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October 16, 2017 0 Comments

5 Tips for Instagram for Business

As Instagram continues to be one of the biggest players in social media, it only makes sense that you’d use it for business.  According to Wordstream.com, 6 in 10 adults have Instagram accounts, while there are 15 million registered businesses using Instagram business profiles.

It’s an important place to be, and there are many things you can do to improve your presence on the platform to reach more people and share your knowledge.

Use Stories

We’ve all heard of Instagram Stories by now, which is Instagram’s answer to Snapchat.  According to Techcrunch, Instagram Stories are now doing better than Snapchat, with Instagram Stories at 250 million daily users compared to Snapchat’s 166 million.

Stories are a way to share behind the scenes content, everyday life, and more of a personal look at yourself and your business.  People do business with those they know, like, and trust, and stories are a fun, unfiltered way to show this off.  Give your followers a day in the life of your business, show them your favorite things, or some of your top tips and tools in doing business.  If you have employees, allow them access to post about their days in the business as well.

Another great thing about Stories is that it keeps you at the top of the page as you post content, so you stay on the minds of your customers and prospects.

Connect with Others

It’s great to utilize Instagram for posting, but it’s also important to interact with others! Take some time everyday to seek out other users and posts, adding thoughtful likes and comments as you see fit.

Go outside of your industry as well, since you’re more likely to find customers this way.  You can simply spend 10 minutes per day liking, following, and building up network on Instagram; this will make a big difference in your follower count and engagement.

Use Hashtags

Hashtags are important ways to be found on Instagram.  You can – and should – use hashtags on your own Instagram Stories and Instagram posts, but you can also use them to find others.

In your own posts, it’s best to post your normal post and caption, then include hashtags in a separate comment.  You can use up to 30 hashtags, and they should be a mix of generic tags (i.e. “#success”), more specific tags (“#hiremymom”), and location-based terms.  Location-based tags (i.e. “#palmbeacheventplanner”) are especially important if your business is local or brick and mortar.

Search hashtags daily to find others that are posting similar things to you, or seeking your services.  Offering a simple like or comment can lead them back to your profile, increasing the likelihood of a connection – or a sale.

Be Consistent

As with all social media sites, consistency is king!  Think beyond business posts too – your audience wants to get to know you.  Participate in #FollowFriday, a fun Friday event on Instagram where you introduce yourself to your followers.  You can include little-known facts and other information about how you got your start in business.  These types of posts keep you relevant while providing content.

Do your best to post on a consistent schedule in a way that’s feasible for you and your schedule.

Keep an Eye on Quality

Instagram is still a visual platform, so quality photos are a must on your main Instagram feed.  Instagram Stories can be much more informal, but do your best to edit your regular photos to be as nice as possible.

People like to look at beautiful images, so do your best to keep your feed looking good.  Also, the top 9 images on your Instagram feed are the most viewed, so always ensure that they’re reflecting you, your business, and your brand as well as possible.

To succeed as a business on Instagram, include some items that aren’t simply business, connect with your audience, and be consistent!

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August 10, 2017 0 Comments

3 Top Tips to Use Pinterest for Business

According to SocialMediaToday.com, “87% of Pinners bought something because of content on Pinterest” – which means that Pinterest is still clearly a very powerful social network. You can truly make sales from this network, and it’s important that you’re using it to your advantage in business.

Not only is Pinterest a great place to find recipes and home ideas, it’s a useful place to share your business knowledge. From images of your work to blog post graphics, it’s crucial to utilize Pinterest’s visual medium to produce content for your clients and prospects.

Work on your images

Pinterest is a visual platform, so your images are crucial! Pinterest images should be a certain size to be optimal, and that size is 735 px x 1102 px. You can use a program such as Canva.com to create graphics in this size.

In addition to the correct sizing, your images should be eye-catching and optimized. You can optimize images by naming them something relevant, versus simply leaving them as is. If you’re writing and then pinning a blog post featuring homework tips, you can name it something like: “top-homework-tips-for-kids.” It’s also important to look into keywords here, as that will make your images even more likely to be found. This allows your images to be optimized and more SEO-friendly. In addition to your image file names, you’ll want to include a detailed description of the Pin.

