Category: Women entrepreneurs

Affiliate & Online Marketing and Social Networking

13 Ways to Maximize New Years for Your Affiliate Marketing, Online Marketing, and Social Networking

Author: Evan | Filed Under Affiliate Networks, Affiliate Programs, Affiliate Resources, Article Marketing

New Year Resolution

Hey everyone! I hope you had a really nice 2013 and are ready to crush it in 2014 with your affiliate marketing and online marketing projects. The “New Year” brings a whole flood of potential circumstances and issues into people’s lives that can be targeted with content on websites,  blogs, and social media. People will be actively searching for topics related to their new years resolutions, so make sure to heavily focus on niches like self-improvement to fully capitalize the surge in search volume. Also, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so make sure to start posting content and creating pages about Valentine’s Day topics and products to stay ahead of the curve. So, I wanted to discuss some ways web marketers can take advantage of the New Year to earn more commissions and generate more website traffic. Here is a list of ways affiliate marketers can market online better and be more effective at generating revenue during the Q1 time-frame:

1. Focus on New Years Resolution Products and Services – during the new year time-frame (January 1-April), people are extremely focused on topics like:

  • Losing weight – dieting, eating healthy, healthy lifestyle
  • Quitting smoking – e-cigarettes, therapy, books
  • Finding love – dating, finding a soul mate
  • Getting in shape – fitness, working out, running, lifting weights
  • Finding a new job – switching careers, adding skills, improving your LinkedIn Profile
  • Saving money – switching services, managing money, getting a raise
  • Starting on taxes – finding a tax service, finding a CPA
  • Getting organized – home, life, finances
  • Reducing debt – paying down debt, refinancing credit cards
  • Traveling – planning a trip, planning a vacation
  • Getting Married – finding wedding services of all types, buying attire
  • Budgeting – saving money, managing money
  • Switching/adding – insurances, policies, membership plans
  • Moving – new house, moving services, car moving
  • Kids – new babysitter, nanny, tutoring, education, devices

…and many other related types of life objectives. So make sure to heavily promote “New Years Resolution” oriented products and services on your sites and blogs because they tend to have a large amount of search traffic and covert really well during the Q1 (January through April really) time period. People will be flocking to Google, Bing, and Yahoo to search for various types of content and media like:  information, strategies, videos, and products related to achieving their new years resolutions.  So you want to create content on your websites talking about these types is subjects, so your pages can rank in the search results and you can possibly get those visitors to your site. Likewise, you should be posting on your Facebook Page and tweeting helpful information and articles designed to help people, and also save them money with promotions and coupons from great companies you are affiliated with through the affiliate networks. And what a great time to email your subscribers with helpful articles about new year’s resolutions and how to attain them! Make sure to craft your blog posts, page titles, and content really specifically so you can get search rankings under various keyword phrases related to new years resolutions and the issues associated with them. Set up Google Alerts for certain keyword phrases you are interested in following online, which is a great way to keep yourself up to date on all the latest news and Internet published content about any subject, so make sure to take advantage of that Google tool..it’s great!

2. Focus on Building Your Email/Subscriber List – Make sure you are prominently displaying your newsletter sign-up, Twitter account, and Facebook Fan Page widget on your sites and blogs in order to increase the overall rate at which you gain new subscribers, fans, and followers. This is always a good idea because you can re-market to your fans, followers, and subscribers throughout the year. Also, running a sweepstakes or contest on your website is another great way to opt-in your site visitors and subscribers and capture their contact information so they can become part of the growing audience you are marketing to and engaging with. If you have a decent amount of site traffic take a look at aweber.com, which collects name and email via a pop-up widget on your site. It’s a great way to maximize your site traffic and grow your email list. Aweber.com also features Facebook integration which makes for sure fast opt-ins from your site traffic. Email is still the best way to generate web sales, so make sure you are always focused on building your emails lists by offering some value in exchange for their subscriber-ship.

