Business Page versus Customer Group?

The last week of summer here at the Jersey Shore… well, at least the last full week for the roads to be full of “shoobies”.  Today we are going to battle the great debate – should I have a business page, a customer group or both in my direct sales business?

I will admit there are days I battle this too.  I wonder who really reads either of them especially when I hear crickets.  The truth is both can help you develop a community of customers or potential customers to help you grow your business.

My personal Facebook page has been a little light lately.  Not much posting going on since I am trying to stick with family things, personal thoughts and a slight mixing of business stuff especially when I am using products.  I was posting my blog on my personal page but I have decided to switch it up.  It will post  to my business page and then I will share it to my personal page.  Mainly because WordPress won’t let me share it at the same time on two different Facebook accounts.

I developed a “CLOSED” Facebook group for my customers and hostesses but you have to friend me in order to join. That can be a problem for some so they have shied away from it. NOW, I have a business page where they can simply “like” the page to get information on Thirty One. It is so much better. I can actually separate business from personal. A novel concept, huh? In trying to find ways to attract people to my NEW business page, I found this article in Direct Sales Education Foundation with a few tips:

Let’s talk about closed groups or as I like to call it “My VIP group”.  This is where I build relationships with customers and potential customers.  It isn’t all about the sale, it is about having fun, sharing some product ideas and getting to know people.  Plan content to interest your fans. Here is an interesting fact – up to10% of your fans will actually see any one post. WHAT? I know it is crazy right?  I have over 400 in my VIP group so when I hear crickets, it is time for a change.  Games and interactive posts are a great way to get things moving.  At least once a week, I try to play a game with my members.  I ask questions to get them talking.

Now, on your business page….First, think about why your fans liked your page and then give them what they want. Plan ahead. Take into accounts holidays, company specials, catalog changes, etc.  Invite your online friends and contacts to like your Page. Go back an “uninvite” friends who haven’t accepted the invitation and then either re-invite them or move on to some others.  Be sure to link your business page to your closed Facebook group.

Your business page is where you showcase your business.  This is where I share the monthly customer special – about 2 days before the it starts.  I post inspirational quotes int the morning.  Then product information in the afternoon.  Offer opportunities to help community service organizations. Encourage others to not only like your page but to share it with their friends and family.  Make sure you check the policies and procedures of your direct sales company. Thirty One does not allow us to offer special deals on our public page ONLY in our closed groups.

Be sure to Interact as your page on other relevant Facebook Pages. Every time you place a comment on Facebook, make sure it is through your business page instead of your personal account. If you are commenting on another business or network group, ask questions, thank people for great information, etc as your business. In this way you become a useful member of the community.  They also get to see your business page when they scroll over your name on the post.

Are you convinced you?  I am sure your friends and family will be glad to see something besides business items on your personal page. Remember with a little thought and attention, your Facebook Page can become a place where your biggest fans gather.

What are your tips for successfully growing your Likes? Would love to read your thoughts…

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

The Art of Community

Thank you Today God is First for today’s message…

I have a friend who spent three months living in Israel with Jewish believers. During one of their conversations the Jewish man noticed how often my friend came to visit him only to discuss a project. He turned to my friend during dinner and admonished him: “You western Christians! You always seem to need a program or an event to get together. Why can’t you fellowship with one another just because you love each other!?”

My friend was convicted by his assessment. They began to talk about how Jesus modeled love for the disciples and how they simply hung out together because of their love for one another. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).

Jesus often spent unhurried times of fellowship with the disciples. They shared countless meals together. It is often during such times we get to know others at a deeper level.

Love for one another is one of the greatest signs of faith in Christ. However, the pace of life often contributes to a life being lived for the next event instead of a relationship rooted in the love of Christ.

How many relationships do you have in your life that would allow you to fellowship simply because you cared for one another?

Have a ThirtyOne-deful day!

 

Scruffy hospitality

I don’t know about you, BUT this fortune came at the right time.  See, I am one of those “need to have everything in place” kind of gals.  I struggle to have everything “perfect” before anyone comes to visit then freak when the littlest thing doesn’t go right.  Admit it, I am not the only one!  Don’t leave a girl hanging, please!!!

Your home doesn’t need to be picture-perfect to invite people over.

