your conversations you are absolutely clear on what you are going to offer to them.
What next?
LinkedIn is a wonderful and effective platform for business entrepreneurs who are looking at expanding their presence in the world. Unlike Facebook and Twitter, on LinkedIn you are likely to find the right clients who are interested in you, most of the times, professionally only.
Therefore, leave no stones unturned and hop onto the LinkedIn boat and discover new leads straightaway.

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People Power - Using Social Networks for Social Change

Most of us use social networks nowadays, whether it's the more prominent Facebook and Twitter platforms, or the image and video based channels. It has become a part of modern daily life, and many people have contrasting opinions about whether that's a good or a bad thing.
Some people say that social networks are the opposite of social: teenagers nowadays home alone on their computers, chatting to their friends, rather than actually leaving the house to see anyone. However, some claim that social networks bring us all together: for example, we can talk to friends and relatives all over the world, at no cost, via social networks.
Although, what many don't seem to realise is the capacity and potential of social networks. Mainly: the potential to reach and empower people as part of an online community. Social networks literally provide normal, everyday people with a platform to communicate and reach like-minded people. Places like Facebook have the potential to connect people, and allow them a safe place to discuss ideas and inspire a whole social community of people.
In short, social networks can bring about social change, and it's been proven countless times.
One infamous example has to be after the 2011 London Riots. Of course, we are not referring to the stirring up of the riots, but to the social action that occurred following. 19-year-old Annie Lorraine of London borough Woolwich decided to create a Facebook group after the riots, as a clean up mission, simply called: 'Community Riot Clean Up - Woolwich'. The group amassed a total of 900 members who all came together to help clean up the area after the colossal mess of the riots.
But of course, Annie's wasn't the only social network group of volunteers, and throughout London much of the riot clean up was solved by volunteers, brought together through social networks and online communities. The people who started these missions can all be called social entrepreneurs, for bringing people together and starting online communities to bring about change in their London communities.
That 2011 London clean up mission is just one example of social networks aiding social change, and there are now and have been many more since. One of the main ways that people ignite change through social networks is via Facebook, through starting a Facebook Group. For example, there are many examples of social entrepreneur empowerment groups, which are all free to join on Facebook. These communities help inspire other people to achieve the social change we all aim for.
However, it's not just Facebook that's capable of inciting change and online communities; Twitter is just as effective. Keep Britain Tidy is an avid member of Twitter, with approximately 14,000 followers (at the time of writing). They often Tweet images of volunteers helping keep Britain tidy, and cleaning up areas and beaches, for example. This helps invite others to join in the cause, and begin their own groups within their communities to help the areas that need the clean ups.
Social change is not just about the nationwide changes. Many Twitter users often use the platform for social change through utilising trending hashtag campaigns, in order to highlight issues and invite people to think about change. They often highlight issues to do with racism, sexism and homophobia, and more, in order to inspire others to start thinking differently.
Social change is all around us, and can be as simple as starting a Page or Group on Facebook, or inspiring a hashtag campaign on Twitter. If anything, social networks have changed the way we can impact on the world and our local communities around us. We can now gain responses far easier, as well as contacting people freely all over the world. This means we can get more conversations started about global social change, and draw and inspire people together and to join our mission.
Social networks have transformed the way we can achieve social change through online and local communities, and has therefore become essential in the mission for global social change. Consequently, they are certainly not to be overlooked by any budding social entrepreneur.

Find out more about how these networks could inspire change, and join the discussion, here: http://www.meandmycommunity.co.uk

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Why You Need to Start Using the Relationship Tab on LinkedIn

Relationship Tab Tool
LinkedIn's new relationship tab tool is a great way to remember why you connected with someone. It provides information about when you connected, and it allows you to add notes and reminders. This is where you can write in your goals for that person, and when you want to reach out to the person again. For example, in the notes section, you can write about how each connection goes, so you know where you left off when you're about to speak to that person again.
In addition to the notes and reminders, there are two other areas for you to use. The "how you met" can be useful to know where you met the connection, so you can refresh the person's mind when you're connecting. That will make it more comfortable for the person you're reaching out to, so you don't seem like a stranger. The tag section is for you. You can put in words such as warm lead, prospect, colleague, or anything else that you may want to search for at some point. That way when you want to review your warm leads, all you have to do is search for them.
How to Use It Effectively
It will take some time to enter in all of the information for each of your connections, but it will be well worth it. As you're building your network, you're going to be thankful that you've added this information. It will save you time when you're looking to convert some of your leads. People will be impressed how much you remember about them, and be more likely to engage with you.
The best way to use this tool is to get on a schedule. Every Monday, you may want to review your leads, reach out to them, and then schedule your next connection for a week or two out. When one of your leads connects with you, enter in what you discussed and how close the person is to buying or helping you depending on your goals. That way the next time you receive an alert to contact the person again, you can quickly remember what you need to say next.
All of the Information You Need in One Place
Many people use applications like SalesForce to capture leads, but with LinkedIn, you don't have to manually transfer any information. All of your contacts are on LinkedIn and their profiles give you the information you need. By using the relationship tab tool, you can do just as you would with your current client management tool. It can save you time and money since LinkedIn doesn't charge you for using its tool.
Start using this tool today. Many entrepreneurs and business owners are in love with it because it's helping them grow their network and convert leads every day. We're pretty sure you'll have the same experience.