3. Syndicate Your Content Better – Once you have written and posted a new review or blog post, make sure you are “syndicating” your content by sharing it on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, Stumbleupon, and your other favorite social networking sites. You should have a process you go through of sharing your new content on your social networks after posting it, which helps each piece of content or page get more exposure and traffic back to your site. By sharing each page or blog post you are spreading it around for others to share or like, which allows their friends to be exposed to your content. I use Hootsuite to post my new pages/posts to all of my social networks at once, it’s a great tool. Also, consider launching online press releases which will build inbound links to your site and can also get your site  additional organic search engine rankings depending on your press release release title and release content. This is a very cost-effective way to spread the word about your site or company. Over time, as you do more releases you will see your traffic increasing from your releases. It’s another way to broaden your content beyond your own website and your social networks.

4. Increase Your Social Networking Presence – Always make sure to add new Facebook friends, Twitter followers, LinkedIn connections, Instagram followers, Foursquare friends, Pinterest friends, and connect with people on forums and other types of sites that allow you to build friends. Make sure to use these sites’ mass friend invite features to really ramp up your connections. Spending time building your connections is always time well spent and will pay dividends in the future. Building more friends and followers is a great idea because you can interact with them later and share your content and pages with them via your status updates. You can never have too many friends, followers, and subscribers to your content. But I don’t recommend buying likes or followers, it will do nothing for you except create headaches down the road. You should be focused on building all of these areas so you have more people overall to market your content to. Rapportive is an amazing tool that connects right in your gmail account and allows you to invite anyone in your email box to connect with you on all their social networks.

5. Message Your Fans and Subscribers More Effectively – Now that you have fans and subscribers to your newsletter, what are you messaging them? Make sure you are sending quality, purposeful messages and emails that will be well-received and deliver value. This is a process that should improve over time until you are sending really professional, effective messages to your subscriber bases. Send timely types of promotions and balance your promotions with good content and articles so it will be better received and not perceived as just marketing to them. Try to enrich people’s lives with your website’s wonderful published content and also articles from respected 3rd-party sources. Don’t forget to be super-friendly to your fans and followers and seek to engage them in discussions. Also, polling and surveying your fans is a great way to spur interaction on your Facebook wall and get the sharing ramped up. Try Facebook Boosted Posts, which allow more fans to see and interact with your content…they work great!

6. Build Your “Social Networking Karma” – Social networking is the most power tool there is in online marketing to get your content out there, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, so it’s imperative to take advantage of the medium to the fullest. Make sure you are pro-actively interacting with your friends and followers by sharing, commenting, retweeting, and liking their posts (where appropriate). By doing this you will build up a lot of good “social karma”, which increases the likelihood your own connections will share, comment, like, and retweet your content, which helps it go viral and get more traffic. I usually spend a good part of my day going through Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn looking for status updates I can interact with. I always notice an uptick in activity on my own content when I do this regularly. This is something you have to work at, to become more effective at interacting with other people. The more you interact with others the more they will interact with your posting which makes it go viral and increases website traffic. Over time, you will build up a tremendous amount of social karma and have an army of people sharing your content with their audiences.

7. Ask for Higher Commissions and Paid Placements – Make sure to ask your affiliate merchants and affiliate managers for higher commission amounts in the new year, especially if you have produced for the company in the past or have the capacity to produce in the new year. Most advertisers hold back what they can ultimately payout, so there is room to go up with commission amounts. If they balk at your request, tell them you will go to their competitor and I bet they change their tune quickly. Tell them you can produce more sales if you were at a higher commission rate. Some companies may reward content-based publishers more than other types of affiliates, so if you have an impressive blog or content site you should be able to get a higher commission rate than what is published on the affiliate network. Sometimes you can even get an advertiser to sponsor a contest or sweepstakes you are running, which can be a great way to whip up excitement on your site and social networks. If you have a large enough audience you can create a “rate card” of all of your paid placements, and see which companies you are affiliates with might be interested in getting in front of your audience for a fee. Some options for paid placements include:  solo email advertisement, email newsletter placement, homepage placement, top of side column placement, Facebook Boosted post, Twitter sponsored tweet, Instagram post. Over time, if you build up your audience sizes in their mediums, you can get paid advertisers to buy the placement, with a commissions as well on the back-end sales that are generated.

