Having a Social Media Marketing Plan

   You started up your business and now things are starting to happen. But you still need some help getting your brand out there. Having a Social Media Plan is a great way to start.


 The first simple steps are:

          - Know where your friends are... Word of mouth is the key to success. In marketing, is good to spread the seeds but you also don't want to waste your breath or money barking at the wrong tree. Figure it out where you get the most feedback for your business. You can open multiple social media accounts, but make sure to keep it all in check and be ready to have answers and content to keep them coming back... and talking about you.

        - Know what you want and need to say... Striking a conversation with your peers can help you sell your product and give your business a great image. Think of what your customers need to hear, not just what you want to tell them - very tricky. Lure them with helpful information related to your product.

         - Remember that social media is a two way street, be available and ready with answers. Even if is just an auto response be quick to get back to your customers.

  Social Media is just that, a way to keep your friends informed about how you are living your life, where you have been and how you are doing. The same concept applies for a business.

GOOD LUCK AND KEEP READING!!

Effective ways to make money online - Sell information

KNOWLEDGE IS PRICELESS!!!!



 People will pay good money - for GOOD information.
If you are an expert on something.....why not use it for profit???

  My take on an effective way to make money online by selling information is as follow:

  - Get a blog: write, write, write
      Get attention by commenting (nicely) on other blogs with the same subject
      Be part of a community with same interests
      Make sure to spread the word (use social media, friends, get the word out there)
       
  - Write a PDF with REAL INFORMATION
      Use your own words
      Describe your own experiences
      Get a professional editor to proofread it
      Make sure to write a copyright infringement segment to keep you stuff (relatively) safe

  - Sell it for a very reasonable price



This post is not based on personal experience. I am not an expert on selling information. I like to freely share whatever information I find.

Effective ways to make money online - Sell your stuff online, using EB

    If you are on a pinch and need to start making extra money ASAP... look around your home. One man's trash is another men's treasure. People will buy your stuff, specially if you are selling for the right price on the right place. You might not get retail value (well... sometimes, if you are lucky, double) but it will free up some space and you will have the cash you need.

  How to start...

EBAY - yeah... it is not perfect, you might find assholes, and there are fees, but if you have some good collectibles or designer stuff. It might work well.
  It is not a hard thing to do. Just remember to have good etiquette and apply any customer skills that you have. Or if you don't, just remember to treat others the way you would like to be treated.
  The customer service at ebay it is actually very good. They will answer your questions and even guide you over the phone.
   It is super easy to use the ebay phone application. You can take pictures and post instantly with it.

What you will need:

  - Paypal account - easy to get, just link it to your bank account, low fees, safe and secure

  - Be able to take good pictures: just look at them! Is it out of focus? Does it show your mess on the background? etc... oh and please, unless you are a model - don't use yourself

  - Be honest: just highlight any problems or defects. If you want to sell it fast don't jack up the price. And also be reasonable with shipping.

  - Write a great title: think a lot of information on a few key words, the more the better. Use designer name, size, purpose, etc

  - Get a scale - I use a food scale and I try not to sell heavy items. If it's heavy and I can't fit in the Priority Mail envelope, I don't even try selling it on ebay. (but that is just me - I got a soda machine and computers on ebay) - It is cheaper to print a label at home and easy to put the items you sell in your mailbox. It is actually a fast way to get it to your customer. And even better if you know your mailman, that way you do have a witness in case USPS loses your stuff (yeah... it does happen)

 - Re-purpose your shipping boxes and envelopes: Save money by saving the bubble envelopes you get when you buy stuff online. Or buy in bulk. USPS offer free boxes, but they are standard Priority Mail stuff, and you cannot use them for anything other than Priority Mail.

- Offer free shipping when possible: If you start your auction on a very low price, do charge shipping. But if you are starting at a decent price and can afford loosing a couple bucks, (just in case it doesn't attract a lot of buyers) do the free shipping. It does get more views and it jumps to the top of the page.

  This is all based on personal experience. I love to sell on ebay. But I was very disappointed when I encountered a schmuck that tried to get something for free. People will do that, specially with low cost stuff, they do think that you rather loose the money than receive a bad review. Well... I didn't. I am stubborn that way. And even though ebay sided with me, they said that it was nothing they could do about taking the bad review down. Oh well...

