When using social networking for business, following these guidelines will help maximize your capabilities as a presence online:

1. Invest your time wisely on the right sites for your business. The most promising sites are Facebook and LinkedIn that allow you to create a profile and view other business professionals’ profiles in your industry.

2. Write profiles that establish your credentials and expertise. Most social networking sites start with a profile page. Seize this opportunity to position your business and market your skills, as well as providing necessary contact information and a Web site address. If you are an expert on a given topic, brand yourself as such. Make sure your profiles are keyword-rich and use pictures that you would want potential customers/clients to see. Take advantage of the applications these sites offer.

3. Join groups and forums and share your expertise. Establishing credibility and trust is as important as making yourself known. Comment on blogs, but keep emotion to a minimum. Credible comments add to any discussion and can help position you as someone with expertise in a given niche.

4. Seek out recognized authorities in your field. Send a Facebook friend request or a LinkedIn networking invitation, accompanied by a message introducing yourself and politely explaining why you’d like to meet this person online. Be confident, but make sure your motives are business-related.

5. Be selective about your “friends.” You want to make friends on Facebook and other social networking sites — but it’s not about how many names you can “collect.” Having a small number of friends (or connections) who value your passions and expertise, and who care to network regularly, may be best for your business.

6. Promote your blog on social networking sites. Blogging is not for everyone, and this is not a pitch to get you started against your will. But if you do blog or are considering blogging, many social networking sites enable you to surface your blog posts through RSS feeds.

7. Use privacy settings and street smarts to limit identity theft. Most sites have privacy settings allowing you to dictate how much of your profile is revealed to people inside and outside your network. Adjust these settings to your own comfort level, but in general, be cautious about the personal information you post.

8. Avoid aggressive marketing and constant promotion. If you do nothing but promote your new book or new business or product, people in your network will lose interest and likely “un-friend” you.

Using social networks allow business professionals to position themselves amongst the competition in their industry and offer value to their colleagues and customers in an accessible and efficient method.

These tips were taken from Microsoft Office’s Monte Enbysk’s article on social networking.

To read the article, visit http://www.office.microsoft.com.

As a restaurant owner, you should not rely solely on word of mouth and advertising modes to support your dining venue; a marketing strategy will keep your kitchen doors swinging, and patrons on a waiting list. Implementing an in depth marketing plan specific to your local demographic is the most effective tactic you can initiate.

If you are thinking about not marketing or cutting marketing, don’t! Marketing is crucial to the success of your venue.

These basic tips will help you procure media coverage and customers, but as a busy restaurateur you most likely do not have the time or resources to promote your venue:

* Develop relationships with reporters and editors
* Understand online social networking – send out specials/invitations to your online followers, friends, fans, groups
* Invite media to your venue for a free meal
* Set up food drops/deliveries to local radio stations
* Host a media sponsored event at your venue

How do you create and implement a marketing strategy to garner attention of your venue? Contact Publicity Works – a public relations firm/marketing agency. We have the capabilities in place to help you get the media coverage your restaurant deserves, which will keep customers coming back for more.

In a bad economy, most business owners and CEO’s go into an auto pilot survival mode, cutting every expense not believed to impact the bottom line. Most of the time, the first expense on the chopping block is the marketing and PR budget. Across the street, however, the savvy business owner is counting on the competition’s knee-jerk response to axe marketing/PR programs. Savvy Inc. is actually using this momentum created by the competition to strengthen their brand, distinguish themselves from the competition, and actually increase market share.

When marketing and PR is not perceived as an integral component of the business plan
or strategy and considered an extra, the reduced presence in the hearts and minds of customers creates the perception that the brand is weakening, and provides an excellent
opportunity for competition. Here are the top four myths on marketing in a bad economy
your competition is counting on you to believe:

1. I know Marketing is important, but right now we need to put Marketing and PR on hold.

The real story: Once you are down in the brand cycle, it is hard to get up. Few brands or organizations can succeed without communicating to customers and potential customers. The time you are “on hold” may be at a key point in a potential customer’s decision-making cycle. By not staying top-of-mind with current clients and potential new clients you risk your brand simply being among the glut of competition – the perfect opportunity for your competition to eat your lunch.

2. Every body is waiting for things to “get better”.

The real story: Companies who are brave enough to ramp up their PR efforts will weather storm by taking market share from those who avoid the limelight from those who are not aggressive in the down turn. Leading business publications and thought leaders also point out that the company who expands marketing activities can usually dominate their industry sector if the downturn lasts for a prolonged period of time.

3. By cutting out Marketing, we can spend the money on other things and get back to Marketing when things improve.

The real story: When the economy is in trouble, people worry and don’t want to spend. Give customers and potential clients the assurance you are strong and viable and are here for the duration to be of service. That message can only be conveyed by marketing and PR efforts – visibility makes customers feel comfortable about doing business with you.

4. Our competitors aren’t spending money on marketing, PR or advertising either.

The real story: That “wait and see what the competition is doing” plan of action will kill your business! Your business/organization has something to offer that your competition does not have! Why would you let them lead your efforts to grow and succeed? Savvy Inc. knows that when cautious competitors pull back in fear, this is the time marketshare can be grabbed – marketing while competition is wringing their hands will result in increased presence, exposure to new groups, and garner new customers during tough times.

In a recession or economic downturn, it is essential that we not make important decisions that impact the health and well being of our company with a reactionary mindset. Now is the time to step-up in every way – in the service we provide customers, quality of the goods we make, and to also step-up our mental tenacity by not giving into panic and to stay committed to being the best at what we do and be proactive in communicating why we are best to our customers.

Your competitor is getting media coverage with daily newspapers, weekly magazines, radio segments, blogs, and even television appearances – why and how is this happening while your company receives no media attention?  Chances are your competitor is working with a public relations firm garnering media opportunities.

These basic tips will help you procure media coverage, but as a busy business owner you most likely do not have the time or resources to promote your company:

• Develop relationships with reporters and editors
• Determine newsworthy hooks/angles
• Understand online social networking
• Cooperate with journalists in a timely fashion – never make a reporter wait
• Have ideas ready to pitch media when media calls looking for news
• Offer exclusive interviews

How do media opportunities happen?  Well, it certainly is not a wave of a magic wand.  Many contributing factors are in place already before a media placement is secured, and a public relations firm and/or marketing agency has the capabilities to help you get the media coverage your company deserves