Wouldn’t it be nice to have a personal assistant JUST to send updates to your social networking sites?  Don’t you wish you had ONE easy tool that would automatically update your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts ALL at once?

You don’t have to look any further because you can find all that and MORE with this free and  user-friendly service. Ping.fm is your virtual personal assistant when it comes to social networks.

How Ping.fm Benefits Your Business

•    Allows you to easily and quickly market your company, products and services – makes a big impact on your branding!

•    Saves you time and money – your own social networking “virtual assistant” at your fingertips!

•    A great way to interact with thousands of new people (potential customers and clients) easily– allows you to stay on top of your networking/status updates!

The Basics Behind Ping.fm
Ping.fm allows you to update your social networks simultaneously.  What’s the catch? Just sign up for a free account and you’re ready to get started!

Ping.fm incorporates all facets of the latest and greatest technology. If you’re waiting to catch a flight to France, you can update your status via text message on your cell phone. It applies to iPhone, iPod, WAP and SMS text messaging in the US, Canada and Europe (text message rates apply).

Ping.fm even allows you to post messages on your instant messenger programs such as Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, AIM and Windows Live Messenger.  Basically, ping.fm posts messages WHEREVER you WANT it to post!

It is really is the perfect “virtual assistant” when it comes to social networking. Ping.fm supports over 40 social networking sites including the big players such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc.

•    Sign up for a free account and fill out your profile information

•    Add your desired social networking sites accounts you want to update to your Dashboard

•    Your Dashboard is your main hub – it allows you to add social networking sites, Instant messaging programs, cell phone information, etc. so you can send out one update simultaneously to all your sites

•    You need to have accounts set up for each social networking site before you can add sites to your Dashboard (you probably already have accounts set up with these sites already so it will be easy to add to your Dashboard)

•    There are over 100 3rd party web/desktop applications available to make it easier to update/send messages. Some of the featured applications include: HootSuite, Tweetie, Ping Fire, Pingle, Notify.me and Blip.fm

User-Friendly Services - Update Anywhere, Anytime
•    Email – You receive a private email via your account that allows you to post updates from this email address. Just send a standard email from your computer or mobile phone to update your status!

•    iGoogle Gadget – Allows you to post ping.fm to your personalized Google page – allows you to update easily from your iGoogle dashboard

•    Conduit Toolbar – The browser toolbar makes it very easy to send updates directly from your browser. You don’t have to log into your account every time you want to send messages/updates

•    Seesmic Video – Allows you to record videos straight from your webcam and post to your social networking sites (via your ping.fm account)

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Who has the time during their busy week to run down the LONG list of bookmarking sites? Are you tired of spending hours submitting your content to social bookmarking sites? There’s one quick, easy answer to your social networking dilemma and it’s called OnlyWire.

OnlyWire is a one-stop shopping auto-bookmarking tool. It makes it easy for companies to automatically send web content to major social bookmarking sites at once.  This stable, secure platform is reliable and works FAST! OnlyWire is being used by all the online players – webmasters, bloggers, content developers, online marketers, etc.

If you need to blast out content to promote your site/company, OnlyWire will DRIVE quality web traffic to your site in no time! This tool allows you to spread the word quickly about your company, products and services without wasting a lot of time submitting content to INDIVIDUAL bookmarking sites

Add OnlyWire today and watch your traffic skyrocket! OnlyWire can really help out your site/company in the following ways:
•    Automatically submits new posts to MANY bookmarking sites at the same time

•    Increased traffic to sites quickly and easily

•    Increased speed of search engine indexes

•    Increased backlinks

OnlyWire knows what it’s doing and you don’t have to spend hours researching what bookmarking sites will increase your traffic. This tool is all about QUALITY social bookmarking.

OnlyWire submits to over 20 social bookmarking sites such as:

•    Twitter

•    Bebo

•    StumbleUpon

•    MySpace

•    Facebook

•    Technorati

You have to sign up for each of these sites individually in order to use the tool. Bookmarking sites are free and easy to navigate.

Another great feature of OnlyWire is that it includes the Power of the Button – allows you manage submissions at the same time. Check out the following functions/addons:
•    You have the option of adding bookmarklets with the “OnlyWire Browser Button.” This makes it really easy when you’re using your browser. Just submit once with the click of a button!

•    Add “Bookmark and Share” button to your website or blog. This allows users to post your content to other websites simultaneously! There are addons for both Firefox and Internet Explorer – easy to download and use immediately!

•    Developers can use the “OnlyWire API” feature – allows developers to add other bookmarking sites that aren’t currently used by OnlyWire. There’s an API limit of five submissions per day.

Paid Versus Promote Option
You are under no obligation to pay for OnlyWire. With the paid version, you receive the “ad free” version. Paid members are advised to embed their “Bookmark and Share” button on websites and blogs to increase traffic to their sites. Another great feature with the paid service is you have the capability to turn off OnlyWire ads (so you don’t have to view their ads).

The “promote” option is the free OnlyWire version. You still can download the tool and add it to your site to increase traffic; however, you don’t have the option to turn off ads. You promote the site via OnlyWire advertising – one of the catches to the “promote”/free version.

