TheCEOMamma Blog » Networking

TheCEOMamma Twitter Chat Party Recap Aug 5th

CEOMamma — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 15:00:17 +0000

Last night TheCEOMamma’s and our new friends, had another fabulous Twitter Chat Party! Our focused topic was on Online Small Business Start-Up and we shared lots of great tips and attendees shared some amazing resources including: Blackberry Marketing, Informational Blogs, Upcoming training webinars and more!

What I really love about our Twitter Parties is the amount of new connects and networking that takes place. If you haven’t joined us yet, you are missing a great opportunity to learn new skills and meet new people.

Check out the feed below and see what we were up too!

CEOMamma

Tamyka Washington is a wife, mother to six, Founder/CEO of TheCEOMamma Network, marketing strategist, coach and mentor. Tamyka empowers new and seasoned women entrepreneurs to business breakthrough by blending powerful attraction marketing methods with effective social media strategies to establish a CREDIBLE brand and profitable freedom based business online. Visit here website below, to learn more:

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BBWO: Top Influential Network for Women Entrepreneurs

CEOMamma — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:00:47 +0000

Although there are many wonderful online network communities for women entrepreneurs, there is one that has, and continues to make a huge impact in the life of my business: Black Business Women Online created by successful work at home mom and web entrepreneur, LaShanda Henry.

LaShanda’s network is well known and populated with some of the most influential and exceptional business women online and is currently celebrating 4 yrs of continued growth and success!

I’m proud to mention I have been a member since the beginning and contribute most of my online success to all that I have learned over these past 4 years from being a part of the BBWO community.

The extensive amount of information, resources, connections and tons of training tools, will help any new or seasoned entrepreneur learn how to start, grow and effectively “tweak” every part of your business for maximum success.

There is LOTS going on with LaShanda a.k.a SistaSense & BBWO this month!

I hold an extremely high regard for LaShanda, and love and appreciate all she does for women and mom entrepreneurs. It’s so important to be able to connect with others who have journeyed down the path you are currently on and she is a great mentor to me…the true definition of a LEADER!

So, check out some of the ways you can get to know, connect with and learn from this awesome woman, about business:

Join the BBWO Network – You can connect with me, LaShanda and the other 9,000+ women entrepreneurs who are all dedicated to building highly profitable businesses online. Using discount code BBWO15, gain membership at a discounted rate of just $30 (that is a ONE TIME fee) Click Here to Join Now
SistaSense Power Circle Telesumit – Register for this 2 day event happening July 29th & 30th and learn from LaShanda’s inner circle, powerful speakers, as they show you how to become a leader, build your brand, improve your online sales, perfect your blogging, better utilize social media, and discover the habits of truly wealthy people. Click Here to Register Now
SistaSense Power Circle Telesumit Audio Replays – If you can’t attend the live Telesumit, you can still have access to all the valuable training by pre-ordering the Audio Replays. Click Here to Purchase Now

Who is LaShanda Henry?

To really get to know LaShanda and discover what she is all about, what she stands for and her experience and expertise…check her out at her website.

CEOMamma

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TheCEOMamma Top Tips for Social Media Marketers

CEOMamma — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:00:12 +0000

Building an online business using primarily Social Media, has been the most effective way for me to establish my brand, generate qualified leads and increase sales, all while investing next to nothing, excluding my time.

Although Social Media Marketing is an easy way to gain exposure for your business, there are still rules and procedures that need to be adopted to assure a productive marketing experience.

I have compiled a list of my top posts in 3 sections, to help you understand and grasp the concept of marketing your business online using social media.

Networking – Building Professional Relationships

Facebook – Establishing Connections & Leads

Twitter – Developing a Business Presence

With all this information, it can seem like a lot and be can be bit overwhelming to grasp but with discipline and a sound, structured system in place that works for you, you can manage it. Read my post: 5 Tips for Effective Time Management and Business Productivity for more tips to assist you with managing your online business and to see how I can help you!

CEOMamma

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7 Tips to Network Marketing Success for Women

CEOMamma — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:00:36 +0000

For those looking to start a home based business, the Network Marketing business model is the top choice for most women and moms because it offers simple startup options, no educational requirements and usually, a minimal investment.

There are many companies that offer independent representatives or consultants, the ability to earn a commission on products and services they sell. These direct sales companies such as; Mary Kay, Avon and Tupperware, offer women a way to be able to earn a part time or full time income from home by marketing their products directly to consumers.

Anyone can be successful in the direct sales industry even without having sales or marketing experience because these companies offer ongoing training and support. Before starting any new business, be sure to do your research by checking with the Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org). You can also visit the Direct Selling Association (http://www.dsa.org) which will help you evaluate a company.

In addition to the training you will receive from the company you choose, you must realize you are an Independent Business Owner and your success and earnings are based solely on your efforts. You must have a desire to build a profitable business. Here are 7 tips to help you see results in your network marketing business.

Be a Product of Your Product – As women, we rarely have a hard time telling a girlfriend about a new restaurant we’ve tried, a new shoe store we’ve discovered and how much we enjoyed a particular movie. When you have firsthand experience with your products or service, it makes it that much easier for you to share honestly, the benefits with others. You will be better able to explain how it works, how to use it and what results can be expected. This helps assure your customers you are knowledgeable and displays professionalism.
Treat Your Business Like a Business – Most people fail in their network marketing business because quite frankly, they don’t treat it like a business. Do not mistake the idea of being your own boss as being able to establish a lucrative income from home working only one day a week. Your business is NOT a hobby and you need to commit to building it in order for it to grow. It takes a great amount of time and dedication early on to reach a sustainable and consistent profit.
Take Advantage of Training and Education – If your company offers training meetings, seminars, conferences, etc., it is in your best interest to attend. These are designed to help you learn more product knowledge, marketing skills and sales techniques that allow you to better serve your customers and run your business.
Learn to Set Goals – In order to be successful and achieve the things you want, you have to plan your success. Take time each week and month to write down your sales goals, team building goals, etc. and create your plan to make it happen. If you want to see results, you have to know what action steps you need to reach it.
Create a Working List – This is a very vital part of growing your business. In network marketing, you start with a list of people you know. As time goes on, that list should grow from referrals and new people you meet. Network marketing is a people business so if you don’t want to fail, you must have a list to work from and be willing to contact a minimum of 5 people a day about your business.
Growing Your Team – Most network marketing companies offer you extra bonus commissions when you bring other people in to the business. To earn a continuously growing commission early on, establishing a team to leverage your time will give you just that, while providing you extra income. Be open to utilizing every aspect of your companies pay structure to make the most amount of money.
Follow Up is a MUST – In this industry, following up is imperative in every area of your business. If you hold a presentation and everyone doesn’t buy that night, you follow up for a sale later. When you interview someone about partnering with you in the business and you don’t get an immediate yes, you follow up until you get a definite – NO. When talking to women, I find that many don’t want to seem annoying or as if they are bothering anyone. Being in network marketing for nearly 10 years, I find that people appreciate the follow up because 9 times out of 10, they are interested but for some personal reason, they don’t have the means at THAT time. This is YOUR BUSINESS…you stop following up when they say NO, I’m NOT interested.

Following these 7 tips combined with patience, consistency and determination will give you the freedom and flexibility to be the proud owner of a profitable home based business!

Would you like to learn more about my business and how you can partner with me? Click Here for more information.

CEOMamma

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TheCEOMamma Twitter Party Recap

CEOMamma — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 15:00:50 +0000

Did you miss last night’s Twitter Party? No worries…you can still get in on the action and get the recap below. Some of the topics we talked about were mindset and motivation, networking, blogging and ebooks.

Take a look and be sure to join us at our next one on July 8th…stay connected with us on Facebook so you can stay in the know!

CEOMamma

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4 Tips to Create a Powerful Referral Marketing Strategy

CEOMamma — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:38:58 +0000

By: Sylvia Browder

Business owners know all too well that finding the best qualified leads takes time… lots of time! So, what if there was a way to skip the time it takes to develop ‘cold leads?’ Now, close your eyes and imagine building a referral network. Even more, it won’t cost you a dime! Does that sound too good to be true?

It can be done by adapting referral networking. A referral network is a group of people who already know and trust you, understand your business concept and willing to refer people interested in buying your product or service. This is an extremely effective way to create a steady stream of very warm leads. Here are 4 tips to create a powerful referral marketing strategy.

Referral Marketing Tip 1: Build a strategic sales team

Do you know any companies to whom you share mutual customers with? You should be running, not walking to find who they are and how you can team up and benefit from each other. The key to this is to learn as much as you can about each company so that you can promote their products or service as you would your own. This new strategic sales team will enable your business to grow more rapidly as they will be working on your behalf. It makes so much sense to work smarter and not harder!

Referral marketing is simply bringing complementary businesses together that serves the same target customers but not considered direct competitors. For example, if you are a….

