Archive for the ‘Social Media’ Category

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Social media tips galore

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

Michael Angelo Caruso social media tipsThere are two types of people using social media.

The first type likes to mosey through a do-it-yourself program.  It’s a comfortable pace and they have a lot of fun.

The second type is always thirsty for ways to get practical tips that save time and produce revenue.  This group also has a lot of fun, but they also find ways to build brands and make money.

The latter group likes to “Facebook with purpose” and these are the folks who tend to seek me out for help.

Here’s a partial list of what I teach in my social media sessions, which will help you improve your business almost immediately.  This program includes dozens of proven strategies for securing a stronger Internet presence using Facebook (FB), Linkedin (LI), Twitter (TW), and YouTube (YT).

This is non-technical content:


Facebook is the New White Pages

- Learn how social media will help your biz when you use it as a system
- Appreciate how FB, LI and TW are alike and different
- Grow your friend list without getting slapped by the “Facebook police”
- Use Michael’s “3K Klub” trick to get FB friends to help you sell
- Protect your name online; learn valuable image marketing tips
- Discover the single best way to engage Facebook friends
- Add 100 additional connections in a flash
- Arrange for your FB posts to go to Twitter at the same time
- Use the “Notes” tab to provide more content
- Get Michael’s proven strategies for micro-blogging
- Improve dialog 0n FB, so you’re getting more biz and less small talk


Linkedin is the New Yellow Pages

- Get the most from cyber-introductions
- Learn LI’s best (hidden) feature
- Build a highly qualified list of prospects on Linkedin within 30 days
- Get a secret way to direct message groups of Linkedin contacts
- Arrange five more key Recommendations on Linkedin
- Learn clever ways to re-purpose those testimonials
- Leverage the power of LI groups
- Use LI polls to test-market ideas
- Market targeted messages to Linkedin sub-lists
- Why you should post .pdfs, even though Google can’t read’em
- Use Linkedin to push your competition off the first page  search results


Twitter, Video Marketing and How They Work Together

- Use Twitter as early warning system for customer service issues
- Connect your social media platforms
- Harness the awesome power of video marketing
- Learn why Twitter is more important than FB and LI combined
- Establish a Twitter presence by making 100 your firs day
- Improve your Twitter page background and readability
- Integrate your social media marketing with your regular distribution list
- Schedule your Tweets to occur 24×7
- Learn Video production secrets to save you tons of time and money
- Keep YT from recommending your competition in “related” vids
- Use video marketing to get happy customers to sell for you


Let’s talk!

Your first consultation is free! Just give my office a call at 248-224-9667.  Let’s get the word out.

The second most important web site for your business

Sunday, June 19th, 2011

Internet marketers and business owners always ask me where they should be putting their marketing efforts.  Of course, your company Web site is a critical place for you to spend time and money.

But what’s the second most important Web site for your business?  I’ll give you a hint.

It’s not Linkedin.  And it’s not your Linkedin business page, although you should have one.

It’s not your Facebook page.  And it’s not your Facebook business page.  You should have one of those, too.

The second most important Web site for your business is not YouTube.

It’s not even Google.

These are all valuable sites for marketing your products and services, but the one site that should be a part of every online business in 2009 is …

Twitter.

Here’s why in one sentence–Google crawls individual Tweets.  

You can post Facebook status updates all day and night, but Google will not see them.  The same is true for your Linkedin status updates.

But, Google indexes your individual messages on Twitter and makes them available to people doing Web searches forever.  Of course, you’ll be putting key words in your Tweets, but imagine what will happen when you’re putting your Web site address (or an abbreviated version of it) in 80% of your Tweets.

This is probably hard to imagine because Facebook and Linkedin don’t work like this.  Twitter is more powerful than Facebook and Linkedin combined!

That’s why, if you aren’t using Twitter, you are missing out on the greatest opportunity for building relationships with your customers and prospects.  You are missing out on the best free branding tool on the web.

And you are missing out on huge amounts of free traffic and increased sales!

