Free Facebook Marketing Strategies

Facebook can be used for more than connecting with people you went to high school with. With over 500 million active users, there are a lot of potential customers to be had. Of course, the only way that you and your customers will find each other are with the right marketing strategies. Here are some of the best free Facebook marketing strategies that have been proven to be effective.

#1- Your Facebook Profile
Your profile is the first thing that people see when they find you. Even before they go to your profile, customers are trying to decide if they want to visit you. The most important thing to have is a good picture. Don’t just put up a logo, or worse, leave the photo blank! When looking for new people to connect with, having a happy, smiling face showing will be a much better asset. You don’t have to have Hollywood star looks either. People just want to know that a real person is behind the screen, and not simply a spambot who only want to sell them something. It’s fine to use Facebook to sell, but you have to earn that right. Spend time, not just on your picture, but in all the other profile areas to flesh out your page and show that you are a living, breathing person who is worth getting to know.

#2- Groups
There are tons and tons of Facebook groups that are perfect for viral marketing. You can find groups that coincide with your market to join, or you can start your own group. The point here is targeting your market. Joining 50 petition groups to prove chunky peanut butter is better than creamy will not get you anywhere, unless you’re marketing peanut butter. Become active in the groups and add other people in the group to your friends list. If you offer good content and position yourself as a leader in your group, more people will seek you out and be willing to listen to you.

#3- Fan Pages
Similar to groups is a personal fan page. A fan page is basically like a second personal page. The difference is that you want to use your personal page mostly to connect on a personal level, one-to-one with your friends, and a fan page is better suited to your business opportunities. Another difference is that Facebook limits you to 5000 friends on your personal page. Your fan page can have as many people like it as you can get. This is the place to put out your links to your videos, articles, whatever other marketing methods you may be using. You can also put up a lead capture page on your fan page so your fans never have to leave Facebook to opt in to your list.

#4- Events
Whenever you have an upcoming event like a product launch, webinar, or conference, you can set up an event. It creates a new page that handles just like a group or fan page with wall posts, discussions, and photo pages, but with the added benefit that you can invite all of your friends to the event. They can RSVP and indicate whether they will be there or not, and you can get an idea of the excitement being generated.

#5- Messages
Messages are great for starting a direct conversation with anyone. They can be sent to anyone on Facebook, regardless of whether they are on your friends list or not. It does require some restraint though, as Facebook may decide that you are a spammer and refuse to accept your messages if you send to too many people who are not on your list. The best way to use it is to start a conversation with the people already on your list. Odds are you don’t personally know everyone you are friends with. Use the message feature to learn about them! Send a message asking about the other person and get them talking about themselves. People love to talk about themselves, and if you give them a chance they will open up to you and be more receptive to your offer.

These are some of the most popular free Facebook marketing strategies available. You can do paid advertising on Facebook, but why would you bother when there are so many methods that don’t cost anything? Using the free methods also makes you more involved in your community, which is the whole point of social media. So take these strategies and get out there!

Make Money Online!

Everyone wants to know how to make money online. The trick is; how do you do it? There are lots of different strategies, but what you go after is largely dependent on your personal skills, what your budget is, and how much time you have to work on it. I’m going to give you a quick overview of some of the popular strategies that are used to make money online.

One of the newest, and most popular, strategies is social media. Facebook and Twitter have exploded with users all talking to each other about what they like. If you are unfamiliar with these sites, they can seem a little intimidating to get started with. Not to fear! If your 13 year old niece can do it, so can you. Twitter allows you to place a web link in your profile that goes straight to your business page. You can also place links to your site in your tweets. Just remember that nobody wants to get bombarded with ads. Don’t be a spammer! Facebook allows you to put up a fan page that you can use to advertise your business and it is a nice place to send people interested in what you’re selling. Whenever someone “likes” your page, all of their friends can see that, and may come to see what the buzz is about. This is a great way to build your fans virally, and gives you a simple forum to talk about your business to people who are receptive to your pitch. The best part about social media is that it’s free!

