by Daria Steigman on March 4, 2010
Should you be on LinkedIn? Plaxo? BizSugar or Open Forum? While it’s easy to be online, the vast array of options can leave even the social-media-savviest business person overwhelmed. At last check, my AddThis button linked to over 230 separate platforms/sites.
Because time is a finite resource and we can’t be everywhere, I recommend applying a simple three-pronged business test for social presence:
- Will it help me be found?
- Will it help me connect with my audience?
- Will it help me identify new business?
I explore these questions in some detail in a new IABC CW Bulletin article, Bringing Social Media to Your Business. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Photo by jenny downing (Flickr).
Tagged as:
AddThis,
BizSugar,
Business,
IABC,
Independent Thinking,
LinkedIn,
Social Media
by Daria Steigman on December 2, 2009
My latest IABC Independent Thinking business column is out, and the focus is on how we see ourselves and the shifting terminologies that we use to define ourselves and our businesses and the way we want our clients, customers and prospects to think of us.
There were several takeaways, but the real constant is that how you identify yourself may matter a great deal to someone else. So select your terminology with deliberation, recognize that perceptions differ, and be comfortable with your place in the business continuum.
Some really smart people weighed in on this topic, and it’s well worth the read. So go ahead, read it, and then tell me what term you use and why.
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A.J. Leon,
Entrepreneurship,
Gloria Bell,
Harp Arora,
Kate Perrin,
Marc Meyer,
Melissa Leon
by Daria Steigman on October 8, 2009
My latest IABC Independent Thinking column is out, and the focus is on lessons learned over my 20 years in business. The article looks at six keys to business success, including blowtorches, community, quality, and change.
Take a read, then come back and tell me: what would you add?
Tagged as:
Business,
IABC,
Independent Thinking
by Daria Steigman on September 18, 2009
[Note: This post originally appeared on IABC's Communications World blog.]
I love that there’s an iPhone app that lets you exchange contact information just by bumping phones. But does this mean that business cards are becoming obsolete?
Business cards speak to me, especially when it comes to small businesses and solo practitioners. The paper, logo, design, and readability give me clues to a company’s personality and whether they have thought about that first impression. Whether someone does or doesn’t have a Web site and/or a customized e-mail address gives me some data about their permanence and their business sense. And please think twice before handing me a card with out-of-date information.
The Japanese have an entire ritual around business cards. While Americans are typically more informal, we might do well to probe the underlying reasons for the meishi exchange.
So what do you think? Do you decipher business cards or wish they’d go away?
On a related note, my friend Deborah Brody has a good post on business card dos and don’ts that has some common sense tips for making sure what you are handing out isn’t hindering your success.
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Deborah Brody,
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meishi,
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The Bump
by Daria Steigman on August 5, 2009
Many independent consultants and small business owners are notoriously bad at delegating, whether it’s because they don’t want to spend the money or they don’t know where to start. Yet building a successful business means focusing on those tasks that make the most sense and delegating or eliminating those that will distract you or eat up valuable time.
One solution: a virtual assistant. The right virtual assistant can be invaluable.
My latest IABC CW Bulletin column is out, and the topic is how to expand your team with virtual help. The article looks at the varied ways that virtual assistants can help and offers some tips on finding the right one for you. It also features two people, Gloria Bell and Zane Safrit, with great insights on the topic.
Read the complete column here.
Photo by ShellyS. Flickr Creative Commons license.
Tagged as:
CW Bulletin,
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Zane Safrit
Should you be on LinkedIn? Plaxo? BizSugar or Open Forum? While it’s easy to be online, the vast array of options can leave even the social-media-savviest business person overwhelmed. At last check, my AddThis button linked to over 230 separate platforms/sites.