The Ultimate Social Media Etiquette Handbook

Posted by Tamar Weinberg on Techipedia

Social media mimics real relationships — in many cases. Would you do the following within real face-to-face relationships?

Jump on the friendship bandwagon without properly introducing yourself?

Consistently talk about yourself and promote only yourself without regard for those around you?

Randomly approach a friend you barely talk to and simply ask for favors — repeatedly?

Introduce yourself to another person as “Pink House Gardening?”

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may need a refresher course on social media etiquette — and perhaps real-life etiquette also. Here are some egregious sins that you must not perform on social media sites. Avoid these violations and learn how to manage and maintain online relationships on a variety of popular social media sites.

Facebook
Adding users as friends without proper introductions. If you’re looking to make friends, tell people who you are. Don’t assume they know you — especially if they, well, don’t.

Abuse application invites and consistently invite friends to participate in vampire games. Many call this spam.

Abusing group invites. If your friends are interested, they’ll likely join without your “encouragement.”

And if they don’t accept, don’t send the group request more than once by asking them to join via email, wall post, or Facebook message.

Turning your Facebook profile photo into a pitch so that you can gather leads through your Facebook connections. Thanks, but no thanks. Facebook is about real friendships and not about business — at least not to me.

Using a fake name as your Facebook name. I can’t tell you how many people have added me and their last name is “Com” or “Seo.” I’m not adding you unless you can be honest about who you are.

Once upon a time, Facebook deleted all of the accounts that portrayed people as business entities or things. I wish Facebook would employ the same tactics yet again, because I’m not adding a fake identity as a friend.

Publicizing a private conversation on a wall post. In case it isn’t obvious, Facebook wall posts are completely public to all your friends (unless you tweak your privacy settings). Private matters should be handled privately: via email or even in Facebook private messages.

Tagging individuals in unflattering pictures that may end up costing your friends their jobs. Avoid the unnecessary commentary also, especially on your childhood pictures that portray your tagged friends as chubby and not so popular. Further, if your friends request to be untagged, don’t make a stink of it.

The image above was taken last night and represents the number of pending requests I have on Facebook. If you’re one of the pending friends, you may have violated one of the above rules. Otherwise, see this post.

That said, there’s one other rule that some individuals follow. I know this isn’t the case for all individuals, so your mileage may vary:

Forgetting that some individuals won’t network with you on a “personal” space like Facebook without knowing who you are, even with the proper introduction. If you’re looking to establish a professional relationship with someone, consider LinkedIn. Otherwise, consider building up a rapport with an individual before randomly adding them as your friend. Some people require face-to-face meetings before they invite you into their private lives.

After all, Facebook was a tool that college students were using before it was open to the public, and some still use it as a purely personal and not a professional tool. LinkedIn is still seen as the more professional of the two.

Considering the above example, I pose a question on Facebook etiquette: Is it appropriate to let these requests sit in pending mode or to reject the friends outright? In many instances, these requests are probably better off sitting indefinitely (and it’s healthier than the rejection). Plus, in the future, you may want to end up responding to that friend request positively.

Twitter
Following a user and then unfollowing them before they have a chance to follow back. Or unfollowing them as soon as they follow you.

Mass-following everyone so that you can artificially inflate your numbers. Then, you use that number as a success metric for influence. And maybe then you submit a press release about it.

Consistently using your Twitter stream for nothing but self-promotion and ego. Profy highlights this phenomenon quite well.

Requesting that your friends Retweet your Tweets on a consistent basis. This is much more bothersome when the request comes via IM or email and not on Twitter itself.

The bottom line: If your content is good enough to stand on its own, it will be Retweeted. There is no reason to make a personal request. (And if it doesn’t stand on its own, it usually doesn’t need to be retweeted.)

Not humanizing your profile. Twitter is also about real relationships. Add an avatar and a bio at the minimum. Let people know who you are. To take it a step further, make it easy for people to contact you outside Twitter if necessary. This is especially important if someone on Twitter needs to reach you but can’t direct message you since you’re not following them! If they’re making the effort, it’s probably because they really want to talk to you. (Was it something you said? Usually.)

Streaming only your blog’s RSS feed on Twitter. (If you’re following anyone like this, feel free to take my advice and unfollow them right now. They won’t engage with you, so why engage with their narcissistic self-promotion?)

Using Twitter to repeat personal and confidential correspondence. If you’re not happy with the way an email communication progressed about a private matter, take it up with the person who you were emailing to square things away. Certainly, don’t broadcast your dissatisfaction with the turnout to your entire Twitter audience. It looks unprofessional for you and makes you appear untrustworthy.

Leverage your Twitter connections to send spam via direct messages to those who follow you. Two days later, you may wonder why they don’t follow you anymore.

Abusing Twitter hashtags during a crisis. It’s a shame that Mumbai happened, but this was not the opportunity to capitalize on your CRM software.

Using your Twitter feed as a chat room for conversations that are exclusive in nature and not as a broadcast medium. It’s nice that Twitter empowers you to use the @ symbol to talk directly to individuals, and that’s fine in moderation. As a friend recently said to me, “I’m tired of my Twitter feed being a [private] conversation between person X, person Y, and person Z.” Why don’t the three of you get a room?

