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Archive for December, 2009

Linkedin in Business

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

In today’s world networking has become the need for every individual, business and company. Without connections and contacts business can virtually cease to exist. The internet boom has made it possible for everyone to keep in touch with each other. First it was emails then social networking forums and now professional forums where serious professionals can seek better opportunities for surviving in the competitive world.

http://www.linkedin.com/business

One of the forums for professional networking is ‘Linkedin’. Born in 2003 Linkedin has grown tremendously over the years in bringing professionals together sharing and seeking business and mutual interest for expanding experiences and expertise across the globe. Linkedin has also become a serious network for professionals holding credibility in the industry. To understand how it integrates with individuals and businesses we should ask very basic yet powerful questions like:

1 – Why Linkedin?

2 – What are the Benefits?

3 – Effective ways for using Linkedin?

4 – How to integrate it with your Business?

5 – How to grow your Business using Linkedin?

Also, since the world of internet is flooded with networking forums so you might end up thinking why would you want to opt for Linkedin and not something else; what is so unique about Linkedin which makes it stand out from the rest? Well, to understand and answer the above questions you should look at the following recommended ways and means for benefitting from this tool.

1. Credibility and Acceptance

Having over 50 million users and growing rapidly Linkedin has gained the popularity and respect in the professional world to be THE platform for professional networking. The checks and balances set at the site for non-serious users are very clear in their terms and conditions. Any malicious activities are tracked and dealt with seriously at times suspending accounts for users. Privacy and confidentiality makes it a secured channel for sharing ones credentials over the net. Also, over the years the flow of professionals into this forum has given it the respect for standing out as thorough professional network.

2. Professional Connections

Linkedin may not be perfect but it provides a lot of opportunities to get in touch with new people not only for personal promotion but to promote small businesses as well. If you get to know the key decision makers and network with them, it may open different avenues for progressing in the future. You can always post a snapshot of your profile or your business, on your personal and/or professional website and blog linking it with Linkedin which would help people find you based on your experience mutual interests. The right contacts can help you grow your business.

http://webworkerdaily.com/2009/07/13/33-ways-to-use-linkedin-for-business/

http://60secondmarketer.com/blog/2009/11/18/how-to-use-linkedin-for-business/

3. Better Prospects through Valued Connections

Increasing your networking with professionals throughout the world means increasing your opportunities and prospects for seeking new and better career opportunities. In addition to this having a complete and up-to-date CV always adds value. Stay connected with your valued connections – you have spent time and effort in making all the connections, don’t lose them rather know all your contacts either in person or online – this can be achieved by remembering them through their profile pictures. You may also hire professionals, freelancers and contractors making use of your contact list.

4. Effective Discussion Forums

Try to join your relevant groups as much as possible. Also, it is advised to participate actively in the discussions. Staying active brings you in limelight and intelligent answers, personal experiences can help you get recognition – even one can flash their services in the answers for those seeking assistance for a particular query. Knowledge sharing is one of the benefits which one can make use of – you may create groups and start a healthy discussion, exchange of ideas and even for creating new ideas for a potential business can help you excel. You can either be a subject matter expert while participating in these forums for discussions or can be the one with queries – rest assured to receive answers and guidance from multiple sources of collective wisdom for resolution.

5. Recommendations and Testimonials

One of the positives of Linkedin is writing testimonials and getting recommendations from people you have worked with. The more the recommendations the more probability for you to appear in regular search – the more people would get in touch with you hence increasing your network. Good ratings and comments help you enhance your professional standing amongst your peers. Referrals can also help you find better prospects for future investments and in expanding your business. Whenever your client is happy with your work request that particular client to leave a recommendation for you on Linkedin – the same you can flash on your website with a potential of attracting more customers and more traffic in future.

6. Exploring New Markets

Increased networking enhances the possibility of not only knowing what is happening in your market and related industries but also keeps you up to date about the latest happenings in other industries as well. The market trends, new technologies help in evaluating your current and future prospects. Linkedin is a valued platform for increasing your market scope beyond the physical boundaries thus increasing the possibilities of growing your business.

http://blog.linkedin.com/tag/linkedin-small-business/

http://learn.linkedin.com/business-development/

7. Complete and Effective Profiling

One of the most important features to make use of at Linkedin is having a complete and effective profile. Try making use of all the entries in the form and fill in all the sections properly so that you have a comprehensive profile. Use professional language and rich text which would help find your profile in searches. Customize and personalize your profile link and add it on your CV – making your profile public and sending your profile link is an easier way for getting introduced to new contacts. You can adjust your Linkedin settings to notify your contacts whenever you make any changes to your profile. Using different widgets on Linkedin and on your official website can help your contacts know you better.

8. Increased Visibility

You can link your professional website and your blogs to your Linkedin profile hence increasing your visibility and also improving and strengthening your profile. Whenever you wish to add a contact to your network the preferred way to do it would be to send a formal letter of introduction through email summarizing your experience, strength and professional achievements. This would increase and improve your professional relations. It is advised not to send random emails to people you do not know because Linkedin has a build in feature for tracking such requests and your account could be suspended after that.

9. Market Research and Brand Building

Linkedin is one of the easiest way for conducting surveys and market research. This cost effective way can help you find solutions without investing anything other than your time. Getting views, reviews from seasoned professionals and entrepreneurs is a powerful experience. Try flashing you brand name with your profile which would attract all the audience in your network hence reinforcing your company and expertise – all this done at no cost.

10. Networking with Decision Makers

The best way to get in touch with the influencers and decision makers in your industry is by preparing a list of them ahead of time. Then search them on Linkedin and send a formal letter of introduction to add them. This can also be done by sending them an invite to connect to you and briefly adding the summarization of your professional career. Another approach to the same can be to find an existing connection in the company and getting in through a known connection/referral – add the particular individual in your existing list of contacts and then search for the decision maker and/or other related connections from your contacts list and invite them accordingly – but always remember to send a formal invite. Make sure to move with your contacts – meaning when they leave a company you move with them and through them get an introduction to a whole new arena of new contacts and connections.

Linkedin is a powerful tool for making connections, generating leads and expanding your business. All you need is to understand how to utilize it the most to your advantage. The techniques discussed above are a brief summarization to put you on the right track for making the most of this free vehicle opening avenues for growth and success.

Posted by: James George

Tags: business, how to, internet boom, james george, linkedin, linkedin in business, malicious activities, network, networking, networking forums, privacy and confidentiality, professional networking, world
Posted in Social Networking in Business | No Comments »

Benefits of a Strong Logo

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

It is interesting how our mind works – suppose if you were asked a question to remember your favorite brand of clothing, perfumes, accessories or computers what would be the very first thing which would come to your mind – the LOGO. That is the strength of a good brand which makes us remember it so vividly – not to mention this is the way a normal mind work i.e. remembering images is easier than remembering names for most.

To understand the benefits of a strong logo we need to understand why do we need one? How much weight does it carry for a brand? The importance of having a logo and the characteristics along with the difference between a brand and a logo and how they are interrelated – let’s discuss these factors one by one:

Why do we need a logo?

Whenever we think about a brand the first thing which comes to our minds is to relate to an image – like when we think about McDonalds we think about a big M, when we think about apple the emblem flashes into our minds helping us relate to that particular brand. It helps us makes a connection with our favorite brand and to stay loyal to it.

An attractive company logo is a statement by any organization for its existence. A logo is a key element for any company’s success. It is the establishment of a direct relationship of a company with its existing and potential customers. A good logo always leaves an ever-lasting impression on the minds of the people – with so many brands around it is always easier and convenient to remember a company through its logo. If for a second you start remembering the name of big companies in your head the first thing which would come to your mind are the logos for each brand for the company or for the logo for the company i.e. you subconsciously memorize these logos.

Let’s pen down briefly the characteristics of strong logos:

1 – Simplistic – The simpler the better – the less complicated your logo the better it is to remember and recall

2 – Self-explanatory and easier interpretation helps your customers relate to it

3 – Aesthetic appeal – Catchy in design i.e. attractive look and feel portrays a more polished image of your business

4 – Must be suitable and in line with the business philosophy

5 – Unique with respect to ease of recognition in absence of company’s name

6 – Customizable meaning it should have the convenience of making changes when desired

7 – Make it memorable – it is your brand personality

8 – Make sure your logo is not confused with another company

9 – It should be designed professionally

10 – Preferably it should be registered

The Importance and benefits of a strong logo

If you have an established brand then why does one need a logo? Whenever we think about a company’s identity the first thing which comes to our minds is the logo. The essence of a business is reflected through it logo.

