StartHomeBizWiz Blog

Very infrequent yet profound and relevant thoughts on launching, building, maintaining, promoting, enjoying and lamenting having your own business!

Webmomz guru speaks on social media marketing

An interview with Kristie Rimmele, founder of Webmomz.com, on social media integration with email marketing

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Webmomz.com guru speaks on social media marketing

Last week I caught up with Kristie Rimmele, the mompreneur behind Webmomz.com and the author of I Love My Life: A Mom's Guide to Working from Home! Thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs have used her step-by-step home business system to earn money working from home.

I've followed Kristie for several years via her website and also her email marketing campaigns. Just recently I connected with her on Facebook to see how she has incorporated social media into her marketing efforts. Here's how the conversation went:

What is the most effective social media tactic you've used and what was the outcome?

I have found Facebook to be the most powerful social media platform for our business. We use it to build relationships with our audience and keep them posted of what's new. I feel that having a Fanpage helps virtual businesses to create a tangible sense of community and builds raving fans.

You're a strong email marketer. How has email marketing changed with the growth of Facebook marketing -- and how are your email vs. social media efforts still distinct? (e.g. What advantages do you see for each?)

We use Facebook daily for top of mind presence. We do use Facebook marketing in conjunction with email marketing to introduce new features and products to our market. Facebook posts are quick headlines. Email allows for more in depth explanation and emotional connection with the audience. Plus, not every email subscriber is on Facebook and vice versa. Social media and email marketing work together beautifully.

Who are some of your favorite people/ businesses to Follow and why?

I am not a big Twitter user. Just not my thing. However here's who I follow and LOVE on Facebook. Lynn Terry - awesome authentic affiliate stuff that works. Jay Platt - motivational speaker who inspires me daily to be unstoppable. Nicole Dean - smart mom marketer. Elizabeth Hagen - organizing expert. Suzanne Falter Barns - friend and excellent spiritual marketer.

Who are some of your favorite Followers and why?

I don't user Twitter. But my favorite followers on Facebook are the ones who acknowledge your posts, like them, and let you know that your comments were noticed. It's a feel-good thing that builds relationships.

What's your favorite part of the "job" -- considering the many hats you wear and communities you serve, and the variety of media you use?

I love to write and teach. And knowing that I am empowering others everyday with what I share gives me all the energy and enthusiasm I need to do the job. Man do I love what I do and helping others to succeed!

Be sure to check out Webmomz.com to see what Kristie is up to! You can also find her on BrandingOnTheNet.com (Web Design/Marketing) and of course on Facebook.

Introduce your business to other entrepreneurs!

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Starting a small home business: Tips and advice

Want some personal guidance, good humor and encouragement for starting your small home business? Start here.

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Starting a new small business: Establish your why.

So you're starting a new small business? Before you do anything else, get out a piece of paper and write the answer to this question: WHY? The answer is what will keep you going in tough times.

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Small business social media mentor

Social media mentoring tips, resources, articles and teleclasses for small businesses who want to expand their reach through social media networking.

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Top 5 Home Business Start-up Obstacles: FREE home business e-course signup page

Sign up page for FREE home business e-course: Top 5 home business start-up obstacles & how to overcome them

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what a social media consultant can do for your business

From Tweeting to posting, to profile updating and blogging, it's all a bit overwhelming for the already spread-thin entrepreneur. So what about hiring a social media consultant for your business?

A social media consultant can:

* Help you identify what's working/not working about your current social media activities

* Support you in reaching your social media goals (# of followers, website visitors, etc.)

* Demystify social media marketing and provide you with clear strategies and actions to take

* Provide social media monitoring on an ongoing basis (if you wish)

Sometimes it's worth it to pay other people to do things they're better at doing than you are. Think about how much mental energy and man hours you spend with the social media minutiae. Then ask yourself if it wouldn't make more sense to hire someone to take it off your hands.

P.S. Yes, we offer social media consulting services!

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social media strategy: identify your goals

Is your social media goal to generate sales as a direct result of your social media postings? (As in, you post, they come buy from you.)

Or is your social media goal to attract thousands of fans to your Facebook business page so you'll have broader reach and pure "numbers" of people in your network?

Or maybe you just want to engage with your prospects and customers and have them interact with you, providing you with valuable feedback.

Maybe it's a combination of all of these social media strategies. You get to say what's important to you and your business.

So when it comes to social media goal setting, write down at least three things you'd like to achieve with your efforts.

And be patient with the process. Sure everyone wants 10,000 followers but that takes time and isn't necessarily realistic for the average small business.