Another free method that just requires a bit more effort is article marketing. Articles can be uploaded on many different sites that build links back to your business site. When you sign up at article publishing sites, you want to write a short profile about yourself and include a link back to your site. When your article is published, your resource box is added to the end of your article and gives your readers the ability to click your link and find their way into your sales funnel. This method is great if you enjoy writing, but it takes time to build traffic. The more articles you can output, the more links you generate back to your site. The articles stay up on the web forever, so they continue to drive traffic long after you have expended the effort to create them.

The most popular way to build immediate traffic to your site is through pay-per-click advertising. This method can get complicated, as Google (the most popular place to advertise) has lots of rules you must follow to advertise with them. Do your research to find out what Google wants before you spend any money on a campaign! If you set up an ad campaign the wrong way, Google (along with Yahoo and Bing adopting some stricter requirements) can shut down your advertising and may even ban you from advertising with them altogether. So educate yourself, read their terms of use, and then build out quality campaigns to make the most of your advertising budget.

These are not the only methods to make money online, but they are the most popular for people who are new to online advertising. Starting with the free methods and building an internet presence will start to generate revenue that you can then invest in the paid methods. As you learn by doing, you will find out what works for you and what doesn’t. There are people who are willing and able to assist you as you begin your online business. See my resource box to learn more!

Sales Prospecting Tips

Sales prospecting is probably one of the least fun things to do in business. It takes a lot of work, discipline, and consistency. It may also seem like the results aren’t that great. You expend all this energy, but only have a few sales to show for it. But here are a few tips that will help you get better results from your efforts.

1) Be proactive.

Prospecting is usually only done when sales are down. You need to make more money, so you go looking for sales. But this can come across to the customer as desperation. They can sense your need for the sale and balk at what they perceive as pressure. If you prospect when sales are up, you seem more relaxed. You can focus more on what you can offer the customer, as opposed to what the customer’s money can do for you.

2) Look for high-percentage opportunities.

Prospecting the wrong people isn’t going to help your business. You can’t sell a square peg to someone with a round hole. Think about what you can actually offer the customer. If you can’t help them, then don’t worry about it! Go find someone you can honestly help. What you want to do is produce results, not just activity. If you’re selling square pegs, spend your time talking to people with square holes. Both you and your prospect will be happier.

3) Think long term

Sales prospecting isn’t about making a sale right now. It’s about building a relationship with another person so that they want to come to you for a solution to their problems. You probably won’t walk into a business for the first time and walk out with a check. But you can introduce yourself, find out what they’re looking for, and describe how you can help them. Build a level of trust by focusing on their needs and after talking to them several more times, they can see that you are honestly trying to assist them, rather than make a sale and run.

4) Follow up

This one is easy. Do what you say you are going to do! If you schedule a time to call back with more information, then make sure you call at that time. This is about respecting your client. If you say you’re going to do something and you don’t do it, the client will assume that you really don’t care about them. If you have to cut short another conversation to meet your commitments, then do it. If you are consistently delivering on your promises, the person you cut off will understand that this is how you do it. They should appreciate your integrity because the next time you promise them something, they know you will deliver.

These 4 sales prospecting tips, when done consistently and with discipline, will help you be more effective in your efforts. You will produce more results, and have a healthier business. Prospecting is not easy, but it is simple. It just takes the proper technique. Isn’t your business worth whatever it takes to be successful?

I failed a test of character today

This morning as I was on my way home from my workout I had to stop for gas. While I was filling up and cleaning the windshield, I was approached by a man saying he was stranded and he asked if I could help him out. I told him I was sorry, but I couldn’t help him. This has been my standard response for a long time to people asking for money. I was thinking that I’ve got problems too, I don’t have a job, I’m collecting unemployment while I try to get my business running, all of the excuses I had to look out for #1.

