Social Media is the talk when many Calgary small business owners meet up and many of you are still trying to figure out how they can use social media services such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to drive attention and increase the demand for their Calgary business.

How can your Calgary business benefit from Social Media and make your mark?

When the team from Ulistic hangs out at many of the city’s business networking functions and during our own Calgary Business Professionals Networking club we have many in-depth discussions with new Calgary Small Business professionals and many of you who have been in business for a while about social media and if it is valid way to market your business.

The standard feedback is “social media doesn’t work for your business”.

You know something this statement is true in some degree.  After an engaging conversation on what they are using (always comes down to the tools) of course it is not working because the focus is on the tool and not the message.  During our chat I normally ask this follow-up question “how do you engage with your ideal client or those who know you ideal client?”.  Silence is usually what follows.  Everyone, not just small business are completely focused on the tools and not the message or where their clients are hanging their hats.  You will rarely find a Lawyer or Doctor where Lawyers and Doctors don’t hang out.

Yes, Social Media and networking using online services such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and a bunch of others work if you apply the basic principles of  Calgary business networking.  But it is the message you need to focus on and the target market you must are specializing in, not the tools available.

This behaviour still exists as well.  When you go to your Calgary leads club or the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, you are not there to sell to those in the room although many of us go there with this mindset.  We are there to tap into the networks of everyone else who attends these meetings and we are there to openly share our contacts with those we know, like and trust.

Here are three basic tips to achieving success online or where you decide to market your Calgary business.  They come from my friend Chris Brogan.  Chris shared these principles with me during a recent podcast we did together.  Check out Chris Brogan and Ulistic on Small Business Podcast.

1. Invest 30 minutes each day reading what is going on in the Calgary business community.  Follow industry blogs like this one and other Calgary business blogs.  Read your local newspaper (Calgary Herald) especially the Calgary Herald business section and keep up with what is happening in the verticals that you have chosen to specialize in.
2. Invest 60 minutes engaging with others.  This is the secret sauce and doing this right will help you social media and online marketing skyrocket.  You must engage in the communities you serve.  Your niches, get on their discussion forums, answer questions and engage.  Do the same in throughout Calgary Business in general.  In other words, get known.
3. Invest 30 minutes each day publishing your own content.  Write an article for your business club newsletter, publish a blog or write a product review for your niche markets.  Other activities include writing win wires, case studies and anything that can get your Calgary business name out there.

These principles are just some of the ways Ulistic helps the Calgary business community do more.  We teach you how to succeed with your online marketing and target market your message to those who will engage with your Calgary business.

Want to chat about ways our team can help you.  Drop Stuart Crawford a line at scrawford@ulistic.com today or call 403.775.2205.

When: Wednesday September 1, 2010
Where: Coast Plaza Hotel, 1316 – 33 Street NE, Calgary
Registration: 7:00 am to 7:15 am
Event Time: 7:15 am to 9:00 am
What: Networking, Hot Breakfast Buffet and Presentation
Ticket Price : 35$ in advance, 40$ at the door

Everyone has a computer therefore everyone has access to Google. Is your business googleable? Are you searchable in today’s online world? Do your products have an exceptional name on the Internet?

Tip 1 before you even show up at this event, get Googleable!

Sales Professionals must understand and begin to leverage the power of the Internet. We must figure out how we can use the Internet to build our brands, create awareness and become the trusted resource so desperately needed in our communities.

Right now, your prospects are researching YOU on LinkedIn and Google. What will they find? Do you know exactly what’s being said about you and the products you represent? During this session you will learn how to become googleable and work on bringing attention to your firm and your efforts.

Stuart Crawford is a Social Media consulting professional based in Calgary, Alberta. Each week Stuart works with sales professionals. small business and the hi-tech community allowing executives, business owners and professionals to understand the powers of the Internet and why your personal brand is crucial, especially today.  All things being equal people will do business with those they know, like and trust.  Are you contributing?

Stuart is going to share with you some tips and tricks you can put to use now and help use your personal brand balanced with the company brand and help protect the overall good name of your business online. This is a breakfast event you can’t afford to miss! 80% of success is just showing up, are you ready?

To register for this event go to www.CalgarySalesProfessionals.eventbrite.com

April 28th – Power Prospecting and Mastering Linked – Learn how to use LinkedIn to promote your business, create a powerful business network and much more, Cost is $197.00 (This is a full day course). Register at http://www.meetup.com/businessincalgary/calendar/13226977/

May 19 – Mentoring Breakfast – The ABCs of Google Search – Learn how to search Google from the experts, Cost is $20.00 – Register at http://www.meetup.com/businessincalgary/calendar/13226207/

May 19 – Calgary Business Professionals Network monthly social event at the Rusty Cage in the South…STARTS AT 4 PM – No Cost and register athttp://www.meetup.com/businessincalgary/calendar/13128775/

Are you on LinkedIn? Many business professionals throughout Calgary are now leveraging the power of LinkedIn to expand their networks, reach new people and share their expertise in the community.

