Blog Archives
Social Media Sizing Sheet – The Ultimate Guide to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn, and Pinterest!
Have you ever tried uploading a new cover photo, profile picture, or background to Facebook, Twitter, ect. only to find that it just doesn’t fit fight? Of course you can Google the image sizes but now you don’t have to! Here is everything you ever wanted to know about sizing for Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest all in one place! Thanks LunaMetrics!
Don’t forget to share…your friends will love you for it!
14 Best Places Your Business Should Be Found Online
We all know our business should be online, but where do we start? After a website and Facebook page, now what am I suppose to do? I have compiled a list of the best places you and your business should be listed online. Keep in mind, there are a TON of other places you should be listed as well, like directories, for example, but this list is of the top sites you should check out. Sites listed with a blue check mark also have a an iPhone/Android app…even more reasons!
1. Website – Everyone in business needs a website…NEXT!
2. Blog – WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger(Ideally connected to your website). You don’t need to be a writer to blog, but blogging about your business or industry creates a buzz, gets you noticed, and makes you the expert in your field.
3. Facebook Business Page - Make sure your business is a “page” and not a “profile”. Oh yeah and USE IT! √
4. Twitter - Yes, you want to be there. Period. √
5. LinkedIn – A social place for business, post your bio, upload your resume, make business contacts, create a business page, join groups, find jobs/employees and more. √
6. Yelp .com– A user review site that integrates Google maps, allows users to post pictures, rate, and review. √
7. Four Square – Using the GPS system in your phone to tell where you are located, users “check in” at these locations. Free advertising for you and (hopefully) perks for them. √
8. YouTube –Create your own commercials, how to videos, or vlog and ‘Broadcast Yourself √
9. LetsLunch.com – Great face-to-face networking tool, get on board!
10. Google + – Google’s answer to Facebook and Twitter…and then some √
11. Itsmyurls.com – Your entire online presence in one place
12. Instagram – Free photo sharing app where you’ll find a whole new following online √
13. Pinterest – A virtual pin board for the visual side of your business √
14. Google Places/Maps – It’s Google, don’t fight it. √
Did I miss any great ones? What are your “must have” online locations? Tell me in the comments below, I would LOVE to check them out and pass it along!
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10 Ways To Master LinkedIn
LinkedIn, I believe is the most under rated social network out there. There are so many uses for LinkedIn, not only to connect with people, but for job searching, business networking, Q and A’s with experts, groups and more! Here are 10 things you you should take advantage of on LinkedIn:
1. Contact Info
The idea of LinkedIn is so that you can ‘link’ or ‘connect‘ with others. So why make it difficult to contact you? I see many profiles where, even if we are ‘friends’, I can’t find an email or a phone number for you. Sure, there may be a link to your website but then I’m sent to one of those ‘contact us’ pages instead of a real email address. People are lazy (myself included), so make it easy for us to contact you. You will find my website in my “title line”, my website, email, and phone in the ‘summary section’, and all my contact info in the ‘personal info section’.
2. Your Profile Picture
It amazes me how many people don’t have a profile picture of themselves. LinkedIn is all about connecting with people, so put a face to a name and let us know who we’re talking to!
3. Title Info
Aside from your name and picture, this is the first thing people see about you…your first impression, so sell yourself! Don’t just label yourself a CEO, journalist, entrepreneur, consultant, or my personal favorite…work from home and make millions! Tell us who you are and what you do. If you were to meet someone IRL (in real life), would you cover your face and say ‘John Smith, entrepreneur’? Of course not!
4. Summary
Most people won’t go past the summary section of your LinkedIn profile so use this space to shine. List all your skills, make it a mini resume, put your contact info there, tell us what your doing now or what your goal is, just tell us something important we should know about you.
5. Recommendation
Probably the most underutilized section of LinkedIn and possibly the most effective. Anyone can give you a recommendation and vice versa. A recommendation is simply a colleague, client or customer giving you a thumbs up and making you more legit to a potential client, customer, or future boss. Start sending out recommendations and they will come back to you too.
6. Don’t be afraid to connect with others
This isn’t Facebook. LinkedIn is business networking. I know many people who only connect with people they already know and refuse those they don’t know. How is that helpful in the business world? Always always always be networking!
7. Groups
There are thousands of groups on LinkedIn and you can find a group for any subject matter or industry. Join the groups, start talking to people, connect with them, post your blog content, articles etc, share with these people and watch what happens.
8. People you may know
On the top right of the home page of LinkedIn, you will see this section. Use it and connect!
9. Job searching
Did you know you can find thousands of jobs on LinkedIn? Search by company, job title, location, salary, and more, and often times LinkedIn will even show you the person who is hiring for that position or others who already work for that company…let the networking begin!
