Tag Archives: DreamSpinner Communications

by Gail Martin | May 23, 2012 · 9:49 am

Savvy, Successful or Scared of Social Media?

By Gail Z. Martin

Where are you on the social media scale? Savvy? Successful? Or scared?

If you put yourself in the third category, you’re in good company. So many of the business owners and solo professionals I meet confide that they are afraid of social media. That fear is holding them back from using a valuable tool that could help them grow their business. And here’s the good news: you don’t have to be afraid.

Fear #1: Social Media is Unfamiliar. One way to look at social media that takes some of the fear away is to think of it as a tool like your telephone, mailbox or email. None of those are very scary, right? They’re all tools we use to connect with other people, and to have other people connect with us. Used improperly, we get telemarketer phone calls, junk mail and spam. But used correctly, we hear from friends, family and clients, receive valuable materials, and reach people around the world.

Social media is one more way to make that connection, to deliver or receive valuable information, and to reach people around the block and around the world.

Fear #2: Social Media Will Take Up All My Time. Not if you plan your work and work your plan. Think of it this way: if you walk into a store to browse, you could wander around for an hour. But if you go in knowing exactly what you want to buy, you can be in and out in 15 minutes. It’s the same with social media. Before you log on, have one or two strategic actions you want to accomplish, go do them, and log off. If there are things that catch your eye that aren’t business-related, save them for your lunch hour or evening.

Fear #3: I Might Meet Weird Strangers on Social Media. Well, you might meet weird strangers at the supermarket, too. However, on social media, you can choose whose invitations to accept, and if someone you’ve followed or friended turns out not be someone you want to associate with, you can easily unfriend them. Imagine social media as a huge conference. You go to meet new people, but if you meet someone you don’t like, you can throw out their business card. Social media is a big, global conference where you can meet amazing new people, and if you don’t like someone, you don’t have to remain in contact with them.

Fear #4: I Don’t Know What to Say on Social Media. Social media is a fantastic way to encourage, educate, motivate, inspire, inform and support other people. If you focus on sharing helpful information, suggesting resources, sharing inspiring or motivating quotes/photos, and throwing in the occasional link to an interesting article, or funny G-rated video or book title, you’ve gone a long way toward offering useful, helpful, and connection-building content.

Comments Off on Savvy, Successful or Scared of Social Media?

Filed under Gail Z. Martin, Social Media

Tagged as Big Dreams and Hard Work Blog, DreamSpinner Communications, Facebook, fears, Gail Z. Martin, savvy, scared of social media, Social Media, successful

by Gail Martin | May 16, 2012 · 9:46 am

Facing your Facebook Fears – Fear of Facebook: Three Steps to Fear-Free Social Media

By Gail Z. Martin

I’ll never forget the time a lady came up to me at a luncheon and said, “I’ve gotten on Facebook for business and someone I don’t know wants to be my friend. What do I do?”

She was truly terrified of talking to “strangers” on social media, and yet, isn’t meeting new people at the very heart of business success?

I asked the woman, “If someone came up to you at this luncheon and smiled and introduced herself, would you dive under the table?” “Of course not,” she replied. “Well, Facebook is like a big networking luncheon that never stops,” I told her. And when she thought about it that way, she was suddenly able to make sense of it and it wasn’t nearly so scary.

As I travel and speak to groups, I’m saddened and amazed at how many people are hanging back from utilizing social media because of fear. So here are three steps you can use to get past your Fear of Facebook and start using social media fear-free.

1. If you don’t put personal information on Facebook, no one can get it. This one’s pretty simple. If you don’t want to take a chance that the world might see certain photos or certain comments, don’t post them. Period. If it’s not there, it can’t be copied, forwarded or accidentally leaked.

2. Give yourself credit. “Don’t talk to strangers” is good advice for children, but in reality, if you’re in business you have to talk to people you don’t know. If you opened a store, you wouldn’t stay in business long if the only people you allowed to enter were friends and family. It’s the same on social media. Use common sense. Don’t talk about upcoming vacations or times when your house will be empty (talk about your trips when you return, unless someone will be at home while you’re gone). Never give out your password or account numbers, even if someone seems official. Keep conversations “business casual” and you’ll be fine.

3. Make sure you have up-to-date security software on your computer like Norton Anti-Virus or a similar program, and never click on links that look suspicious. For example, if you’re leery of clicking on a Facebook link in your email, open Facebook in your browser and click through from there. Don’t open attachments unless you’re sure you know the sender and you know what’s in the attachment. (Good anti-virus software will help with dangerous emails as well.)

Take simple precautious and use the same common sense that you employ going about your business in the real world, and you’ll find that Facebook and other social media sites can enrich your business and personal life.

Comments Off on Facing your Facebook Fears – Fear of Facebook: Three Steps to Fear-Free Social Media

Filed under Gail Z. Martin, Social Media

Tagged as Big Dreams and Hard Work Blog, DreamSpinner Communications, Facebook, fears, Gail Z. Martin, Social Media

by Gail Martin | April 25, 2012 · 9:17 am

Marketing and the Mat

By Gail Z. Martin
In yoga, your mat becomes the space in which you grow, stretch, and find rest. Your mat is both a laboratory for self-exploration, and a refuge where you work out the stiffness that comes from carrying the burdens of life on your shoulders.

When you come to your mat, it’s important to come without judging yourself. Yet, while you don’t judge, you are supposed to be aware. Are you more stiff today than yesterday? Does something hurt today that didn’t hurt yesterday? Is one side moving more easily than the other? Did a pose finally “click” for you?

This process of checking in with yourself has value outside the yoga studio. How often do you go through the workday berating yourself for being off your game, instead of reacting to the variations of every day with compassion, asking yourself why today is different for you?

We’re not robots. We’re going to have high-energy days, and days where we sleepwalk, days when we feel like talking and days when we don’t, days when ideas come easily and days when every thought seems to require hard work.

What would happen if instead of judging ourselves and beating ourselves up because we’re not just like we were yesterday or the day before, we ask: What’s happening with me today? Where am I strong today? What’s going hard for me? Then play to your strengths instead of fighting your temporary weakness. If today it’s easier to be social than to write, get your phone calls taken care of and leave the writing for tomorrow. If you’d rather be working alone than talking with other people, switch your to-do list to accommodate what your mind and body are telling you they need.

When you recognize your daily fluctuations in energy and interest, and adjust your expectations and to-do list accordingly, it becomes much easier!

Comments Off on Marketing and the Mat

Filed under Coaching, Gail Z. Martin

Tagged as 30 Days to Online PR and Marketing Success: The 30 Day Results Guide to Making the Most of Twitter, DreamSpinner Communications, energy crisis, Facebook, Gail Z. Martin, Letting Go of Perceptions, Linked In and Blogging to Grab Headlines and Get Clients by Gail Z. Martin, perceptions

by Gail Martin | April 18, 2012 · 9:15 am

Letting Go of Perceptions

By Gail Z. Martin

When I started practicing yoga, I had a lot of ideas–perceptions–of what it should be like.

I thought it would be really hard. It wasn’t.

I thought everyone in the class would be as bendable as Gumby. They aren’t.

I thought my teacher might be a fire-breathing vegan ascetic. She isn’t.

I thought I might really embarass myself. I didn’t.

One of the things I learned from yoga was how often our perceptions are totally wrong, and how we limit ourselves when we believe incorrect perceptions–especially when it comes to what we’re able or unable to do.

What perceptions do you need to re-think?

Have you held off from tackling something that scares you (like social media) because you don’t think you can do it? Have you shied away from practing a new skill (like public speaking) because you’re afraid to fail? Have you held back from doing something you’ve always wanted to do because you’re afraid of what someone else might think?

Now’s the time to break loose from those old perceptions and find out just how wrong they are. When you challenge the perceptions that are holding you back, you find out they’re nothing but shadows–fears, misinformation, and misunderstandings that are keeping you from freedom and fulfillment.

Why not make today the day you challenge at least one perception and see what happens?

Comments Off on Letting Go of Perceptions

Filed under Coaching, Gail Z. Martin

by Gail Martin | April 11, 2012 · 9:13 am

A Matter of Balance

By Gail Z. Martin

Yoga has become a big part of my life since I started practicing two years ago. I can’t do some of the fancy postures where you seem to levitate on one finger (and that’s ok, because yoga also is about letting go of competitiveness). But one place where I can see a big difference is in my balance.

I got a WiiFit for Christmas a year or so ago, and when I did the yoga section, it rated me on my balance by having me stand on the WiiFit board on one foot and then the other while it recorded how much I wobbled. And did I wobble. The little red dot jiggled all over the screen.

Then I started to really work on yoga poses that emphasize balance. At first, I wobbled and lost my balance. I had to start over, put a foot down, steady myself against a wall. But an amazing thing happened with practice. I got better at it.

I still can’t levitate on one finger. But I can stand on one foot without wobbling for much longer. I can lean foward while standing on one foot as if I’m about to take off in flight without falling over. And every time I move through my balance postures, I gain strength and confidence.

How’s your business balance? Are you wobbly, thrown out of kilter by every news report about the economy or every conversation you have with someone who thrives on the negative? Or are you remaining balanced, calmly working your plan, making course corrections when needed, remaining focused without veering into wild overconfidence or bottoming out in despair?

Do you get all your news from one source, or do you seek balanced input, questioning input that predicts impending disaster, validating before believing negative news, making sure your news sources don’t have hidden agendas?

How’s your life balance? Do you still have time for friends and family? Do you take time to enjoy nature, a walk with your dog, a good look at the stars? Do you take time for yourself? Take time to give to others? Take time to learn and play and care for your body?

When you start to work on your balance, it’s amazing how good it feels. Why not make a conscious effort toward regaining and improving your “balance” and see what happens?

Comments Off on A Matter of Balance

Filed under Coaching, Gail Z. Martin

Tagged as 30 Days to Online PR and Marketing Success: The 30 Day Results Guide to Making the Most of Twitter, Balance, business balance, DreamSpinner Communications, energy crisis, Facebook, Gail Z. Martin, Linked In and Blogging to Grab Headlines and Get Clients by Gail Z. Martin

by Gail Martin | April 4, 2012 · 9:11 am

How Flexible Are You?

By Gail Z. Martin

I love my yoga. In the two years that I’ve been practicing, I’ve gained flexibility and balance, along with confidence. I’ve learned just how “yummy” stretches and twists can feel. And I’ve gotten more comfortable in my own skin.

Flexibility is both a part of practicing yoga and an outcome. In the beginning, most people discover just how stiff they are, how un-flexible they’ve become due to age, a sedentary lifestyle, or old injuries. With time, the body becomes more supple as you practice, able to move more freely.

Maybe your company doesn’t require physical flexibility, but success in today’s world definitely demands mental flexibility. So, how flexible are you?

Do you waste time missing “how things used to be”, or do you dive in to the challenge of learning something new, like social media or using a smart phone?

Are you fearful of technology, or flexible enough to learn how to use it safely and confidently?

Can you adjust your sales funnel for the “new normal” of the current economy, or are you still trying to win business like you did in 2007 (and wondering why it isn’t working)?

Are you comfortable trying out new networking groups, new live or virtual events, and new ways to connect online?

Without flexibility, we become stiff. When we’re stiff, we move less and less until we don’t move at all. When we work at remaining (or regaining) flexibility, movement is a joy.

Where are you stiff? How could you loosen up? Where could you practice some flexibility? Make a conscious effort to be more flexible and see what happens!

Comments Off on How Flexible Are You?

Filed under Coaching, Gail Z. Martin

Tagged as 30 Days to Online PR and Marketing Success: The 30 Day Results Guide to Making the Most of Twitter, DreamSpinner Communications, energy crisis, Facebook, Flexibility, Gail Z. Martin, Linked In and Blogging to Grab Headlines and Get Clients by Gail Z. Martin

by Gail Martin | March 14, 2012 · 9:11 am

What is Your Outrage Distracting You From Doing?

By Gail Z. Martin

In the book “Meditations from the Mat,” the author asserts that when we allow ourselves to be caught up in outrage over something external (such as politics, neighborhood gossip, or the behavior of celebrities or the stock market) we are using outrage to keep us distracted from the problems in our real life.

Wow, that explains a lot.

