Winston India

Archive for August, 2009

Cyprus or The Republic of Cyprus is the third-largest island country in the Mediterranean, after Sicily and Sardinia. It has a rich history, supposedly the birth site of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, and due to its proximity to both Greece and Turkey it has a cultural heritage that owes much to both nations.

It also has a British influence, coming under British rule in 1878 in return for British support of the Ottoman Empire in the Russian-Turkish war. The island was then formally annexed by the United Kingdom in 1913 in the run-up to the First World War when the Ottoman Empire, a former British ally, joined the Central Powers. In 1960, following internal strife regarding the rule of the nation, with different groups wishing annexation to either of the cultural “motherlands” of Turkey or Greece, the island became a sovereign nation, with Britain retaining the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia for strategic military purposes.

Today the country is spilt into four de facto areas – the south of the island, under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus; the Turkish-occupied area in the north, calling itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognised only by Turkey; the United Nations-controlled Green Line, separating the two and the British Sovereign Base Areas. Cyprus joined the EU in 2004 with no trade restrictions between the north and south of the island.

A notable British presence remains in Cyprus to this day. The republic has become home to a sizeable expatriate community, roughly 50,000 out of a population of 788,457, while British tourists account for the vast majority of the country’s tourism income. It is understandably an attractive location for sun-hungry Brits: average temperatures only dip below 21 degrees Celsius between November and April, with the country receiving over 300 days of sunshine a year.

In addition the country can boast of stunning architecture due to the different waves of invasion and delicious cuisine due to its Turkish and Greek heritage and access to the sea. Local delicacies include calamari, octopus in red wine, sea bass, souvlaki (pieces of meat and vegetables grilled on a skewer) and sheftalia (skinless pork or lamb sausages).

Thanks to its connection to Britain, English is widely spoken by the local population and has become a semi-official language. Most forms, both public and private, are available in both English and Greek, including bank contracts, phone bills and tax returns Furthermore, English documents from abroad, such as birth certificates and university degrees, do not need to be translated into Greek to be used officially. Cypriot legal and land registry systems are largely based on British practices, making it relatively easy for Brits looking for property for sale in Cyprus to find that perfect home away from home. The Republic of Cyprus is also one of four countries in the EU to drive on the left side of the road, making Cyprus a great location for Brits looking to experience the fantastic weather, cuisine and history it has to offer while maintaining some of the comforts of home.

Here we go again!\

Another year and another great possibility! With the election of Obama to the presidency, there is Hope and all are looking for a great future.

But I am sitting here thinking of all the folks in social Media that are going to be frustrated again in their social Media marketing efforts. wondering why they are not getting the traction or friends that they thought they should. And the main reason is that they continue to make the same mistakes in Social Media as last year.

Are YOU going to do that- I sure hope not. You may not have the power of a Robert Scoble, or the personality of a Gary Vanyerchuck, or the mind of a Chris Brogan, or the networking focus of a Mari Smith or Coach Deb micek. Or even the amazing writing talent of a Scott Monty.

At least not yet.

But you CAN accelerate your Social Media Success this year by avoiding these top 10 mistakes made by people in Social media in 2009.

Ok…what are they?

1) Lack of Consistent Visibility.

You cannot make a path and create a presence in Social Media, without CONSISTENTLY being SEEN and HEARD with your message. Ask Carrie Wilkerson. Or Timothy Carter. NOT going to happen. That is why that you MSUT create a Presence on the web DAILY- and be seen and heard as part of the community. A tree does not grow part time. It must be consistent in it’s efforts. It is the saem with your Social Media marketing.

2) Focusing too much on being heard.

LISTEN first- THEN talk. Social Media is about Listening to what is being said- by your prospects and customers- and social media in general. You would never enter a party or social event and immediately start yelling out what you wanted to talk about.

Neither should you in Social Media. LISTEN and then LEARN- and then Let your voice be heard- ONLY as a part of the existing conversation. Your time to start the conversation will come.

3) Taking, instead of GIVING to the Social Media Community.

Ahhhhh- lots of takers out in the Web 2,0 world. But NOT YOU. GIVE first. Give Value. Give Suggestions. Give Advice. Give ideas. Give Encouragement. Give News. Give New Possibilities. Give Words of Gratitude. But do NOT take relentlessly. You will be shunned and labeled as such.

