According to Wikipedia…

“Social Media is the blending of technology and social interaction for the co-creation of value”.

In plain English it is a tool to connect and network with your clients or potential clients to give some sort of information or value with the intent of creating a business relationship. There are several types of Social Media that you can use as a business owner or someone working in a business to connect with others for the purpose of attracting clients.

Common Social Media Types

The most commonly used Social Media types would be blogging and Social Networking sites like Linked in, Facebook, twitter and youtube. The question then becomes, what Social Media type is best for my situation. As we know, all networking or social media is not created equal. As in any marketing plan, it is important that you use the right medium to send your message and social marketing is no different.

Attracting your Ideal Client with Social Networking

Identifying who your ideal client is will help to narrow down the choices of social media that will be most effective. For example, if you are targeting the 35-45 year old female, then facebook is your spot.  If you have a niche product or service, a blog will attract potential clients quicker. If it is connections for business you are seeking out then Linked in will fill the bill.

Finding your Authentic message in Social Networking

An important consideration is how you want to present yourself in all of these platforms. Will you be presenting yourself or the company? Create a 140 character or less bio and an avatar (picture) to upload to all of the profiles you will have to create. Make sure the person or company message you are presenting is an authentic representation of what you want people to see.

Tools to help you Manage and Organize your Social Web

There are many tools available to use that make Social Marketing quick and efficient. For instance by using a tweetdeck you can manage multiple twitter accounts in addition to keeping a finger on the pulse of any specific topic or person. In a few minutes each day you can scan and choose which conversations you want to be involved in. Linked in, youtube and facebook actually send weekly update on your account to a specified e-mail address so you can quickly scan what is happening with your connections, the information comes to you instead of you trying to find it.

Time blocking and Batching tasks are great techniques to keep the time you commit daily to your social networking at a minimum. By picking specific times during the day and sticking to them you are in control of the amount and frequency rather than it pulling you in and distracting you from the other important things that you need to accomplish daily.

Why do I need Social Media?

Some people are questioning the whole Social media thing and asking why they need it. Here is my question….If you are not monitoring and managing the messages who is?

Like most people you are already feeling time deprived and the thought of adding another thing to your already busy schedule may seem more than you can handle. However, creating a social media strategy to fit into your already busy schedule is possible and with a these time saving Social Media tips and shortcuts you can be friended, followed and connected in no time at all.

Andrea Cyr was the lucky winner of a 2 hour blitz that I provided as a door prize at a networking event in April. This was not a fluke…Andrea had facebooked me several months before and inquired about my services. She was making many substantial changes in her life and felt it was the right time to Take Charge and get about the business of getting her home in order….you see Andrea has some very bold, exciting goals that  require focus…and that requires organization. Through her desire to win and her belief in the Law of Attraction she made it happen. Here is the result of the 2 hour session in her awesome words. You can meet Andrea here

Organizing was never my forte.  Heck, it wasn’t even in my vocabulary.  Then I met a little spitfire named Elaine Shannon and that all changed.  I had no idea life could be like this!  Let me share my story.

I don’t know how I ended up so unorganized.

I think my mother landed on this planet directly from another galaxy called “A Place for Everything, and Everything in its Place”.  She has had the SAME shoe box with first-aid type supplies in the bathroom closet for 47 years!  I don’t remember EVER having to ask “Mom, where’s the ozonol (or band aids, or Absorbine Jr., or peroxide…etc…), it was in the shoe box!

You would think I would have caught on.  Then again, this is a woman who ironed our socks and put them on OVER our shoes when we were babies, so maybe I just thought she was a little bit crazy!

Anyway…until recently, if I even owned a tube of Ozonol, I would have to look in at least 5 places to find it!  The cut, or burn, or blister or whatever would be healed by the time I found the Ozonol!  I didn’t have a place for ANYTHING, and NOTHING was in place.  If I mistakenly took out my contact lenses before searching the house for my glasses, I was doomed!

About a month ago, Elaine Shannon, organizing superwoman came into my house!

It was fascinating.  She was wearing a t-shirt and sneakers ( I guess she figured she had her work cut out for her!) and carrying a filing box from which she removed a bottle of water, a label maker and a little pad of yellow sticky notes.  And we began.  We went through my “cozy” little condo like a wild fire.

Please understand that I don’t even see the things that Elaine picked out.  She just had to walk into a room and look around for a second before she started furiously writing on her little sticky note pad.  She would tell me what needed to be done, what containers to buy, what hanging organizing thingies I needed then SMACK!!! Stick the little yellow note on the wall!  (not 30 percent into the job, she ripped the note pad in half suddenly realizing she didn’t have enough notes for the organizing nightmare that was my little house!)

By the time she left an hour later, there were sticky notes on every wall, every door, in every drawer and in every cupboard.  It was at once hilarious, fascinating and a little intimidating!

A month later I can’t believe the difference.

Not only in my house, but in my life!  Elaine’s work has made my life easier, and I am so much happier.  I don’t have the frustration of looking for things any more.  Everything is in its place!  If I want to paint my nails, I just go to the “nail supplies” container and pick my products!  When I want to find out how much my power bill was last month, I go to the “power bill” file!  I had no idea it could be so easy.

Meeting Elaine has enhanced my life in many, many ways.

But having all my cereal in the same cupboard is truly one of the highlights!  Thanks Elaine.  You’re an amazing woman and a true organizing guru!

Visuals!

Have you ever caught yourself reaching for a hanky during a commercial break… and then wanting to reach out and touch someone…well if you have then you have been Inspired with the power of the visual.

Now my tiny advertising budget, ok non existent budget, does not allow me to hire a production crew to create a touching, visually appealing ad that will make people salivate for my product or service.

So what does the average Joe do to create something visually compelling…. you go to the internet of course and you research…you find a free program…and then you build your own 30 second ad…a Mind Movie.

Just to show you how easy it can be done I produced my own 30 second commercial this week using  Animoto’s free tool.

Kim Eagles and I are preparing for a very exciting mention of our company Organizing Connection in the Financial Post Magazine in May and I wanted a commercial for the visitors to our site. I want them to get caught up in the emotion of the offering and yes…I want them to take action.

Here is what I created…enjoy…now go and make one of your own.

At a recent Home Organizing Seminar I was facilitating I had an aha moment. I love it when this happens.

I am sure that I already knew this but it was one of those moments.

I live with 4 other people with very different organizing styles and it can cause occassional regular arguments and stress within the family. I am a “put it right away” kind of gal…my 9 year old is a very cute version of Pig-Pen and I say this in the most loving terms. There are 3 other people who all fit somewhere in between….this can create major family Relationship issues if left unattended.

His room has been a huge stressor for me as it looks like something that Pig-Pen would live in. In my attempts to “not” be a militant mommy I have been letting things go and the strain of this is on the verge of affecting our beautiful relationship.

It my own personal growth I have learned one major relationship rule…that I am going to use for this situation.

It is better to be HAPPY…than to be RIGHT!

So I am making some Organizational changes to the bedroom that will allow my dear boy to live in a room that fits his Organizing Style and also keep his Momma happy.

I am removing the dresser and replacing it with a shelf. His clothing never makes it to the dresser anyhow…and if it does the drawers are always open and look so…messy.

A shelf is easy…he can put his clothing on the shelf in any way that he wants and because he is visually oriented he will be able to see all his clothing and this will make him happy.

Now I am off to do the Right thing to make us both Happy.