- Success Strategies for Creating a Social Media Monitoring System
- Creating and Promoting a Compelling Facebook Contest
- Tips and Tactics for Building an Effective Social Media Measurement System
- Discovering the Fine Art of Setting Rates and Building Packages for Your Services
- Creating an Effective Mobile Marketing Campaign for Local Businesses
- Setting up an Ecommerce Platform with 1ShoppingCart
- Mastering New Tactics for Increasing Your Search Engine Listings
- Maximizing Productivity and Enhancing Communications using Google Tools.

Watch this video for a more in-depth view of what to expect.

Visit VAClassroom to get more information on this years Summer Skills Camp!

Craig Cannings along with co-instructor Michelle Schoen had the opportunity to chat about the state of Virtual Events in 2010.

You can access this 18 minute interview as well as all the details on this new program by going to the below link.

PLUS, VAClassroom are offering a special course bundle package (Just for May) that includes both the Virtual Events Specialist Program as well as the new Camtasia Video Training for VA course together for one special price. Camtasia is the most widely used video and screencast production software on the web and will be a perfect compliment to your Virtual Events Training. Enrol today and receive two high calibre training programs at a $150 savings!

This special bundle offer will be available until the end of May 2010 so grab your seat now to become a Certified Virtual Events Specialist.

This is a huge misconception! Assuming that your target audience is not out there in the Twitterverse tweeting, or Facebooking, becoming Fan’s of your competitor’s Fan Pages,  checking in on Foursquare leaving to do’s or tips, or leaving reviews on Yelp.

As a teenager everytime I told my Dad “I ASSumed” he would respond with “When you  assume, you make an ass out of yourself”  Yes this is a bit on the dramatic side even for me, just had to make sure you got my point.

This assumption that your clients are not participating in the social media channels  is a costly assumption.  Do you want to pay the cost?

Go to Twellow, Wefollow, Nearby Tweets, and Local Tweeps, then put in your location and see if your geographical location has an audience on twitter.   So where they there?

I don’t have time to Tweet, blog or Facebook – I am running a business!

Have you heard of  “Outsourcing”?  This is where a social media marketing specialist can be of value to you.   A social media marketing specialist can get your profiles in place, and customize them for you.  Set up a management system for you.  Coach and train you how to use this system.  But above all the most important thing a social media marketing specialist can do for you is help you “Define Your Social Media Marketing Strategy!”

I’ve tried it for a couple months and it doesn’t work – we haven’t seen an increase in customers through our doors since we started tweeting.

My dad also tried to teach me that “Patience is a Virtue”  I still have issues with this lesson, I’m all about instant gratification.  However, I had to get over my instant gratification when it came to participating in social media marketing and you will have to get over yours to.

You will need a long term brand engagement plan so you can connect with your community, share specials, and build your business over the long term.  After, all I am sure it’s not your plan to just try a month or two to  run a successful business.

“Patience is the secret sauce.” – Gary Vaynerchuck

I already advertise in the local paper and radio and that seems to be doing just fine for us.

How much are you spending on advertising in the local paper, purchasing radio ads, or ads in the local Yellow Pages?

Ok, let’s be honest here, do you use your phone book or call 411?  Yeah, I have this friend let me introduce you to him, his name is Google. I go to my friend Google and let my fingers do the walking….

Participating in social media marketing is “Cost Effective” the only expense you’ll incur is choosing to have a social media marketing specialist set your profiles up, train you to use the sites, set up a management system, and coach you by developing a strategic plan of action.

Any more objections?

Craig Cannings Co-Founder of VAClassroom.com:

“I was recently reading a 2010 Predictions post from one of my favorite blogs, Social Media Today and they were forecasting what trends would take shape in the coming year. Interestingly enough, the 2nd prediction on this blogger’s list was that “The Social Media Specialist position will become mainstream.” In fact, a few months prior, she did a post on the “Responsibilities of the Social Media Specialist (AKA Community Manager)” and she mentioned that this particular post was the most popular one she did all year.

It seems like the writing is officially on the wall: Your Social Media Skills will continue to be in serious demand in 2010! However, like any skill, it is important that it is developed and updated on a consistent basis in order to effectively service your clients’ evolving needs.”

Needless to say, I’m very excited about this prediction.  Vaclassroom.com is rolling out a updated version of their Social Marketing Specialist Program  which I have enrolled in.  In 2010 it is my goal to continue to be “Your Go To Girl For All Your Virtual Needs!”

Eleanor

Your Virtual Girl Friday

Fan pages are one of the hottest pieces of Real Estate online today. Facebook has over 300 million users, did you know over ten million of those users become fans of Facebook pages each day?  Here are five reasons why Facebook Fan pages are such a powerful channel to increase your visibility and raise brand awareness:

Fan Pages facilitate greater interaction with a  target audience.
Facebook Fan Pages are very SEO friendly and highly indexed in  Google.  Having a fan page on Facebook gives your business additional linking oppotunities “Link Love” and viral marketing “referrals”!

Fan Pages allow you to build and connect with an unlimited fan base. With the over ten million users becoming fans of Facebook fan pages each day they are giving you permission to message them and there is no spam folder.

Facebook Applications enable you to now create visually appealing FB landing pages. Have you come across a fan page that gives you the option to sign up for a newsletter, welcome page, or a testimonial page?

Fan Pages are a powerful viral marketing tool. As users interact with your page, this shifts to their walls and news feeds leading to increased exposure!

This has given businesses the desire to create compelling Facebook Fan pages, but either a lack of time or lack of expertise keeps them from creating their fan pages.  If they already have a fan page they may not know how to use their page to unlock the full marketing power.

