Here’s a Social Media time saver. Social media marketing can suck all your time if you don’t manage it effectively. Here’s a facebook tip that will help you focus on those you need to connect with specifically at a particular time.

I use this feature to help me with content syndication (tribe syndication).

Have any time saving tips for Social Media Marketing? Share them in the comments! Thanks!

If you’re wondering if a Global Resorts Network (GRN) membership really can save you money on family travel, you’ll want to check out my video. See what it did for me!

In my “Best Books for Entrepreneurs” category, I’m glad to recommend a little gem called “7 Little Choice” by funnyman, business coach and entrepreneur Rick Butts.

This book is aimed at the “Idea-Entrepreneur,” a term Butts came up with to describe  “A self-employed person who creates businesses based on their own ideas or hybrid compilations. These include writers, speakers, consultants, coaches, info-preneurs, filmmakers, musicians, artists, and others. It probably includes anyone reading this blog, so you owe it to yourself to download the free copies Rick is giving out right now at Rick Butts‘ site.

Don’t let the size of the book fool you. If you’re not paying attention to the 7 choices Butts is talking about, you’re paying a different price altogether. As they say, the price of ignorance is much greater than the price of acquiring knowledge. In this case, it’ll only cost you 20 minutes to read it.

Read 7 Little Choices as one of my “Best Books for Entrepreneurs” recommendations. You’ll be glad you did! Don’t forget to come back and comment.

Expect success!

Stevie Knight

Search giant Google “gets” the power of Social Media with its Google Friend Connect and upcoming Google Wave. Astoundingly, Google still doesn’t quite get the “Party” aspect of Social Media! In fact, its new browser tool SideWiki is a potentially devastating example of “crashing the Social Media Party!” Read on if you want to understand why…

The brouhaha and controversy surrounding this particular Google experiment is fascinating to watch. On one side, some people state that the potential hijacking of sites by this new tool (aka Big Brother Google) is way overblown. Supporters believe it’s a great way to “spread the wealth” (Google? been drinking the coolaid?) of information, opinion and content throughout the web. Opponents decry the obvious (except to Google, apparently) massive opportunities for abuse by scammers, spammers, competitors and freaks.

What is Google SideWiki? It’s a browser toolbar plugin for Firefox and Internet Explorer. It allows anyone with the plugin installed to make comments on any site that is not password protected and view the comments of others. But it differs from comment capability on most sites, especially frequently updated sites like blogs. Blog comments can be moderated by the blog owner, eliminating 90% of spam comments and attempts to hijack affiliate links through comment spamming, keeping articles and comments useful for the site visitor. SideWiki comments cannot be moderated by the site owner, though the website’s webmaster can make highlighted comments on the comments appearing on the SideWiki comments next to their site.

While others have addressed the issue of potential legal issues, and hijacking of traffic by Google through SideWiki from site owners who paid Google for AdWords traffic, and the proliferation of spam throughout the SideWikis, I’d like to address a very important element of what makes Social Media so powerful: the Party itself.

As one prominent Social Media guru said: Social Media is like a party. One of the realities of any party is that you just don’t breeze in the door uninvited, butt into every conversation with self-promotion and marketing messages, and expect a warm welcome. If you DO, you’ll quickly get the reactions of party guests to your hijacking of the party, probably getting booted from the party. Yet this is exactly what Google is doing with this move. Unfortunately for website owners, at this point there is no way to boot Google’s SideWiki out of your party.

Have an opinion, a question, a solution? Leave a comment.

Expect success!

Stevie Knight

When it comes to learning how to build a network marketing/MLM business, one of the first questions that comes up is, “should you make a list of all your friends, family, acquaintances, dry-cleaners, etc” to market to first?

Well, I’d rather poke a sharp stick in my eye than use that outdated, old-school method. Call me a rebel, but with the advent of the internet and the power of web 2.0 social media marketing, I simply can’t imagine why that would be someone’s first choice for marketing their home based business.

This industry is full of crappy thinking, bad business strategies and mind control. And it’s about time someone said so! The “make a list” issue is one of the sacred cows of this business that needs to be reexamined. Let me elaborate.

If you visit online forums much, you’ll see that the debate over this issue rages on. Much is said and written about the importance – no, the necessity – of making that list! Many have been adamant about the need to use it as the foundational element of a good MLM business.

