I can’t tell you how many Facebook Friend and Fan Page Requests I receive from people I don’t know. They don’t tell me who they are or about their product or service. Assuming that everyone will automatically friend or follow your Facebook fan page is a misnomer.

Freelance writers utilize Facebook to market their work. However, before you begin to “friend” everyone on Facebook, tell them who you are and why you’re sending them a friend request. Perhaps you have similar backgrounds or a few friends in common. If they don’t know who you are, chances are they will not accept your friend request. The same applies to your fan page. Who are you and why would a person follow your fan page over another writer’s? What value does your fan page add? What are you doing that’s different from other writers? Knowing the answers to these questions can help your position on Facebook.

Tips and Tricks to Facebook

1. Tell people who you are. Sending out a multitude of friend requests and fan pages could backfire on you. People receive so much information today — they’re on sensory overload! They may discard your requests if they don’t know who you are or what you do.

2. Don’t assume everyone will follow you. This may sting for some people but that’s the way it is. People want to connect with you not feel like they’re being sold to all of the time. Make your request personal and you’ll probably receive a lot of new fans. Don’t assume all people will accept a request because their friends are on your fan page. Some will and some won’t. Combat this by telling them “why” it’s important they become a fan.

3. What value do you add? In order to get people to follow you, make sure you’re adding value to their lives. There are hundreds of thousands of businesses on Facebook. What do you do differently from another company?

4. Create an outstanding ad on Facebook. You’ll have to pay for ad space, but creating a well thought out ad can gain you followers and clients.

Many freelance writers and small businesses are now on Facebook, but they don’t know how to connect with people. Blasting out a ton of friend and fan page requests could work, but sometimes it will not. Personalize your friend or fan page request. Remember that most of the world is desensitized today because they receive too much information in their inbox. You have to capture their attention and interest in seconds! If not, you could be wasting precious time sending friend and fan page requests when you could have been attending a face-to-face networking event.

Remember, people are desensitized today because they receive an alarming amount of information each day. Do them a favor and let them know why it’s important they become of fan of your fan page. They’ll find your approach refreshing!

What approach do you use when connecting with people? Share your expertise.

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Freelance writers often write articles that are a bit controversial. Not everyone will agree with what you have to say or your opinions. This means some readers may get so irate reading one your articles that they’ll call you a name that it feels like a personal attack. Many spiritual gurus would tell you, “…what you think of me is none of my business.” Being called a name stings, but you’ll get over it because controversy sells as does emotional and compelling pieces!

According to Wikitionary, a Personal Attack is…attack on an arguer that brings the individual’s personal circumstances, trustworthiness, or character into question.

Readers are entitled to their opinions, but when they spew their venom on a website or fan page, it could deter others from speaking their mind. If you’re a freelance writer who writes blog posts for a website, make sure the owners have a policy in place that states what is and is not acceptable as far as comments are concerned. Most administrators want to create a safe environment for readers to speak their mind.

Certain topics are “hot buttons” for people such as animal abuse, child abuse, any type of abuse towards another, addiction, and many other topics. Freelance writers tackling these issues will receive feedback. Some of which will be positive while the other half will be negative. Take it all in stride and move forward. Dwelling upon the negativity will only breed more negativity and no good will come of that.

Tips for handling personal attacks

Consider the source. Some people will not read the entire article. They’ll stop at the part that upsets them and make a comment.

Respond in a very professional manner. Avoid being rude when you respond to readers. There’s no reason for you to stoop to another person’s level.

Pat yourself on the back! You wrote an emotional and compelling piece that stirred something within readers otherwise they wouldn’t be so heated about it.

Freelance writers remember that you can’t please everyone. Write your posts or articles as you normally would. Avoid toning down articles (unless you’re asked to do so) because a few readers had their feathers ruffled, didn’t understand what you were trying to say, or didn’t agree with you. That’s the point of being a writer — to engage readers and allow them to draw their own conclusions. Congratulations to you if your writing does just that.