[Update: Since this particular tidbit had some follow-up discussion, I summarize this point from @cheapsuits: "The tweeps that talk everyday to each other about banalities gets old." The emphasis here is on "chat rooms" that exclude other individuals in conversations that do not provide value. At all. Ever. I think we all would agree about that point! I also added some new points in italics to clarify.]

LinkedIn
Gathering all the email addresses of users you are connected to — even locating email addresses of LinkedIn Group managers — and utilizing this mailing list to promote your own company or service off-site.

In a specific case, I manage a few LinkedIn groups so my email address is far more visible on the site than I’d like. I’m not connected to the LinkedIn individual who spammed me, but he still took the liberty to use my email address for his personal gain in a completely unsolicited fashion. Perhaps this individual lost sight that LinkedIn is a professional network and not a spam faciliator. Even so, recipients should still be required to opt in.

Asking for endorsements from individuals you don’t know or that didn’t do a good job in your employ.

Writing a recommendation for someone and then firing them just a few days later.

Social News (Digg, Sphinn, Mixx, Reddit, Tip’d, and a whole load of related sites)
Submitting only your own articles and posts to social media sites.

Consistently “taking” (asking for votes) but never giving back. Social news is about reciprocal relationships. Even if the people you are asking votes of will never actually ask you for votes, a random IM that pops up that says “Digg this for me” is far more obtrusive than saying “hey, how’s it going?” and having a real conversation first.

Shouting the same story repeatedly to your friends. Can we say spam? (And if you are still being shouted at repeatedly, why haven’t you unfriended the offenders?)

Submitting a story to a social news site that is completely off-topic. It’s important to understand the communities you contribute to and to understand the rules of the sites that you target. Your story about celebrity cell phones simply does not belong on financial social news site Tipd, no matter how you try to spin it. And when I, as a moderator, tell you that that the submission is not appropriate for the audience especially as it has no relevancy to the subject matter of the site, don’t argue with the decision.

Using the comments field to drop links, especially to related submissions that were made after the fact.

On social sites where buries are public (though professional in nature), assume that it’s personal. In a recent instance, a “bury” on a popular social site upset the submitter so much that he resorted to an unprofessional attack on the person who buried the story by blogging about her. Sadly enough, the bury reason (which was public for all to see) was not at all about the writer of the post but was about the content itself.

In social media and in relationships in general, you should be disagreeing with the statement. That means that you shouldn’t be assuming they’re talking about you as the person who made the statement and that the statement is a reflection of a character flaw. They didn’t like what you said and disagreed. Grow from it. Don’t turn it into something personal when it clearly isn’t.

FriendFeed
Using the service completely for self-promotion. If you’re going to claim your social media profile on that totally awesome service, either don’t share your feeds at all or interact on a semi-consistent basis. Please? FriendFeed is a service but it’s also a community.

Cross-post on all social sites using a site like ping.fm. I don’t need to see the same message from you on Twitter, FriendFeed, your Google Talk status, your Facebook feed, and on your dog’s scrolling LED collar. Keep the spam broadcasts to a minimum. It’s obvious on FriendFeed when this facility is abused.

YouTube
Asking someone repeatedly to watch your crummy video, subscribe to your channel, and give you a 5-star rating.

Force people to subscribe to your YouTube channel by applying an iFrame exploit.

StumbleUpon
Sending more than one story to your network daily. The key to success is moderation. Excess converts to spam.

Submitting and reviewing only your own articles. Do you self-promote this often in real life?

Submitting a story from another social news site to StumbleUpon for more visibility and eyeballs. Once upon a time, I stumbled upon a Digg submission of a Sphinn submission of a blog post. Seriously? Why don’t you just submit the blog post directly instead of using the other sites as conduits? (This infraction goes for all social sites that accept submissions, and not just StumbleUpon.)

Blogging and Commenting
Commenting on other articles and using the name “Yellow Brick Plumbing.” Isn’t your name actually Alan? There’s no SEO value to these comments (they’re nofollowed by default), and all this approach does is makes you lose credibility in the eyes of the blogger. This isn’t the way to network!

Using content from another blog without attribution. Sometimes a specific blog will get an exclusive. Then, another blog will write on the story using the original blog post as its “source” without attribution. Even popular blogs will rip off stories from lesser known blogs in their space. Don’t let greed get in the way of your own blogging habits and make sure to link out where appropriate.

Sending a pitch to a blogger requesting a link exchange even though your site has no relevancy at all to their content. I write about social media, people, not about beer bongs. And well, they say that social media is the new link exchange, so instead of asking for an old-fashioned link (which might have worked in 2002), consider using a more viable strategy for this modern time period.

Turning a blog into a flame war against someone you don’t like. Scott Hendison recounts how forum spam not only turned into a bitter heated battle that may end up going to the courts but how the individual responsible for the abuse is not slowing down. If you’re wrong, acknowledge the wrongdoing and don’t use other blogs to tarnish someone else’s image.

Other Social Sites
Join a new social network and then invite everyone you’ve ever emailed in your lifetime to the service by submitting your entire Gmail address book when the service requests it. Reading the fine print is a wonderful — and you should never volunteer your email account’s password to the social site anyway. (It’s also helpful to keep in mind that your email account password should not be the same as your social profiles, and that’s not a question of etiquette — it’s common sense!)

Finally, a word on social media etiquette in general:
You’re leaving your digital signature on the Internet right now. Think about the consequences of your engagement on any social site. Racial slurs, criticisms without warrant, and blatant abuse doesn’t work in real life, and they really have no place in the social media channels simply because you are far more anonymous on these sites.

