Serenity Virtual Assistant Services

Facebook Teleseminar

2009-06-10T10:50:00.005-07:00

Last week I was a guest on a teleseminar hosted by Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound. The subject was "11 Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on Facebook"

I must confess, I was extremely nervous as it was my first time as a guest on a teleseminar. I did do my homework though and I was extremely confident in my knowledge of the ways in which to use Facebook to promote your business.

Joan is more than competent at hosting a teleseminar. She leads you along very easily and keeps the pace up so one gets all the information as promised when one signs up for these events.

We received excellent feedback and in turn I have generated new clients and followers on Facebook. I have also created a "fan page" on Facebook as a result.

So, for those of you who are still confused about using Facebook and all the possibilities that are available to you, don't hesitate. You are leaving gold on the side of the road!

11 Ways to Avoid Missed Opportunities on Facebook

2009-05-27T10:38:00.005-07:00

There are so many missed opportunities to promote on Facebook.

I am frequently asked by my clients what is the ROI on social networking and my answer is always the same. 'How much time would you like to spend?'

It's really very simple, the more you put into it the higher your rate of return. That is true for anything in life, be it business or personal.

I ask my clients to spend 5 minutes a day on Twitter. Look through the tweets that are showing. Retweet someone else. Post a tip. Try not to be over promotional. Next........

Facebook. If you have set up your Twitter feed correctly it feeds directly to your status feed on your home page. Check your status feed everyday. Comment on others feeds. Offer tips and advice. Again, don't be overtly promotional.

The one thing to always remember about Facebook or any other social networking site is to be conversational and polite. Engage others.

On June 4th I will be the guest speaker on a teleseminar hosted by Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound. I have been her VA for several years and I have become her Facebook guru. Facebook can be confusing and hard to follow, but once you know your way around, it is very user friendly.

To sign up for this informative and fun teleseminar please visit The Publicity Hound's website at http://tinyurl.com/pfy5mw

Tips Booklets International

2009-05-18T16:41:00.004-07:00

I recently was given great kudos from a friend and client Paulette Ensign of Tips Booklets International. You can earn from someone who has been well paid for over a million of her "business cards" as tips booklets. Make more money now with easy-to-produce tips booklets to sell thousands at a time, not one by one. Tips booklets are in demand no matter what the economy is doing. They're highly recession-proof..

I have recommended her on numerous occasions to my clients who have either come out with a new book or have an existing book that they would like assistance with selling. She can show you how to sell your books to not just one at a time, but in mass quantities.

She recently has added a new division to her vast line of services. She now has Publishing Prosperity, which offers audio recordings and transcripts of live Expert Interview sessions plus additional products created by those Experts.

If you are an author and in need of assistance in getting your books sold, don't wait another minute.

My niece has her big solo performance.

2009-05-14T16:09:00.002-07:00

Hannah was given a big solo to start off this rendition of Ave Maria.

Garden Club Plant Sale

2009-05-11T13:45:00.001-07:00

Flutter: The New Twitter

2009-04-08T14:56:00.001-07:00

Let’s meet at Stompernet event March 5-8 in Atlanta

2009-02-27T13:48:00.004-08:00

I'll be attending the Stompernet convention this coming March in Atlanta, a gathering of several hundred members of the world's largest Internet marketing membership site.

"Some of the brightest minds in online marketing will be attending and presenting. For three full days, I'll be learning what's new in social networking, video, seach engine optimization, product creation, and dozens of other topics that will help me help you. I'll look forward to sharing with you what I've learned and applying the knowledge to your upcoming projects."

I don't like to travel much by air, but for this I was ready to go. When one of my clients, Joan Stewart, a.k.a, The Publicity Hound invited be to attend as her guest, how could I say "no". Couldn't do it, no way, no how.

So although, I do have to get on a plane, it will be worth it.

Discovering your Clients Needs

2009-02-04T09:27:00.005-08:00

Last evening my husband and I went to a concert in Santa Monica, CA. It was a small venue, actually it was a restaurant with a small stage, quite nice though.

The restaurant was packed so we sat at the bar overlooking the chefs at work. It was entertaining in itself.

Prior to the concert, we met up with Mitch Chang of Kala Koa Entertainment. I have been assisting him with creating a stronger online presence. It has been great fun getting to know him. You can also find him on YouTube.

