#LearningIsAwesome - Why You Should Attend Events & Conferences

You’ve been invited by your coworkers to another event or conference and you’re not sure if you should go. Those events can be dull or even just awkward when you are forced to meet new people. However, going to an event or conference can be one of the best things you can do for your career, education, and social circle. Here is why we think you should say yes when invited to an event or conference:

Networking Will Expand Your Job Opportunities and Social Circle

Remember when you were in kindergarten and you met your best friends on the playground from just starting up a conversation and deciding you were automatically friends? Meeting and connecting with people seems to be a lot harder nowadays. As hard as it may be to approach a stranger and strike up a conversation, you will be thankful that you did. You may meet someone who is looking to hire in your field or someone who you really connect with. Even if they don’t end up being suitable to add to your client base, they could be a great power partner to collaborate with and expand your reach. The possibilities when it comes to making new connections are endless!

You Will Learn About all of The Latest Innovations

Conferences are an excellent time for companies to show off their newest gadgets and it is a great opportunity to learn about technology that you may eventually need to use in your work or personal life. You can watch as many Youtube videos as you want, but you wont learn nearly as effectively as when you are surrounded by likeminded and interested people. Staying on top of the trends in your industry will help you become an expert in your field and people are drawn to influencers and experts.

You Will Learn About Yourself

When you attend conferences and invest in yourself, you will learn a lot about yourself as well. Throughout workshops you may learn that you actually have a skill for what is being taught. You will learn that you are great at meeting new people and wish you had been doing this a long time ago to expand your professional network. You may even learn that you love public speaking and would like to lead and host an event by yourself. When you try new things, especially when they involve meeting new people and gaining exposure to new ideas, you end up learning things about yourself.

Going to a business event or conference can be daunting but there are so many benefits to taking the plunge and going. Instead of psyching yourself out, go and see how much you learn.

And not to mention there may be some really good food and memorable conversation as well! Can’t wait to see you #BeAwesome and successful in these social settings!

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Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

#LearningIsAwesome - The Value of Learning Something New

In the spirit of the Back To School time of year, we realized that you are never too old to learn something new. Our kids shouldn’t be the only ones continuing their education this Fall. So pick up some extra school supplies because we are going to list the 5 reasons you should open yourself up to learning new things!

You Will Live Longer

In a study done by Reader’s Digest, professionals found that people who read more for 30 minutes a day for years would on average live two years longer than those who didn’t read at all. Instead of watching tv at night, try to pick up a book, you might just live longer!

You Will Get Better Job Offers

By continuing to learn everyday, you are guaranteed to increase your knowledge, literacy, and understanding of new innovations. These skills will show in job interviews and you are more likely to get the job you want than someone who’s brain power has been stagnant since grade school. If you are a small business owners, those offers could look like speaking engagements or opportunities to spread your message to a wider audience.

You Will Win Family Arguments

There is little that is more satisfying than the silence that follow’s a relative’s inability to retort an intellectual conversation at the dinner table. With Thanksgiving on the horizon, it might be time for you to work out your brain for any potential family arguments.

You Will Find New Talents

When you spend the time to learn a new task, you may find that you have a knack for it. Don’t avoid learning a new skill just because you don’t think you have the time for it or you think you’re too old to learn. Instead rent out a book from the library or take a class on a skill you’ve never tried.

You Will Make New Friends

You might not be convinced but there are other people out there in the same position as you! You may meet someone new in a class or connect with someone online who is also trying to learn something new. Or you could learn a new language and find yourself meeting people from all over the globe! The possibilities are endless!

Being an adult is no longer an excuse; there is so much value to learning something new even when you are no longer in school. So pick up a book, sign up for a class, or join an online forum and start learning! Can't wait to see your AWESOME!

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Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

#AwesomeBios - Promoting Your Offers in Your Bio

When we first talked about building your #AwesomeBio, we mentioned that it was necessary to include a Call To Action. If you have an offer for your potential clients and customers, you have a call to action ready to go.

Bios are the profile sections on main social media pages. You recognize them as the About Us areas. Each social media platform functions as a powerful internal search engine. Therefore, fully fleshed out bios that are loaded with the right keywords are how people will find you. We talked at length about marketing on different social media platforms to gain a return on investment here. This offer that you provide is something called a lead magnet. It’s a way to turn social media browsers into potentially loyal customers.

When you promote your offer, stay away from clickbait titles. A person wants to know exactly what they’ll receive for clicking your action link. Don’t make them doubt your credibility as an honest business. Put only one offer in your bio. It’s a great idea to build a social media campaign for particular offers. Keeping the same one may grow stale, and your current customers want in on the action, too. A long term customer or client is worth its weight in gold. As a matter of fact, 80% of your company’s future revenue will likely come from 20% of your existing customers. Lee Resources Inc., a trusted consulting firm, conducted research about customer retention. They found that attracting new customers will cost your company five times more than keeping existing ones. 

Your offer should involve scarcity. Scarcity is a time limited option that triggers the urge to buy or take on the offer. Without this, it's too easy for a potential client to wander away from your site. Even with the best intentions, there is no guarantee that they will remember to return and take you up on your offer.

When setting up your promotional offer, keep these three things in mind:

1. Use short links for character-limiting platforms.
2. Keep the promotion valid and up-to-date.
3. Make the offer limited time to induce the urge to buy.
4. Make sure the link goes directly to the sale, signup, etc. that you’re promoting. Otherwise, it feels like a scam.
5. Create unique offers, bonuses, etc. unique to the platform you’re using. Consider it insider perks that make people more likely to follow you on their preferred platform. Experiment to find out which perks work best on which platforms. You may be surprised!
6. Track your results so you can gain a deeper understanding of your customer base.

Your bio (with the offer you provide within it) becomes a first impression technique for anyone who doesn’t know or understand what you do. Take the time to develop one that’s right for you, while keeping it specific to your social media platform, and you’ll gain a loyal following of enthusiastic customers and clients.

Be sure to Follow us and Let's Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

#AwesomeBios - Why It's Essential to be a Bio Completionist

Consistency is a foundational element to for like, know, and trust concept. It’s a core fundamental for your brand, and if it’s not, it should be. One way to ensure consistency is to complete your bios on every platform you use. They should tell your viewer who are you are, why they should care about you, and what you want them to do next.

In addition, you’ll want to include a professional photo since an image will stick in the mind longer than written text. You’ll want your bio to be personal, compelling, and shareable. Ensure it contains ALL of your links (if possible). Most of all, include a powerful call to action.

You need to develop four levels of your bio so that you can keep things consistent across all platforms. They are a full bio, a short bio, a mini bio, and a tagline or byline-type bio. Check out this article we wrote if you want to know more about developing your perfect bio.  

Full Bio (500 words or less): Website and Blog

A full bio should contain most of your information. It should be compelling and list all of your relevant accomplishments.

Short Bio (Two paragraphs, max): Professional Publications, Shop Stores, Bio Sections on Professional Sites (Who We Are, About Us, etc.), and Extended Bio Sections for Social Media Platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Instagram

A short bio should contain who you are, why your readers should care, and how you’ll help them in their lives. Tailor your accomplishments to whichever platform you use.

Mini-Bio (Two sentences, max): Business Cards, Bottom of Articles, and Short Bio Sections on Social Media

A mini-bio is one that covers most bio needs. You can extend a tagline bio into the two sentence one with ease.

Tagline Bio (One sentence): Extremely Short Bio Sections like Twitter, Bottom of Articles, and Print Publications like Brochures.

Here is a formula we like to use in developing a tagline (or byline) bio: “I do ____ for ____, so that they can _____.” A tagline/byline is the perfect intro to most of your other bios. It’s the special interest attention-grabber that makes the world curious about who YOU are.

Here are some quick tips:

• Don’t use filler words to make you sound more impressive. You don’t have the space to waste.
• Make sure you add some color and spice to your bio (your personality)
• Include hyperlinks whenever possible to your store, site, newsletter (with your lead/bonus) and social media hubs. Make it easy for people to find you on their preferred medium and you’ll have grateful customers and clients.
• Adapt your bio as your business adapts. It’s not set in stone!

Your bio is what makes potential customers and clients interested in your work. Emotions are the primary reason people make purchases.

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Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

#AwesomeBios - Making Your Bio Fun

Your bio is one of the first things people see when they find you. Whether it’s on social media, your company website, your LinkedIn profile, or more, what your bio says about you can make the difference between a potential client or customer and an immediate bypass or click away from your content. Consider your bio to be your digital business card. There are over 2.2 billion active social media users. Making your bio stand out is imperative.

One of the ways to make you stand out from the crowd is to make your bio fun. Smiles are universal. People will always remember the way you made them feel over anything else. Humor isn’t the only way to make a connection, but it is an effective one. It helps use bond with one another, to attract others. It makes us feel better and it has a massive amount of entertainment value.

Your bio needs three distinct sections:

• Your aspirations and goals as a human being are just as important as the values your company represents. It’s the humanity aspect that intrigues your potential clients and customers.
• Credentials, education, and experience are key to building like and trust.
• Your unique quirks and the softer side of your personality are so very important. They are the human aspect you need for personal connection.  
  
  

These three things are necessary to building the entire package. Customize your aspirations by lining them up with the audience you’re targeting. Don’t lie or fake it, but bring those things you both agree with to the front and center of your conversation.

Choose education and work experience that is only relevant to your audience. Remember that your bio is the highlight reel of who you are. Be selective in your humor here since this is key to social proof.

Humor is more than just laughing out loud. It can be observational, dark, sarcasm, satire, wordplay, witticism, and more. You can use a humble brag, a seemingly self-deprecating comment that draws attention to something you’re proud of. You can be whimsical about activities and interests. What's funny to one person could be offensive to another, keep it tactful and professional and on brand. If you’re in doubt about whether your bio will be considered offensive, get an opinion from trusted friends and work associates.

If it fits with your branding, don't be afraid to use emojis, gifs or other popular tools to spruce up your bios. Just don't replace those great keywords that help people find you!

Keep in mind the following: Your tone should be the same across your platforms. Don’t give mixed signals, or you’ll leave your viewers wondering which “person” is the real you. Make sure you supply the important information as well: name, contact information, hours of operation if you have business hours, and best way to reach you.

Your bio is worth more than a generic description. Use it to build personal connections between you and your audience, and you won’t regret it.

How will you inject your personality into your bio and make it that much more awesome? Don’t wait. Get started today. The Social Media Advisor helps businesses create robust bios every day! Feel out of your league and want some support? Contact us or a discovery session.

Be sure to Follow us and Let's Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars