This is the last post in this lesson on Introduction to Social Media.  In the first post, Social Media for Business, we learned how personalities determine what type of networker your customers and clients are.

In the second post, Understanding Flow Patterns, we analyzed the flow patterns in social media interaction, including the social media metrics you should keep your eyes on.

In the third post, Social Media Procrastination, we took a look at the common causes of procrastination in regards to social media.

We left off last week discussing the Two Deadly Hidden Social Media Pitfalls.

Target Customer or Client

It’s only now that we are finally ready to arrive at the place where most social media guides start — asking yourself: “Where does my ideal target customer/client hang out?”

Take everything we’ve learned about personality types and put it into practice on the social networks you frequent, and you will have a much more accurate answer than if you relied strictly on keyword targeting alone.

Building Relationships

Social media is not where you will close most of your sales — it’s where you will build trust, connect and become known as an expert in your field.

Do you know where your ideal customer or client hang out?  Where do you like to virtually go to do your social networking?

We will begin our second lesson on Facebook for Business in a couple of weeks. Stay tuned . . .

If you haven’t registered yet for our upcoming fr^ee webinar, Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 2:00 pm MST, you can register by going here. We will cover each of above-mentioned posts more in-depth, as well as have a Q&A session. Hurry seating is limited!

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During the next five – six months, we will focus on social media for business. In our blog posts, we will discuss five topics on social media for business. Within each topic, there are five to seven subtopics. Each of our posts will cover each subtopic.

After we complete the last subtopic, we will offer a free webinar, which will cover the entire topic, (including the subtopics), more in depth, as each blog post will be only an overview of each subtopic. We will keep you up to date as to when the webinar will be held, as well as registration information.

The five topics we will cover include:

• Introduction to Social Media
• Facebook for Business
• Google+ for Business
• Twitter for Business
• LinkedIn for Business

This week we will discuss Introduction to Social Media and share various methods to figure out where you are on the social media scale. Do you love engaging in social media or do you dread having to social network?

To ensure that your social media plan help to grow your business and increase your niche community, make social media a part of your overall business plan, as well as understand your customers or clients.

First, it’s important to understand your own online social preferences and habits; where you are on the social media scale.

It’s vital to realize that you and your customers’ or clients’ personalities change when interacting on any given social network. For example, when networking on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or LinkedIn, you have a different personality based on the network.

Also, the type of personality will determine how the social networker will use a particular network. For example, a user that only uses Twitter is generally more extroverted than introverted. For an introverted Twitter user, social media involvement feels more of a chore than a pleasure. An extroverted Twitter user hates wasting time.

Part of having a successful social media business plan is to determine your personality as well as your customers’ or clients’ personalities. You can take the free Twitter-oriented personality test at Ipersonic.com. Myers-Briggs (from Human Metrics) and Keirsey Temperament Sorter (free mini-report) are a couple of more tests you can take to determine your personality type. In the webinar, we will discuss personalities more in detail.

Studying personalities will help you to learn your customers or clients, where they hang out, as well as how they interact on each social media network. Learning your personality type will help you determine who you want to do business with. You may even learn how you interact on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or LinkedIn.

Come back next week as we analyze the flow patterns in your social media interaction. Which network do you spend the most time on? Do you know your personality type? Mine is the Good-Natured Realist based on the personality test over at Ipersonic.com. See you next week!

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It is recommended that if you use a personal photo for your Business Facebook page, that you use one that is a professional headshot and/or company logo (for branding). If you wish to not provide a logo there, you may also place it on other areas of the Business Facebook page; however, keep in mind the profile picture is designed to market your company. Your goal is to brand clients so they recognize and associate whatever it is you may do with your logo.

Adding Friends

After the creation of your profile, you can go “live” with your page. At this point you will want to begin the process of adding friends. Search for groups who are involved in a similar business and add current and former coworkers. Don’t wait for someone to come to you, become involved. At this time you can bring in your other social networking skills and combine them into your Facebook page. If you have an existing LinkedIn and/or Twitter accounts, these can also lead to new contacts within the Facebook’s network. Keep in mind you must always engage with your audience.

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Read Facebook Page Profile – Part 2 and Facebook Page Profile – Part 3 to learn of more Facebook social plugins.

Working for someone else and working for yourself is as different as day and night.  I suddenly realized this having worked in the corporate world for over 25 years compared to now being an entrepreneur.