8. Make Sure to Promote Deals from Your Advertisers – People LOVE deals and discounts! In fact, these days they likely won’t buy without one. So make sure you are promoting current deals and coupon codes from your advertisers because people like getting and using deals, not to mention promoting coupons and deals increases the “conversion rate-to-sale” on your click-throughs to companies you are affiliated with. If people come to your site and don’t find promotions or coupons they may go elsewhere looking and some other referrer may get the sale. Promotions and discounts tend to increase the likelihood a visitor will make a purchase, so make sure to offer people coupons and discounts when you promote and share posts about companies. You can mention it’s a special discount and even get a “vanity” coupon code which will match the name of your site. This can increase branding and make people remember your site in the future if they think they can get special discounts through your site.

9. Learn from other Affiliate Marketers – Making friends and learning from other affiliate marketers is a great way to further your own knowledge. Don’t be afraid to share what you know with others so you can get ahead together. Don’t get sucked into “make money online” courses and systems, as they usually are worthless and just want your money. There is plenty of free information out there on the Internet to guide your online marketing efforts. Making friends with other bloggers or webmasters can lead to opportunities like guest posts and blog roll links that can help your SEO rankings a little bit. Do your research and see what other websites in your niche look like and what they are doing, and do similar things.

10. Ask for Products to Review (Samples) – Reviewing products and services is a great way to provide valuable content for your readers and subscribers. Providing an actual product review can be very effective at selling the benefits of the company or products you are promoting on your site. Also, you can ask for sponsored prizes to give away in your sweepstakes and contests. Check out Woobox.com or Rafflecopter, for inexpensive ways to run sweepstakes and contests. That way you can really ramp up the excitement level on your sites or fan pages. If you can’t get a prize donated, you can try a $25 gift card to kick off the sweepstakes!

11. Produce More Content – Content is everything, so make sure to write until your little fingers fall off, or outsource your content writing to get more content written and published faster. Websites tend to rank better in the free traffic results when posting frequent and original content, so don’t be afraid to post several times a day to your site. And make sure you are socially sharing all of your new posts. The more pages of original content you have on your site the more free traffic you can bring in from Google, Yahoo, and MSN/Bing. So make sure to post like crazy so you can build your free traffic up over time. Look at your site like a house you build bigger and bigger, until it’s a mansion that gets a ton of traffic! Make sure to post about new year resolution oriented topics, issues, and problems during this time of year. Then you can go back next year and refresh those posts for the following year so they stay relevant.

12. Stay Focused – having too many sites or blogs can really put a damper on your efforts to grow on the web. Pick some main sites and really grow them with content.

13. Become a Merchant – becoming a merchant yourself will allow you to sell products online and make a large margin per sale. Check out Shopify.com which allows you to start your own ecommerce storefront. They even have companies you can partner with that will create and fulfill your product sales on things like Tshirts, posters, mugs, and more. Check out Merchify to create your own product storefront.

These are some ways to improve your affiliate marketing efforts in the new year. Let me know if you have any questions at all about these strategies, I would love to review them with you on the phone or email. Now get to it and build out the web with a bunch of great content and share it! Good luck in your 2014 affiliate marketing goals!

– See more at: http://experienceadvertising.com/13-ways-to-maximize-new-years-for-your-affiliate-marketing-online-marketing-and-social-networking/#sthash.gimY8x02.dpuf

Best Places to Find Inspiration

Some people love routine. They’re perfectly happy getting up at the same time, doing the same things, eating the same foods, and working the same job, day in, day out. I guess it’s comforting to them.

Not me. I thrive on variety. Newness. Challenges. Getting out and about and making things happen. Starting a project and feeling that awesome sense of accomplishment when I get it done … right.

And that’s exactly why I hate this time of year. It’s the weather.

This is the start of northern California’s rainy season, and I’m an outdoors kind of guy. Whenever I can work outside, I do it. Coop me up inside for too long, I start to lose it. And the first thing to go is my inspiration. No, I don’t need sunshine to think, but enough days without it and my brain starts to develop its own sort of gloomy cloud system.

You know the feeling. Everyone has those moments when you feel like you’re stuck in quicksand: the harder you fight, the more it pulls you in.

Related: Richard Branson on the Best Places to Find Inspiration

It’s a problem for anyone who has to think for a living. Managers, executives, entrepreneurs, business owners, marketers, engineers, software developers – all knowledge workers need inspiration to innovate, come up with insightful ideas, solve complex problems, make tough decisions and excel at their jobs.