Rebecca

Were you personally attacked because of your writing? How did you handle it? Share your stories.

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Many small business owners are not making money on the internet. They have a website, but it’s sitting in cyberspace among other websites. Your website is part of the equation to making money online, but there are many factors involved. For example, do you engage in social media? If you don’t, you could be missing out on money making opportunities.

Making money on the internet comes down to the following formula: Find It, Like It, and Buy It. Your customers find you (website), like your product or service, and buy it. That’s it! The formula is very simple. So why do many small businesses and owners make little or no money online? There are threes reasons: businesses don’t not have a proper website, they don’t know how to market to their target audience or they don’t know who their target market is, and they don’t take the right action.

3 Keys to Making Money on the Internet

1. The right website goes along way. You can have a beautiful website and it may not receive any traffic. SEO (search engine optimization) concepts can boost traffic to your website. Hire a freelance writer who knows and understands how to write for the web. It’s different from writing for print. Paragraphs are shorter, to the point, and filled with keywords (not too many — that’s keyword stuffing). When a prospective buyer types a keyword or keyword phrase into Google, your website will come appear in the search. Many small businesses like to be on the first page, preferably in the #1 spot! This could be done, if you use the right keywords and have a strong web presence.

Make sure your website is easy to navigate. Adding Adobe Flash to your website is fine as long as you don’t go overboard. Remember that peoples’ web browsers load at various speeds. A slow loading website will not do well. Visitors will click off and find another website.

2. Know how to market to your audience and know your target market. You may be targeting the wrong people. Hire a marketing person who can help you determine your target market. This way it will be easier to market your products and or services to them.

3. Take the right action. What action are you taking? Are you involved in social media? Do you network? Are you offering great deals and discounts? What sets your product/service apart from the competition? Without knowing the answers to these questions, you could be expending a lot of time and energy on the wrong action! Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are easy to join. Spend sometime developing an “online presence” and get to know people within your industry. You could also offer articles or a blog on your website or have a link to a blog. People love FREE information and will consider you to an authority or expert in your field.

Join networking groups with “like minded” people who want to grow their business. Establish relationships with others first then do business. How can you help them? Surrounding yourself with positive, industrious people who are serious business people will gain your referrals and vice versa.

What’s the formula?

Find it, like it, and buy it is the formula for making money on the internet! You can have the most boring website without a lot of “Flash” and perform better than your competition. It’s about presentation and what you offer that your competition doesn’t. This includes great customer service in addition to quality products and services. Before you set out to make money on the internet, make sure you go the right formula for success!

Rebecca

What has been your experience with making money on the internet?

Bonus!

Develop your niche market…sometimes the most boring products sell!

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Many small business owners are reluctant to join Facebook because they don’t want to “jump on the bandwagon” because everyone else is doing it. This is fine, but you’re possibly missing out on new income opportunities that your competition is taking advantage of.

Facebook is not difficult to use. The initial set-up doesn’t take much time. It’s true that it can be time consuming to maintain a Facebook page or Fan page, but you could hire an intern to do this or your son or daughter! Small business owners cannot afford to over look the power of social media.

Small business owners who want to develop a relationship with customers will utilize Facebook. Most people use this social media platform to stay in touch with family and friends. However, they use it to develop relationships with businesses that they value.

Huge corporations such as Pepsi use Facebook to connect with customers. They even have a Pepsi Canada page! If BIG BUSINESS takes advantage of social media, small business owners can do the same thing. Large corporations realize that most people are “tech” savvy. They email, text, upload and send videos, get their news online, upload pictures, Twitter, etc…Big business owners will not shrink away from social media as long as the masses are using it.

Facebook can help small business owners connect with their customers and reach more people. They don’t call it “social media” for nothing! People are connecting and communicating with each other everyday. This is how they stay in touch without having to leave their homes. It’s fast, easy, and inexpensive. There’s no reason why they wouldn’t take advantage of social media.

Small business owners, give Facebook a chance. Try it out for a few months to get a good feel for it. Forums and blogs like this one will provide you with “tips and tricks” to social media that you can incorporate into your business. Before you know it, you’ll be a pro and have a huge following of people!

Rebecca

What’s holding you back from joining Facebook?

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Small business owners who don’t want to spend a lot of time on social media sites such as Twitter, may be interested in purchasing Tweet Adder. It’s not the cheapest software on the market, but it could help you grow your business.

Getting web traffic to your website can be a daunting task if you don’t have a staff to help you out. Tweet Adder can help you gain ‘targeted’ Twitter followers and automate your Twitter posts.

Twitter has exploded and is not going away anytime soon. Oprah, CNN, and major celebrities ‘Tweet’ each day. If you’re a small business owner that would like to enter the social media market, Tweet Adder can assist you with your Twitter account.

Features of Tweet Adder

• Find like-minded Twitter followers.
• Increase Twitter traffic to your website to gain customers and increase profits.
• Set and forget it because Tweet Adder runs daily.
• Automate your scheduled direct messages.
• Set-up multiple accounts and create unlimited Twitter profiles.

If you’re apprehensive about spending the money on Tweet Adder, try it before you buy it. Tweet Adder offers a ‘free demo’ that can be used on Mac OsX or Windows. Get to know the program and see if it’s for you and your small business.

The minimum to amount of hours to spend on social media is approximately 40 hours. Tweet Adder can free up some of the 40 hours. If you go on vacation you don’t have to worry about ‘Tweeting’ on your vacation. Your Twitter account will be updated daily!

Let’s face it, small business owners are focused on growing their business by getting in front of people NOT sitting in front of the computer. This is why they’ll outsource work to freelancers such as freelancer writers or SEO experts.

Small business owners who want to gain new customers via social media, consider purchasing Tweet Adder or at least download the demo version. Test the software and monitor your web traffic and sales. How did web traffic increase? How many new customers did you receive? What happened to your ‘bottom line’? Did it increase or decrease? Do some analysis so you can see how much value Tweet Adder added to your small business. If there’s a lot of value, purchase Tweet Adder. If not, find another software that will work for your business.

Savvy Writer Rebecca

How many Twitter applications do you use?

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Many small business owners have taken advantage of social media sites such as Twitter. The plan is to drive as much traffic to a website in order to fulfill goals such as gaining new customers, keeping new customers, and adding to the bottom line. However, not all “Tweets” are created equally. To effectively use Twitter, you must post Tweets that will entice people to follow you and visit your website.

Everyone who’s anyone has a Twitter account. People use Twitter for many reasons, but small businesses use Twitter in the hopes to gain as many customers as possible and to increase profits. It’s a great way to be “viral” on the internet. You can reach millions of people with the click of a button.

What makes a good Tweet?

• Keep it simple, be yourself, and share value (thoughts, insights, and sources). Give people a reason to follow you and your business on Twitter. What value can you add to their life? Share insights into your industry and provide a link so people can read about your industry and or product/services;
• Don’t overwhelm followers with “consciousness” updates. Yes, the majority of us would like to save the planet and improve our lives, but this can be overkill;
• Pretend that you’re meeting your friends in a cafe or pub; keep short, sweet, to the point, and light.

Some small business owners don’t spend enough time on Twitter. You could set aside one hour each day to post your tweets. Twitter is so easy to use so there’s no excuse not to do it. If you must hire someone to do your social media for you, do it.

Small business owners, follow those who you believe are interested in the same thing you are or the business you’re in. There’s no need to follow everyone. Don’t just follow anyone, but don’t ignore them as well. Use your discretion.

Social media has become main stream and it’s not going away anytime soon. Take advantage of Twitter and start driving traffic to your website by Tweeting! You’d be surprised how many small business owners have benefited from social media endeavors such as Twitter. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen if you keep at it!

~ Savvy Writer Rebecca ~

What do you Tweet about on Twitter?