If you were living in New York and you walked up to a stranger with the same foul-mouthed comments that are rampant on many social media sites, you may never make it home. Consider how your comments would be perceived before you actually post them, and think about logic above emotion at all times.

Above all, think about maintaining a certain level of professionalism, since people can use whatever you make “permanent” on these sites against you. Not all blogs will remove a comment after you’ve requested that they do so simply because you were angry when you wrote the comment. Before you hit “post,” realize that this will be a permanent reflection of your identity and that it may never be erased. It may even be used against you.

Conclusion
Remember that social media communities are real relationships, real conversations, and as such, they should be treated like they are real. It’s not about a me, myself, and I mentality. It’s about the collective, the community, and the common good.
Do you find that there are other social media violations that are committed on any of the above social sites — or perhaps on sites that I haven’t yet shared? If so, please share these infractions in the comments.

5 International Social Networks To Keep An Eye On

Facebook and MySpace may reign supreme in North America, but we can't forget that they don't control every country in the world. Simply put, people from around the globe have different tastes and the major U.S. networks barely capture relevant market share in some countries.

It's a big world out there and believe it or not, Facebook and MySpace don't own it.

China: Xiaonei
Xiaonei is basically a Chinese Facebook clone. The site's design is extremely similar to Facebook's layout and profile options are quite similar, as well. But with a reported $430 million in funding raised earlier this year, it's poised to keep its lead across the world's most populated country, regardless of its similarity to the social network giant.

Xiaonei targets college-age Chinese students. According to figures it released earlier this year, the social network currently has 15 million registered users and almost 9 million active users visiting the site each day. Much like Facebook, the service allows users to share photos and videos and connect with friends at school.

Xiaonei also provides a platform for users to share music and movies--a practice that shouldn't come as a shock considering China is one of the leading sources of piracy in the world. Much like Japan's top social network, Mixi, no third-party apps are allowed on the service, though.

France: Skyrock
France's leading social network, Skyrock, may surprise you a bit: it never was supposed to be a social network. Skyrock started as a blog in 2002, which was eventually abandoned in 2007 and turned into a social network. It was the right move.

Skyrock dubs itself the "Free People Network" and generally succeeds in making that moniker hold up. User profiles are freely available with site registration and users can create blog entries that are published on the site's main page. The top 100 bloggers are featured under the site's "Blogs" heading, which also includes a blogger "Hall of Fame" and a running tally of articles--656,000 as of this writing. According to the site's figures at the top of its page, there are currently 20 million blogs and 11.3 million profiles on Skyrock.

If you want to create a profile--anyone from any country is allowed to do so--the site does require a quick registration. But if you're looking for privacy, you won't find it here--Skyrock is all about being open and hides nothing from site visitors.

Germany: StudiVZ
StudiVZ is, well, an almost exact replica of Facebook, but without the company's signature blue design. Instead, the German firm employs a red palette in an attempt to differentiate itself. Regardless, its profile pages look almost exactly the same as Facebook's and its many features mimic the social network giant. Because of that, Facebook initiated an intellectual property infringement case against StudiVZ back in July. So far, nothing has come out of that lawsuit other than posturing on both sides and much to Facebook's chagrin, StudiVZ's 9 million users haven't stopped using the site.

Once users register for StudiVZ, it allows them to create a profile and interact with others. They can upload photos and videos, share interests, make updates, and post messages on friends' walls. In fact, most Facebook users would feel right at home using StudiVZ. See what I'm getting at?

Japan: Mixi
Say what you will about the prominence of MySpace and Facebook in the U.S., but in Japan, they barely compete. A major social network called Mixi reigns supreme and there's nothing Facebook nor MySpace have been able to do about it.

Mixi controls almost every aspect of the member's profile design and structure and it doesn't even let third-party developers deploy apps on the site. Membership is restricted to users over 18 years of age and requires an invitation from a current user to sign-up. According to the company, just 5 percent of the site's 15 million users provide their real names and photos and every visitor to a person's profile page is recorded so they can see who has been looking them up.

It's difficult to call Mixi a social network considering such a few number of its members really want to be that "social", but it's considered one nonetheless. The company is sitting atop Japan's group of networks, which includes both MySpace and Facebook, and so far, neither can gain significant ground.

South Korea: Cyworld
South Korea's Cyworld has been the de facto leader in that country for years. And although the odds are against it, it recently launched a U.S. site in an attempt to expand globally and take Facebook and MySpace on directly.

Cyworld's success has been astounding. The site currently has more than one-third of South Korea's entire population using its service and 90 percent of all South Koreans in their 20s use the site.

Once users sign up for the service, they can create their own profile and an avatar, which becomes their digital face to the world. That avatar can then be personalized to modify hair color and general look. Once that's complete, Cyworld allows users to upload photos, exchange virtual gifts, or create a club where others who share the same interests can join and interact. According to the company, its intention is to create a "virtual world." So far, that vision has proven relatively successful.

Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems.

Talk soon,
Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor
Get Paid To Generate Responsive Leads--Free Videos
Free Website Traffic Tips
Social Media Networking Tips

Want this badge?

Seth Godin Talks About Sliced Bread And Other Marketing Delights

Attraction Marketing Guru Seth Godin talks about getting the word out with your marketing message. Very informative video and Seth has a way of explaining things that make it easy to understand, retain and act upon.

