THE SIZZIBILITY BLOG

Imagine what it would be like to put the words “award winning” in front of your name. In business, an award shows an extra stamp of credibility and achievement and can dramatically affect your bottom line for the better.

Watch this 3 minute clip on some basic “How-To’s” when it comes to applying for awards. Then go set up some Google Alerts so you can monitor when the next big award is coming your way. (And wish me luck on May 22 when they announce the winners of the Orange County Business Journal Women in Business Awards!)

Facebook groups give you a great opportunity to position yourself as an authority in your field. Watch these tips and learn how to get started (and get famous!) with Facebook groups.

“Don’t be a wall abuser!” I cry in this heartfelt plea to the Facebook world. The wall is your place to cultivate relationships, NOT spam central. Invest 2 minutes of your time for this quick tutorial.

In case you’ve mistaken me for a social networking maniac, let me remind you that there is a method to the madness! Social networking is a great way to stay visible in front of key people, to make connections, and to anchor your position as an expert in your field.

This photo was taken last week after a lunch date with Rocio Gonzalez-Watson (left), the director of a local women’s shelter, and Angel Aviles-McClinton (center), filmmaker, actor, and online media expert.

In addition to talking about Rocio’s upcoming fundraiser for the shelter, Angel and I encouraged Rocio to tap into social networking as a way to gain visibility for her organization and the many programs it offers. The purpose of the get-together was to discuss the fundraiser, but once we got to talking about social networking, a whole new world of possibilities opened up for Rocio!

Here are some things we suggested for her non-profit to utilize for a higher level of visibility:

1. Recruit local film students (she’s not far from several top film schools in the country) to help create a series of online videos (to be shown on YouTube, etc) that highlight stats of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other issues her shelter deals with.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re on Facebook, read this before you hurl another sheep or send good karma or grow a plant or name someone to an honorable social status. It’s about applications gone wild. People, the madness must stop and you need to be the one who does it. Watch and you’ll see what I mean.

Just watched a great video interview with Kathy Johnson of Consort Partners talking about PR in the world of Web 2.0 and social media.

Listen in as Kathy shares her insights on how Public Relations strategies are changing and what role Web 2.0 plays in it.

In Facebook Tip #1, I gave you some great advice on making friends on Facebook. In fact, it’s getting a viral life of its own as people are sending that video to others.

Here is tip #2 with an all new video: When making friends on Facebook, focus on QUALITY over QUANTITY and you’ll enjoy better results.

Why?

Social networking is about connecting with people authentically and showing genuine interest in others. Through those relationships, you’ll open the doors to new business.

Watch this quick clip on how and why quality is always better.

You can also subscribe to my videos and get sneak peeks by visiting http://www.youtube.com/user/VivaVisibility

Love this article from my friend Leesa Barnes. Leesa is such a class act, you’ll see why when she shares her personal experience on negative comments in the world of social media. (Totally unprovoked comments, btw)

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How to Handle Negative Comments in Social Media
by Leesa Barnes
Podcasting ExpertUh oh! Someone posted something negative about you in a discussion forum, on Facebook or in your blog comments. This is exactly what happened to me this week. For 4 days, some individuals on a podcasting discussion list (with close to 2500 members) were questioning my expertise. Although a few people who worked with me in the past vouched for me, their voices were small compared to the naysayers. Four days after the first negative post appeared on the discussion list, everyone’s happy. What did I do to diffuse the situation? Here are some tips you can use if you find yourself having to deal with negative comments in social media.1. Show up.
It’s easy just to ignore a negative comment, but your absence only helps fan the flames. On the podcasting discussion list, some individuals were bashing me and my credentials. I replied to the first set of comments, but it took 2 days for it to appear on the list because the moderator had to approve it. Once my post was finally approved, my presence helped to soften the responses. People were being so nice to me that one of the naysayers offered to buy me a drink the next time we’re at the same conference together. So, be visible. Don’t be tempted to hide. Being present takes the sting out the mean comments and turns naysayers into supporters. Read the rest of this entry »

Social networking has hit the mainstream with a wallop, and if you’re not up to speed on how to interact in this medium, you may end up making some glaring mistakes. If you’ve been trained in traditional sales approaches, you’re in for a paradigm shift that may rock your world…or knock you off your rocker!

When people of a “mature” age (ahem!) ask me about social networking, I instruct them to learn everything they can about the demographic group called the Millennials. These are the 18-29 year olds who grew up with computers and are now making a huge splash in the marketplace. Their habits and behaviors are shaping the trends and realities of social networking and by 2010 they will outnumber boomers so pay attention!

Here are 5 tips- inspired by the millennial generation- that will help you sow the seeds of business with social networking.

1. People come first
From cell phones to Facebook, you have the option to make friends, name your Top Friends, and use that to communicate status and intimacy levels. A young adult may use this for purely social reasons, but in business this is used to show respect to peers, colleagues, prospects, and clients. Despite its electronic format, it does create a deeper level of conversation online which can lead to transactions.

2. Leave the sales pitch for your website- not your social pages
Top down sales pitches and most sales techniques will leave a foul taste on your pages. Because the focus is on relationship building, overt self-promotion will come across as pushy and manipulative. Who wants to be friends with someone like that?

3. Focus on what you have in common, not what divides you
Unless your target market is defined by religious, social, or political beliefs, you will want to err on the side of caution when posting your personal views in your profile. The best advice is to avoid distractions, and nothing distracts more than controversy. If your political beliefs are integral to building business relationships, then by all means include them. But if you’re looking to cast a wide net in social networking, then think twice before jumping on your soap box. You can always create a personal page devoted to your individual beliefs in any area, but if you have a business page be sure not to distract from the goal of attracting new connections.

4. Slow down
Amassing friends just for the sake of numbers may look impressive on your profile, but random friend adding only results in inbox clutter- and more inbox clutter robs you of precious time. Jot down some criteria for a friend and only add people who meet that criteria. Don’t be afraid to delete a friend if you find yourself getting spammed or deluged with crazy emails.

5. Relax your expectations and watch the results come in
If you planted a carrot, you wouldn’t pull it up by the roots to see if it’s grown yet. The same applies for social networking. Sowing the seeds and being patient are the keys to success. Sometimes you have to relax your high expectations. Chances are you won’t make the million dollar deal your first week. But you never know… work the pages and a new contact may lead you to the deal of your dreams.

The people making money on social networking sites are the ones focusing on relationship building and showing genuine interest in others. Put these tips to work on your social networking pages for online success.

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Want to use my articles in your blog, ezine, or website? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Nancy Marmolejo is a multiple award winning business owner and PR strategist who teaches entrepreneurs how to make more money, find purpose, and get more clients by marketing themselves as recognized, credible experts. Learn how to stand out and sizzle in the spotlight by getting Nancy’s free tips and audio course at www.VivaVisibility.com

I just made a short little video with important tips on adding friends on Facebook. I really dislike the “wham-bam” approach where people just click “Add” without even some sweet talk! Maybe I’m a romantic at heart, but I want dinner and a movie first before we go any further. (I’m just not that kind of girl, you know!)

In this clip, I share the best friend making tip I ever heard (thanks Mari Smith for teaching me about the “sacred space” in the friend add) and emphasize the obvious (which too many people miss) in social networking. (Hint: it has to do with the word “social”)