I hope those who live, breathe and have succeeded with “the list” won’t be offended by my remarks…but I’m disgusted that it is still (after all the failure and wrecked relationships it has caused) represented as the best and sometimes only way to build a Network Marketing business.

Here’s the truth: MLM isn’t for babies or wimps…It’s for leaders and leaders-in-the-making. It’s for people who understand that new skills will be required when undertaking a new business in a new (sometimes absolutely nuts!) industry. It’s for people who are willing to learn what business ownership is all about.

It’s not about “the list!” It’s about developing real marketing and leadership skills and a business owner’s mindset. And it’s about developing real relationships with the extraordinary individuals drawn to create more for their lives than what they currently have.

Consider this an introduction to a series of articles that address this, and several other, tightly held beliefs rampant in this industry that contribute to the huge failure rate it has become infamous for. In the process, I’ll also be giving you alternative solutions that won’t cause you to become part of the N.F.L (No Friends Left club!) and will assist you in building a solid asset…a business you’ll be proud to talk about with anyone, without looking at each individual with a hawkish expressing, wondering if they’re really a prospect for your business.

I’ll teach you how to attract real prospects, qualified prospects.

In the process, I look forward to your comments, experiences and insights.

And remember, I’m only a phone call, email, Tweet or comment away.

Expect success!

Stevie Knight

My house sits on the Colorado prairie, still within view of the Rocky Mountain foothills and not far from where the plains begin. I went out late this evening for the dog’s last walk and stood under the big sky, lit by the half moon and spectacular reflections from a few surrounding clouds.

I could hear the crickets and the whistling sounds of late-night ground squirrels…probaly warning each other about our crazy dog. The wind has finally died down and the stars sing their silent song with their blinking light show.

I waited outside…waited for tomorrow to appear…not in its fullness, but in hints…in little bursts of ideas that will have to wait until morning for their full revelation. And I ponder…how many others stand under the canopy of lights…how many others in semi-light wait outside for flashes of revelation from the Heavens…

If you’ve been wanting to learn internet marketing so you can make money online, but didn’t know where to start, here’s a great deal for you, dear reader! BTW, if you’re already have good internet marketing skills, this could be even more important for you.

You might be wondering why I haven’t posted here for awhile. Well, I’m in the middle of a big move, with a TON of sorting and packing to do. But I had to take time out to let you know about a way you
can get this excellent training on search engine marketing and other key internet marketing strategies for FREE, right now.

As a stompernet affiliate (one of the best sources of training for internet marketing but very expensive…their top program is $800/mth!), I received an advance copy of the magazine “The Net Effect” that they are launching today, around 5:30 pm eastern. Included with the press copy of the magazine was a very in-depth DVD course called “stomping the search engines.”

Now, initially, the Stompernet faculty didn’t reveal the price of the course or the magazine subscription but implied that the course would be priced around $500. Yesterday, we found out that they are GIVING away the entire DVD course as an “ethical bribe” for people to give the magazine a try.

You can check it out here Stompernet’s FREE search engine marketing DVD course and magazine

Having read the magazine, I’m sort of amazed that they think anyone needs any kind of bribe to subscribe, but hey, they didn’t ask me! LOL! The magazine is truly excellent…the best material I’ve seen anywhere in that format…all meat…NO FLUFF filler content.

So…here’s the deal they are offering today (I think they are going to continue the offer, but to avoid having any part of your FREE order on backorder due to the influx of subscriptions over thenext few weeks, if this is something you want, get it ASAP.). When you order a trial subscription of the magazine, they are going to include that DVD course at no additional cost beyond a very small shipping
charge ($9.95)…fair to me!

FYI, the monthly cost of the subscription AFTER the 1st issue, is about $40, an excellent value for most! If that’s too steep for you right now, get the 1st issue anyhow (with that DVD course) and mark
your calendar to cancel further issues after you receive your 1st copy and the DVD. The information in that ONE issue alone, along with the very complete content of the DVD, could catapult your
existing business to a new level, or finally get your new business off the launch pad this month!

So here’s that link once again. Do yourself a favor and really take the time to see if it’s right for you: “The Net Effect” magazine and “Stomping the Search Engines 2(STSE2) DVD course

I’m going to get my subscription too. I already have the 1st magazine issue and the DVD, but I don’t want to miss the next issue!

Hope this helps you have an excellent September, the beginning of the busiest and most profitable season of the year for home business entrepreneurs around the world.