To be honest, I had been feeling pretty cocky about my VA services and how I was so helpful to him. Again, to be honest, I was not.

Mitch pointed out some things to me that I hadn't even thought of. He put this question to me:
"How can I be of more assistance if I know so little about Slack Key and it's origins?" That stopped me in my tracks. He was absolutely correct.

It's all well and good to get caught up in your own "stuff", but the bottom line is as a VA we need to constantly be learning what our client's needs are. We can't know their needs, if we don't understand just exactly it is that will help them to achieve their goals.

Stompernet LIVE 7 event March 5-8 in Atlanta

2009-01-20T16:07:00.002-08:00

I'm so excited I can't stand it. I'm going to the Stompernet Live 7 event in March!

One of my client's Joan Stewart, aka, The Publicity Hound has invited to go as her guest. I was astounded when she first asked me. She even said I could say "no" if I wanted. Does she think I'm nuts? Doesn't she know me?

Stompernet is the world's largest membership site for internet marketers and this is such a golden opportunity. Not only will I be hob-knobbing with the biggest internet marketers, it will also be an opportunity for me to learn.

The Stompernet faculty members and other speakers are among the most successful and creative Internet marketers in the business.

So, I am already sharpening my pencils and making sure I have enough note pads. Look out Atanta, here I come!

SoCal Slack Key Festival

2009-01-19T09:43:00.002-08:00

I just had the most amazing weekend. My husband and I went to the 2nd Annual SoCal Slack Key Festival in Redondo Beach. This concert featured artists such as Grammy winners Jeff Peterson,John KeaweThe Pahinui Hawaiian Band with the legendary Philip Gabby,Makana-Guitar Player National Finalist and Maunalua (who will be performing at the inauguration of President Obama). Of course, this is not the full list, but you can tell just by this that it was a talent-packed event.

I bring this up because, number one, it was an awesome experience and number two, I assisted both Maris Somerville of Somerville Associates and Mitch Chang the organizer of this event in promoting the festival.

Mitch Chang worked so hard at organizing this event. My hat is off to you!

Now, you ask, why would I mention this is a blog regarding virtual assistant services? Because I can and because I used the services that I provide to assist in promoting this event.

I have blogged before in regards to using social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube to promote your products or services. This is a great example of it working! You should see the SoCal Slack Key Festival's wall postings today on Facebook. It is amazing how many people attended from Facebook. My part in all this in regards to Facebook, was creating an event posting and then sending it to all my friends in which I then asked them to pass it on to their friends.

Another part I played in the promotion of this festival, was posting it to online calendars. The one I use the most is FullCalendar.com

By using this tool to promote the festival, it hit almost 500 media outlets for a measly $19.95. How can you beat that. It would take hours to do this otherwise. Here is a full list of where they post just in the Los Angeles area.

So Mitch, I hope you are taking a break today. You deserve it. After you get some rest, let's get going on the Falsetto Festival and next year's Slack Key! We have work to do!

Business Blogging is no longer optional for Professionals

2008-12-30T16:10:00.003-08:00

I’ve been blogging for quite some time and by far the best use of my marketing time and energy has been writing blog posts.

Before I started blogging, I was trying to get my messages out by email. But when only 20-30 percent of email messages get opened and read, you know you’ve got to find a better tool for communicating.

I don’t sell widgets. I can’t hire someone to write marketing copy about how good my widgets work. I am a service provider and I have to sell myself. I must make my core values stand out. My brand is myself.

I have found that a business blog is the best way to share my thoughts, my perspectives, and my experiences. This is how I can show readers how I work with clients and how I get results for them. It’s called relationship marketing or content marketing.

It works if you have the right platform and are consistent about posting at least 3 times a week. But there are a lot of details that go into making a business blog work.

That’s why I just didn’t jump in and start blogging willy-nilly. I took some time to learn to do it right, the smart way.

There are no better experts on business blogging for the small business professional than my colleagues Patsi and Denise, aka The Blog Squad™.

This week they’re launching the 3rd edition of their best selling manual Build a Better Blog. I highly recommend you make the investment and learn Better Business Blogging.

If you’re just starting out with a blog, then I recommend their Build a Better Blog ebook (Plan A).

If already have a blog and you’re struggling with getting results for your blogging efforts, stop right now and read about the Better Business Blogging program (Plan B).