Business Consultant, you might partner with an accountant, attorney, graphic designer and banker
Business Writer, you might partner with a web designer, PR firm and ad agency
Realtor, you might partner with a mortgage lender, appraiser, title service and home builders
Maid Service, you might partner with landscape service, carpet cleaning service and handy man service
Caterer, you might partner with florist, wedding planners and event facility manager

Referral Marketing Tip 2: Develop a marketing campaign

As you and your new ‘strategic sales team’ strategize, consider inexpensive and easy ways that you all can mutually benefit. Here are 3 easy to implement marketing ideas:

Endorsement Letter: send out introductory letters to each of your contacts. Imagine if each of you had 500 contacts? In a 3-way partnership, you’ve been exposed to 1000 potential customers!
E-newsletter: The use of e-newsletters has quickly come to be an indispensable component of the advertising campaigns of many businesses, large and small! If each of you published a monthly e-newsletter (that’s 12 times per year) that included a partner’s page, imagine with a click of a link, the potential traffic to your website? This is an easy, low-cost and profitable way to be introduced to warm leads! Consider increasing your chances by creating a landing page that includes a ‘free offer’ or ‘discount’ on specific services.
Media: Are you using social media to market your business? Hopefully, the answer is yes! If so, create a marketing strategy using Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin to mutually benefit each partner. This is a great way to share information weekly or monthly. For example, I have over 3100 Twitter followers, 1000 Facebook Fans and 400 members in my Linkedin group. That’s 4500 potential customers that each of my strategic partners can benefit from.

Referral Marketing Tip 3: Go for the ‘ask’ with existing customers

Providing quality customer service is vital and should be an important part of your business model. Right? If you’ve spent time on relationship building, establishing communication, building trust and resolving potential problems or conflicts, then your customers will see little risk in recommending your company to their peers.

Just as people do business with people they know and trust, they also feel more comfortable when a product or service is recommended by someone they know and trust. A prospect that was referred to you has already been told about the quality and professionalism that you provide your customers with.

For customers that consistently refer prospects, consider creating a referral program; offering them a $50 referral fee, 20% commission off of initial sales of each prospect or a special gift.

Referral Marketing Tip 4: Create a Blog Network

As you regularly post relevant content, you build a loyal group of followers. Be patient as it takes time. As your followers get to know you, they will feel comfortable in passing on leads and referring you to potential clients. In addition:

Invite guest bloggers to contribute fresh content and reciprocate.
Interview subject matter experts. For example, I publish a monthly written interview series; ‘Successful Women Speak’ featuring established women authors and business owners. My subscribers receive informative and empowering content and the interviewees link the article from my blog to theirs, thus, driving new traffic to my blog.

I recently listened to the Tom Joyner Morning Show where blogger Necole Bitchy was being interviewed. A few years ago, she was unemployed and started a blog out of necessity. Today, NecoleBitchie.com is considered one of the fastest growing celebrity urban blog sites on the internet, with over 3 million hits per month. So, be persistent and consistent with your efforts.

In conclusion, there is enormous power in creating a strong referral network. It is not about getting sales, but developing strong relationships with people.

About the Author Sylvia Browder

Sylvia Browder is CEO of Browder Consulting Group, a virtual small business consulting firm and is founder of National Association Women on the Rise, a membership association for aspiring and established women entrepreneurs. Other posts by Sylvia Browder >

CEOMamma

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3 Ways to Engage Your Facebook Fans

CEOMamma — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:09:57 +0000

Since more small business owners are starting to see the value of having a Facebook Fan Page for their business, there seems to still be many who find it difficult to effectively use it to grow their business.

During our recent Twitter Party, one of our topic discussions was - How to better engage Facebook Fans. What many of the ladies shared was that they weren’t sure how to create interactions and entice participation with their fans.

What I shared was that your Fan Page is a community. Think of your community (Fan Page) as a way for people to come together in one place. Take it a step further and recognize that they are there to “discuss, share and learn”, about a particular topic of interest to THEM.

It’s not about creating a space with the intention of advertising and selling your products or services. Your Fan Page is for the purpose of providing a way for your audience to interact with and learn more about your business and to create brand awareness. It is about letting people “see” you, learn what you are all about and discover how their involvement will benefit them.

3 Ways to Engage Facebook Fans & Establish Your Brand:

Be Inviting. Remember you want to create a sense of community, so your Fan Page should reflect a warm and inviting atmosphere. You are the force behind your Fan Page so initiate interaction. If new fans introduce themselves, welcome them and thank them for joining your page.

Stay on Topic. If your business is about blogging, then that should remain your primary focus. If you fail to stay on topic, those who ‘Liked’ your community to learn about blogging will began to drop off if things start to drift to far away from the subject. Meet the needs of your community, if blogging is what they want…don’t entertain your desire to share your favorite recipes!

Ask questions. When you want to create engagement and interaction, ask a question! Make it a daily or weekly part of your regular Fan Page postings to provide another way for fans to participate. You can take it a step further and offer open forum discussions one day out of the week to give your fans the opportunity to ask you questions. Be sure to answer them in a timely manner.

Facebook also has a Question button you can use to create a poll:

To start engaging your Facebook Fans, follow the tips above. Be consistent and learn to “listen” to what your fans want. Pay attention to the posts that get more comments and feedback. These are good indicators of what type of content they want more of.