I thought it was a valid point. When we rant and rage about something that we can’t control, we keep our minds off the things that really matter, things that we could do something about if we would face up to them.

I can remember times in my life when I was consumed with outrage over something I couldn’t do anything about. And if I’m honest, I can also remember that there were problems closer to home that I was just as happy not to think about, either because I didn’t want to take the action necessary or because action would require change I wasn’t ready to make.

We seem to live in an age of perpetual outrage. If you can’t manufacture enough on your own, there are talk show hosts, columnists and blogger who can stoke your fire. So what issues are we using all this outrage to avoid facing?

Odds are, it’s different for different people. It might be health problems, getting financial matters in order, addressing relationship problems, or taking responsibility for upgrading skills. It might be dealing with old baggage, forgiving or asking to be forgiven, taking a risk, or accepting limitations.

Whatever the issue behind the outrage, it won’t go away. Not only that, but the outrage itself is bad for your health, damaging to relationships, and toxic to productivity.

Maybe it’s time to turn off the TV, stop reading, watching, listening or hanging around with the outrage mongers, and get down to business becoming the change we want to see in the world.

What could you do with all the energy you’re wasting on outrage? This is one “energy crisis” you can solve all by yourself.

“Like” my 30 Day Results Guide page on Facebook and enter for a chance to win a grand prize worth $497! 30 Day Results Guide – https://on.fb.me/sDMf1R

Comments Off on What is Your Outrage Distracting You From Doing?

Filed under Gail Z. Martin, Marketing

Tagged as 30 Days to Online PR and Marketing Success: The 30 Day Results Guide to Making the Most of Twitter, DreamSpinner Communications, energy crisis, Facebook, Gail Z. Martin, Linked In and Blogging to Grab Headlines and Get Clients by Gail Z. Martin

by Gail Martin | March 7, 2012 · 9:09 am

Are You “Beyond” Help?

By Gail Z. Martin

I recently talked with a couple of prospective coaching clients, but had to sadly admit they were “beyond” help. It’s not that I couldn’t address their issues, or that I wasn’t confident that I could develop a strategy that would enable them to overcome the obstacles standing in their way.

They were “beyond” help because they spent the entire interview call assuring me that they knew everything there was to know, and that, despite the fact that things weren’t going the way they wanted them to, they really weren’t open to suggestion.

I felt very sad for them, because it’s entirely likely that their problems will persist. The problems may even get worse, leaving these people frustrated and worried. These were smart people who had accomplished a lot. Something had even driven them to inquire about help. But in the end, their egos wouldn’t permit them to actually accept that help.

I think at one point or another, we’ve all been like that.

If you’re a parent, you know the frustration of having a toddler–or a teen–resist asking for help because they’re convinced they can do it on their own. At a certain level, that’s an opportunity for growth and learning. But in the cases where you’ve given it your best shot, done everything in your power, and it still isn’t working, you’ve got two choices: keep beating your head against the wall or shove your ego out of the way to get the help you need.

What are the places in your life where your progress is stalled? Might it be because you’re resistant to asking for help? Is your ego worth whatever it’s costing you to achieve less success than you could attain? It’s difficult to humble ourselves enough to ask for help, but the rewards far outweigh the embarrassment of admitting that we don’t know everything.

“Like” my 30 Day Results Guide page on Facebook and enter for a chance to win a grand prize worth $497! 30 Day Results Guide – https://on.fb.me/sDMf1R

Comments Off on Are You “Beyond” Help?

Filed under Gail Z. Martin, Marketing

Tagged as 30 Days to Online PR and Marketing Success: The 30 Day Results Guide to Making the Most of Twitter, DreamSpinner Communications, Facebook, Gail Z. Martin, Linked In and Blogging to Grab Headlines and Get Clients by Gail Z. Martin

by Gail Martin | February 29, 2012 · 10:08 am

Six Things to Think About Before You Self Publish

By Gail Z. Martin

With the rise of ebooks, many writers are going the self published route. Is it right for you? Before you decide, here are some things to think about.

#1 Is your book fiction or nonfiction? In general, nonfiction is easier to sell because many nonfiction authors also speak on the subject or are in a business related to the subject. That provides a natural avenue for sales outside of bookstores that fiction authors don’t have.