After I got home, I started thinking. I may have my own problems, but I am not standing around a gas station begging for change. I have the money to fill up my car. I have cash in my pocket that I’m just holding on to. I have a business that, even though I am still building it, has the potential to end my money issues for good. I could easily have spared a few dollars to help someone less fortunate than myself. I am trying to become a person who gives more than he takes, and here was my chance to do that. But I fell into old habits without thinking about it, and made the easy, selfish decision.

So how do I learn from this? I recognize my action, and the disconnect from what I did and what I want to do. In the future, I will take a moment to consider how I can help another person in need, rather than only thinking about myself. I don’t know that man’s situation. I know my situation. I know that a buck or two will not keep me from eating today, or keep me from paying my bills. It might make a difference to him though.

I’m not trying to say that everyone should give money to anyone that walks up to them. I am saying that, this morning, I could have helped another person and chose not to. I disappointed myself, and just wanted to share my growth with you. I will try to be a better person in the future.

Managing Yourself in Time

People like to talk about time management. The problem with this is that no one can manage time. Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. What is needed, then, is to manage HOW you use those 24 hours. Managing yourself in time – or time leadership – will allow you to focus your energy on your goals and limit the distractions that pull you off task.

So what’s the first thing to know about time leadership? Multitasking will not help you. When you try to multitask, you split your focus among everything you’re trying to do. This makes you less effective with each task. It’s like being a jack of all trades, but master of none. Pouring all your concentration into one activity will ensure you do it to the best of your ability.

Next is allowing yourself a break to recharge. The human mind can only sustain effective concentration for 60-90 minutes at a time. It varies from person to person, but that’s about average. I know that I tend to drift off into the atmosphere about halfway through a movie. Movie makers know this too, so you’ll see that most of them – action movies in particular – like to throw in some big, exciting event at that point to keep you interested. How do you battle this? Break your time up into 60 minute blocks. I work for 50 minutes at a time, then take a ten minute break to relax and recharge. Drink some water, grab a snack, go for a walk, do whatever you need to do to renew your energy.

Speaking of water, drink it! The body is made up 90% water. Blood by itself is 50% water. Blood feeds the brain, so if you’re not drinking water, you starve the brain. This damages your concentration so you become less effective. Make water part of your 10 minute break. You don’t have to drink a whole bottle every hour, but continuous intake of smaller amounts of water will accumulate throughout the day to keep you hydrated and refreshed.

The last strategy I will give you is to plan your day. I don’t mean simply saying, “I will do this, this, and that today.” Schedule how long you will work on each activity. Decide that at 10:00, you will start a task, and work on it for an hour or two. Then at 12:00, you will stop working on that and begin your next assignment. If you fail to schedule your day, you will drift from one activity to the next with very little accomplished. Distractions will crop up and split your focus and you will forget what you were doing. This will waste your time while you try to pick up where you left off.

Managing yourself in time requires discipline and practice. While there are other tips that I can give you, these are the basics that you can implement right now to make yourself more effective. Make these a habit, and then we can talk about some more particulars.

Why Do You Do What You Do?

Knowing why you are doing something is the most important aspect of being successful. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing. Going for a jog, playing with the kids, going to work, all these things have a why behind them. Getting really clear on your “Why” will keep you focused on your goals.

If you decide you need to lose some weight and start to exercise, you can usually stick to that for a week or two. But unless you have a clear idea why you are doing it, it’s really easy to start making excuses. Oh, I went to bed late and need some more sleep, it’s raining outside, I don’t feel like it today. Knowing that you started this program because you wanted to have more energy to play with the kids, will supply you with the motivation to get up and go after it every day. Why do you think New Year’s Resolutions fail so often? It’s because people make them due to the tradition, but they don’t create a “Why” to make themselves accountable.

It’s the same thing in business.

