Social media for business did not just grow slowly over time, it literally burst on the Internet with a huge following and undertaking. Today, if your business, especially an online business is not using social media and networking, you are missing out on tons of traffic that could be sent to your site. This extra traffic ultimately means more sales! The question is why would you not want to use social media to boost your business?
If you have an online business, then you need all the exposure you can get to attract more customers. Go to Facebook, and search for any online business you can think of, you will find a presence there. One of the largest online retailers, Amazon.com has a Facebook page, with over 140,000 people who like their page. Why does such a large business need social networking? HELLO, they are smart and use every avenue available to them. Another reason they stay on top!
Do yourself a favor and check out some of the businesses in your field that are on the social media sites. Look at how they structure their pages. Of course they have a link to their main website. Someone from the company posts updates, such as sales, special promos, and adds a bit of fun in with it. The important thing to remember about any of the social media sites is it is an avenue to get people back to your website to buy products. However, you can’t just have a sales page because this would no doubt turn people off. You want to get your advertising across in a fun way, but still post comments that are purely entertaining or informational and have nothing to do with selling.
Finally, always keep everything you write on any of the social media websites positive. Never knock your competitors because this leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths. Check your social media sites daily or hand the task to someone else so you can always address personal responses. Never post gloomy messages and stay clear of politics or religion (unless your business deals with one or the other) because this will surely begin online arguing. Social media is here to stay, use it to your advantage to boost your online business!
Facebook has been a widely known name among people who are so into it. People who have their account on Facebook are using more of their time to get in touch with other individuals despite the distance and lack of time. Facebook has been a great community for many people, it has its advantages and disadvantages. Series of improvements are now being made in the system just to make up with the Facebook problems. Facebook advantages and disadvantages are listed below.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Certainly, the disadvantages are not a threat to you just by simply looking at it. A user must |realize what he is trying to give out otherwise things might get messy and people will mistake them as someone else.
It is apparent that a tradeoff is happening between the advantages and disadvantages of Facebook.
In spite of the Facebook advantages and disadvantages, it still is getting demand and popularity among the young people. There are about 10,000 students who are joining Facebook everyday. This is irrespective of the age, race and country. Some are now trying to criticize the status of professionalism of this website whether its just another craze like other online networking services are.
While it is true that many schools and businesses that do not understand the power of social media tend to think of it as a way to “play” online or a form of gossiping on the Internet. On the other hand, social media should be fun, but at the same time, the goal is to bring more business and popularity to the online community.
The best colleges and universities all use social media as a way of marketing to potential students. Let’s face it; if you go to the school’s website, you feel a certain way, like everything is business and school oriented. If the college has a social media page and you head to the site, they may have the same information that they have on their website, but it is more relaxed and seems more personalized. People get to hear from school representatives and they are more likely to have a favorable opinion of the school.
Many schools struggle to keep enrollment up, which is why many colleges and universities offer online programs. Even then enrollment can suffer. When you have a social media page up, it gives the impression to others that they have a direct line to someone at the school. Even though they could simply call the school directly, a social media site can offer even more choices for direct communication. Schools that do use social media regularly and post to it continually have seen an increase in website hits and enrollment inquiries.
You need to remember that you can’t just set up a social media page and then never return to it. The only way for you to see results from the site is to actively participate on the page or at least have someone from your school or company post new information and reply to comments daily. While this might seem like a big investment of time, it truly only takes about 30 minutes when you stay on top of it. Moreover, it helps you to connect to the online community to see the types of people who are interested in your school or business.
Begin building a huge following by accepting invitations from people to either follow you or be your friend on the various sites. It’s impressive for others to go to a business’ social media page and see they have thousands of people who like them or are following them. Lastly, your agenda for online social media is to bring people back to your school or business website, and to get involved in the page you have built so that people feel your business is personable and approachable.
To your social media success!!
Those first introductions can be the most difficult and sometimes the most important. People are making flash judgments every second. Every move you make is being scrutinized. But with the right introduction, a good personality, and some confidence, you have the power to cement your good image in their minds and create an instant bond.
In my experience, there are two main parts to introducing yourself to someone new. The first part is starting the conversation; going from standing around awkwardly to actually interacting with them. The second part consists of what you say and how you say it.
Most of these suggestions are worded for usage in a face-to-face scenario, but in reality they can apply to starting all sorts of conversations (emailing and calling were two others that came to my mind).
How you start your conversation will depend a lot on what you want from that relationship. If you want a personal relationship, for example, you might start with different things than if you want a business relationship. For the purpose of this article, we’ll assume your goal is to start a friendly business relationship.
