The Google Plus social network is now open for business…but how do network marketing and business owners take advantage of this new social media platform that some say will rival Facebook?
After being an invitation-only site for many months, on September 22, 2011, the Google Plus social network became open to the general public.
Google Plus is probably the one and only site that can even attempt to put a dent in the behemoth that is Facebook’s social network. Posting record numbers, Google+ is up to an estimated 50 million users in just 3 months since offering the service…it took Facebook 3 years to get to that point! So should network marketers be paying attention, ABSOLUTELY!
Also, don’t forget the 70% web browsers come to Google first as it’s the most popular search engine and the largest source of traffic for many websites.
So How Do Network Marketers Get Started With Google Plus
1. Set Up Your Personal Profile
Unlike Facebook, Google+ does not yet support businesses or organizations. So as an individual business owner, you must begin to connect with influencers and leaders in your niche and make connections with people you already know.
2. Understanding How Google Plus Works
Google is great for creating step by step instructions on how to get the most their tools. It’s important to understand the features and functionality of how Google Plus works. Check out these comprehensive guides to learn everything you need to know about Google Plus:
After you configure your privacy settings and learn the features start adding Circles. Google plus allows you to create Circles, which allows you to categorize your connections and selectively share information with certain people.
You may want to post something that you only want your business acquaintances to see. You can select your “Acquaintances” circle, and only the people you’ve tagged as “Acquaintances” will be able to view that post. Mark your post as public if you want everyone to see it.This is a great way to streamline your information.
4. Decide On What To Post
As with any social network, the rule of thumb is to always give value. Before you post anything, ask yourself if it is going to be beneficial, useful or value to others. Even though you can share selectively between friends, acquaintances, family members and people you are following just be careful about what you post to make something of value.
5. Hang out in the Google Plus Space
This is a feature that as a business owner you should be definitely be taking advantage of. The hangout feature allows you to use a live webcam (videoconferencing) with up to 10 other Google + users.
6. Tagging People
If you want to mention someone in a post, you can simple type the + sign followed by their name. The Google Plus smart search will populate their name as you type. The person you mentioned will then be notified with an e-mail that they’ve been mentioned in your G+ stream.
Tagging people is a great way to network or spark up a conversation in your stream.
7. The Plus One Button
So we have all seen the Google +1 button…it was actually introduced long before Google announced their social network. if you’ve done any type of Google search you’ve seen it pop up on the side of the Google.com search engine results. The Google +1 button is a way to “vote for” or “like”content. It’s Google’s version of the Facebook “Like” button.
There are a number of reason why as network marketers we should start implementing Google Plus. As a member of the community you will get a chance to share content, provide value, and comment on other people’s content. The comment that you just “Plus Oned” is going to show up in your G+ stream along with the site.
While we are all still waiting to see just how the Google + 1 button and social network is going to factor in to our search engine optimization, Google has stated that they are somehow going to integrate G+ data to influence ranking and SEO. We could assume that the more Google + votes you get the more SEO benefits you’ll see as a result. So if you are wondering if you should show up to the party, I say add me to the guest list.
So you could interpret that to mean sites that get more plus one votes could see an SEO benefit down the line. The bottom line is this…marketers leverage the power of the Internet through building relationships and connections and anytime you can take advantage of these connections to influence your Google’s authority you shouldn’t take it lightly.
9. A Few G+ Social Network Tips
Make sure you completely update your Google Plus profile and start adding posts. As with any social site you want people to know who you are and what you are about so take the time to update picture and info.
It’s Google Plus Feedback Time…
Let me know what you think about all this Google + buzz? Will you be diving in to yet another social network or are you going to wait and see if Google catches fire!
There are so many different ways to increase the amount of web traffic to your network marketing blog or site. There are a few that you’ll have to pay for and there are many you won’t. Below let’s get in to a few key ways to increase website traffic to your network marketing blog.
1. Offer Free, Original and valuable content on your site: The most effective way to increase the amount of traffic to your network marketing blog is to offer people something for FREE, something they can not get any where else or at least in the level of quality you are offering it. So what are the ways in which you can guarantee your content is unique, valuable and quality.