There’s just no excuse for any business, large or small, to not be using Twitter, which has improved my reach immensely.  I’m on Twitter at @MichaelACaruso

Learn more about using Twitter and other social media platforms from my four CD program–a home or work study course titled, Social Media for Work.  For a limited time, I am including a free 30-page, social media e-book with all orders, so click today!

Best of luck on all your marketing efforts.  I you want training or other types of help, let me know.  Let’s get the word out!

-Michael Angelo Caruso, Royal Oak, Michigan

Oh, and you’re doing social media wrong

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

Is social media not fun for you anymore?

Lots of people are frustrated by Facebook and confused by Twitter.  They’re spending lots of time posting and setting up business pages, but not getting much for their efforts.

When things aren’t going right, it can be helpful to look at what you’re doing wrong.  I can help you in at least two ways.

1.)  I’m holding a cool social media event on Tuesday, June 14 in Troy, Michigan.  This event really is social.  There’ll be food, drink, music, and conviviality, whatever that is.

2.)  If you can’t attend, you can get the content on audio CD.  Use the Coupon Code SOCIAL to save a whopping $33, if you order within the next 24 hours.

Either way, you’ll get a ton of great information on how to improve your situation using the most revolutionary communication tool since the invention of the telephone–social media, baby.


Can I be direct with you?

Internet marketer, Michael Angelo Caruso, gives social media training.  I think one of the reasons for my success in the speaking and training business is that I’m a direct person.  I tell clients what they’re doing right and I tell them what they’re doing wrong.  I tell them exactly how to improve.

Not everyone likes my style.  Heck, I don’t like being told I’m wrong.  But when I get over my ego issues and really pay attention, I improve.

So, here I go again, being direct.  I hope it helps you improve.  Based on what I’m seeing out there…


Here’s what you’re doing wrong on social media:

Your accounts are stagnant.

You’re busy on Facebook, but not productive.

You’re selling too much and closing too little.

You follow the wrong people on Twitter.

You don’t allow comments on your blog.

You add people online, but don’t follow up in any meaningful way.

You have ads on your blog.

You’re not using RSS feeds.

Your blog posts are too short.

Your videos are too long.

You don’t follow people back.

You curse online.

You don’t “Facebook with purpose.”

You push the same updates to every platform.

You don’t edit your photos before posting.

You’re not producing enough content.


Want to know more?

Want to fix what’s wrong?  Wanna know what you’re doing right?

Then attend my great social media event on Tuesday evening, June 14 at the fabulous Tre Monti restaurant in Troy, Michigan.

If you can’t attend, order my Social Media That Works program on (4 audio CDs).  Use Coupon Code:  SOCIAL to get 1/3 off; save $33, but only for the next 24 hours!)

Let’s get your social media campaigns humming so more people can purchase your great products and services!

The best keyword is “research”

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

Search has become a very important business tool.

Businesses all over the fruited plain are constantly trying to figure out the best keyword to use on their Web sites.

The best keyword for all of us, it turns out, is “research.”

Brother Dave on left

And search engine optimization (SEO), despite its complicated moniker, offers some very simple marketing lessons.  I’m reminded of something my brother Dave Caruso taught me a while back when we were trying to improve the effectiveness of my Web site.

My site has always had a number of products and programs related to “self improvement.”

Dave, a great linear thinker and fantastic “systems” guy, did a few quick Google searches to compare how often people search “self help” vs. “self improvement.”

He found that the following variations gave these totals (results in millions):

Keyword search # of hits
self-help                             89,700
self help                                 89, 600
self improvement              30,200
self-improvement             21,200

This was HUGE and I immediately wanted to change my site to take advantage of this discovery.

Then, Dave checked the number of hits for one more term:  “personal improvement.”  At the time, those key words showed 124,000,000–far more than the other key word phrases!

“Personal improvement” was the keyword phrase to optimize.  Thanks, brother!

When doing SEO, make sure you do research to discover which key words and phrases will rank highly.  You may be surprised!

