Are you one of the 80 million (and rising) who use LinkedIn as your social networking platform? Does it seem like your attempt at LinkedIn is failing due to lack of connections? If you answered “yes” to one or both of these questions, keep reading! The potential of learning as well as displaying your business expertise is very high on LinkedIn. It is like a huge daily conference where you have the opportunity to network.

Like other social media networks, the key to successfully connecting with others is by avoiding small mistakes. Today, we have included small but deadly mistakes in this cheat sheet to help you connect with more business professionals successfully.

5 Small but Deadly LinkedIn Mistakes to Avoid

1. Using the Default Picture or Nothing at All

Three important words to remember “Brand Your Profile” By not putting your a personal picture or logo up, you are risking other contacts not wanting to connect with you. People are more willing to connect with you, when they can put a face to the name.

2. Avoid Joining Groups

The main purpose of LinkedIn is to connect with other business professionals or individuals who share the same interest as you. By avoiding groups, you are not going to connect and learn from other’s knowledge.

3. Join Every Group Possible

With LinkedIn, the amount of contacts you have under your page does not matter like it does in Facebook or Twitter. Remember, the purpose of LinkedIn is to connect with people who share the same interests, hobbies and business ideas.

4. Never Updating Profile

The key to keeping your profile up to date is posting a simple sentence or message. This keeps your contacts update to date with what is going on with you.

5. Profile Updates Are Unprofessional Statements

Make sure when you update daily, you keep the statements or questions professionally. The audience who uses LinkedIn is mainly business professionals – so respect that.

Download the LinkedIn Cheat Sheet PDF

Have you had any business success within LinkedIn? Sound off in the comments below and let me know.

Do you have a website or blog where you offer and sell products or a service? If you do, keep reading. If you don’t… keep reading anyway, this might come in handy. Imagine how connected your visitors would feel if they had the opportunity to speak to you directly in an instant. Instead of leaving a written comment, they could press the button and speak with you. You can answer their questions right away, hold chat parties and ultimately sell more of your product! Skype is already known as the best service that offers internet based calls and chat or IM services FREE! Now, you can take the same services and offer them to your visitors on your blogs and websites. It’s as simple as adding a “button” to your website or blog and I am going to walk you through it right now.

Adding a Skype Button:

Customizing Your Skype Button:

If you don’t want the standard Skype button, you have the ability to customize it. Follow the steps listed below:

After customizing your button, you simply place the provided code on your site. Then you’re ready to chat and talk with your customers directly!

Tech TipAs with using any code provided by an outside service (ie – facebook, twitter etc) make sure and take a look at your site’s front end to make sure it’s not slowing down your load time. When you can, load code like this after the main body of your content.

In addition to adding a Skype call button, you can also grab a free Google voice number and add an instant call button to your site. If you have a Google account, you can sign up for a Google Voice number if you don’t already have one. Then just go to your settings, customize your button and add the code to your site.

Stay in touch with your clients and customers with instant access via phone.

Are any of you using a click to call option? If so, what percentage of your calls are the result of clicks on your site?

Google has opened up a “Secret Social Layer” that has turned the entire Google search engine into one big social network. It is called Google + or Google Plus… I’m still not sure about the logical way to type it out. Many critics have said Google has copied Facebook but in reality, this is not the case. The best way to describe how Google+ is different from Facebook relates to two words: SEARCH ENGINE. Google+ brings the world of social media and search engines together. (Think of them as new best friends). Have you been noticing the new social search features?

Impact of Google Plus on Search Results

Take a look at search results the next time your signed into Google. Google will now give you an option to show you personal results from people in your circles.

As well as show People and Pages in Google Plus related to simple search terms.

Keep this in mind as you move forward with your web strategies. Google + isn’t going anywhere and cannot be ignored. In order to compete in your niche, you need to at least have a presence. here are some tips to help you out.

10 Tips to Getting Started on Google +

We originally referred to Google + as a “Secret Social Media Layer” because only a select few received invites initially. The “chosen ones” who did receive an invite had a limited amount of free invites to pass out to friends and families. This was only done during its Beta stage and Google has since opened to everyone. Along with your personal profile, you can now create brand pages. (very similar to facebook in this respect)

So are you ready to dig into Google +? If you are, here is a quick cheat sheet to navigate you through this new social media platform:

1. Create solid and interesting information for your profile Pop-Up Window.
2. Organize your Circles (contacts sorted by grouping) by:
• Real-life Social Connections
• Family
• College Friends
• Work Friends
• You decide which circle to share announcements, articles or information with
• Customize your personal profile for your Circles
• Employment history, education, specializations would be shared with employees or alumni circle.
• Relationship status, contact information and location would be shared with friends.
3. Click on the profile pictures to scroll through.
4. You can disable sharing your posts with one person or as many people you want.
5. Easy features to find the URL to paste and share
6. Expanding your Share Box to share videos and content
7. You can choose who sees the people in your circles
8. If you have an important post, you send out a notification to all the people in your circles.
9. Add special effects to your photos in Google+
10. Are you an Android or iOS User – make sure to check out Google + App (I have links to the apps for Android and iOS on our Social Apps post)

Our Google + Cheat Cheat PDF can be found here:

Download the Google + Cheat Sheet PDF

Other Resources to Use:

Check out these YouTube Videos talking about the social networking scene on Google +. I found these to be the most entertaining as well as informative.