 I read a blog post by ROBIN SHREEVES which was an eye opener for me.  Yes, I will be the first one to give advice saying “they aren’t coming to see your house, they are coming to see you” BUT I seldom heed my own words.

I mean don’t we usually try to make our home look un-lived in before friends and family come to visit?  And have you ever NOT had people over because there was no time to make it perfect?  As a result, we stop sharing our life with those who are closest to us.  (Photo: Elzbieta Sekowska/Shutterstock)

I love the idea of “scruffy hospitality.”  So what is it?  On his blog, Father Jack defines scruffy hospitality this way:

Scruffy hospitality means you’re not waiting for everything in your house to be in order before you host and serve friends in your home. Scruffy hospitality means you hunger more for good conversation and serving a simple meal of what you have, not what you don’t have. Scruffy hospitality means you’re more interested in quality conversation than the impression your home or lawn makes. If we only share meals with friends when we’re excellent, we aren’t truly sharing life together.

Honestly, the best gatherings have been the “let’s just hang out”.  My best home parties in my direct sales business have been those gatherings of friends to just talk, play with bags and catch up.  No formal presentation.  No fancy food.  Just friends enjoying each other’s company.

Now I know that it is a little tough to get away from the “perfect” house concept.  I mean many of us scroll Pinterest every day looking for ideas that we want to do before guests come to visit, right?

My journey to scruffy has been very slow!  I mean, miracles don’t happen overnight, right? Remember back to before kids, maybe even before you were married.  Were you a whirlwind, cleaning before dinner guests or were you more casual making sure things were put away but didn’t get crazy?

I realized at some point when I was a single mom that entertaining didn’t mean I had to have a spotless house.  The kids didn’t care and most of the moms were glad to know that they weren’t alone in “not” having a perfect house.  I totally got the idea of  “Are they coming to see me, or are they coming to see my home?”.  The house was always neat but dust bunnies got to stay longer than I wanted and sometimes I had to close a bedroom door to hide the mess.  It never seemed to bother me.

Then, somewhere after Belinda left for college, I moved into the condo and got married – the ideas that I embraced for years seemed to fly out the window.  Time to go back to the “old ways”.

“Sometimes authenticity happens when everything is a bit scruffy,” writes Father Jack.  In fact, I think the most authentic conversations I’ve experienced have happened during scruffy gatherings. Maybe it’s because when everything is polished and shiny, I feel like I need to be polished and shiny, too. When things are a little messy around me, I feel like I can let people know things are a little messy inside me, too.

Maybe you have friends who are excellent housekeepers, and their homes are always “company ready”. Do you feel like you need to measure up?  What if your house was authentically you?  Maybe a little dust, maybe some dishes not done or maybe even a few papers laying around, how would that make you feel?

Authenticity invites authenticity. If your home isn’t naturally ready for company why not try the idea of scruffy hospitality.  Value community over tidiness. Invite people over and say, “I don’t know what I’m serving. I may have to order pizza. I would just love your company.”

“Hospitality,” writes Father Jack, “is not a house inspection, it’s friendship.”

Are you ready for scruffy hospitality?  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Cheerleaders VS Naysayers

 

“Stop hating yourself for everything you aren’t. Start loving yourself for everything that you are.” ~Unknown

We all have negative thoughts that stop us dead in our tracks.  They can kill our happiness and drain our self-confidence.  Did you ever notice that the trail those negative thoughts take depends on who is around us?

When we are in public, we can “fake it till we make it”.  We can squash those negative, stuffing them down deep.  They are like a kettle waiting to boil.  We push ourselves to smile, laugh and engage in conversations.

Then when we are alone or start to confide in others, two things can happen.  First, those thoughts start to boil to the surface with lots of “should’ve”, “could’ve” or with comments like stupid, fat, dumb entering our head.   The simmer turns to a boil and we are drowning in negativity.  You share those feelings and you get  more negativity or your feelings are discounted. Strengthening the inner gremlins instead of defeating them.

Or, the second scene is my favorite. Are lives are filled with cheerleaders who help us to defeat those inner gremlins.  Those who help encourage us through good times and bad.

Are you surrounded by cheerleaders or naysayers?

