If you have used Facebook Connect, then you have no doubt enjoyed the seamless ability to move your identity across the open Web and being able to share rich social content on other websites. Google Plus however takes a different approach with the feature Sparks. What is Sparks though? Sparks is a feature that allows you to search and create topics of interest across the web and share with your contacts directly on Google Plus. While the other features such as Hangouts and Circles are pretty much personalized sharing channels, Sparks stands out as a way that will allow you to be identified on the Google Plus platform. Sparks is also enhanced by the fact that any Sparks content delivered from your search is easily shared in one simple click as fast as it is searched, but this time with your identity on it.

Sparks provide an excellent way of aggregating topics of interest and sharing them across the Google Plus Circles. Sparks can thus be considered to be an extension of Google’s golden egg – Search. To set up a Sparks topic, search for the Sparks tab on your Google Plus home page and type a keyword into the search box before hitting Enter. If you like the kind of stories that are listed, you can click the “Add Interest” button and add them to your Sparks. You can add as many new topics as you wish. After this, you can now simply click on the topic under the Sparks section to bring up any content from that specific topic. You can also read and share any stories you find interesting while you browse the search results. And of course, you can use your Circles to determine who might be interested in that particular area of interest before sharing.

Since Google has an excellent understanding of what people are searching on the Web, they have the upper hand in determining what is most relevant and based on what you share, it is likely that Sparks topics will continue to improve and provide more targeted results. It is also likely that Sparks will evolve and allow people to create their own Sparks categories similar to Google Alerts. As the Google Plus Project rolls on, we can expect that level of granularity to be available on Sparks allowing you to, say get instant updates on what is shared in real-time, and likewise share it with people within your Circles.

Google Sparks is very easy to use and straightforward. For example, the sidebar shows manually curated content and even lets you know if this was a “Sparked” topic. With Sparks, it is also possible to comment on topics before sharing allowing others to read your take on a given topic.  The fact that Google Sparks grabs content based on age and relevance is quite important. The more recent and relevant a news item is to the subject, the higher on the top of the page it will appear. In time, Sparks curated content may appear on search engines and help improve search results.

David Gitonga is a freelance content creator working
with various clients in setting up websites, blogs and writing
web content on a regular basis. He is also actively involved
in creating social media content for SEO.
 
You can find more written by David Gitonga by clicking these links:

facebook.com/DavGit
twitter.com/DavGit
G+/DavGit
davgit@freelancecontentcreator.com

photo credit: DieselDemon

Social networking websites are popping up everywhere these days. They’re like the Starbucks of the internet world. We all seem to be faced with the issue of trying to figure out which new ones to join based on what we think potential clients will use or what will benefit us in the long run. Until recently when anyone would mention a business exclusive social networking site, the only one to come to mind would have been Linked-In. Linked-In is a great website for seeking, creating, & nurturing new business leads. However, I’ve recently discovered Biznik.com, a business social networking site specifically meant for entrepreneurs and people who work from home. They have great tips and articles for freelancers or anyone just starting out and also give you the opportunity to meet local small business owners face-to-face.

Biznik was founded in 2005 by Dan McComb and Lara Eve Feltin with a simple premise: business networking shouldn’t suck. They’ve been featured in The Wall Street Journal as well as Entrepreneur Magazine. Thousands of people are on Biznik and all of them have started out with dreams of creating a successful home based or small business.

As mentioned previously, Biznik is entirely different from Linked-In. As quoted in an article from Biznik.com, “Biznik is for people who are building real businesses, not looking for their next job.” Biznik’s philosophy isn’t just about dealing with people on the internet. Events are being held all the time around the world and are a prime opportunity to meet new leads or gather advice from people who have been in the business anywhere from 2 to 20 years. Biznik gives you the option to not only attend these Events, but host them as well.

All in all, if you are seeking a new stomping ground in the social networking world to meet new small business owners and home based business owners, Biznik.com may be perfect for you! What other social networking sites do you use to connect with local freelancers in your area?

photo credit: Jacksonian22

Being a freelancer is both a pleasure and a pain. Unlike in organizations, you will not have teams to assist you. You are the all in one person. It’s true that you are a specialist in your trade, but you also need to master other areas of business such as, marketing, accounting, customer relationships, organizing and prioritizing works, and collecting payments. It is indeed a breath-taking task however, if you pre-plan your strategies, nothing can equal the joys of being on your own. One of the vital areas in freelancing is the marketing area and often highly skilled freelancers fail to be successful because of the lack of knowledge in marketing.

A successful freelancer not only knows his trade but also is shrewd in other areas of business. In short, you need to be a jack of all trades. Although it is safe to enter freelancing with a little experience in the marketing side, it is easy to learn marketing and grow quickly in your business. Especially if you are involved in web-based businesses, it is very easy to reach a lot of people with the least of expenses.

The first step in marketing begins with research. Make it a habit to research the internet to find out various means of marketing. The best way to start is a keyword search for the trade you are involved in. Go through different web pages of renowned freelancers and observe the way they market their services. Do pick up the ideas but remember originality is the key to success and copying would diminish your image or even get you penalized.

You may be an introvert, but you will have to interact with other freelancers and clients in order to survive as a freelancer. Train yourself in communication skills and participate in social media sites to gain friends. It is worth spending a little on professional designers or copywriters to create impressive ad banners.

You can also use some of the time tested internet marketing strategies, such as blogging, article marketing, press releases, and newsletters. Utilize the classifieds in your locality to advertise your services. Do not hesitate to contact people and institutions and enquire if they are in need of your service. There are also service providers that can provide you with contact details of people in need of what you can offer.

One other easy way to acquire new clients is through your existing clients. Show no inhibition in requesting your existing clients to introduce your services to their friends who may need your service. Yet another important marketing strategy is providing discounts and offering services at highly competitive rates.

Create an affiliate plan and provide incentives to those who send in new customers. This is one of the most effective ways of internet marketing. Don’t limit your marketing to the virtual world. Utilize the conventional method of issuing business cards, pamphlets or even broadcasting your services in the media. Often freelancers make the mistake of being frugal when it comes to advertisements. Remember the principle of sowing and reaping is the best way to be successful in freelancing. The actual sum spent on marketing will be only a fraction of what you will reap at the end.
 
You can find more written by Susanna Dixon by clicking these links:

Marketing: www.marketingarchive.com

Internet Marketing Strategies: www.emarketingfacts.com

photocredit: Office Now

2011 will probably stand out as the year when the new social network Google Plus was launched. The Google Plus project by Google is one of the most innovative and probably influential online platform that we are yet to see. The fact that it is supported and runs on the already established Google platform and is part of the Google ecosystem means that its integration will not only be seamless across all other Google products but we can expect it to be quickly adopted by both individuals and businesses and this is evident with its acceptance by millions within weeks after its invite-only launch. After going public and eventually when businesses and organizations will be allowed to set up profiles, we can expect to see even much wider audiences interacting on Google Plus.

Google’s mission has and will always remain the gathering and bringing together of information of the world where it is easily accessible. To companies like Google and Facebook, data means users and users means money. It will probably take some time before Google starts monetizing on Google Plus. We can be sure however that when it does come, it will be just as effective as the Facebook ads or their very own Google ads. Google is well aware that the Web is quickly becoming social and they cannot afford to be left behind. The wide adoption of their other services will likely continue to gain traction once interaction on Google Plus takes root. Google is definitely on the run and is already eating up a piece of the social network pie. There is nothing much Facebook can do except to up their game and closely monitor what Google is doing to ensure they don’t get left behind and start playing the catch up game. The truth of the matter is that coming first does not necessary make you the winner, rather, it is how you play the game that makes gets to the top and right now, Google is right behind Facebook, only months after its launch.

According to Google’s Senior Vice-President for Engineering Vic Gundotra, “Today, the connection between people increasingly happen online. Yet the subtlety and substance of real-world interactions are lost in the rigidness of our online tools”. With this in mind, Google promises to bring “real-world interactions” and “real-life sharing” online with Google Plus. Gundotra added, “through the Google+ Project, we’d like to bring the nuance and richness of real-life sharing to software”. He pointed out that a major strength of Google Plus is how sharing is done. While other platforms offer no choice in sharing but instead force you hear from everyone all the time, Google Plus allows sharing within private clouds where you share the right things with just the right people.

