It seems that the new Facebook format, Timeline, really has people in arms.  But don’t people always complain any time Facebook makes format changes?  The truth is, Facebook Timeline has some great new features that truly broaden the Facebook user experience . . . and Timeline is not going anywhere.  As of today, Facebook users will have no choice but to learn and adapt to Timeline since most all profiles have been converted.  One great thing you can do with your Timeline is to make your most important posts (of your choosing, of course) stand out amongst the rest of your posts.  How do you accomplish this?  Read on for step by step instructions:

Timeline Highlight.  The new feature that allows you showcase any and every post you want to call special attention to is called “Highlight.”  Highlight is super easy to access and use, as you will see in this breakdown.  (Side note: the Highlight feature applies to Facebook fan pages only.  The same feature is actually called “Feature” on standard profile pages.  However, both Highlight and Feature work the same way.)

How does Timeline “highlight” your posts?  Basically, when you choose a post to highlight, that post is expanded to the full width of your screen (or the full width of the Timeline, that is).

Where is the Highlight feature?  This is easy.  Simply hover your mouse around the upper right hand corner of your post and two buttons will appear: a star and a pencil.  The star is your Highlight button.

The highlighting process.  Click on the star.  Yes, that’s it.  If you make a mistake and highlight the wrong post, or if you have a change of heart and decide that a post you highlighted is unworthy, simply click the Highlight star again to remove the highlighting.

What can you highlight?  Anything you post on Facebook may be highlighted.  This means status updates, photos, videos, Timeline events, and much more.  As a matter of fact, you may use Highlight to customize the look of your page in any way you like; for example, you may opt to highlight every one of your posts if you prefer that your page fans have a large, simplified view of everything you post.

Facebook’s new Highlight feature can be a powerful marketing tool, if you know how to use it.  To make the most of your social media marketing, contact the professionals.  We at LS Virtual Assistant Services can help take your Internet presence to the next level.  Contact us by phone, at 757-204-5782, or use our contact form here.

If there’s one thing that social media marketing is definitely all about, it’s thinking outside of the box. You could argue that marketing in general should always be about thinking laterally and coming up with different solutions, standpoints and positions, but in social media marketing we often use tools which a traditional small business owner might never have considered before. A case in point is video marketing. Videos go hand-in-hand with social media. We just need to look at the meteoric rise of YouTube and understand that it’s now one of the most important search engines on the Web, as well.

It’s no coincidence that Google owns YouTube and perhaps not surprising that videos often show up in very prominent positions within Google in response to any given query. It has been proven time and again that we are drawn to a moving image on any Internet page and as such we should be taking steps to create marketing messages that are video-based, as well.

Video marketing should be an integral part of social media marketing for any organization. However, it’s something that many people shy away from as they believe that it is too complicated, costly or challenging. They may feel that they have to invest a considerable sum of money in production facilities, talent and post production, to say nothing of distribution.

Video marketing does not have to be complicated. However, it does go without saying that whatever you produce should be professional and be representative of your organization. Given what’s available and the great solutions around, these days with a little ingenuity and being aware of these solutions and options, videos can be produced that are relevant to your organization’s subject matter without too much difficulty.

Many organizations choose to produce a video that is a voiceover of a presentation of some kind. Others choose to use video to showcase their customers, or how a particular solution worked well in a certain set of circumstances. The secret is to always create videos that are entertaining, educational and informative and remember that you should not be an overt marketer in social media marketing circles.

A good virtual assistant knows how to create videos using good quality but relatively inexpensive hardware and software. They will also know how to correctly optimize the video so that it has the best chance of featuring online. There are some very sophisticated distribution networks available today to help you to showcase your optimised videos. Good content presented here could help to position the organization as the go-to expert. Many of the most successful companies online have focused on video marketing as part of their social media marketing efforts, to great effect.

Why not go one step further and consider creating a YouTube channel? Many companies have used this concept to create their very own branded, marketing channel within what is generally acceptable in social media marketing terms. If a video that you produce has the advantage of going viral, your gains can be truly exponential.

Blogging, tweeting, friending. Odd sounding verbs, these. Not sure you’ll find them in the “verb” category in the dictionary ~ at least not yet. Give them time. “Ain’t” made it in, and that verb didn’t have nearly the grassroots support of these three.