People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. I am in the Internet Marketing business because I want the freedom to do whatever I want to do when the mood takes me. For years, I would sit at a desk at my job and think, “I just want to go ride my motorcycle.” Of course, the boss would not take that too well, so I had to sit there and suffer. Now, when I want to go for a ride, I get up and go!

I also want the financial freedom to repay my family for all the support they gave me while I was struggling to make ends meet. Whenever I had a problem, they would help take care of me. I want to be able to say thank you, and show them that I appreciate the sacrifices they made for me. This gives me the motivation to push through whatever challenges I come up against, and I stay on the path I choose; not the path chosen for me.

So, get in touch with your “Why”, and you’ll see the power of having a clear determination. You will have an answer readily available for those times you ask yourself, “Why am I doing this again?”

MLM Prospecting- Where to Find Your Leads

MLM prospecting can be challenging, but there are several free resources that can put leads in your list with a little bit of effort. You probably already know about these three sites, but here are some tips on how to find the people you’re looking for.

Facebook is a great way to find prospects. You just have to use a bit of common sense about who you look for. You don’t want to try bringing in everyone on Facebook; you have to find the people who are receptive to your offer. This means joining groups that are relevant to your offer, and finding the other fans that have an interest too. These are the people who will be most interested in what you have to offer.

Twitter is easy, but it’s hard to connect. You can add a lot of followers, but it’s difficult to start a dialog with them when you are limited to 140 characters. Use the same technique to find followers as you do with Facebook. Find leaders in your industry and follow the people that follow them. Send a direct message to everyone who follows you to open up the relationship, and then try to connect with them on Facebook, where you can have a more thorough conversation.

BetterNetworker.com offers a ready-made community of people who may be looking for a new opportunity. This is a prime resource because most of the people in this community are already marketers. It may seem counter-productive to try to prospect from people already involved in MLM, but they understand the benefits of this business and may be looking for ways to expand their offerings. BetterNetworker does have a pay subscription that allows you to post articles and things, but the forums will allow you to present yourself as an authority and attract prospects that way.

These three sites have excellent possibilities for finding MLM prospects. You don’t have to pay for them, so they should easily fit into your advertising budget. If you properly screen the people you pursue, you can generate plenty of leads with only an investment of time.

Using Twitter as a Marketing Tool

Twitter can be an excellent marketing tool, if you use it correctly. I’m sure you have seen people marketing on Twitter that only tweet their ads. Don’t do this! All that does is tell all your tweeps that you’re only interested in selling to them. Twitter is a social media site, be sociable! So how should you be using it? There are three main points to look out for.

Give content to your followers. Content can be anything from quotes, youtube videos you find, links to interesting articles, or even suggestions of other people to follow. The desired outcome is to have your followers look forward to your tweets. Your content can be anything you find funny or interesting. You will probably want to link to things related to whatever you’re marketing. This is a good idea as it brands you as knowledgeable, but be careful about driving your prospects to another opportunity instead of your own. Of course, you will want to put up a few tweet about your company as well. The best tactic is to post one sales tweet to every 3 content tweets.

The next thing you want to do is set up a full profile. It helps to do this from the beginning, but you can send out a few tweets to get something out there while you work on your profile. You should put up a photo of yourself so people can actually connect with you on a personal level. Trying to connect with people without providing a photo just looks like you don’t care enough to change the default avatar. Filling in the rest of the profile also helps people to feel like they know you. They will be more willing to buy from John Smith who lives in Oregon with his wife and two kids than some guy named John on the internet.

Finally, try to actually connect with your followers. The whole point of social media sites like Twitter is to form relationships with people. Twitter etiquette generally says that you should follow back anyone who follows you. Send direct messages to your followers thanking them for the follow. Ask them about their site and what they’re doing. Keep it general and conversational so you don’t come off like a stalker, but showing interest in your followers will tell them that you are a real person, and not just someone trying to sell them something.