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What are your biggest sales turn off? Pushy salespeople in your face begging you to buy, buy, buy! However, they don’t offer anything valuable in return. They want you to buy the latest and greatest product but what’s the motivating factor? They don’t have one! As a result, people pass them over and won’t buy their products.

The following Internet marketing formula is the most effective six step plan to guaranteed SUCCESS!

Step 1: Distribute Content
Before you even ASK users to spend money on your products and services, you need to offer them something valuable. Would you buy products or services from someone you didn’t know anything about? Probably not!

The first step is to write informative content and distribute it through a variety of FREE marketing avenues including:

•    Video Marketing – People respond to “visual” content as opposed to just text – greater impact on audiences and put a face behind the name!

•    Article Marketing – By submitting to free article sites, people learn valuable information and want to read MORE information – a great way to brand yourself and put your name out there.

•    Social Networking Sites – One of the easiest ways to spread the word about your business to mass people. Sign up for Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. Create niche groups or create your own networks to really draw in target markets that appeal to your industry.

•    Blogs – Stick to one niche/specialty and write interesting, informative posts that really capture subscribers’ attention. Blogs really make an impact by providing VALUABLE information and news. Blogs are another great way to position yourself as an expert in your field.

•    Forums – Online communities allow you to interact with other members in a “friendly, informal” way. Generate buzz and interest about your company, products and services by interacting with others in forums. However, don’t just join ANY forum – subscribe to forums that really hit your markets and audiences!

Step 2: Reel Them in with GREAT CONTENT
You caught their interest and you now have a captive audience. What do you do next? Invite them to check out more valuable content on your site. Some examples include:

•    Video Tutorials

•    How-To Articles

Step 3: Subscribe for MORE GREAT CONTENT
Now you REALLY have their interest! However, don’t go in for the kill and hit them with the “hard sale.”  You don’t want to scare them off!

Don’t try to entice with special offers either. Invite them to subscribe for more GREAT content (i.e. weekly newsletters, etc.)

Step 4: Send SUPERIOR CONTENT on a regular basis
Now it’s time to really WOW them with SUPERIOR CONTENT on an ongoing basis. Offer them something your competition doesn’t offer and make it GREAT!

•    Send late-breaking special reports filled with the most up-to-date news in your industry – stay one step ahead of your competition! Research your target markets and give them WHAT they want to read.

•    Be consistent with weekly newsletters and offer “real world” tips and information. Don’t talk down to your readers and keep the language simple and to the point.

Step 5: BUILD Relationships First THEN Offer Free Trials/Samples
Potential customers love your information you send on a regular basis. You’ve built a great relationship with them. NOW it’s time to offer them a free trial or sample.

Don’t give away too much though. You just want to give them a “teaser” of all the great products and services you offer.

Some examples might include:

•    10 minute phone consultation

•    Trial sample of products

•    Free half-hour DVD

Step 6: Customers Are Ready to Buy NOW!
At this final stage, your potential customers and clients have been given a “taste” of what you have to offer. They see REAL value in your content, products and services.

They trust you and like you – they know you are an expert in your field and not just another salesperson! They also appreciate the fact that you didn’t hound them every step of the way to BUY BUY BUY! You may have already landed new customers in the first few steps, but by Step 6 customers are ready to BUY NOW!

Just follow these six simple steps and watch your PROFITS grow. However, if you want guaranteed success, remember to take baby steps and OFFER value.  Build relationships FIRST and the sales will soon follow!

Facebook is one of the hottest social networking sites online. Facebook pages literally give companies a social networking “face.”  Facebook pages show off your company, products and services to MILLIONS of Facebook users across the world.

Why You Need a Facebook Page
You can create a “Fan” page for any topic, group, business profile etc. It’s almost like a virtual “meeting” place for your fans to gather, share information and interact. You are the administrator and oversee what is shown and shared on your “Fan” page.

• Formal web presence – highly visible to search engines

• Works like your personal profile but more interactive – send wall messages, add applications, etc.

• Unlimited number of fans - build “mailing lists” from fan base (NEW business contacts!)

• Company name recognition/branding

• Allows you to research demographics about your “fans” (target markets) – interests, profile information, etc.

• Allows you to customize pages - create events, start discussions, add video content, post polls, etc.

• Link to your blogs and websites (company promotions, etc.)

• Pages tend to get more followers than “Groups”

How to Create a Facebook Page
It’s simple and easy to create a Facebook page – as long as you know how to navigate the in’s and out’s of Facebook. You can save your marketing dollars because creating a Facebook account won’t cost you any money!

1. Before you create a Facebook page, you need to sign up for a Facebook account.

2. Log into your Facebook account and go to Create New Facebook Page

3. Choose your “Category” (how your page will be shown up in Pages Directory)

4. Then choose the “Name” of your page. Remember that your name is permanent and will show up in the search engines accordingly to the name you choose (and shows up within the URL of your page).

5. Fill in the “Captcha Box” and you’re ready to go!

6. You can also customize your page with RSS feeds, page information (details about your page), images/photos, etc. The more information you have on your page, the more attractive it LOOKS!