Enjoy and Please Leave Your Comments

Talk soon,
Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor
Get Paid To Generate Responsive Leads--Free Videos
Free Website Traffic Tips
Social Media Networking Tips

What is a FUNDED PROPOSAL?

When I first got started in Network Marketing I had dreams of easily growing a huge team quickly, and covering my monthly autoship expenses without a problem. Most MLM companies require some kind of minimum monthly purchase of a consumable product to keep you qualified to earn commissions - or to keep your business “active”. There is nothing wrong with this - other than most of the time MLM business opportunities do not spit off a large monthly income, but you are rather building your business for the long term payoff after 2 to 5 years of hard work.

What happens to 95% of people that will join your team is that they will not generate income fast enough and then get discouraged. But Who can blame them?

Every month they see money leaving their pockets to cover the monthly autoship expenses, and very little to no income coming in. Obviously this does not sound like a good way to run a business? And this is what most of your new recruits will be saying as well. This is one of the biggest things that leads to the huge revolving door this business has created.

So what can you do to turn this around? Find a way to put instant cashflow in your pocket, and the pockets of your new recruits as quickly as possible! This is where the FUNDED PROPOSAL comes into play for your business.

A FUNDED PROPOSAL is basically a way for you to generate income from your prospects, even if they never join your primary business. In other words you generate a lead, more than likely using the internet, and then offer them an educational product that they can purchase - without joining your primary business. This is what puts cash into your pocket that will cover your monthly expenses, pay for additional advertising or maybe even cover your car payment!

There are several systems available online that you can simply plug into and start using as a FUNDED PROPOSAL.

I recommend Magnetic Sponsoring, as it is what I use to generate 10-15 new leads per day, and $500.00 to $1500 per month regardless of anyone joining my business. It is a must for anyone trying to build there business online, and was the change I needed in my business for success.

Learn the little-known Internet prospecting secret that has been quietly making thousands of network marketers rich, without rejection, frustration, or spending any money on advertising.

In fact, with this secret...
People Actually Pay You To Hear About Your MLM Opportunity And Products!

Enjoy your new Magnetic Sponsoring System and I look forward to hearing your success story after putting it to use.



Talk soon,
Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor
Get Paid To Generate Responsive Leads--Free Videos
Free Website Traffic Tips
Social Media Networking Tips

Interview With Daniel Scocco Of Daily Blog Tips

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Social Media Power Users And Influencers

Posted by Adam Singer in Popular, Social Media, Web Influencers

A major aim of The Future Buzz (as seen in the tag line at the top of this blog) is helping you create buzz on the web. If you’re reading this, certainly one of your goals is to become a power user of social media or high profile blogger, and/or learn how to bend the network to your advantage.

As such, it is prudent to learn what others have done/are doing successfully at the edge. Studying how social media power users (or influencers, same thing) create and share information, ideas and trends with the world and their interactions with their carefully built networks is vital to becoming one yourself.

Influencers matter — especially on the web

Influencers are the glue that make much of social media stick together and cause content to cross-pollinate at high rates.

Social media power users can help make or break a new blog. They can help make or break a marketing campaign. They can focus the lens of attention to that new product you just designed and share it with their other influential friends, creating cumulative awareness over time.

Keep in mind, however, that no popular person on the web will even remotely consider your idea in the first place unless it is special and relevant - they are bombarded with press releases, pitches and emails daily. In fact, they may even publicly hang you for the world to see if you’re not sure what you’re doing.

Watching, networking and building positive and mutually beneficial relationships with influencers is vital for bloggers, web entrepreneurs, PR pros and marketers

It is important for marketers to get a glimpse for what those at the edge are doing, as in many cases it is a great source of inspiration for their own campaigns. Social media power users are the hyper-connectors of the Internet, and really help spread good ideas far and wide. They are the ones who can reach people in the deep pockets of that graph at the top of this post.

Watching how they spread information, and what kind of information they spread successfully is something each and every marketer should be doing. Good ideas transcend platforms.

Why I am making this a series, and not a definitive list in one long post

The initial idea for this post was simply to list 50 or so power users and a quick sentence on each.

As I thought through the idea further, I realized this would be far more valuable to you if I broke the list up into parts, and gave you a quick snapshot of each influencer.

I’m hoping if interest builds, that this will become an exciting category at The Future Buzz and I will feature several power users/influencers weekly (or bi-weekly) as an ongoing series.

Also, I will not just feature the ultra-high level, obvious people that everyone talks about and already knows. Perhaps of greater value, I will try and tell the stories of those who are up-and-coming, or influencing the web in more subtle, but still highly relevant ways. Hopefully we’ll get a good mix of everyone across networks and niches.

Okay, you get the idea.

Let’s get into the first 5 power users/influencers in this series (this is in no particular order, and each series will only list around 5 at a time):

1) Matt Dickman




Blog: Techno//Marketer.com (topics: mobile, emerging media, marketing and PR).

Twitter: @MattDickman

Matt in brief: Matt Dickman is Vice President, Digital Marketing at Fleishman-Hillard in Cleveland, Ohio. Simultaneously a great presenter and a creative marketer, Matt is one of the most insightful people I have spoken with in the marketing industry. He also thinks Google is stalking him (seriously, read it).

