DIME PR

The People

People are everything on the social web. And theyre not just eyeballs that you can start barraging with ads and offers.

Theyre people you have an opportunity to connect with and build relationships with. If youre not doing this one thing, in my opinion, youre completely wasting your time.

The one thing people care about the most is other people. Not just any people, but the people theyve connected with, built relationships with and have come to trust over time.

NEWSFLASH: This is how A Listers got where they are today, its how they stay where they are and its the only way you can become one. Relationships drive social media; so its not what you know, its who you know that counts. Theres always room at the top you just have to make it!

Everybody who is making a name for themselves in social media are leveraging relationships. Period. In order to be even be noticed by people who matter, its through people youve built relationships with, who introduce you to other people, and so on

It all starts one relationship at a time and this opens doors to many others over time. Each relationship leads to the top of the food chain eventually. You just need to keep building relationships, until one day you find yourself at the top of the food chain

The Platforms

The platforms are in place; youve been hearing and reading tons of information on these like Facebook, Youtube, Linkedin, Twitter, Pinterest and many many others.

What platform is the best to achieve this?

Wrong question it doesnt really matter. What does matter is to possess the skills that are necessary to build strong relationships with the people on these platforms; if you possess this skill-set you can win the social game on any platform.

Just remember this; the platforms in and of themselves do nothing they simply enable people to connect and build relationships.

I know youve been told that you must find your target audience and they may not be on one platform or another. Im not saying this isnt true to a certain extent; but I am telling you that its almost impossible to not find a group of people or conversations that are relevant to your business or interests.

You can connect with other like-minded people on any of these platforms. Just pick one or more that you feel the most comfortable with and start connecting!

The key is how you approach the medium. If you do it for the express purpose of identifying interesting people to connect and build relationships with, then youre going to be 100 times more productive than most people on the social web because most get started by pitching and selling their wares to anybody that will listen. This is the wrong approach. Lets face it, being labeled a spammer or douchebag is not good for business.

The long term value of social media is the quality of relationships you establish with people who are interested in the same things you are.

The Content

Nobody cares about your content PER SE (if you dont create outstanding content, you need to, or you wont last!) The social web has an ocean of outstanding content readily available to access at anytime RIGHT NOW!

So how do you get eyeballs to your stuff?

People and relationships drive eyeballs and value and traffic on the social web.

Nothing worthwhile happens, except by those folks who have established the right relationships thats what leads to making progress, getting things done and getting paid. Period.

How do you go about attracting the right people to connect with?

Show Us What Youre Made Of - What have you done? What are you doing? Where are you going? What do you stand for? Why should anyone care?

Share You Liberally - Contribute your experience, knowledge, feedback, and opinions for the benefit of teaching and learning from others.

Inspire - Move people with your work, your words and your actions with everything you do.

Lead by example - its far more effective than writing or talking about it.

Be Generous - The biggest investment you can make in social media is your time; the more you give, the more youll earn in return.

Be Helpful The more people you help get what they want, the more people will help you get what you want; one hand washes the other on the social web.

Outreach Always be reaching out to people you find interesting and see if there are synergies or ways that you can compliment or assist each others efforts.

It sounds like a lot and it is. Its called substance. And hard work. Your work must have substance or what you do just wont matter and it will be lost in the noise that is social media.

OK Ive talked way too much in this post. Im interested in hearing your feedback.

How has building quality relationships made a difference in your social media efforts?

For more insights on social media relationships, check out: Defining Social Media Relationships

http://markharai.com/social-media-101-focus-on-this-one-thing-to-maximize-your-social-media-efforts

Entrepreneur Series: You Can Change the World

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There is no deadline for your ultimate success. Think about all of the little successes youve already had along the journey.

Its probably a miracle that youre still alive. I know Ive had my fair share of near death experiences.

Actually, your ultimate success has to catch up with you!

Havent you seen your glorious future?

Its tied to these

Your Deep Convictions

Your deep convictions are all you have in life that matters. Dont ever let them go!

You can change anything you desire to change (hint), especially those deep convictions that proceed from the center of your being your belly.

The fact that its in your belly is proof enough that the world needs to hear your message and embrace your vision. Never give up on that!

If you believe, others will believe in you eventually

Its Your Time

The fact that youre breathing at this very time is essential to the future of the world.

Think about it; if you were born to change the world, is there a better time to have an impact?

The world needs leaders and visionaries who have a heart for humanity, the ability to make things happen and the courage to stand up for whats right.

The Big Picture Discovering You

Think long and hard on what you want your life and being to mean to your family, those around you, your community, and the world.

What is your purpose for being?

Youre an important piece of lifes puzzle and the more you live your life aware of this fact, the more fulfilling and productive your time on this planet will be.

Life is discovering who you are first, then growing, accepting and embracing your gift.

Your purpose for being is so others can advance and thrive by sharing your gift with others.

The Bigger Picture Serving Others

Do you inspire people?

What do people take away every time they spend time with you?

We are stepping stones for someone elses future. Dont take that responsibility lightly. Peoples lives depend on your success.

The bigger vision you have for others the more resources will become available for you to succeed and flourish.

You Can Change The World!

If youre going to start blog, or launch a business, join a movement, write a book whatever it is, do it with purpose. Make a difference.

Dont ever stop believing that you can change the world.

It can only be changed by those who believe they were born to change it.

For more tips on entrepreneurship, check out: 5 Competitive Qualities Extraordinary Entrepreneurs Possess

If you dont have a competitive bone in your body, entrepreneurship may not be for you, or at least not being an extraordinary one. Its the one trait that pushes you past the ridicule of naysayers, provides the will to survive when death seems certain and can take you to the top of your game. Read More

Category : Blog Entrepreneur

http://markharai.com/entrepreneur-series-you-can-change-the-world

Kick-Ass Blogging Series: SlyMarketing.com Jens P. Berget

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I love Jens. People who have connected with this 39 year old Norwegian gentleman all love him. What you see is what you get. He shares himself so eloquently with the community his fears, his aspirations, his ups and downs his darkest thoughts and brightest ah-ha moments.

He intertwines his marketing expertise and business aspirations into his daily life experiences teaching marketing at a college in Norway. Hes also writing his first novel this year and launching his first consulting business in April.

He wraps all this stuff up into inspiring blog posts that have great marketing and business tips throughout.

I am a strong believer in quality content and that content will change the world and make it a better place. I want to remove traditional ads, and make businesses stop hiding their so called secrets. I want them to share everything, and I will do my best to make people realize that its important that they open their doors and invite their enemies inside. Jens Berget

Hes already secured his first client for his new business too check it out!

Heres what he had to say;

My first client is Grenserittet, one of the largest mountain bike (MTB) races in Norway and Sweden and the biggest MTB Race between two countries. Ill get the chance to not only make my first client the happiest client in the world, but I get the chance to market the place where I live, the place where I have spent most of my life, and where my parents, grand parents and great grand parents spent most of their lives.

Thats one heck of a first client! Hearing this makes me anxious to be part of this journey : )

I only share people in this entrepreneur series who are really helping others move toward their goals. If youre building a business, writing your heart out and desire to move people with your work and make things happen then Jens is the type of person youll want to connect with in the community.

Changing the world on your own is doable; but surrounding yourself with other capable like-minded people who are going the same direction (UP) will get you where youre going much faster!

You can connect with him on these platforms:

SlyMarketing Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Linkedin
Google+

Jens is quite the character and one youll love and want to see become wildly successful.

Enjoy connecting with this brilliant marketing mind!

Want to meet another exceptional blogger? Kick-Ass Blogging Series: unlockthedoor.net Stuart Mills

Category : Blogging

http://markharai.com/kick-ass-blogging-series-slymarketing-com-jens-p-berget

Social Media 101: The Best Platforms to Establish Yourself As a Leader

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The A Listers on the social web got where they are by building an effective social footprint that tells the story of who they are, where they came from and most importantly, where they are going.

