The points we’ve covered so far in our previous posts may seem pretty labor-intensive. They’re not. It’s knowing how to network effectively that creates a strong presence and following — not the precise number of minutes or hours you spend on social networks.  If you missed our past two posts which led up to this post, click here to read the first post and here to read the second post.

Social Interaction

A habitual five minutes a day of acknowledging or making comment responses and hitting your “Like” button is more likely to increase your visibility and trust factor than all the educated articles in the world. Yet many people engage in social networking only on a “hit-and-miss” basis — or avoid it altogether.

Whether you’re a “hit-and-miss” poster or a socio-webophobe, it all boils down to the same sin: Procrastination.

Common Causes

The nine most common causes of social networking procrastination are:

• Anxiety
• Fear of addiction
• Dislike of social networking
• The belief it’s a “waste of time”
• Disorganization
• Distraction
• Reactivity
• Lack of proactivity and planning
• Laziness

Whatever the cause, you need to tackle that issue right now. (Remember, we’re not talking becoming a social media guru here: We’re only talking about a few minutes a day with two or more of the “Big Four” networks.

Offline Business

Think about it. If you were running an offline business, would you put up a website, and then sit in your office waiting for the world to discover you? Or would you be out and about, drumming up business.

Even offline, your best business leads often come from word-of-mouth recommendations, and the fact that people “know” you. If they’ve met you helping out at the annual Sally Sue Run, they’re able to put a face to your name, when they discover it while looking for local web designers. People want the personal touch, and that’s even more true on social networks.

So ignoring them is like sitting at home, never, ever volunteering, taking a booth at a craft fair, offering to give a talk to your local Chamber of Commerce, attending networking breakfasts, carrying your business cards around with you or whipping out your elevator speech. Doesn’t make sense, does it? Perhaps in the movies large clients might drop out of the sky . . . but that’s not usually how it works.

Social Networking

When you realize that social networking replaces all this legwork when you run an online business, procrastination is not an option!

Start by spending five minutes a day commenting on posts you like, sharing highly relevant content with selected followers or simply clicking “tweet,” “Share” or “Like.” Make it the same time, every day — and don’t miss it for at least three months! NASA experiments show that the human brain will actually create a neural pathway for the new behavior . . . but it takes a good couple of months for these pathways to “grow,” if you walk there every day.

Once you’ve created the habit, you will have plenty of time to hone your social networking skills.

But start today!

Do you suffer from social media procrastination?  If so, do you recognize any of the common causes listed above?  Leave us a comment below, we would love to hear from you.  Come back next week, when we discuss the two deadly hidden social media pitfalls.
RJ’s Internet Marketing Services

As an entrepreneur, you are already aware of how difficult it is to get traffic. If you are a start-up, you will soon realize it. Keyword research is one area people tend to briefly glance at rather than give it the amount of attention that it needs. If keyword research is done properly, you can increase the amount of traffic you are getting, as well as the quality of the traffic itself. Here’s how.

How Majority of People Perform Keyword Research

Majority of people will decide on a market they want to work with, then use Google Keyword Tool to check out how much traffic they will get. If there’s a lot, they generally just get going right then and there.

This is not nearly enough time to spend on such an important aspect of an online business.

Your keyword research is like the foundation of your Internet business and what everything else in your business is built on. If you select a poor base keyword, chances are you won’t get much traffic at all. Even if you do get traffic, you may not make any money. This is a decision that affects everything else in your business.

The amount of time, effort and care you put into keyword research should reflect that.

How Proper Keyword Research Can Help You Get Ahead of Your Competition

Imagine these two examples.

Example 1: Jack decides to altogether skip the careful keyword research that we are recommending here. Instead, he plunges straight ahead into building his website. Unfortunately, the keywords he was hoping to rank for is so competitive that he soon loses steam and never makes any money from this project.

Example 2: On the other hand, Jill goes through the process of carefully doing her homework. She’s in a relatively competitive market, but begins to build her business by targeting well selected keywords with far less competition.

She begins getting traffic from these keywords and making a little bit of money right away. Encouraged by the money she’s making from her initial traffic, she continues to build her website and her traffic.

Over time, she works her way up to targeting higher and higher traffic keywords, pulling in traffic most website owners can only dream of.

Both of these are very common examples. It’s no exaggeration to say that keyword research can make or break your business. How much time or attention should you put into selecting the right keywords? The answer is as much as it takes.

Now that you know just how critical keyword research really is, the next step is to learn the keyword research process inside and out. Then apply what you know and reap the benefits.

How much time and effort do you put into your keyword research?

RJ’s Internet Marketing Services

Now that you have your start-up business up and running, it’s time to let your target audience know that your products and/or services are available. They will not be aware of your existence, unless you tell them.

Whether you have a brick and mortar or an online business or both, one of the best strategies for spreading the word about your new products and/or services is through Internet marketing. We will cover some of the more popular Internet marketing methods and strategies in this post.

Website

It’s vital to have a website. This is your online business card. Having a website makes you and your business look credible. Not many people will do business with a company or entrepreneur if they don’t have a website.

Blog

Next you need to have a blog. You can use your blog to share your knowledge with your target audience, while at the same time become known as the expert in your field. This will drive traffic to your website, possibly converting your site visitors into clients.

Social Media

Then you need to get involved in social media marketing. This will also drive traffic to your website. The more popular social networks are Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Facebook

On Facebook there are two different accounts you want to create. One is called Profile and the other is known as Page. Your profile account is for socializing with your family, friends, and colleagues. It also allows your potential clients to see the human side of you. Your Page is strictly for showcasing your business.

Twitter

Twitter is a real-time information network that enables you to follow conversation and topics you are interested in, as well as the latest information.  Connect with your target audience and drive traffic to your website. You can socialize on Twitter, while at the same time become recognized as an expert in your industry.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is for professionals only. Sharing personal, non-business type of information is not acceptable on LinkedIn. LinkedIn also has groups geared toward your interest.  Just do a search using search terms of your interest on the LinkedIn group drop-down menu to locate the groups you want to join. The groups are similar to forums where you can share information as well as gain knowledge to help you operate your business.

Come back next week when we continue our discussion on Internet marketing for start-ups.

RJ’s Internet Marketing Services

Internet Marketing for Start-Ups – Part II

We are switching gears this week from talking about our usual topic of Internet marketing to letting you know about a webinar that I have been selected to participate in with a presentation on “Working from Home Online.” The event is called International Super Saturday Business Event. In case you want to join us, I will provide the details at the end of this post.

Home-based Business:

While researching for information to include in my presentation, I came across the following interesting statistics about home-based businesses. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the United States alone there are over 18.3 million home-based businesses and close to 60 million worldwide!

Statistics:

I feel these statistics are the driving force in the number of home-based businesses online. According to MITAgeLab, there are approximately 450 million baby boomers worldwide. The number of baby boomers in the United States is approximately 76 million.

The unemployment rate for people 55 and older is at the highest level ever recorded in the post-World War II era.

The ILO (UN International Labour Organization) projects a global unemployment rate of 6.1 percent, equivalent to 203.3 million unemployed. In United States alone, the unemployment rate is 9.1 %, which equals 14 million unemployed. This doesn’t include the 8.8 million other people not counted as unemployed — part-timers who want full-time work.

Internet Users:

According to the UN’s International Telecommunications Union (ITU), there are over 2 billion Internet users. With the world population at 6.8 billion and rising, almost one person in three is online.

Forecast:

According to a recent International Data Corporation (IDC) forecast, the number of home-based U.S. businesses will increase by more than 10% over the next four years to about 21 million.

Work from Home Online Coursework:

As a baby boomer and unemployed, I decided to start-up a home-based business almost 10 years ago. I made numerous mistakes and wasted a lot of time. Therefore, I wanted to provide those of you who are considering starting up a home-based business some information to help you make an easy transition from working for someone else to being unemployed to not being able to find employment to starting-up your own business.

If you fall into the above-mentioned categories or know of anyone who has found themselves in this position, click here for more details on the coursework that I created. Blessings on your start-up home-based business.

Webinar Details:

As promised, here are the details for the webinar: ASA Online International Super Saturday Business Event 10:00 am – 12:00 pm EST September 24th. Doors open 30 minutes early with Music, then 15 minute Slide Show Presentation. Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/746576072. Click here to learn more about All-Star Success Alliance (ASA).

RJ’s Internet Marketing Services

This is a video that I included in my newsletter for my subscribers. I give an overview of the content in the November edition, which focuses on social media marketing. Following is a transcript that I included with the video on YouTube.

Introduction
Hi Rita Cartwright here, with another month edition of our newsletter.

Social Media Marketing Facts
We begin this newsletter with some interesting facts on social media marketing.

Critical to Your Internet Marketing Strategy is Keyword Research
And following that is a video on the importance of keyword research to search engine optimization and to your internet marketing strategy.

Women Empowering Women – Is Networking Alive And Well In Internet Marketing For Women?
Following that is an article on women empowering women in the internet world. And this is done through joint ventures with each other and also through networking.

Social Media Marketing in 3 minutes
Next is a video on how critical social media is to your business. And also in this same video, you will learn the secret formula of how to become success online.

Using Social Media Boosts Website Promotion
Next is an article on how you can add your website links to social media sites in order to promote your website. These links are also known as backlinks or inbound links. They are simply links from somewhere else back to your website.

RJ’s Internet Marketing Services Video Trailer
Last but not least is a video trailer on our services and how our services can help you with your internet marketing. More information can be found at http://rjsinternetmarketing.com.

Instructions for Non-Subscribers on how to Subscribe to Newsletter
By the way, if you happen to be watching this video, and you are not a subscriber of our newsletters, scoot on over today to our website and sign up today. The sign up box is on the right-hand side of the screen. When you do sign up, you will receive a free copy of our e-book, “Online Marketing Tools for Today’s Small Business.” You will also receive a 5-part report on working with a virtual assistant.

Conclusion
As usual, thank you for your continued subscription. I hope that this information will be beneficial and useful for you in your social media marketing. Thank you.

RJ’s Internet Marketing Services

Rita Cartwright is following up a previous video in which she announced her new business name and website. She is now offering Internet marketing services replacing word processing services.

RJ’s Internet Marketing Services

When starting a virtual assistant business, the first item on your to do list is coming up with a business name. You should give this a lot of thought.  The name you choose should reflect your products or services, because you will promote, brand and market your business under this name.

Next, decide on a niche.  A niche market is a narrowly defined group of potential clients. In order to create effective advertising and/or marketing messages, you need to know who you are addressing.

One method of marketing is Internet marketing, also know as online marketing.  Nowadays, because of the Internet and technology, Internet marketing is affordable and popular.  Examples of Internet marketing are blogs, websites, article marketing, online networking, and e-mail marketing campaigns.  For more detailed descriptions and examples of Internet marketing, click here for a copy of  my e-book for only $3.98.

If you are considering starting a virtual assistant business, decide on a business name, choose a niche, as well as create and implement an Internet marketing plan.

RJ’s Internet Marketing Services

Cordina Charvis, CEO of CD&C Virtual Outsource Paralegal, began her virtual book tour today and has just arrived for her first stop on her tour.  We are discussing how to start a virtual paralegal business, her new e-book, The Ultimate Virtual Paralegal Guide, plus much, much more.  Also, after Cordina’s visit, there will be a drawing for a fr^ee copy of her  e-book.  To qualify, just post a comment or question for Cordina.