10. Applications
Did you know you can post your blog on your LinkedIn profile? Connect your Twitter, list all your published articles or books, slideshare, polls, and more.
LinkedIn is my favorite social media platform next to Facebook. Explore it, have fun with it, and start networking and building your business. And don’t forget to connect with me! https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandagunter
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The “How to” Social Media Guide Book
I’m teaching a social media seminar tomorrow at Dixie State College in Utah and while I was putting together the packets of information into the attendees folders, I started to realize just how valuable this information was that I was giving them. I was also thinking about how much more information I could cram into those folders and then it hit me. I already have this info all on paper so why not share it with the masses?
So after making a few phone calls and hooking up with a technical writer and editor, by Christmas you will be able to get your very own “Social Media Survival Guide”! Don’t worry, it won’t be filled with a bunch of fluff either. I hate “how to” books that take forever to get to the meat and potatoes of why I bought this book to begin with. No my friends, we will dive right into the how, what, and why of Facebook pages, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, analytics, blogs, RSS feeds, Hootsuite, FourSquare, Places, Yelp, QR codes, Facebook ads, Google ads, best practices, when and how much to post, URL shorteners, tips and tricks, tools, valuable resources, glossary, and so much more!
Later you will be able to pick up an advanced version with even more info.
If there is anything you would like to see in the guide, please comment below and tell me!
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The Greatest Resume Ever!
So I decided “What the heck” and I started to send out my resume all over the place just to see who bites. I polished up my resume and have already had a few bites but then I started to think, “How can I separate myself from all the others”. I’m in social media and my job is to get you noticed, so if I can’t get myself noticed…how good am I?
Well I present to you…the greatest resume ever.
Obviously this is not the type of resume for all careers, but if you want to get noticed…do something about it.
How To Get Into Google+ (Plus)
I am having a love affair with Google+
As you may or may not know I am a social media junkie, especially when it comes to Facebook. It was my first love. My website was derived from the movie. My next dog was going to be named Zuck. However…everything has a season. A month or so ago we were all threatened with the zombie apacolypse end of the world craziness and even though it never happened, something else is now taking over the world crushing everything in it’s path. It’s name is GOOGLE.
Google has always been a beast and I have been quoted often saying “Don’t try to tame the beast that is Google“. Maybe that is why “they” let me in. Yes, I am now part of the elite group of Google+ users checking things out before the rest of the world is brought in. I have made many friends including MySpace Tom. Yes MySpace Tom…you remember Tom don’t you? Everyone’s first friend on MySpace!
Well, he actually talked to me on Google+ and added me to his “friends circle”. Everyone is on Google+ it seems…Guy Kawasaki, Mari Smith, (Myspace) Tom Anderson, Scott Monty, Sergey Brin, and even THE Mark Zuckerberg. You could say my ego is a bit boosted and I’m having fun with it while I can 
So what is so great about Google+???
It’s like Facebook+Twitter+LinkedIn+Skype….and then some. AND it’s only going to get better as they make improvements like bringing on the ability to have a business side like Facebook pages. The good news is, Google+ will only make everyone else improve their sites. If anyone was going to take on Facebook, it had to be “The Beast” itself, Google.
There is no real science to getting “in” Google+, I really wish I could help more. You can get on a waiting list of sorts or you can be invited by a user. If you want in just keep trying. That is my best advise. An invite is great but ultimately Google decides when to let you in.
Good luck, have fun, and look me up when you get there!
20 Places You and Your Business Should Be Listed On The Web In 2011
Earlier this year I wrote a blog about sprouting legs so Google can find you and if you haven’t read it, please do so here. The point of that blog and this blog for that matter is to help you get noticed by Google. SEO practices, pictures and videos, and good content help Google, or new customers, to find you but you also need to be everywhere you possibly can be. While most businesses may have a website and hopefully have a Facebook page, that is only a couple of places for Google to reach out and find you. However, if you are listed in 20 different places, guess who begins to rank higher on Google? You, hence the term web crawling! It’s no secret what these sites are, you just have to look for them, but they can be a bit time consuming. That’s where I step in. One of the services I offer to business owners is a set up package which sets them up on about 15+ different online platforms. But today the list will be given to you FREE OF CHARGE, you just have to invest your time. Have fun! Now go sprout some legs and start running…you never know who is chasing you!
- Facebook Business Page – Make sure you set this up correctly and NOT as a personal profile page for your business
- Twitter Account - Yes, it’s a must.
- Yelp.com – A user review site
- LinkedIn – A social place for business, upload your resume, make business contacts, and post your bio
- Blog – WordPress is the best. You don’t need to be a writer to blog, but use it for informational purposes, write articles, etc.
