Well it's that time of the year again, hard to believe I know! It's been such a whirlwind for me (in a good way) and I just wanted to send a big warm THANK YOU to all the wonderful peeps I've met, both virtual and IRL.
At the beginning of 2009 my only hope was to build a really solid foundation on which to base my business on, focussing on research, training to develop more skills and networking (online). It wasn't my intention to make a big boom this year but along the way I had the pleasure of working with many wonderful clients from diverse industries all over the globe, which confirmed to me that I did the right thing by becoming a Virtual Assistant and not returning to the corporate rat race. Now I'm looking forward to continuing with my clients and also working on a few side projects and collaborations for 2010, and I can't wait to see the results!
There are so many wonderful people I'd love to thank especially, but that would take a few posts, so I'll just say thanks in particular to my wonderful VA network "A Clayton's Secretary" and all the lovely ladies who I now also see on Twitter and Facebook everyday! A lot of them have known me since my days living in Croatia, so I thank them for their ongoing friendships and support, and for introducing this new virtual world full of opportunities to me. There really is nothing more rewarding than doing something you love without sacrificing your own well being and that of your family!
Also, I have to send out a special thanks to my "twittercrew" who are an invaluable community to me on a daily basis. I love interacting with you all, learning, sharing and laughing and am very grateful for the friendships that have developed in the past 12 months. In 2010 I plan to make some of these 3 dimensional and meet you face to face finally (consider yourselves duly warned! he he)
I really don't have one standout highlight for 2009 as it's full of many accomplishments and happy moments both personal and professional. As I love hearing about other's experiences, I thought I'd ask via Twitter "What's your highlight of 2009?"
@akomuzikera I've watched my first broadway musical show ever ON broadway #nyc
@detaildevils Has to be finding all the social media tools that I didn't know existed and making a strategic plan to use them
@peterfletcher And my answer is, graduating with first class honours. Can't begin to tell you how proud I felt
@DivineMissWhite My '09 highlight was being in #NYC for their first White Christmas in 5 Years. Yep... exceeds money, aspirations-everything
@urbanassistant highlight of 2009 for me - discovering Twitter, hoorah, why did it take me so long?? (better late than not at all!!)
@Jessdsweetheart my highlight would be meeting my gorgeous boyfriend
@iconic88 Making new friends on Twitter
@decodiva I know this sounds greedy but my 2009 highlight was selling 4.00usd worth of 80's Italian sunglasses(100pr) for $500.00USD
@kirsty_wilson My highlight was gaining my Diploma of Business Admin'. Yes, it's been a quiet year. Social media has been a highlight too
@RebeccaLange LOL my highlight will be welcoming in 2010.... :0...did I say that?...Seriously tho, met some wonderful ppl through here :)
And finally, see below my special little Christmas message to you!
All the best to you and yours for 2010!
Alex ;)
Merry Twitmas and a Google New Year! ;)
Tap Into Your Business's Potential With Social Media
Finally your products and services are all sorted, website and branding is looking great and you're ready to plug your business and take on the world! 
Think about it. How can you stand out from the crowd setting yourself apart from your competitors? What really makes you so different from all the rest? The answer is simple: it's YOU, because there'll never be anything on the market as interesting or younique!
Nowadays, you can no longer rely on the old "build it and they will come" logic as realistically your site is up against a gazillion others and the likelihood that potential clients and customers will easily find you, even if they use the correct keyword searches, is up to "chance". The winds of change have arrived, and continuing with the way things were always done is the equivalent of keeping your head in the sand and hoping you won't get sunburnt. So what can you do to increase your chances?
Enter the new business's posterchild for networking, marketing, monitoring, sharing & customer service - social media. It's been around for a few years, but only recently experienced a massive growth for business use from big corporates to solopreneurs. Why? Because it's proven to be an extremely effective way of getting yourself noticed by relevant people, just by being......you.
Sure, you could continue spending time and money on "hit or miss" traditional advertising methods in the hope that the masses love what they see and flock to you, but the days of doing business with someone you just don't know anything personal about are fast disappearing.
Every day people seek real referrals through family, friends and contacts on everything from finding a reliable mechanic, what to buy in which shop, to where is the best neighbourhood to live in and which school is the best for the kids. That is because someone we know and even trust has already experienced this decision making, and their recommendation is honest and from a reliable source. True, these are all personal decisions, but doing business isn't any different. Truth is, you're more likely to do business with someone you know and like, or are recommended to by someone you know and trust.
