What is social media really?

Social media, social networking, web 2.0 are probably terms you’ve heard of, but are they useful to you?

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter may be what you think of when you hear the buzzword “social media”. You may have decided to join the bandwagon and have a LinkedIn or Facebook profile. If you’re really hip (or you’re 17), you may even be tweeting throughout the day. But what really is social media? Why should I use it other than to do what everyone else is doing?

The answer to this will vary depending on who you ask. The academic crowd can give you a variety of information on network theories and how they apply to the newest internet technologies. I actually love the academia behind it, there is no doubt some powerful and more scientific concepts behind some of these new mediums A great introductory and fun read to this is

FREE TELESEMINAR How to Create a Group on LinkedIn for Marketing and Self Promotion

Learn how to create a group on LinkedIn and how to use it to interact with people, to promote yourself, your products and your business and how to add more people to your LinkedIn network with groups.LinkedIn is the social network for professionals, executives and entrepreneurs. You can use LinkedIn to find a job, connect with other executives and professional networking.

If you are on LinkedIn and do not have a group you are missing out on 50% of the value of LinkedIn. Groups will allow you to find a job, add thousands of people to your network, position yourself as an industry expert, and much more.
LinkedIn for Marketing Teleseminar – Radio Show Details

February 26 at 3 PM PST 6 PM EST

Listen on the Web:
www.BlogTalkRadio.com/LinkedInForMarketing  

Listen over the Phone:
Phone: (646) 200-4444
Show ID: 422973

If you decide to listen over the web you will be able to ask question as we have a chat tool!

Don’t forget to sign up for our LinkedIn For Marketing Newsletter to get free videos, audios and strategy once per week.

# # #

What is The Big Deal With Open Networkers?

Have you ever seen “I’m an open networker” and wondered “what is that?” Especially after you see it 5, 10, even 20 times on LinkedIn.

So what is the big deal with open networkers? What is an open networker?

An open network on LinkedIn or any other social network is someone that is willing to accept your invitation if you send one. Yes, even if they don’t know you and or know someone you know they will accept your invitation.

Why would anyone accept all invitation?

If you accept all invitations and are an open network you want to grow your network as fast as possible. Many people really don’t understand why you should expand your network in this way and I’ve received many emails asking “why should anyone accept people in their network if they don’t know them”.

Expanding your network is not difficult and I think not the real question. The real question is “what can you do with your network once you have 7,000 in it?”

I spoke with 5 people last week that have more than 3,000 and don’t know what to do next. This is s typical problem, it is one thing to accept all invitations and expand your network and it is another to leverage them.

If you are not super marketing savvy chances are you don’t have a funnel to point your network. You don’t have a blog, or a newsletter or a way to get people from your linkedin.com network to your own private network.

What is the key? They key is value! The key is “Unselfish Promotion”. If you add value to your network you will easily get them to subscribe to your blogs or newsletters and down the line offer you a job, or buy your products or whatever you are promoting.

Some important advice, adding value does not mean telling people about your great products or letting them know about what incredible features and benefits your products carry. That’s advertising, not unselfish promotion.

You need to create value with real, usable, free information and yes, at the end feel free to plug your website, job, product or company.

Don’t forget to sign up for our LinkedIn For Marketing Newsletter to get free videos, audios and strategy once per week.

# # #

Some comments from – Never Ask “Add Me To Your Network” in a LinkedIn Group Discussion-

These are some posts form the article -Never say “add me to yoru network” in a LinkedIn group discussion.

You can read the whole article here http://linkedinformarketing.com/never-ask-add-me-to-your-network-in-a-linkedin-group-discussion/

# # #

It’s amazing that I came across this post. Being new to Linked In, I too wanted to begin making professional and reputable contacts, but my sixth sense was telling me that sending out invites to the unknown masses was not the best way to go. I am in the beggining stages of researching and preparing to begin my consulting career and this has just confirmed that I am going to continue to work hard at gaining reliable contacts!

Mia Goodwin
# # #
Mia,

LinkedIn is a great way to find consulting clients as you can establish yourself as an expert in your industry.

Jorge Olson

Jorge featured on Success Magazine for Social Networking Marketing

Are you using the internet to market yourself, your products and your company? Is your strategy based on value and not advertising? Do you follow up weekly with customers, leads, end users and partners? I’ve been interviewed a few times for blogs and radio stations on the subject of social media, networking, web 2.0 and LinkedIn and now on Success Magazine.

The article talks about how to use the new generation of technology and the internet to market and sell yourself and your products and to stay relevant and keep your business in front of the competition and to make relationships with your prospects, leads and customers.

“Entrepreneur, author and speaker Jorge Olson says such online resources can help a salesperson add a few hundred leads to their database every month. After reading a few articles or case studies by the salesperson, these potential customers tend to qualify themselves by pursuing more information from the salesperson if they’re interested.  After that initial qualification, “you’ll have leads that consider you an authority on the subject,” Olson says. ”

If you don’t subscribe to Success Magazine you can read the article online at their website http://www.successmagazine.com/Connecting-the-World-/PARAMS/article/566/channel/16#  

Don’t forget to check out my new book, “The Unselfish Guide to Self Promotion” available at Amazon.com and book stores.

# # #