One of the issues I run into with social networking is that most of the businesses who have heard about it are focused on it primarily as a way of getting business. And when they don’t get business right away they get disheartened and feel that it isn’t working for them. Or they decide right away to use social networking as a way to advertise their business, but don’t really engage the audience.Social media consultants, in the meantime, stress authenticity and genuine engagement, but also again focus primarily on how social media will provide more business to a business. In fact, it seems that what social networking really boils down to is finding ways to get business from other people on social sites, while disguising that by being “genuine” and “authentic”, whatever that might mean.There’s a key element missing from all the hype on social networking, and it actually pertains to the word networking. What’s missing is that people on social networking sites are so focused on trying to get business from social networks that they are ignoring the concept of networking and how that applies to social networking. In other words, they primarily treat social networking as a feed, where they get lots of clients, but don’t care as much about the networking aspects involved.It’s certainly true that social networking can be used to market your services and products to other people, but if we only focus on that, and ignore the networking aspect of social networking, we’re not fully utilizing social networking sites. So how does networking apply to social networking? First, social networks connect you with people you either know or are interested in getting to know. Second, as you get to know people and discover what their needs are, or discover what someone in their network needs, this can pave the way toward you helping them. Sometimes how you will help them simply involves referring them to someone else who you know is qualified to help them. With that concept of networking in mind for social networking, the following tips are meant to help you take your social networking to the next level.1. Comment on what other people post or tweet about. If you want to network with people, you need to interact with them. Spend some time commenting on other people’s news, tweets, and posts. By doing so, you show you are interested in them, and you can even portray yourself as a resource they can draw on, if they need to. Additionally, this lets them get to know you as well, and you may seem more interaction when you post as a result.2. Pay attention to what people need. A lot of people will post about something they need or a situation they are in. If they do so, try to think of who you know in your network that you can connect them to and then send a private message offering to connect the people. This is a good way to be helpful and will help not just the person in need, but also anyone you direct them to. Additionally, this shows that you are paying attention to what people are posting about and helping them out, even if it doesn’t bring you a profit. Conversely, don’t be afraid to post about what you need. I’ve gotten some great responses from people, when I’ve asked questions about something I wanted to know about.3. Post about some interests or fun facts. While people may not necessarily want to know about what you ate for dinner (unless you include a link to the recipe), they may find it interesting to learn about the latest book you’re reading or a fun hobby you do, because it shows them that you have more going in your life than just business. It creates opportunities for interaction, lets people in, and the conversation can sometimes take you into some useful directions for your business, while also creating enough of a personal connection that people find you interesting to follow.4. Think of people you can connect to each other, based on mutual interests. I always really appreciate it when people connect me to other people that share similar interests. I also appreciate it when people connect me to someone who might need my services. When you first start following someone, ask them who they’d like to be connected to, or after you’ve read some of their posts and tweets, think about someone you could connect them with. By making those connections you can help people develop a strong network of referrers and possible clients, which is always appreciated.5. Don’t come to on social media sites with an expectation that you’ll automatically get business. This last tip is probably the most important. If you come on to social networks only looking to get business, this will become apparent to people fairly quick and will ultimately alienate you from them. Treat people as people, not potential clients or customers you want money from. I’m not saying you’ll never get business from social networking sites. I’ve gotten business from social networking sites, but it’s taken time and a willingness to get to know people and not perceive them from the getgo as potential marks or clients I can get income from. And that’s exactly what you need to remember. Don’t go with a specific objective of getting business. Sign up and join in because you want to share some information and learn from other people. Continue participating on a regular basis and let people continue to get to know you. And eventually you might get some business with people you know and will actually take care of, because you know them.Social networking is still networking. If we remember that and approach it as a networking activity, we will actually get much further with it, than if we are just trying to get business from it. People want to be treated like people and communities want to feel like they are engaged with, as opposed to sold to. Keep the above tips in mind, and you’ll create a strong online network that supports you, even as your in-person network does the same.
A Guide to Help You Pick the Best Air Purifier for Your Loved Ones
Holidays are around the corner. This is the time of year when people start purchasing gifts for their loved ones. If you are going to purchase an air purifier for someone you love, we have some helpful tips for you. If you want to purchase the best unit, you may be able to use this guide to your advantage. Read on to find out more.
1: Set Your Budget
Just like anything you purchase, make sure you have set your budget first. The price of the unit will vary based on a lot of factors, such as the capacity, filter type, features, and brand of the unit. If you don’t have a flexible budget, we suggest that you go for a product that is available to purchase for less than $300.
2: Consider the Needs of the Recipient
Your next move is to consider the needs of your recipient. If you are going to purchase this unit for everyday use, we suggest that you go for a unit that comes with a HEPA filter. On the other hand, if your loved one has a specific need, we suggest that you consider a specialized unit.
For example, if they are more prone to respiratory issues, such as allergies and infections, we suggest that you get a UV purifier for them. The devices are designed to neutralize viruses and bacteria.
3: Think About the Available Space
Another primary factor is to consider the available space in the office or house of the recipient. For example, if they need a general-purpose unit for a small apartment, you may want to consider a filterless unit.
On the other hand, if they have plenty of free space, you may consider a bigger unit that features a higher airflow rating. These units are powerful enough to cover a large face.
4: Consider Extra Features
Lastly, we suggest that you consider additional features that they will just love. For example, some units come with an indicator that turns on when the filter needs to be replaced. This will allow the user to change the filter so that the device continues to work properly.
So, you may want to consider these features before you place your order. These features may not be important to you, but your friend may just be over the moon.
Long story short, we suggest that you consider these four tips if you are going to purchase a gift for your loved one on these holidays. Since the air is full of pollution during winter days, nothing can make a better gift than an air purifier. Therefore, you should consider these tips before looking for an online or physical store to make your purchase decision.
Choosing Colors For Your Opt-In Page
One VERY overlooked aspect when designing an opt-in page (or even a sales page) is how color will affect your opt-in rates. You should choose the colors for your background, graphics, arrows, bullets, button, and opt-in box in order to achieve the result you want. Please note that colors have different meaning in different cultures.
• Blue – Using navy blue with gold is the best combination when targeting men and the second best when targeting women. Blue is the favorite color of men so you might want to use blue if your target audience is men.
• Pink – Pink is associated with femininity, sensuality and romance. Use pink if promoting to women, especially if the product you are promoting is associated with romance or sensuality.
• Green – Green is associated with health so use green if you are promoting a health related product. Dark green is associated with wealth. Use dark green if you are promoting a money-making product. Blue greens are the most accepted color group for both genders.
• Purple – Since approximately three-fourths of pre-adolescent children prefer purple to any other color, use bright purple when your product is targeted towards children.
• Black – Black is associated with authority, reliability, and elegance. Use black if your product is associated with any of these.
• Red – Use red as an attention getter as this color creates feelings of excitement or intensity. It works better as an accent color rather than a background one.
• Turquoise – Turquoise is associated with emotional healing. Light turquoise is considered feminine. Turquoise is popular with both men and women.
• Yellow – Yellow can increase irritability so it should only be used as an accent.
Since yellow is the most attention-getting color, use this color to highlight important points. Men associate yellow as being untrustworthy so don’t use yellow if trying to sell an expensive item to men.
• Gold – Gold is associated with wealth, masculine power, happiness, wisdom, and attainment. Using gold with navy blue is the best combination when targeting men and the second best when targeting women.
• Orange – Orange is the color most associated with appetite so it would be a good color choice if you are promoting food products, cookbooks, etc. Orange is associated with cheap so using orange can make your product seem more affordable. However, orange is one of the least favorite colors in the US.
• Brown – Brown is associated with comfort, security, reliability, and credibility. Light brown conveys genuineness.
• Gray – Gray enhances the psychological response of other colors. Dark gray would be a good color for any text if you don’t want to use black.
• Silver – Silver is associated with high-tech, graceful aging, communication, and, riches. Use silver with gold and white to promote a feeling of control and power.
The age of your audience affects what colors you should use. In general, children prefer bright colors while adults prefer more subdued colors.
The gender of your audience also plays a part in your color selection. Men prefer cooler colors while women prefer warmer ones. Red, orange, and yellow are exciting colors (warm) while purple, blue, and green are calming ones (cool).
Also keep in mind when choosing colors that some men, as well as a small percentage of women, have some form of color deficiency and are unable to see certain colors. Red-green color blindness is the most common form, followed by blue-yellow color blindness and total color blindness. Red-green color blindness affects up to 8% of males and 0.5% of females of Northern European descent. The ability to see color also decreases in old age.
Working class visitors to your opt-in page will prefer named colors such as red, blue, purple, green etc. while more educated visitors will prefer more obscure colors such as mauve, taupe, salmon, violet, etc.
As you can see, the colors you choose will depend on the audience you wish to target. Before choosing a color scheme, spend some time thinking about who you will be targeting. Remember, no matter how much you like a color scheme, your goal is to elicit a specific response from your target audience.