Your logo is one of the many ways your business is made visible in the market and to all your customers. Having a strong logo strengthens your brands credibility and consistency to your product. Your logo is your business’s personality – the more professional it is the more it will be recognized. Following are a few good reasons for have a logo;

1 – It’s a great marketing and branding tool

2 – It represents what you stand for, your goals and objectives and the nature of your business

3 – A well designed logo represents stability and shows sincerity and seriousness towards your business

4 – Use of it throughout your marketing material for industry recognition such as with logo products

5 – It sets you apart competitors

6 – Brings credibility, consistency and professionalism to your business

7 – Increased customer’s confidence in your brand

8 – Helps you increase your online presence

9 – A strongly designed logo establishes your brand identity – it is an expression of your identity

10 – It logo often accompanied by a tagline is always beneficial

The stronger the logos the better are your chances for success – the more your customers will remember your brand the next time they are out shopping. It is recommended always to get a professional designer to design your logo – but before that make sure to have a clear vision, goals and objectives of where you are starting from and where you are heading.

Myspace, Yahoo 360, Flickr

Tags: brand, business, company, company logo, cus, lasting impression, logo, mcdonalds, mind, remembering names
Posted in Importance of branding | 2 Comments »

Importance of Branding

Saturday, December 12th, 2009

You brand is your identity – a signature of who you are, what you do and what you offer to your customers. One definition suggests:

‘A brand identity represents how the organization wants to be perceived in the market, what the organization stands for, and most importantly how it implies to the promise made to its customers’

It is one of the most important aspects for any kind of business. Building a strong image for your brand is important; the image created by branding also creates brand loyalty. Associate positive qualities with your brand, let’s take an example of Nike – they have associated athletics with their brand, hence whenever you think about an athletic shoe company the first name which pops up is Nike and their slogan – Just do it!

Branding is not just your logo but it is your business name – be very careful while selecting a name for your identity. It should not only be simple but also should be unique so that it does not sound like another famous or common brand in the market. Selecting a name for the company is often a rigorous and well thought out process. Once the name is done think about the immediate image which comes to your mind in relation to the name you have selected. The image of your brand has more impact on your customers as they tend to remember and recall through that.

Branding is an interesting journey of self-discovery – asking questions like who you are, what your vision, mission, goals and objectives are, what is it that you wish to achieve and how? You need to define your brand characteristics, its benefits to your customers, and it features to offer. A lot of research is put in to understand your target market and its needs; the habits and desires of your prospect customers. Your competitors and what advantages your brand is to offer over theirs. A few benefits for branding are:

1 – It enable you to set trends in the market
2 – It creates loyalty, trust and confidence in your customers
3 – It enables you to dictate your premium price in the market
4 – It helps you grow in markets across borders
5 – Makes you stand out from other brands

Having a slogan or a byline strengthens your brand. It is another important aspect of your brand. It should be short and simple to remember like Nike’s Just do it – or of Nokia Connecting People. Your brand name should be strong enough to convey the meaning and feeling allied with it to your customers which can be achieved by having a slogan.

Once you are sure about your brand it is very important to get it registered. Strong brands instill trust in your customers and have higher return on investments meaning the financial gain of a company with a strong brand is more than a regular one. Also, it injects brand loyalty into your customers – often companies have brand ambassadors who are at times famous people associated with their brand to instill confidence into their customers, this is a part of branding strategy and planning.

It is all about setting perceptions about what you have to offer in the minds of your customers. The value preposition set by you is set around a brand. At times it is by setting a premium price which indicates the quality standard set by that particular brand in the market. Customers tend to buy a brand repeatedly if they perceive it to be a quality brand giving them a consistent utility in accordance to their requirements.

Following are a few points which are important for branding and which one should keep in mind while defining, planning and strategizing for a brand:

1 – Make a professionally designed logo.
2 – Try placing it to as many places as you can.
3 – Summarize a key message which you brand represents and which you wish to communicate amongst all.
4 – Publicize your brand as much as you can through salespeople wear on sales calls, your e-mail signature, everything.
5 – Develop an impressive, momentous and concise statement that captures the essence of your brand.
6 – Use the same brand logo tagline on all your stationery.
7 – Stay true to your brand and fulfill the promise you have made to your customers.
8 – Achieve creditability by meeting or exceeding your customer’s expectations.
9 – Your brand should be based on clear and defined values which are important to your customers and should be in line with your business.
10 – Get your brand registered to avoid infringements.

Educate and encourage your work force and your customers to learn about the importance of branding. Believe in your brand name, what it means, and rest will follow.

Tags: athletic shoe, brand, brand loyalty, identity, image, logo, market, marketing, marketing through social networks, name, self discovery, standstill marketing, symbol of your company, target market, vision mission goals, website marketing
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Social Networking in Business (Part 1/3)

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Social networking by definition focuses on building communities where people share common interests, hobbies, activities at times a common vision – a forum for interaction where knowledge-base is shared across boundaries, where difference are openly discussed, a place where one gets an opportunity to meet someone new each day. Being social animals inherently we need to interact in order to survive, being dependent on each other for fulfilling our needs we need to socialize; hence the need for networking.

Myspace, Yahoo 360, Flickr

The benefits which social networking can have on your business is innumerable, the opportunities immense as long as you know how to make use of the network for benefiting your business. One of the reasons to connect and expand is to find like minded people for exploration for seeking and generating potential leads.

There is a good possibility of finding unexpected collaborators to help each other succeed in each other’s ventures which is another benefit achieved through active and intelligent networking. Ideas shared and discussed mutually can lead into starting new ventures hence expanding business opportunities for the future.

It is pretty obvious that one cannot succeed in isolation; interacting with people and reaching out for suggestions, opinions, carrying out surveys to know what the trends are and how the future trends might shape up can easily be achieved by involving as many people as possible – for the same on many networking platforms different forums or business groups are established to debate or talk about subjects of mutual interests.

With the boom in the internet world and the convenience of getting in touch with people using various online mediums attracting audiences of your choice has become a blessing. With such tools in hand one can attract audiences which one cannot through TV or other traditional media, hence increasing your customer base tremendously increasing the run time interaction with your customers.

Following are a few general social and professional networking sites which are common in all spheres of life:

1 – GENERAL NETWORKING:

2. PROFESSIONAL:

For more look at the following sites:

http://traffikd.com/social-media-websites/

http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/07/28/social-networking-sites-for-business/#

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites

For small businesses with limited budgets professional and social networking is the best means for getting attention – make them know you exist; the easiest way to get in touch with as many layman or professionals as you can. Also through marketing you may be able to make many business acquaintances quickly which you may not be able to make using the traditional means. But beware, spamming your potential lead, client, or any professional is never a good idea. A thought out strategy to reach or build your clientele is mandatory.

Social networking for self promotion, in the case you are a sole proprietor or a free lancer, is a penniless way to showcase your talents and abilities. Envisioning of building a global business from scratch can become a reality by capitalizing on the essence of collective wisdom from seasoned professionals. Online networking is the best way for virtual marketing without investing anything other than your time and effort.

Building business relationship, enhancing your contacts, creating or increasing your PR is the dire need for any startup or a thriving business. Such contacts for PR can easily be build and maintained through constant active networking. With huge amounts of data available for professionals on these forums finding the relevant talent to fit into business venture has become easier over the years.

Mostly these networking forums are referred to as Viral meaning how quickly the network spreads attracting huge audiences. Companies prefer having active blogs and registering to professional and social networking to advertise the news, events, and latest happenings. Sharing success stories and acting as mentors they increase their site ratings, PR and setting trends throughout the market. Collecting metrics can help them determine the increase in your sites popularity.

With so many sites to chose from it becomes impossible to chose and select which one to register for and which ones to leave. Here is a tip – start from a site which best suits your talents and interests and network with people having similar ideas as yours. As your contacts mature you would know which way to chose at times through professional referrals and at times with people contacting you directly. Just keep the radar on!

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Continue reading on Social Networking in Business (part 2/3)

Tags: business, caption, Entrepreneurial, facebook, facebook in business, intelligent networking, linkedin, marketing through social networks, network, networking, networking ideas, networking platforms, social animals, social networking, Synergy Street, yahoo 360
Posted in Social Networking in Business | 5 Comments »

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Archive for December, 2009

Benefits of a Strong Logo