Recently I finished taking the “Fantastic Facebook Fanpages” course at VAclassroom. In this short mini-course, I was able to obtain the following skills:

- How to design, develop and market your fan page with a user-friendly step by step guide
- How to create visually appealing Facebook landing pages
- Success strategies for leveraging Facebook applications to increase the visibility of your business
- Simple SEO tips for helping your pages get more traffic from the Search Engines
- Practical tips for building a targeted email list with your fan page.

You can take the course if you’d like or if you don’t have time to take a class and just want it done I’m here for you.

Here is my Special going on now until December 31, 2009:

Fantabulous Facebook Fan Page $150.00

Includes:

1. Custom banner using your logo and picture
2. Create a “Welcome” landing page
3. If you have audio or a video this can be added to the Welcome landing page(Video/audio to be provided by you)
4. One additional Landing Page of your choice (Testimonials, Coupons, FAQs, Products, Portfolio Page, etc)
5. Connect to other social media sites ex. Linkedin, Twitter to Fan page and add linkable buttons
6. Email Opt in box for you to capture leads
7. 1 hr training on how to manage your Fan Page, add applications,  and tips to market your page

For small business that are interested in the power of social media the following is accessable:  increasing referrals, develop trust, retain clients, be more available, and socialable

By participating in social media small businesses can build their online reputation no matter what type of business or professional service they are the above is an option for them.

Now that you know, social media is for your small business are you wondering where to start?

The first thing to do is define your social media  goals, have a strategy before you start.  How do you define goals or come up with a strategy when you don’t completely understand how social media marketing  works?  With an effective social media assessment you will be able to identify the appropriate starting point and direction for you and your business.  You will also be able to measure your ROI’s Return on Influence and Return on Investment.  This is where someone like myself comes into play, as a Social Media Marketing Virtual Assistant this is one of my favorite things to do.

Above all don’t let the fear of the unknown hold you back from participating in Social Media Marketing.  After all what is FEAR?  “False Evidence Appearing Real” – Ilene Meckely

I personally believe that the “Virtual Events” field is one of the hottest avenues to building your business right now, especially in this down economy. The statistics are clear: There is currently a significant increase in the number of participants attending virtual events such as webinars, tele-events, live podcasts and web TV shows. However, there is a corresponding decrease in those attending offline events and conferences partly due to the economy, but for a host of other reasons as wells. The reality is that Virtual Events are more cost-effective to deliver and attend, have the capacity to reach a larger audience and can be re-broadcast for continued exposure.

Businesses are keenly interested in running Virtual Events right now, but many lack the knowledge and time to effectively set-up and implement the Virtual Events successfully. As a result, this has presented a very timely and unque opportunity for Virtual Professionals to position themselves as a “Virtual Event Specialist“! 

On September 16th, VAClassroom will be hosting a “must attend” event with Craig Cannings and Virtual Event Expert, Michelle Schoen titled,

“Building a Profitable Niche as a Virtual Event Specialist (Even in a Down Economy)!”

They will be exploring the crucial skills required to effectively deliver Virtual Event Set-up and Management services to your clients.

In addition, they will be sharing some exciting news on our upcoming training program: The Virtual Event Specialist Certification.

So, go ahead and click on the below link to watch a short 5 minute video and then sign-up to receive some special bonus information including more details on the upcoming event on September 16th!

Click Here: Virtual Event Specialist

Outsourcing Your Online Presence

I was super thrilled to see the July 7th article in the popular online magazine, Entrepreneur, which highlighted the value and power of outsourcing Social Media Services to a talented Virtual Professional.

Check out this quote from the beginning of the article..

“Should You Outsource Your Online Presence?”

“You Can Save Time and Money by leaving Social Media Marketing to the Pros.”

“Between blogging, tweeting, Facebooking and updating a LinkedIn profile, it’s a wonder how a business owner has any time to answer e-mails and phone calls, much less run a company. But the time invested in social networking is well spent in this age where maintaining a social media presence can be a necessary piece of a successful marketing strategy.

Trouble is, as the number of platforms grows, so does the time it takes to feed and groom each account. Not to mention the front-end investment of setting everything up.

For those caught up in a social media blitz–and those contemplating taking the plunge–why not consider outsourcing? A virtual assistant can tackle those time-consuming tasks.”

Entrepreneur.com, July 7, 2009

Here is a link to the actual article: http://cli.gs/r9Wazh

The opportunity for Social Marketing VAs and Specialists is overwhelming. Almost daily, VAClassroom.com is receiving new requests for Social Media VAs. In the last two days, they have received requests for as many as 10 Social Media VAs – amazing!

The timing is perfect to consider taking the Social Marketing Specialist Program (if you haven’t already).

Click here for the Social Media Marketing training course.

Coupon Code: SUMMER09

Here are a few questions to think about: Are you actively engaging your network? Are you a community builder, someone relationship oriented? Are you avoiding aggressive marketing tactics? Is you profile memorable? Have you established a regular schedule for participating? Are you presenting your self in a professional and personable way? Are you a “Social Leper” (a taker, all about you) or a Social Magnet (sharing your expertise, adding great content, and writing recommendations)? Are you spreading yourself to thin, trying to participate in every social network there is?

If you are actively engaging your network, then you are a contributing to your community and are a quite possibly a “Social Magnet.” By avoiding aggressive marketing tactics you are drawing people to you with your magnetic personality.

To make sure you are not spreading yourself to thin I would recommend reading
Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day