#2 How much do you like to do marketing? Even traditionally published authors shoulder most of the burden for marketing their books. Self-published authors do it all. If you don’t like it, aren’t good at it or won’t get around to it, better think twice.

#3 Can you deal with snobbery? There’s still a lingering stigma in some corners (mostly fiction) about self-published work (at least, until you sell a gazilliion copies, which is more the exception than the rule). Bookstores won’t stock you, and even genre conventions may not roll out the red carpet. There’s little enough glamour left in publishing even in the traditional manner, so if you’re in it for the ego boost, better think twice.

#4 Can you sweat the details? If you’re going the self-pub route, you’d better be obsessive about details. That means paying for editing (no, you can’t do it yourself), formatting, cover art, ISBN numbers and similar details, shopping cart workings, etc. You are essentially launching a new business. Are you up for it?

#5 How will self-publishing this particular work affect your brand? Again, in some corners of non-fiction, like Internet marketing, there are people earning seven figures off self-published home study courses. In other industries, there’s still a bias toward traditional publishing credits. Make sure you help, not hurt, your brand with how your book represents you.

#6 Are you really angling for a traditional book deal? Yes, a few people gotten invitations to publish their originally self-published book with a traditional publisher, but many others have lost the ability to sell that work to a publisher because it has had prior exposure. The verdict is still out on this, and publishers aren’t consistent. Make sure you can live with your decision.

Self-publishing is more acceptable than ever before and technology has closed the quality gap. With the Internet, you can reach a global audience. But to succeed, you need to ask yourself six questions and be honest with your answers.

Writing a book is a fantastic step toward achieving your dreams, promoting your business and exploring your creativity. Make this the year that you make your dream come true!

“Like” my Thrifty Author page on Facebook and enter for a chance to win a prize package of author resources: The Thrifty Author – https://on.fb.me/srVa13

Comments Off on Six Things to Think About Before You Self Publish

Filed under Gail Z. Martin, Marketing

by Gail Martin | February 22, 2012 · 9:08 am

Keywords Are King

By Gail Z. Martin

Consumers and reporters often turn first to search engines like Google for their news. When they look for information that is relevant to your products and services, how likely are they to find your Web site and your press releases? Think of your own behavior as a consumer. It’s rare for someone to look further than the first page of search results.

“Keywords” are the terms customers use when searching for information with a site like Google. Many companies make the mistake of focusing solely on getting their company and product name onto search engine results and forget that prospects may not yet know the name of their company or product. These valuable prospects are going to search on more generic descriptors, “used car” instead of “Ford”, “plumbing services” instead of the name of a company, or “color printers” rather than a brand name product.

Choose the keywords carefully for your online content to make it easy to search. Your content will work harder for you when search engines serve it up in the first page because you’re using strong, popular and relevant keywords.

(Excerpted from the brand new book 30 Days to Online PR and Marketing Success: The 30 Day Results Guide to Making the Most of Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and Blogging to Grab Headlines and Get Clients by Gail Z. Martin)

“Like” my 30 Day Results Guide page on Facebook and enter for a chance to win a grand prize worth $497! 30 Day Results Guide – https://on.fb.me/sDMf1R

Comments Off on Keywords Are King

Filed under Gail Z. Martin, Marketing

Tagged as 30 Days to Online PR and Marketing Success: The 30 Day Results Guide to Making the Most of Twitter, DreamSpinner Communications, Facebook, Gail Z. Martin, google, keywords, Linked In and Blogging to Grab Headlines and Get Clients by Gail Z. Martin

Tag Archives: DreamSpinner Communications

Marketing and the Mat

Letting Go of Perceptions

A Matter of Balance

How Flexible Are You?

What is Your Outrage Distracting You From Doing?

Are You “Beyond” Help?

Six Things to Think About Before You Self Publish

Keywords Are King

THE AUTHOR

GO TO

Listen to Authors

SUBSCRIBE

SEARCH

Book Feature

Links

Categories

Archives

Tag Archives: DreamSpinner Communications

THE AUTHOR

GO TO

Listen to Authors

SUBSCRIBE

SEARCH

Top Tags

Book Feature

Links

Categories

Archives