Over the decades, come rain or shine, I’ve always managed to find things that inspire me, ways to get my creative juices flowing again. Will they work for you? Beats me, but one thing’s for sure: They’ll never work if you don’t try them out.

Talk it out. Sure, there are times when things just come to you. It happens to me all the time, usually when I’m half asleep or in the shower. But when your brain just refuses to function, a little brainstorming can provide just the spark it needs to get going again. The truth is, some of my best ideas came during impromptu, thought-provoking chats.

Do drugs. No, not those kinds of drugs. I’m talking about caffeine. It’s an amazing stimulant. Whenever I need to do some real thinking, I go for the cappuccino. And when I need a big idea but I’m too wound up, I find a glass of wine or two in the evening helps my mind to relax and the ideas to flow. Not for everyone, but it really works for me.

Disconnect. If you’re looking for inspiration, the last thing you want to do is check your Twitter feed, your email, or anything else online. That’s just a bottomless pit of distraction and instant gratification. The same goes for video games, shopping and stress eating. Because it’s addictive, it feels good, even though you’re really not accomplishing a thing.

Related: 10 Twitter Feeds for a Timely Dose of Inspiration

Take a walk. I’ve heard that doing something repetitive frees your mind. I don’t know if going for a walk or a hike qualifies, but for some reason, just getting out and about in the neighborhood or on a woodsy trail gets my synapses snapping like crazy. It even extends to walking meetings, believe it or not.

Start a long-term project. Start a project, something you’ve never done before that has nothing to do with work. I once spent an entire fall and winter season designing and building a large greenhouse in my spare time. And you know what? I’ve never been so productive at work.

Get your blood pumping. Once you get over the pain – or at least get used to it – going for a run, shooting hoops, anything really strenuous makes you feel like you’re on top of the world. It always helps me clarify my thoughts and put things in perspective. Little things that build up seem to evaporate when your pulse rate hits 120.

Commune with nature. Beautiful landscapes, mountains, flowers, majestic coastal redwood trees, rock formations, animals – anything born of nature – has a magical way of drawing you in and making you feel apart of something alive and wonderful. There’s a breathtaking view of evergreen mountains and a bougainvillea vine outside my office. The hummingbirds love it. Me too.

Related: Focus on Passion, Not Labels

Practice mindfulness. No, this isn’t some New Age mumbo jumbo. It’s science, and it’s real. Mindfulness meditation can help you learn to live in the moment, deal with stress and gain perspective. It’s a great way to unblock your mind. A leader in the field is Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, of the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Check out his bestselling audio book, Wherever You Go There You Are.

Play with your kids. If you’ve got them and they’re the right age, I can’t think of anything more inspiring than seeing the world through the eyes of little kids. If not, play with your dog or cat. They love the attention and, you know what? So do you.

Above all, get to know yourself and be good to yourself. If you do, you’ll never hold yourself back or be your own worst enemy. Then all you’ve got to do is figure out how to change the weather.

Steve Tobak is managing partner of Invisor Consulting — a Silicon Valley-based management and strategy consulting firm — and a former senior executive of the technology industry

Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230064#ixzz2rhnaacdQ

Balancing Your Business Schedule

Balancing Your Schedule

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Do you think seconds are important?  Seconds turn into minutes,
minutes into hours, hours into days and days into years.  When we sit
back and ponder how quickly days turn into weeks, months and years, we
ask ourselves, where has the time gone?  As we grow older time seems
to fly right by us.  Seconds are precious because they are a gift from
God.  Seconds are God’s creation.

How we use these small time increments can make an enormous impact on our lives and how we use our time makes a difference in our lives.

God has an exclusive plan for each of our lives and it is essential how we spend our years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds.  It is important that we make the most of our time.  We must take advantage of every opportunity God gives us.  We don’t want to waste a second of the time He gifts us.  Why not let Jesus be your role model when it comes to helping you keep a balanced schedule.  Spending time with God the Father is the most important thing you can do and after time alone with God, you will find that your business will run much more smoothly and you’ll be equipped to taking your business to the next level one second at a time.

Agreement

The Vision and Agreement

GodsVWEBrilliant

With the New Year upon us, it is important to make an agreement between you and your heart.

Before the New Year ushered in, I found myself thinking about what I wanted to do differently in 2014 in terms of growing my business.  It didn’t take me long to figure out what I needed to change in my life which spills over into my business to take me to that next level as a Christian woman business owner.