- Four Square – A geolocation service that uses the GPS system in your phone to tell where you are located (store, restaurant, movies, etc) and you “check in” at these locations. Foursquare will post this info on your Facebook and Twitter accounts. This is FREE advertising for these businesses if used properly.
- Website – Everyone in business needs a website
- YouTube – Never thought your small business could afford a commercial? Create your own commercials with a video camera, upload it to your own YouTube channel and ‘Broadcast Yourself’. You can also start your own vlog!
- Flickr – A social site to share pictures and videos
- Yellow Book Pages – Directory
- Google Places – Directory
- DMOZ – Directory
- Yahoo City Local – Directory
- Manta – Directory
- Bing - Directory
- About.Me
- Empire Avenue - Buy stock in yourself and others, all for fun!
- Google + - Google’s answer to Facebook
- Letslunch.com – Great face-to-face networking tool still in the infant stages
- Pinterest – A virtual pin board that is the 3rd largest social media site to date!
The Wednesday Wrap-Up
Personally this was a good week for me, I got a new iPhone 4, and yesterday was my 3 year wedding anniversary, but on the downside I got a bit frustrated with Google crashing late Monday night. As far as the rest of the world…NBA finals, Weiner problems, Romney, Groupon, Sims, and XBox ruled the world.
1) Rep. Anthony Weiner admits Tweeting lewd picture – What a weiner!
2) Google Releases Stable Version of Chrome 12 – Remember when Facebook crashed?
3) Snoop Dog Fragrance Gets Cheaper As It Gets More Facebook Likes – Are you kidding me?
4) LinkedIn App Lets You Play Tetris With Your Network Profiles - Another reason to love LinkedIn!
5) The Sims Are Coming To Facebook – I’ll pass, thank you.
6) Groupon Enters Grocery Stores With Loyalty Cards – The future of couponing?
7) XBox Live Getting Live TV, YouTube, and Bing Voice Search – Jeez, is there anything the XBox can’t do?
How To Get A Job Using LinkedIn
LinkedIn. What the heck is that? That, my friends is how you get a job these days. It has been reported that about 80% of major companies use LinkedIn to hire and/or research new and future employees. Many of us signed on to LinkedIn a couple of years ago and never went back thinking, “what was the point of that”? If you have been back recently, you will have seen a big difference. It’s kind of like a professional Facebook, where you can post your resume, skills, specialties, a bio, and status updates. But it’s even more than that. You can incorporate your blog, Twitter feed, join groups, add a calendar and many other widgets. Then there is the meat and potatoes of LinkedIn…the people. You can of course search for your friends but more importantly, you can search for specific businesses, gatekeepers, CEO’s, VP’s, upper management, stockholders, investors, franchisees, and so on. LinkedIn will allow for others to write and post recommendations of your work which can be very valuable. You can also see who has been looking at your profile and how many people searched for you. And one of the best features are the job listings. Why aren’t you on LinkedIn yet?
OK, let me break it down for you.
#1 Joe Schmo needs a job in the construction industry…what should Joe do?
1) Upload his resume to LinkedIn
2) Check the job listings
3) Search for local construction companies he knows of in his area
4) Connect with any and all employees on LinkedIn with that company
5) Send the gatekeepers (HR managers, supervisors, General Contractors, etc) your LinkedIn profile/resume
6) Get ready for employment! (Not guaranteed obviously, but I am ever optimistic
#2 John Smith owns a pest control company and is trying to break into the hospitality industry in a new city…what should John do?
1) Upload his resume to LinkedIn
2) Connect his pest control blog to his profile to show off his wealth of knowledge in
the industry.
3) Search for local hotels in the area
4) Connect with the owners, managers, HR people etc who work for this company
5) Send them a proposal/letter explaining who you are, what you can do for them, why you are different, and why they should give you a chance along with some referrals.
6) Have fun in the hospitality industry!
#3 Jane Doe is in sales, has a job, but is always looking for a better opportunity…What should Jane do?
1) Upload her resume to LinkedIn
2) Search local businesses she would like to work for and connect to every employee she can find
3) Search for others in the sales and marketing industry and connect with them
4) Search for the sales directors, sales managers, regional managers, and VP’s and connect with them.
5) Send all connections in the industry you connect with, your profile/resume
**Sales people are always needed/wanted, the turnover rate is high, and the chance to get in/recommended by someone is more likely than not if your resume is good. This is why I recommend connecting with everyone in sales and sending out your resume to them all, because they are always looking.
By the way…LinkedIn is FREE. Happy hunting!