Create content that is going to solve your visitors problems, that is beneficial and helpful. Simply boosting content from other websites will not separate you from your competition. You need to provide information that your visitors will need to accomplish their online network marketing business goals. If you are uncomfortable writing your own content outsourcing is something to consider. You can get quality article written for as low as $5 per article. But don’t neglect writing your own articles. There is no one that knows your business and your message better than you and you want to make sure it’s your personality, your voice and your vision that is coming across in your content.
Keep is fresh and cutting-edge. It is imperative that you keep your visitors engaged by providing regular updates to your blog. Add new posts in the form of video, audio or text at minimum every other day.
To have a successful blog, make sure your categories and tags are set and that you links are not broken. I highly recommend using a program called Ninja Affiliate that will not only notify you of broken links but will monetize your blog by automatically adding hyperlinks throughout your content based on specific keywords. You should also make sure you submit your website sitemap.xml file to Google so your blog shows up in their search engine.
Add Video to your site. There is nothing like using video to interact and engage with your visitors. People like to be entertained and video is the perfect medium to build relationships with your visitors while providing helpful information. Video is a great way to increase conversion rates and improve page ranking.
Give away and eBook (digital download) and encourage your readers to share it with their downline and peers. This will increase your exposure and increase your website traffic.
2. Increase The Amount of Backlinks to your Blog: Links back to your site is a great way to create increased traffic.
Comment Marketing is a great way to get links back to your site. By offering insightful, engaging comments and feedback on other high traffic sites and network marketing blogs you are attracting peers and colleagues that will eventually start to visitor for your site.
Adding links back to your site from other social media sites. Whenever you add content to sites such as Facebook, YouTube and other social networking sites, make sure to include a link back to your site. When you cut a video make sure you include a call to action that encourages the viewer to obtain additional tips and strategies from you by visiting your blog.
3. Promote , Promote, Promote!: Besides generating backlinks to your blog you can also consider the following:
PPC and Facebook Ads. If you have a little money to spend you can consider pay per click.
Article Marketing and Ezines. Submit your articles and posts to e-zines and other sites that accept article submission. Include information in the resource box that includes your contact info and a link back to your original content. This is a great way to create one-way backlinks to your website and is a very effective in increasing your ranking on the search engines.
Promote on Social Media Sites. There are a number of free traffic sources that you can tab in to to increase your traffic. My friend Kim Roach explains a number of underground traffic secrets that has been able to generate 3000 leads in 30 days and thousands of unique visitors. Sharing content on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google Groups, Forums, Chat Rooms, Ning Sites, Bloggvertise.com and many other social sites can dramatically increase the amount of traffic yo your site.
Participate on message boards. Posting answers to other people’s questions, asking questions and posting helful information is a great way to get exposure. Make sure to include your signature file at the end ot your posting that contains the URL to your blog or website.
4. Join a Syndication Tribe: What better way to promote your content than to have others do it for you. By joining a Syndication Tribe, you are able to increase the amount of people sharing your content across the web. When you have third party validation promoting your quality content, it let’s Google know your content is popular and of value and it will increase your ranking.
5. Webinars and Online Broadcasts: Providing free online classes, conference calls and seminars are a great way to provide quality information that will attract new visitors to your site. You will also establish yourself as a leader in the industry and be seen as an expert on the topic.
6. Offer FREE Consulting: Offering free consulting to people who are visiting your blog will have them running. You can offer your insight and knowledge via e-mail, by phone or skype. People will consider this an extraordinary value because we all know how expensive consulting fees can be.
7. Improve Your Search Engine Ranking: By focusing on target keywords related to your niche you are increasing the possibility of people finding your site.This is called SEO [Search Engine Optimization]. You want to make sure your site is not drowning in targeted keywords, you want your content to flow and be natural. Over doing the keywords will actually work against you and your ranking will suffer. Targeted keywords should appear in your title, headings and throughout your content in. To help with my SEO I use a FREE WordPress Plugin called All In One SEO Pack.
