Fear not and don’t fret! LinkedIn has some great tricks up their sleeves for you and your business.
The trick is knowing what they are and how they can work for you. So, just in case you didn’t get the chance to be in Hawaii and attend my LinkedIn workshops, here are 3 great secrets you should know about LinkedIn.

1. Add more video to your profile
Once upon a time if you wanted to add a video to your LinkedIn profile, you’d have to add a third party application. Now, you can add a video to your LinkedIn profile with the assistance of YouTube. You can add a video using other applications but I found that YouTube works the best so far.

You can add an introduction video for potential clients to know more about you or you could add a client testimonial to further your credibility. The best part is that you can videos to any part of your LinkedIn profile!

2. Add your own custom skills and expertise video to your profile
By default, your LinkedIn Skills and Expertise are based on what is said in your profile. But what if you have more to offer?

Yes, you can add custom skills and expertise to your LinkedIn profile. Is there a specific skill you want prospective clients to know about? Make sure you take the time to add it to your LinkedIn profile so you can be endorsed for it.

3. Follow up with who’s viewed your profile
This has been one of the best hidden features that I’ve been utilizing on LinkedIn.

If you have the free LinkedIn account (which most of us do), you can only see the last 5 people who have viewed your profile. If you’re connected to them, you can see their name, photo, and click on their profile. If you’re not connected with them, then LinkedIn will let you know who it could have been. But since you’re not connected with them, the photo is grayed out and you don’t know who it is.

Why is this helpful? Well, it gives you a great opportunity to catch up with connections that you need to keep in contact with. In the last week, I have scheduled 3 meetings with connections that I haven’t spoken to in quite some time who are interested in my services. If this were you, what could that do for your business?

I’m sure those are not all of the changes we’ll be seeing to LinkedIn. There will be many more to come but so far I think they’re doing a pretty good job on making it easier to navigate and giving us more of an edge to market our businesses.
QUESTION: Which tip did you like the best and you can see yourself using it for your business? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Let’s also think about how social Facebook is. How many people do you know check their Facebook on a daily basis from their mobile phone? Gone is the time that people had to rush home to check Facebook. Now you can reach customers on their mobile phone!

So, how can you use Facebook to capture those leads? Here’s 3 ways on how to keep the leads coming:

1. Be you and have fun with it
The last thing people want to read about on Facebook is the new house that their real estate friend is selling or the new product you’re launching. Think about you if you were the customer: wouldn’t you get tired of hearing about houses, services, and products all the time? Plan some Facebook posts that are fun and that are genuinely “you”. People like your page because they like you and want to develop a relationship with YOU!

What I mean by this is ask questions, share a video or quote, tell a success story.  Even better, put a spin on it so that you can get answers that will help your business. A great example is one of my real estate clients asked her fans on Facebook how old were they when they bought their first home. Not only did she get great leads from the people who replied “Not yet” but also a good idea of when people purchase their first home.

2. Where are you driving traffic?
You want more leads from Facebook and you have fans but what are you doing with them? Getting fans to like your Facebook page is half the battle. You have to move them to an opt-in list/drip campaign, freebie, or low cost item. The purpose of your Facebook page should be the starting point of the relationship. This is how they meet you. It’s up to you to develop and nurture the relationship.

3. Facebook Ads
I know, I know. We’ve all heard horror stories about Facebook Ads. When an ad campaign on Facebook is done the right way, it can create MASSIVE traffic for your business and increase leads. The key to Facebook Ads is to know your audience and who you want to target. Do some research and even ask (remember Tip #1?) your fans some questions to get a better idea of what your audience is like. If you find that your target audience is female, between the ages of 35-44, business professionals, and are fans of the show “Shark Tank”, you have something. Use those characteristics about your ideal clients and target those people in your Facebook Ads.

What marketing tactics works best for you on Facebook? Let us know by leaving us a comment!

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June is Entrepreneurs “Do It Yourself” Marketing Month! Did you know that?
It is one of my favorite months for business owners and professionals. It’s a great month to highlight all the things entrepreneurs can do themselves to market their business. In honor of  Entrepreneurs “Do It Yourself” Marketing Month, KR Design will be focusing on various tips that you can easily do yourself to market your business.

Today’s tip focuses on your website. Most business owners and professionals under-utilize this tool. Your website is more than just your online storefront. Your website can be your portfolio and speak volumes about your products and services. Your website could be verification that your customer hired the right person to do the job because they read one of your powerful testimonials. Websites can be a powerful tool if used correctly.

How can I use my website more effectively?

When prospects ask a question that you repeatedly answer…
Isn’t that the perfect time to send them your website? Especially if the questions requires an in-depth answer. Isn’t that why you have a FAQ page on your site? Refer people to it!

“I’d like to see more…”
You could arrange to have a meeting but before you whip out your smartphone or planner, send them to your website. Most of us have pictures of products or happy, satisfied customers who have used our services.