And if you’re like many of us, you want to save your time and energy and have a blog set up for you and then get trained on what to do to make it work right, read about Plan C:

Don’t make blogging harder than it really is. It’s easy once you know the key strategies and tactics. Trust me. Trust The Blog Squad. I do and you can.

I’ll close with The Blog Squad’s traditional cry, “Blog on!”

Power Marketing Tips

2008-12-18T13:05:00.001-08:00

Dr. Debra Condren offers tips on how to give prospective clients what they want

read more | digg story

Personal Involvement with Your Social Networking

2008-12-18T10:38:00.003-08:00

I was having a conference call with one of my client's today and we discussed the importance of personal involvement in your social networking sites.

I maintain the pages of several of my client's social networking sites, but there comes a point where, as a VA, I can only do so much. That is where the client has to be an active participant.

I have many clients that travel quite a bit and just don't have time to check every day or even every other day. That is where I come in. I can check their pages, send out postings, answer generic emails, but that is where it ends.

There are times when someone is asking a very specific question or sometimes it is personal. From that point, I will contact my client and let them know of these things.

LinkedIn is a perfect example of that. There is a Q & A section that is extremely useful in establishing yourself as an expert and increasing your exposure to potential connections. That is where the client has to be active. I can't do that on their behalf.

When I hear that time is an issue with all the traveling, the perfect time to address these things is when you are sitting in an airport, have a moment or two between conferences. Perhaps, stay in for the night rather than go out with the group.

It is the client's responsibility to manage this aspect of their social networking pages.

I participated in a 2 day Webinar this week that was given my Nancy Marmolejo of VIVA Visibility. She actually listed a weekly planner on maintaining your pages without becoming overwhelmed.

There were other VA's on the call and I know from listening to them, that they have the same concerns.

Twitter and Me

2008-11-20T07:48:00.004-08:00

I have spent the last couple of days editing a teleseminar (now a transcript) that Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound conducted with BL Ochman of Whatsnextonnline on social networking.

One of the tasks that I perform when editing a transcript is to make sure that all the hyper-links work in both the word document and the PDF that I create.

As a result of reading this document I get very distracted with all the new information and websites that I can use.

One of them is called TweetDeck which you can find at http://www.tweetdeck.com/beta/. I have installed on my computer now and have it on for parts of the day. I do like it as I can now get the tweets whenever someone I follow posts a new tweet.

One word of warning though. It can be very distracting. I can multi-task with the best of them, but at some point I do have to turn it off.

It is a great tool and will continue to use it.

BTW, you can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/serenityva

The Success of Blogging

2008-11-01T11:00:00.003-08:00

One of the many things that I have learned over the last few years is the importance of blogging.

I have not been the most diligent in this department, but I do try to do it whenever I think of it. I know that may not sound very professional, but it's sometimes the best I can do.

Now, I would like to share a success story to the importance of blogging.

The other day I received and email from a potential client who was interested in my services as a virtual assistant. I responded to his inquiry and we set up a time to chat.

At the appointed time, he called and we did chat and he did in fact hire me.

I then asked him how he found me and he told me that he had Google Alerts set up for Virtual Assistants and my latest blog posting showed up. He then went to my website, read all about me and contacted me.

I have become a successful VA, partially due to the quality of work that I do, but also because I have another wonderful client and mentor, Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound. She has been instrumental in my success.

I also get a daily alert from The Blog Squad as well and I read and learn from what they teach as well.

I have clients that I have been hounding for some time to blog. Blog, blog, blog. The common response is "I don't have time."

I argue that it only takes 15 minutes to post a blog entry and that it doesn't have to be a tome. It could be something they read or that they are promoting. I can't seem to get the message across the importance of it. It's not overnight success, it just takes diligence.

Set up a reminder to yourself to blog at least once a week. Once you get in the habit, increase it to twice a week and so one. It is a trickle-down effect and eventually you will have success as well.

The Publicity Hound's Updated Special Report

2008-10-28T12:40:00.003-08:00

Yes indeed, it is that time of year.

Joan Stewart, aka, The Publicity Hound has published her updated version of her widely popular Special Report #29: Fly High with Publicity in In-Flight Magazines. In this you will learn:

Why these magazines are publicity goldmines if you want to target business travelers
Types of stories the editors want...don't assume they all want the same stories!
The most important thing you must do before you start pitching
How each publication wants to receive your pitch...you must know this so you don't alienate editors
Tips for working with freelance writers who have good working relationships with the magazines
Tips for freelancers who want to sell their articles
The editors' pet peeves...don't get caught making these mistakes
The one magazine that targets only the top CEOs
10 success story from other Publicity Hounds or ideas, hooks and angles you can use.