Slow and steady wins the race. Keep taking actions and pay attention to the ones that move you closer to your social media goals. And then -- do more of THAT!

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the best social media tool: HootSuite

I have been looking for the best social media tools for months. Like many other small business owners, I have been a victim of social media overload, that incessant, self-inflicted, nagging demand for constant updates, checking for new followers, feeling guilty and unprofessional for not keeping up, and being totally schizo as I went from one posting platform to another trying to have an "integrated" social media approach.

Ha! So along came HootSuite, the best social media tool I've seen so far. I got so excited when I discovered I could actually schedule my Tweets in advance so I wasn't letting days/weeks go by without a chirp.

Then, lo and behold, I discovered that I could add other apps. First it was my personal Facebook page. Then it was -- OMG - my fan pages, all synced up with HootSuite. And my god, even LinkedIn.

I can literally click on whichever social media network I want to tweet to (it's all tweeting isn't it? Postings, tweets, updates...chirp-chirp-chirp)

So my recommendation? Take some time to add all of your social media networks to your HootSuite dashboard (click on the little owl icon on the upper left to get started).

Then watch your social media frenzy subside and a new sense of calm, smooth communication permeating that little kingdom (or queendom) you've created.

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Small business social media mentoring program: Mentors

Small business social media mentor bios.

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Women starting a small business: Map your time and make your life work.

For women starting a small business, we often get caught up in the minutiae so the real "meat" of our business (making money) gets pushed to the next time slot. Here's what's working for me.

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Which social media outlets should I use?

It can all be so overwhelming. The constant blare of "You need a blog!" "You gotta be on Twitter!" "Post on Facebook three times a day!"

Or else...my God, your face will fall off and your business will collapse.

If you're wondering where to begin, start with:

1. Facebook. It's just where "everybody" is most of the time. Get comfortable with the links on your FB page. Allot 30 minutes to simply browse around, clicking on things to see where they go and what functionality is available. Build your network by accepting (legitimate) Friend Requests and reaching out to others for introductions and further connections. Keep building it.

2. Poke around on Twitter.com. Create your account. Start following people. Search similar themes/names related to your interest / industry / profession. Follow those people who already have a decent, high-quality following. Read up on Twitter-quette and know that networking online is much like offline -- take a genuine interest in what other people are saying and get to know them better.

3. Blogging. Go ahead and blog (be sure to build a website first). AND -- pay attention to all of the social media arenas you are playing in. Which ones generate greatest interaction with your prospects and customers? Which ones are easiest and most efficient for you? What's working?

KEEP DOING THE ONES THAT ARE WORKING -- and spend less time on the rest.

Interested in boosting visibility and bottom line with social media? Check out our 4-week Social Media Mentoring Program starting April 5th.

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What is proper social media etiquette?

As with offline networking, it's not just about you and your business. Here are three quick tips on social media etiquette:

1. Be generous with others.
Create cross-promotional relationships with people on Facebook. When they have an event or product to promote, post it on your own Wall to ensure more eyes see their information. Request they do the same for you.

2. Prospect -- politely.
Don't just go "spamming" new Friends on Facebook with your own info. Visit their Info page and find out more about their business, or the groups they belong to. Learn what you can do to help them. And it's totally OKAY to contact them and let them know what you're looking for as well. Again, be generous with others and the generosity will return to you.

3. Re-tweet others' tweets (www.twitter.com) and mention/link to blogs that you like.

Again in the spirit of giving, become a connector, in the on- and offline world. And be bold in asking others for introductions to people they are connected to. Connection, after all, is what social media is all about.

Interested in more thorough training in Social Media for Small Business? Check out our 4-week Social Media Mentoring Program.

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Growing your business, building your brand with Facebook

Thanks to the viral effect of Facebook, effective marketers are using this social media tool to powerfully position themselves and their brands in front of hundreds of people in both their personal and professional networks.

Join us for the first part of this four-week tele-class program starting February 22nd which includes the basics for business owners when it comes to Facebook, LinkedIn, blogging and Twitter.

In the Facebook class, we will:

* Create events, groups, fan pages, and notes

* Discuss how to write strategic wall postings

* Explore prospecting etiquette and how to expand your warm and cold market via Facebook

Learn more here.

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Small business social media mentoring program: Testimonials

Testimonials from participants in our small business social media mentoring program.

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small home business advice: schedule social media into your calendar

For most of us who are already over-extended, social media can feel like one more godforsaken thing to do. And no matter what small home business advice I give you, it will probably still feel like an obligation.