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My design business, Cyndi’s Light Work Designs, has been my passion and I want to share my gifts from God with more people; a lot more people.  I began doing extensive research on marketing my design business.  I was praying and asking the Holy Spirit for His help in this area of my business.  Dear Holy Spirit, please counsel and instruct me and tell me what I can do to help my business to soar like never before and this is what He spoke to my heart.  Don’t just think outside the box, but create a new box and put everything that I tell you into the box.  Listen and heed my every word.  At that moment I made a covenant with my heart which is where the Holy Spirit lives to do exactly as He prompts me.

I realize that with God in my life and with Him helping me to run my business there is a never-ending reservoir of tools that I can use to grow my business like never before.  I have a wealth of knowledge and now He is blessing me with the wisdom I need to prosper and enjoy my business.  I am powerful, bold, courageous, amazing, awesome, fantastic, spiritual, worthy, valuable and the list just goes on and on.  My business is a conversation that never ends and I have all the tools I need that will keep me soaring for as long as I’m an entrepreneur.

For me, being an entrepreneur is a blessing that has blessed my life beyond the walls of home.  I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to share what God has gifted me.  Gifts that glorify Him and gifts that bless, touch, warm and transform lives.  As I have reflected on 2013 I quickly realized that I have the skills along with the ability to go beyond amazing and to do some of the most awesome things I have ever done in  and with my business.

I am crafting some of the most phenomenal masterpieces the eye has ever seen.  God’s splendor, His love, unconditional and His Divine presence in my life and business are the reasons I am able and capable of doing what I do.  He speaks to me and He tells me what to do and how to do it and then He equips me with the tools to do wondrous works.  Every day I view God’s majestic and excellent works which tells me that a plan from God has been in place for me since before I was even born.  As God slowly reveals His plan for my graphic design business, I am taking notes and applying everything He speaks into the depth of my heart to my business.  I love God’s brilliant plan for me.  I love the way He shows me how to put the colors together when I sit at my desk to create a new masterpiece which is almost everyday because I do need time to write as well.

And so it is that I have made a pact and a remarkable covenant with me and my heart for my heart belongs to Jesus.  This is how I’ve created my business; trusting Jesus and having all my confidence and faith in Him.  Success just doesn’t get any sweeter than this.

 

 

Faith – A Must Have for Women Entrepreneurs

Faith

faith

As a business owner I’ve learned the importance of diligence and what it truly means to be consistent.

When I worked in corporate America I was faithful in getting up and going to work every single day, five, sometimes six, days a week depending on the season. I had to get up every day at 6 o’clock to leave my home by 6:45 am to get to work by 7. I dreaded leaving my children each morning but I knew if I wanted to keep all four of them in private I had to go to work. I enjoyed the work but I didn’t like my hours.  I had a great boss. He and I had an excellent rapport.

For  twelve consecutive years I traveled to work working on a job that prevented me from taping into my great potential and discovering my gifts and talents. Oftentimes when we are forced into a situation we don’t want to be in we miss out on such much because it seems like our hands are tied, and our brain is not being fully utilized if that makes any sense at all.  Even though the place that employed me taught me some of the most amazing lessons in my life through the people I encountered, connected and interacted with on a daily basis I was still missing something in my life as well as in my career because I was super unhappy working for someone else and right before I walked away from that 9-5 as program coordinator I began to discover that I was this phenomenal creative being who wanted so much more for my family and myself.

My journey as an entrepreneur began when I was about 14 years old. I used to dream big dreams. I used to browse through the Philadelphia Magazine and tell myself that I was going to buy my parents a mini-mansion with a Mercedes Benz parked in the drive way.  I’m still dreaming that same dream today, but the difference today is that I now know what it means to believe, trust and have mountain moving faith in God.  I could have gone so much further in my life, achieved much more and I could have had much more in terms of material objects if only I knew what the word faith really meant.  Having faith in God is one of the most important principles that I had to learn in my life as well as in my business.
Learning to deepen my faith and applying it to every aspect of my life has truly changed my life. All the money in the world cannot compare to having faith in God. Trusting God with my whole heart has blessed me in ways in which I will always be grateful. My life is stress fear. I don’t worry about what people think about me or if they laugh at my newest business venture. I don’t have doubt or fear and my confidence has soared taking me to a whole new level in my life. I can honestly say I am bold, I am courageous and I am powerful. I’m not afraid to try new things. I’m no longer afraid to tell people how I really feel and I’m not afraid to say no if I don’t want to do something that I just don’t want to do.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen.