Following is my interview with Cordina:

RC: Tell me about yourself.

CC:  My name is Cordina A. Charvis, founder and CEO of CD&C Virtual Outsource Paralegal, and I have more than 12 years experience working as a corporate paralegal and notary public. I have worked with several top law firms in the nation and in-house legal departments.

RC: Why did you write this book?

CC:  Law firms have been laying off attorneys in record numbers leaving lawyers scrabbling to find work. Some are working temporary positions, working as paralegals and others are considering going solo. Attorneys who consider going solo are hesitant due to the start up and overhead costs of starting a law firm. These attorneys reduce their overhead costs by hiring virtual assistants and virtual paralegals. Virtual assistants/paralegals reduce the cost of overhead for lawyers and small businesses.

RC: What qualifies you to write this book?

CC:  With more than 12 years working as a paralegal and almost five years as the CEO and founder of CD&C Virtual Outsource Paralegal, I believe I have enough insight in the business to share some of my struggles and successes that may help others who are trying to break into the business or for those who have started their virtual assistant/paralegal business but are looking for ways to grow.

RC: What is the book about?

CC:  The Ultimate Virtual Paralegal Guide is an e-book where I discuss how I lost my first 10 clients while starting and operating my virtual paralegal business. This e-book is a step-by-step guide to starting your virtual assistant or virtual paralegal business.

RC: What do you want the readers to get out of the book?

CC:  I am hoping that this e-book will serve as a step-by-step guide for readers who want to break into the VA or PA business and will give experience VA and PA ideas on how to grow their business.

RC: How long have you been writing?

CC:  As a paralegal, writing is always a part of my professional life. I have to draft letters, memorandums, correspondence on a daily basis. But as a hobby I have always enjoyed writing articles about the legal industry.

RC: How can the readers contact you if they want further information?

CC:  They can email me at inbox[at]cdcvop.com.

RC: How much does the book cost?

CC:  The book costs $18.99.

RC: Where can the readers purchase your e-book?

CC:  Anyone interested in purchasing a copy of my e-book can do so at my website http://www.cdcvop.com.

RC: Thank you, Cordina, for stopping by and sharing with my readers.

CC:  Thank you for having me, Rita.

RJ’s Internet Marketing Services

Just one more day until CD&C Virtual Outsource Paralegal worldwide virtual book tour begins right here at 9 a.m. PST.  Come on back tomorrow when I interview Cordina Charvis about her newly released eBook, The Ultimate Virtual Paralegal Guide.  In Cordina’s eBook she discusses how to begin a virtual paralegal business, and how to avoid the setbacks that goes along with starting a new virtual paralegal business.

Also, Cordina will be giving away a fr^ee copy of her eBook, valued at $18.99, to a randomly selected visitor.  To qualify for the drawing, just post a comment or question for Cordina.  I will announce the winner right here.

Come back tomorrow to meet Cordina and enter the drawing for your copy of The Ultimate Virtual Paralegal Guide.  See you then!

RJ’s Internet Marketing Services
 

In just two days, Cordina Charvis will begin her worldwide virtual book tour.  She will make her first stop here on Friday, November 20th at 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. PST.  I will be interviewing her about her newly released eBook, The Ultimate Virtual Paralegal Guide.  Cordina’s eBook includes tips for starting a virtual paralegal business, as well as pitfalls she suffered when she first started her business and how to avoid them.

Cordina will also be giving away a fr^ee copy of eBook, valued at $18.99, to a randomly selected visitor.  All you need to do to qualify is post a comment or question for Cordina on Friday, November 20th, to be entered into the grand drawing.

So come on by on Friday to learn more about Cordina, as well as ask her any questions you may have about operating and starting a virtual paralegal business.  You can also be the lucky winner of her informative eBook, The Ultimate Virtual Paralegal Guide.  See you on Friday!

RJ’s Internet Marketing Services