online presence

Lists: Are you in the Top 100?

by Alice Heiman on May 11, 2012

Have you ever wondered how companies get on the “Top” lists.  I recently made Evan Carmicheal’s Top 100 Sales Experts to Watch on Twitter.  He publishes this every month.  In April I was #77 .  Pretty exciting, I think.  How did I get on this list?  And what does it mean?  Does it get me any business?

One of the things it means is that I am showing up and someone is noticing.  Are you showing up and is anyone noticing?  And really not just anyone, but your ideal customers.  The game is to get noticed by them and have them contact you. Social media is certainly one of the ways to get noticed, along with traditional media and great customer service that turns your customers into a walking advertisement.

The real question is are you at the top of your customer’s list.  Do they think of your first. I’d like to think so, but I make sure.  I use social media, email marketing, networking, one to one calls and visits, handwritten notes, fun gifts, this blog and anything else I can think of to stay there.

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Twitter Here, Twitter there . . . . 3 things to improve the way you tweet!

by Alice Heiman on February 4, 2012

I have been using Twitter since December of 2008 @aliceheiman.  I currently have 897 followers – not 8,000 or 80,000, so I am obviously not the expert.  It took me quite some time to figure out how to use it effectively and I am still learning.  My observation, most people don’t use it well; using it solely to push information which is a one way communication.  Their goal: drive traffic to their blog or website. And if the information they give is valuable, it may do that.  I learn a lot from the people I follow on Twitter through their links and articles, and I in turn share with others.  Sure, it’s a great way to get information out, but I strongly believe we receive more when we engage in conversation and not just gain followers. For me Twitter works best if you can develop relationships with people and in order to do that you have to inspire dialogue.

If you want to get the most out of Twitter use it to communicate with your followers, not just by posting quotes, tips and blog posts – which you certainly should do, but by interacting. Make posts in a way that gets people thinking and encourages them to respond to you not just click your link.

1. Respond to the posts of others, don’t just retweet. Respond back your thoughts on their comment, ask them questions, start a conversation.

2. Get to know some of your followers and figure out who has information that your followers would appreciate and retweet or repost that info. If you click through on one of their blog posts, make a comment on their blog.

3. Find your followers and people you follow on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google + and Youtube and see what they are up to there. Connecting with them on multiple platforms lets you know them better.

If you are not sure what to do, watch some of the experts. Twitter is not designed to be a broadcast system, especially if you are trying to develop followers and elevate your status as an expert. It is best used to help you have a two way communication that develops a deeper relationship with followers and adds value to their lives.

Here is an article listing some twitter resources.

P.S. I am by no means a twitter expert, nor do I always implement very well the things I have laid out for you here, but when I do these things my followers grow and people connect with me so that I can be of service to them. And yes, I have gotten leads from Twitter.

If you’d like to follow me on Twitter click here.

 

 

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How to Get Followers on Your LinkedIn Company Page

November 29, 2011

(In an earlier post, I discussed whether or not you should be on LinkedIn. If you’re new to LinkedIn, you’ll want to read that article first to learn how to build a strong network.) There is lots of talk about the new LinkedIn company pages. For some it is just another place on the internet [...]

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Is a Business Male or Female?

November 2, 2011

Why do I keep writing about Facebook, I am not a Facebook expert.  Yet I use Facebook daily for business as part of my marketing strategy.  I do believe that small businesses can generate interest and find new clients via social media and for some of you Facebook is where your target audience hangs out [...]

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Should I Be on LinkedIn?

October 24, 2011

When people ask me if they should be on LinkedIn I always ask, “Is anyone you do business with or want to do business with on LinkedIn?”  If the answer is yes, then you need to be on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a very powerful tool when used correctly.  But just “being” on LinkedIn is not [...]

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Social Business???

September 28, 2011

I just finished reading Gerhard Gschwandtner’s 9/21 blog post,  Social Media Is Getting Tired…Social Business Is the New Frontier . I can really relate to the term Social Business.  I agree with Gerhard that social media is looked at as a waste of time and in many instances it can be.  However, for salespeople being present and interacting on social [...]

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Is Facebook a waste of time for business owners?

August 8, 2011

“Social media takes so much time and I don’t see it generating business.” I have heard this from many small business owners. It’s true that you can spend lots of time and not get any result unless you are doing things properly. It is also true that some businesses are generating a lot of sales [...]

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Is Google+ the Next Big Thing?

August 3, 2011

I just returned from the National Speakers Association Influence 2011 Conference in Anaheim, and everyone was talking about Google+. Since many of the experts there say it will be the next big thing,  I thought I’d share a few great posts and articles I’ve read recently on how to get started.  As of today, Google+ [...]

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Do You Want to be My Friend?

July 29, 2011

Some of you might know that I use to be a reading specialist and that I have a rather large collection of children’s books. So what might you ask does that have to do with sales. Well, often times it gives me a chuckle because as I am working on all things sales, children’s book [...]

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Provide Content & Be Consistent on Facebook

June 10, 2011

Businesses need to develop a social media strategy as part of their overall sales and marketing plan.  In my previous post, I mentioned 3 keys to developing a successful Facebook strategy that will help you increase sales:   Connection   Content   Consistency In that post, I discussed how to make connections on Facebook. This [...]

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