Category: Networking

Article Contributed by Danielle

Traveling to a conference isn’t as easy as paying the registration fee, buying plane tickets and showing up. There are many things you’ll need to consider to ensure that your whole group has a good time at the conference and comes back feeling like the time spent there was worthwhile and productive. Consider each of these aspects when planning for a successful first conference. 

Make Necessary Reservations

You can’t just show up expecting to get access to all of the amenities you need, so make your hotel and rental car reservations ahead of time. Many websites help you find the best rates online and book them together to save even more money. Look for a hotel that’s relatively close to the conference location so you won’t get stuck in traffic heading there every morning, and make sure your mode of transportation has enough room for your team and all of their luggage. 

Get Travel Insurance

Unexpected things happen on a trip, and purchasing corporate travel insurance can protect your company from losses due to problems employees may have while at the conference. This is especially important when you travel internationally, but even for a conference at a domestic location, many of your team members may be out of the network for their health insurance and need additional coverage. Additionally, policies designed for business travel also include perks like assistance with rebooking if you experience delays in travel. 

Register for Sessions

In addition to the main conference sessions, you’ll likely have many smaller workshops and lectures to choose from. Pre-registering for these ensures that your team members get into the sessions they want before they fill up. You can also strategize who will go to each session so you cover all the bases and get the most you can out of the conference. 

Arrange Meet-Ups

Conferences are the perfect place to do some serious networking with industry contacts. All of the big players will be there, and there may also be others startups like yours that will have a lot to offer you as well. Do your research ahead of time and find out who else will be attending the conference. Contact people in advance to plan to have a meal together or get drinks after one of the conference sessions. 

Schedule Meetings with Prospective Clients

In addition to general networking, also consider whether there will be any prospective clients at the conference or in the area. You may as well make as many connections as you can while you’re there. If you schedule a meeting ahead of time, you can also plan what you’ll need to bring along to show those prospective clients.

Traveling to your first conference is a big step for your startup, and planning ahead will ensure that you can make the most of your time while you’re there. For many of the people you meet, this will be their first contact with your business, so you want to have all of the details taken care of so you can focus on what’s important during the conference.

If you’re going to be entrepreneur, you’re better off preparing yourself for the new frontiers of online innovation. The best way to approach this is to think of the Internet as just the first phase in a telecommunication revolution that will change human interaction as we know it. The successful entrepreneur of tomorrow will be not only well versed in the innovations of today, but the innovations of tomorrow and the next. This involves preparing for the next phase of the Internet—the Web 3.0, which will include real time communications embedded in every nook and cranny of society, virtual reality interfaces taking over the workplace, and location-based messaging taking over the commercial landscape. This sea change will affect a wide variety of industries and professions, from healthcare contract management to online marketing.

Real time communication. It’s not just social media, chatting or texting. It’s all of these combined and layered on top of powerful new networks. Skype and Voip services are just the beginning. In the coming decade, we will be embedding real time communication applications in the simplest of every appliances, making ubiquitous real time video an everyday staple. Feel free to talk to your boss through a window on your microwave while you’re making toast. If you think this is overblown simply look at the rise of cloud services as a significant profitable and trusted industry, adopted by tech startups and Fortune 500 companies alike. Real time communication is just hitting its stride, but you can expect to see its muscle truly flexed during the upcoming Olympics.

Virtual reality communities. The future is going to see an exponential rise in virtual reality communities that will assist in everything from remotely held boardroom meetings to literal online dating, as in dating via avatars. Expect the trend toward virtual reality communities to mix business and pleasure and become the next great battleground for marketers and advertisers. It’s going to be Second City, except streamlined for everyday use. While it will be a while until we’re talking about the real Avatar, as in actually inhabiting someone else’s body, virtual reality will grow by bursts and fits in the coming decade and will slowly become as widely used as social media is now. The next big virtual reality communities will be like Second City, except streamlined for everyday use.

Location-based messaging. This trend is already in full motion but will become even more prevalent with the rise of the previous two trends. Place-based messaging services like Foursquare, Gowalla, and Facebook will grow to involve more real time video chatting. Expect to also begin seeing location-based messaging being used for ‘online’ places, like virtual reality communities. Services like Loopt are already pushing the envelope with ping-enabled “location-based text messaging”. Expect further experimentation in this industry, as demonstrated by ChatSq, a Foursquare extension that involves creating chatrooms that are attached to locations. Each venue will have the potential to become its own mobile social network. Marketers take note!

All three of these technologies already exist and have been widely adopted. But they are set to evolve qualitatively and quantitatively in the coming years. A wide variety of small business opportunies and venture capital streams are primed to result from these innovations. Entrepreneurs looking for leverage should be familiarizing themselves with these trends and the industries related to them. Don’t get left in the e-dust.

This Guest Post is written by Samantha Peters, an active blogger who enjoys writing about anything of interest to entrepreneurs and business start-ups.

Social media is the buzz word these days. Everyone seems to be talking about Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs these days. The migration of customers to online and social media platforms has also attracted the attention of business, both big and small. The smaller, start-up ventures seem to be benefiting most from social media channels as they do not have the big budget required for traditional, outbound marketing.

If you do not maintain a virtual presence, you do not exist for the customers. However, many start-ups join the bandwagon of social media advertising, without a well-thought-out plan. In doing so, they make several mistakes, which could spell death for their business. Let’s have a look at some mistakes that entrepreneurs and start-ups must avoid to ensure marketing success.

1. Bombarding customers with information without a marketing plan

Some entrepreneurs believe that developing a Facebook page and signing up on Twitter is central to their social media campaign. This may not be the best approach. You need to have a well-thought and coherent social media strategy. Your social media operations need a strategic plan that clearly identifies the social media campaign goals, target audience, ways to reach that audience and measures by which a campaign’s success would be judged. Simply blasting customers with information could prove to be detrimental and annoy them.

2. Being clueless about the social media audience

A traditional marketing plan also requires adequate research on the target market. Businesses cannot afford to throw darts in the dark. You need to do some research on who they should connect with, who they want to speak to directly and who they think will be reading their posts. You should regularly engage with top influencers in the industry well ahead of the competition. Marketing initiatives, which do not target the audience, may well in fact be a waste of time.

3. Forgetting social media etiquette

You might be well aware of email etiquette, such as greeting people properly, using correct grammar and providing a signature at the bottom. However, you also need to be mindful of social media etiquette. Social media etiquette involves asking potential customers thought-provoking questions, promoting other people as well as your own brand, and not always sounding like an advertisement without caring to establish a strong bond with the people. People would appreciate you if you are mindful of these basic etiquettes.

4. Measuring success

All marketing efforts need to have some measure through which success of the campaign may be judged. You may use several tools to help measure the success rate of customer engagement sessions. These tools should take into account your total online community size, the number of mentions you’ve received, how many people have commented on your Facebook page, and traffic referred to your business site from social media outlets. One such tool, Facebook Insights, is built in a Facebook page to track the progress of your marketing efforts.

5. Do not spam, time your posts

Small businesses may also make the mistake of spamming people with automatic direct messages after they follow you. You should get rid of all spam accounts from your social media pages. You should be creative and develop new content to circulate your product or service. As social media acts in real time, you should time your posts and updates well to increase your following. By being unique and creative, you can win new customers.

About the Author:

Martin Vance is a marketing and brand enthusiast, and regularly contributes articles related to marketing strategies for Degree Jungle.

During a presentation that I was giving at a small business owner’s boot camp, I was asked a very interesting question by one of the attendees:

“I am a real estate agent and I am not sure how LinkedIn can help me since it is a business to business platform and I am targeting consumers and homeowners. Should I be focusing just on Facebook which is more consumer oriented? And, if I should be on LinkedIn, how can I best utilize it to help me obtain more business and clients?”

My Answer to How Business to Consumer (B2C) Companies Can Use LinkedIn Marketing

One of the biggest advantages of using LinkedIn if you are a B2B business is being able to access targeted prospects. Now, it’s quite difficult to do that if you are a B2C company as business professionals are there for these purposes:

•    Build and cultivate profitable relationships
•    Get the information they need to develop.

However, that doesn’t mean you should not be using LinkedIn marketing and just stick to Facebook and Twitter. Use Facebook and Twitter to build your community of prospects – but use LinkedIn marketing to attract these three audiences that can double your sales guaranteed:

1.    Media Professionals – A recent study showed that 92% of all journalists are on LinkedIn which is more than any other social networking site.  This means that you have more access to individuals who are looking to quote experts like you or publish articles regarding your industry and how you can help your prospective clients.  By reaching out to these journalists you can develop meaningful and valuable relationships as they will come to think of you as the expert in your field and ask for your information when they are putting together their next piece. This extra publicity will give you more exposure to even more prospects and enhance your credibility so prospects will want to buy from you.

2.    Referral Sources – Through LinkedIn you can build and enhance relationships with key influencers who can provide you with access to prospects you would otherwise not have known, met or done business with.  A referral source is a valuable tool because it is a third party endorsement and they can act as your sales agent as they want to give their customers and clients more value.

3.    Larger companies that offer products or services that are supplementary to yours – Smart companies are always looking to increase their revenues by giving their clients and customers more value. Think of the different companies and organizations that can add your products or services to their own at a premium price – and use LinkedIn to build relationships with the different company’s executives.

