Sponsor Spotlight: Mitzi Jane Media
As CEO and founder of Mitzi Jane Media, Mitzi Eaker spends a lot of time helping people build their online presence. Mitzi Jane Media is a small organization of social media strategists and content providers that work with small businesses, nonprofits, and bloggers to make their creative vision of growth a reality. Because of her work Eaker also spends a lot of time studying the fumbles that bloggers and business owners make in the game of social media.
Are you guilty of any of these social media mistakes?
1. You have no logo. Eaker says it’s important to have a professional brand online. “Even writers need to have a professional look and feel to their website whether that have a logo or not,” she says. “The look and feel, the brand, needs to be consistent throughout their social media platforms. A logo is a fairly easy way to help do this.”
2. You’re afraid to engage. Some people, Eaker says, “get all the bells and whistles from a Web developer and then they don’t have the confidence to step out and use the tools to connect with people.”
3. You think you need to be on all social media platforms. Eaker says it’s best to find out where your core market is and join them. “Facebook is a pretty safe place to start, but some niche businesses and bloggers can find alternative online communities that fit their niche more specifically,” she adds.
4. You talk to much. “Social media is about engaging in community not advertising,” Eaker says. “This is an amazing opportunity to get to know your audiance and really listen to them directly and indirectly.”
5. You’re too personal or not personal enough. Eaker admits that this is a tricky area. “My philosophy is to set healthy boundaries for your online presence.,” she says. “For example, there are things I talk about on my ministry blog that I would not talk about on my business blog, but they both represent my life and who God made me to be. I encourage my clients to make a list of all the things they could possibly write about then go back and edit off the items that are not really where they need to focus their content.” Your content may change as your blog or business grows, but it’s good to start with a strategy, Eaker says.
If you’re making some of these mistakes and you’re not sure where to go from here, perhaps Eaker can help.
“Mitzi Jane Media can help correct these mistakes by helping people think through their online presence and brand,” Eaker says. “And secondly, we can correct these mistakes by helping clients to figure out what platforms are best for them and how to really maximize the time they have online.”
I just launched a online clothing boutique and I have used social media more than I ever have to just get not only my personal name out there but my business name as well.
You make a valid point about not making it all about your business but getting personal with people is the key. Especially when you are a entrepreneur people want to know who you are as a person. You have to invite them into your life without giving too too much.
One thing I have done is to connect with other websites and leave comments on other people personal blogs. I never mention that “hey i’m having a sale, go buy something” in the comments area. I always comment on whatever the blogger posted first and leave a link to my website at the bottom.
It doesn’t matter if the blog is not in your niche, comment anyway and make sure you leave that link to your website because you never know where your customers will come from. They may decide to come to my website just because of the comment that I decided to write that day. It’s apart of building up your brand.
Loved this article.
http://www.sugaboutique.com
Thanks so much for reading! And you make an excellent point. It is very important to comment on other blogs. It helps you be a true part of the blogging community.