What makes Matt an influencer: If you follow Techno//Marketer, you would know Matt is way ahead of the curve in digital and mobile marketing. He goes above and beyond by not only presenting in-depth articles and case studies on his blog, but also eBooks, SlideShare presentations and video blog entries all centered around forward-thinking marketing. I know Matt isn’t big on rankings (and he’ll prob kill me for doing this), but he made it really easy for me to display his “obligatory rankings” as he calls them from his blog here, as they are quite impressive (as of 9/23/08):



Best way to connect with Matt: subscribe to Techno//Marketer

2) Muhammad Saleem (better known as msaleem)

Blog: MuhammadSaleem.com


Twitter: @msaleem

msaleem in brief: Muhammad Saleem, or msaleem as he is probably best known, is a social media power user well-known among several web 2.0 communities, most prominently Digg. He’s contributed exceptional content to such popular blogs as ProBlogger, TechCrunch, and Read Write Web to name just a few (read: Collaborative Filtering: The Lifeblood Of The Social Web for a glimpse into his writing. I’m a big fan of that article in particular). He also heads the social media marketing division of Advantage Consulting Services (ACS) and consults companies on social media strategy.


What makes msaleem an influencer: Really I could say a lot of things here - Muhammad contributes so much to the web. Those in the know already know what his biggest claim to fame is - he is one of the most powerful users on digg and it would be remiss of me not to mention that here. msaleem is far more than this though, I do not want to pigeon hole him to one network when he’s a thought-leader on the web and has a remarkable eye for great content.

Just in case you haven’t seen, however, here are msaleem’s unbelievable digg stats:


Best way to connect with Muhammad: add him as a friend on Digg

















3) Eric Friedman




Blog: Marketing.FM (topics: the intersection of marketing and technology).

Twitter: @EricFriedman

Eric in brief: Eric Friedman is currently a team member of Union Square Ventures in New York, a Venture Capital firm that invests in young companies that use IT in creative ways to create high-growth business opportunities in media, marketing, financial services and other areas (check out their impressive portfolio). Eric not only has a keen eye for killer startups, he also is the author and managing partner of Marketing.FM, a blog which covers the intersection of marketing and technology.

What makes Eric an influencer: Having a strong background in both marketing and IT, Eric covers the marketing industry from the unique perspective of both a tech and marketing guru.

This is what makes him equally qualified for his position with the VC firm, and able to write an on-the-edge marketing blog. Besides being a fantastic writer, having a strong following in the social web and on his blog, Eric is the brains behind the Marketing and Advertising feedburner network, where he successfully brought together a significant group of popular marketing and advertising bloggers in one feed.


Best way to connect with Eric: subscribe to Marketing.FM

4) Daniel Scocco








Blogs: DailyBlogTips.com, DailyWritingTips.com, DailyBits.com


Twitter: @danielscocco

Daniel in brief: Daniel Scocco has lived and studied in several places around the world, including Italy, Chile and Brazil. After receiving a degree in International Economics and working for a year within a multinational company, he decided to quit and pursue entrepreneurial projects on the Internet. He eventually built his highly-popular blogging network, the “Daily” network.

What makes Daniel and influencer: Daniel’s blogs have become a vital resource for bloggers everywhere, and he personally goes the extra mile to help new and upcoming bloggers. He has a passion for blogging that is contagious. Daniel also has created a blogging network, which was so impressive to me I used it in a previous case study on building a blogging network.

Daniel is both a writer and avid “blogtrepreneur“. His network generates over 400,000 monthly impressions, with more than 25,000 RSS subscribers. The audience is composed of bloggers, webmasters, online marketers and web entrepreneurs. He effectively influences the influencers.

Best way to connect with Daniel: subscribe to DailyBlogTips


5) John Boitnott
Blog: Jboitnott.com


Twitter: @ttlFantastic

John in brief: John is a web producer with NBC 11 in San Fransisco and has worked in TV News since 1994. He also has worked as a freelance writer at KNTV in San Jose and KGO, KRON and KPIX in San Francisco.

What makes John an influencer: Did you see my post: NBC11 in California Experiences The Digg Effect? Well, John is the one to credit for this. He knows how to create compelling content for social media and how to properly get it into the popular channels to be shared around the web. And, he knows how to seriously drive sustained traffic to a .com. John is successfully bringing a traditional media agency forward into the social web - a skill highly sought after by many media organizations.
Best way to connect with John: friend him on Digg

Next week…Social Media Power Users And Influencers: Part 2


For the first round of this series, I reached out to just a few people and got some great feedback about my desire to share a small part their stories with my readers (I hope you’ll take the next step and subscribe to their content).

But I want to hear from all the social media rockstars, not just the ones I already interact with.

Know someone I should feature here? Want to get featured here? Great. Just submit the following to me and I will consider for this recurring post:

Title the Subject: Submit

Name, your picture and your blog’s logo (links are fine)

Blog URL (include stats/numbers if you’d like)


Twitter feed (I will substitute FriendFeed here if you’d prefer)

Brief description of yourself

At least one tangible example of what makes you an influencer

(Disclaimer: If chosen, I will edit what you submit, if only to fit the tone of this blog. I may also go through your blog and pull out certain content that helps tell your story.)

