I’m happy to announce that I am one of 7 experts taking part in The Productive Business Owner Telesummit, Oct. 17-21 (http://smartsimplemarketing.com/pbo). We each take a different approach but will all share solid information that can immediately be implemented for increased productivity.

Some of the things the speakers will share: MORE

I literally just hung up with my coach and wanted to share some insights on how you can gain better results with your Facebook Fan Page.

As I'm sure you've noticed Facebook is constantly changing their landscape and how the features work. So, what worked 6 months ago to engage your audience probably isn't working anymore.

Admittedly, I haven't done the best job of engaging my audience on my Facebook page, but I'm excited that I'm taking steps to correct this. Thus, I want to pass forward the quick lessons I learned today so that if you have a Facebook Fan Page, you can make some simple tweaks to start creating better connections with your audience:    MORE

Want to get more customers and earn more loyal fans? Social media marketing could be a great addition to your marketing mix. This method of marketing can help you promote your solutions to your ideal customers. Using Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and other social media sites allows you to interact with and build a relationship with your audience in real time. You can take communication between individuals and turn it into an interactive, community experience.

Social media builds trust – and it can build it faster than traditional forms of media. For example, you may be familiar with email marketing, email newsletters and different types of broadcasts that are sent via email. It can take you weeks, months or even longer to develop relationships with those people using email marketing. Although the relationship develops over time, it can be a little slower than you anticipate.      MORE

Social media is becoming more and more of an essential tool for businesses of all sizes. But unfortunately, due to the newness of the medium and a lot of accompanying misleading hype, many businesses are led astray. Either due to their own misguided social media attempts or using bad advice from inexperienced “social media experts”, businesses are making mistakes left and right. Read more about Social Media Mistakes You Should Avoid

Social media – it’s one of the most overhyped words in online marketing – so much so that many service professionals have thrown the baby out with the bath water and given up. However, when you learn to use social media consistently and correctly it can be a great boon to your business.

Here are five reasons why social media should be an essential part of your marketing toolbox: Read more about the Top 5 Reasons Why Social Media is an Essential Tool

Blogging about your business is by far one of the best strategies for driving traffic to your website, educating your target market and connecting with ideal prospects.

However it's important to think about setting realistic expectation for your readers, as well as protecting your business interests while you are freely expressing your thoughts.

This quick article by Mashable highlights a few critical points all of us bloggers should take note of as we strive to add value to the marketplace and grow our businesses.

http://mashable.com/2011/06/16/blog-legal-tips/

Let's face it. Not everyone loves networking. For some the very thought makes them queasy.

Yet, inherently, most service professionals know that effective networking is often the fastest path to generating more cash for their business.  So if you are on of those who would rather do yourself bodily harm then attend a networking event, what are you supposed to do? Read more about Networking Tips for Introverts - 6 Easy Steps

Marketing a service business will inquire an investment of your time and financial resources. What if you don't have a lot of money to spend on marketing? Now what? Does that mean you simply cannot market your service business and your only hope is waiting on the sidelines for someone to hire you? Not at all! Today is the day you learn that marketing a service business with a minimal budget is not only possible, it's easier than you think.

One of the first steps in marketing a service business is to get your branding in place. Make sure your business name, your tag line and your logo are all connected – that they send a consistent, positive and results focused message. Your brand is what prospective clients will remember you by. You've only got a few seconds to make a first impression, especially online, so make sure you have your ducks in a row -- everything about your brand should be clear, concise and consistent. Read more about Marketing a Service Business with No Marketing Budget

An information product (info product) is just that - bundled information on a specific topic. Instead of working with a client in a coaching, consulting or similar setting, you are documenting your expertise and providing it to them in a self-study format. An info product can be a checklist, a cheat sheet, a special report, an MP3 audio, a CD, an eBook – the possibilities are endless! (For an example, check out the FR*EE training course available on my website “5 Simple Steps to More Clients, More Visibility and More Freedom!” Any format that is appealing to your target market and allows you to share quality information is a potential for an info product.

Read More About 5 Proven Steps to Creating Products Your Clients Want to Buy

It isn't rocket science, but for a lot of service professionals, a simple step-by-step social media plan seems difficult to create. 

Yet, developing one takes all the intimidation and guess work out of using this popular tool for business marketing. If you've been holding off on using social media to market your services, then you'll be especially interested in today's article. Implement the following five steps and get ready to watch your business grow like never before.

Step One: Understand the Game

Social media is different from sales and other types of marketing. This isn't the place to do a hard-sell, “just for you, just today” kind of selling tactic. Successful entrepreneurs have quickly learned how to marry marketing and socializing on these types of sites and if you want to be effective, you need to do the same. Social media begins and ends with ... being social! Let people get to know the real you -- let all the best aspects of your personality shine through. Make sure in each interaction that you are pleasant, informed and helpful. Know that you need to let a little bit of your “real life” shine through, but keep in mind, a little bit goes a long way. MORE