Archive for News
Facebook Wouldn’t Let You Reserve Your Fan Page Vanity URL? Do it Sunday
Posted by: | CommentsAt midnight eastern June 12th, Facebook opened the doors for people to reserve their usernames as vanity Facebook URLs (I’m www.Facebook.com/AndreaStenberg). There was a fully of activity at midnight and many experts were amazed that Facebook didn’t crash as people rushed to reserve their own names.
Meanwhile, many people rushed to reserve vanity URLs for their Fan or Business pages on Facebook. According to Facebook rules, your Fan page had to have been created prior to May 31st and had to have at least 1,000 fans by that date.
If you didn’t meet that criteria, you were shut out. But not permanently. Read More→
I’m a guest on the Growing Bolder Radio Show
Posted by: | CommentsJust last week I was a guest on the Growing Bolder radio show, talking about socia media and baby boomer entrepreneurs. The recording is now live on their website. Please take a listen when you have a moment.
Andrea J. Stenberg
Why I’m Helping People Get Started with Social Media Marketing
Posted by: | CommentsSince learning the ins and outs of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, I’ve become something of a social media evangelist. I love using social media, I’m getting amazing results and I’m not shy about telling everyone about it.
And social media use is exploding. If you believe the hype, everyone is using it.
I’ve learned however, that reality doesn’t live up to the hype. There are tons of people out there who have never given social media a shot. And even more people who get on one of the sites and then scratch their heads, wondering what the big deal is.
I’m continually getting calls and emails asking the same sorts of questions. Even worse, are the people who give social media a half-hearted try and then give up.
As the economy continues to slow, marketing is even more important for a business to stay healthy. And I truly believe social media is an essential part of most small business marketing strategies.
For all these reasons, I created an online course to help small business owners make the leap to a successful social media strategy.
Starting tomorrow, Tuesday January 13th, and running for four consecutive Tuesdays, I’m teaching Getting Started with Social Media Marketing: How to Use Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to build your brand, increase traffic and make more money.
I’ll be recording the calls so even if you can’t attend live, you won’t miss a thing. In these four weeks I’ll be teaching you:
- Why you need to be using social networking strategies and how to position your business above your competition.
- The differences between Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and which site is best for you and your business.
- What to do once you’re on a particular site to attract a following, build relationships and ultimately, build your business
- The best way to position yourself to get more high-quality traffic to your website or blog
- The biggest mistakes people make and how to avoid them
The cost for these four teleseminars is only $87 Canadian.
If you’re still not getting the most out of social media, don’t miss this online course.
Sign up now!
“See” you on the calls.
Andrea J. Stenberg
Are you already a social media whiz but know someone who really could use this course? Why not become an affiliate and recommend the course? They’ll learn how to use social media to build their business, you’ll get a $40 commission and I’ll be able to help even more people. Talk about a win-win-win proposition. Become an Affiliate today!
What do Canadian Businesses Think About the Coming Year?
Posted by: | CommentsThe Canadian Chamber of Commerce recently conducted a poll of its members on the state of the economy and their business projections for 2009. The media has been focusing on gloom and doom for the coming year – the worst recession since the 1980s. However, a closer look at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce survey shows that not all businesses agree with this outlook.
According to the poll, when asked to rate overall business conditions for the coming year more than half of those surveyed seem optimistic: 16 percent expect things to be better, 40 percent expect things to stay the same and 44 percent expect things to get worse.
When looking at operating costs (transportation, material, energy, etc.) again, more than half expect things to stay the same or improve: 13 percent expect improvement, 42 percent expect the status quo and 44 percent expect things to get worse.
Looking at production volumes well over half are optimistic: 15 percent expect improvement, 46 percent expect it to be the same and only 40 percent expect a drop in production.
For sales in 2009 it’s evenly split. Twenty percent expect growth, 31 percent expect sales to remain steady while 49 percent expect a drop in sales.
Interestingly, 58% of respondents believe their profits will be lower next year, while only 17% forecast an improvement and 25 percent expect things to remain the same. This figure doesn’t jibe with they survey’s prediction of improved or maintained business conditions, same or lowered operating costs and improved or maintained sales. Perhaps respondents were able to look at the individual aspects objectively but are being influenced by the media when making an overall prediction.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not burying my head in the sand, ignoring the recession. I know times are tough for a lot of businesses. But not everyone is suffering. I’ve spoken to many business owners who have seen growth, sometimes significant growth, in the past few months.
The key to surviving this economic downturn is to stay optimistic and work smarter as well as harder. Look closely at products and services to see which are most profitable. Decide if there are areas you need to focus on more. Market relentlessly. Provide top notch customer service and look for areas to reduce costs.
Andrea J. Stenberg