It is quite an adjustment to become accustomed to not having to answer to anyone or feeling inferior to a superior.  I call this conditioning yourself into a mindset of an entrepreneur.  It is not an easy transition, but well worth the transformation.

Your client is not your boss, but your equal.  This type of relationship fosters a mutual respect for each other to the point where you can even brainstorm on certain topics or issues.  Sure your boss in the workforce may have attempted to show you mutual respect, but there was always that element of inequality that existed.

Having an entrepreneur’s mindset gives you the freedom to express your ideas or creativity without being worried about being stifled or causing confusion in the office or the boardroom.  An entrepreneur’s mindset gives you more confidence in yourself and your capabilities.  It can also build your self-esteem, especially for female entrepreneurs.  Women in the workforce have come a long way, but there is work yet to be done.

In today’s economy, being an entrepreneur is rapidly becoming the norm.  According to Entrepreneur Magazine, self-employment rates have been growing at an average of 4.5 percent annually. With all the layoffs, especially among baby boomers, that percentage will increase.  Age discrimination still exists; therefore, it will be difficult for them to find employment, forcing them into becoming entrepreneurs.

Overall, thinking like an entrepreneur rather than an employee is a process, which takes time.  As I mentioned before, it is a conditioning that takes place.  It is not easy, especially for baby boomers after so many years in the workforce; however, it can be done.  Enjoy the ride!

From the mindset of an entrepreneur,

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As I mentioned in my previous post, virtual assistants (VAs) are professional administrative experts offering a service.  Yet, there are potential clients who ask for a cover letter and resume.

In the virtual assistant industry, providing a cover letter and resume is not the standard.  Generally, this is not the standard for any service provider.  Do you ask your accountant, lawyer, plumber, television repair person, dentist, doctor or any provider of the services you may require for a cover letter or resume?  Then why would you ask a Virtual Assistant for these documents.  We are service providers too.

It is the norm to ask VAs for references; even though, you wouldn’t ask any of the aforementioned service providers for that information.   However, we are more likely to use their services if they are referred to us.

Another point I mentioned in my previous post is the business world is conditioned to think of us virtual assistants as administrative assistants; as employees.  We are not employees.  We are independent contractors.

Do you want a Virtual Assistant or an employee?  If you want an employee, than a cover letter and resume are required.

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As an entrepreneur and small business owner, you’ve probably heard the term “Virtual Assistant (VA)” and know what it means.  However, there are still misconceptions that exist.  I’m going to attempt to clear that up in this blog post.

“A Virtual Assistant is a professional who specializes in providing administrative support and expertise,” says Danielle Keister of Virtual Assistant Chamber of Commerce in her blog post.  To read more of Danielle’s post, click here.  The business community is still conditioned to think of virtual assistants as administrative assistants.  This type of thinking can devalue the true worth of a Virtual Assistant; therefore, potential clients tend to focus on the cost of the services rather than the value a VA can bring to the table.

Since VAs are professional entrepreneurs, they are quite versed in business operations, marketing, bookkeeping, etc.  As Danielle points out in her blog post, a Virtual Assistant can help you move your business forward.  This is a very valuable skill to any entrepreneur and small business owner.

The qualifications and skills that virtual assistants possess as a professional enable them to be experts in their fields, as well as in their profession as an entrepreneur. You receive more than administrative support, you have someone you can consult with, bounce ideas off of, brainstorm with, as well as utilize some of their business practices.   If it works for your VA, it may work for you in your business.

These are just a few examples of the value your Virtual Assistant can bring to your business.  The benefits you reap as an entrepreneur from this type of business relationship outweighs any fees that you may perceive as being expensive.

If you choose to work with offshore virtual assistants to save a few bucks, you will not receive this type of  value-added service, mainly due to cultural differences.

I hope this helps clear up the misconceived notions that yet exist.  Feel free to post your thoughts and comments.