Google + Videos

Google + Cheat Sheets

Simple but very useful cheat sheets explaining Google + and the use of Hot Keys:

CreditI want to point out that I found these cheat sheets were created by Simon Laustsen and posted on buzzfeed there’s also a great article about Google + at IGN that has even more tricks like importing your facebook photos, direct messaging, formatting text, muting, creating short urls, drag and drop sharing, and even deletitng your profile.

UpdateHere is a great Google + Infographic I found via Website Monitoring:

via Website-Monitoring.com

Well, I set out to make sure you guys had a wealth of information reguarding Google Plus and I think we’ve succeeded. Comment below to share your own tips for Google Plus or post your profiles.

Using a smartphone for social media is just as common if not more so than using it for pure business. You see something funny or interesting and what happens? You pull out your smart phone, take the picture and post it to Facebook, Twitter or another social media platform. This common daily practice allows the average person to express themselves as well as partake in the “online scene”. There are numerous apps that are available to every smart phone user.

One of the reasons I bring this up is the “out of sight, out of mind” theory. You aren’t always working. Even I take a brake now and then (although my friends and family wish that was more often). However just because you’re not planning your next big idea or web strategy, doesn’t mean you should disappear from the eye of your followers or public. I don’t mean to post a picture of your lunch everyday, just keep up with the people who care about what you’re saying.

Here are my picks for which Social Apps to try out:

Facebook App:

The ever changing social media platform that strives on providing unique and personal expression is available on most smartphones in app form, but also has a mobile site version that you can access from a mobile browser. This particular app updates simultaneously as the actual online platform. The instant connection between the Smartphone and Facebook allows the user to constantly update friends, family members, and followers (or “fans” if you’re following our Facebook Tips) of daily activities.

Download from the Android Market

Facebook

Download from the Apple App Store

Facebook

Instagram App:

Why post a normal picture when you can instantly post a unique and “retro” looking one? Instagram is an iPhone app that creates square, vintage, retro pictures through colorful photo filters. It takes personal expression to a whole new level. Create cool and instant content to share with your friends and connections using this app. Are you attending a business conference and decide to snap a picture of the celebrity guest speaker? Use the Instagram app to create a unique photo to share with your network. Stay on the radar of your connections by providing great picture content.

Download from the Apple App Store

Instagram

Sadly, Instagram is not yet available in the Android Market.
However, word on the street is that it's under development...

Google+ App:

Google has created an official Google+ app that allows you to use your smartphone to connect instantly with all your circles. Feel like updating your friends? Use the app. Want to create a hangout and talk face to face with video chat? Use the app. Connect with your stream to see exactly what your circles are doing. Stay in touch with Google+ mobile app.

Download from the Android Market

Google +

Download from the Apple App Store

Google +

Heads UpTwo things:

1. I’ll be going more in depth with Google + in the next week or two so stay tuned.
2. The Google + App was recently updated for iOS with some great changes ^link

Twitter App:

Would you describe yourself as a Tweet Addict? Do you have the constant need to update the people in your life within 140 or less words? If this describes you, than you likely already have a Twitter app installed. If you don’t, do it. Even if you’re not Tweeting every day, you can keep yourself in the loop by following other in your niche with quick and simple updates. By adding this app, Twitter is at your beck and call to keep your online life active as well as accurate.

Download from the Android Market

Twitter

Download from the Apple App Store

Twitter

Download the Smartphone Social Apps PDF

I know there are many apps available for all the mobile OSs that can access these networks and I stuck to the “official” apps. I’m just a freak for official releases. However, jump in on the comments below and let me know if there’s an app you prefer and hopefully why you prefer it. Also, in the event that there are any Blackberry or Windows phone users out there, let me know what you guys think as well.

Going to be out of the office for the day? No worries! In continuing with our Mobile Relationship series, with a smartphone your office is accessible anywhere. By visiting the apps marketplace available on your phone, you can download free apps such as Skype, Zoho Project Suite, Calendars as well as numerous Social Media dashboards. It is like carrying your office with you everywhere you go! With your Smart Phone and apps, the ability to share files, make notes, send a tweet as well as manage your schedule is literally at your fingertips.

I want to provide you with up-to-date “Cheat Sheets” to make your day in as well as out of the office a lot easier. This “Cheat Sheet” is something of a Sweet 16 Cheat Sheet to marketing your Facebook fanpage. Just in case you somehow missed out, Facebook is a social media tool that reaches out to everyone and can help promote your brand. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most of you are familiar with Facebook, what it is, and have some idea how to use it. Well, it’s not going anywhere, in fact they recently took steps to go public and have begun filing their IPO. ^info

The goal of this cheat sheet is NOT to go in depth with every setting on Facebook, but to provide a birds eye view for the points you should be hitting in order to get the most out of your fan page.

Sweet 16 Tips for Marketing Your Facebook

Download the PDF Cheat Sheet

Update A while back, we did an interview with some really smart people who were developing a great twitter tool. It’s been a while and they’ve bee really busy creating a whole new “Social Inbox” which will help you monitor all your social messaging in one place. This includes Facebook. Take a look at the interview for Twitter Application for Business and go check out what they’re doing. It could potentially save you a LOT of time and effort. You’ll notice that we used ooVoo to record the interview which is an alternative we mentioned in our Skype article. Please keep in mind this is an older interview and tech moves fast, so some of the info has changed.

I’d like you guys to sound off in the comments below. Let me know what you’re doing on Facebook, share your fanpages, and if this helps you out.

Skype has created a world of instant communication whether you are on the road or working from a remote office. From being able to send typed messages back and forth using IM or having a face to face conference call, Skype has near unlimited capabilities. In their eight years of being, Skype continues to add more features as well as improve communication quality. Skype continues to reach out to different types of people by making their product work for the consumer.

One of it’s most popular uses is the video chat option, which allows a face-to-face conversation. In business, this is an important feature especially when making big decisions. Being able to sit and see the face of the person you’re dealing with sometimes makes all the difference. The importance of this feature is how it connects people all over the world. A person does not have to leave their office or even their state to connect with another client. In order to make the best of Skype’s video chat, here are 10 tips to making a better connection.

1. Using headsets improve audio conversation
2. Customize your profile with pictures and status updates to make it easier for clients to find you.
3. By updating your contact list, you won’t have to search through your email for contact information
4. Let your clients know when you are available or not by updating your mood status
5. Allows for questions to be answered faster than email by using it’s IM function
6. FREE Skype to Skype Video Chats (Save on the phone bill)
7. Instant Connection to all clients
8. Online Number Option gives clients instant access by phone when they are on the road
9. Skype has voicemail and forwarding capability when you have to be away from the computer.
10. Text without the typos with Skype

Download The PDF Cheat Sheet

Skype’s not all business. My Technical Manager has used it to keep in touch with family across the country and uses the video chat to “virtually attend” family events and see new babies and other important additions to the family (cat’s and dogs).
Do you have Other Options?

Absolutly – ooVoo and Google + Hangouts are other tools that will allow you to video chat with one or multiple people. I’ve used ooVoo many times and really like it, however many of the people I work with are already on Skype, so I keep coming back to it. It’s also has many tightly integrated tools for phones and websites already commonly used. Such as, when you have Skype installed and logged in, you can plug it in to Firefox and numbers will automatically be highlighted and you can dial right through Skype by clicking on them.

I’ll be going more in depth with Google + in another post so stay tuned, but you can set up video hang outs with one or a group of people. I’ve actually done this as well and used my phone to video chat with a group of friends I hadn’t seen in a while.

I’d like to hear what you’re Skype use has been like and if you have tried any of these alternatives. Let me know in the comments below.

Do you have several team members who are working on several projects? Do you often feel as if tracking the small details of projects is overwhelming? Do you find yourself sending emails or making phone calls to your team to get updates on any open projects? I would like to recommend a solution that can help “tie up” all these loose ends. Zoho Projects is an online project management software that allows you to collaborate with your team. Zoho projects will allow you to track the status of every project your team is working on, all with a few clicks. You can eliminate un-necessary phone calls and emails and get up to date status reports with Zoho Projects.

I use Zoho daily, and have my internal staff making updates, as well as “virtual staff” that are offsite like writers, programers, and various other people.

Here are a few ways that Zoho Projects can keep you on track:

Task Management

By using task lists and milestones you can organize projects, set dependency, and assign priority and ownership to every task!

Time Tracking Software

Using this feature will allow you and your team to record time spent working on projects. You can also send invoices and reports to clients using the data tracked here.

Project Calendar & Meetings

Keep track of deadlines using this cool calendar feature. Schedule meetings with your team and clients as well.

Online Project Chat

Using a built-in chat feature will allow project members to have quick discussions concerning assigned projects. Note – You’ll have to upgrade in order to utilize this and other premium features.