Your Next Steps…

1.    Figure out who would be the best referral sources, key influences, types of media and companies for you to connect with. For example, one of my newest LinkedIn Profile Makeover clients is a real estate agent who is an expert on short sells, foreclosures and troubled properties. Before we completed her profile, we had her brainstorm who would be the best referral sources which include:

•    Divorce attorneys – In a divorce couples often have a house to sell. Couples also have other traditional real estate assets that often have to be sold in a divorce. Plus, at least one of the parties in a divorce will need to relocate – meaning they’ll need to buy a new house.
•    Local bankruptcy attorneys who have clients who have no other choice
but to either short sell or go into foreclosure
•    Florida attorneys that represent HOA’s s so my client can help them with the rental of the property, property managementt and eventual short sell
•    Accountants who can refer clients to sell their residential or commercial properties to avoid further liability and eventual foreclosure
•    Financial planners, estate attorneys and probate attorneys who want to give homeowners relief from their unexpected financial burdens
•    Banks who want to sell their foreclosed properties in the shortest amount of time with the highest net to them

2.    Create a LinkedIn profile that is written for the referral sources and media you want to attract starting with your headline. In the headline, identify the audiences you want to connect with – and why they should want to connect with you. In your summary, explain to referral sources how you can be of value to their clients and customers and how your relationship will help them. Also, if you are trying to attract publicity, show the media that you are an expert. Use any media mentions to your advantage in your summary sections as well as having a complete media kit on your profile using the Box.net, Slideshare and Google Presentations applications. To help you create the copy you need for your LinkedIn profile, check out my Instant LinkedIn Marketing Templates at http://www.InstantLinkedInMarketingTemplates.com

3.    Stay on top of your referral sources’ and media professionals’ minds – Once you figure out who your best key influencers, referral sources and media types, start doing your research on LinkedIn and make connections. When you make a new connection, invite the referral source or media professional to your LinkedIn group where you provide tips, tools and articles. Every time you are published, featured or quoted in the media you should be announcing it to your connections and group members.  This will show them that you are a valuable resource and keep you on top of their minds.  So when a referral source has a client needing your expertise, they’ll think of you. And, when the media needs an expert to quote- they’ll come to you.

So create a strong LinkedIn profile using my Instant LinkedIn Marketing Templates, figure out who would be the best referral sources and media types and start making connections that can double your sales guaranteed.

About the Author:

LinkedIn Expert Kristina Jaramillo creates online marketplace opportunities for B2C companies and marketing executives that want to get more publicity, build relationships with key influencers and double their website traffic and sales. Now, with her free special report, you can uncover easy ways to gain more connections fast by avoiding the top 14 mistakes. Get this information for free at: http://www.Free14LinkedInMistakes.com   

Article Contributed by Allison & Taylor

A popular resolution for many in the New Year is to find a job that’s the perfect fit; if you are one of them, creating a flawless employment profile has become even more crucial in 2012. Resumes and interview skills are always of critical importance, but making an investment in your job references is paramount in creating the “perfect employment candidate” impression that employers are looking for today.

The response a potential employer gets from a reference can make the difference between an applicant getting a job….or losing it. Professional reference checking company Allison & Taylor says that individuals looking for employment need to be aware of the following employment trends to succeed in their quest for that new, perfect job:

1. Your references will become even more valuable
Although the job market is poised to grow, hiring managers want to know how well you performed and only your references will be able to give the inside story. Make sure that your references are an asset, not a hindrance.

2. What your peers & subordinates have to say about you counts
You may have been able to hide your lack of production from your boss, but seldom are you able to hide it from those that report to you and your colleagues. Your coworkers can be, and often are, brutally honest. The simplest solution? Do your best work, every day, and let those around you know they’re appreciated.

3. Your reference list needs to match your resume
Often treated as an afterthought, references are a key element in closing the deal on that new job. It has become critically important that your reference list is well thought out, with full contact information, and presented as a matching and professional addendum to your resume.

4. Workplace bullies are still out there, even with all of the publicity about them
Even with all the negative press about bad bosses (or coworkers), bullies still continue wreak havoc, giving bad reports (sometimes completely fabricated) that can affect current and future employment. Find out what to do if you are, or have been, the victim of workplace bullying.

5. Technology offers a great way to stay in touch
Social networking provides a great way to easily communicate with that former boss and keep them updated as your career swings to new levels, so take advantage! Get your information up on sites like LinkedIn, Ryze and Twitter.

6. Employers will do even more background research, and look at your personal social media sites
Birds of a feather stick together, so be cautious who your friends are. Also, be sure there are no off -color comments, and keep certain things private- that way there’s no a chance for a potential employer to see something offensive.

7. Technology will play a large role in giving references
Trends show that employers are moving toward electronic reference systems, which rank an employee’s performance on a scale. This movement has pros and cons- it’s very comprehensive, and factual, and can neutralize negative commentary, but it will also limit the opportunity employers have to sing your praises. Make sure that you give yourself the best possible chance for a positive reference by establishing strong working relationships and negotiating the terms of your reference upon departure from the company.

It’s a new year, a great time for a fresh start! Make sure your resume and references are in order; to find out more about the professional employment services that can help in your job search, please visit Allison and Taylor.

About the Author:

Allison & Taylor and its principals have been in the business of checking references for corporations and individuals since 1984. Allison & Taylor is headquartered in Rochester, Mich. For further details on services and procedures please visit http://www.allisontaylor.com/.