So I’m going to attempt to dispel that feeling once and for all. Ready? Write this down. Schedule it in. (Click here for more on managing your time.)

For Facebook, schedule in 15 minutes in the morning and/or evening. Do it early, do it late, just do it. Drip, drip, drip. At least once a day, about your business, your blog, or just fabulous you.

For Twitter, download the Tweetdeck application (you can locate it in the Goodies section once you log into Twitter) and open it from your desktop. Tweet at least twice a day. Share a link. Ask a simple, thought-provoking question. Tweet your blog.

And if you really want to save time on blogging, write your blogs longhand or on your computer a month in advance. I’m writing this one on a legal pad on an airplane and now I have a month’s worth of blogs ready for quick transcription and posting.

P.S. If you like this posting, you might also be interested in my FREE e-guide: Social Media Made Simple for Small Business.

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Sign up page for Social Media Made Simple e-guide for entrepreneurs

Sign up page for FREE e-guide -- Social Media Made Simple: An organized approach for the overwhelemed entrepreneur.

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home business hints: effective prospecting starts early in the day

Here are some home business hints on prospecting.

If your business depends on calling people up and introducing yourself, your products, services or opportunity, you need to get cracking in the morning.

Many success authors speak to this -- Perform your top 2 to 3 money-making activities in the first two hours of your day.

Not a morning person? Tough! You have to be willing to do today the things that others are not willing to do, to have tomorrow what others will not have, so the saying goes.

So turn to your calendar or scheduling system right now. Book yourself every morning from 9-10 or 10-11 or whatever works with your schedule. And commit to being on the phone, prospecting -- uninterrupted -- for a designated time every day. (You might also like this article on time management.)

Wanna know if it will make a difference? Take this home business hint and try it for a month. And let me know what you find out.

P.S. If you liked this, you might also enjoy these home business advice articles.

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Home business advice: Acknowledgement moves mountains

Even if you're a solo-preneur with no staff and little interaction with the outside world, my home business advice is to look for ways to acknowledge the people you come into contact with.

It can be a simple gesture of appreciation (a phone call to thank someone for something) or a gift that comes as a total surprise to them.

My favorite form of acknowledgement is when I get to thank someone -- a friend, a business partner, my husband -- for being who they are for me and how they contribute to my life, or my business.

They get the acknowledgment deep down -- and I get it even more.

P.S. More home business advice: Don't forget to acknowledge yourself.

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smart home business: swimming with the tide

So you're a smart home business owner, but have you ever found yourself saying no to things that could actually make you money? And that you actually know how to do pretty quickly and easily?

Well here's what happened with me and my smart home business. I spent the last couple of years saying no to writing gigs. Didn't want 'em. Didn't even allow myself to look in that direction.

Early in the summer I started thinking about my multiple streams of income. Despite the fact I'm very attached to my main one, I began to open up to the idea of taking on business writing assignments again.

Within weeks of "opening up" - go figure - the Universe provided. I got a call from someone who had my name in her database from years ago when another friend of mine had suggested she contact me.

Another client I worked with in 2001 emailed me out of the blue to explore a new project.

I got together with someone for coffee to talk about one business and we ended up talking about her website and what I could do to help her get to the next level. I walked away with a check in hand!

What's my point?

Well I can now see that I had convinced myself that things had to look a certain way, or I just wasn't going to play. Wah-wah-wah.

Now, nothing looks the way I thought I wanted it to look, yet I'm having more fun experiencing new creative outlets, enterprising opportunities, and -- well, gee, making more MONEY.

Who wouldn't want that?

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smart home business: freeconference.com SharePlus

Talk about smart home business tools and ones that work.

If only this one had an AFFILIATE program! I've been using Freeconference.com for a while now, for basic tele-conference set up for a handful of users.

Now I've taken it to the next level with their new SharePlus feature which allows desktop sharing for just $6.50 / month. I was able to download it and get it going, ask someone to visit the link I gave them and see my desktop, all within 15 MINUTES.

No sweat. No frustration. No lag time. I LOVE when technology works. YES!

P.S. You can also opt for recorded audio, unlimited for $9/month. Sweet.

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smart home business: brilliant ideas and what to do with them

I don't know about you but I could take on 50 projects and be equally excited by all of them.

As a smart home business owner, I often come up with great ideas for my business but quickly shelf them because I know -- if I'm really honest with myself -- that I won't be getting around to them for a long time, no matter how great or inspiring they are.

I mean, who has time to actually IMPLEMENT ideas these days?

It occurred to me recently, however, that I could invite someone else to take my idea and do something with it. I can still be involved. I can still make money. I can still be the visionary. But I don't have to do it all by myself.