The many platforms used in social media can provide this important information if used correctly, however there are techniques and strategies that need to be in place to ensure time spent is productive. If so, it can open up a myriad of opportunities, showcasing you as a real person with vast knowledge, experience, strong values and character - something that can't be displayed adequately in even the most well thought out "branding".
Most importantly, it's now the person behind the product or service that has to step out in front, and this is necessary if you're going to not only survive but thrive in today's business world. So no matter how flashy your website or magazine ad is, it comes down to the fact that ultimately people do business with people.
In order to highlight just how important social media has become, I thought I'd share this awesome app called "Gary's Social Media Count" based on data culled from a range of social media sources (Sept. 2009). It actually highlights how many social media activities have taken place since you've landed on this page - which is mind blowing!
For more information on my social media management and training services, and to take advantage of my limited time only FREE social media evaluation, please click here.
I look forward to seeing you soon in the socialmediasphere!
Alex ;)
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT & TRAINING
Is your site getting the attention it deserves from your target market? Do you feel like you're missing out on business opportunities?
Reasons why social media is an essential business online marketing tool
- It enables you to connect, network & establish a worthwhile community locally or globally
- It’s a direct & easy way to generate leads reaching out online to potential customers & clients
- It’s a great communications tool for providing customer service
- It can provide valuable market research about your industry
- It allows you to easily stay up-to-date with the latest business developments
- It assists in monitoring your competitors
- It can greatly increase interest & traffic to your site (SEO)
- It assists in monitoring & refining your brand; &
- It is a great HR resource, also providing realtime recommendations & reviews of products & services
1. The "Social Media Kickstarter Profile" package
- Creation, branding & customisation of the "Top Four" platforms for your business ie 1 Facebook Fan Page, a Twitter account, your LinkedIn profile & a YouTube channel with basic instruction
- Creation, branding & customisation of either profiles
- Ongoing management & training 3 hours per week for a period of 1 month
- Creation, branding & customisation of all 4 profiles
- A comprehensive industry specific social media strategy
- A practical weekly schedule ensuring your online time is most effective
- Management & training 3.5 hours per week, inclusive of a weekly review/brainstorming consult up to 1 hour via skype, for a period of 2 months
- Social network profile set-up in keeping with your branding, management & monitoring of various platforms
- Effective strategies for building & optimising your social network profiles
- Evaluating & tracking your progress & results using ROI (Return on Investment) tools
- Utilising key web-based research tools to pinpoint key social networks & online communities that fit with your target audience
- Blog setup & instruction including how to leverage & promote your site
- Brainstorming ideas using social media for special promotions etc
Below are some profiles & tasks which can be included:Blogging
- Purchase of domain name
- Wordpress, Blogger or Posterous setup - 3 main blogging platforms today
- Assistance with the selection of theme/template & branding customisation
- Research the best provider of self-hosting
- Installation of plugins/widgets/gadgets/buttons etc
- Brainstorming blogging topics & effective strategies including SEO
- Submission to all the main blog directories
- Monitoring traffic & statistics analysis using tools
- Twitter marketing & strategies for building a powerful profile & targeted community
- What to tweet (including relevant content suggestions) & what not to tweet
- How to use Twitter as a traffic generator to your main site
- Utilising key tools to automate across all social media platforms & simplify your tweeting schedule
- Inclusion in all main Twitter directories
- Tracking brand reputation and industry keyword conversations
Facebook Business Fan Page
- Creating, customising & administering your Facebook business pages to build brand & exposure
- Building strategic friend networks- Suggestions on content/links to share
- Coordinating Facebook events
- Setting up & optimising Facebook social ads
- Services in tracking & evaluating Facebook ROI
- Setup & maximising your profile with your skills & experience
- Suggestions on appropriate industry Groups to join and discussion topics- Ensuring your profile establishes you as someone with high credibility in your industry
- Sending out requests to connect with your existing database & researching new relevant connections
Online Video Marketing
- Conducting effective video market research to help identify & create the right
type of videos- Creating video marketing strategy to build traffic & improve search listings
- Implementing successful YouTube techniques for maximizing exposure
- Utilizing video sharing tools & websites to mass distribute client’s videos
- Accessing video traffic & analytic tools to evaluate results & determine your next steps
Take advantage of my FREE social media evaluation (see questionnaire below) and to discuss your needs and pricing, please contact me.