God’s word is truly phenomenal and awesome.

Each and every time I spend time alone in His word reading studying and meditating upon His word I find myself in awe of His principles which have helped me to build my business as well as building an unbreakable foundation for my business.

Growing up in a loving and nurturing home with my mother, father and four siblings, I attended Sunday School and church just about every Sunday.  I always enjoyed walking to Sunday School with my neighbors.  We had such a good time and I looked forward to going to the candy store before our feet ever entered into the church doors.

As a child, I had a ball jumping double-dutch and doing all the things I incorporated into my lifestyle as a child.  I had an awesome childhood and have countless memories of my days growing on in Philadelphia, PA.
As I grew older and still having a blast with my friends, what I didn’t realize is that I would become a business owner who lacked faith and without faith you cannot do anything.  I mean I knew absolutely nothing about the word faith and just how it could change my life in an instant if I had faith in God. What’s sad is that I didn’t know the importance of having faith and if I did understand it’s meaning, I could have done things and gone places I never could have imagined.  I never even heard the word faith until I was about 40 years old.

I began learning about faith through the reading of God’s word and from a friend who had written an extensive article on “Believe and Receive.”  Her article was just what I needed to help me to grow my typing and now, design business all because my faith in God has deepened.  I now know what it means to simply trust in God!

I Began my Journey with Faith in Tow and Soared to my Destination!

When I began my design business years ago, I envisioned what I wanted to do with my designs.  I wanted to color blank canvasses with light and purpose.  I worked, got down on myself and threw in the towel more times than I could count.  Until I let everything go.
I took all my worries, fears and stress straight to the throne and left them there and my faith sky-rocketed and I saw major changes in my business that have kept me soaring ever since.

My faith has:

  • Given me confidence I never knew I could have
  • It has taught me to be bold
  • It has taught me to be courageous
  • It has taught me to not be afraid to do things
  • It has taught me to be obedient to do God.
  • It has taught me to do whatever it is God tells me to do because I know He’s going to equip me with the tools I need.
  • It has taught me that I don’t have to do things I don’t want to do just because others expect me to.

My faith has blessed me and my business abundantly and now I live a prosperous life; not because I am financially wealthy, but because I am spiritually rich!

I, Woman, Inspired

CynthiaGBoyersIamawomanseries7758cbo777I, Woman, Inspired, have made a commitment to honor, obey, love and serve the Lord thy God with all my heart, soul, mind, might and strength.  My Heavenly Father is the Source of Everything I long for and all that I will become; I am because He is.  Because of the Great I Am, I am here and all my dreams and aspirations have become a part of my heart, my passion.


I, Woman, Inspired, have embraced the Word of God and as He speaks to my heart to reveal His plan and purpose for my life, I work in life and in business to fulfill my God-given gift called potential, to reach and touch a star achieving each and every one of my Spirit-filled and God-given goals.  To God be the Glory!


I, Woman, Inspired, has been written, created and designed exclusively for women.  This journal offers women a heart-warming collection of pages filled with Scripture that helps women to build their faith as they are reminded of the greatness of the Lord.  


In pursuing your goals, this journal promises to help you grow in business increasing your understanding of what it means to love the Lord and just how He will guide you through life and your business so that you will be able to comprehend His understanding of the plan and purpose He has designed exclusively for you.   


So be inspired and follow the dreams that Jesus has imparted and planted within your spirit that is now deeply rooted within your soul.  


The I, Woman Inspired, Journal has been created to help you to implement everything God has in store just for you, your life and in your business.  It is also designed to help you strengthen your relationship with the Father; the most important relationship you will ever have.

 

How to Avoid Networking Mishaps

How to Avoid Networking Mishaps

Most young professionals have a good idea of what networking is and why it’s important. I would guess that many of us in our twenties invest a decent amount of time working it into our lives. After all, new connections have the possibility of turning into valuable relationships, or even friendships, over time.