Ulistic is hosting a special workshop on April 28th at the Blackfoot focused totally on the power of LinkedIn for your Calgary business.  Come learn key tips to build an effective network and prospect with purpose.  Social Networks in business are much different from your every day Facebook activities and LinkedIn puts the power back into your hands.

Learn from David West and Stuart Crawford on how we use LinkedIn each day to bring value to the Calgary community.

Are you interested in learning more, book now for the Calgary LinkedIn Workshop.  Course starts at 8:30 and runs 4:30.

Join Ulistic, a search engine optimization Calgary business, for a full day, hands on, roll up your sleeves LinkedIn workshop focused on helping Calgary small business and Calgary business understand how you can use LinkedIn more effectively in your day-to-day business.  At the completion of this training you will have a full toolbox on Linked strategies you can put into work right away. Learn techniques to fully optimize your private and public profile, seek recommendations, build communities and syndicate your writing.

This is a hands on workshop, you will work alongside the team from Ulistic and your peers. We will show you the best way to implement the hard to find LinkedIn philosophies and we will make it fun and exciting as you learn on April 28 from 8:30 to 4:30 at the Calgary Blackfoot Inn.

Register online for Calgary LinkedIn Workshop

Michael Einbinder-Schatz, Jobecca Technology Group, LLC
“Simply put: Stuart GETS Social Media. His experience has led to him being one of the premier leaders in this rapidly and continually evolving area of expertise that business leaders can all use to produce results for their businesses. Read his stuff. Attend his webinars and think of ways to engage with this dynamic leader.”

Monica Santiago, On Page Productions
“Stuart is the go-to person for anything social media. He has an in depth knowledge of not only all the parts that make up social media, but also how to make them work together for you. He is an entreprenaur to the core and he understands that whatever is implemented: twitter, blog, rss, video, etc. it has to be streamlined so that it takes the least amount of time possible and yet still be laser sharp as far as effectiveness goes. Stuart is great to work with and if technical roadblocks occur, he is an out of the box thinker when it comes to rememdies.”

Marketing has changed, some people haven’t

Have you attended the Calgary Entrepreneur social media courses?  The world has changed out there, some people haven’t.  If you are not watching what is being said about you out there and not taking social media seriously, well you just maybe left behind.

Social media is the latest trend, but many leaders face big hurdles with getting online and creating a buzz. Hear how you can use social media tools internally across your organization and as a mechanism to quickly share important information and create attraction to your business plus provide value knowledge with your clients/prospects. This session takes a hands-on approach on how to: use social media to connect with employees, team members, and clients; design a blog; write your message clearly and concisely; and apply delivery mechanisms and alerts for notification of new content.

Cost is $30.00 and includes lunch and hand outs.

Date: August 5, 2009
Time: 11:30 to 1:30 PM
Location: Calgary Coast Plaza Hotel – Horizon’s Bistro
Register: http://www.meetup.com/calgaryentrepreneurs/calendar/10934203/

Special door prizes will be awarded

SPEAKER BIO:
Stuart Crawford is a remarkably talented, value-driven professional offering over 10 years of business experience. He is constantly evolving, accomplishing and developing his knowledge and expertise within the business world. His track record of success speaks for itself with increased performance through dynamic leadership, strategic planning, process design, technology innovation and change management. Stuart is equally adept in capitalizing on interpersonal and technology skills to create a unique blend of innovative solutions and products while pushing the creative envelope.

Stuart is a respected mentor who shares his entrepreneurial spirit with a network of business people in a variety of industries. He is very involved in networking groups that facilitate the growth of start-up companies as companies undergoing a transition to long-term growth. An ability to see the big-picture—and the small steps along the way—make him an energizing, motivating speaker who is willing to venture into new territory with humor and enthusiasm.

Stuart served as the Vice President of Business Development with IT Matters until recently moving on to work with Bulletproof InfoTech in a similar role.  Stuart travels across North America speaking on Social Networking and how to use Social Media to grow your business.   Learn more about Stuart Crawford at http://www.stuartcrawford.com

Are you leveraging the power that LinkedIn can bring to your business?

Calgary Entrepreneurs recently launched a new LinkedIn group to expand our reach in serving the needs of small business and entrepreneurs in Calgary.  We must have multiple points for entrepreneurs to link up with one and another and share our experiences, share our challenges and share our goals.

LinkedIn provides this avenue for Calgary Entrepreneurs to expand our own personal networks.

Check out our group online today at http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=1797395&trk=anet_ug_grppro

I welcome you to link up with me at http://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartcrawford