Online Marketing, Visibility and Business Blogging Tips from Denise Wakeman

Online Visibility Tip - Use your real name, please.

Real names. I've had this on my list of topics to address for some time and then I saw a post on the NAMS forum from David Perdew, the producer of the Niche Affiliate Marketing System workshop, letting members know that if they don't use their real name, they'll be removed from the forum. That reminded me it was time to write this post.

It's become a total nightmare in the blog comments. Recently I announced that I have moved to moderated comments because of the torrent of spam comments from names like SEOLondon or Web Marketing Expert. Those comments generally do not get through. NOTE: If you want your comment approved, use your real name.

The problem is that many real, legit people also do this. They think they're being clever. But in fact, they are doing themselves a disservice if they are building a legitimate online business. People don't do business with a brand, clever slogans or keyword phrases. They do business with people. Use your brand name and slogan in your profile and the site you link to in your comments and profile.

Online Visibility Tip: Use Zoominfo to Reach More Professionals

Online Visibility Tip: Set up a profile on Zoominfo.com so you're visible to other professionals seeking services like you provide. If you're looking for a job, then it's doubly important to be listed since the site is used heavily by recruiters.

Zoominfo is not a social networking site. It's more like a directory with advanced search functions so businesses and professionals can drill down to find the right people. [Can't see the video? Click here.]

You've got nothing to lose to spend a few minutes creating your profile. If you have all the info at in a template, you can easily copy, paste, add a few links, upload your picture and you're good to go.

Do you have an action plan for creating massive visibility on the web? Check out my 26 week Online Visibility Secrets program...one small action every week for 26 weeks and you'll see a noticeable difference in the amount of traffic, leads, clients and opportunities you're attracting to your business.

Related Post:
Online Visibility Tip: Usernamecheck.com Protects You

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Online Visibility Tip: Show Up for Your Email Contacts

Do you use Google's Gmail? Millions of people do. Gmail has lots of cool features but the one I want to point out now is that you can add your picture to your email account.

One of the objectives of boosting your online visibility is to become recognizable by your target audience, peers and clients. To that end you want to build image recognition as well as name recognition. That means including a picture on every site site/profile that lets you.

 Upload your picture under Settings in your Gmail account. When other Gmail users read your email or hover over your message in their inbox, your image is revealed. Not only does this add intimacy to the email interaction, it reinforces your name, brand and image. 

It takes 1 minute or less to add your picture, yet works for you on a deep level. Mari Smith (I think it's Mari who said this) calls this "ambient awareness." Your contacts begin to see you everywhere and you create top of mind awareness for your business and services.

Remember to use the same professional picture you use on all you business profiles so there's a consistent look and feel to all your online activity.

Related Post:
Is Your Google Profile Up to Date?

Women of Personality ebook (sneak peak!)

How many visionary women have you been inspired by? Most of us have some story to tell of someone who did that for us and helped us to be what we are today.  Some time ago I was invited to be a contributor to the second edition of a new eBook called The Personality Project: Women of Personality by Rohit Bhargava.

It's a collection of stories from 40 women (including me!) that shares our stories and tips for up and coming female entrepreneurs and businesswomen. We are launching it tomorrow and I wanted to share a sneak peek of the ebook with all of you today. It's now exclusively available for download.

SocialMediaExaminer.com Launches with Live Video Q&A

I'm thrilled to finally be able to reveal and announce that I'm part of a rockin' team of social media professionals launching Social Media Examiner, a free online magazine designed to help businesses discover how to best use social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to find leads, increase sales and generate more brand awareness.

Offering a unique single source of knowledge, the site contains comprehensive articles and videos on how to use the best social media tools, along with original case studies, reviews of the latest industry research and advice direct from the world's leading experts.

It's mission is to help you navigate the constantly changing social media jungle and is the brainchild of Michael A. Stelzner, often referred to as the King of White Papers and organizer of the wildly success Social Media Success Summit.

To kick off the launch, we are hosting a live video Q&A session between 7 am and 2 pm Pacific time with Mari Smith, Jason Falls, Chris Garrett and me, doing live video sessions with Mike Stelzner. Go to Social Media Examiner to get the details for joining the video-cast and getting your burning questions answered about social media, blogging, Facebook and Twitter.

Here's the schedule:

• 7am Pacific: Chris Garrett
• 9am Pacific: Denise Wakeman (my debut on live online streaming video!)
• 11am Pacific: Mari Smith
• 1pm Pacific: Jason Falls

Stats Show Businesses Don't Know How to Use Social Media

Facebook boasts 300 million active users worldwide. Fifty million people tweet on Twitter. Forty-three million rely on LinkedIn. Social media sites are worldwide hangouts for everyone from Fortune 100 CEOs to clever young entrepreneurs.

The Social Media Marketing Industry Report, published earlier this year, found that 81% of all marketers who use social media said it generates more exposure for their business; 62% said it helped close more business deals; and 85% of small-business owners said they reaped benefits from social media techniques.

But a July 2009 study by eMarketer revealed that though 81% of executives feel social media marketing enhances brands and business relationships, 51% of them aren't using it for one simple reason: They don't know how. 

Stelzner, the founder of Social Media Examiner, says the free online publication satisfies that need perfectly: "Many businesses don't have a clue about where to start or what to do. Social Media Examiner is a free, no-strings-attached site that tells people exactly how it's done. The online magazine gives readers easy-to-understand, useful techniques that they can implement immediately."

The colorful, interactive SocialMediaExaminer.com provides how-to articles; case studies that give specific examples of how top business leaders use social media; video interviews with experts; and summaries of the latest research. The magazine will run new, updated content every week and readers can post comments and join online discussions.