Effective ways to make money online - Online Marketing using Social Media

  There are a lot of scams out there. Be really careful. There is no magic bullet that will make you rich over night. Unless you come up with a product or service that has a high demand. Even then it takes a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work. And above all.... time.

  So I would like to share with you some words of wisdom along with some research I did on ways to make money online that are effective and over time can be profitable. Just beware that as with any other job you need to be a good fit. I advise you to stick with what you know and what you love to do.


  1- Online Marketing using Social Media

  In the beginning of Facebook and Twitter, there was a good chance that anyone could start an online marketing business using Social Media tolls and be successful. Nowadays with all the competition out there it is a lot harder to get clients without a great portfolio and years of experience. But if you are witty, a great communicator, and have a knack for getting positive attention from your friends and strangers on the Social Media sites, you are halfway there.

  My advice is to start with your close friends that are business owners. Offer to manage their business page or revamp them for a day. Maybe a quick guerrilla marketing (if you already have lots of followers and friends). Keep a snapshot of before and after. That will show the results of your hard work. Ask your friend for feedback and if you can add the experience to your resume. And maybe your friend might be able to pay you next time he or she needs new clients or when they need to promote some more.

  Beware:
    -  There are lots of professional 'haters' out there. Always keep your cool, be polite, and avoid confrontations.
    -  You need to be responsible and consistent.  
    -  Don't be overbearing. Try not to exhaust your own friends and followers with propaganda. Best advice is to keep a separate page or accounts for marketing and let people have the choice to listen to your business.


  The objective of this post is to help people that are trying to start an e-business. English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes. This post is based on personal experiences and my own opinion of what would be a good way to start an e-business. I am not trying to tell you what to do, it is all just friendly advice. 

WHERE TO FIND THE BEST ADVICE ONLINE ABOUT STARTING A BUSINESS

The Internet is a deep sea of information. But you have to be really careful about what and who to believe.
The best place to go online when you are starting up and need information about, well… anything and everything in regards of starting a business is:

1. SBA.GOV - they have professional people dedicated to help you. And true information absolutely FREE!!!!   

• STARTING A BUSINESS 
• MANAGING A BUSINESS
• LEARNING CENTER
• LOCAL ASSISTANCE 

GOOD LUCK!! KEEP READING :)

ONLINE BUSINESS WHERE TO START...

  Wouldn't it be nice to be in charge? To be able to make your own hours? To make money for yourself and not just for 'the company'?
  Here are a few steps you can take to make your dream came true.


1ST STEP  -  KNOW YOURSELF

• Are you well organized?
• Do you follow thru on your own? 
• Are you GREAT at customer service?

If you failed at any of the questions above.. Don't fret! Those are skills that can be acquired. 

2nd STEP  - HAVE AN IDEA

• YES, you will need something that people would want to spend money on it.
• It can be a service tailored to the online community
• It can be something that can be downloaded
• It can be anything (legal) that can be shipped in a box

If nothing comes to mind at the moment, you can search the internet for success stories and inspiration.

3rd STEP  -  HAVE A PLAN

• Put it all on paper.. your vision, your future
• Make a step by step to do list of how to get there
• Include the WHY (for motivation)

If you have a hard time with this step… Go back to step 1!!!!

GOOD LUCK!! AND KEEP READING 

Before you start your entrepreneurial adventure

Organize your personal life!


  The first step in entrepreneurship is to evaluate yourself.


Your strengths and weaknesses.
 
   Do I finish my personal projects?
   Have I ever achieved any goals I set for myself?
   Do I have control over my finances?
   Am I always struggling to find time for myself?
   Is my desk a complete mess?
  Can I easily express my point of view?
   Do I know any aspects of customer service?


Exercise your strengths and deal with your weaknesses.


  Address any personal issues before starting a business venture.


 Take time to work on small achievable goals at first.
 Work with one problem at the time.
 Give yourself a time frame to make sure you can keep up with the new routine.
 Once it becomes a habit, tackle the next one.


  Use leverage to keep going and reward yourself when you get there.


  After you shape up your personal life, you will feel like there is nothing you can't conquer.




 Next, we will explore THE BUSINESS PLAN.