Five Tips to Keeping Online Media Organized

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
South Jordan, Utah, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) December 8, 2011 --

Social media is taking over. From advertising to personal communication, there is no better way to measure your influence, get immediate consumer response or launch a new branding idea than through the masses of that comprise the online world. Setting up profiles and getting added to directories is now common business practice and having SEO and SEM efforts in play is taking the place of traditional television and radio ads. If you are a seasoned online marketer, you know how confusing it can be once you get started online. Profile names, passwords, and rankings can get jumbled and your efforts may get watered down if you spread yourself too thin. If you are new to online media, it can be intimidating with the plethora of options available. Here is five ways to stay focused and keep your efforts on the right track.
1. Identify your goals. Do you want to create brand awareness or highlight brick and mortar locations? Maybe you want to build value in a dot com or become a social media guru. Regardless of what your goals are, list them, refine them and research the best ways to turn them into a reality. Write them down and keep them handy. Type them out and use them as a screensaver. Set appointments in your phone and get daily reminders. You get the idea.

2. Research, read, write and research a little more. You have more opportunity than just thirty years ago, ten years ago, two years ago. There is information available on just about every conceivable topic. You can save money by not having to buy books or instruction manuals. You may submit questions in forums and get help with areas you don't yet have experience in and you can contribute your success and failures to help others as well. Research your areas of interest, read about successful individuals and companies to discover congruent key components and write out what you experience either in a journal or online blog. Then go back to the drawing board with your new information and get clarity on anything still fuzzy.

3. Create a tracking method. Excel provides an easy way to track your goals, keep your profiles current and store much needed information. Build a database with pages for things like Social Media Profiles and Passwords; Directories and Review Sites; SEO Rankings; Pay Per Click Conversions; Followers and the like. List out when each profile or directory listing was created, when it was last updates, keywords used, back link opportunity and create similar colums on each respective page to track your success and keep you up to date on your progress. Use sites like Alexa.com to track rankings or Quantcast.com to identify your online audience. Keep your data fresh and reward yourself when you hit milestones.

4. Learn something new. At least once a month, learn about a new site, Google's latest updates, what's working in your community or how to do something new online. The pace of the online world is faster that any business market of the past and to stay relevant, you need to stay informed. Don't have a Google+? Go check it out and see if it's a good idea for you or your brand. Not on LinkedIn yet? Keep your resume and professional profile in front of power players through this old but evolving social site. Stay current and always be willing to hit the 'Help' link when learning about a new service or domain, you may be surprised at the great information you find in there.

5. Create new opportunities for yourself and for those around you. Once you step into social and online media, it can be difficult to stay on task due to the sheer amount of opportunities available to you. Don't pass by them, but do analyze which are cost and time effective, what should be added now or kept on the back burner for another time. Send ideas to people or businesses in your personal network or make suggestions when they seem relevant for others. By becoming an online asset, your influence and domain will grow, your business will grow and you will be satisfied with your efforts. Working online is all about working smarter, not just harder and it can be very rewarding indeed if you keep focused and realize your true potential.
Jennifer is an online and social media marketer with roots in traditional and network marketing. For more tips and information, follow her blog at www.webofallies.blogspot.com or find her on any of the major social media sites. Email inquiries with specific questions or feedback are also always welcome.

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