Hello,

Welcome to your 'FREE' PRES® Entrepreneurs ezine. In the last few years there has been a lot of hype (good and bad) about Social Media and whether or not it is worthwhile and/or here to stay. There are many experts in the social media field, and I am not one of them but I clearly see the value of some social media sites for my work in home staging and redesign.

WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS:

In researching this article I went to a number of 'social media gurus' websites and consulted with a 'Social Media Guru' Mhairi Petrovic of www.Out-Smarts.com. I consolidated this information so that the average entrepreneur could understand the benefits and pitfalls to social media. Here are some definitions for you:

• SOCIAL MEDIA is a web-based and internet marketing media tool. It allows for two-way communication - the writer and the reader/viewer can communicate. However you can create a social media site where you do not allow comments and/or you can hide them from the public view.
• SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS: blogs, podcasts and social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Active Rain, Twitter, MySpace, etc. Sites such as You Tube are social photo and video sharing sites.
• SOCIAL MEDIA STATISTICS: Facebook is the dominant social networking platform in many countries worldwide; while Canadians are the top users of social networking -4 out of 5 online Canadians use both Facebook and Twitter. Compared to 12 other countries Canadians regularly use social networks. At least 57% participate in social networks at least once a month. Americans are the next most active social networkers behind Canadians at 51% with United Kingdom coming third at 38%.*
• SOCIAL MEDIA AGE-USERS: It is not just 'young' people between 18 and 29 who use social technologies. People between 30 and 45 use social media and about 8% of online seniors are considered creators.

So what this tells me as an entrepreneur is that I do indeed need to be getting myself out there to get connected and known as a home staging and redesign expert.

SOME TIPS FROM A SOCIAL MEDIA GURU about BLOGS...

According to one social media expert Mhairi Petrovic of Out-Smarts here are a few of the reasons you should be blogging. You blog so that you will:

1. Increase Brand Awareness - adding a blog and updating it regularly allows companies to reach a wider audience and extend their brand to markets they might not otherwise reach.
2. Establish Expertise - many small to medium sized companies use blogs to prove to interested parties that they are knowledgeable in their area of expertise.
3. Enhance Customer Service - a blog is the perfect medium to communicate service or product messages to your customers and partner or to allow customers and users to share tips and advise each other.
4. Networking- by publishing a blog you are presenting yourself as an expert in the field you chose to blog on. If your blog is insightful it will help you establish your company within its peer group building trust within the community and in turn bringing trusted contacts that will help you expand your network.
5. Lead Generation - both commenting on the blogs of others in your industry and having your own corporate blog can generate leads for your organization but beware: the hard sell is a taboo in the blogosphere.

For home stagers: www.ACTIVERAIN.com is a great real estate industry blog and www.PresStaging.com/blog is getting more active!

SOME TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE BLOGGING...

• When you have a business blog I think it is vital that we all provide valuable content to our readers/viewers and not personal trivia.
• Share useful links and always check the links are working. Acknowledge the source.
• Before you set your blog up, determine who your readers are going to be. Your goal is to drive traffic to your website and perhaps from there, you will get new readers of your enewsletter if you have one.
• Become an expert in home staging and redesign and keep the majority of your blogs with that focus.
• Keep blog entries short and to the point. Use photos as often as you can because they add great visuals representing your business
• Blog at least once per week and 2-3 times per week is better. Stay consistent with your blogging so it does not appear that you 'are out of business'.

The social media experts and webmasters can tell you about all of the 'how tos' behind the scenes of blogging. They can advise you how to set up your analytics to see what is your best ROI, put your widgets and RSS feeds on your sites, and so much more.

PRES Recommends: Mhairi Petrovic at www.Out-Smarts.com and Mari Smith of www.MariSmith.com. For fabulous graphics on your site or other site blogs, we recommend Sue Friesen of www.eVisionMedia.ca.

Much Success to You & Happy Blogging in 2010,

Dana J. Smithers
PRES Entrepreneurs Training & Mentoring
Founder & Creative Director

* The statistics come from Forrester's North American Technographics Financial Services, Media and Marketing Online Survey, polling 5,886 Canadians aged 18 to 88 in August and September, conducted by Nate Elliott.

Dana J. Smithers
Founder & Creative Director
PRES® Staging Resource Centre
Sun On My Back Redesigns

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