According to CoalMarch.com, you can use keywords to create image file names by using this formula: Industry + Service Provided + Location or Feature (not both). Use Google Trends or another keyword search to find trending topics, as well as keywords that those in your industry are seeking.

Lastly, you can use free graphics programs to create a custom image. Find a stock image of your blog theme, add some text, and make it look nice! Attractive images are more likely to be pinned.

Get social

Pinterest is place where you can share, but it’s also a place to be interactive. Follow relevant Pinners, Pin others’ content your boards, and generally stay active.

The more you add content, pin others’ content, and continue to follow new users, the more your page will be viewed, and the more your Pins will be saved. Try following other Pinners every day, and see how many you get in return. If you’re putting in the effort to follow others, it will likely come back to you.

Be consistent

Consistency is very important in using Pinterest for business! Whenever you write a blog post, piece of content, or produce a product/service with quality photos – Pin them. Get into the habit of sharing your content on this platform, as it’s very visual, and visual networks are encouraging for buyers.

By spending some time optimizing your images, creating stunning graphics, naming your files, being social, and posting consistently, you can see the outstanding sales and business results of Pinterest.

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May 15, 2017 0 Comments

4 Types of Content to Post on Social Media

We all know how important it is to have an online presence – especially on social media.  It’s a place where we can share information, tell others about our businesses, and hopefully make some sales.

Unfortunately, a lot of business owners utilize their pages incorrectly, and don’t post content that intrigues the reader to build a relationship.  Today, we’re sharing tips to build your page, keep consistently posting content, and eventually – make that sale!

Value

When readers come to your page, they’re likely somewhat interested in you and/or your product or service.  They want to know that you’re an expert, and that you know what you’re talking about.  Make this easy for them!

Use your page to post thought-provoking, valuable content that answers their most burning questions.  You can post your own blogs, syndicate articles and blogs from outside sources, and do tips, advice, and Q&A posts that will share your knowledge with your readers.  While it may seem counterintuitive to give away your knowledge for free, it gives your readers some trust in you, making it easier to hire you someday.

About You

Whether it’s a behind the scenes post, news about your business, or information on your latest hire, readers like to get an inside glimpse into your business.  Social media can be fairly casual, so it’s the perfect place to go live with tips, share something personal (but relevant), and communicate with customers.

Share some personal things about yourself and your business – it doesn’t always have to be so formal!

Inspirational

We’ve all seen the inspirational quotes and graphics going around social media.  They might seem simplistic, but they’re easily shareable and provide your readers with a “feel good” message.  As we mentioned before, not all content has to be so heavy and information-filled.  It’s fun to mix in positive messages, tips on a graphic, or other fun content that will be easily shared.

When your graphics are shared, it’s more likely that more people will like your page, growing your following.  Be sure to include your website and business name on each graphic, and work to create your own content versus taking from others.  It’s fine to share directly from another page (with proper attribution, of course!), but creating your own graphics is much more powerful.

Sales

Last but not least, we come to sales.  This is because very little about your social media profiles should include sales information!  Once you’ve given lots of good content, it’s fine to ask for the sale.  You can run an interesting promo, offer a discount code to social media followers only, or something else that involves a direct ask to your products or services.

Again, this should be a small, small part of your strategy! Don’t drive away sales by constantly asking for them.  It’s important to strike a balance between value, solid information, fun information about your company, and finally – the sale.

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March 27, 2017 0 Comments

6 Signs of a Great Website

In this day and age, everyone has an online presence.  Especially if you have a business, you know the importance of a quality website.  It’s a known fact that every business has (or should have) a website, but do you know what makes one better than another?

Although you can spend a lot of time and money on specific designs and fancy templates, it’s really crucial that you have the basics down first.  Read along for some best tips and advice to ensure your website is helping your business.

Make Your Contact Clear

Is it easy to contact you on your website?  You should feature a phone number and/or email address at the top of your page.  A “Contact Us” button is great, but people often want something even more accessible.

Ensure that this information is prominently displayed, easy to read, and accurate.  Think of it this way: if someone was ready to buy or order something from you, you would want to make it very easy for them to contact to order from you or hire you.

Professional Photos

Quality, professional photos are truly key to a solid website.  Especially when it comes to photos of you and/or your team, it’s important to make the investment in good headshots.

Additionally, utilizing professional photos gives readers and potential customers a glimpse at you.  Not only does this humanize your brand, but it allows for a brief connection before any business is done.

Let Them Get to Know You

Just as a professional photo allows us to connect visually, information and content allows this as well.  If you feel up to it, include some personal or fun information on your site.  If nothing else, share some of your story about why you are where you are, as well as the “why” of your business.

This really helps people connect beyond simply purchasing or hiring you, and these days, people want to do business with people they like and trust.  When someone feels like they know you, or can relate or appreciate something personal you said, they’re more likely to give you a call.

Include Calls to Action

It’s great to have a nice site, but if you’re not prompting visitors to do anything, you’re losing any chance to gain their contact information or work with them further.

Can you offer a free download or free one-on-one session for email addresses?  Create a sidebar prompt for this and collect those email addresses.  You could also have an information-gathering form, which typically works best for service-based businesses.  Since the person visiting your site is already likely interested in hiring you, obtaining more information about them and/or their need makes it all the easier to hire you.

Consider the Design

Beautiful design is very important.  Old, outdated websites aren’t pleasing to the eye, and it may show that you’re a bit out of touch.  We buy with our eyes, and if we don’t like what we see, it’s very easy to discard products and services as well.  Web design can be quite an investment, but there are plenty of do-it-yourself sites, or sites that offer design at a discount rate.

Although it’s tempting to try to do-it-yourself, it may create more headaches if it’s not your expertise.  It’s better to go into a web design meeting with an idea of what you want, then shop around a bit for designers who can bring it to life within your budget.

Nothing is more frustrating than a website that’s tough to navigate! This includes broken links, incomplete sentences, sites that won’t load, and so on.  Make sure that each move is intuitive, and that someone without any knowledge of your business can understand it.

Make it Mobile

Everyone is checking websites on their phones these days! If your site isn’t mobile-ready, it becomes a very frustrating experience for readers and potential customers.

There are sites out there that offer to make your website mobile, but more often than not, most templates are mobile-friendly.  This is absolutely something crucial to ask your web designer, as well as ensuring that every important feature functions well on a phone.

It’s not enough to look good on a phone – it must also function perfectly!

These are just a few basic steps to ensure that your website is beautiful and not frustrating to your visitors.  Take the time to get these things down, and then introduce more fun, fancy features that may bring that something extra to your website!

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September 12, 2016 0 Comments

5 Best Practices for LinkedIn Success

As most of us know, LinkedIn is the social media site for professionals.  If you’ve been shying away from the site, now is the time to join! While the world is becoming more and more social media savvy, it’s important to have a place on the site made for employees, employers, and professionals in general.

LinkedIn does far more than allow you to add connections and show off your work experience; it can be a place to search for new jobs and applicants, as well as offer value to your followers and potential connections.  Read along for some simple best practices to start using LinkedIn to its fullest.

Solid Summary

Do you have a Professional Summary that really stands out? While it can be tempting to just put a sentence or two about what you do or what you’re looking for in a career, truly take some time to make it special.

In addition to writing a few key paragraphs that may include information such as: how you can assist those who work with you or hire you, what measurable results you’ve produced, and how to get in contact with you, you can also add media such as video, photos, presentations and audio.  By taking the time to add a solid, well-written summary (and bonus points for media additions!), you will be well on your way to standing out on LinkedIn.

Adding Value

How can you help those who come to your profile?  If you’re searching for a job, how can you show that you’re the best fit?  You can add value by posting daily or weekly posts, publishing longer blogs or articles in the Publishing section, or simply by posting helpful items of interest for your followers.

If someone is following you, what kind of information would they like to know?  What is your expertise and how can you give some of that away?

Value also comes in the form of showing potential employers, investors, and so on what you can do for them, if applicable.  Measurable results always sell, so be sure to include data, Recommendations, and other information as solid proof of your skills.

Contact Information

Don’t forget your contact information! It may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people forget this.  Yes, you can contact someone through Linkedin direct mail, but someone may want to place an inquiry via email or by phone. Contact information also includes any and all websites that you’re a part of – make it easy for those clients, customers, and potential employers to find you and get in touch!

Professional Photo

While you don’t need to go so far as to hire a professional photographer just for a LinkedIn photo, it isn’t a bad idea.  If a professional photo isn’t in the budget, have a friend stage a nice area, put on a nice, professional outfit, and take a few photos.  LinkedIn photos should be headshots that are done in nice lighting, appropriate for the professional world, and include a smile.

Use it

LinkedIn won’t be much help to you if it’s never used.  Utilize the capabilities included on the site, add connections, and use it as your professional face to the world. Business people – whether that’s a potential client, employer, or employee – will look at your profile, so it’s important to put your best face and experience forward.

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June 25, 2015 0 Comments

3 Tips to Use LinkedIn for Success

LinkedIn is a remarkable tool for connecting with other professionals, job searching, and featuring your past and present work.  It’s also a great tool for career success, and with a few key steps, you will find that you’re reaping more and more benefits from the site.

LinkedIn is known for being more “professional” than Facebook and Twitter, and it has stayed that way for some time.  Since it’s more for business, finding success on the site will look different than on others. Utilize the tips below for increased visibility and greater opportunities.

Use the Features

LinkedIn is a site full of excellent features! The Get Introduced feature is excellent, in that it allows you to contact those you do not know very well via someone you do know.  It’s a great way to contact someone while having a friend or colleague in common, which always makes leads and interactions much more intimate, likely to get a response, and trustworthy.

You can also utilize the Publisher feature, which is LinkedIn’s answer to the blog post.  We know that we can create short status updates, but you can post full-length blog posts with photos include via the Publisher feature. Not only does this spread your message across another channel, it establishes you as a thought leader on the site that is known for leadership, professionalism, and careers.

Be Interactive

Don’t simply create a profile and not use it! As mentioned above, LinkedIn has top notch features, but some of the true benefits lie in the day-to-day basics.

It’s important that you’re interacting – posting status updates daily or multiple times per week, liking and commenting on others’ posts, and seeking out informative articles and blog posts.  You can learn a lot on LinkedIn, as well as support your fellow friends and colleagues in their workplace endeavors and accomplishments.

Work on Your Profile

Getting to 500+ connections is important, but you want to be sure that you’re only accepting people you know, or at least be discerning in acceptance.  You want to keep your network as useful as possible, and the tools such as the Get Introduced feature work much better when you’re dealing with a group of connections that you actually know.

Another way to work on your profile is to be sure you have an excellent personal summary that explains who you are and what you can offer.  In addition to this, list your jobs and what you were able to contribute to them.  Focus on measurable results, as that’s much more helpful for potential employers to go on.

Lastly, be sure that you’re giving and receiving quality recommendations.  Request recommendations from valued clients or colleagues, and be sure to give them out for a job well done.  It’s important for your future employers, as well as giving you credibility in your given field. Quality, current, and accurate recommendations can truly help you in achieving a job position or being seen as an expert.

(Image courtest of talentegg.ca)

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June 16, 2015 0 Comments

5 Tips for Successful Networking

Networking is a key component to any professional career. It’s necessary to connect with others in your industry, pursue job opportunities, and expand your business network.

Whether you work from home or in a traditional office, it’s important to network every so often. Some of the best job and career opportunities come about by knowing someone in the right company, and building relationships is the key to this strategy.  Although any time you can put yourself out there via networking opportunities, there are some networking tips and tricks that will make your time and effort more effective.

Know your goal(s)

When you go to a networking event, establish your goal or goals for the evening.  Do you want to secure a job opportunity?  Are you hoping to meet a specific person?  Are you looking for a business alliance?  Knowing your goal going into the event will help you get more out of it.  A goal can be as simple as getting 5-10 business cards – as long as you can establish it ahead of time.

While you shouldn’t ignore others or additional opportunities beyond your goal, setting one can give you a target and a sense of accomplishment once it’s completed.

Dress the part

Networking isn’t always a formal event, but it’s always a chance to dress your best.  Dress the part you’re looking for – business person, business owner, job applicant, and so on.  Does your outfit match your goal and the venue?  Is it appropriate for the type of event you’re attending? Your outfit and appearance can also provide a lot of confidence, so don’t discard it as something unimportant; it can really give you that boost you need! If you’re unsure of the dress code, contact the event organizer or a friend that will also be in attendance.

Give out cards

Sometimes we’re so focused on receiving business cards that we don’t give ours out nearly enough. While it’s more important that you receive cards so that you can follow up, it helps that others have your information as well.  If you don’t own or work for a company yet, order inexpensive business cards with your name and contact information.

Even if you don’t secure the job that you hoped for, or you don’t get to talk to the person you set out to meet, you never know what a networking event might bring.  You could end up receiving an unexpected call that truly alters the course of your professional career.  Hand out your cards after you connect with someone, as it’s a habit that can truly help you.

Know what you offer

Also known as the “elevator speech” – know what you bring to the table.  If you’re seeking a job, have a brief 30-60 second commercial that details what you’re looking for and what you can bring to a potential employer. If you own or work for a business, know what you’re promoting, the type of lead that would be useful for you, and how you can help others.

Keeping this short and concise keeps people interested and allows you to remember it sharply and professionally.  Truly keep it short and sweet – the quicker you can get to the point, the more memorable and top of mind you can stay.

Follow up 

Following up is the most important – yet most difficult – part of networking.  You’ve collected all of those cards, and now it’s the time to do something about them.  Follow up within 24-48 hours, indicate how and where you met the contact, and then ask for or state what you’re hoping to gain from the relationship.  You want to be sure that you’re also giving as much as you’re asking, since everyone is busy also needs to keep tabs on their own professional development.  Offer to help the other person while making your request known.  Appreciate their time and thank them for any help, insight, or time you might request.

With these networking tips, you’ll go into the professional arena with a great start and some advice for forming true relationships in the business world.

(Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)

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March 16, 2015 0 Comments

How to Market Yourself Online

When looking for a job or preparing your profiles for the job search, it’s important to learn how to market yourself online. While you need to be as honest as possible, there are small tweaks and online marketing strategy tips you can use to make yourself stand out.

Marketing yourself online basically consists of using online websites and social media to the best of your abilities. You always want to do your best to highlight your strengths – on and offline. Here are some best practices for marketing yourself online in an effective, authentic way.

Add some honest praise

On many sites, especially LinkedIn, there are places to include praise and recommendations. Use these features to your advantage! Since these are outside recommendations, they’re more likely to be honest, effective, and impressive. When a potential employer or organization sees that you come highly recommended, they feel more at ease and therefore, they’re more likely to call you in for the interview. When they see that past employers and clients have been pleased with your work, it gives them a type of reassurance. Testimonials and reviews of your past work are excellent ways to market yourself – be proactive in asking for them and keeping them up to date.

Be descriptive

You have a lot of room on social media sites and profiles to write about your job, community, volunteer, and organization history and accomplishments. You’ll want to use this space to the best of your ability and be as descriptive as possible. Give an example of a job task and make it sound professional. Additionally, include measurable data and metrics if possible. Always include descriptions that make you stand out, and that goes doubly if you can include numbers to support your work.

Be on the right sites

If you want a certain type of job or work environment, be in the right online places! If you want to work from home, use sites such as HireMyMom.com to find reputable home-based careers. There are numerous industry-specific job search and forum sites, so be sure that you’re on them providing value and getting your name out there. In addition to job sites, be sure that you’re on the right social networks. LinkedIn is great for the professional realm, while Facebook is still #1. Keep them all professional and updated as much as possible. When you’re marketing yourself online, you want to show that you’re capable of the current technologies while providing knowledge and value to your audience.

