How I Use Social Networking

Being an editor-in chief of a social media news release company has thrust me into the forefront of social networking. My company PRunderground has been distributing social media press releases since 2008.

Social networking is changing the way we all do business on the internet. I know it has given Prunderground the ability to do so much more than just post press releases on them. It has allowed us to strengthen existing relationships and build new ones. I have been able to appeal to different audiences that would have cost me so much more via traditional marketing.

With social networking we have been able to promote our brand everywhere with just the click of a button. We can make our brand portable which in turn increases revenue. It has also given us another customer service channel. It allows us to listen and respond to the client’s needs. None of this could have been accomplished a few years ago. With technology evolving so fast, I cannot wait to see what is next in this fast moving social networking world.

The Tools

With so many social networking tools, I found that the easiest thing to do was create a lifestream. With a life stream I am able to aggregate most of my social bookmarks and networks into one. Now when I have an announcement or a social media press release, all I have to do is submit it through one channel and it gets posted on all channels.

Here is a short list of great tools that I always use:

• Twitter & Facebook: Because of these two, my business is up 60% and rising. It is incredible how many connections I have made.
• Squidoo – Awesome free publishing platform that allows me to create single websites (lenses) based on my interest.
• Google Analytics - lets you measure your advertising ROI as well as track your Flash, video, and social networking sites and applications.
• Alexa – provides information about websites including Top Sites, Internet Traffic Stats and Metrics, Related Links, Online Reviews Contact Information.
• Shareaholic – Allows you to Shares and bookmark web-pages on popular social sharing and bookmarking services.
• Wildfire – Build & launch social media marketing campaigns within minutes. The best!!
• Digsby - Manage all your existing IM, email, and social network accounts from one easy to use application.
• Tweetdeck – personal browser for staying in touch with what’s happening now, connecting you with your contacts across Twitter, Facebook and more.
• WordPress & Plug-ins – If you’re not using WordPress for your website, you are missing out on the ultimate cutting edge publishing platform there is. As for the plug-ins, think of iPhone apps, there is a plug-in for just about everything. I love to say; “There’s a plug-in for that!”

SocialWants Help

Kelsi is a perfect example of how networking and collaborating with your target market on Facebook can open up marketing channels that just a few years ago, was totally impossible. A few months ago, we were launching a new service and Kelsi approached us about being showcased on his website MyWants.tv. We were amazed how even today if you do a Google search for “Wpstartups WordPress development” or other keywords, his video ranks #1 on Google.

This posting itself is another great example. Because of this second opportunity that I have been given by Kelsi, I am once again opening new doors and networking with others who would have never known about me and my product. Kelsi and his sites are true examples of how to take social media and use it as an effective networking tool.

How Can You Get “Schnooked” up with me?

There are many ways to get in touch with me. Whether you need a press release, search engine optimization, web design, anything WordPress or just want to network and collaborate with me, I would love to hear from you. After all that is what social networking is all about right? It is word of mouth that opens new doors for us all.

Social Media Press Releases – www.prunderground.com

Web Design & Development – www.marknetgroup.com

Affordable WordPress websites – www.wpstartups.com

Facebook – www.facebook.com/prunderground

Fan Page: www.facebook.com/prundergroundconnect

Twitter – www.twitter.com/prunderground

Squidoo – www.squidoo.com/socialmediapressrelease

I look forward to connecting with everyone. Special thanks to Social Wants and kelsi. Keep up the great work!!

Alex Miranda

PRUnderground.com

Using Social Networking

I have been using social networking websites before I knew what they were OR before anyone called them social networks. Like many other people, I was going into chat rooms and joining forms and talking to people from around the world. I loved being able to connect and chat with random people. At that time, it was all fun and games, and it was never really used for me to keep up with friends. It wasn’t until IM came around when I started to chat with friends and form an online relationship with people. Again, it was all for fun and simply keeping up with friends.

Now, I look at “social networking” in a COMPLETELY different manner. While I don’t use it specifically for business, hobby, fun, etc… I do use it for ALL of these aspects wrapped up into one.

I typically get on social networking websites like Facebook to see if my friends have anything interesting to share. And I try to keep most of my “friends” related to my fields of interest like; business, networking, social media, web development, and any other online business related things. I will also typically friend people who are most likely interested in something I can maybe help them with. Such as bloggers and business owners. I simply use this tool as a communication platform such as email, but with MUCH more depth.

LATELY, I come to realize that business has really come to the point that it should be heavily held within social networking spaces. Social Networking became so important and such a mesmerizing thing to me that I actually started offering social media services for MyWants Inc. so that I can help people and small businesses utilize this tool.

So that is how I use social networking.

The Tools

My number one social networking tool is my own websites. Without having my website, I would be kind of lost without a place to call my own. My goal is to drive all of my chatting and convos online back to my various websites. I like to think and brainstorm and I find I can do this very easily with my personal blog.

Others tools that I utilize are Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I use these websites as my communication tools. However, I mostly use YouTube is my content production tool the most. As for as more tools, I use something called TubeMogul.com to upload my videos for MyWants TV and SocialWants to multiple websites. I also use Tweetdeck to update my mutliple profiles from one location. Both of these save a lot of time and get my content spread out around much easier.

As for as they help. The basic social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn give me the ability to easily connect and follow others. I have the ability to access profiles and gain a deeper understanding of who people really are by what they do and say.

