Is 35 the New 80?

As an entrepreneur and business coach I try to stay on top of the most current marketing techniques. So, I set out yesterday with the most innocent intentions of deepening my familiarity with online social networking. Who could have predicted my ride down the rabbit hole into the alien world of Bebo, Squidoo, Twitter and Ning! Sure, I’m not 22 anymore but upon this journey I surely felt as left behind, technologically speaking, as my 92 year old grandfather felt when we gave him a TiVo DVR on his birthday.

But do not worry, I will soldier on!

I have now successfully completed my profiles on what I believe are the foundational sites:

www.MySpace.com,www.FaceBook.com,www.LinkedIn.com and

www.BeliefNet.com (Not as popular to the general public but full of spiritually minded folks!)

I have also decided to begin a central blog on www.Blogger.com that I hope to distribute to all of these sites using an application that I am sure exists, I just haven’t found it yet. Perhaps a Bleepoomaditron?

So, why would I spend this time staring at a computer screen gaining these new skills and trolling for virtual companions? I’ll tell you why!

Leverage: I am already creating content on a daily basis through my work with and for clients. Now, my articles, tip sheets, exercises and ideas can not only be viewed by larger audiences, but the information I post can found through relevant searches, and easily forwarded by potential clients to potential clients. I love it when one task can have far reaching impact.

Exposure: This one is pretty obvious but very valuable. More folks can see you and learn about you with an increased web presence.

Credibility: By stumbling upon your blog through a relevant search, they are introduced to you as an expert author. That is a great way to make first contact and sure beats a cold call!

Relationship Building: This is the name of the game in marketing as far as I am concerned and social networking sites allow you a broader reach without consuming your time and energy. (Though you might find yourself making friend requests at 2:00am if you aren’t careful)

So, I might be 35 going on 80 but I am committed to improving my facility with these tools and hope to connect with some interesting folks. I will promise to do so on my deck rather than in an overly air-conditioned coffee house (like the one I am in right now). If you would like to learn along with me, check for updates on this discussion thread on the HPBA website and feel free to contribute you insights, discoveries and expertise!

When I first started using Myspace, I thought it was just for high school and college kids. I know have like 500+ friends and few are of that age.

The thing that amazed me the most was the amount of traffic I was able to drive to my business website from myspace page. My sales went up and so did my hits.  

Good topic Marilyn.

I've been really studying this Social Networking thing for about 4 months now. Have had a myspace page for about 2 years and linkedin for longer -- but really seemed to hit my stride on facebook.

Just my .02 but I find that myspace seems more like a frat party and a lot less monitored than say Linked In or Facebook.

Linkedin seems best for strict business dealings -- not terribly "social" at all and Facebook seems to have lots of checks and balances in place to keep you from spamming and getting spammed -- (esp compared to Myspace) but can be confusing if you don't know what sets it off. I find that most coaches and holistic folks that I want to emulate, partner with and work with are on facebook. Not sure how, but even with being picky (meaning I ignore more than 50% of friend requests) I have over 1000 friends on FB. I've categorized them using the List feature and have created and joined groups that are pertinent to my niche.

From there I've wandered into Friendfeed, twitter, twhirl, plurk, and others. I'm still learning as I think these, like all tools, are useful to the extent that you use them. The key factor being make sure you're being social, not sales-y to make an impression. I'll definitely be writing about my explorations on my blogs and my newsletter. Because even folks who are awakening their soul need to be fully aware of the world here!

Take care,

Peggie Arvidson

http://www.intuitiveevolution.com

http://palmistry101.blogspot.com