When it doubt, ask

Being proactive is an excellent way to market yourself online. If you see an organization or job position that would suit you, don’t be afraid to ask or inquire further. Part of getting the jobs and opportunities we desire is putting ourselves out there. Most of the time, the best job positions and opportunities aren’t listed online, which means reaching out gives you a great chance for success! Take the time to craft an effective email to organizations that you’d like to work for, all while showing them why you deserve the job. All of your work on the tips above will ensure that you’re ready for this final step!
Check out these other great articles about home-based jobs as a work from home professional. Also check out our home-based job descriptions and current job postings for mom professionals.
(Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)

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February 25, 2015 0 Comments

Network like a Pro: How to Make a Flawless First Impression

If you make your living doing freelance work, you understand the perks and drawbacks of such a lifestyle. You save money on gas and time spent on long commutes, and you can largely set your own schedule. But you are also responsible for finding new clients to keep business humming, which can be one of the toughest challenges. To maintain your work-from-home contract career, new business is a must.

So what’s one of the best ways to gain new contacts? Network like a pro! Here are three tips for making a strong first impression and upping the odds you’ll walk away from a networking event with new business.

Accessorize With Taste

Your appearance is what people notice first. While you may have a free-spirited sense of style at home, rein it in for cocktail hour with your peers. A flowing gypsy skirt and arms full of bangles may suit you well normally, but this laid-back look will paint you as flighty before you’ve even said hello. Instead, opt for subtle fashions and clean accessories. Think stud earrings, a delicate silver necklace and a sophisticated tote from a high-end brand.

Aim for Elegance, Not Attention

A tight-fitting outfit that hugs all your curves may get you some lasting glances at a nightclub, but it’ll just make people take you less seriously in a professional setting. You can (and should) still show a sense of style without looking like you want attention. Plunging necklines and short hemlines are a no-no, even if the event is set in the evening at a posh bar.

If you’re jonesing to wear black, your signature color, add some class and style with a jumpsuit. Something like this Dolman Jumpsuit by Feel the Piece is professional but youthful. Not feeling the jumpsuit? A dress is always a stellar choice. You can layer a Chevron Sheath Dress by The Limited with a well-tailored blazer and pumps for a fancier event or pair it with a soft cardigan and ballet flats for something more casual. You’ll exude taste and charm, without sacrificing modesty.
The most appealing part of your outfit? Your confidence. Throw your shoulders back, put a (genuine) smile on your face and be proud of the reputation you’re building.

Articulate Who You Are

Enough about your apparel; it’s time to talk about the other elements of nailing a first impression. You’d be surprised by how many common-sense rules many women forget when they enter a business setting. Give a strong handshake and make direct eye contact. Don’t forget to hand over a business card before saying goodbye to a new acquaintance. Another good tip is regarding something you may not usually think twice about, which is how you introduce yourself. Typically you say hi and state your name, right?

It’s been found that females often only say their first name, and do so in a long, drawn-out or even singsong manner. “Hi, I’m Liiiiiiila. This makes you seem juvenile and less intelligent. Instead, you should confidently state your first and last name. “Hi, I’m Lila Everson.” This will make you appear powerful and in control, and leave a more lasting impression on your new colleagues. And last, but not least, know how to communicate what you do. If someone asks about your business, be ready to concisely say, I facilitate relationships between children’s shoe-makers and department store buyers. Hemming and hawing is unpolished and unprofessional, and trying to be too clever with a response almost always backfires.

As you prepare for your next networking event, view it as a job interview. In a lot of ways, that’s exactly what it is. Be deliberate about the outfit and accessories you choose, work to project an air of confident approachability and remember the best practices of networking like stating your first and last name, keeping eye contact and quickly sharing the basis of your business. Network like a pro! You’ll not only feel much more assertive going into the event, but you’ll also impress your peers and increase your chances of gaining valuable contacts and new business.

Check out these other great articles about networking as a work from home professional. Also check out our current job postings for mom professionals.

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