7. Another trick is to choose a username that makes it easy for contacts to find you (you can also create your own). After you choose a  username, click on the link “Set a username for your Pages.” A blue dialogue box will open up with a dropdown menu of each page you created. You need at least 100 fans before you can create a “vanity URL.”

8. Make your pages creative and interesting – think awareness and information – make people WANT to become a fan of your page (and to pass along your page to others!) People will only become a fan if your page really captures their attention!

How to Promote Your Facebook Page
Facebook basically does all the work for you – your page will be listed in its Pages Directory which makes it visible in the search engines.

You can also take a few extra steps to give your page an extra promotional boost:

• Add your pages to other popular social networking sites such as Digg and Twitter

• Remember to cross-promote your Facebook pages on email signatures, forums, blogs and website

Don’t take after the D-Lister public relations practitioner with his bad Twitter netiquette. He angered his Fed Ex client with his negative tweet about Memphis, Fed Ex’s home location. As a result, the PR agency lost Fed Ex as their client.

Unfortunately, Fed Ex was one of their highest paying clients—ouch! Mr. Slap-on-the-Hand Tweeter learned a hard lesson about proper netiquette and also lost his job in the process. Here are some simple rules to follow so you aren’t downgraded to the social networking D-List:

Think Before You Tweet: Employers and potential clients can easily research your social networking posts online. Before you write, think about exactly what you’re writing.  Always promote yourself in a professional, positive manner. Even a harmless comment could read negatively to clients or employers. Words can sometimes get lost in translation in cyber world.

Social Networking Isn’t JUST for Advertising Products and Services: If your company or business has the mentality that social networking sites are JUST for advertising, it’s time to re-think your marketing strategy. Instead of blasting out “2 for 1” messages, you need to offer value to customers.  First build a personal relationship with contacts.  Tailor your posts to promote a value-packed message: 90% information mixed with 10% advertisement.

Do NOT Blast Customers with Hourly Promotions: If you don’t want to be blocked or reported as the Super Spammer, remember that value wins over click-happy, hourly promotions. The rule of thumb is to keep your promotions to a minimum – at least once a week. If you’ve established a strong relationship with contacts, you can bump up posts to twice per week.

Add Group Postings in Moderation: If you belong to a group, don’t blast groups or forums with posts. This could be seen as spamming and you will probably get booted out of the group. Develop a rapport with fellow group members and figure out their interests, likes and dislikes.

Don’t Add Friends Just Because You Want to Look Popular: Don’t add just “anyone” to your Facebook or Twitter because you want to impress others with your huge friends list. Remember quality wins over quantity. Carefully consider who you want on your contact list. Don’t ruin your well-respected reputation by adding people who are a poor reflection upon you and your company’s ethics. It’s acceptable to decline friend requests from people you don’t know very well or have never met.

Follow these simple netiquette rules and you’ll be successful as an A-list social networking guru in no time!

1. Customize Your URL Your profile information may be indexed by search engines. LinkedIn profiles receive a pretty high rank in Google. Instead of using the default URL, customize your own by using your company’s name. If you’re a small start up, it would be better if you used a really great keyword instead of your actual name. If nobody knows you, they won’t be searching for your name, so you have better chances of ranking higher with a competitive keyword. And don’t forget to select the “Full View” option.

2. Give Your Profile Greater Visibility
To strengthen the visibility of what is essentially your business profile, use your customized LinkedIn URL as a signature when you leave comments in business or industry-specific blogs.

3. Optimize Labels
Don’t forget to add your website, blog, or any other relevant URLs to your profile.  LinkedIn allows up to three.  In the section labeled “Websites”, most LinkedIn profiles use the labels “My Company”, “My Blog” , “My Portfolio”.  You have the option to customize this and add your own text for the label, say your company’s name. Use the drop down menu to “Other” and just add the text. Why is this important? It’s just a detail. Not at all. As search engines crawl the web your name won’t be lost among all the “My Company”s. You won’t get massive amounts of traffic driven to your company’s website from this alone, but it’ll surely help. Once again, for this to work, you must set your public profile settings to “Full View”.

4. Use the Right (Key)Words to Define Yourself
Directly below your name you’ll see a headline. Now, this could be a little tricky. You should use words that clearly define you or your business, but, at the same time use keywords that are relevant to your industry and will allow others to easily find you.

5. Promote Your Blog
With applications like Blog Link and the WordPress App, LinkedIn allows you to sync your blog posts with your LinkedIn profile. This enables you to keep everyone in your network updated and provides greater exposure to your business or name.

6. Use the e-mail signature
LinkedIn offers you the possibility to create a custom e-mail signature in Outlook, Outlook Express, and Mozilla Thunderbird with a short version of your LinkedIn profile and a link to your complete profile.

7. Add a Profile Picture
This is not a SEO-specific strategy, but adding an image to your profile, whether it is your own friendly face, or company logo, will go a long way towards establishing the connections you want.  It’ll make your profile look more credible, professional, and serious.

None of these strategies alone can guarantee increased traffic to your website or greater exposure. However, if they’re combined, they will greatly enhance your chances of improving visibility for your business, reaching the customers or business contacts you seek, and ultimately closing more deals.

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