Indeed, this triad of “new verbs” are both the result and the harbinger of the most prominent types of social networks and Social Media Marketing in the world today: personal and professional blogs (with RSS feeds so you can stay “tuned in”), Twitter (the “mini-blog” suited to the info-bites attitude and fast-forward pace of our lives in the 21st century), and Facebook (the global water-cooler). As the Bible says of Faith, Hope, and Love, these three remain. Blogging, Twitter, and Facebook: which is “the greatest of these” remains to be seen.

In the realm of the online marketplace, however, it’s no contest. The winner is: all three of them. They are the leaders of the newest form of network marketing and one of the most effective: Social Media Marketing.

Why is it so effective? Three reasons that are particularly attractive to small business and other entrepreneurs: low impact/annoyance factor, cost effectiveness, and a viral spread of information.

1. Low Impact (and therefore low annoyance factor) :-

In the same way that email rapidly replaced telephone contact and so called “face time,” blogging, Twitter, and Facebook are replacing other more traditional forms of marketing, and for the same reasons.

Emailing became the norm for the “sender” of information because it was easier (both physically and emotionally) than making a phone call or meeting with someone in person. Email grants immediate completion and instant gratification: No getting a busy signal or, worse, an answering machine or voice mail inbox that required you to leave a message (wherein you might say the wrong thing and not be able to erase and re-record) and no having to carry on an unscripted conversation with someone in person (wherein the same dangers were ever present). The receiver was equally blessed by the ability to respond (or not) at his or her leisure and with the same assurance of faux pas-free “conversation.”

Social Media does the same for marketing by freeing the marketer to place his or her “ads” at any time, around the clock, 24/7, rather than to some PR office or publisher’s schedule, while simultaneously granting the target audience the ability read/view and/or delete at will instead of having to dispose of or recycle the publication, and all for the low, low price of . . . well, nothing.

Which naturally leads us to reason number 2.

2. Cost Effective (’cause it’s free!)

Well the section header pretty much says it all. You can’t get much more cost effective than “free,” and all of these Social Media Marketing venues are just that. Free as the air you breathe ~ which, by the way, is how many viruses spread.

3. Wherein a Virus can be Your Business’s Best Friend :-

Remember the “water-cooler” metaphor above? Years ago, in the traditional brick and mortar model of business, the water-cooler was the place where employees would gather to socialize during breaks, exchanging pleasantries and information, introducing the “new guy” to the old guard, telling jokes and showing off pictures of their pets or the new baby.
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Long after the physical water-cooler had been replaced by bottled water, “hanging around the water-cooler” remained a metaphor for the casual meetings and conversations that took place among people in the physical spaces of a business environment. Whatever the place, the close physical proximity inherent to “hanging around the water-cooler,” made it equally easy to pass along a cold or flu bug with the jokes and those pictures of your little ones.

As it is in the physical world, so is it in the virtual, and it is in this way, especially, that Social Media Marketing is effective. Facebook is an especially good example of the virtual “water-cooler” inasmuch as people “meet” there and exchange information (including jokes and pictures of the fam) and provide the perfect growth environment for spreading a “virus” in the form of word-of-mouth marketing.

It’s little wonder, then, that adopting Social Media Marketing is a good idea for your small business. And it’s kind of comforting to some of us, after all, that even here, in the virtual business world, we can find in these new fangled technologies an echo of tradition and a sense of continuity that is familiar and reassuring.

About The Author
SKGTechnologies.com is a leading and quality service provider for all social media marketing services.

We have talk about and discussed many ways to harness the potential power of social network sites for building credibility and driving hungry buyer traffic to your sites.

Today you’re going to discover and important component that you need way before you even embark on your social network journey.

In fact, this trait can be found in the world’s top sales people, as well as movers and shakers in the industry.

And this mysterious action is…listening.

Now don’t laugh. How many times have you bought something from a salesman because he listened to your needs, knew when to give you great advice and made you feel like he was a long time friend?

We naturally like people who are willing to listen to our problems, needs and desires rather than those who blabber on and on about what they have to offer.

It works the same way in social marketing. Because humans are social creatures, they tend to flock to people who can understand and empathise with them rather than someone who tells them what to do.

And when you simply ask a question or two then sit back, You’d be surprised at how much valuable information you are able to glean straightaway. And your competitors will be wondering how in the world did you think of that money making idea. This is the mother of all marketing research methods, so practice it often and you’ll see significant results in your marketing campaigns!

Would you like more social media tips like this? Check out Social Marketing Superstar.

You may be amazed at the rise of web2.0 (otherwise known as social networking) sites over the past few years, wondering how in the world did such casual sites which operate like de-stressing tools become such big business?