By implementing all of these techniques you will start to see a slow increase in traffic to your network marketing blog that will turn into an avalanche of visitors, if and only if you are patient, you are consistent and you continue to provide value that will help your target market overcome the challenges they are facing in building their own online network marketing business.
Remember The Amount of Traffic (size of your email list) + The Value You Provide = Your Net Worth
Continue to provide great content and they will come!
>Yours in success,
If you like this post, please Share, Digg, Tweet and ‘Like’! Thank you!
PS. If you are struggling in your online MLM business be one of the ones I help overcome their limiting beliefs by reaching $10K per month this year?
Andrea Bolder has built a massive brand as the Gold Medal Marketer by combining her winning mentality in Athletics with her entrepreneurial instincts. A track and field Gold Medalist in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Andrea brings an intense determination to the network marketing community. She now coaches and mentors Network Marketers across the globe on the most effective strategies for Branding and Marketing using the Internet. To Get The Tips and Tricks That Makes Her Team Thousands of Dollars Each Month ===>www.GoldMedalMarketer.com<===
Ever wondered which WordPress plugins are essential for internet marketing success? Which Plugins will help you to generate more leads, make more money online and really create a kick-butt blog? Out of the thousands and thousands of plugins for WordPress blogs, there are few standouts that you should get your hands on to maximize your efficiency and money making potential.
You don’t have to have the fanciest blog on the web, but there are some essential wordpress plugins you’ll want to make sure you have for Internet Marketing Success. Some of these may be familiar and some may be new to you, but here are my Top 10 Faves.
Essential WordPress Plugins
1.All in One SEO Pack: This plugin helps with the search engine optimization of your site by allowing you to edit the title, description and keywords for your website, in addition to your individual blog posts.
Also, you don’t just want to install this plugin, you need to make it work at peak performance, so here are a few recommendations for settings that you can use with the All in One SEO Pack plugin to efficiently maximize the SEO benefits for your own blog.
Here is a snapshot of my All in One SEO settings area: You’ll see something similar once you install the plugin.
Home Title: This is the meta title on your homepage. This will be the title that everyone will see in their browser. Your title should essentially be the brand name (The Gold Medal Marketer) and a tagline. Make sure it is under 60 characters and user-friendly, something someone would actually type into a search.
Home Description: Also called a meta description, it is right under the title and should be less than 160 characters so you see the full description. Used solely by the search engines, most users will not even see this when they browse your site. Take your time and really think about how your craft your description to make sure you have the right keywords added.
Home Keywords: This is where you’ll add targeted keywords. Separate them by commas and do research on yourkeywordsbefore using them.
Individual Post Settings: In your post panel you will see a tab that says All in One SEO Pack and it looks like this: Follow the same guidelines for title, home description and keywords to maximize the benefits.
2. RSS Footer: This awesome plugin allows you to engage readers who are actually not reading your posts from your website but in a feed like Google reader. So usually when people get finished reading your content they move on to whatever it is they want to do with their lives. Unless you tell them specifically what to do next, more often than not they’ll do nothing. Well the whole purpose of having a blog is to get your reader to take some type of action or interact and this is why this plugin is so awesome. You can create a short note at the bottom of the RSS feed that asks your reader to leave a comment, become a Facebook Fan or Twitter follower, or you can just say thank you for being such a loyal reader and connect them to a free report. Love this one =)
3. TubePress: I was looking for a cool way to showcase my videos and tutorials on my blog when I came across this kick-butt plugin. I am still working on setting it up but this plugin is killer and it will allow you to create a video gallery on your blog, pulling videos from your Youtube or Vimeo account. You can put your video gallery in a post, page or on the sidebar of your blog. But in the meantime, here is a sample of what it will look like. Pretty sweet huh!
4. Aweber Web Form Plugin: This plugin is new from Aweber. This plugin allows you to take web forms you’ve already created in your Aweber account and just drag and drop them onto your blog without having to actually log-in to your Aweber account and copy and paste the html code. Making life super simple.
5. MaxBlogPress Ninja Affiliate: This kick-butt tool from MBP Affiliate is a must have for any Internet marketer or blogger who has the INTENT to make money with their blog. There is a common thread among 6 figure earners on the Internet and I found that one of their money making secrets is to sprinkle their blog with what I like to call “Silent Pitch Links” or links that take the reader to a tool, product or service that you want them to see. It could be a link to an affiliate product you promote, or your own e-book, you can even connect them to a free report you generated.
Ninja Affiliate is a WordPress Plugin that will automatically convert keywords and phrases into affiliate links. Not only can it convert keywords into affiliate links it comes with a pretty sweet Affiliate Marketing system that helps you manage and track your affiliate marketing campaigns. The point to remember is that we are in the business of making money, not working a non-profit blog, and the goal is to provide overwhelming value in every post you write WITHOUT having to pitch or scream “buy my product, buy my product.” The power in this tool is that it automatically monetizes every single post you’ll ever write for you while you can concentrate on providing value to your readers. Now you DO NOT want to spam your blog with links (be tasteful and tactful) but if you want to STOP leaving money on the table, here it is!
6. Broken Link Checker: This plugin is pretty nice and another must have. What it does is crawls your entire blog and reports any broken links or images. A broken link could be a link that’s dead and doesn’t work (you may have typed the URL incorrectly) or it could be a link to a page that no longer exists. Once you install and activate this plugin it sweeps up all the junk links -kinda of like a maid for your blog.
7. Akismet: This tool is like Kryptonite for spam. It will keep your blog from being inundated with spammy comments. Already installed when you setup WordPress, you will need to get a API to enable this tool. Simply follow the directions provided once you activate the plugin and you’ll be good to go.
8. WordPress Database Backup: After hearing horror stories from people who did not take the time to back-up their content I found this plugin that will automatically send me an email that has a backup file of my WordPress blog every single day. Technology is great but hey, stuff happens, so take the time to backup now so you won’t be crying later!
9. Thank Me Later: This plugin is a great way to engage readers who have left comments on your blog and to encourage or remind them to come back to your site. Thank Me Later (TML) will automatically send an e-mail to those who leave a comment on your blog. Use this plugin to say ‘Thanks’ to your visitors, and prompt them to further engage with your blog. This is a great way to draw people back to your blog and get repeat readers.
10. Google XML Sitemap: This is just great for those of you that don’t want to get your hands dirty with some additional coding. It basically allows you to create an xml sitemap which you can add to your blog. This is great because it helps with SEO allowing the search engines to index your site a lot easier. It is definitely a big time saver and is a worthy tool to incorporate on your site.
I know I said I was giving you 10 but here are 2 more that I just couldn’t leave these off the list!
11. Audio Player: This plugin allows you to include a podcast and other types of audio media to your blog. It has a sleek look and you can easily configure and customize it to match the theme of your site. Pretty cool if you want to upload interviews.
12.WPtouch Plugin: Always staying ahead of the trends, you are going to want this plugin if you want the new generation of smart phone users to gain access to your site. This plugin takes all of your site’s content and makes it nice and pretty for any smart phone user that comes across your site. WpTouch allows integration with all major players: Apple, Android and Blackberry to name a few..Mobile Marketing here we come!
I am looking forward to your comments on these plugins. If you have a favorite wordpress plugin you’ve discovered as an internet marketer share it with us. I’m sure the readers of this blog would love to hear what makes making money online easier for you!!
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About Andrea
Andrea is a Gold Medal Winning Olympian turned social media strategist and co-author of Facebook Leads Factory. She helps entrepreneurs and small business owners establish strategies to maximize the power of social media and increase the success of their online marketing efforts.
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The Google Plus social network is now open for business…but how do network marketing and business owners take advantage of this new social media platform that some say will rival Facebook?
After you configure your privacy settings and learn the features start adding Circles. Google plus allows you to create Circles, which allows you to categorize your connections and selectively share information with certain people.
If you want to mention someone in a post, you can simple type the + sign followed by their name. The Google Plus smart search will populate their name as you type. The person you mentioned will then be notified with an e-mail that they’ve been mentioned in your G+ stream.
