Free? There is nothing FREE in this world as we know BUT if you don’t mind rolling up your sleeves, taking some notes, and working long hours then this may be the right opportunity for you to earn a FREE PhD using these FREE online tools and all your investing is your time. Not a penny more (except if you want to pay for some premium subscription services on some of these tools that help you listen better and teach you how to build systems) Times may be tough, but as business leaders and business professionals, we need to stay on top of education because at the end of the day, customers pay for our knowledge, experience and education and as consultants, we must stay up-to-date and constantly be learning.

I hear so often, “I don’t have time to do Twitter Justin, I have to run my business. Or I love this one,” My customers aren’t on twitter or social networking sites so we don’t need to get involved with that stuff.” Well ok, so I won’t sell you on the power of Twitter for your business anymore, or how building relationships in a virtual setting is just like networking at the local chamber. What I will try to sell you on is the importance of educating yourself on a new world- The Online world and how business has changed. If you don’t see that by now, I hope your still in business next year when we launch some new products that may help you stay ahead of your competitors online.

I can confidently say that with all the knowledge I have gained over the last 10 years of being an Entrepreneur and getting a degree while running small businesses, id like to give you a taste for the online education I received. This isn’t spending thousands of dollars with University of Phoenix or FullSail (Though Mira Costa College and the business program at Cal State San Marcos were hidden Jewels) for education, its just knowing where to look for the thought leaders, technology, listening, strategic thinking, and studying case studies.

Here are some of the listening tools I used to receive my PHD in online marketing for business over the last 4 years:

You Tube– I have watched hundreds of business videos on leadership, sales, marketing, CEO keynote speeches, Webinars, How To videos, technology conferences, start-up companies, etc. The point is YouTube can be used for educational purposes as well as entertainment, and there is plenty of great content out there which saves on gas and hotel expenses. Don’t forget savings from those pricey course fees. I can honestly say that a good portion of my learning relevant information to my industry (Business & High Tech) has been done using video and Google.

Small Business Trends– I have been subscribed to this site for longer than I can remember. Anita and her team have given me extremely valuable information in my journey as a small business owner over the years, and I continue to read the articles from this wealth of information. (Big thank you to Anita) Here is the link to this site (Click Here): Small Business Trends

Google Reader– I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used Google to find relevant information on a topic I was researching (I love to research, as we know, Leaders are Readers right?) Read a headline from one of my blog subscriptions, and was informed. As we know, knowledge is power and there is no better free tool than Google Reader (Google Alerts too)

Linked-In– At first I was skeptical about Linked-in (just like everything about on-line) but then I started engaging in the group discussions and realized how much valuable information you can receive from extremely successful people who have been in the trenches and have years of experience. I then would add my insights and the sharing of business experiences can help shape better decision making. 10 minds discussing an issue on business are better than 1 right? Linked-In was where I was introduced to the “Thought Leader” term online. If you have a passion about a particular area of business (find that group on linked-in), you want to demonstrate your expertise in your particular industry by sharing your insights and be the first to put out relevant information (first mover advantage) on a topic. Here is my Linked-in if you’d like to connect with me (but do me a favor when connecting, can you please mention what made you want to connect and how you see it being a mutually beneficial connection. This would help me out a great deal.

More topics to come tomorrow, I have been consulting for clients around the clock and am beat…..

What types of sites do you use to keep informed? What are some of your favorites? I’m interested in hearing your feedback- talk soon

Justin

P.S. We are launching a social media for business product soon so be on the look out

(Click Picture For Large View)

Today was an exciting day for me and I wanted to share my experience with my readers, colleagues, customers, partners, and friends. I started out doing some consulting for a client in the morning, then went to the Handlery Hotel in San Diego where I was speaking on behalf of the Small Business Development Center (or the SBDC) on Social Networking 101 for Business. This is a subject I have been helping the small business community on for quite some time now, and this was probably my seventh speaking engagement on social media so I am becoming less nervous each time. Once I found my groove though, It was all good.

I am extremely passionate about helping small businesses as I have for the last 10 years of my consulting career. Selling your time is not easy to do, and if you ask any consultant (myself included), they will probably say the same. But with social media and social networking this makes selling YOURSELF and your products, services, & company a little easier with what I call “relationship and educational selling” but more on that topic later…..

As promised to the many small businesses that attended today’s Social Networking 101 for Business workshop, I have attached the slides (see below)

I hope today’s session was informative and you learned something to take back and execute in the trenches. If you wouldn’t mind sharing below in the comments section, what is the #1 thing you took away from today’s presentation? If I could get your feedback on this so we can share with other small businesses it would be great. Remember, its all about engaging!

P.S. If youd like FREE Access to Our Beta “Social Media For Business Coaching Program” please send me an email at snsdjf@gmail.com with the subject line “coaching” and I will send you the exclusive invite.

What desktop tool do you use to manage your twitter account? Probably you are using TweetDeck or Seismic Desktop. They are fascinating tools, and love them for multiple account management and multi-column look.

Something I miss is the SPAM control features. Always thought if I could get a tool where I can hide the tweets from people whom I cannot unfollow. I finally got one.

These days I have been using a new Desktop App, Buzzom Desktop developed by InRev Systems. InRev has good web based account management service, Buzzom.com , particularly famous for its people search feature.
I had huge issues with other Twitter Clients particularly while posting Picture and videos, now Buzzom Desktop provides a cool drag and drop.
Next big thing I like about this tool is the cool Twitter Elite groups like Celebrity, Economy, Entrepreneur, Social Media, and Technology etc. These groups have all major Tweeters, and the groups are configurable to fit own interest. Best, you don’t need to follow these folks to get their update 

This Desktop Tool has some really great features, some of them include:
1. Hide users who are spamming with too many or useless tweets without unfollowing them.
2. Get updates on what the twitter elites like GuyKawasaki, BBC etc. are saying without following them.
3. Configure your buddy list and be in touch with them by viewing only their tweets.
4. Find news and people using keyword Search for tweets, location and biography.
5. Auto shorten your long URLs when they’re sent using http://nxy.in.
6. Drag-drop video and pictures to auto upload and tweet about them.
7. Choose how you want to see your tweets, by auto refresh or manual refresh.

I love this tool for its wonderful features. It’s a great time saver. Can’t say if it can compete with TweetDeck and Seismic yet, and establish itself in the elite category, but it deserves a try.

This tool is in its alpha version now, and is available for download . You can try it FREE here:

Social media makes business development fun again! No I’m serious! Our VP Keith Tacla (Follow him here on twitter) used to dread telemarketing, door to door sales, direct mail, sending out newsletters, etc. and I could see that the minimal results he was achieving from these traditional styles of marketing and business development was discouraging to him. But then last year around this time, he and I figured out a better way and we had an “ah ha” moment. Using social media tools and social networking for relationship selling.

This is the current trend of our clients, and our own business model and the results we are achieving to fill our pipeline has been amazing and sometimes even overwhelming to keep up with the amount of interest in these types of services. Social media goes hand in hand with social networking. The networking part is the same as in the off-line approach, except when networking online with other business professionals, this allows you to scale and allows global opportunities. You also get word of mouth generated online about your products, services, and customer feedback real-time. Business development now is about connecting with old customers, new customers, existing customers, getting referrals, sharing stories, and delivering results and value. If a company is going to spend on your product or service during these tough times, you can bet there going to want to measure every dollar spent and what that ROI is. This might be difficult to do with social media and social networking, but at the end of the day, social media selling is all about developing TRUST with your prospects first because in business, if someone becomes to know you, like you and trust you, they are more inclined to do business with you or most importantly buy from you. We are in the process of coming out with trusted products and services (systems) we use as well as our customers that we have tested, confirmed deliver value and achieve results. At the end of the day, its all about selling YOURSELF because if you can sell yourself, you can sell products, services and solutions to those who trust you. Be on the look out and stay tuned. Are there any products or services that you recommend we should add to our suite of recommended products or services?

This video which describes Top 4 Reasons Why Small Business Should Use Google Products should give your business a good start:

I hope everyone is having a great week. This has been one of the busiest weeks for us in a few months, and we are working on some VERY exciting products and services (systems) that are going to revolutionize social networking and social media for business. As you know, Social Networking San Diego has been taking you though the social media and social networking FOR BUSINESS journey since January 2008 when we started our first Squido lens (HERE) to setting up our website/ blog on word press. Don’t forget our CEO Justin R French on twitter, who has been paying it forward since Day 1.