Start with their name. It’s tempting to start with your own name, but if you know their name it’s a really nice touch to address them by it. Once they’ve been addressed, then you can throw your name into the mix.
Give yourself a history. If you have a mutual acquaintance, a specific reason for starting the conversation, or anything that gives credit to you, it is good to mention that early on. It lets them know you aren’t trying to waste their time. If you don’t have any back story (at a business card exchange, for example), then it’s okay to skip this step. Also, don’t speak too much on this—keep it to one or two sentences.
Ask questions about them. Ask them about what they do, what they like doing, their history. Ask anything that’s appropriate to your conversation. In general, people really enjoy talking about themselves, so the more you let them talk, the more they’re going to like you. One caveat to this, however; don’t subject them to a rapid-fire interrogation! Ask slow, thoughtful questions, and then give them a chance to talk for a while. A little down-time can actually be a good thing for a conversation.
Listen carefully, and respond. You may have noticed that the best conversationalists remember all sorts of little details about you and bring them up when the time is right. Your goal in asking questions isn’t just to make them feel good about themselves, but also to learn as much about them as you can. Be a good listener, and you’ll remember a whole lot more of the conversation. Once you’ve fully processed what they said (again, it’s okay to pause and think), you can respond with something thoughtful.
Answer their questions. Once they start asking you questions, it’s time to give them more information about yourself and your company. This is also when you can give them your small business’s marketing message. Be careful not to speak for too long, though, it’s never a good idea to entirely dominate the conversation.
At this point, you’ll probably have been speaking for at least a few minutes and will be well on your way to building a valuable relationship. It’s still good to remember some of the basics, though, especially about listening and paying attention to what they say. Good luck with your conversations, and feel free to start one in the comments section.
Decide whether you want to be a professional actor (addressed here) or an amateur. If you want to be a professional, read on.
Move to a major city. Eventually, New York or Los Angeles will be your destination, but as you build your resumé of experience you can work in other major metropolitan areas that have good theater or film communities.
Enroll in acting class. Good actors study their entire lives. To choose a good class, ask trusted, successful professionals for references.
Get a headshot (see "How to Get a Headshot," below).
Compose a resumé of all the work you have done so far. As your body of work grows, drop the less professional work (such as school plays) from your resumé.
Send your headshot and resumé with a brief cover letter to all the casting directors and agents in your area. Follow up with postcards every four to six months, updating them on your current acting projects.
Read the trade papers regularly: "Backstage," "Dramalogue," "The Ross Reports" and "Variety," as well as online publications such as newenglandfilm.com, as appropriate. Know what is being cast where, and send headshots and notes directly to directors and producers whenever possible, requesting auditions.
Always accept invitations to industry events and parties, and meet industry professionals whenever possible. Who you know is extremely important.
Persevere.
Choose a mantra or motto that you can repeat to yourself every day. Try something like, "Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie" by Shakespeare.
Learn that your opinion is the only one that matters. Put aside the petty thoughts and opinions of others. In your life, you are the only one who has to wake up to your reality and yourself every day.
Speak up for your opinions at work, school or at home. When you break out of a submissive role in your interactions with others, you will begin to build confidence in your own voice and judgment.
Try anything, even if you have a voice in the back your mind telling you that it isn't possible. Even the smallest triumphs can build up a sense of self, and can help you believe in yourself the next time you are faced with a challenge or goal.
Talk yourself out of self-defeating behavior. When you begin to tell yourself that you can't accomplish a certain goal in life, you are letting yourself fail before you even try. Begin by reversing your self speech that brings you down, and tell yourself the opposite.
Surround yourself with people you admire. You can more easily believe in yourself when you are with people who have goals and work to achieve them. Walk up to someone you admire for going back to school and holding down and job, and ask them how they managed it. This can open up the way to friendship and ideas about how you can accomplish your goals.
There are times in life when things don’t go as expected. Perhaps an important project of yours ended up in failure. Or you got laid off from your job. Whatever it is, it might make you depressed. But you need to get things back under control. You need to keep moving forward. For that, you need to make yourself feel better so that you can face the situation with a positive attitude. Here are some tips to make yourself feel better when you’re depressed:
1. Calm down
Before anything else, calm yourself down. Don’t panic. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. You can only apply the tips below if you are calm.
2. Feed your mind with positive thoughts
When you’re depressed, it’s easy to fall into a vicious cycle of negative thoughts. The negative cycle makes things look worse than they actually are. It’s important that you break this cycle so that you don’t become a victim of your own thoughts.
To do that, feed your mind with positive thoughts. You may read spiritual texts, motivational books, or inspiring quotes. You may also listen to positive tapes. Listening works well when you’re overwhelmed with negative thoughts because it doesn’t require your active participation.