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As an entrepreneur and small business owner, you are aware of the importance of using social media networking as a marketing strategy. You also realize how much time is involved in social media networking. I can spend an entire day on Twitter alone networking with other entrepreneurs. In order to save you some valuable time, virtual assistants can help you with your networking efforts. Keep in mind, virtual assistants use the same social media networking techniques and know their way around social media sites. A virtual assistant can set up your social media profiles at various sites, as well as filter through posts for any relevant information pertaining to your business. On Twitter, a Virtual Assistant can check your DMs (direct messages) and your replies (posts directed to you) to see if there is anything you need to respond to. A Virtual Assistant can also post pertinent information about your company and products and/or services. Larger companies are starting to use Twitter to communicate with their customers about their products and/or services, in addition to getting their feedback. Another feature of Twitter is you have people following you and people you choose to follow. A Virtual Assistant can research the ones following you to see if they are viable potential clients. In addition, s/he can search for possible clients for you to follow on Twitter.

As you know, social media networking allows you to create business relationships, as well as give your prospective clients the opportunity to learn more about you; therefore, it is necessary for you to spend some time networking on these social media sites. However, virtual assistants can help you save a huge amount of valuable time; time you can use to focus on your clients. Virtual assistants can help you with social media networking also.

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Since I live in Southern California, I never think about being snowed in because of inclement weather. I can’t even fathom it since I have never lived in that type of climate. However, I am aware that in severe weather, businesses are sometime forced to close; whereas, in other cases, businesses can remain open, but some of the staff may not be able to get to work because of the road conditions.

However, one way businesses can economically survive during periods of inclement weather is to work with virtual assistants. The administrative tasks will be completed no matter what the weather is or if the business remains open or not. This can save companies money or, at least, reduce the amount of money that would have otherwise been lost. Another domino effect is the cost to the economy. Jill McLachlan of JMVA in the UK stated that in her country, according to Federation of Small Businesses, the cost to their economy may rise to $4B, because of a recent snow storm. Approximately 20 percent of the staff could not get to work.

The same holds true for parts of our country that deals with this same type of weather. Businesses may want to consider having virtual assistants as a backup to their regular staff for these situations in order to economically survive inclement weather. Small businesses who work with virtual assistants on an ongoing basis never have to worry about their projects and/or tasks being completed during harsh weather. Virtual assistants do not have to commute to their clients’ offices to provide the administrative support they need in order to keep the operations of their businesses going.

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With all of the recent layoffs, more and more people for various reasons are opting to start their own businesses rather than seeking employment. These new small business owners will require some type of administrative assistance and are turning to virtual assistants for their administrative assistant needs. Due to the increase popularity of virtual assistants, I feel it is necessary to reiterate the working relationship between a client and a Virtual Assistant.

When working with a Virtual Assistant, it is important to remember a Virtual Assistant works “with” you not “for” you. Clients don’t hire virtual assistants (VAs), they retained their services. Clients don’t interview VAs, they have consultation sessions. Virtual assistants are not employees; they are small business owners as Minda Zetlin points out in her blog post titled, “Why You Need to Hire a Virtual Assistant.” Although, I don’t agree with some of the terms that Minda used, she discusses valid reasons why small business owners need to hire a Virtual Assistant. Click here to read Minda’s blog post.

Although the Virtual Assistant industry has existed for nearly 10 years, due to downsizing and layoffs, VAs are suddenly in high demand. However, clients and virtual assistants need to recondition their concept of what a Virtual Assistant really is and what they do or don’t do.

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When working with a Virtual Assistant (VA), there are some simple communication processes that can be put into place, which will help to make a Virtual Assistant/client working relationship a success.

Communication is the key; just like in any type of relationship. If you are retaining a VA services on an ongoing monthly basis, it is a good idea to give your VA some type of schedule listing the projects and tasks you need completing, along with anticipated completion dates, for the entire month. This way, if your VA has other clients, he or she can schedule your tasks accordingly ensuring that you will have your completed tasks in a timely manner.

Another suggested method of communication is a check-in report that you and your Virtual Assistant complete weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. The report will have the same set of questions that both of you will answer; for example, how has it been working with me for the past several weeks, what have you enjoyed most, what have you enjoyed least, is there anything you’d like to discuss, etc.? You may think this is too time-consuming, but it is highly recommended in order to have a successful working relationship.

One other method of communication, of course, is e-mail. It is less intrusive than the telephone and takes less time, which allows your Virtual Assistant to stay on track and focused. Needless to say, at times, a phone call will be warranted.

A client’s and my working relationship have been quite successful due to implementing the above-mentioned methods of communication. They leave no room for assumptions. The key is communication.

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