Talk soon,
Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor
Get Paid To Generate Responsive Leads--Free Videos
Free Website Traffic Tips
Social Media Networking Tips

Bryce Gruber on Fox Business Network Grows Her Business With Facebook

Bryce Gruber, the 23 year old CEO of Intensity Global, a marketing and PR firm, is using Facebook to build her company. Here she is prime-time on Fox Business Network.



P.S. Do you know any marketers who use the Internet to
attract customers and prospects like bees to spring flowers?

Please Leave Your Comments

Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor

James Ray from "The Secret" on Money

James Ray from the movie "The Secret" has this to say about the subject of money.

After watching this video, Please Leave Your Comments about your thoughts about money.
Click on Comments below.

Talk soon,
Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor
Get Paid To Generate Responsive Leads--Free Videos
Free Website Traffic Tips
Social Media Networking Tips

Using Social Community Sites To Grow Your Business.

I want to take a moment and talk about strategy when it comes to marketing on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace...

Over the past few weeks, my office has received an increasing number of complaints that a few affiliates have been spamming their Magnetic Sponsoring links throughout these sites. At first I just ignored the problem because I couldn't believe people could be that incredibly stupid. (And that's the nicest way I can put it).

After all, they should have READ Magnetic Sponsoring, which would have taught them that such behavior is the the worst thing you could possibly do on these sites. So if you're just learning how to use these sites to build your business, I want to share a video from my good friend, and one of the most brilliant marketers alive, Perry Belcher who has MASTERED this relm.

The video's on You Tube, and he'll give you the perfect approach when it comes to using social community sites to grow your business. If you're using ANY of these sites, watch this video, and say "thanks Perry!". It's 100% pure content.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMENTS WITH A LINK BACK TO YOUR SITE

Talk soon,
Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor
Get Paid To Generate Responsive Leads--Free Videos

10 Reasons People Start an Online Business

Job security is one reason why people will shy away from starting a home based business. People fear making mistakes and want to avoid disappointment if their online business fails.

What most people don't realize is that job security is a myth. Most jobs today are not permanent and people may change jobs 3 to 10 times within their lifetime. The idea that someone can work their entire lives for a company and the companywill take care of them whe they retire is unrealistic and its foolish to depend on such a plan to care for your needs in the future.

Seeking and creating additional sources of income that we own or control is smart and sometimes crucial to our financial well-being. The key point here is asource of income that we own or control which means no one can take it away from us.

People start businesses online for different reasons and the top ten reasons for starting and online business are:

1. Unsatisfied With Their Current Job
The reasons why people are unhappy at their current occupations include: being underpaid and overworked,feeling unchallenged, tired of office politics,conflicts with co-workers or no chance for promotion. This leads to dissatisfaction and some will look towards a home based business to give them more control over their lives.

2. Loss of Job
Company downsizing and cutbacks force some people out of a job. Maybe an injury put them out of work or they were incapable of fulfilling their duties at their present occupation. Pure neccessity could have forced them to have to start a businessto support themselves or their family and give them a steady income.

3. Becoming Financially Independent
Some people have so much debt that they have to start a business or drown in debt.They have to sink or swim and so they are searching for ways to start a home based business to get out of debt.

4. Looking for Part-Time Work
A home business can just be a way to make a little extra money on the side. That money could be for a nice vacation, a new car, for a child's education or just for a rainy day.

5. Recent Retiree
An online business would be great for a retired person who has completed a chapter in their life and is ready to start a new one. They could be looking for a new challenge or a way to invest some money.

6. Saving for Retirement
For individuals that are realizing that retirement is not far away and they need some extra income to help make their retirement dreams come true. An online business could help a person retire earlier.

7. Single Mom or Stay at Home Mom
A mother who can't afford daycare, or understands the importance of being at home with her children, but needs to earn income as well. A home based business will allow her to financially support her children and family.

8. Portable Business
Some people just want out of the office and are seeking the freedom to do something on their own . An online business is a great alternative because one could essentially work anywhere with a laptop and wireless network connection.

9. Low Cost to Start Up
For the entrepreneur that has great ideas but a limited budget, an internet business is a perfect option. With an online business one would need a PC, an internet connection, a webpage and hosting once the business picks up. Starting an online business requires such an inexpensive start up cost that anyone can get started.

10. Freedom and Flexibility
Someone that doesn't like routine boring jobs or sucking up to a boss then a home based business makes a great option. As the business owner they would be the boss, they could work with who they want to, vacation when they wanted, work flexible hours, decide what time to spend with their family and when. With an online business one could go global and once the business is successful they may benefit from acquiring residual income.

Online businesses lend themselves to a variety of lifestyles. There are many more reasons to start an online business and any one of the above reasons would be great motivation. Realize that with any occupation there is risk but if you are passionate about what you do and you have drive you can't help but succeed!

PLEASE POST YOUR COMMENTS
Talk soon,
Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor
Get Paid To Generate Responsive Leads--Free Videos
Free Website Traffic Tips
Social Media Networking Tips

Three Tips for Generating Business Through Online Communities

This just in from Kanika W. of StartUpBiz...

New methods for marketing your business are popping up everywhere, and online communities are no exception. So, exactly what is an online community and what does it have to do with growing your business?

The truth is, you won’t know how it affects your business until you try it, but there are three key tips that can help you use them to effectively grow your business over time.

What IS an online community anyway?
First let’s be clear about what an online community is and how it can be beneficial.

Online communities are like local networking events, only they take place online. They provide a way for businesses to interact with their customers, for customers to interact with a business, and perhaps most importantly, for customers to interact with each other. Online communities are a form of social media and can often work well when mixed with other forms of social media including blogging, email newsletters, podcasts, rss feeds, and others.

So how can online communities help you grow your business?

TIP #1 Be Consistent
No matter how you look at it, participating in online communities is a long term investment. If you stick with it and stay consistent, the pay-off can be rewarding. Frequent your favorite areas of the community, post a blog, post threads, but just like your local networking event, once you introduce yourself, you have to keep coming back so that people remember who you are. People do business with people they know and trust.

TIP #2 Be Realistic
Just because you joined the community, doesn’t mean all of a sudden sales will come flooding through your door (if this has happened to anyone, please send an email to my inbox and let me know your secret). Online communities can be like any other form of advertising-- you try it, you test it, you see if it works, and if it does, you stick with it, if it doesn’t; well, you move to the next thing, but you have to remember that all social media is about building relationship based business. It’s a long term investment and it takes people time to get to know you.

In addition, understand why you joined the community. Growing your business should not be the only reason. There’s significant value in gaining free insight from experts who know the challenges small businesses face better than anyone else, and that’s your fellow business owners. Tapping into the knowledge base of a good online business community, can be just as rewarding as finding a new customer.

TIP #3 Add Value
A wise man once said, “people like to buy—they don’t like to be sold to.”

There’s nothing worse than an online community member that spams everyone with there sales pitch in a discussion thread. If you want to lose respect in an online community, this is a great way to do it. Add value, provide insight, or share an experience that may be beneficial to someone else, but please don’t spam the members—we want to keep people in the community, not send them running.

For those of you that join for the purpose of growing your business, I think plugging your own business is fine, but educate people about your business and tell them what problem your product or service solves. Publish a blog and become an expert in your field, offer advice on solving an issue you recently experienced—in the end, you will get much more respect, meet more colleagues, and gain more credibility for your business.

I hope to meet many more of you as we all continue our path to growth and success.I’m rooting for you!

KW
www.biznessdoor.com

Thanks Kanika for your insightful post and we look forward to more.

Talk soon,
Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor
Get Paid To Generate Responsive Leads--Free Videos
Free Website Traffic Tips
Social Media Networking Tips

Do The Exact Opposite Of What Other Network Marketers Are Doing!

If you follow the old MLM "dogma" of cold-calling prospects, handing out CD's, and spending all your money on "opportunity" leads — you're almost guaranteed to lose most (probably ALL) of your people to competing distributors who can advertise on your front doorstep thanks to Google.

This means you’ll be forced to recruit every day for the lifespan of your business just to combat the constant attrition that will plague your organization.

You see, the old ways worked great when people stayed in and purchased products every month for years at a time, allowing you to build a large, profitable organization.

But in today's crazy online world, the average reps only stick around for 2 or 3 months (if you're lucky) before you even get a chance to recoup your marketing costs.

That's how radically the industry changed since the Internet.
So what can you do to make money in MLM today?

It's actually pretty easy:

You Simply Do The Exact Opposite Of What Other Network Marketers Are Doing!

Here's what I mean:
Most people spend all their money and time calling over-priced leads, only to end up talking to some guy named "Bubba" who’s really looking for a J-O-B.

Others jump from company to company hoping “this one” will be the one that really works out.
But the richest and savviest distributors don't do ANY of those things.

We do not cold-call leads.

We do not show the plan to everyone with a pulse.

And we do not bother our friends, family and neighbors.

Instead, we use what I call magnetic sponsoring.

This is the secret I discovered that quickly gave me (and thousands of people I've taught it to) complete financial freedom.

Here's how it works:

My System Is Based On Two "Core Truths" Of MLM In The Internet Age:

1. The old school sales routine of cold-calling leads, holding meetings, knocking on doors and trying to "convince" people to look at your opportunity is DEAD.

2: The fastest and easiest way to make money in MLM today is simply to "position" yourself so only the hottest, most qualified prospects come to you (and ONLY you).

That's it.
And no matter what all the other MLM "gurus" say about contacting your family, friends and neighbors... attending every meeting... or cold-calling leads — these are really the only truths you can absolutely count on in network marketing today.

And these two pieces of truth are what took me from dirt broke to 7 figures in less than 18 months — and let me generate over 115,329 live leads over the past two years without spending a single penny.

And guess what?
You can learn how to do the same thing — no matter what network marketing company you're in or if you just signed up in your first MLM business yesterday.

In fact, when you use "magnetic sponsoring"... you can immediately start attracting an unlimited number of leads TO YOU, and...

They Will Actually Pay You To Show Them The Plan!

This strategy is the "missing link" that six and seven figure network marketers know that everyone else doesn't.

And the funny thing is, getting people to come to you and then pay you to show them the plan... is a LOT easier than you think.

WAY easier than banging on doors, getting laughed at by your warm market and dropping your life savings on leads who will slam the phone down on you or end up joining some other guy's MLM business later.

And my friend, when you know the secret of magnetic sponsoring... you'll go from being a "prospector" who chases people down... to being an "order taker", with people chasing YOU down — and even paying you for the "privilege" of showing them the plan.

This makes sponsoring as easy and painless as filling out a blank check.

Anyway, getting people to come to you... and then actually pay you to see the plan is just one part of my system.