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LinkedIn's Personal Touch Increases ROI

It is pretty common knowledge that LinkedIn (as well as the other social media channels) has many capabilities and once you get to know how to leverage all (or most) of its tools, it will help you to bring your business to the next level. However, what you may not realize is that LinkedIn's "softer" features can also improve your business dramatically.
People react to what feels good
You must have read many times that LinkedIn is one of (if not the) best social media channels for professional. The people behind LinkedIn have developed very useful tools and features and continue to introduce new ones that help everyone in the business world. However, what may not have occurred to you is that some of the more personal aspects of LinkedIn can also help your business in a really big way. When you complete your LinkedIn profile initially, if you have done it correctly and completely, you will have put in your birthday and other significant dates. Just in case you are wondering, LinkedIn doesn't just want that for no particular reason. The reason that the information is pertinent is that as a person's birthday (and the same goes for work anniversary) approaches, LinkedIn will remind everyone who is connected with that person through LinkedIn. It gives them the option of wishing the person a happy birthday, sending them a gift, etc. As a human, it probably makes you happy to receive birthday greetings from your online connections. It gives your emotions a boost. In many cases, the birthday greetings are short but the person (in each case) took the time out of his or her busy schedule to wish you a happy birthday and that speaks volumes.
Why is a simple birthday greeting so important, you may ask? Well, it is important because it makes the other person feel as though he or she is special to the person who is issuing the greeting. It is the very first element of the foundation of a budding, productive, enduring relationship between you and the other person. It allows the two people involved the opportunity to begin interacting with one another and, as we all know, interacting is necessary for the relationship and it eventually leads to one (or both) of those people becoming a client of the other.
How do you respond?
You have a few options available to you about how you respond to the other person. You can thank the person for wishing you a happy birthday (in a concise manner or in a manner that is a little more elaborate) or you can merely start to interact with the other person. Either way, the birthday greeting has opened the door for you to connect with the other person. It is probably a good idea to at least acknowledge the person's birthday wish to you in some manner, although a simple thank you would suffice.
So, now the door has been opened and it is time to start building your relationship together. Of course, that relationship will only be successful if you both put the time and effort into it, just as you always have to do. In other words you have to work at communicating regularly, nurturing the relationship, enticing the other person with thought-provoking topics, questions, etc. It is really wonderful because you never know from the outset how the discussions are going to go and how the relationship is going to go. The best that you can do is to do everything in your power to make it work and, hopefully, the other person will do the same. Life events (with are the occasions that really matter to people) are very important and must be acknowledged. The acknowledgement is proof that the person cares. You can approach the human interaction in a number of ways.

• Stay on top of the communications that you are receiving: If you are constantly checking who is sending greetings to you, you will be able to acknowledge those greetings and interact with that person quickly. People really appreciate when you respond quickly because that means that it is important to you (thus, they are important to you).


• Make it special: When it comes to personal events, you should try to send a message that is above and beyond the message that is supplied by LinkedIn. The personal touch will go a long way. If you use the default message, the other person will know that you didn't put forth too much effort.


• Try to engage the other person: Your message to the other person should be rather specific. It should definitely mention the particular event, at the very least. Your message should also show that you are interested in sharing in the joy of that event in some way (even if it is only in writing).


• Expand the discussion: Once you have become comfortable enough with the other person, you can continue your relationship in person (or on the telephone). In other words, your relationship should go beyond only being an online relationship. Maybe you can suggest that you meet for coffee (if you are geographically close to each other) so that you can get to know each other on a deeper level. Having coffee is very appealing for many people because it allows the people to interact in person but doesn't have a large time commitment. In many ways, it is perfect for initial, in-person interactions.

Conclusion
Even though LinkedIn is a social media channel for professionals, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't have a human element in your interactions. Wishing the other person a happy birthday or happy anniversary is the perfect way to work in the human side of it. People generally appreciate the fact that you are thinking about that person and it very well may solidify your relationship. In addition to birthday and anniversary greetings, holiday greetings work effectively also. Again, it is all about the personal feeling that the recipient gets when the other person takes the time and makes the effort to reach out in that way. Another way to get your LinkedIn connections to react favorably to your messages is by using humor (or course, that is, appropriate humor). However, you need to be careful with humor because not everyone has the same sense of humor. You need to know the person a little bit before you try that approach. Once you do use it, it will hopefully be another way to strengthen your relationship.

Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in IT and web technologies. Mr. Cohn spent a significant amount of time at a major telecommunications company, where his main focus was on initiating and leading synergy efforts across all business units by dramatically improving efficiency, online collaboration, and the company's Intranet capabilities, which accelerated gains in business productivity. He also reduced company travel and travel costs by introducing and implementing various collaboration technologies.
His expertise includes business analysis; project management; management of global cross-matrix teams; systems engineering and analysis, architecture, prototyping and integration; technology evaluation and assessment; systems development; performance evaluation; and management of off-shore development.
Mr. Cohn earned a Master's degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.
Mr. Cohn is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

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Why You Need to Have an Online Presence for Your Business in 2015

Did you know that the percentage of people searching their mobiles online has increased to over 70% from last year. Who would have thought that the old fashion method of picking up a yellow pages phone book and let your fingers do the walking would not be the number one source of search.
Even more rapidly is the growth of searching online via a computer or laptop to a mobile phone. Do you know of anyone who doesn't have a mobile phone? Even my mum who is 94 owns one.
Did you know that businesses who have some form of online presence can increase their bottom line by 20%? That is because when people are searching online they are being found. People aren't walking door to door to find services, they are online doing their research.
Did you know that if you have an existing website that Google made changes in April this year to how your website is viewed on mobile? So for those who have a website if you haven't enabled it to be mobile friendly, people will find your site on their mobile not be able to read it and won't come back to visit your site again.
Did you know that company's that have a 4 star plus rating will get the sale of a lesser star rating? Just commonsense really, however if you don't have an online presence which can allow for people to leave a review you again are missing out on business.
Many small business are unaware of this information due to busyness of being a small business owner with so many jobs to do. The old saying too busy working in the business to work on the business.
So what does this mean anyway? Bottom line is that you need to have some form of online presence, a combination of social media and a website.
If you have an existing website then you need to check and see if that website is viewable on Google. To do this just do a Google search and it will provide the necessary link.
For example if you were in the building industry, Home Building Central provides a business website and social media from just $50.00 a month.
The information you should display. Think about what you would want a prospective client to see.
Do you want them to see previous reviews of your goods and services? Do you want them to view a map so they can find you? Have you got some great before and after images of a recent job if you are a renovator? Is it easy for people to contact you via email, social media or phone? When people search you can they make an informed decision from the information supplied?
People will do most of their research before they even contact you, so it is important you keep this in mind when creating your profile on your website and social media platforms.
There is a lot of free information out there to help you getting yourself set up or you can go through a paid service which will do a bit more hand holding.
So in order to get a share of the market place then it is worth getting an online presence. Look forward to finding you.

Julia Mitchell invites you to send any questions you may have in relation to this topic to http://www.smallbizinternetsolutions.com

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Strengthening Your Online Influencer List

If you have been in business for any length of time, even a short length, you must understand how important influencers are to your brand and to your online and in-person interactions. Of course, there are several steps that you need to follow before you even get to the point of putting together a list of influencers; however, once you are at that point, your influencer list should be solid and robust. It may be time to take your list and build on it and make it even stronger.
Where do you find influencers?
The fact is that influencers are all around you. It is not as simple as reaching out and grabbing the ones that will be the best for your business. Oh, it would be great if it were that easy. However, just like it is with anything else in life, it begins with establishing a relationship. You meet the influencer, start to interact with that person, begin to build trust and prove credibility, and you go from there. Once you feel that you have a relatively solid relationship with your influencer, you can appropriately add that person to your list of influencers. Of course, it is probably obvious to you that you must proceed carefully when it comes to identifying your influencer in the first place.
The person must be a good match for your brand and your business and, hopefully, the influencer will have the same vision that you have when it comes to goals for the your business. So, what follows that is the concept that they will attract other people to you and your brand. You will have a chance to form all sorts of meaningful relationships that will hopefully stand the test of time. At this point, you may be wondering exactly how you can connect with the appropriate influencers and build relationships with those influencers that are solid enough to actually add them to your list.