“Which service is best for me?”
Most of us have multiple products and services. Rather than trying to explain every service and product, send them to your website. In some cases, the customer doesn’t know exactly what they want or need but your website can help ease some of that pain of finding out.

Bonus: Referrals
On KR Design’s website, we have a Trusted Links page. It makes it easy to refer prospective and current clients to other products and services that they might need with businesses that we trust. I do carry business cards of those businesses with me but it’s a great help to me when I run out of those cards and say, “Go to the Trusted Links page on my website!”

How do you use your website when it comes to customers? Let us know in the comments section below!

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I got served and I was not happy. I don’t blame my server, she did exactly what she was supposed to do. She took my order, refilled my glass, and even gave me extra napkins when I asked. All in all, most people would be ecstatic when their server does precisely what they ask them to do. Most people complain about customer service and how nothing goes right at a restaurant.

I wanted more than that. I wanted my server to say, “Good morning, how are you today?” with a smile as I sat down at my table.  Instead, she asked for my drink order, wrote it on her pad, and walked away. She did not smile and did not look happy about what I ordered (I ordered water with a lemon, by the way). I wanted her to put the napkins on the table and say, “Is there anything else I can do for you?” with an attitude that said that she wanted me to come back to the restaurant. Once again, she came by the table, put napkins on the table, and walked away. No conversation, no eye contact, just a bad attitude.  I didn’t want the bad attitude and lack of smiles. I wanted a customer experience.

Doesn’t that sound wonderful? You walk into a place of business and the staff treats you like they want you to come back. They go out of their way to make you feel welcome and comfortable. When you enter they say,” Good afternoon, is there something we can help you with?” They smile and  look excited to help you find what you’re looking for. They  want to help you find what you’re looking for and won’t stop until their mission is accomplished. Isn’t that the kind of place you would recommend to friends and family?

Think about it: is that how you treat your customers? Do you give them a “magical” experience? Thanks to John Formica, I look for these customer experience opportunities. Be the business that your customers love to come to because they are welcomed again and again and they have a “magical” experience!

How do you make your customers feel “magical”? Let us know in the comments section!

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Yes, it’s official: I did not get stumped! Hooray!

KR Design’s Social Media Dare Night was May 17 and it was a great event! Participants from various industries came to this special Q&A session to learn more about social media and how it can help grow their business. It was so much fun. I was thrilled at the questions that were thrown at me and I was amazed at how much they wanted to know. The greatest feeling came over me knowing that I was helping people solve  mysteries about social media. I will admit that some questions were pretty tricky and I almost got stumped. But with every experience in life, I took away a very precious lesson or two…

Always be prepared!
Most my preparation focused on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter but I did some research on Foursquare and third party applications. My study time was very extensive but I wanted to make sure that I could handle any question thrown my way. I was also able to give suggestions and reviews on certain products because I had studied them.

Learning goes both ways
I know my attendees won’t believe this but I learned as much from them as they learned from me. I learned what they’re biggest frustrations and concerns were with social media and how they dealt with them. This is important as a business owner because you want to know what your target market’s biggest pain is. But to hear it directly from my participants and how it affects their business really struck a chord for me. Now I’m going to go back and revamp some of the products and services I offer to better serve my market.

Will I have another Social Media Dare Night? Absolutely! I also encourage you to have a Q&A session with your customers as well. Feedback is a great tool for marketing but it’s fun when you do it in a relaxed environment where you’re providing value to your clients.

How do you gather feedback from your customers? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Enter my great friend Danielle. She was having some trouble with Facebook and came to me for a consultation. Within an hour, we worked out her Facebook issues and I showed her some tips and tricks for her Facebook page. She was very impressed with what I knew about Facebook.

She admitted that she thought she knew all there was to know about Facebook and that she didn’t think she needed help. She thought she could solve it herself. It got me thinking about my current problem and how I can solve it. Danielle came up with a very creative idea for me: a special Q&A session where I will answer questions about social media. She explained it would be perfect to show off my skills in social media and be helpful.

KR Design’s Social Media Dare Night was born! Tonight I will be holding an hour and a half Q&A session on questions about Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. If I can’t answer the question, the person will win a FREE 30 minute social media strategy session. It should be a lot of fun. Cross your fingers that I don’t get stumped!

At a business networking event last week, one of the attendees complained to me. He said, “I don’t think I’m going to attend this event anymore. No one wants to buy from me.” I pointed out that he had only attended the event twice and no one had the chance to really get to know him. “Networking is what gets you in the door,” I explained. “It’s up to you to build the relationship.” I received a confused look and began to explain…

The networking event lasts 2 hours. If you attend 2 of the events, that’s 4 hours that people have in their time bank of getting to know you. That’s assuming you talked to one person for the entire 2 hours. Let’s be realistic: Did that really happen? NO!

