Bates InfoTip Newsletter April 09 Marketing 2.0

Click here to sign up for the Bates Info-Entrepreneur Tip of the Month Newsletter. The Info-Entrepreneur Tip of the Month provides tips, advice, and tools for the independent information professional.
Click here to learn what people are saying about Mary Ellen Bates' workshops and presentations, to book a presentation, or to see when she is speaking at a venue near you.
Click here to listen to a recent interview. As an internationally-recognized research expert, Mary Ellen is frequently interviewed about information technologies and trends.

Mary Ellen Bates
Bates Information Services, Inc.
8494 Boulder Hills Dr.
Niwot, Colorado 80503 USA
Tel: 303.772.7095
Email: mbates@batesinfo.com
Skype: Mary.Ellen.Bates
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mebs
LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/in/maryellenbates

Much virtual ink has been spilled about marketing in the Web 2.0 age. While much of what's been written doesn't relate specifically to info-entrepreneurs, I have found that making effective use of the social web can be a great, and relatively painless, way to build my network and stay in touch with my clients.

Following are some of the strategies I have found helpful. While everyone's client base is unique, some techniques work relatively well for a wide range of audiences.

First, I started a blog several years ago. (www.Librarian Of Fortune.com) While I use it for some personal writing, I mainly use it as a way to share interesting resources or ideas with others. Whenever I get ready for a workshop or presentation, I'll blog about any new tools I've found. If I have a thought about a new technology, I'll blog about it—both to get other people's ideas and as a place to archive ideas for later retrieval when I need inspiration. An unexpected benefit is that I find I pay a lot more attention to my professional reading when I am watching for blog-worthy items. Blog host sites are easy to use and many let you queue up a number of blog postings; now you can spend a half an hour writing and schedule the posts to appear several days apart.

I continue to build my LinkedIn network. It is a tremendous way to maintain connections with your clients, especially when they change jobs. They may not bring all their contacts with them when they leave their last employer, but as long as they can remember your name, they'll be able to find you in LinkedIn. In fact, as I typed this, I just got an email from someone who was a great client of mine 10 years ago. She found me on LinkedIn and we are working together again. It's important for any professional to think about their "brand", but it's doubly so for us independent info pros, and LinkedIn is a useful tool for building your brand. Kim Dority, of Dority & Associates, wrote a concise article on using LinkedIn as a brand builder in LIScareer.com — "LinkedIn: Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell You, But Was Too Shy / Modest / Embarrassed to Say..." While it was addressed to new library professionals, her advice is great for any info-entrepreneur.

Link your various Web 2.0 messaging. Have a link from your web site to your blog. Have your Twitter feed update your Facebook status. Tweet and blog about a new e-newsletter issue. Include your LinkedIn profile URL to your email signature file. Contribute meaningful comments to others' blogs, and include a link to your own. Build cross-links among all your various personas and places.

Remember that the social web, a.k.a. Web 2.0, is based on participation rather than broadcasting. Having a web site is essential for most info-entrepreneurs, but that is basically a one-way communication -- from you to your market. The collaborative web, on the other hand, is all about being part of a conversation, a community. That means not just maintaining a Twitterstream but re-tweeting others' tweets, using hash codes to link with others, and follow other Twitterers. It means not just having a LinkedIn account but also sharing recommendations among your clients and vendors, participating in relevant groups, and answering questions.

Click here to sign up for the Bates Info-Entrepreneur Tip of the Month Newsletter. The Info-Entrepreneur Tip of the Month provides tips, advice, and tools for the independent information professional.

Click here to learn what people are saying about Mary Ellen Bates' workshops and presentations, to book a presentation, or to see when she is speaking at a venue near you.

Click here to listen to a recent interview. As an internationally-recognized research expert, Mary Ellen is frequently interviewed about information technologies and trends.