Think about the people in your life that are your cheerleaders. Cheerleaders are people who’ll rah rah you when you’re up, and who will bolster you when you’re down.  Make a list.

Now, think about the Naysayers.  This are the opposite of your cheerleaders.  Can you list 5 people in your life that are a Negative Nellie?  Yes, write them down too.

I love this quote by William Gibson:

“Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.”

Look at your lists.  Think about how you feel about YOURSELF when you are around the cheerleaders versus the naysayers.  Who would you rather surround yourself with or have in your life?

Are there some people that are on both lists?  Yes, one person can be a cheerleader in one area and a naysayer in another.  Maybe they support you in your personal life BUT when it comes to your dreams or desires in business, they become Doubtful Debbie (or Dan).  Maybe they support your business but are highly critical of your ability to be a parent or wife.  Hopefully, you don’t have many that are on both lists.

Does the list make you a little nervous because some of the people you love (maybe even live with) are on the naysayer list?  I remember that feeling and I was scared!  I mean how could I not be around these people.  I knew that I needed to protect ME so that the inner gremlins that were lurking in the shadows did not grow into full fledge monsters.  I did that by taking baby steps and yes, some of those people are still in my life.

We ALL need more cheerleaders in our lives.  Think about the people who energize you.  The people who make you feel good when you are around them.  It is time to add more of these people to your community.  Maybe it means stepping out of your comfort zone and meeting new people.  Maybe it means building that relationship with someone you met.  The end result as you begin to do this will be that the naysayers will begin to go away.  Okay, it may not be as easy as that but it will happen.  Those that are sitting on both sides may change to being just on one list – hopefully, a cheerleader.

As you increase your confidence and squash those inner gremlins, the naysayers will not want to be around you.  They may write you off as “you’ve changed”. Or they will attack your ability to be a friend.  The truth is that they will look outside of themselves for the problem instead of looking at themselves.

When you clear away the naysayers that are filled with criticism and negativity, the truth can shine. You’ll learn to appreciate your unique strengths and attributes.  You’ll feel happier instead of  being a prisoner of those inner gremlins.  You will SPARKLE!

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Are You Being Seen?

The Fall selling season is upon us.  The holiday ads are just around the corner.  Many in direct sales have jumped on the bandwagon to try things out during this BUSY time of year.  So what will make YOU stand out in the crowd.  Why will people click your link and not someone else’s?

First, let’s talk about your profile picture…..it shouldn’t be of your dog, or your cat.  It shouldn’t be of a product.  It should be of you.  I change mine on a monthly basis (sometimes more often).  I am always in the picture – sometimes alone, sometimes with family or sometimes with friends.  The key is that I am always in the picture.  WHY?  Because my customers want to see me.  If there are several people on their social media feed doing the same business, I want them to remember me!  They may not remember the name but they will remember my face.

Have you been creating your own community (or group) on social media and hearing crickets?  Why not join communities that already exist.  Every big social media platform has a community aspect.  Facebook groups.  Twitter chats. Pinterest group boards. Instagram hashtags.  Joining groups and sharing not selling will help you build relationships which will help you build your business.  I don’t mean just liking a page.  I mean leaving sincere comments, interact with people so that you can be SEEN by the RIGHT people (your target population). Who knows you may also make some awesome friendships along the way.

I LOVE this tip! Treat *every* social media post as a potential landing page.  Let’s be honest, how many people will actually click on your website or blog the first time they see you?  They will see you a few times, watch your posts or look at your pictures then click your website or blog.  So, think about the content of what you are posting and saying on social media.  Think to yourself: does this Instagram photo or Pinterest pin represent my brand? Is this tweet grabbing my audience? Create content that is useful, inspiring, or memorable to your target audience so that it is landing page-worthy.

 

Start to utilize Pinterest and Instagram more.  I have to be honest, I have never really thought about the return on investment in either of these forms of social media.  BUT, stats show that these forms of social media are growing which  means more traffic, more visitors, more clients.   For anyone running a blog or online biz, it’s kind of magical (and a total necessity).  Make sure you include a call to action in your pin descriptions and in the pins themselves, if possible.  People need a push to take action in the direction that you want them to.  Add “click here” or “click through to read the full post!”.

What is your best top for boosting traffic to your blog or website?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!