When your ready to learn how to best utilize your Facebook Page to build your business, read this post from Mashable, How To: Get The Most Out of Your Business Facebook Page.

CEOMamma

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Grow Your Business by Giving Back

CEOMamma — Mon, 30 May 2011 19:47:16 +0000

If you are a woman entrepreneur, I am sure there has been a mentor or another woman entrepreneur who has helped you along the way. Why not help another woman who is trying to find her way in business?

That’s exactly the purpose of WAHMs WIN, a nonprofit organization that gives the advantage to disadvantaged women entrepreneurs. Our goal is to bridge the digital divide in our local communities by bringing together our collective expertise for outreach, as trainers and mentors, to work-at-home moms in our local communities who lack access, skills and/or resources to successfully build sustainable businesses.

We want to empower these women to create their own business success!

To achieve our goal, we need your help. The three main benefits of joining WAHMs WIN as a Founding Member are:

Establish yourself as an expert by becoming a leader (teach, train mentor or serve as an officer).
Enhance your brand awareness by taking advantage of exclusive ad and sponsorship opportunities.
Expand your connections and access learning opportunities by gaining access to an exclusive community of heart-centered experts who share the vision of helping women entrepreneurs succeed.

Additionally, you will be able to network with purpose, lead, teach and mentor other women entrepreneurs and collaborate with leaders in your local area.

Please join us Wednesday, June 1st through Friday, June 3rd as we celebrate the launch of our new and improved website through a complimentary, 30 minute teleseminar on each day. Each teleseminar will be from 1:00-1:30 P.M. EDT. During the calls, you will have the opportunity to hear from several successful women entrepreneurs who will share their stories. Also, we will provide more details about WAHMs WIN and how you can get involved this summer and in the future. You can register for this free call at wahmswinprelaunch.eventbrite.com.

For more information about WAHMs WIN, please visit us online at wahmswin.com.

“In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us.” – Flora Edwards

WAHMs WIN™

W omen

I ntentionally

N etworking,

So That Together, WAHMs WIN™

CEOMamma

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Women Entrepreneurs Empowered Through Community

CEOMamma — Mon, 23 May 2011 14:00:41 +0000

Creating community to connect with your target market was the topic I discussed recently, along with Dani Nir-McGrath – The Mompreneur, on the first Allied Women conference call.

Kri Day and Stephanie Page, are the Co-Founders of this united community of passionate and exceptional women and mom entrepreneurs.

Allied Women is a place for women of all ages and backgrounds to come together to help each other thrive online.

The goal for these women is to feature, promote, and bring women together to ally together to thrive online!

The mission of Allied Women is to give women online a place to connect with others like them and be heard.

Whether you are a women entrepreneur, blogger or just want your message to be heard Allied Women wants to feature you!

This is one of my TOP favorite Facebook communities so I was honored when I was invited to share my experience on the call!

A few of the questions Dani and I answered were:

What are some of the benefits for women being a part of a community
How creating a community can help women in their business
What does it take to start your own community

If you weren’t able to join us on the call, you can go here to listen to the replay!

CEOMamma

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The Power of Networking and Building Connections

CEOMamma — Sun, 22 May 2011 18:30:34 +0000

This past week has been so awesome that I had to write this post to share and affirm for any entrepreneur or small business owner, there is power and value in networking and building connections.

As you may already know, I built TheCEOMamma over the past year and a half, using only Social Media to network and establish relationships. Of course my goal was and is to make money, just like every entrepreneur, but I knew in order to do that, I had to first…build a strong network and solid connections.

Over the course of my online business building journey, I have met some amazingly successful and driven women, some passionate and aspiring “go-getters” and some of the greatest and supportive friends one could ask for.

Recently, I was invited to join a group on Facebook for bloggers by my new friend, Ty Wilson. As I got to know her and started reading her blog posts, I discovered she is a very entertaining and creative writer. Not only that, Ty is also a writing consultant with an education in communications and owns her own business, TyLand Travel & Events.

Because of networking and connecting with Ty, I was able to learn of her talents and skills and decided to do a little collaborating with her!

As TheCEOMamma Network continues to grow, I have been thinking of other ways to reach more women to spread the word. At the same time, Ty is looking to build her writing portfolio… so we decided to come together and created a win-win for both of us!

Ty has been gracious enough to write a Press Release for TheCEOMamma Network in exchange to add it to her portfolio. You can read it here: http://www.writersownwords.com/tyjuanawilson, just follow the link to her sample writings and click on “For Women’s Social Network”

If you want to build a solid and viable business, networking and connecting is the way to go!

More about Ty Wilson:

Facebook Page: Tyjuana Wilson, Writing Consultant

Facebook Page: TyLand Travel & Events

Facebook Group: Blogging Buddies

CEOMamma

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