The reason for this blog post is to let you know what a typical day is like for a Social Media Strategist to see if you may be ready for this type of position OR even have the business background and the technical know how to provide such services to clients.

If you are a business considering using a social media strategist or a social media consultant, please watch this video FIRST that will clarify some Frequently Asked Questions about The Top 5 Questions when considering Social Networking & Social Media For Business

I am NOT saying you have to be a programmer with a computer science degree OR be an MBA graduate from Harvard (Cal State San Marcos is just as good and cheaper in my opinion but I digress)

All I AM saying is that to be a Social Media Strategist or a Social Media Consultant, you must have a certain level of education, experience, and technical understanding to be able to provide such comprehensive and holistic solutions. As our CEO Justin R French quotes “It is extremely rare these days to find a web design company who can handle ALL areas of development, content writing, training, marketing, strategy, integration, system implementation, and measuring who have a full understanding of business as well. I remember in my old It consulting firm Perfect Integration that I founded, many technicians just were not business savy. I focused on being business savy FIRST, then technical. It has paid off for me big time, and that is why our team is currently able to help many small and medium sized businesses with social media consulting through my hands on coaching and training program which I provide to our team members.”

My apologies but I will continue tomorrow with the post on the typical day of a social media strategist because I am just soooooo burnt out from the long day. My brain is fried, so thank you for your patience and please check back tomorrow for A Day In The Field As A Social Media Strategist For Small Business

Any comments for us? See below and leave a message- thanks
Social Networking San Diego

Have you heard of the new reality business show Shark Tank? If you haven’t, It is created by Mark Burnett and for those of you that don’t know he was the one who helped create The Apprentice and Survivor. It is by far one the best shows I’ve seen on TV in years. What you might not also know is that I actually applied for the very 1st season of The Apprentice and sent in my video but obviously didn’t make it onto the show, but it was a fun an exciting experience to partake in none the less. (Maybe i will put the footage on you tube soon for you)

The Shark Tank is by far the BEST reality show to come onto the mainstream since The Apprentice in my opinion. I watched the first series of the apprentice, and after starting to watch further seasons, it really lost the touch in which the first season had (which was my favorite). The reason i bring up the Shark Tank is i am tired of seeing all these reality TV series that don’t necessary appeal to me- The Entrepreneur, Business Professional, and real-world small business advocate. I could care less about the Kardasians, Tool Academy, or Making the Band. Those appeal to teens or young adults who need to get their priorities straight. What about the late 20 year old generation Y who are the future leaders of this country? That’s why we are flocking to the internet and social networking because there is so much crap on TV. I mean, my point is we need more shows like Shark Tank on the mainstream because our country is built on small businesses. So I say to all the major TV networks, start putting out more reality shows about business and I know this will add to brining us out of this recession.

Here is a clip from the new reality show Shark Tank

What are your thoughts on the show? Do you watch it? What other shows do you watch that are around business? Do we need to have a reality show called the Entrepreneur? Hey Mark Burnett- let me know if you’d like to discuss this format, I have plenty of ideas on a REAL Reality TV show called the Entrepreneur
Cheers
Justin R French
CEO Social Networking San Diego

p.s. Check out this show called “The Entrepreneur Hour” I am starting to do. This stuff is the REAL deal. What do you think? Here is a sample: The Entrepreneur Hour- First Show- How To Start A New Business

Social marketing campaigns are the current trend but what are some key points your business can follow?

Social media and social marketing campaigns have become the norm today. Social marketing campaigns such as Twitter, linked-in, and Facebook and have given people the chance to communicate with family, friends and colleagues too without spending a single penny. Individuals are also making use of social marketing campaigns for business and to make new friends who are like minded and share the same information as them.

Online marketing and social media have come along a long way. Industry professionals have come to realize this potential and social media agencies are now targeting certain sections of individuals to market products, services and even clients to various people who do show some interest.

The whole idea behind social marketing campaigns is that an effective social marketing campaign should give the individual users the resources so that they can share topics or any related data and information with other like minded people. Blogs, videos and even images are some of the ways to use the social media to get the interest of the targeted individuals.

If you have made up your mind to start a social marketing campaign, then here are a few points that you should note beforehand:

Key Point #1
Sit peacefully and decide the purpose of your social marketing campaign. What is the scope of this particular social marketing campaign? Do you want to change the attitudes or beliefs of a certain group of people? Does your campaign affect the masses or does it target specific group of people?

Key Point #2
Make a team and set your target and goal. Assign responsibilities right in the beginning and clearly define your goals. You have to do a bit of research even though you are not trying to sell a tangible product or belief. Statistics and facts have to be gathered and try to talk with industry experts so that you get valuable information that will help you later on.

Key Point #3
Product, price, place and promotion are 4 “P’s” that will go a long way in making this social marketing campaign a grand success. You should first target the required population for a successful social marketing campaign. The social marketing campaign should be highly personal. The message should be effective and target the required audience. Identify the key gatekeepers and stake holders who will partner with you this campaign. Position the product effectively i.e. understand the target audience’s views in order to maximize benefits. If the product is properly positioned the correct awareness in created and the desired message is sent across effectively. It should of course have a direct call to action.

Key Point #4
Last but not the least you have to get financial support for your social marketing campaign. You can take the help of an ad agency, a social media marketing team of consultants, or a government organization and sell your social marketing campaign concept to them and hope to raise the sufficient funds. Getting the funding these days to run a successful campaign are most seen with the big brands like university of phoenix, whole foods, jet blue, zappos, etc. But for small and mid-sized business which we focus on helping with social media, we continue to work on campaigns and are developing and improving upon our turn key systems for this market, so please stay tuned.

Is there anything that you are currently doing in your social media campaign that you need help with? Contact us today HERE and let us know any struggles you are having. We have been in the trenches consulting on these projects now for 9 months.

P.S. here is some feedback on a “Social Networking 101 for Colleges” workshop i did through Mira Costa College and the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (You Can click Here for a copy of the Brochure)

Any Feedback, just drop us a line below, thanks- Justin R French

Are you keeping an eye on your competitors? What are people saying about your company? Do you keep up-to-date on the latest news on your industry? Are you getting constant feedback on your products and services form your existing and potential customers?

Here are 3 Simple ways to set-up a Business Intelligence System using social media.

1. Set-up Google Alerts to notify you of any activity on keywords you are following. For example, i have a keyword alert set-up for social media because i want to know the latest happening in this market because this is my current focus.

Here’s a quick how to video for you:

2. Set-up an RSS Reader (or i prefer Google Reader) to keep you up to date on the most influential blogs in your industry. The quicker you can read the news for your industry and respnd with your knowledge and insight will help build up your authority (this will not happen overnight i assure you)

here’s a video on how to set up Google Reader (and filters which are EXTREMELY helpful):

3. Set-up a twitter account (to aggregate) dedicated to just your competitors so you can keep an eye on them (video to come)

What else would you like to see me demonstrate? Please let me know, i am here to help, thanks
Justin

These days, personal branding, online branding, and company branding are extremely important. Especially for building your online presence. But how can small businesses compete with he big brands?

By having a presence online, being active in social media and social networking, and starting a marketing blog about your products and services are the first steps.

I had the pleasure to meet Dan in person at the Gravity Summit event in Harvard i attended, and Dan was nice enough to conduct a brief interview dedicated to the small business community. As you know, Social Networking San Diego has been providing small and mid-sized businesses social media consulting for the last year, and we understand the challenges small businesses are facing. We have seen these items as the main challenges:

1. Limited budgets
2. Limited Time
3. Limited resources

So how can a small business get involved in establishing/ building their online brand?

Listen to some advice from Personal Branding expert Dan Schawbel our CEO Justin R French had the privledge to interview. Enjoy

Any thoughts on how your small business is growing its online brand?

Entertainment has taken over our society and we need to get back to education. A fellow twitter friend Jeff Perry w/ One Coach really touched on some good points that i elaborate on.

Listen to CEO Justin R French explain this important concept

Warning: This is kind of a rant- BUT I try to touch on some important things. Please forward this blog post to a friend you may now who needs some motivation or personal development.