In my experience helping plan conferences and working launch parties and promotional events, I’ve had a lot of time to network and have seen wonderful connections develop. For example, I introduced my mentor to a designer I work with and to this day they work with each other during an annual gala.

From these experiences, I’ve learned that you have to be prepared for anything (and everything). A mishap is bound to happen here or there. What’s more important is how to handle them. Here my list of personal tips to handle things that might go wrong in a networking scenario, with my events and public relations perspective. 

You forget your business cards.  I’ve had several occasions when I went to grab my cards only to realize I left them in my other purse! Keep a few emergency cards stashed in your wallet and in your car, that way you’ll always have something.

You run out of business cards. You probably carry about 15-20 cards on a normal day. If you’re at a networking event and run out, don’t waste important face time explaining why you ran out. Simply suggest connecting on LinkedIn or another online profile and sharing contact information that way.

You get an invite to an event 5 minutes before you head out in the morning. If you’re anything like me, you have friends in many different industries. That means that during a normal workday, you could be dressed business casual and get a last minute invite to attend an event that calls for “haute cocktail attire” (this really happened). Keep one outfit (pressed and fully accessorized) set aside and only wear it during emergencies like this. The next time you get an invite like this, you’ll be ready to go.

You’re going to an event alone. I love to have a friend with me at a happy hour or alumni meet up but I’m an introvert and don’t mind going alone either. Someone recently told me if they’re alone, they come early to scope out the location. This helps to avoid the, “I don’t know where I am and I’m alone” look and helps them relax and anticipate what new connections they can make (maybe from the event staff or panel speakers who will be present ahead of time).

You RSVP to an event and then loose enthusiasm the day of. If for some reason or other you’re not in the mood to socialize but you’ve already committed to going, don’t feel pressure to talk to everyone in the room. Listen in on the sessions or participate in the activities and when it’s time to network, make a connection with just one person. That way you aren’t forcing anything unnatural and you’ve still given yourself a goal to accomplish.

Have other ideas to add to the list? Tweet them to me: @Janine_Clay.

Written by: Janine Clay


If I Knew Then What I Know Now

If I Knew Then What I Know Now

Everyone is familiar with the phrase, “Shoulda, woulda, coulda,” and however you spell it or whatever language you use to recite it, the same sentiment is shared; if only I knew then what I know now. I’m a 24 year-old public relations professional working and living in DC and although I have a lot to learn, I have learned a lot in my short time living on my own. Sure, it’s fun to be a twenty-something residing in an active and beautiful area like DC but being young also comes with making mistakes that probably could’ve been avoided had I listened to my parents, managers and even friends. Some say that’s the beauty of life and some believe being in your twenties gives you the right to make silly mistakes because it’s the time to be young and naïve. I can’t say I agree with the latter.

In the last few years, I have made decisions that ended up being mistakes, which taught me several lessons. By now you’re probably wondering, lessons like what? Well, if I could go back in time and tell my 18 year-old self what I know now, the advice would go a little something like this:

·       Time is of the essence (no, really, it is). Everything requires time; job training, career development, even getting over heartbreak. Time changes the seasons and it changes people, in good ways and bad. It brings experience and experience causes change and growth. Enjoy it, appreciate it and never take it for granted.

·       Mom knows best. My parents always told me, “When you get older, you’ll look back and realize we were right.” Well, my parents were right. I may challenge them just out of my stubborn nature and simply thinking “How would you know? You’ve never been 24” when in actually, they’ve been here before. Trust your parents, they’re always right.