I've got dozens of methods and secrets that I've been using for years like this that'll blow your mind.
Like how to get people wanting to join your business before you talk to them... The RIGHT way to prospect your warm market without getting "blacklisted" by your friends, family and neighbors....

And where to find the contact information of active network marketers (not genealogy lists) who are already looking to join a new MLM company... just to name a few.

And while I can't tell you all the secrets I've learned about making tens of thousands of dollars per month in this letter... there is now a way for you to get them quickly, easily and without ANY risk.

Here's how:
I have recently put ALL this information into an easy-to-read manual called:

"Magnetic Sponsoring"
This is the "secret weapon" of many of today's richest networkers.

And it contains the exact "blueprint" I used to transform a failing, crippled, money-sucking MLM venture into a thriving business.

I originally wrote it when I first started using my system, because I was sponsoring so many people... so quickly... I couldn't keep up with them.

In some cases, I actually had to turn people away — with a "waiting list" of people who wanted to join my downline (can you imagine having that "problem"?)

So I put my entire sponsoring formula into one, "stripped-down" manual (just 54 pages) I could simply hand to new distributors.

This manual has since transformed the lives of thousands of people in every network marketing company in the industry — including people who struggled to sponsor even one single person before.

But you cannot find this manual in bookstores.

And, until a couple years ago, it was ONLY available to my personal downline.

However, if I hear from you today... I'll send a copy of this manual right to your doorstep... and...

I'll Even Send It To You FREE, If You Choose!

I'll tell you more about that in a second.

But first, here's just a small taste of what you'll discover in this manual:

How to make $500 to $1,000 your first month in network marketing... without sponsoring anyone or selling your company's products! *see earnings disclaimer*

How to contact thousands of network marketers already looking to join your opportunity... without
making a single phone call or spamming anyone.

The #1 "clumsy mistake" people make with their mouths that kills their chances of signing up new distributors.

Why you should almost NEVER sponsor "excited" prospects... and why lazy people often make the most money in MLM.

A secret way to get hundreds — even thousands — of people to join your downline at the same time without even mentioning your company or business!

The fastest known way to quickly "position" yourself as an expert and attract leads to you — even if you're brand new to MLM and know nothing about the business now.

Why "opportunity seekers" are the WORST people to sponsor!

A "can't miss" way to instantly gain the respect and admiration of every single network marketer in your company — even if you haven't sponsored anyone yet!

The "Donald Trump" secret to effectively answering questions and objections from MLM skeptics.
What to do with your eyes to command respect from almost everyone you talk to. (You can actually see this secret "in action" in most James Bond 007 movies.)

The ONLY people you should ever market your retail products to! (Do this and selling thousands of dollars in products each month is like taking candy from a baby.)

An "almost magic" way to create 100% duplication within your downline!

The "big lie" of genealogy lists... and why you should avoid them like the plague!

Why the best way ever discovered to make money in MLM... and make it fast... is to do the exact OPPOSITE of what most other network marketers do.

A quickie, "idiot's" guide to consumer psychology — often used by cult leaders and other persuasion masters — that lets you instantly tap into the buying "hot buttons" of everyone you talk to.

Why telling your prospects your company is "debt free" and does billions in sales will actually destroy your chances of signing them up!

The most common "sales killing" mistake people make when sending email to their prospects. (Do NOT send another email to another prospect, customer or lead until you read this!)

The only two things you should send a prospect who wants more information. (Hint: This has NOTHING to do with your product, company or compensation plan.)

How to get your entire downline to loyally follow you to another MLM company... with the push of a button!

How to immediately get your newest reps into a positive cash flow. (Making it almost impossible for them to ever want to quit or leave your team.)

A sneaky (but 100% legal) way to get industry leaders outside your company to recruit people into YOUR downline!

There's more. A LOT more.

Including:
How to make more money by NOT promoting your opportunity... Why most "duplicatable" systems are actually designed to fail and keep you broke... What to do if you lose the biggest producer in your downline... and even...

How To Make Money From People Who Have Already Decided Not To Join Your TeamOr Buy Your Products!

Ask anyone you know in MLM if they know how to do THAT.

Chances are they don't.

But YOU will.

And when you do... making money in MLM becomes as automatic and "routine" as checking your email.

Anyway, here's the bottom line:

After reading Magnetic Sponsoring you'll never need to make another cold-call again. Never fear looking stupid in front of your spouse or friends. And never worry about making your money back from an MLM company you join.

Instead, customers and prospects hunt you down — with credit card in hand.

Your friends, family and in-laws approach you about what you're doing.

And many of the people laughing at you behind your back right now (for being in that "pyramid scheme") will come crawling to you...

Begging For Your Advice On HowThey Can Make Lots Of Money, Too.

I see this happen ALL the time when I teach people my system.

Once you own this manual, you get skills you can use for the rest of your life. Skills nobody can ever take from you. Skills that are "timeless" — and that will work today, tomorrow... and probably even 100 years from now.

And it’s so easy, too.

Just follow my simple "recipe" and, before you know it, you’ll sponsor your first new distributor...

Then another.

And then another...

Until, before you know it... you've got an entire army of distributors making money for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — whether you're on vacation... hanging out with your kids at the beach... or even sound asleep in your bed at night.

Act now and get 4 free bonuses!

There's Simply No Way You Can Lose! Get Your Copy Now!

Frank Tocco--Marketing Mentor