People follow them wherever they go. What they say matters.

What the social web has a lot of room for is quality leaders who can contribute to the best practices that are shaping the social web.

Dont let that scare you. The technology is cool; but thats not whats driving the medium. People drive it.

Peoples stories, expertise, insights, vision, and knowledge thats shared daily is why people are showing up everyday and participating in the conversation.

Theyre either learning or teaching - one of the two. Playing doesnt count for professionals and business owners : )

Theyre blazing the trail by doing, building, helping, creating, and taking others with them on this wild ride called The Social Web.

Here are the main platforms that theyre accomplishing this with:

Blog - I cant name one social media personality who has risen to top of the game that doesnt blog. Can you?

Theyve established a home base for their work and you can learn everything you wanted to know about them on their blog. They leverage their social networks (below) to share their work with the world.

Twitter This is a great place to network to reach relevant communities of professionals and like-mined people who will share your work with the world. Its a bit easier to get started on this platform with a 140 character limit!

Facebook with nearly 900 million people populating the network, theres no doubt that professionals and business owners have a profile here. Its a bit more relaxed, as this is a place for family and friends; but thats what makes it great for business networking and getting to know people in your industry who matter.

Linkedin - If youre a professional or business owner, this is the best platform to network with people you can help or people you can hire.

Google+ - Theyve finally got social right and the platform is gaining huge numbers in adoption and usage by the day. Its the early adopters playground and being first to the party has great advantages for professionals and business owners.

There are many others, but if you want to know what to do right now to get started building yourself as a relevant resource and leader in your industry, forget the rest and focus these - they are by far the most important social platforms to get busy with.

Okay, so Im sure there are opinions on this, please advise the community in the comment section below cheers!

Category : Blog Social Media

http://markharai.com/social-media-101-the-best-platforms-to-establish-yourself-as-a-leader

Social Media 101: Painting the Story of You

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We are the sum total of our experiences.

Your expertise is a direct result of what youve done and accomplished.

Along the way, youve dealt with ups, downs, failures and successes its these stories that contain the substance of value you have to offer others.

In fact, its the hairball stuff that people relate to the most. In many cases, people who are looking for help are going through the same exact conflict and struggles you successfully overcame.

Answers are what people want and need.

By sharing your stories, the good, the bad, the ugly, people will have an opportunity to relate with you and they can get a good sense of precisely how you can help them.

The most powerful stories come from people who lived them. People can spot a regurgitated second hand story a mile away and if you find yourself having to live up to and deliver that experience to help people out of bad situations, youll fall on your face.

Thats because you dont have the know-how or emotional and mental toughness that is developed through experience.

The moral of the story; keep it real be yourself share your own experiences and the capabilities that came as a result.

If you do this, youll establish a platform of trustworthiness and integrity that can be built upon for years to come.

Its these two things that great businesses and careers are built on.

For more insights on social media check out: The 4 Most Important Activities That Lead To Social Media Gold for Businesses Professionals

You need to first get your bearings and that is best accomplished through listening. If youre a business professional and have a good idea of the type of professionals you want to connect with, you can rest assured that theres a large community of these folks just waiting to connect share with you. There are search functions (engines) on every social platform out there, including blogs

Read More

Mark Harai can help you start your business and grow your business by effectively leveraging the social web. To find out more, simply click here!

Category : Blog Social Media

http://markharai.com/social-media-101-painting-the-story-of-you

Startup Tip Series: What the Facebook IPO Means For Aspiring Entrepreneurs

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While Facebook has dominated in the area of user growth and time spent on the social platform, one of the biggest contributions the network will contribute to very soon is financing their competition.

Theyll create hundreds of new millionaires, some billionaires who have the entrepreneurial spirit.

Lets face it, people who work for startups and live in that part of the world are entrepreneurial by default and many of those folks who love working for startups and have aspirations to do their own thing at some point in their career.

