When you are on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter as well as the countless other sites that are available for social media marketing do you know the unspoken rules of etiquette?  Do you understand what NOT to do?  Do you realize the mistakes that most newbie’s make?  Every day I see people breaking the rules of on line social networking.  So this article is devoted to making sure you don’t make these dreadful and sometimes costly mistakes when you are trying to grow your business on the world wide web.

1. Spending Way Too Much Money or Way Too Little

You know the old saying “You need to spend money to make money”. Well this is true, but you need to spend your money wisely.  Nothing is different just because you are marketing on the web.  You need to develop a solid marketing plan and corresponding budget that fits into the overall goals that you are trying to achieve.  NEVER and I do mean never buy leads…but also realize that you need to make some investment if you want to see results.

2. Insisting On Doing It Alone

The most successful entrepreneurs are the ones who’ve worked with a coach, mentor or joined a education and support group like a mastermind.  Unfortunately, many new entrepreneurs and business people make the mistake in believing they can do it alone.  Don’t make the same mistake!  Hire a coach, join a mastermind, or work with a mentor who can make your journey towards success smoother and faster.  These people and resources can shorten your learning curve and have you making money faster than going it along.  Not sure what option is the best for you and your business?  Contact me at maureen@daretobephenomenal.com and I will help you sort it out.

3. Thinking Like An Employee Instead of An Entrepreneur

Most of us worked for someone else at one point in our careers.  And because most of us came from that place we sometimes forget that we are not employees anymore but rather masters of our own destiny.  We are the decision makers, the movers and shakers.  We don’t have to answer to anyone…we make the rules!  But with that comes the responsibility to make it happen.  Set your goals, prioritize your work, get serious and self-disciplined and know that success won’t happen overnight but with consistent effort success will be achieved.

4. Posting Without Permission

The other day I opened my Facebook profile and to my horror someone had posted the link to their website on my profile page and never once asked me if it was ok.  It wasn’t and I immediately deleted it.  This is social networking spamming and if you engage in this type of behavior its business suicide.  Your profile is for posting great stuff about your business…my profile is for posting great stuff about my business.  Now that doesn’t mean that you can’t ask people to help spread the word about a new product or service that you are providing.  But you must ask permission first.  Failure to do so is just plain rude.

5. Not Being Yourself

There is nothing worse than when you can feel how inauthentic and disingenuous someone is being.  People can sense when you are only concerned about yourself and how much money you stand to earn.  It is a real turnoff!  Be authentic and genuine as you network with people on line.  Find out how you might be able to help them.  Remember what Ivan Misner, CEO of BNI taught, that “Givers Gain”.

6. Not Making About The Value

No one cares what you do.  Really they don’t.  What people care about is the value of your product or service and how it can improve their business or life.  But often times I read on Facebook about some ‘amazing new opportunity’ and I think…ugh…when will they ever learn?  Real value is about sharing your knowledge, tips, strategies, great content or anything that will actually be of benefit to someone else.  The person who provided the most VALUE will be the front runner…plain and simple.

7. Make Your Personal Growth Your Number One Priority

In order to be successful you must make your personal growth a priority.  Successful people are not afraid to seek out situations and experiences that challenge them beyond their comfort zone.  Being successful as an entrepreneur, which means by the way making great money doing what you love, requires that you frequently fall outside of your comfort zone.  In fact, frequently feeling uncomfortable means that you are stretching and growing!  Being successful means that you don’t shy away from these opportunities to grow but rather you embrace them. In the end, you will be successful and will have grown tremendously in the process.

By following these 7 tips you can be more successful with both your online and off line marketing.  In the end remember to be yourself, embrace the challenges and be persistent in your efforts.

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