I'd rather have someone else run with MY idea than have it stagnating in the back of my mind, yet another explored, uncultivated idea.

In the old days I would've been protective of my brilliant idea. I wasn't ready to give away the glory. My ego wanted to make sure people knew it was mine, and I'd get the credit and kudos.

Nowadays I don't care (much) as long as it comes to frution and there is merit there.

And when it happens -- and gets others excited and moving -- well, I am reminded of the expression: You can't keep it unless you give it away.

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small home business advice: can you talk to one new person a day?

In my company's new mentoring program participants agree to talk to one new person a day. Just one!

So I asked myself how hard could that be? So far, it's been easy. In fact, one new person actually called ME today. And a few days ago, with my agreement in mind, I went out and about with my kids in a spirit of being open and friendly, and it was EASY to talk to at least one. (I ended up talking to three!)

So here's some small home business advice, whatever business you're in, commit to talking to one new person a day. What difference would that make in your prospecting? What difference would it make in your conversion rates if you were speaking to 30 new people every month?

I'd love to hear about your results.

P.S. The key is keeping the promise to yourself and others. Find a partner who is also trying to grow his/her business and is willing to commit to the same thing. Get on the phone with each other daily to stay on track.

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twitter-diction and the traffic junkie i've become

If you're looking for small home business advice, here's mine for the day: Get on Twitter!

Well actually, get on Twitter and offer something useful. Update your website with useful articles or blogs about whatever it is you're an expert in.

Take time to see what your followers are posting and hit their sites, too, to see what kind of useful information they're posting.

Experiment with times of day and Twitter-activity (statistics show that most people are Twittering M-F during work hours in the US).

Post a link to your blog or article and perhaps post it again later that day. Then, if you can possibly sleep that night with all the anticipation, look at your traffic stats the next morning. Voila! 80% of mine is now coming from Twitter.

Probably because I'm spending a lot of my time there, posting periodically throughout the day. I could also be visiting small business forums such as those found on entrepreneur.com as well as offering comments and feedback on others' blogs. (Forums often allow you to include your website in your posting, so you end up getting backlinks to your site and thus generating more traffic.)

If this was useful to you, shoot me an email via my Contact page and take a look at some of the other smart home business articles on my site.

See you in Twitter-land. And thanks for being a unique visitor!

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(smart home business) what's on the other side of rigor?

Just joined a 100-day goal-achieving program with my business mentor -- a commitment to set goals in various areas of my life, take effective actions, be on multiple coaching calls, have an accountability partner (daily call) and report results weekly. YOWWW!

I am energized and excited about it and already see myself coming face to face with MYSELF. I know the truth about my work habits and all around see a lack of consistency.

I get distracted just like everybody else, even when I'm fired up and focused. What's the smart home business secret here? Accountability and commitment. I'm IN.

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nothing like doing what i said i was going to do (when I said I would)

Last week I had the experience of WINNING on one of my workdays as I adhered to my schedule and the time blocks I had allotted for certain types of tasks (calls, emails, updates, etc.).

It was, fortunately, a day without urgent distractions so I was able to follow my plan. AND, I got that following my plan gives me power.

I spent 30 minutes making the prospecting calls I said I would. I spent another hour on training calls. I invited media to a launch event as I said I would.

The distinction being -- these weren't just things on my To Do list, that I know I'll get to eventually, somehow. They were marked in my calendar to do at certain times of day, and I did them, when I said I would.

It gave me a tremendous feeling of accomplishment and effectiveness.

Now, I'm off to run some errands, which is what I said I would do today at this time.

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let (entrepreneurial) freedom ring

I don't know about you but the biggest thing I saw for myself in entrepreneurship was the ability to do what I want when I want to do it. To not have to beg some boss for a few hours off to take care of errands, or to get the company glare when it was time to take a much-needed week-long vacation.

It's always been about the freedom. And there's a part of me that indeed would "fight and die" for it -- entrepreneurially speaking.

Recently I started dipping back into the world of resumes and job searches, to see what I was worth in the marketplace and to see what was out there.

The opportunities that have come in so far match me up with entrepreneurial ventures and 100% commission -- because, the job offerers say, "You're used to working on commission-only and you're an entrepreneur."

One part-time gig identified I was over-qualified (and the pay was so embarrassingly low it would barely pay for an hour of babysitting).

As I write this I hear the fireworks, freedom in the air. And I'm musing that I'm just not cut out for anything but the luxury of designing my own time and building my own global enterprise.

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what are you attached to?