·       Not everyone that smiles in your face is your friend. Sure, people may seem like they have your best interest at heart or that they are genuine but that isn’t always the case, especially in business. Be mindful of who you share personal stories with. Sometimes, the less people know about your personal life, the better off you are.
·       Network, network, network!  I can’t stress enough how important it is to build your Rolodex. Talk to everyone about their journeys and what led them to where they are now.  Ask them what their greatest life lesson is and ask them what inspires them. You learn from every person you interact with. Why not learn from their lessons, too?
·       Take pride in your personal appearance. First impressions are everything, that’s even outside of a job interview, so make sure you always look your best. This doesn’t mean wearing a $500 suit every day. Look like you but look like your best you. Any moment can bring any opportunity so be ready to meet it with confidence. As my close friend always says, “When you look good, you feel good. When you feel good, you play good. When you play good, they pay good.” Cliché, I know, but it’s true.
·       Heed the advice you give others. It’s always easy to give advice to close friends and sometimes strangers, but it’s typically hard to practice what we preach. Why? Because it’s easier to fix problems that aren’t our own. When we’re frantic over a breakup or job loss, we panic so our thoughts become clouded and our advice becomes obsolete. Try being action-oriented and a problem solver the next time you have a personal issue. Focus more on the solution and less on the problem.
·       What you don’t like in another, take time to change in yourself. I often hear people say “I hate when (insert name) does that! It’s so annoying.” Sometimes I think to myself, “but…you do the same thing.” If you despise a trait or habit in a friend, colleague, sibling, etc., be sure to step out of your personal arena and see if you share the same trait that you dislike. If you do, fix it.
·       If you’re not outside of your comfort zone, you’re not growing. Fear always stops me from doing something that I’m passionate or curious about. “What if I fail? What if I disappoint the people I care about?” Fear creates roadblocks that we turn into excuses. Don’t let it. Stepping into the unknown can be beautiful and life changing. Go outside of your comfort zone; you’ll probably learn your greatest life lessons there.
·       Humility and confidence shouldn’t be bragged about. Humility and confidence are two character traits that are rare but admirable. No matter how far you climb up the corporate ladder, keep your wits about you and maintain a leveled head. Remain humble, but confident, and don’t boast about it. If you have to convince someone you are either of the two, then you’re probably really not.
·       Don’t let technology consume you. It’s okay to put your phone, iPad or laptop down for a few hours; they’ll be there when you get back. Turn the TV off sometimes and pick up a book. Spend time sitting in a park watching nature in motion (sounds cheesy but it’s relaxing, I promise). Don’t forget that you come first, before the outside world. You were you before there was Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and every other medium in between. Take time for yourself and learn to enjoy being alone. It’s soothing and can be a huge help to clearing your mind.
Now I have to ask, what would you tell your 18 year-old self?


Written by: Jenna Boyer
Twitter @_JennaDanielle_
Email Jenna.Boyer89@gmail.com

Good Communication

Tips for Practicing Good Communication

 

Communication is a part of our everyday lives but we typically lose sight of how important good communication is. Between email and text message exchanges, personal and professional communication blends together and ends up becoming one in the same. Since the two types of communication are no longer separated, why not practice good communication personally and professionally? How? Consider the following:

 

 

·         Proofread your messages. Have you ever pressed send on an email then reread the messsage only to notice a typo? It happens to me all the time and I think to myself, “If only I had proofread my email.” Until Gmail creates an “unsend” feature, read your email two, three, and four times if necessary to ensure it is free of errors. 

 

 

·         Be genuine. People can usually sense your sincerity via email and text, even if they can’t hear your voice. Exclamation points are a nice way to add enthusiasm to your message but don’t overdo it (see tip #4). Using friendlier language and expressions can also spruce up a message but make it sound genuine. Consider using language you would use in regular conversation and be mindful of your tone (yes, emails have tones). Some words and phrases can come across as rude and if that’s not the tone you’re going for, don’t say it. This is also where proofreading comes into play.

 

 

·         Get to the point. I work in public relations so I’m used to reading reports and one-pagers in a format that presents the challenge first, the approach second then the results last. 9 times out of 10, readers only care about the results. Why make them do so much digging to find one or two sentences explaining the results at the end? The same applies to email. Don’t use an excessive amount of jargon that your reader may not understand; it isn’t helpful. Greet your reader, pleasantly give them the exact information they need, sign, and send.

 

 

·         Don’t overuse exclamation points. As I mentioned in tip #2, too many exclamation points can be overwhelming and insincere. I get it, you want to be enthusiastic over email but don’t frighten your reader. 

 

·         Be mindful of your reader. Consider what information you are trying to convey to the person on the other side of the computer or phone. What is it they care about? What do they want to know? What language would they understand? Be cognizant of the person you’re writing to and make an effort to include all of the information they need to receive an adequate answer to their question, a comprehensive explanation for a request, or a complete understanding of the information you are sharing.

Written by: Jenna Boyer
Twitter @_JennaDanielle_
Email Jenna.Boyer89@gmail.com