3. Remember good things
Our minds tend to focus on the negative and not the positive. But you should direct your mind to the positive. Remember the good things in your life. Remember the good people around you. I’m sure there are many more things that go right in your life than those that go wrong. Looking at the good things balances your perspective so that you don’t dwell in negativity.
4. Look at the big picture
An event that seems bad might not seem that bad if you look at the big picture. Put the event in context. Think of it as one mosaic piece that’s necessary to make your life wonderful.
5. Believe that everything will be all right
What you believe has a big effect on you. If you believe that things will go wrong, that would usually be the case. On the other hand, if you believe that everything will be all right, you will have a winning attitude. And, as said in this article, a winning attitude is everything.
6. Exercise
When you’re depressed, take time to exercise. Study shows that “exercise is related to positive mental health as indicated by relief in symptoms of depression and anxiety.”
7. Forgive
Sometimes one reason you feel bad is because you don’t forgive. Perhaps you had made mistakes in the past and you blamed yourself for it. You need to forgive yourself. Or perhaps someone mistreated you. You need to forgive them. I know it’s easier said than done, but as Mahatma Gandhi said:
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
So let us all be strong.
8. Take action
The only cure for grief is action.
Things won’t get better if you just sit and do nothing. Instead of thinking about how bad things are, think of what you can do to solve the problem and take action.
9. Say something positive
Negative words have devastating effect on your confidence and motivation. So whenever you’re about to say something negative, stop yourself and take a deep breath. Reframe what you’re going to say and make it positive. For example, instead of saying “I will never make it”, say “It won’t be easy, but I know I will make it.”
10. Think about other people
One of the best ways to make yourself feel better is simply by taking the focus away from yourself. The more you think about your problems, the more difficult it would feel. So start thinking about other people and how you can help them. When you do that, your problems will no longer seem so hard.
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Prayer or meditation. Meditation increases immune-cell activity. A ten-to-twenty minute session per day lowers blood pressure, slows heart rate, relaxes muscles and creates a more balanced hormonal condition.
Laughter. A simple smile changes biochemistry, relaxes muscles and boosts immunity. Laughter causes muscle contraction followed by release, inducing deeper relaxation and lower blood pressure. Simply adopting facial expression of a particular mood actually creates that mood.
Take a warm bath. Like chicken soup, this is an old myth that's been given new life research. Warm water relaxes the muscles, improves circulation, and calms the entire system. Soak for no more than fifteen minutes in water no hotter than 102 degrees Fahrenheit
Bodywork. Acupressure, massage, therapy, and therapeutic touch create profound relaxation and increase certain immune responses.
Exercise. Twenty minutes a day can significantly reduce stress, lower blood pressure, elevate HDL and strengthen cardiovascular function.
Remember to dress professionally. This means no cleavage, no skirt/suit pants higher than the knees, no torn jeans, no flip-flops, no t-shirts. When in doubt, go conservative. This means cover up: tattoos, non-traditional piercings, toes, shoulders, etc. It’s always better to be overdressed (for this situation) than underdressed. Show them that you’re taking this interview and job opportunity seriously.
Walk in with a basic knowledge of the company, and some questions you have about it. That way, when the interview ends with “Do you have any questions for us?”, you won’t look dumbfounded and blank. A good way to do this is to browse the website, esp. the department/area you will be working in. Some good basic questions include, “How long has this company been around?” or “How did this company become established?” Also: bring extra copies of your resume so that you’re prepared in case the interviewer doesn’t have a copy or lost it in email (it happens).
Have a good, strong handshake and good, un-shifting eye contact and a genuine smile (fake it if you must). This will immediately project positivity, confidence and a polite demeanor. Even if during the course of your interview, the job turns out to something you’re not really interested in, remain professional and polite throughout the entire process. You will always have the right to ask for time to think about it once the offer is given, so make sure you don’t make gestures you might regret later (rolling eyes, losing interest, unpleasant face of any kind).
Take notes throughout the interview, especially if you have trouble making comfortable conversation in interview situations. Jot down things that you learn about the company during the interview, and even have your questions written down in case you get nervous and forget what you were going to ask. This will also make you look responsible, and like a serious potential employee of the company.
After the interview, make sure to send either an email or a thank you card thanking the employer for taking the time to talk to you and meet you. Employers are all busy people, and doing this will show that you are acknowledging that their time is valuable. You will also be giving them a reminder/refresher of who you are, in case your resume (as fabulous as it might be) somehow gets lost in the mix (it totally happens employers interview A LOT of qualified candidates).