If I can assist you with anything. I’m just a comment, email or phone call away!

Have an opinion, a question or do you have any cool Twitter tips? Leave a comment.

Expect success!

Stevie Knight

Building a Global Resorts Network business, and the experiences I had with other home business opportunities leading up to working with GRN, led me to realize that I was wrong. Avoid this potential pitfall. Watch this video to find out why…

Personal branding, one of the most important strategies for developing an online presence, is not rocket science. It has been mystified and complicated by so many online “gurus” that many newcomers to network marketing avoid it completely, to the advantage of their competitors and the detriment of their own business.

Put simply, personal branding is using various technological and social media (Web 2.0) tools to develop a unique presence online and connect with prospective buyers. You might use video sites like YouTube (you can check out some of my videos here), or viddler to host short videos that present you, your personality, background and product reviews to potential prospects. Or you could use social networking sites like MySpace or facebook to connect with other entrepreneurs and people seeking new options for working from home.

The network marketing industry has had a bad reputation, frequently well-deserved, as being filled with spammers and scammers. If the new generation of online entrepreneurs using the network marketing model wants to break free from preconceived notions and judgments, it’s time to learn to attract rather than to assault prospective buyers.

Like all effective online marketing methods, personal branding takes focused time to learn. But any personal branding strategy that leaves out the social networking site “Twitter” is missing a great opportunity. Twitter is social networking…on steroids!

Twitter allows an internet entrepreneur, even one with limited experience, the opportunity to connect with people one normally might not usually meet on other social networks, many of them brilliant people with incredible passion for what they do. It’s also a very effective tool to reduce the sense of isolation many who work exclusively online can tend to face from time to time.

And Twitter is one of the best ways to attract the people you are looking for and to quickly learn how to interact effectively in a social networking environment.

Contrary to what some teach, Twitter is not just a bulletin board for you to announce every product you sell with every “Tweet,” promote your MLM with each post or what you are up to every single minute of the day. While it’s fun to post what you’re doing or promoting or writing about, and it’s interesting to know what’s happening in other’s lives between marketing events, Twitter is really a place to connect meaningfully with people. It’s a way for “Tweeps” to get a glimpse of the “real world” others are experiencing throughout a day.

But it’s also a place to share ideas, tips and encouragement to others…to give before you receive. Somehow, Twitter has managed to create a community that thrives on contribution and generosity.

But to discover the usefulness of Twitter, you really just have to try it for yourself! Here are a few key things to keep in mind.

Twitter is considered a “micro-blogging” site. In other words, all posts on Twitter require limiting oneself to 140 characters, including the @ symbol used to reply to specific “Tweeps/Twitterers/Twitter Peeps.” (Yes…there’s a lot of funny vocabulary peculiar to Twitter!)

Let’s get started with your first Twitter account.

1. Create a free Twitter profile at http://www.Twitter.com , then “follow” me at http://Twitter.com/stevieknight .

1. You will need to add at least 40 or 50 people that you “follow” in order to see how the conversations flow and how connections are made. So look through the panel on the right side of my profile and start looking through the profiles of the people I’m following and those who follow me.

“Follow” a bunch of them, but only if their profile and websites they link to resonate with you. Don’t follow “Tweeps” (Twitter people) who use a spammy name or don’t have a profile picture up. Also, look at their most recent posts and see if they are actively in conversation with others (notice the @ sign followed by Twitter usernames in front of the post) or if they only “Tweet” about themselves, their products and their promos. Skip those peeps…they’re not likely to contribute a whole lot to your understanding of the power of Twitter.

1. When someone follows you back, “direct message” them to thank them. For example, you might write: “Hey (real name)! Thanks for adding me to your Twitter stream! Cheers! (or whatever sounds natural to you)” People don’t have to “follow” you back, so show gratitude when someone adds you. It’s a good thing! Also, don’t feel rejected if someone doesn’t follow you back.

1. After you’ve done that, download Twhirl at http://seesmic.com/ . It will help tremendously to keep track of what’s going on. Install and start using it, setting notifications to alert audibly with replies and direct messages, if you like. (Edited 05/13/09: I now recommend using this best Twitter management software program instead of Twhirl because of its “grouping” features…a “how-to” video will be coming shortly.) (Edited 09/05/09: Twhirl was purchased by Seesmic. Seesmic also has a grouping feature…try both seesmic and tweetdeck and see which works best for you.)
   

