So you’ve signed up for a Facebook page, Twitter account, YouTube account, Flickr, MySpace, LinkedIn and so on.

Now what?

One of the new buzz phrases in SEO and social marketing is “Digital Asset Optimization” - making the most of all the things you have just signed up for to promote your Virtual Assistant practice.

Lee Oden at TopRankBlog.com has written a brief outline of how to take all those social media sites and put them to work promoting your small business. Marketing is not a one time shot, and neither is marketing using social media. A consistent use of the social media outlets, combined with smart marketing and “traditional” SEO can yield great results, if you are willing to be patient and in it for the long-haul.

Enjoy!

Extending SEO with Digital Asset Optimization

I just came across this in the Google alerts - a REALTOR™ has created a new WP plugin that allows REVA’s and RE site admins to add RE listings to their WP powered sites.

The plugin also permits users to integrate photos, videos, panoramas, downloads, and maps into their listings. Content from other WordPress plugins can be incorporated into the tabbed listing page display seamlessly.

The plugin supports customized outgoing feeds to other websites, so that users can distribute their listings to sites such as Google Base, Trulia, Zillow, or My Yahoo! users. And it incorporates options to conform to MLS rules for display of contact information.

REVA’s: Let me know how this works for you!

j

Got an hour? Great, make yourself a marketing plan!

Debbie LaChusa of 10stepmarketing.com has a fabulous program called “1 Hour Marketing”. By following her simple process, you can map out your marketing activities and create a plan in one hour flat!

Find out all you need to know here

I unsubscribed from an ezine the other day because the ezine publisher spelled Merriam-Webster as Miriam-Webster. Ultimately, the info in the ezine itself was just not worth the time it took to read, but the glaring error (to me) was the proverbial last straw.

I’m the type of person who reads the paper with a pen in hand to circle all the typos and underline questionable grammar.

But what has struck me most lately is the way mainstream journalists are using “web slang” in their articles.

A couple of months ago, I read the phrase “policy wonk” in a mainstream newspaper used to refer to a political activist. Seriously, is that the only phrase you could think of?

I realize that as a culture we have become much more laid back and casual - gone are the days of men in suits parading off to work and women in pearls and high heels vacuuming the house. And that is a very good thing. But are we really at the point where we want to overlook poor grammar and terrible spelling? Are we ready to just say “oh well, that’s ok, a few mistakes are to be expected” when we are confronted with the problem?

How do you think your clients would feel if you had spelling and grammar errors in their ebooks, marketing promotions or website copy?

I highly doubt they’d say “oh that’s ok - 1 or 2 errors are to be expected!”

I think we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard, and not let bad grammar and poor spelling take over!

One of the things that you need to consider when you are thinking of opening your own business is the emotional roller coaster you will find yourself strapped into.

Some days will feel like you are going excrutiatingly slow, with no growth and no prospects. Other days will feel like you are going off in a million different directions at once and none of them feel good!

Take a few minutes to gather yourself and read on.

On the days when you are feeling overwhelmed, give yourself permission to take a time out. Ideally you will have a sweet spot to retreat too - if you don’t, create one. Mine is a gigantic overstuffed recliner that I curl up in with my dogs and just close my eyes.

When you are feeling like things are too slow, take the time to work on your marketing. Write an article, update your blog or plan your marketing strategy for the next few months. Pick a software program you’d like to learn and grab a free trial to fool with.

Call in the heavy artillery - your support network. Make use of your support network when you are feeling low or discouraged. Listservs, Facebook friends, Twitter followers or any other support network you may have will be more than happy to offer their support and encouragement - all you have to do is ask!

Any self-employment venture is an up and down prospect - but being prepared will help you deal with the ups and downs much easier.

j