If you REALLY want to create powerful influence- GIVE. How does that work?

GIVE = Gain Influence Very Easily. Give FIRST – and you will never come in Second.

4) Not Joining groups.

Groups are where you can have some of the greatest growth and learning. I belong to a ton of groups. Why? Because of 2 reasons: 1) I learn a lot from other people. 2) I CONNECT with the folks in the group.

Groups are a “secret weapon” that you should use on as many social sites as you can. They will not only Enlarge you- but also the possibilities that the group can bring to your life.

5) Not attending Events.

Events ROCK. And you should be attending at leat 1 event a week to do 2 things: 1) Become more Visible. 2) To learn from people that know things you do not.

Events are what i call the “Hidden University” of social Media. You can learn a LOT and grow a lot from events.

Look at the events that interest you. And pick on event that mildly interests you. And see if you can learn something even from that event. I have an event journal. and every event that i attend- i keep a log of what was said so i can review it later. You may want to do the same.

6) Not enough VALUE in what they are doing.

Value RULES in Social Media. And we train on what we call “Surprising Value.” This is the type of Value that is so great and unexpected that it surprises the person that discovers it. Put More Value in your POSTS. Put more Value in your PODCASTS. Put more Value in your Conversations. Put more Value in your Articles. Put More Value in your Recommendations. Put More Value in YOU and what you bring to the Social Media table.

Value RULES. And the one with the MOST value at the end of the day- reigns.

7) Joining Too Many Social Media sites.

There are about 3,600 Social Media sites. You need maybe 5-7. You read that right. You need 5-7 PRIMARY Social Sites. Then you need maybe 25-30, or even 50 Secondary sites for Link Building and traffic purposes. The main sites that you should be a part of- is up to you. My ‘Big 7″ are facebook, twitter, youtube, LinkedIn, Stumbleupon, Plaxo, and Wordpress- along with mashable. These are the CORE of my Social Media Marketing.

Do I belong to more? Heavens yes- a LOT more’ but have automated those through ping.fm and other social software.

Do NOT try and be seen on a hundred sites. Facebook alone can keep you busy with over 200 million people. The same with myspace, or friendster. Master ONE site while mastering social media and then another, and then another, until you have YOUR “Big 7.” And then automate the rest.

Focusing too much on Monetizing Social Media.

Nothing wrong with monetization on the internet. We do it a LOT- and daily. But focusing too much on that in social media- is , well…not cool. People do not mind knowing about an offer, or new info product. But how about giving some VALUE first with it- then invite them to an event- and then at the end of the conference call or webinar-give them a chance to purchase your produst.

What do I see daily? Urls and messages SELLING SELLING SELLING! Whew- wish that would not happen so blatantly. It has gotten better, but if you have a great content rich info product- here is a novel idea: GIVE part of the info away FIRST’and let the person ASK you for the product if they like it.

Hmmm….that just might be an idea worth considering.

9) Thinking that You are Nobody and Social Media Success is for other people.

Ask Chris Brogan. Ask Scott Monty. Ask Alejandro Reyes. Ask Brian Solis. Ask Dave Taylor. Ask Shama Hyder. EVRYONE has a great possibility to becoming SOMEBODY in Social Media. THAT is the beauty of the culture. Everyone who contributes Value and Connection- is more than welcome to achieve whatever they want. Chris Brogan once had 10 readers of his blog. Now he has almost 40,000 people following him on twitter alone. Brian Clark of copyblogger fame once had 10 readers. So did Scoble. So did Monty. So did Shama. And the list is endless.

There is GREATNESS inside of you-and there is NO BETTER place than Social Media to unleash it upon the world. You ARE Somebody- and always have been. YOU are a Social Media Rockstar- in training!

10) Not Branding Yourself Strong Enough.

Branding is a tool that we all use in Social Media. It is WHO YOU ARE- and what people remember about you. It could be a phrase-”Just Do It (TM)”- or a slogan- “”We’ve Got You Covered.” Or even a questions- “Can You Hear me Now?” or just a Name-”Trump.”