Keyword research helps people find me, even if I’m in Royal Oak, Michigan.  Which, um, I am.      – Michael Angelo Caruso, Motivational speaker, Internet student

Best practices for using Twitter

Saturday, May 28th, 2011

Want to get more from Twitter?  Here’s a list of best practices that’ll help you maximize the awesome power of this great social media tool.

Twitter is not as difficult or as mysterious as it first seems.  As Bob Dylan sings, “The times, they are a changin.’”  Thanks to Twitter, now you are the newspaper.  You are your own advertising company and public relations firm.  Let’s get the word out!

Here are 5 cool ideas for using Twitter:

1.  Talk about things central to your brand or personality.
It helps if your tweets are relevant to what’s going on in the media.  “Trending” topics almost always get more attention online.

2.  Be funny. If you’re not funny, tweet messages from people who are funny.  People like to share witticisms.

3.  Post an original tweet about every two hours. Do not share information that’s been shared to death.  Avoid clichés like the plague.  ;-)    You may also want to stay away from negative news.

4.  Leave trails to your Web site. Use the first 70 characters of your Tweet to ask a question or pose a problem.  Use the second 70 characters to answer the question or offer a solution.  Often, but not always, the solution should contain a link to your Web site.  Use tiny URLs that don’t use a lot of characters.

5.  Get with the program. Follow those who follow you.  Retweet messages from the cool kids.   Recommend people on Follow Friday, by posting “#FF” and their Twitter names, e.g., @MichaelACaruso.

These are just a few ideas for sweet tweets.  See how you can use these techniques and more by following me on Twitter at @MichaelACaruso.

-Michael, Royal Oak, Michigan, www.MichaelAngeloCaruso.com

How to blog every day

Friday, May 6th, 2011

Like most rewarding activities, blogging requires discipline and focus.

You’re going to need both in order to post frequently.

It also helps to have a bunch of handy-dandy tricks.  Below, I share some of my blogging secrets.  You’re going to need the proper mindset, tools, time, and the need to succeed.


Mindset

In order to blog every day, you must have a free flow of ideas from mind to keyboard. If a person only has so many “attention units” in a day, it’s important that units aren’t squandered on disorganization, drama, and trivial pursuits.

In other words, clean your desk, free your mind of clutter, and stop running late all the time.

Strong blog posts require clear thinking.  Daily blogging requires expediency a creative verve.

This means always being on the lookout for blog topics and having the ability to capture the idea in written format.


Tools

I always carry a pen and paper.  Sometimes it’s a small notebook.  Sometimes it’s an 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper that’s gate-folded and slipped into the breast pocket of my sport coat.

I also keep notes in my iPhone.  If my computer is available, I may decide to keystroke the blog topic directly into my WordPress site where it can be published immediately or saved as a draft.

I’ve even been known to take a photo of a blog idea or leave myself a voice mail message.


Time

Blogging more frequently doesn’t require more time.  You’ll have plenty of time to write, if you just stop doing other things. 

Here are five reasons why I always have plenty of time to blog:

  1. I write far more blog posts than I read.  (If you’re reading, you can’t be writing.)
  2. I can’t remember the last time I watched a complete ball game on TV.
  3. I never stand in line.
  4. I never take a meeting, especially for “networking” purposes, without at least one expected deliverable for both parties.  This saves TONS of time.
  5. I have a fantastic vocabulary (thanks, Wordsmith.org!) and write very fast.  Can rewrite even faster.


The need to succeed

Finally, successful bloggers have an almost compulsive need to enlighten and entertain others.   I’m quite dedicated to this goal, which is why I posted an article on how you can blog every day.

For more tips on blogging, check out my fun interview with Michigan soccer mom, Paula Parisot, who gets paid for blogging.

How often do you blog now?  Do you think the above tricks can be helpful for you?  Do you have others?

My social media links

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

facebook, linkedin, twitter, youtube icons Michael Angelo Caruso social mediaSocial media has become a monster way to build networks, promote products and services, and build an impressive Internet presence.