Putting a cool million+ in the bank will certainly make those aspirations viable very soon!

The Facebook IPO is about to initiate one of the greatest startup periods in history thanks to technology, the social web, the mindset of the people who got them there and an economy that is due for a boost!

Buckle up your seat-belts folks, were about to go on an incredible ride!

Check out this article that dives deeper into this next wave via CNET.com:

Startup opportunities abound in wake of Facebook IPO

Facebook may dominate the social media landscape today with 845 million users. But experts say that instead of consolidating around the market leader, the social media landscape is fragmenting, leaving big opportunities for startups, especially those targeting mobile users.

Read More

For more startup tips check out: 5 Tips on How to Create the Best Work Environment for Your Startup

Team Work a team environment will get everyone on the same page and working for the same goals. It makes everyone accountable for victories as well as defeats and will help drive a winning attitude throughout the organization. Beware of knuckleheads and who think theyre better than everyone else theyre only interested in looking good, many times at the expense of others, and can thwart the success of the team.

Read More

Mark Harai can help you start your business and grow your business by effectively leveraging the social web. To find out more, simply click here!

Category : Blog Facebook Startups

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Photo by: Christina Pomoni

For professionals and business owners, social media provides a way for you to communicate who you are, what you do and why youre the best person for the job to the marketplace.

In order to do this youll need to:

1.) Connect With Potential Customers

The best ways to reach eyeballs in your industry is research your competition and leaders in your industry on the web and connect with them on their blogs and other social media platforms.

Theyll already be populated and engaged with your audience and here youll have an opportunity to build relationships, display your expertise, add value to conversations and eventually win business if you go about it properly.

2.) Dont Sell, Build Rapport

People hate to be sold online or otherwise. Whats the first thing you say when a sales person approaches you in a department store most of the time? Im just looking! In other words, Get out of my face.

Casual conversation takes the walls down. Your motives shouldnt be to sell something they should be to connect with interesting people (your potential customers), share ideas, share interests and be irresistible. You need to attract people rather than have them sprint the other direction when you show up to the party.

After youve connected with people and shared a few laughs, gotten comfortable with each other and realize you like each other, where does this typically lead to?

So, what do you do?

It opens the door to talking about your business or professional life and if it doesnt lead to a sale right away, it can in the future. People buy things from people they like and trust and recommend them to their friends family.

Dont you do the same thing for your friends when they are in need of something? Its very helpful to provide a recommendation to a trusted source knowing theyll be treated right!

3.) Building Trust Takes Time

So many folks just fire up a Twitter, Facebook, or blog and start selling the crap out of their stuff. They dont take the time to build relationships and establish trust and rapport with the community they desire to serve. This can actually hurt your reputation in the long run.

You need to think through what kind of presence you want to establish on the web and what you want to be known for by the marketplace AND NOT BE KNOWN FOR!

Spammers and doucebags dont get very far on the social web!

Dont do or say silly, stupid, embarrassing things when youre online either. If youre a professional or business owner, this can hurt you for the rest of your life. Everything you do is literally like fingerprints you cant change or get rid of. They follow you everywhere you go!

When you approach your social media efforts in this manner, youll have a voice and a platform to build on for years to come. Even if you change positions or get into a different business, your efforts and labor of love will stand the test of time.

Your activities on the social web will either build you trust and rapport with the marketplace or disdain.

Which do you prefer?

Mark Harai can help you start your business and grow your business by effectively leveraging the social web. To find out more, simply click here!

http://markharai.com/social-media-101-building-trust-rapport-with-the-marketplace

Photo by: eadertisemybusiness.com

Theres a big difference between casually following people and making meaningful connections.

Only the latter can lead to productive relationships. It requires that you proactively reach out to at least ONE person everyday that you can help, learn from or support in the community. It builds mutual respect trust with others and contributes to productivity and getting things done with the time you invest on the social web.

It sure beats the heck out of talking to yourself!

