I am soooo bloody enthusiastic and passionate about Social Media that when I mix this with small business I just wanna go BANG!

It’s a goldmine for small business right now; we’ve never had it better! Use this economic downturn to your advantage, and in fact you may find there is no downturn!  

Of course you can sit down and whinge about how you need to cut back, and how you need to be more careful with your spending, the banks the government, blah blah…or you can invest this whinging time soaking up this power space called Social Media…. and getting super productive with it!

It’s no big scary thing…you don’t need to be a techie…..STOP IT WITH THE EXCUSES! I’m sick of people saying “it’s ok for you, you’re a techie head”! Damn it guys, I’m no techie!

I’ve only been in this game 2 years….and started from scratch!  What I am is a small business owner who wants to grow my business in a powerful and super productive way (the fewer the costs, the better). What I am is a connecter, a no bullshit girl – If I see something that’s going to benefit me, my family, my business then I take action!

 Everything I have built up boils down to learning new things, connecting with people, caring, taking action and bloody hard work!

 I’m passionate, enthusiastic and energetic and I love the business I’m in. That’s key! You’ve gotta be enthusiastic and passionate otherwise what’s the point! With these qualities and Social Media combined, our business is growing by the second! When I say growing, I mean growing with followers/fans…people that talk to others about us, refer us on…people that are building up our brand (unconsciously) , people that come to us when they want to learn, along with the power people that assist us too (my twitter buddies – just look to your right) ! That’s how we have gone from a Melbourne based business to a business that operates globally and has fans in many areas of the world!

Ok, so I have blown my own trumpet a lot however I want to make a point!  I want the newbie’s out there to get it! It’s our time now people…..it’s 2009! Get with it!

Social media is giving us the opportunity to promote our personal brand or product in a way we could have never imagined! It’s now not a case of spending big $$$$ on your marketing budget – this stuff is FREE and I believe it’s more powerful than anything out there right now (traditional media included – TV, newspapers, radio). Why? Because Social Media is all about great contacts, connections, PEOPLE!!!!! Start watching our next leg of celebrities burst out from this space – the internet – that’s ME included!

So what do you need to do to take advantage of these great marketing platforms? Start building up your lists (fans) NOW while you have the time, while there is an economic downturn, because I promise you, if you leave it til next month, next year then you’re missing out, you’re falling behind!  Yes, it takes hard work, yes it takes extra added hours when you feel like jacking it all in, yet if you’re passionate and enthusiastic about your brand then that’s what keeps you powering forwards. It keeps you going, and that’s what attracts people to you!

Click here to see 1 place to get started…some other places to start building up your list of groupies are Twitter and Facebook!

That rant had to be released…he he….! To be honest it’s not usually my normal fluffy and warm style yet I had to make a point, and it’s because I care. I care about small business and I care about you guys who are reading my post right now! It does my absolute nut in to think small businesses out there do not know about Social Media and the power of this space – that’s why I’m here, and this blog too! Ahhhh…..and those who choose to neglect it, that’s just crazy stuff, yet I guess I can only go so far with this……. it all boils down to a matter of choice!

I trust you make the right choice! 

High fives and whoop whoop! I’m here for ya! Comments please…click the comments section below!

Social Media…WOW.…. how these two words hold so many meanings! A buzz marketing term? An exciting platform to connect with your target market on? A term that confuses you?..or maybe overwhelms you? A concept you are eager to hear more about? So many meanings are added to these two words with many emotions attached to them!

It’s a super Sunday, and I planned to write a super special post on “The power of using video in your business”. However, due to the amount of  “ HELP ME mail”  I received on Facebook and Twitter this week, I have chosen to listen to my audience (as any good business owner does).   In this post, I aim to shed some sunlight and inner calm on this whole Social Media thing! 

Before I answer by far the most popular question asked this week (” Where do I start with Social Media..I’m confused? “), I feel it’s best to give you a few definitions.

•  The super social savvy Brian Solis shares that “Social Media is, at its most basic sense, a shift in how people discover, read, and share news, information and content. It’s a fusion of sociology and technology, transforming monologue (one to many) into dialog (many to many.)” 

• ” Social media is a type of online media that expedites conversation as opposed to traditional media, which delivers content but doesn’t allow readers/viewers/listeners to participate in the creation or development of the content” claims Susan Ward

• And me….Sam Mutimer’s definition :-) – “ Social is the communication, interaction and relationship building part of the process.  Media is the platform in which these conversations, interactions and relationships take place (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, FriendFeed ). It’s just like the old media  - newspapers, magazines, radio and television, however the new part to this media is using some of the platforms I have mentioned above to communicate your message”.

One more definition if you are still a little hazy, from the trusty Wikipedia -   Social Media Wikipedia

So where to start within your own business? I say, as my old PE teacher used to harp on about  “keep it simple”. Take one step at a time and start to build up your connections and platforms at your own speed. There is no race here ( I have only just learnt this!). Do what’s best for you, with the time you have available. Anything is better than nothing!  If  you already have a blog set up, then good on you! I would say you are in front of many business owners in Australia. For those of you that haven’t…..this would be an ace place to start! Blogs are a fantastic place to begin.

To give you just a few benefits in short :

1. Blogs give a personal touch to your business as they are usually a more friendly place to connect with your target market,  as opposed to a colder website platform.

2. They can help to place you as an expert in your field, building up trust, confidence and a fan base for your brand/personal brand!

3. Search engines LOVE blogs and you can get a nice little ranking in places such as Google.

There are many more benefits of having a blog and I will go into more depth in the ” Why blog for business?”  post.  My favourite reason to blog is to share some great content and I hope to enthuse, energise and empower small business owners to get excited about web2.0! Its power to the people at last and we all have the opportunity to grow here in a cost effective and fun manner!

Are you a little clearer now? Click the comments section below to share your feedback! I’m pumped to read your thoughts! Whoop whoop!

High fives…. to your Social Media super success!