Tag Archives: social media basics

Entrepreneurs, are you afraid? The Only Thing You Need..

May 6, 2010 – 9:02 am

Entrepreneurs, artists, small business owners, parents learning social media basics to watch over their kids, it doesn’t matter. I see it all the time. People share with me what holds them back and it is ALWAYS the same: FEAR! Though fear can hold us back (and even paralyze us), there is only ONE thing you need to do to overcome it: No matter how small a step, continue to move forward toward your goal or objective. Life, like water, is meant to flow, move forward. We must flow with it. So, do just that. Put one foot in front of another. What situation have you had in your life where you found that you were forced to move forward, but you were glad you did? Did someone you love pass away? Did you get divorced or have a terribly break up and thought you would never move on? Have you ever been put in a position where you were not sure how you were going to pay your rent and you were forced to find a way? Share with us how you put one foot in front of another and why you were glad you did. We can all benefit [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Entrepreneurship, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (3)

World Domination, Super Heroes, Dating, and Hubspot

May 4, 2010 – 9:05 am

Where else could I chat about Facebook’s domination,  my upcoming book, “How to Start Your Business with $100,” dating, and super heroes? Only on Hubspot TV. What a riot. You guys have to check it out and tell me what you think. Thanks again to Hubspot, Mike Volpe (@MVolpe), Karen Rubin (@KarenRubin), and my new favorite a capella singer, Rebecca Corliss (@Repcor). I had a great time.

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (5)

Measuring Social Media? Watch This!

May 1, 2010 – 9:02 am

Entrepreneurs, small business owners and large corporations all have one social media basic in common: They all want to know how to measure it. Previously, I posted a social media metrics map and a post on the one metric that really counts when engaging your customers. If you or the company you work for is looking for case studies or reasons why you should time (and money) in social, please watch Erik Qualman’s Socialnomics video. It rocks. Check it out and let me know what you think.

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (1)

Should You Outsource Your Social Media?

April 17, 2010 – 9:00 am

I outsource a ton of things. As an entrepreneur it makes sense.  As a strategist, my clients constantly ask if they can outsource their social media engagements (Here are some thoughts on ghost writing and blogging). Here are my thoughts. What are yours? I would love to hear from you. Feel free to post below, Tweet me, or Facebook me.

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments (8)

Measuring Social Media: One Metric

April 12, 2010 – 8:54 am

Thank you to everyone who commented on my social media metrics post a few weeks back. Some of you are entrepreneurs with home-based businesses, some are running  small businesses, while some of you have your corporate leaders wondering, “How are we measuring social media“. Do you fall into any of these categories? Then watch my video and let me know what you think:

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , | Comments (2)

Entrepreneurs, Content is Queen!

March 22, 2010 – 9:10 am

These days, learning social media basics can be as easy as reaching out to your email contacts and Twitter followers. But not everyone utilizes a real social media strategy, nor do they implement their brands while using social media. This is the difference between entrepreneurs whose social media outreach is effective, and those entrepreneurs who are not as successful. Even more than branding and strategy, at the core of successful social media is the inclusion of useful, personalized content. When people decide to engage with you, they share personal information with the expectation that you will do so as well. No pressure, right? The good news is you can give them what they want and you don’t have to be a professional writer to do it. Here are three easy ideas to make writing content that everyone will want to read: 1) Tell a Story: All of us are driven by emotional drivers. People connect to stories that they can relate to, and will continue to return to your blog, Twitter account, or Facebook page if they know that they can count on you for that same line of connection. In fact, this Harvard Business Review Article, reasserts the power [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , | Comments (4)

Corporate America to your Home-Based Business: Build Partnerships

March 8, 2010 – 1:59 pm

This February, data center networking giant Brocade and security software innovator McAfee announced that they were joining forces to introduce comprehensive, secure network solutions for customers.  This strategic partnership is bound to make both companies admirable profits, as they are leveraging both of their reputations and offering their reputable products into a single package.  Customers will feel as if they are getting more bang for their buck, and the two companies will benefit from each others respective expertise. So the nature of strategic partnerships goes in big business.  In How to Start Your Business with $100, I translate this strategy into small business terms.  The easiest way to forge a strategic partnership on a small level is through a barter based system.  Barter is particularly useful for startups, who lack financial capital but have a plethora of skills and services that they can exchange for other business related needs. I want to hear about your strategic partnerships.  How have you made them work for you?  Have you been able to increase your profits through a strategic partnership?  How did you identify your partner, and how did the two of you negotiate the terms of your partnership?

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Obama and the Power of Persistence

March 4, 2010 – 9:08 am

President Barack Obama is ready for a vote on health care.  Obama has been trying endlessly to pass a bipartisan reform. Whether you agree with his agenda or not, one thing can be said about him: he is persistent. As a leader, what can you learn from Obama’s struggle? How can you change your negotiation tactics? How much leverage do you need in order to get what you want? How can you manage to get two parties working together towards the same goal? Whether you are an entrepreneur managing outsourced employees or a mom who is trying to get her kids to eat vegetables, the question then becomes how can we all creatively use the power of persistence to to achieve our goals. Failure is not an option and those veggies need to be eaten. So, how will you make it happen? If you have tactics or success stories, please feel free to share. We would all love to hear them!

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Passive Income: The Importance of it and Low Maintenance Profits

March 3, 2010 – 8:46 am

Entrepreneurs, small business owners, stay at home moms (and dads) and professionals with a 9 to 5 workweek say the same thing to me: There isn’t enough time in a day. Because there are only so many hours in the day, you need to maximize your profit-making activities through every possible resource.  Passive Income (PI) can best be described as a source of profits that are yielded through very little effort on your part.  Passive Income should be seen as a supplemental income source – NOT as a primary income source. As I explain in How to Start Your Business with $100, PI is important not only for the sake of increased profits but also for marketing, networking, and strategic partnering.  One of the most common forms of passive income are affiliate marketing programs.  Affiliate programs are incredibly fruitful for small businesses.  One way that I’ve utilized affiliate programs is through the Wild WE website; I’ve identified partners that may be useful to Wild WE members, and provided a link to these partners’ websites from the Wild WE homepage.  In return, the Wild WE received space on partner websites as well.  Affiliate Scout, an extensive directory of affiliate programs, is [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Entrepreneurs: Why Working for Yourself is Good for Your Health!

March 2, 2010 – 9:23 am

Are you an entrepreneur? Small Business Owner? Artist or Freelancer? What about a mom entrepreneur? If you are reading my blog, chances are that you fully understand why you are – or would like to be – a self-employed entrepreneur.  I offer a list of my motivations in my book, How to Start Your Business with $100.  All entrepreneurs can agree on at least a few things:  We went into business for ourselves because we enjoy what we do, we believe in what we do, and we want to have a bit more control over our work schedule and professional habits. What some entrepreneurs may not realize is that there are inherent health benefits for the self-employed.  I offer a list of four benefits, but want to build this list with your help! Working for yourself reduces stress: By having more control over the clients and workload you assume, you can control your own workload, instead of having some pesky manager stack piles and piles of work on your desk as you watch in horror.  Helpguide.org offers a great list of resources to help cope with stress in the workplace; as a self-employed individual you have control over your own [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Posted in Entrepreneurship, Happiness, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (4)