What are the best ways to use social media for business?

I was excited to be able to join my old friend and colleague, Todd Schnick and Todd Youngblood on their radio program: Business in the Morning.

We had a fun conversation that included:

• How to find your target market on various social networks.
• The first two to three key steps when beginning the process of integrating social networking into your sales and marketing.
• How to build relationships via social media.

Please listen to the recording and let me know what you would add!

Business in the Morning

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How to make more money using social media

If you are thinking now might be the time to get started on an extra income, you are in good company. Take a look at our book trailer for Social Networking for Business Success to learn why you want to start thinking about how to launch an income-generating business and to see how the book can help you do exactly that! Buy your copy tomorrow – Tuesday, September 3rd – and win several bonuses, including an opportunity for a Q&A call with me and Hannah to ask all of your social media questions! Buy your copy tomorrow and check back for a link to sign up for the bonuses.

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According to MBO Partners’ State of Independence in America report, the number of independent workers is expected to rise to 23 million by 2017. New online platforms, such as oDesk and Elance, help companies and businesses connect with individuals seeking opportunities. Savvy job seekers are building online portfolios and learning how to succeed as freelancers.

There doesn’t seem to be a question that freelancing and crowdsourcing will be key factors for anyone who wants a paycheck, but it doesn’t necessarily mean there will be no full-time jobs. Rob Rawson, CEO of Staff.com, an outsourcing platform that focuses on full-time work, says, “We believe future hiring trends will focus more on full-time work, with companies hiring highly skilled staff members globally. Full-time work is not about to go out of style. Managers are looking for reliable income streams and companies are interested in people they can count on, so this type of full-time work is not about to be replaced by freelancing any time soon.”

Learn how to succeed in the new economy.

What’s the difference between crowdsourcing and freelancing? Rawson explains: “In crowdsourcing, many different people work on a task that can be broken down into multiple small components.

Freelancing, on the other hand, focuses on hiring one person to handle a particular job or project. Rawson notes, “This could be for design work, such as creating a logo. These are usually fairly small projects, for example the average project is $200 on Elance.”

It’s crucial for job seekers to recognize this global economy and how it factors into opportunities and how to find them.

What does the future of online work look like? Rawson believes the following are key factors for people to consider:

Increasing globalization. “It’s clear workers can use any number of online platforms to hire from any country around the world,” Rawson says. “These sites make it a whole lot easier for companies to offshore, and when the costs are sometimes two to five times cheaper than an on-shore equivalent person, it’s a tempting option for companies.”

Freelance work for certain types of jobs. Rawson says he believes short-term and small projects are well suited to freelance work.

Full-time work is not likely to go away. While it’s clear that companies can break down projects into miniscule details or chunk them into pieces to outsource, some projects lend themselves to full-time workers.

Global competition is going to be fierce for knowledge workers. Lawson explains: “The types of jobs that are moving offshore on platforms like Staff.com are related to work that can be done over the Internet. Examples include software development, customer support or bookkeeping. Clearly, certain jobs are not suitable for online outsourcing.”

Are you thinking of starting a new business or ramping up an existing one online? You won’t want to miss Social Networking for Business Success. Click here to learn about my new book and about the free bonus offer when you purchase on the September 3rd launch date!

Read the whole post on U.S. News & World Report.

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This book to show you how to grow your business could not come at a more perfect time. As more and more companies begin to hire freelancers to fill roles that may have gone to full-time employees, many of us cannot expect to rely on landing traditional jobs for our entire careers. This is a challenge most are not prepared to tackle. The solution? You must identify opportunities to create new income streams and learn how to self market or face being eclipsed by people who do.

Social Networking for Business Success provides exactly the information you need to succeed in today’s economy, whether hanging a shingle and running your own business has been a life-long dream or an idea you’ve never considered.

Social media and online tools make it easier than ever to create a profitable business selling goods or services. When used to their potential, these networking resources can help you:

• Demonstrate your expertise.
• Grow your network.
• Learn new things.
• Sell your goods or services.

Grow Your Business

Social Networking for Business Success teaches you how to:

• Connect with people you don’t know and convince them to reach for their wallets.
• Inspire trust, build partnerships and make more money.
• Market and advertise your business without spending a dime.
• Leverage small details that make big differences in online searches.
• Look smarter than your competition and make the best use of your limited time.

Do not get left behind the eight ball; act now to prepare to market your ideas and to run an independent business  to enhance your income opportunities and earning potential. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a business owner who hasn’t ramped up online, yet: this book will help you overcome obstacles to your success and get you on the right path.

