Do all social media sites have the same benefits? Although some people think so, they are not. Every social media site has its own special purpose.

Facebook is meant to help you share who you are on a personal level with people. But don’t think for even a minute it isn’t essential for business success. Friendships are built and alliances made because of this tool.

Twitter is a little different. This social media platform allows for short, blips of conversation—144 characters worth. It helps you get the word out about going on, events and new product promotion. Blogs are online journals that give you the opportunity to teach, share and educate. As people comment, you can start some great conversations and from there, build your following.

LinkedIn offers your online professional resume. There’s a strategy to using this social media platform and as an entrepreneur or business person, you’d be wise to learn more about it.

How do social media platforms benefit business?

Learning how to use social media platforms to get the word out about your business is laser-focused genius. This strategy involves more than just social networking, so if you’re one of those folks who thought social media began and ended with daily Facebook status reports, it doesn’t. It extends far beyond.

Networking on social media sites, i.e. social networking, is a way of building relationships with colleagues, prospects and customers. You won’t find an easier and more efficient technique to reach and expand your target audience without emptying your bank account.

Definition of Social Media

Media is the plural form of the word medium, which for the purpose of our discussion is anything used to disseminate information. Newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV are all forms of media. They provide information. Social Media is a specific method of communication that allows for social interaction with the information it provides.

The interaction were talking about ranges from very simple; posting a status report or a LIKE on Facebook, to more complex; commenting on someone else’s Facebook post, tweet or blog. Social interaction on YouTube might encompass commenting and voting for a particular video.

Learn all you can about this valuable tool for growing your business. Your data base will benefit, as will your visibility, from a social media platform. Begin by watching this two minute video!

Daven Michaels is a New York Times Best Selling Author and CEO of premiere global outsourcing company, 123Employee, http://www.123Employee.com The company employs hundreds of young bright individuals on three continents. His International event, Beyond Business Live! http://www.BeyondBusinessLive.com inspires entrepreneurs to meet challenges head-on in with revolutionary new theories and systems allowing them to design the business and personal lifestyles of their dreams.

Many entrepreneurs fuel their ideas by developing services and/or with product creation. They put a lot of time and hard work into making their businesses viable. What’s viability without profitability?  A great way to give your business a financial boost is to start a membership site. You’ll not only bring prospects right into your back yard, you’ll also gently close the gate behind them by giving them a reason to stick around awhile.

What Exactly is a Membership Site?

A membership site is a private website that allows access only to members who voluntarily sign up. There’s usually an incentive for prospects to be a part of a membership site; such as a free gift, a newsletter or exclusive content. Members are sometimes given the opportunity to interact with other members, making the site even more valuable. If you don’t have one yet, it’s probably time for you to create a membership site.

Where Do I Start?

Good question. It usually follows, “How will I know I’m ready to have a membership site?” The answer? Right now. Begin right where you are, even if you don’t feel ready. As long as you have at least one give-away, you can begin. Too many entrepreneurs put off having a membership site because they don’t feel worthy to begin; they don’t think they have enough (products, services, freebies, etc.) to start with. My question to these entrepreneurs is “If not now, when?”  If you wait until you feel completely ready, you’ll never begin and for every day you wait, you miss opportunities to connect with people who want what you have to offer.

Try This

Here’s an idea. If you don’t have a download or a sample product you can send out right now, create something of minimal value. Offer charter members a really low price to be the first to join your membership site. Just begin. In time you’ll develop other valuable incentives. The value of an object in motion, and that includes your membership site, is worth far more than waiting until you have something weeks or months down the road.

There’s a difference between cost and perceived value. Record a 30 minute teleseminar on a topic related to your business and give the download away to new members. How to’s, Secrets and Steps have a perceived value. They can actually change lives. It won’t matter to your prospects/clients that it only took you 30-45 minutes to produce. Watch the short video. Your membership site will make a huge impact on your business. Don’t wait. Go for it!

Daven Michaels is a New York Times Best Selling Author and CEO of premiere global outsourcing company, 123Employee, http://www.123Employee.com. The company employs hundreds of young bright individuals on three continents. His International event, Beyond Business Live! http://www.BeyondBusinessLive.com inspires entrepreneurs to meet challenges head-on in with revolutionary new theories and systems allowing them to design the business and personal lifestyles of their dreams.

Today’s globalization, increased competition and rapid technological changes have led most companies to view outsourcing of business as the solution to staying competitive. However despite the fact that outsourcing reduces operational costs and in some cases can help the organization increase its efficiency; it also has negative long term effects that could affect not just the company but the society it operates in as well. A few of the risks and negative impacts that outsourcing exposes organizations to include; unmonitored competition, increased unemployment, unscrupulous providers and possible organizational failure in the long run.

Increased unemployment
Outsourcing of business processes is a relatively new phenomenon that was sparked off by the advent of internet business. As such the full impact of the practice is as of yet unknown, nevertheless it is not the win-win situation that most economists point it out to be. The first major problem of outsourcing can be attributed to the government’s lack of a clear and concise policy that governs the practice. This has bred unchecked and unfair competition among companies in the industry. The tenets of free market economies state that governments should let market forces govern the market, however there is also a need for guidelines that safeguard the existence of small and emerging enterprises. A need that is being largely overlooked thanks to the cut throat competition brought about by outsourcing.

Impact on the local job market
One of the other reasons that organizations give in a bid to justify outsourcing of business to offshore locations is that the labor force is not only cheaper but more educated than the domestic labor market. While this may be beneficial to the third world countries; such as the Philippines and India that get most of the outsourcing work, the impact on the domestic job market is drastic. This has led to company employees being unsure of their current job security and has resulted in low morale levels in organizations. In addition there is the possibility of employees who have lost their jobs going to work for the competition.

Unscrupulous providers
The outsourcing revolution has led most companies to believe that there is no other alternative. So in most cases small companies that can’t afford to set up their own outsourcing departments have to rely on the services of outsourcing companies. However these outsourcing companies handle the business processes for a number of companies, including organizations that may be rivals. In such a situation outsourcing of business may lead to organizations unwittingly exposing their operational secrets. Unscrupulous outsourcing providers may also sell organizational secrets to competing companies or collate the data and use it to start their own business.

Aside from the reasons mentioned above outsourcing may also contribute to changes in the way certain organizational processes are conducted. This leads to a decrease in the efficiency of the company, due to time lapses and delays occasioned by poor coordination which could result in potential conflicts between the company and consumers, the company and the employees or the company and its outsourcing providers. Though outsourcing of business is being touted as the solution for reducing organizational costs, it should also be noted that in some cases the overall cost of the practice may be more than the additional costs that would have been incurred.

Daven Michaels Author of the book Outsource This!

Outsourcing is a great way to utilize social media to build a database of potential customers. By using the power of video marketing, Twittering and blogging you can build a list of prospects in quick order. The Internet gurus and millionaires say that “your list is gold,” meaning that a database of targeted prospects can be marketed to over and over, sending them new product launches and email campaigns. Your customers may not be ready to buy when they visit your site for the first time, but capturing their email addresses means you can build brand loyalty, keep your image fresh in their minds and market to them when they are ready to buy.

An Internet savvy and knowledgable outsourcing rep firm not only saves you a lot of money in labor costs, but uses free social media sites to funnel visitors to an opt-in page where the prospect fills out a “name and email” form for freebies or additional information. This technique works efficiently to capture emails and the chance to market your products and services over an extended period of time. I’m sure that each and every one of us has signed up for a free ebook or white paper giving us valuable info on our topic of interest. A database is the #1 marketing tool for successful Internet businesses.

An outsourcing rep or virtual assistant can create profiles on sites such as Twitter or Facebook, upload powerful videos to popular sites like Youtube and create opt-in pages that generate targeted traffic. This traffic clicks on the links that are embedded in the pages and are encouraged to sign up for a variety of free info products. Does your outsourcing firm provide this kind of service? If they don’t, you are missing out on the most powerful conversion tool on the Internet. Without a list, you have no one to market to. Visitors to your website who are not yet ready to buy will disappear, never to be seen again. Don’t let this happen to your business. Hire a outsourcing firm that not only saves you money, but builds your business like a partnership.

Daven Michaels is an award-winning outsourcer and author of the book, ‘Outsource This!’ Daven has been honored more than any other individual or outsourcing organization. You can get more information on outsourcing by visiting www.123Employee.com