Many entrepreneurs and businesspeople who consider themselves to be social media-savvy aren’t aware they’re missing the boat—a very BIG boat that leads to financial success. Are you one of these people? Let’s find out. You may be all over Facebook and well represented on LinkedIn. That’s good, but only part of the picture. If you don’t also use Twitter as a marketing tool in an ever-growing digital marketplace, you’re not only missing that boat, but guaranteed, you’re competition will be ready to board at the next port and sail off into the sunset with your clients.

Character is Everything

Using Twitter to grow a following is a matter of character; 140 of them, actually. Tweets are limited to 140 characters, and it can be quite a challenge to pass along a message with so little space. If you have a lengthy message, your blog might be better communication choice since you can describe your product and/or business in much greater detail. In truth, a blog is absolutely a better method for speaking to your clientele via your website. But you’ve gotta get them there first, right?

Masterful use of Twitter can do the trick. Especially if you learn how to use hash tags to your benefit. This strategy will help drive individuals to your website, blog, or sales page in ways general search engine queries will not. Take, for example, Twitter’s incredibly powerful search engine functions. These functions allow you to search through hash tags attached to most tweets and target conversations about a subject related to your product or service. Once this has been accomplished, you can join related conversations, and eventually tweet links to your webpage. #getit?

Cold Calling

To illustrate why the above point is so powerful, let’s look at the much-maligned practice of telemarketing. When telemarketers make “cold calls,” they’re contacting individuals or businesses that may or may not have any interest whatsoever in what they have to sell. Risky business! It is up to the telemarketer to quickly pique their prospect’s interest in the product or service they’re selling or the sale is lost. Over the years, telemarketing firms noticed the vast majority of cold call sales being lost, so they devised a system that would set their telemarketers up for greater success. This simple shift in strategy prompted an immediate increase in sales. What did they do?

The firms hired people to generate leads for their telemarketers. These leads came from individuals or companies that already had some sort of interest in the product or service the firm offered. Because the telemarketing companies narrowed their focus, calls made to targeted leads instantly saw an increase in sales. What does this have to do with the number of characters in a typical tweet? Lots!

Here’s the connection: the system devised by telemarketing firms is essentially what you’re doing when you use Twitter’s search functions to get into other people’s conversations. If you own a website that sells car parts, why not hash tag your way into conversations with Twitter users who are talking about cars? On the other hand, if you sell gourmet chocolates, you might want to stay away from conversations on weight loss. #payattention to what you’re doing and #targetyourefforts! Watch the attached video to hear what Daven Michaels has to say about Twitter marketing.

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.

Cultivating a positive image in the marketplace takes a lot of effort. It can also take a long time. How long will depend on the strategies you choose to implement and the consistency with which you set them in motion.

We all know that people do business with people they know, like and trust. Marketing is the process we use to be sure that happens. Prospects will need to be exposed to your business a few times in order to feel comfortable using your services or buying products. Event marketing will speed up the process and will also create a firm foundation for brand awareness.

At 123Employee, apart from polishing the image of our business, holding events has allowed us to educate our market. The more educated a client is, the more successful he or she will be in their business. Events help to minimize the learning curve so clients and prospects can make educated decisions about their next steps.

Attracting hundreds of people to your events doesn’t happen without the application of a little elbow grease. It won’t happen without two critical factors in place:

1. A sound marketing strategy
2. Cultivating a substantial data base

Here’s a brief description of a three-tiered process that will make sure both are in place. Whether you have thirty people or thirty thousand contacts in your data base, begin wherever you are.

FREE Webinar/Teleseminar

Host a free teleseminar or a webinar inviting all of your clients/prospects. Live events are also acceptable at this level. This event is FREE of charge. Open it up to your social media contacts and others as well. Offer massive value and over-deliver so guests feel they’ve gotten more than they expected. By doing this, you’ll deepen trust. Always give value, no matter what you do.

Book, DVD Course, Etc.

During the FREE event, invite people to move forward with you in some way. A book, DVD course, or any product/service that will allow for deeper engagement with your company is advantageous. If there is a charge, offer a discount and lead them to your website to obtain it. In this way you’ll also capture leads for new prospects who may not be in your existing data base.

Joint Venture

Hosting a joint venture event with another professional sharing your target market is a great way to market your event and build attendance. Offer your JV partner a percentage of the sales for everyone who comes to the event or purchases your products by assigning an affiliate code. People will be encouraged to invite others if they know they’ll receive a piece of the action. They deserve it!

There are so many benefits to event marketing. Please watch the attached video to learn a few 123Employee secrets. We’re happy to share!

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.

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!