There are risks associated by doing this. Not everyone will respond in a favorable way, or respond at all for that matter.

But its worth the risk to identify people youre interested in and reach out to connect in meaningful ways. No risk, no reward.

If youre not trying to build a brand, get exposure for your professional services or make money online, then you can stop reading here.

But if you are putting forth an effort to make your social media efforts pay off, then you need to be connecting. Period.

The article below delves a bit further into the subject and provides ideas on how connecting can take your social media efforts to the next level.

Forget Networking. How to Be a Connector

I like people and am genuinely curious, says Banikarim, 42. I like stories and want to make connections. But I didnt know the word for it until my husband read Malcolm Gladwells The Tipping Point and said, I finally have a word for you a connector. Maryam Banikarim, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Gannett, publisher of USA Today

For more social media insights, check out: The Reality Is Opportunity Is Smacking You in the Face

Mark Harai can help you start your business and grow your business by effectively leveraging the social web. To find out more, simply Click Here!

http://markharai.com/social-media-101-are-just-you-following-or-connecting-with-others

Twitter Tip Series: Make Your First Impression Count

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Photo by: MegaMag

From the receptionist answering your phones to those greeting your potential customers when they walk through your doors, the first impression often determines whether you secure a new customer, or not.

Its no different on Twitter

When people connect with you, you need to treat it as if a potential customer just walked through your doors.

I doesnt mean to get in their face and start sell them something.

It is, however, an opportune time to cheerfully great somebody with a big smile and let them know they know youre happy to see them.

Did you know people get a vibe from the way you interact with them on Twitter?

I know I do thats why I recommend that you reach out personally to each and every person who took the time to connect with you let them know you appreciate it.

That shouldnt be done with an auto-tweet at least not alone. Reach out to them by name and if they dont respond, in most cases, theyre probably not real people.

Theres no benefit to filling your stream with a bunch of unmanned auto-bots.

Instead, keep your stream full of active real people who are being productive and have indicated to you personally that their door is always open to you anytime.

A reciprocal follow is a good indication of this. Why would you continue to follow anyone who basically shut the door in your face?

Let them know what your expertise is and that if they need help or advice on this, they need not hesitate to ask you.

This mindset and approach in building your Twitter community will lead to people who you can help, learn from and even profit from much faster than any other method.

Be helpful. Be kind. Be approachable. Make your first impression count!

Mark Harai can help you start your business and grow your business by effectively leveraging the social web. To find out more, simply Click Here!

Category : Blog

http://markharai.com/twitter-tip-series-make-your-first-impression-count

Social Media 101: Connecting with Consumers Before They Buy

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What is social media?

Simple platforms to connect with other people on the internet.

How exactly can this benefit your business?

Everything youve done in business has been a result of connecting with people who like you.

Do you think anyone who didnt like you bought something from you?

Well, maybe if it was price driven or too convenient for them to go some place else to buy what they needed.

How have you connected with your customers thus far without social media?

Well, its the same exact process, only youre not limited by location, time or expense. In fact, this could be the most cost effective marketing youll ever do!

It all started by talking with potential customers and giving them the comfort level and trust they needed to buy from you.

The one thing that can make the biggest difference in the future of your business in 2012 is connecting with others through your writing, videos and/or podcasts before they make a buying decision.

This takes time of course, but in the 6 to 12 months you can build a steady stream of new business youre not getting now Would that be helpful to you?

If you do this effectively, just like youve been doing all along offline, when folks need the product or service you offer - they will buy it from you.

Why? Because they like you. They trust you. They will tell their friends about you. They will help you grow your business.

Your customers were attracted to your words and personality

If you demonstrate these same qualities on the social web, people will be attracted to you there as well.

As a result, a whole new avenue to connecting with your future customers will open up to you because at the end of the day, people dont just buy products and services, they buy YOU.

Mark Harai can help you start your business and grow your business by effectively leveraging the social web. To find out more, simply Click Here. http://markharai.com/work-with-me

Category : Blog

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