SocialWants Help

Well, SocialWants helped me create an entity that I can use to HELP people utilize social media. I created SocialWants with only this in mind. I love to help people learn things, so I setup SocialWants and all of its outposts among the internet to simply help out where I can.

I also use SocialWants as a tool to allow others to post on the topic of social media when their own website may not be related or as another syndication point. These individuals can also directly help others out. For example if one photographer is successful in Social Media and has done plenty thinking and brainstorming on how it was done… another photographer can gain plenty insight from what has already been done. No one should have to reinvent the wheel.

How can you get “Schnooked” up with me?

I usually tell people just to “Google Me” and they will have no problem getting in touch with me. But, if you are interested in me as a person and as an entrepreneur, I would suggest following my blog at kelsiguidry.com and any of my personal social networks. My screen name is typically always just kelsiguidry. So, Facebook.com/kelsiguidry, Twitter.com/kelsiguidry, and Linkedin.com/user/kelsiguidry, etc…. You can also get “Schnooked” up with me at the following locations. I’m behind the curtains at them all

Company Website – MyWants.co (And yes, that is .co not .com)

Social Media Help – SocialWants.com (You are already here…)

Web Services – WantsMedia.com

Online Video Shopping – MyWants.tv

Kelsi Guidry,
MyWants Inc.

Besides, I feel that the best way to do good business is to make friends with the people you want to eventually do business with.

Facebook & Youtube have been the two big social media loves for me, and I’m especially fond of posting videos on both sites and then using Twitter to Tweet out the links to those videos.

Checking out Twitter

I can’t honestly say that I use Twitter as much as I should. I can’t feel the interaction there as nicely as I can with Facebook. What I do use it for in a big way is keeping an eye on what’s hot in the world.

Twitter is the pulse on what people are interested in right now. Since I do daily episodes on my site http://MovieStarEntrepreneur.com/, it’s helpful to know what people want to know about RIGHT NOW.

Not yesterday, or last week, but right now. Twitter is immensely powerful in doing that for me.

The tools that have made a difference
For me the big tools I use are Tubemogul.com and TrafficGeyser.com. They both allow me to upload my video each day and then the services submit that video to several video sharing sites all over the internet from Youtube to Viddler, to Vimeo, to Myspace.

It allows me to dramatically multiply my presence on the internet without going through the time consuming effort of loading huge files to each of those sites.

SocialWants to the rescue
I’m a big fan of what Kelsi is doing with SocialWants. It’s in my nature to want to know the people who are the top players in whatever market I’m in. Besides, what better people to associate with than the ones that think and do similar things to what I’m doing?

How can you get “Schnooked” up with me?

My main location is at http://MovieStarEntrepreneur.com/.

On that site I have daily episodes where I examine the tactics that movie stars use to make themselves rich and famous. I break down those tactics and turn them into 2-3 minute daily episodes that entrepreneurs can use to make themselves more interesting, charismatic, and better entrepreneurs.

In some episodes I use high tech special effect videos where I clone myself on camera, or have a holographic iPhone messaging system. I keep it fun and interesting.

I truly believe that the internet is leveling the playing field in allowing any of us to build large followings and become mini-celebrities in our markets.

Movie Star Entrepreneur Fan Page:http://www.facebook.com/moviestarentrepreneur

Twitter - http://twitter.com/MarshallWayne

Get Schnooked with Deborah!

Over the past year, social networking has taken a front row seat in my career which has been something I did not anticipate. Although I was familiar with tools such as Facebook and Twitter, I hadn’t viewed social networking as being an extremely useful tool in my profession.

Checking out Twitter

I started a twitter account but then just let it sit idle for about six months. I was beginning to think Twitter had no value at all when I began stumbling on the tweets of others who tweeted information focusing on ideas for parents and teachers of young children. That is when the light went on. I realized that with 20 years of experience in early childhood education plus a master’s degree, I do have something to share and I could share it through social networking.

The tools that have made a difference

I now have two blogs, one website, a Twitter account, and a Facebook account all focused on sharing ideas and information to those interested in teaching or caring for young children. In just over 6 months, I have gained over 1200 followers on twitter and over 2000 facebook friends and fans all interested in the field of early childhood education. I have made new friends and colleagues through social networking that I would have never had the chance to meet any other way.

SocialWants to the rescue

Learning to manage each of those sites has come with a few technical glitches along the way and I am completely reliant on online sources for learning how to use all social networking tools. This is how I discovered the awesome support of Kelsi Guidry at SocialWants.

I noticed several people using a really cool application on their FB fan page but could not, after hours of trying, figure out how to get the application to work for me. I searched for solutions everywhere and then came across a video posted by Kelsi for SocialWants. The video walked me through the application set-up step-by-step and presto! My problem was solved. Since that time, whenever I run into a social networking issue, I check to see if SocialWants has an answer.

Since connecting with Kelsi SocialWants, I have also been given links to tutorials on HTML code as well – this has been a huge help!

How can you get “Schnooked” up with me?

If you have small children or teach preschool age children in any capacity, then you will love the ideas and activities I have available on any of my sites. Get Shnooked up with me at the following online locations…

Teach Preschool Online – http://www.teachpreschoolonline.com

Teach Preschool Twitter profile – http://www.twitter.com/teach_preschool

Teach Preschool Facebook Fan Page – http://www.facebook.com/teachpreschool

Thanks SocialWants for all you do and for allowing me to share with others!

Deborah J. Stewart
Teach Preschool