You need to get a slogan or phrase that you can start wrapping in your messages. You need to get an image that speaks what you want the public to see and know. And you need to decide -what is the ONE THING I want people to think of FIRST- when they think of me and my company? THAT is the start of a good brand build. Do not be just another face in the web 2.0 world. Set yourself apart and above the fray with a brand that rocks. We teach what is called “Connection Branding” and we have saying:

“Do NOT just be known or remembered- become UNFORGETTABLE.” ™

THAT is what you need to do!

These are the top 10 mistakes people will make in Social Media in 2009. Yes, i Know there are others- but these are the ones that i see as the most prevalent in Social Media marketing.

blessings..doug firebaugh

Do you want to have a successful start to your Home Based Business? I sure did and I am assuming you want the same to happen for you. Well, setting up your home office the right way makes a big difference in your business success outcome. You may or may not agree, but it has made an impact in my experience and many others I have talked with.

For example, you are talking with a prospect and you need your business partner to speak with them, but you don’t have 3-way calling setup on your phone system. Guess what, you now are going to miss out on some invaluable training because you will not hear how your business partner handles the prospects questions.

8 Tips for Setting up Your Home Based Business for Success

1. A great phone plan is essential to your success, so make sure you have the following:

* UNLIMITED Long Distance

* 3-Way Calling

* Caller ID

* Call Waiting

* Voice Mail

* Call Forwarding

* Anonymous Call Rejection

* Call Return

* Repeat Dialing

2. You must have a calendar

Your calendar is the backbone of your office. Without it, nothing moves forward. You can choose an online calendar such as in Google or Yahoo or in Outlook, or you can purchase an appointment book from your local office supply store.

3. Your computer software tools:

* High Speed Internet Access

* Adobe Acrobat 8: Free download – http://www.adobe.com/

* Flash Player plug-in: Free download – http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/

* Internet Explorer: Free download – http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp (Internet Explorer 6 is sufficient)

* JavaScript: Free download – http://www.java.com/

* Email Software – You may want to use Outlook or Outlook Express for your business email. Most other people use one of these, so it will keep uniformity in your business organization.

4. A good filing system

Staying organized is extremely important because doing so will help you work efficiently. Organization is very personal, so I suggest you personalize your folder names in a way that makes sense to you.

Here are some examples of folders you will need:

* Your “Main Business” Folder

* Sample Business Emails

* Training Material

* Advertising

* Announcements and Promotions

* Faxes

* Leads

* Tax records and payment receipts

5. Email signatures

Your signature should include a closing, your name, contact information (website, email address, and phone number) and a quote or favorite expression is optional. (always be mindful if using a quote to keep the message appropriate for a business environment)

Your signature can be a powerful advertising method, use it wisely.

6. Staying connected: Instant Messenger Service

Instant Messenger services allow you to communicate with your online contacts, get your questions answered and leverage your time because your phone line will be open for incoming calls from prospects.

Be sure to get the instant messenger ID of your mentors and business partners so you can always be in touch!

Yahoo Instant Messenger: http://www.messenger.yahoo.com

MSN Instant Messenger: http://www.msn.com

AOL Instant messenger: http://www.aim.com

Skype: http://www.skype.com/

7. Shopping for office supplies

You will need:

* Large 3-Ring Binder with Tab Dividers

* Plastic Sheet Protectors

* Calendar

* Pens and Pencils

* Paper (printer paper and writing pads for taking notes)

* Correction Fluid

* Manila folders

* Plastic organizer to hold pens, paper clips, sticky notes, etc.

* Post it Notes

* Paper Clips

* Stapler

* 3-Hole Punch

* Filing Cabinet

8. Creating the mood – your office environment:

Your office should buzz with positive energy. Motivate yourself by posting your goals and the reasons “WHY” you started your home based business. Family photos may help you keep your focus. Motivational slogans or an inspirational quote can keep you focused on your goals.

Decorate your office in a way that reflects your taste and personality. Create an up tempo climate which motivates you to do your best. Your environment should promote a peaceful, yet exciting atmosphere for you to work in, so use pictures or anything that will create this scenario for you.

One of the biggest perks of working at home is having the freedom to personalize your workspace, so be creative in setting up the ideal work environment.

These 8 simple tips that we have covered can help you to a successful start in your business. By following these tips, you will be able to expand your business and keep your business flowing. You will be more focused on building your business and that is your goal, is it not? I wish you the best in your business venture.