Just think what happens to your online profile when in addition to a Website and a blog, you have an account with Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Google+ and others.  (My links are below.)

To see how this works for people like me, simply type my full name into your favorite search engine.  See how I own the first ten pages of Google, for example?  Pretty cool!  You can do the same if you spend a little time and energy on social media networking.

Here are links to my favorite social media networks.  Simply click on the link to friend, follow or connect with me.  If we’re already connected, feel free to post “hello,” a compliment or whatever’s on your mind.

I’m big on Linkedin, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, and Facebook.  To connect with me on any or all these platforms, simply type “Michael Angelo Caruso” in the respective search box.

Okay, so I’ve given you my social media links.  Feel free to leave yours in the comments section.  What is your favorite social media platform?


Wanna market your products/services via social media?

social media marketing michael angelo caruso

Michael Angelo Caruso with another satisfied customer

If you have a social media following, you may want to share information about what you do to these folks.  Direct selling is considered bad form on Facebook, for example, so you may want to use a technique I invented called, “indirect selling.”  To learn more, listen to my Social Marketing for Business CDs.

See you online!

3 tricks for repurposing content

Sunday, April 10th, 2011

I generate a ton of content!

Michael Angelo Caruso's info productsYou may know that I produce a bi-monthly newsletter, post three blogs a week, and maintain multiple accounts on Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter.

I also conduct monthly teleseminars, post tons of video on my YouTube and Vimeo channels and have created over 75 information products.

People often ask me how I get it all done.  Sometimes I wonder, too!


My favorite magic trick

One of my “tricks” involves repurposing content.  It’s a useful technique for anyone who works as a leader or supervisor, salesperson, customer service rep or whatever.

When you repurpose your great content, your information becomes accessible to more people in more convenient ways.  When your relevant content shows up in multiple places, YOU become more familiar, and people start thinking of you as an industry expert.  Pretty cool!

Do you ever give presentations?  Here are three easy ways to make your talk available in different modalities:

1) Record your live presentation with a digital recorder like those sold at Radio Shack. Then, import the sound file to a free audio editing program such as “Audacity” and burn audio CDs to giveaway or sell.

2) Record a three-minute highlight of your speech with a Flip video camera and post the clip on YouTube. Be sure to display your Web site on the “bottom third” of the screen to drive traffic to your Web site.

3) Publish an e-book version of your speech. Use voice recognition software to create a transcript or keystroke the speech into a Word doc (if you use a PC) and convert the document into a .pdf.

Oh, and congratulations! When you do #3, you’ll officially be a published author!


Churn out your own info products

For dozens of more tips on this subject and to generate a passive revenue stream for yourself, listen to my 60-minute audio CD, How to Create Info Products.  It comes with a 30-page e-book, too!

Thanks for your interest in self-improvement.  Now go repurpose some of your great content!

-Michael Angelo Caruso, Royal Oak, Michigan

Resume tip–your resume doesn’t matter

Sunday, March 6th, 2011

Readers always write…

Hi, Michael-

I’ve recently had to update my resume so I can upgrade my job.  I consider myself a good writer, but it’s been quite a challenge getting this project done.  I’m still not happy with my resume and wondering if you have any tips for me.  I’ve attached a copy to this e-mail message.  Thank you!

Sara in Bloomington, Illinois

Hi, Sara-

A lot of the best jobs are filled without using the resume process.  The best way to get a good job is through networking, which allows you to become recommended or “pre-approved” by a trusted third-party.  More info on how to do this in a future post.

So now that I’ve told you that a resume doesn’t matter, let me explain how you can make yours better…

Your resume looks very good, Sara!  I’m returning it to you with a few minor suggestions for improved grammar and syntax.  I am also listing my advice on how to “punch up” a resume.