With Google Plus already gone public, it’s first phase seems to have been a success. We are already seeing posts shared on Google Plus appearing on search results. Google Plus is already changing the Web marketing scene and populating Google Plus data on its search results. The Google +1 button is already showing up on major websites which in turn links back to your Google Plus profile. Clearly, the Google Plus Project is already becoming a major influence in how we share and interact with people and content online.

You can find more written by David Gitonga by clicking these links:

facebook.com/DavGit
twitter.com/DavGit
G+/DavGit
davgit@freelancecontentcreator.com

I remember the days when I used to blindly traverse the internet seeking interesting websites to submit my writings and articles to. I always assumed I would eventually come across a master list of all the most unique web pages on the internet and (hopefully) be able to add my blog to this huge, glorious list. Surprisingly enough, this never happened for me. Now, this isn’t such a farfetched idea thanks to the StumbleUpon Toolbar.

photo credit: fugitive247

What are one of the key things that EVERY business and solopreneur needs?

Exposure.

We’re all after it, right?

Whether you’re a real estate agent, a VA, a musician, a designer, a salesperson, etc., you need exposure.  If no one can find you, or you’re so far buried under your competition’s exposure, how can your talent be utilized?  You have to put yourself in front of them, and the Internet has paved endless roads to the success of your exposure.

We recently talked about Word of Mouth Advertising and a few ways you can guide your WOM campaign but it’s a must that you utilize the Internet’s many avenues.  There are many tried-and-true, oldies-but-goodies, Internet marketing tactics and Web 2.0 has opened up many new interstates for your travel to Destination Exposure.

As social media marketing has developed, there have been many skeptics but a lot of those skeptics have been jumping on the train in recent months.  And there are many businesses who are still becoming familiar with Internet marketing and social media marketing; and, many others who still don’t even know it exists much less realize the impact it can have on their business – no matter what they’re business is.

We’re in a day and age where people turn to the Internet more and more, rather than traditional phone books.  I’m not even sure why they still deliver me one.  I can’t tell you the last time I used an actual, paper, phone book.  First, I have to flip through it.  Second, the listings don’t tell me much about a business except for their phone number and address.  Third, I can’t see what others are saying about the business.  I know, some of it might seem lazy but the Internet is much faster and I can gather so much more information on the business/service I’m seeking.

You know the saying, “Google it”…and that’s exactly what people are doing.  If I can’t find you on the Internet, I’ll end up using another business/service that I can find on the Internet.

And there are many social avenues that pique my interest in something I wasn’t even thinking about.  I frequently veer off of whatever I was originally doing online because something catches my eye. It might be a service, some goods, information or something else but because it was exposed online, it attracted my interest and I followed the link to see where it led.  if it didn’t have any exposure I may have never found it, whether I was looking for it or not.

There are two main components to online exposure.

1) Build links to your site, which will increase your rankings in the search engines, and
2) Drive organic traffic

Tying in these components will expose you!

And what’s fabulous is that most of it, if not all of it, can technically be done for free.  It takes a lot of time so you can always pay someone to do it for you, or you can do it yourself without spending much money at all.  All it takes is the knowledge of what to do, how to do it, where to do it and a bit of dedication.

What are your thoughts on businesses benefiting from online marketing?

photo credit: lejoe

Marketing comes in all shapes, sizes and colors but one of the best marketing resources you have are your customers. Customers can bring new customers your way or they can be a roadblock to your business’ success. Which route they’ll take depends on the experience they have with your business.

Word of Mouth marketing is a powerful tool and it’s important that you take part in how it affects your business. With the “social” atmosphere of the Internet today, it’s an even more powerful tool and you can utilize it to attract and retain new customers. Customers are considered a “trusted source” by others since their relationship with you is based only on their experience with you.

People are going to talk about you, period. How they talk about and how many people they talk about you to depends on their experience with you. If you make their experience great, that will reflect in their testimonials. If their experience is not-so-great, that will also reflect in their testimonials.

An unhappy customer is likely to not only tell their friends about how terrible their experience with you was but also tell the world via the Internet…and so is a happy customer. But, studies show that unhappy customers are much more iikely to talk about you than happy customers so you have to guide your word-of-mouth campaign to get those happy people talking more.

Take the necessary steps to weave a successful relationship with your customers, equip them with a way to talk about you, reward them, and actively participate in the social aspect of your business.

Customer Service. Customer Service is a HUGE deal. Customer service can make or break a relationship with a customer and that customer’s friends or followers. Treat each customer as though they are of the utmost importance to your business, because they are. Don’t make the mistake of thinking, “oh well, it’s just one customer”. “Just one customer” can cause many other potential customers to turn to your competitors. Customers feel like they are important to your business because they are spending their money with you, and they’re right! I’ve left companies based solely on their poor customer service and I’ve stayed faithful to others because of their superior customer service…and I utilize my big mouth to spread the word about both.

Surveys have shown that 85-90% of unhappy customers share their experiences. Think about it – what’s the first thing you do when you’re unhappy with something? You get on the phone and you get online and you tell everyone you can! And today, many people will research potential businesses and products online before making a purchase from them. If they see negative feedback about you, they will think twice about dealing with you.

Participate in the community. In today’s social media world, it’s easy to interact with the community and it will serve you well. Not only should you create an online presence, but you should be active in your presence. People love interaction. Be accessible for conversation, questions, suggestions, and feedback. Set up a blog and/or a few social profiles on relevant social communities. Accessibility is key.

Don’t forget to use this interaction as a way to learn what you can do to improve your customer service and products as well as an avenue to gain new business or product ideas.

Utilize referral programs. Most people love an extra incentive. If they’re happy with something, they’re going to tell others. If they can get something extra for telling others, they’ll tell even more people.

Create a viral marketing buzz. There are a few ways to do this but one is to create something that people just can’t help but to share with others. One of the most popular methods of viral marketing is to create a video that’s an attention grabber because of its content. It’s not your average advertising clip but rather advertising embedded in something totally off-the-wall, hilarious, shocking or otherwise attention grabbing. This should be crafted in a way that the video itself becomes a vehicle for the advertisment of the product but so that the product gains popularity too, and not just the video. It can be tricky but it can be done.

Utilize key influencers. These are the people who have an influence over a crowd of people. Celebrities are one example of key influencers but there are many other online influencers, trend setters and authorities. It may be someone who has a huge social network or blog following. If you develop a relationship with these people, they’ll deliver your message to a massive network.

Word of mouth marketing is the oldest marketing tool in the book but it’s evolving and you should be too.

Do you utilize any of these methods and how have they affected your business? Any other Dos or Don’ts you would suggest?

photo credit: piermario

When I was in college, my dorm was somewhat notorious for the people who had lived there before. And each year, the group of freshmen who lived there were ushered into a hallowed closet and invited to write their names on the wall, joining the hundreds who had gone before. It was an interesting tradition and somewhat meaningful to add your name to the list of people – luminaries and not-so-luminaries– who had lived there, too.

This same idea translates into the business world, too, specifically when it comes to commenting on blogs. When you leave your mark, you are joining with others to indicate your participation in that community – however modest – and you are aligning yourself with other likeminded people. This is the ultimate in positioning!

So, here’s what you need to do: Go to Gravatar and sign up. This gives you an easy way to spread your face, logo, or recognizable image around the web. Then, identify your top three favorite blogs and comment in them every day. Also, find one other blog – a blog you might read but don’t comment on – and comment in it every day. In this way, you’ll help to contribute to a community at your favorite blogs and you’ll also add 200 – 365 additional blogs (depending on how diligent you are at daily commenting). Imagine how rich those back links will be!

Also, check out Disqus. Their main system is a plug-in to help you manage comments on your blog but they also offer Disqus Profile so you can manage your comments on other blogs.

photo credit: onnola

The other day a friend of mine called me up in a panic. His website had been advancing dramatically in PageRank and he was working hard to build it up. Then he checked at the beginning of August and noticed that his PageRank had dropped to zero. The phone call to me was an “I’m ruined” phone call and it took me a long time to calm him down and assure him that he was not ruined. It inspired me to write this list of 4 myths of internet marketing.
1. PageRank is the be-all and end-all of marketing. That’s not true. There are several factors that go into successful search engine placement. PageRank is a number that Google uses to determine your placement in search rankings but there are other factors, too. A higher PageRank is helpful, but it’s only part of the equation. PageRank is determined from backlinks and how long your URL is registered for, among other things. But it doesn’t take into account keyword placement and a smart keyword program can still benefit your business.

2. Keyword density. I sometimes wish this one were on the way out but it still rears its ugly head from time to time. Keyword density is a metric used by internet marketers to determine how many keywords they need to have on a page to optimize the likelihood that Google spiders will view the site and file it appropriately and, perhaps, more highly than something else. A density of 4% has often been the magic number. However, it’s a terrible number to aim for because it results in non-readable content. So you might get traffic to your business but you won’t make sales from it.

3. You should only link back to your site from higher PageRank sites. If you’re going for PageRank, this does make sense in theory. However, this is a common practice and what you end up with is a marketing plan that puts you in the most competitive places. It’s like putting your billboard on the same street where your competitors are all putting their billboards. Instead, some lower PageRank sites might not give you the high value back link you want, but they can give you a steady stream of website visitors using the “long tail” approach.

4. It’s not all about search results. One of the points I raised with my friend is this: Some people are online and don’t even bother with search results. It’s simply not in their sales plan. They know they are in a highly competitive environment, or perhaps they are trying to carve out a new niche with no highly searched keywords. They use advertising and other methods to drive traffic to their site. Search is not the most important.

Consider picking a few high quality (although not necessarily high PageRank) sites and spend your effort on those sites, building up a name for yourself and creating meaningful content that can engage your audience.

photo credit: garlandcannon

If you’re selling something online, you’ve probably wondered which one was right for you: a short sales page or a long one. The short ones end up being just a screen or two of content that you need to scroll down. They are persuasive and quick to read. The longer ones seem like Herman Melville (the author of Moby Dick) decided to write them: They’re the equivalent of 15, 20, 30, or more pages of text.

I’ve seen good and bad examples of both. And I’ve heard compelling points on both sides of the argument: That long sales pages sell better because people will read the whole thing… and shorter sales pages sell better because people will read the whole thing. Go figure!

So which one is right for you to use when you’re selling? I’m frequently asked that question and my answer is the same: What’s right for your customer? If your customer expects a long sales page, you should probably give them one. If your customer is busy and doesn’t have a lot of time, you should give them a shorter sales page. In fact, this idea extends well beyond the size of your sales page to other aspects of your offer. If your customer needs time to think about the purchase, don’t give them a time-limited offer; instead, give them a free newsletter to sign-up to.

One of the challenges of any sales page – whether short or long – is to understand what the metrics are saying. Since customers arrive at your page from some other form of advertising, they may leave again without buying and you have little idea why outside of knowing how long they were there for.

You can solve this with a middle-of-the-road solution that gets the best of both long and short sales pages: Create a long sales page and break it up over a series of pages. Instead of having a single “buy now” button on the bottom of your page, simply have a “next” button on the bottom of your page and get your potential buyers to move from one page to the next.

In doing so, you’ll create a couple of advantages for yourself:

1. You’ll get the reader clicking on your website, which is exactly what you want – to involve the reader somehow.
2. You’ll get the reader subconsciously agreeing with you as they move forward in the process.
3. And, you’ll see where they “fall off” of your sales pitch. If you have 6 short sales pages that lead one from another, but everyone clicks away from your site at page 4, there’s a good indication that you have a problem on page 4 that needs addressing!

Short or long sales pages? Why not try a middle-of-the-road solution.

photo credit: net_efekt