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Many small business owners are utilizing Facebook to drive web traffic to their websites. Some see a huge increase in traffic; some only see a trickle of traffic. Maybe it’s time to be a little creative in order to draw people to your site. Instead of doing the “same old” thing such as post the link to your new blog or service, entice customers with a contest. It’s a win-win situation!

Small business owners will benefit from thinking outside the normal realms of social media, marketing, and advertising. Having a contest is a great way to drive traffic to your website and gain new customers. It’s outside the normal realms of how small businesses use Facebook. Who doesn’t love a contest?

I must admit that this idea was brought up from someone in one of my networking groups. We met for lunch and she was telling me how she uses Facebook mostly to keep in touch with family and friends. She and her husband have not been doing much in terms of driving web traffic.

Many small business owners may not know what to do for a contest. Let’s say your small business is wedding vendors, here are some ideas for a contest.

• Name that tune! Have an instrumental song and have people guess what it is;
• Post a picture of a flower and have people guess what kind of flower it is. You can really make it interesting by asking for its scientific name and give a bonus in addition to the original winnings;
• Have people plan a bachelor or bachelorette party and choose the most creative one;
• Post a picture of a designer wedding dress and have people guess the designer;
• Give people a “wedding theme” and have them come up with ideas for favors.

Having a contest is such as great advertising and marketing tool. You could give away gift cards, money, free services, or anything else. People love to win stuff! Your small business is sure to gain web traffic after visitors read that you’re holding a contest.

Small business owners must think broader and wider. Having a monthly newsletter is great, but spicing up your marketing endeavors can do wonders for your business. You’d be surprised how many NEW customers you can gain by giving away something. Remember, people like to receive free stuff!

If you’re small business could use a boost in web traffic, consider holding a contest and announcing it on your Facebook page. Make it intriguing — don’t give away all of the details. Build it up so people will want to know more about the contest.

There’s no reason that you can’t be creative when you use Facebook. Many small business owners struggle with driving traffic to their website. Hold a contest and you’ll hit the jackpot in more ways than one!

Savvy Writer Rebecca

What type of contest can you promote on Facebook to gain web traffic?

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Small business owners take advantage of sending out a monthly newsletter. However, don’t BOMBARD customers with information. The fastest way to lose a customer base is to send a ton of information to their inbox at once!

Take advantage of sending out a newsletter. You can send one out on a monthly or quarterly basis. This is a great way to keep your customers informed and to gain and retain new customers.

Newsletters Tips & Tricks

• Include links to your website and social media sites at the bottom of your newsletter.
• Incorporate photos into your newsletter.
• Include your contact information at the bottom of your newsletter, i.e., address, contact person, phone number, and email address.

Make sure to “test” your newsletter before you send it out to customers. Some newsletters will not format correctly when you send them via email. The alternative is just to send a link along with a paragraph or two explaining what can be found within the newsletter (don’t give too much away). This way when customers click on the link, the newsletter will be correctly formatted.

If you’re a small business owner, a newsletter can generate traffic to your website. You can include links to various pages on your website, special offers, videos, and much more!

It’s really easy to create a news letter. You could use a service such as Aweber to send out your newsletter. Aweber was founded in 1998. Their email marketing software was made especially to “help small businesses automate email follow up and email newsletter delivery.”

Remember that it’s important to have a combination of sales, promotion, marketing, and public relations to BOOST your small business. For example, if you own a restaurant a newsletter can help you fill your tables and keep them filled. This means you need to make sure your current customers return to your restaurant. You also want to entice new customers to dine at your restaurant. By sending out newsletter you can fill your tables. Entice customers to dine at your restaurant by offering quality food, great service, and value for their money!

Small business owners create and send out a newsletter today and tomorrow watch as your business soars to new heights. It’s a cinch to create a newsletter. If you need assistance, hire a freelance writer. If you find one that does graphic design as well, that’s a bonus!

~ Savvy Writer Rebecca ~

What information do you include in your newsletter?

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Twitter has become HUGE in the world of social media. But, it’s NOT perfect. You’d be surprised who they allow to have a Twitter account. Unfortunately, they don’t have HIGH security settings like they do on Facebook and MySpace. This means that anyone can follow you and that could be detrimental to your business.