Knowing someone for less than 4 hours does not give you an accurate description of who the person is or what their business does. It has been said over and over: People do business with other people who they know, like, and trust. I don’t think you can know, like, and trust someone in less than 4 hours at a networking event.

People typically don’t buy from others at a business networking event. A business networking event is used to create visibility for you and your business. Networking gives you the opportunity for people to ask you about your products or services and for you to get to know others who may be interested in doing business with you.

Use your time wisely at networking events. Qualify potential prospects and other businesses you want to partner with, renew relationships, and set up appointments. Networking is what gets you the introduction and plants the seed for the relationship. It is up to you to follow-up and get to know the person to allow the relationship to grow.

Did he understand what I said about networking? Probably. I asked him a question, “How long did it take for your best friend to become your best friend? Didn’t that take time?”
He laughed and said, “What best friend?” Then again, maybe not.

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1. Dani Nir-McGrath reveals her Top 10 Favorite WordPress Plugins that Boost Your Blog Traffic. I think CommentLuv is great and she also mentions Thank Me Later, which I can’t wait to try out.

2. This next post is about Free Resources to Launch Your Blog. Thanks to Heather Stephens, you’re covered on hosting and themes. (A special thanks to @coachdiana11 for this post!)

3. Have you heard of Triberr? Anxious to try it out? My friend Stacy writes a great post on Triberr and how it can help your blog!

4. This post by Denise Wakeman guides you through the blogging platform that is best for you. WordPress and Blogger are the most popular platforms out there, but see what Denise has to say on that.

5. Have an iPhone? Sharlyn Lauby’s post on 16 Handy iPhone Apps for Better Blogging just might help. (Special thanks to @mashable for this one!)

6. When it comes to blogging, Darren Rowse is the go-to guy. Here’s his post on 15 blogger resources, and yes it’s full of information.

7. I loved this post from Melanie Kissell. Her topic was on how to monetize your blog, but the real meat and potatoes came from the comments section with readers revealing many great resources.

8. One important aspect of blogging is promotion. You want people to share your blog posts-don’t you? Michelle Shaeffer writes on letting others sharing your blog.

9. Feeding your readers is a great way to keep them coming back. Lisbeth Tanz explains why feeds are a great way to build your blog.

10. Do top bloggers count as a resource? You bet! This great post from Cindy King collects the advice from 10 great bloggers. (Special thanks to @SMExaminer)

Whew, lots of links full of great resources! Enjoy and let us know what your favorite resource was! (Special thanks to @margieclayman for helping me think of this idea!)

Do you have a system that keeps your leads warm for conversion? You should have one. When you encounter prospects, they are not always in the position to buy from you. They will need your services in the future, so incubate them. Keep them warm by staying top of mind. You want them to think of you when they are ready to buy.

How can I stay top of mind when they are ready to buy?

Postcards
Sending a postcard in the mail may be the best way to keep them reminded about your products and services. Make it fun by adding fun facts, inviting them to a trade show, or informing them.

Auto-Responders
If you use e-mail marketing, auto-responders are a great way to stay top of mind with your prospect. It is a great way to build your rapport, expertise, and the relationship.

Coupons
Coupons are a great way of incubating your prospects. Not only are you constantly reminding them about your company but you are giving them an incentive to purchase.

Periodic Phone Calls
Some of your prospects might be very personable and a follow-up phone call just might do the trick. You don’t want to over-use this method so be cautious at how often you want to call your prospects.

Social Media
Social Media is becoming a great avenue for customer service. Direct your prospects to your Facebook page so they can stay updated with the latest news regarding your products and services.

What other ways to do you use to incubate your prospects? Let us know in the comments section. Check out our video on keeping your leads warm!

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Keep in mind that your actions and words can be used against you and your business. How do I know this? I’ve seen business owners make this mistake too many times. One conflict puts a stain on their personal and professional reputation and their business suffers because of a misunderstanding and lack of apology.

If you are having a conflict with someone who happens to be a customer and a friend, it can be messy and uncomfortable. There are also dire consequences if it gets too out of hand.

You can lose a customer and possibly a friend

People like to do business with who they know, like, and trust. If there’s a conflict, they don’t like you too much and you have lost their trust. They are more than likely not going to do business with you if the conflict continues to get worse.

You might have to do damage control to your reputation

Too bad customers who have had a bad experience tell more people about their experience than customers who have had a good experience. If a bad transaction is the culprit, you might have to do damage control to protect your reputation and your company.

It hurts cross promotion and joint ventures

If there was a joint venture project, it hurts all participants involved in the project. In the end, it’s more than your business that suffers. It is the customers that the promotion is trying to reach. They will not get the chance to experience your product or service, a possible solution to their problem.

Treat Your Relationships With Care

Maintain your relationships with your fellow business owners, especially the ones in your network. If you have a conflict, work it out. You’d be surprised at what can be solved when two business owners work out their issues in a professional manner.

Do you think personal relationships can affect your branding? Share your opinion in the comments section below.