Don’t take my word for it! See a sample of reviews from others in the business community about Social Networking for Business Success:

“Starting and running a business is hard work, but never in history has it been so easy to connect with an audience, find a customer, or market your brand. Social media allows anyone to connect with the entire world given a little work and very little money. This book shows you how to do it right.” – David Linton, Owner, Arobase Group, Highest Certified Apple Computer System Expert

“The entire book is filled with common sense easy to apply ideas…if you’re in business you need to get and read this book.” -  Bud Bilanich, The Common Sense Guy, bestselling author

“Filled with strategies and tactics, recommended resources, and helpful tips–this book is a must read for aspiring entrepreneurs.” – Shawn Graham, Small Business Marketing Consultant

If you’ve ever thought about running a business or think it’s time for some new strategies to ramp your existing business up online, we hope you will buy a copy of Social Networking for Business Success. Please help us meet a sales goal by purchasing it from Amazon on our “launch date,” September 3rd — the day after Labor Day.

As a special bonus, we are offering a free Q&A call-in for anyone who purchases the book on September 3rd via Amazon AND a free checklist to help you create a branded bio! All you need to do is order you copy on that day, then click here and fill out the form to access this special offer.

We hope you’re curious enough to check it out. Remember to wait until September 3rd to buy your copy to take advantage of the special free offers. 

So mark your calendar and head over to Amazon on September 3^rd and then sign up for the bonus offers; it’s our special way of saying thank you and celebrating the day after Labor Day.

Join our Small Business Google+ community here.

Or just bookmark our book’s site here.

Please help us spread the word about Social Networking for Business Success! Click here to tweet the news to your community.

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But first, since Iâ€m all about the connections…Some fodder from last night:

The “coaches are brothers” story. Whatâ€s the likelihood of two brothers being head coaches of NFL teams? (And playing each other in the “Big Game?”) Yes, thereâ€s the family legacy issue, with the father as a coach, and Iâ€m sure there was some big-time networking involved, but it still seems pretty improbable. What is the lesson for the rest of us? Thereâ€s a big world out there, and lots of room for talented people with skills to make a mark, be distinctive and to succeed.

If youâ€re thinking of starting a business, you may recognize that there are lots of other people out there who are making a living doing what you want to do. In spite of that, it doesnâ€t mean you canâ€t also be successful. While there is only one  winner, it doesnâ€t mean that you canâ€t be very successful if you take the right steps to demonstrate your expertise and to expand your network.

Unknowns (and underdogs) can win it all. Okay, maybe the Ravens arenâ€t exactly “unknowns.” But, they are a relatively new team, formed in 1996. As a non-football watcher, I had to ask, “what is a Raven?” when I heard they were facing the 49ers. They went from start-up to Big Game winners. So it took 17 years for me to hear of them, but I am not their target audience, so thatâ€s okay! Similarly – you donâ€t need everyone to know about you – only the ones you need to influence. And, even in a big, deep field of plays, you can still succeed, with hard work and maybe a little luck.

Your thoughts influence your actions. If you watched the game, it was clear the momentum shifted after the blackout. What looked like a blowout game turned into an actual contest. It turns out that’s not so surprising. The AP reported that Ravens safety Ed Reed said some of his teammates were worried that the game would turn when the lights came back on. “The bad part is we started talking about it,’ he said. “Some of the guys were saying, ‘They’re trying to kill our momentum.’ I was like, ‘There’s two teams on the field.’ But once we started talking about it, it happened. We talked it up.”

This is such a big factor for anyone who wants to make a change or try something different. If you convince yourself that you can or cannot do it — it is more likely to be true!

How does all of this relate to my news? I have a new book in the works! This summer, Social Networking for Business Success: Turn Your Interests Into Income will hit bookstores near you. Iâ€m thrilled to have collaborated with my friend and colleague, Hannah Morgan of CareerSherpa.net, to co-author this book full of ideas and resources for anyone who wants to use social networks to expand their business opportunities. It’s a subject near and dear for both of us, and we’re excited to share our new book with you!

In our book, we offer information and advice for a quick ramp-up if youâ€re a business owner who wants to use social networking tools to expand and grow. We also provide targeted help for those of you who may be thinking it would be a good idea to start thinking of yourself as a business and marketing your skills accordingly. The Super Bowl lessons make it clear that the improbable is possible.

Your success is in your hands – sometimes; all it takes is just the right information to move from the theoretical to the actual.

We canâ€t wait to share this book with you! (Read Hannah’s big announcement.)

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