Well, the key element to doing business in today’s modern world is strategic networking. One of the fastest and most interactive methods is social marketing advertising.

In fact, a whole lot of companies create their own customized profiles on social media sites, and then add prospects and business contacts as friends. The key to social marketing networking is simply making friends and connecting with a targeted demographic audience.

No matter what your target demographic is, you’ll find various kinds of people from all backgrounds and cultures who eagerly log on to sites such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Squidoo regularly.

Many online businesses, some of which could be your rivals, are already taking advantage of social marketing advertising. You need to jump on the bandwagon as well to leverage on this amazing wave of social marketing.

Creating a profile or channel can be done in a matter of seconds. However, you will have to maintain your own page regularly. Try logging in on alternate days to add new friends, respond to requests, share comments, answer questions etc.

Remember, you have to be patient yet interactive so as to win the trust of others.

Would you like more social media tips like this? Check out Social Marketing Superstar.

When you join a social networking site for the first time, there are a couple of unwritten ( or maybe written in some places) rules that you need to take into consideration.

Now these rules or tips may not make you a Millionaire overnight, but what they do is help build credibility and your good reputation online as someone people can trust and who knows his/her area of expertise well.

And here they are:

1. Don’t try to be funny

Some people will start to think business and start promoting their businesses or products on the spot. Wrong move. The purpose of sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc. is to socialize, and you should just stick to that. This means no hard selling, no direct sales pitch, nada, zilch. It’s an environment where work and play has must go hand in hand.

2. Go where the traffic is

Sounds like common sense? You’d be surprised how many people actually over look this. If you see a huge community of people on Facebook talking about dog training for example, there’s your obvious pot of gold.

3. Give as much as possible

Yea, it is better to give than to receive. When offering people tips, advice, videos, files and other freebies, you are actually adding value to whatever you offer them in future and building up a credible reputation. Although it seems you might be on the losing end now, in the near future, you will reap untold profits from this once little action.

Of course there’s more to leveraging on the power of social media but right now, apply these tips and see your stock rise online!

Would you like more social media tips like this? Check out Social Marketing Superstar.

If you are a business owner or entrepreneur, you’ve come to realize that marketing your business online has massive potential  for huge profits.  But if you’ve done your research on internet marketing, you’ve probably also realized that there are so  many different ways to market online and many of it takes time and effort.

This is where an Internet Marketing Virtual Assistant can be your answer.  So what exactly can an Internet Marketing Virtual  Assistant do and how will he/she increase profits for your business?

Here’s a brief list of the different internet marketing tasks a virtual assistant can perform for your business:

Maintain Your Blog or Website Maintenance

If you have a blog or website, you can hire a virtual assistant to load your blog posts and schedule them to post on different days. A virtual assistant with search engine optimization expertise can make sure the right keywords are used on  your blog or website. He/She can also update your content regularly on your blog or website when changes are needed. With  your website consistently maintained and optimized for the web will help bring you a steady flow of traffic.

Write and Submit Articles

It is well known that writing articles and submitting them to article directories is a sure way to drive a flow of traffic to your website and generate quality leads. Your virtual assistant can write and submit 1 to 3 articles a week on your niche.  This technique will definitely bring you continuous traffic to your site while building backlinks.

Write and Submit Press Releases

Press Releases are another fantastic way to generate traffic to your website. Each time your company has a new announcement  to share, your virtual assistant can write a press release about it. Also, Press Releases like articles create backlinks to  your site.

Email Marketing

In order to do email marketing, you need an autoresponder system. A Virtual Assistant who specializes in internet marketing  will most likely know how to set up an autorepsonder service for your website.  This includes creating the opt-in form for  your site and loading all the messages.  With this assistance, you’ll be able to concentrate on building a list instead of  trying to maintain it.

Post Classified Ads

With so many classified ad sites available on the internet, your internet marketing virtual assistant can post several ads a  day on the top visited sites.

Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing is a form of internet marketing which uses sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube to  achieve branding awareness of a company’s products and services to the masses. If you have an account with any of these  social networks, then an internet marketing virtual assistant can maintain these social networks on behalf of your business helping you stay in touch with your audience.

As stated earlier, this is just a brief list of the many different internet marketing techniques that an internet marketing  virtual assistant can do for your business to increase profits for your business.  The more traffic you receive the more sales you make! When you are searching for a virtual assistant, be sure to ask the right questions concerning their experience and expertise in this area before hiring.  But once you find that qualified assistant, you’ll be seeing amazing  results in your business in no time.