.....BONUS! Contact information for 49 in-flight magazines, updated October 2008

Recession-proof Sales & Communication

2008-10-27T13:48:00.003-08:00

Imagine you lived with abundance and always had plenty of quality clients, loyal customers and a full pipeline of prospects. Susan Young will share with you the secret to creating this loyalty and trust, even in tough economic times. The key lies in your communication and attitude…

read more | digg story

Managing Crisis Communications

2008-10-27T13:48:00.001-08:00

In today’s competitive world, it’s critical that leaders of businesses, colleges, nonprofits and associations are proactive with crisis communications and public relations. If you haven’t given much thought to how your organization will handle a crisis, now is the time to begin.

read more | digg story

Emotional Intelligence for College Students

2008-10-27T13:47:00.003-08:00

A US News & World Report Survey has found that 90% of people are fired because of attitudinal or relationship problems. Only 10% of people lose their jobs because of lack of ability or skill. The #1 skill that young people need as they venture into the workforce is Emotional Intelligence. It can determine your success at work and at home.

read more | digg story

Powerful Public Speaking: How to Engage Your Audience

2008-10-27T13:47:00.001-08:00

Learn proven methods to impact, motivate and engage your audience. Make sure your presentation is a winner, not a sleeping pill…

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Powerful Public Speaking: You are the Message

2008-10-27T13:46:00.001-08:00

Top-notch speakers know how to deliver quality presentations by conveying a compelling and memorable message from the heart. Rise to the top as a credible speaker in your industry by learning the secret to powerful public speaking.

read more | digg story

Powerful Public Speaking: Handling Stage Fright

2008-10-27T13:41:00.001-08:00

If you want to develop unshakeable self-confidence and build your credibility in business, check out Susan Young’s tips on managing stage fright and anxiety.

read more | digg story

The BlogSquad

2008-10-22T11:00:00.003-07:00

My mentor and client Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound recently sent me this Online Promotion Tips: Report to read and share with my clients.

It is a great read. It's that simple.

The "Sometime" rules of Facebook

2008-10-21T12:57:00.007-07:00

I have been meaning to write this post for about 2 weeks and just haven't had the time. I've been busy working with Facebook's customer service. Good luck trying to find it!
Keep this email address in a safe place for you may need it sometime, sales-support+dp8d6ut@facebook.com

I have a client that will remain anonymous and she and I had worked out a promotional plan using Facebook as one of the tools.

Here was the plan:

Get as many "friends" as possible in a short time span
Join "groups" that are within her subject matter
Write on "group" walls
Send event invitations

Sounds like a great plan, right? Wrong.

Now, I would like to preface this by saying that I had read the terms of service to a certain degree, read what the Facebook guru's had to say about using Facebook to promote your business and even participated in a few teleseminars about the uses of Facebook.

I know they weren't lying to me, but the enforcement seems to be random.

First of all, you can only invite so many "friends" at a time or it is construed as spamming and Facebook will issue you a warning to cool it.

Second, you can join the groups, but be careful about what you write when you join.

Third, after you join the groups, be careful that you don't write the same message on the walls as this will be construed as spamming.

And fourth, just because you send an invitation to all your 900+ friends and they agree to attend your teleseminar doesn't mean they will actually go to the website you provide to actually register and pay for the teleseminar.

After all this, her account was disabled! I had written on a group's wall and they complained, account disabled. Period.

I then emailed the Facebook gurus to ask for their guidance only to find out that they didn't know the answer either as this had not happened to them.

I did finally get some help and found out that to do any kind of promotion of your products or services, you need to set up a separate business page which is also tied in with your original Facebook page. Are we all confused now? I know I was and still am.

Her account has now been reactivated, I have been extremely diligent about following the rules, contact this administrators of the groups asking for permission to write promotional items on their walls and guess what?

We received another warning!!

Go figure........

Eli Davidson: Quiz: Is It Time To Change Your Brain Filter?

2008-10-13T15:07:00.001-07:00

An article on changing your brain pattern to change your thinking.

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