Twitter can be a great marketing tool if you do these three things. Providing good content, showing people who you are, and being interested in them will help you create a powerful connection with your tweeps. Become their friend and they will grow to trust you and become receptive to your offer. Not everyone will buy, but you have a better chance than simply blasting out sales pitches as a generic marketer.

Best Home Based Business Opportunities- What to look for

The best home based business opportunities have 5 common points. They consist of the marketing system, the compensation plan, products, training, and community. While they may all offer the same 5 things, they may not all be of the same quality.

The marketing system is how you and your customers will connect. The best home based business opportunities automate the mundane tasks for you. This allows you to spend more time building your business. Website templates with landing pages, auto-responders for your leads, and sales support will keep you focused on what you are doing to increase your online presence.

Once you have an easy-to-use system, you need to get paid! You want a compensation plan that will actually make it worth your time to sell the products. Making $40 to $50 per sale is never going to give you the financial freedom you’re looking for. The best business opportunities will also allow you to build up a residual income stream that maximizes your return on investment.

Now that you know what you will get paid, the products you offer will need to be something that people are actually looking for. It doesn’t matter how much commission you get per sale if no-one is buying. I could start a home based business selling clock springs, but that is not going to bring the world to my door. Look for something that you are familiar with. The best thing you can offer people is yourself. If you can offer people your knowledge, and position yourself as someone who knows a thing or two, then will have customers seeking you out.

If you are new to this business, or starting with a new company, you’ll need training in how the business operates. The best home based business opportunities will provide an extensive archive of recorded webinars, live support personnel who can answer any of your questions, and ongoing training calls to keep you up to date on new techniques. The online marketplace changes quickly, and you must have the training support to keep up with it. Training should be done by people who have proven success with their techniques. It doesn’t help you to learn from someone who thinks a particular tip will work; you need someone who KNOWS it works.

The community of people who are involved in your new home based business may be the biggest asset you can have. The community will consist of your mentor, a forum of other business owners, and the support staff. They will offer you moral support, tips and tricks, and will help you overcome the challenges you will face. All of the people in the community will have gone through the same struggles you will face, and they can be your inspiration, role-model, and cheerleader.

The marketing system, compensation plan, products, training, and community are all important aspects of the best home based business opportunities. You will probably come across some businesses that only offer two or three of these points. Some that do offer all 5 may be inferior to other business models. I found a business model that is top-notch in all 5 points, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great home based business opportunity. You can learn more about it here, or click my website link on the right side of the page.

Internet Marketing Mindset- How Your Attitude Could be Holding You Back

Internet marketing can be a profitable and rewarding venture, if you have the correct mindset to succeed. All successful internet marketers have one thing in common: they believe that they can overcome any challenge that comes their way. This belief may not have come naturally, but it can be nurtured from any past success in life.

If you have ever improved a grade in school, made a play in sports, got a promotion at work, or any number of small victories, you can use that to build a foundation of belief in yourself. Internet marketing mindset is the knowledge that if you can overcome one challenge in your life, you can overcome any of them. Check your doubts at the door and put some faith in your abilities.

The thing about internet marketing is this: it’s not really that difficult. It does require a certain skill set and a lot of effort, but anyone with the desire to learn and a positive mindset can do it. The web is full of testimonials from people of all sorts of backgrounds who have made a fortune online because they did not give up. The only way you can truly fail is if you give up on yourself.

The way to gain the correct internet marketing mindset is to change your priorities. Most people’s priority is to have what they think they need first. Then they can do what they want and be the kind of person they want to be. A successful internet marketer thinks the other way around. They strive to be the person they want to be first. By being the positive person they wish to be, they can then do the things that successful people do and have what successful people have. This isn’t the quick and easy way to change your life, but it is the most effective.

By turning a negative attitude into a positive mindset, you allow yourself to learn from mistakes you may make along the way, and you grow as a person. This not only makes you more successful in your internet marketing business, it makes you happier as a person.