1. OK, now that you’re set up (whew!), start watching the conversations going on and join in when you have a question or something to contribute to the conversation. Keep your posts about your stuff to a lower percentage than what you actually contribute in conversation with others if you don’t want to be labeled a spammer!

• Bonus Tip: Google spiders index Twitter all the time. If you want Google to find your Twitter posts, Tweet at least once a day.

This may seem like a lot of work, but once it’s set up and you start dipping in and out of the Twitter stream throughout a day, you will find it refreshing, enlightening, rewarding and perhaps even, enriching! Happy Tweeting!

Have an opinion, a question or do you have any cool Twitter tips? Leave a comment.

Expect success!

Stevie Knight

I wrote yesterday about how I’ve been using Twitter for my network marketing company, Global Resorts Network and its luxury travel membership. Today, it’s been 12 days since I signed up for Twitter. Now lest you think that I’ve turned into a Twitterholic, I have to say that I try to dip in and out of Twitter throughout the day, as time and focus allow, rather than staying there all day long, watching the Twhirl screen (a program that helps keep track of all those you are “following” and contribute to conversations rather conveniently) roll by like a slot machine.

Twitter, like most social networks, takes a few hours/days of intense focus to get a feeling for what is acceptable, appropriate and welcome so that you don’t trash your reputation like a loud drunk crashing a party ! So I have spent considerable time there in the last 12 days, but having some experience with forums has made the transition to Twitter fairly easy.

So, to the question at hand…should you be using Twitter for your Network Marketing business, especially with Global Resorts Network? It all depends on you and your goals.

If you can take a “big picture” approach to Twitter (and any other social network for that matter) and understand that its primary benefits are personal and business branding, professional networking and relationships, you can have a blast with Twitter, and grow your business in the process. Marketing on social networks takes time. It’s an investment in tomorrow and the future, not usually today. It can also be a opportunity to develop communication skills and contribute to others in ways you might not think of at first glance.

If, however, you are looking for instant results, immediate sign ups and loads of product sales today, you (and Twitter! LOL!) would be better served by focusing your time learning pay-per-click or other forms of lead generation. Twitter won’t ban you for spam, but people who are following you can un-follow very quickly, and those you follow can block you so that they don’t have to read what you say. It’s a self-policing community whose rules (mostly unspoken but quickly learned be the observant) you must be willing to abide by if you want to really enjoy its benefits.

Regardless of your perspective, I’d like to share a couple more things to help you consider Twitter as a valuable portion of your online marketing efforts for your Network Marketing business.

Today I was looking for a new solution to record some upcoming (very cool…watch for them) telephone interviews that I’ll be doing with some top internet marketers whose perspective I really value and would like to share with you. So I tweeted, briefly requesting some suggestions from other tweeps (tweeps=Twitter+peeps!). Within 2 minutes I had a reply with a great suggestion. Within 5 minutes, I had several more and was able to quickly decide which solution best fits my situation! And these suggestions came from people who really know what they’re talking about. Amazing!

That was a great surprise for someone so new to Twitter. But there was something more important that I observed, even experienced, today. It took me a while to really notice it, though when I did, it did make me wonder for a moment if I had stepped into the Twilight Zone (or in this case, the set of the Waltons…an old TV show about a small community and a large family). Throughout the day, there are people coming into the Twitter stream and saying “Good Morning…getting a cup of coffee and checking in” and, simultaneously, others saying “Good Night…off to bed. See you all tomorrow.” Twitterers (or Tweeters, or Tweeps, as they are also called) are from all over the world. Tonight, as I left (saying goodnight…not required but fun in a slightly goofy, slightly fabulous way!), people responded with their own “goodnight” and “see you in the morning,” like one might experience going in and out of a coffee shop or the local diner or friendly bar in a small town.

Tonight, I let it all sink in and I let it truly amaze me. As I tried to explain my Twitter experience to my dear husband, it was a challenge figuring out how to explain how all these strangers/friends/followers/followed people interacted in such a way that I saw the evidence that deep needs were being met, those cravings we all have for meaningful connections with people who matter, if we’ll allow ourselves to acknowledge the need in the first place. Cynics will say that community is dead, but I know better. I see it on Twitter every day!

Follow me on Twitter: @stevieknight

Have something to say? Leave a comment!

Expect success!

Stevie Knight