Posted via email from itsmeyo’s posterous

Want Success? Start With Authenticity

Guest post by Ali Brown

Most businesspeople present themselves as who they want to be instead of who they really are. Now, I believe in thinking big, but not at the expense of being true to ourselves. When we start off in business, we often have visions of who we think we need to be in order to please (or convince) our clients or customers.

We envision our model of business success, and we chase that model, often to the exclusion of our own true selves. We may look, act, and speak the way we think our customers expect us to. But when we create a disingenuous version of ourselves, our business suffers.

Here’s why authenticity is crucial to your business success.

• Authenticity builds trust. Today’s customers are discerning and often skeptical. One of the problems with many online businesses is that they lack humanity. Customers don’t know if they can trust you or not. But incorporating your personality into your website helps create a human connection that reassures customers and convinces them that you are a person they like and want to do business with. This is also true with a brick-and-mortar business. If you’re accessible and personable to customers, then it goes a long way toward building confidence in your business.

• Clicks don’t buy – people do. A lot of internet marketers are obsessed with stats like clicks and conversions. But your customers are more than numbers. They are people! And people buy from people. The truth is in the practice. As you begin to open up to your customers, you’ll notice that they’ll feel a stronger connection and loyalty to you personally, which will carry over to your business. You’ll stop being a big, impersonal conglomerate and start being someone real, someone people can count on to do the right thing.

• Being true to yourself sets you apart. You could be like all the other bland, sanitized businesses, or you could be yourself. And by being yourself, you eliminate the competition, because no other business can offer the same blend of personality and authenticity that you can. You don’t need to compete. You just have to be yourself.

• Your personality will attract customers who appreciate it. Anyone who is put off by you being yourself probably wasn’t going to buy from you anyway. And they certainly weren’t going to be repeat customers. As Dr. Seuss said, “be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” The customers you attract will be people who relate to you, for whom your personality resonates, and those are people who are willing to build long-lasting relationships with you. It’s the ultimate target marketing.

So, how do you incorporate your authentic self into your business? That’s up to you. There is no formula to follow or any textbooks to read. All it takes is tapping into your unique personality and letting it shine through in your business. It’s a simple, yet powerful concept.

© 2009 Ali International, LLC

Self-made multimillionaire entrepreneur Ali Brown is devoted to creating financial freedom for women globally through the power of entrepreneurship. To learn how to create wealth and live an extraordinary life now, register for her free weekly articles at www.AliBrown.com

How many people do you know who use the Internet? How would you like to get paid every time they click to search or download music or blog or shop? How would you like to get paid even more every time they buy something online?

iJango is a new and cutting-edge search, shopping, news, entertainment and social media networking portal as well as a truly ground-floor business opportunity.

Google gets paid every time someone clicks thru on a Google Ad. In the first quarter of 2009, Google had $5.5 billion in revenue! It’s time someone came up with a business model that pays users and their friends every time they click.

And iJango has done just that.

Click on the button below to check it out for yourself.
disclaimer:
I am a Director with iJango and am shamelessly promoting this because I believe us “little guys & gals” who are willing to work for it deserve the opportunity to get a piece of the billion dollar pie that is online advertising. And I think the actual product, the portal itself, is brilliant. I’ve been looking for something like this for a long time. Have a look and let me know what you think!

Social Media

Coaching – Strategy – Implementation

“How can social media really help me?”
“What results can I expect?”
“How much time does it take?”
“How do I get started?”

These are the questions most people ask when it comes to social media. And we have the answers.

Whether you’re just dipping your toe into the waters of social media or are you paddling around on multiple social media sites, we can help.

Through a series of one-on-one coaching sessions we identify what is already working and create a strategic plan for your social media presence. With strategy in hand, we work with you on implementation and course-correction, continuing to develop and expand your social media presence and grow your business.

If you’re ready to get started now, go to our Social Media Marketing Program page to sign up!

If you need more information, we invite you to find out more about how we can help you with a free 30-minute consultation at your convenience. Just click on the button below and select a date and time that works for your schedule.

Beautiful & delish hummus plate @ Café Artemis in Campbell at The Pruneyard

Sometimes you just have to take a moment and enjoy life. I’ve been so busy these past few weeks so today I treated myself to lunch at the fabulous Café Artemis in Campbell. This cozy little hideaway is tucked between the Starbucks at Barnes & Noble and Trudy’s special occasion / wedding dress shop. The food is always fresh and delicious and the atmosphere is wonderful. There’s even an outdoor dining patio so you can enjoy the beautiful California weather!

So I just wanted to share this time with you and encourage you to take some time, today, to really savor and enjoy your life.

Posted via email from itsmeyo’s posterous

Whether you’re a support professional or a busy entreprenuer, this presentation will teach you how to put social media to work for you – Quickly & Easily!

• If you’re overwhelmed by all the social media choices out there..
• If you’re afraid social media will take up too much of your valuable time…
• If you want to leverage social media, but not sure which social media outlets are most effective for your (and your clients’) business needs…

Attend this Live Seminar

hosted by the Bay Area

Professional Association of Support Services

Saturday, June 13, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to noon
10:00–10:20 Networking,
10:20–10:35 Introductions & business
10:35–12:00 Presentation

In this presentation you’ll learn:

• Which social media outlets to start using right away
• How to quickly create a presence in each of the “Big Three”
• Why it’s important to create different profiles for each outlet
• What to include in your profiles (and what not to include!)
• Who to follow, “friend”, and include in your list of connections
• How a social media strategy will save you time while increasing your effectiveness
• Tips and resources on how to maintain your social media presence quickly & easily

For more location and other details, please download the flyer or go to the registration page on the PASS website.

Cost: $12 PASS members / $15 non-members includes breakfast & meeting (see flyer for menu choices)
RSVP is Required: RSVP to Debra Dkalmon@aol.com by Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Menu Choices: due by Thursday, June 11, 2009 (see flyer for menu choices)

For more information on the Professional Association of Support Services, visit their website at www.pass-ca.org

If you see someone checking out her phone with some regularity, it’s easy to assume she’s checking her text messages. If she’s checking her phone CONSTANTLY, it’s likely that she’s checking her Twitter stream.

Alas, Twitter use has grown beyond the computer. No need to lug around your laptop just to publish something for your friends or read the latest tweets. More and more people are tweeting from and receiving tweets on their mobile phones.

Last month my text message usage increased by nearly 700% (thank goodness for unlimited text plans!). Why? Because I started following many more of my twitter peeps on my mobile device (a.k.a. AT&T Tilt). Now I get tweets from all of my favorite people delivered to me, personally, wherever I am and in real time. Major cool factor.

I’ll have my twitter “to go.”

Yvonne Ohumukini Urness
Social Media & Relationship Marketing Professional

Follow, Friend and Find me on…

Image by mcchronicles via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.

Twitter is a social media marketing phenomenon that helps you connect with people you might not otherwise be able to meet. As YOU add valuable content to the twitter-sphere (140-characters at a time), you increase your connections, establish your credibility, and grow your network.

Determining what IS valuable to your followers and the rest of the twitter community can often stop you cold in your tracks. So what can you post on twitter that will really add value and help you grow your network? Here are some ideas:

• Industry information and news
• Quotes (business-focused, inspirational)
• Funnies (links to videos, humorous stories, etc.)
• Inspiration (links to stories or videos that inspire)
• Personal interests (if your followers may find value)
• Re-tweets

These are time-tested topics that twitter users never tire of reading. If you can focus on generating short, pithy posts with these topics as your focus, you will be well on your way to building your twitter network and connecting with real value.

Image by mharrsch/”
The Thinker by Auguste Rodin Bronze” via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.

Seth Godin has such a gift for distilling concepts and actions to their very essence.

In this video, Seth reminds us once again that networking is not about how many business cards you collect or how many online friends and followers you have. True networking is about the value YOU bring to others.

So focus on understanding what others need and what resources you have that will help them with those needs.

Then help.

Thanks to Social Media Wiz for the original blog post!

Please tell me your thoughts on this in the “Leave a Reply” box below!

It’s my birthday and YOU get the present!

This Friday, March 13th is my birthday and I want to celebrate it with you.

So I’m offering a birthday special 30% discount on the third webinar in my Social Media Marketing Program: Facebook 101. It takes place this Friday, March 13th, from noon to 1:00pm, PST.

Join me as you learn:

• Facebook basics (even if you’re already on facebook!)
• To Friend or Not To Friend…
• Groups, Notes and Notifications
• How to Engage and Build a Community

Grow your sphere of influence and leverage the unique qualities Facebook offers for connecting with your target audience!

Sign up today and for only $19.95 you will:

• participate in a live and dynamic webinar
• gain exclusive access to the recorded webinar
• gain access to the downloadable PowerPoint presentation
• get answers to your questions on Facebook topics

All this for less than the cost of lunch out!

Click on the button below to register:

BONUS: Register today and receive a 30% discount on next week’s webinar “Facebook 102″

Yvonne Ohumukini Urness
Social Media & Relationship Marketing Professional

Follow, Friend and Find me on…

Image by jillclardy via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.