Today I gave up something I've been "attached" to for two years: My BNI membership (Business Network International is an international business referral organization).

Every Thursday for two years I have been a part of a dynamic group of professionals who subscribe to the BNI "givers gain" philosophy. We developed relationships, got to know each other's businesses, got glimpses of each other's personal lives, and became deeply committed to one another's success.

Today I stepped down, powerfully and without regret, bittersweet, yet exciting, ready to step into something new. Or not. I might just use my Thursday mornings to go out to breakfast with my 4 year old.

Freedom to do that, after all, is what having my own business is all about.

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why the windshield is bigger than the rearview

Great call this morning with top leaders in our company, talking about the windshield being bigger than the rearview mirror, for good reason. It's the wider vision of the road ahead of us, not where we've been, that has us keep going.

The last few weeks I've been reconciling with where I am -- and where I am not. The "not" always trips me up. I start focusing on that and wondering why that's the case, and when I'll ever get to where I want to go.

I know that what we focus on expands and sometimes I'm just willing to go there, get mired in the muck for the sake of misery.

Today I am in a state of Positive Expectation (Abraham-Hicks.com) which is about one breath away from Joy and the highest vibrational frequency in terms of Law of Attraction and allowing the Universe to answer my asking.

I am distinguishing when I'm not allowing it (resisting in some way) and what I'm getting is, Life is Good and What I'm Asking for Is On Its Way.

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I tame. I taw. I tweeted.

It started with twittering. I had no idea what one was to twitter about.

Then my friend Dave said, "Wait till you try Tweetdeck." I got on board deck. It became less murky, this tweet thing.

What to tweet about? Self-serving business opportunity propaganda? At first.

But then I started getting the same message I have mastered in the offline world. It's all about relationships. One follower at a time. Tonight I discovered www.twitproquo.com. Exponential following mechanism. Genius. Let's see what happens.

My business expanding at the same rate?

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build a team and watch them go

I've been in a networking business for three years. I've attracted some great distributors and great customers who love my products for life.

I've also had a really hard time sustaining momentum and engaging people in the business. I expect them all to just show up, be ready, and start doing it.

No wonder it's been hard! I didn't know anything about building teams of people. I just led them to the training, showed them how it was done and then turned them loose. (Ask me how that was working.)

Now I'm finally getting that all I have to do is get people to bring people to me. Then I bring those people in, and help everyone build their businesses, and I can even "give business away" with the same intention.

My coach said, "You wouldn't turned your babies out before they knew what to do, would you?" Put like that, NO, I definitely wouldn't do that.

And I got it. I build business for people until they can do it on their own. Everybody wins. And it's SOOOOOO much easier and more fun!

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just keep going

I'm looking at my weekly tracking system, a simple little chart that allows me to document daily activities that ultimately produce results for my business.

In particular I'm noticing all the zeros from last week to this -- scores I've given myself for adding new prospects to my list, setting appointments, presenting information, and acquiring customers and/or business partners.

The thing is, in the weeks before I can look at all the NUMBERS (not zeros) and get the reality of the situation: Some weeks I will produce and some weeks I just won't.

In the past I would've seen all those zeros and eventually stopped tallying, dismissing the system as too disempowering in light of the lack of results.

Now I just keep doing what I'm doing, whether I've got zeros or nines, because consistent, focused actions eventually produce long-term results.

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how do you want your business to go in 2009?

I'm excited about the new year. I'm done with the old, in with the new. Not concerned about how much further along I think I "should" be (though that comes and goes and I think we're always thinking we should be somewhere else).

Not concerned about results I have or have not produced.

I am looking at this moment -- at the moment -- as the opportunity to do what I've never done before.

To make more money than I've ever made in my life. To produce results that will blow my own mind. To tear down the walls of "can't" "haven't" "won't" -- and just blow the lid off this capsule for the entire year, starting right...NOW!

So what's it gonna be for you? What are you declaring for your business in 2009? How's it gonna go?

You speak it, it happens. Tell me all about it. Contact me and let's run with the wild entrepreneurial wolves in the next 12 months.

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ox year in business

By all accounts the Year of the Ox is looking like business as usual -- hard work and discipline like the cow in the field.

I did find some consolation on Visitourchina.com, which says that while the Ox year is a conservative one, it is "slow but steady" and "will bring stability and growth where patience and diligence pays off."

I especially like this part: This is a year of Harvest - when we reap what we have sown."

I don't know about you but I have been SOWING like crazy these past few years. It's time for some serious reaping.

Wishing you a BOUNTIFUL harvest in 2009 -- plenty of fare for the hungry cow.

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