Small business owners do everything they can to protect and uphold their reputation. One mishap and you could lose a ton of customers. It’s unfortunate, but true. This is WHY you must be careful with Twitter. You never know who will be following you.

For example, I received an email that someone was following me on Twitter. I logged into my Twitter account and let’s just say that I was not thrilled with what I saw. Vulgar is a good word to describe the person who thought it would be a good idea to follow me. Disgusted is an UNDERSTATEMENT of how I felt. I immediately sent an email to Twitter DEMANDING that they do something about it. I blocked the person, but when I opened up my Twitter account I still saw the person. It was a very disgusting picture/pose, and I was not AMUSED to say the least.

Twitter is NOT that sophisticated when it comes to privacy. They’re NOT like Facebook and MySpace which gives you a ton of PRIVACY selections. This is the drawback to Twitter.

As a small business owner, you want to ensure that your followers on Twitter are not, how shall I put this, indecent. After all, people can see WHO is following you on Twitter. Imagine the looks on your customers’ faces if they see indecent followers on your Twitter account.

Many small business owners use Twitter as a means to BOOST traffic to their website, connect with customers/clients, others in the industries, and interesting people. Imagine the surprise you may find the next time you log into your Twitter account.

If you ever encounter any crude and lewd followers on your Twitter account, send an email to abuse@twitter.zendesk.com and see what can be done about it. Unfortunately, Twitter’s terms and services DO NOT state that they WILL REMOVE any accounts that may or may not be appropriate. They do have terms and services to protect children, but they miss the mark when it comes to small business owners.

You must be vigilant when it comes to your Twitter account. If someone follows you that you feel is inappropriate, immediately BLOCK the person and contact Twitter. Perhaps if many people speak out, the people at Twitter will update the PRIVACY settings to ensure that NO ONE can just follow you!

Savvy Writer Rebecca

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Twitter can help drive traffic to your website. This social media platform has taken the world by storm. If you’re not taking advantage of social media, what are you waiting for?

Twitter is FREE and easy to use. You can set-up an account in no time and connect with new and current customers.

Social media platforms such as Twitter can help small business owners grow their business. Spending a small amount of time using Twitter each day can increase your business prospects. How do you get Twitter? All you do is “Google” Twitter and sign up. It’s that easy.

Twitter Tips & Tricks

• User name can be 15 characters. Twitter will let you know if a username is available. If the one you want is not available you’ll have to think of another username;
• Choose a design that correlates with your website. If you can, choose a design that coordinates with your website, i.e., colors and design;
• Tweets are 140 characters. What makes Twitter popular is the fact that you can only TWEET 140 characters. Keep it short and get to the point. Not only TWEET about your business, but give “brief” tips.

Reasons to use Twitter

• Twitter is free to sign up. Your business can soar to new heights by TWEETING each day;
• Fast and easy to use. It doesn’t take a “users manual” to set-up a Twitter account. What takes a bit of time is tailoring your Twitter page;
• Limited to 140 characters. If you have a tendency to be long-winded, you may find Twitter a bit of a challenge;
• TwitPic complements Twitter. This is free as well. If you have a Twitter account you can use TwitPic to upload pictures. This is great if you have an interior design or graphic design business;
• Network with other people. You can meet people within your industry, gain new customers, and keep current customers up-to-date;
• Drive traffic to your website. Social media such as Twitter is a great tool to drive traffic to your website.

Twitter has taken over the world! Everyone who is anyone has a Twitter account. You can TWEET all day by using “Twitter Tools” such as TweetDeck. You can keep this handy little tool open and submit your TWEETS throughout the day. Just don’t over do it!

If you don’t have a Twitter account, sign up today! It’s a great social media tool for small businesses. You can follow other businesses and they can follow you. It’s a great way to connect to people and to the community in which you live.

~ Savvy Writer Rebecca ~

How could Twitter enhance your small business?

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