• First things first, scope out the content: Before you can have any hope of building an influencer list, you need to read what they are sharing and figure out if those particular influencers are right for your brand. Realistically, you should read their content for quite a while before you decide if they are right for you and your business. If they are truly influencers, they will have plenty of valuable content, which will undoubtedly resonate with you easily. After you read enough of their content, you will begin to understand exactly what they stand for. Once you have done that, you can do more extensive research on that particular topic or topics by reading other people's content online as well. It is pretty easy to get a handle of that particular thing once you start to get into it. Of course, if you are trying to establish a relationship with that influencer and share him or her with your other online connections, the influencer better be someone whom you are proud to share with your other online connections. The reason that it is so important is because it is your reputation and your credibility on the line and you must do everything possible to protect your reputation.


• After you have gotten a handle on your influencer's intellectual strengths: Once you have become very well acquainted with your influencer's thought process and knowledge, the next thing that you will want to do is to follow the influencer on social media. Twitter is a really good choice for that. At that point, you can feel free to add the influencer to your Twitter lists so that you get the most out of your Twitter feed. The more profound you make your connection to the influencer, the better you will get to know him or her and the sooner you can leverage that relationship for your own brand and your business. Before you know it, you will be interacting with the influencer directly.


• Start establishing your relationship with the influencer: There are some truths that are important for you to understand when it comes to your influencers. First of all, the influencer (because he or she has taken the difficult journey to become the influencer) has a strong list of other connections online. You definitely want to have access to your influencer's online connections. That is a wonderful way to widen your online social circles and to start building a whole bunch of new relationships, which will hopefully be mutually beneficial and rock solid. Of course, the mirror image is also true. You must make a tremendous effort to give as much to your influencer (and to all of your other treasured online connections) as he or she gives to you.

Conclusion
Your list of influencers is extremely important and will be very instrumental to your brand's success. It is important to remember to be as discriminating as you need to be when choosing exactly how to populate your list of influencers. Make sure that you "get to know them" before you ever approach them and begin to interact with them.
However, remember that it is equally important for you to approach the relationship with your influencers in a way that makes them want to be a part of your online world. Also, one of the most important principles for you to keep in mind is that you must prove your credibility and trustworthiness to your influencers so that they will really want to share a relationship with you.

Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in IT and web technologies. Mr. Cohn spent a significant amount of time at a major telecommunications company, where his main focus was on initiating and leading synergy efforts across all business units by dramatically improving efficiency, online collaboration, and the company's Intranet capabilities, which accelerated gains in business productivity. He also reduced company travel and travel costs by introducing and implementing various collaboration technologies.
His expertise includes business analysis; project management; management of global cross-matrix teams; systems engineering and analysis, architecture, prototyping and integration; technology evaluation and assessment; systems development; performance evaluation; and management of off-shore development.
Mr. Cohn earned a Master's degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.
Mr. Cohn is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

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The Value Of A Facebook Fan Page

Competition is high today so you need to improve business connections by being different from your competitors. Since the majority of individuals are making use of social networking sites such as Facebook, you need a Facebook presence. Doing so will provide you the opportunity to reach millions of people around the globe.
Understanding the Facebook Fan Page
Fan pages, are primarily used by businesses to promote brand awareness and reach new markets and consumer. These pages are also referred to as Facebook Business pages.
Two things you need to consider in setting your business pages
1. Have a Plan: When preparing the fan page profile, you need to define an objective and set up goals to achieve your objective. Remember that this will represent your business on social networking sites and will be seen by millions so it should be aesthetically pleasing, professional, and easy to navigate.
2. Provide a clear picture of who you are; what products and services are being offered; and how you are notably different from your competitors.
Facebook Fan Page Benefits
Unlimited Fans: Where a regular Facebook pages limits friends and family to 5,000, you're allowed an unlimited number of fans on your business pages, and you can continue to add to increase your fan base without additional time and work.
Interactive Community: Through your fan page, you can establish a community, and interact with them daily. This provides you a new channel to obtain feedback on a daily basis. You can easily determine your viewer's thoughts about your company by their comments. You can provide instant updates about new products, special offers, and upcoming events. Facebook has provided various tools that you can use to promote events, products and brand recognition.
Connectivity: Linking is no longer difficult. From your fan page you can lead visitor to your blog or website or vice-versa.
Free: Facebook pages are inexpensive and extend your reach to a wider audience. Check your page several times a day and making sure it's regularly updated.
They also provide fee-based advertising and business page promotion to get the exposure you want at a quicker rate. You can also use your page to provide your fans with a way to sign up for special offers, newsletters, etc.
Focusing these efforts on a greater target market than you ever imagined at no-cost or at a relatively low cost, it's easy to see the value of a Facebook Fan Page. It's not that hard to set up-Facebook has step by step instructions, or outsource it if you don't have the time. Someone familiar with fan pages and sets them up on a regular basis can get it done for you faster and at a reasonable cost when you consider the value of your time that you can devote your to getting visitors to view your page(s).

For more information and helpful tips on online marketing visit us at http://www.onlinemarketingspecialist.org

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