Tips:

-  All the experts recommend a one-page resume
-  Play down past jobs (use one or two lines max for each)
-  Use present tense for present situation, e.g. “demonstrated” should be “demonstrates”
-  Use parallel construction for bullet points; begin each bullet with an active verb

Bonus ideas

Here are a couple of special “Michael techniques:”

/Recycle the exact language from the job posting.

/That way, your resume is more likely to make you look like the perfect fit.

/The resume is a kind of meaningless tradition.  It’s far better to secure the job first and then submit the resume as a required formality.

/So, how does one get the job before submitting the resume?  Use online research tools such as Linkedin and Google to learn more about the company.   Of course, you should visit the company’s Web site, but learn even more about the specific people involved such as:

-  Who will be interviewing you?
-  Who will you be working with?
-  Who will be your boss?
-  Who is your potential boss’s boss?
-  What can be learned from their social media or YouTube activities?

Once you have the names of these individuals, search them online to discover anything you can, such as:

-  Where they live?
-  What church do they attend?
-  Do they blog?
-  What they’ve presented on (presentation pdfs often come up in this type of search)

The idea is to get into the same orbit of one or more of these people so they can get to know you and possibly champion your cause.

Caveat:  Don’t be aggressive or even assertive when doing this.  A sincere compliment when friending someone on Facebook will usually do the trick.  You might contact the person to offer insightful research on one of their
favorite topics.  Don’t necessarily make it known that you are applying for a job.

When you show interest in others, others show interest in you.     -Michael Angelo Caruso, American author and speaker, (1958-present –ha!)

Then, when the moment is right, say something like, “Oh, by the way, the reason for my interest in xxxxx is that I’m thinking of applying for the xxxxx position.”

You’re on your way to a some useful information, an endorsement, a champion, and hopefully, a new job!

Good luck!

Michael Angelo Caruso, Royal Oak, Michigan

Facebook is not Internet marketing

Sunday, February 20th, 2011

Michael Angelo Caruso Internet marketing facebook, linked, twitter, social mediaSo you’re spending hours on Facebook (FB) building a “brand” so you can earn “extra revenue” that will allow you to “retire.”

Let’s be serious.

If you’re marketing on Facebook but not on Twitter (TW), you’re wasting your time.  Why?  Because the Internet works in the aggregate, that’s why.

A healthy Facebook following means little compared to a healthy following on the Big Three social media platforms–FB, TW, and Linkedin (LI), with a YouTube presence added to the mix.

Each of these platforms offers something special to the branding process, more colors, if you will.  You wouldn’t fill your wardrobe with only navy blue shirts and pants, would you?

Twitter, for example, is more important than Facebook and Linkedin combined, for example, because search engines such as Google crawl individual tweets.  This is extremely important to driving traffic to your Web site!

Essentially, we’re talking about doing things that drive traffic to your Web site and money to your bank account.  This is done by systematically developing your brand using important, albeit inexpensive web online platforms, so beware of “social media experts”  who only want to help you with Facebook because “that’s all you need.”

Here are two training options that I offer clients–

Package #1:  Substantial Social Media Platform within 90 days

Facebook is the New White Pages

Facebook tutuorialSocial media can help your biz when you use it as a system; how FB, LI and TW are alike and different; growing your lists; how to protect your name online; valuable photo tips; the best ways to draw people in; add 100 qualified friends in a flash; arrange for your FB posts to go to Twitter at the same time; use the “Notes” tab to provide more content; use Michael’s proven strategies for micro-blogging; improve dialog with your FB connections; answers to your questions, unlimited e-mail access to Michael for 90 days

Linkedin is the New Yellow Pages

How to maximize cyber-introductions; LI’s best (hidden) feature; beef up your presence on Linkedin by adding 75 qualified connections within 30 days; arrange five more key Recommendations on Linkedin; clever ways to re-purpose those testimonials; the power of LI groups; how to use LI polls to test-market ideas; answers to your questions, unlimited e-mail access to Michael for 90 days

Twitter, Video Marketing and How They Work Together

Using Twitter as “defensive marketing;” connect your social media platforms; employ the awesome power of video marketing; why Twitter is more important than FB and LI combined; establish a Twitter presence right away by adding 100 additional connections; improve your Twitter page background and readability; integrate your social media marketing with your regular distribution list; answers to your questions, unlimited e-mail access to Michael for 90 days

You’ll receive an occasional easy “homework” assignment from me to ensure gradual progress and success.

Bonuses

Package #1 includes all the above content, plus . . .

-  Four of my audio CDs on this subject ($99 value)

-  I’ll spend time with you to explain things

-  Unlimited e-mails with Michael for 90 days

Investment for Package #1

$ 975.00 if I teach you do it;   $ 1,750.00 if I help you do it;    $2,500 if I do it all; (designed to pay for itself in 90 days)

As with all of my products and services, you will get much more than you pay for.

Package #2:  Comprehensive Internet Marketing Campaign

Including, Social Media Platform within 90 days, video marketing, establish an e-newsletter and a blog

-  All of the content in consulting Package #1, plus . . .

Social Media strategies redux

-  Create one or two videos for YouTube

-  Set up Twitter to automatically post to Facebook

-  Set up your blog to automatically post to Facebook

-  Show how to re-purpose content on Facebook

-  Arrange five more key Recommendations on Linkedin

-  Integrate your social media marketing with your regular distribution list

E-mail marketing tutorial

- Strengthen your distribution list

- Get best practices for sending bulk e-mail

- Create the perfect e-mail

- Publish an e-newsletter, quickly and easily

- Improve deliverability, open rate, read rate of your bulk e-mails

- Improve your Click-Thru-Rate (CTR)

- Avoid spam filters

Web site tips and efficiency tricks

- Site evaluation and suggestions for easy changes that yield big results

- Re-identify your most important keywords

- Recommend a new vendor, if necessary

- Use your Web site to collect e-mail addresses

Video marketing thrust

- Explain the concept and Michael’s easy, non-technical methodology

- Create one or two videos for YouTube

- Upload videos to Vimeo, Facebook

- Send video links in e-mails and e-newsletters

Blogging power

- Blogs are better than Web sites; post twice a week

- How to never run out of content

- Set up your blog to automatically post to Facebook

- Show how to re-purpose content through article marketing

- Use blog to establish external links (Google LOVES external links)

Bonuses

Package #2 includes all of the above, plus . . .

-  Four of my audio CDs on this subject ($99 value)

-  I’ll spend time with you to explain things

-  Unlimited e-mails with Michael for 180 days

Triple Your Income, 6 CDs on how to get paid for speaking, writing, and consulting ($250 value)

-  I will comp you to as many of my speaking events as I can (priceless)

Investment for Package #2

$2,900 if I teach you do it;  $3,500 if I help you do it;  $4,900 if I do it all; (designed to pay for itself in 180 days)

As with all of my products and services, you will get much more than you pay for.

Testimonials

Dr. steven ringler“Michael Angelo Caruso helped improve my business’s Internet presence in a very short time.   I highly recommend him for your online marketing needs.  This guy really delivers!”       -Dr. Steven Ringler, Plastic Surgeon, Grand Rapids, Michigan, www.stevenringlermd.com

“Michael Angelo Caruso is a wonderful teacher!  He is currently working with me to build my business through Internet marketing.  He’s also a patient man; I’ve needed my hand held on more than one occasion.  Along with his integrity comes humor.”   –Joni Johnson, Co-owner, www.instafirmbodywrap.com, Troy, Michigan


Summary

Michael Angelo Caruso internet marketing So, however you decide to handle social media marketing, be sure to be involved with
The Big Three and not just Facebook.

If you’d like my help, choose from one of the above two training options and let me know what you decide. Call me right away and I will personally congratulate you before we set up our first official call.

Take your company or organization to new heights using my proven techniques for systematic, online branding by using inexpensive social media instead of expensive advertising campaigns!

What do you think?

-Michael Angelo Caruso, Royal Oak, Michigan  248-224-9667

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