Document Management

Create and store files directly from your browser without installing any software. Create tags and labels for easy searching using the built in document management feature of zoho. It helps keep the clutter of many versions of the same file down.

In addition to all of these features, Zoho has a mobile app. Login in from any smartphone by visiting: m.zoho.com – Another note – You’ll have to have an account (free or premium) to log in through the mobile site.

Full Disclosure – That’s not an affiliate link, just some helpfull resources that keep us on track at the office. Check it out and I’d like to hear some comments on how it works for you guys.

In today’s age of technology, working from the office, on the road or even from home is as easy as breathing. No longer does a person buy a cell phone just to make calls and text, they use them to run their business or complete job assignments. If you do not believe me, take another employee’s phone and watch his or her world start to crumble.

So many business professionals depend on these devices to do things like manage calendars, to-do lists, store important documents, and notes. The days of being tied down to a computer or laptop are gone. Productivity is such an important aspect of being a successful business professional. Now there are amazing apps to add to your Smartphone. Below are a few apps that will aid in maintaining productivity during the day.

1. Evernote:

There is so much you can do with this app. This powerful app can actually be synced with your office computer and your Smartphone.  It is very easy to use as well as learn how to use it.

Key Features:

Download from the Android Market

Evernote

Download from the Apple App Store

Evernote

2. Awesome Note:

The main function of this app is to help you organize and maintain to-do lists by separating them into different groups.

Key Features:

This app has been removed from the Android Market at this time

Download from the Apple App Store

Awesome Note

3. DropBox:

This particular app is amazing if you work with other team members and exchange a lot of files.

Key Features:

Download from the Android Market

DropBox

Download from the Apple App Store

DropBox

4. SnapTell:

With this app, gone are the days of going to numerous stores just to locate a particular product. It not only tells you which store has the desired product but also the price-just by scanning the barcode or taking a picture.

Key Features:

Download from the Android Market

SnapTell

Download from the Apple App Store

SnapTell

Using productivity apps with your Smart Phone can only help your productivity as a business professional. Your Smartphone allows you to travel and work away from your computer and still have everything you need!

Download the PDF

So, have you heard of CB Surge? It’s an awesome free tool you can use in your affiliate marketing arsenal. It’s actually a simple plugin for Firefox that you use right in your browser.

It’s main purpose is to quickly show you if a product is worth the time to market with your SEO strategies. A lot of SEOs can tell you that when you promote almost any product with the “product name keyword” it will often convert into more sales, as those visitors are already searching for your specific product and likely ready to buy. The key here is really understanding exactly WHAT products are worth your sweat! There are many, many tools out there that offer to tell you what might be worth your time, but many are old, clunky, and complicated software. They just try to do TO much.

CB Surge has one specific function of simply showing you to competitive a product name keyword is or how difficult / easy it will be to rank that name in the big G. It’s actually all laid out simply and you can see it in action in the following video:

CB Surge Video

Heads up, there will be an offer in there, but the video and free plugin alone are worth your time to check it out if you do ANY affiliate marketing through ClickBank.

I’ve been messing with the plugin all day and (far to much time actually, my schedule is completely off). Have you tried it, and how has it worked for you?

One of the greatest things about being an entrepreneur is that you have a certain type of freedom to really do whatever you want.

It’s great and can sometimes be really scary to have this freedom, but in the end , this is the environment I thrive in. However I want to point something out. It’s so much easier to be self sufficient today because of the resources available to us. With the World Wide Web placing information at our fingertips, if you need to do something new, the tools and resources to learn about this new task are instantly available.

I’ve always preferred to be a “Jack of All Trades” as opposed to a master of one. And I’ve found that the more open I am to learning, the more success I have. Now let me get to the point. With all this information available to us, it’s hard to figure out who has the real goods and who is just talking nonsense. Well I recently had to good fortune to talk to a buddy of my nephew’s and he was telling me about a great learning resource.

I want to let you know the difference between Business Web Basics and a site like this is that Business Web Basics teaches someone the very first steps of how to start a web business, in addition, how to hire vendors and personnel. The resource link that I’m giving you below if for an individual who wants to build from scratch their own website in a program like Joomla.

Check out Lynda.com

Lynda.com is virtually a one stop learning center for anyone trying to utilize leading technology or software. My nephew’s buddy is actually a Joomla programmer who’s components I’ve used for quite a while.

Lynda.com has full video courses that are well organized in everything from leading software like Adobe Photoshop to coding PHP. They provide course material used in the training so you can get your hands dirty and follow along, which is great for someone like me who learns while doing. For someone self sufficient like myself, having a resource of knowledge like this is very valuable. And their membership plans are well worth the cost.

Check out Lynda.com and leave some comments and let me know what you’ve worked on using their courses. I’d love to see what you’re up to.