When I first started using Active Rain, I was surprised to see the option to link my blog to a twitter account. I had already heard some of the buzz around Twitter, but at that point I wasn't totally sold. Still, I thought, why not expose more people to what I have to offer? So I created a Twitter account and allowed my blog posts to be logged there and didn't think anything more of it for a while.
Buzzzzzzz...that Twitter Buzz seemed to be following me everywhere. I would overhear conversations at restaurants, read articles, see links on the internet, and so I decided to look further. One of my initial problems with twitter is that it's an endless stream of consciousness that can be overwhelming. There's a balance between sharing what you have to offer with the world and not wanting to hear what everyone else is talking about all day long. To solve this problem, I discovered a great program called TweetDeck. This program allows you to group and filter those whom you interact with on twitter so that the information that is presented is relative to your business and interests. If you use twitter, you need this program.
I don't want anyone to get the idea that I know everything about Twitter or that I'm some sort of Twitter Guru. My Twitter journey is just beginning, but already I've tripped over this great nugget that I want to share with you.
You can place a hyperlink at the bottom of each of your blog posts inviting your readers to "retweet or RT" your post on twitter. What does "retweeting" do for you? It exposes your blog's content to tens to thousands of people from a click of your reader's mouse. This option automatically puts a status update on their twitter page that they are reading your post. This status update includes your twitter ID and a hyperlink to the web address of your blog. Your readers can then promote you easily and virally to their readers and so on. If you are writing valuable and compelling content, there's no reason that this "Twitter Train" of your information couldn't continue to flow from one twitter user to another in a giant explosion of exposure for you and your business.
Example: Retweet This Post on Twitter
I just looked at the 13 blog posts that were featured today and not one of them is using this strategy. Mike Mueller** appears to be thinking about Twitter because he has a button at the bottom of his post which allows readers to follow him on Twitter. And though Jason Crouch* dedicates a full 1/3rd of his post to the topic of Twitter, he doesn't have any link to his presence there. Today's 13 featured blogs in total attracted 542 comments, which is an average of over 41 comments per post. If we consider each of these 542 comments to come from unique Active Rain readers, imagine what they could do for the blogs they were reading if they were given the opportunity to share that content with their followers on twitter. Even if each person only had 10 followers (X 41 average comments per blog) that would provide each blogger with exposure to an additional 410 readers. Personally I think that it would create even more readers because it's easier to "retweet" by clicking the mouse, than coming up with an original comment.
If you're active on Active Rain, and you're not using this strategy, you're missing out. Now I want to give you step by step instructions on how to do this for your own blog posts. The process will be different depending on if you're composing your post in the WYSIWYG tab or the HTML tab. I'll give you instructions for both
WYSIWYG Instructions:
•1. Publish your post. You need to have the post's URL (Web Address) in order to tell people where to go to look for it
•2. Click on the post in your blog so that it opens it in its own window and separates it from your other blog posts
•3. Select the URL (Web Address) for the post by highlighting the address bar at the top of your Web Browser. Hit CTRL C (for copy).
•4. Go to TweetDeck and paste (CTRL V) the web address into the "Shorten URL" window at the top of the screen.
•5. Hit the "Shorten" button to the far right of the "Shorten URL" window. The shortened URL will appear in the "What are you doing?" window above the "Shorten URL" window.
•6. Highlight the shortened URL and hit CTRL X for move
•7. Go back to Active Rain and open the Edit option for the blog post you want to add the hyperlink to.
•8. Type the text exactly how you want your readers to see the hyperlink in the location that you want in on your blog post. I always use the phrase "Retweet This Post on Twitter" and I put it at the bottom of my blog post.
•9. After typing the text, highlight it and select the hyperlink button (the 6th button from the right)
•10. In the Pop-Up window next to Link URL: type: http://twitter.com/home?status=reading+@insertyourtwittername+(the title of your blog post with each word separated by plus signs - ex - Blogging+It+Up)+the shortened URL you copied from TweetDeck. You do this by placing your cursor after the last plus sign and hitting CTRL V (for paste).
•11. Click the "Insert" button on the hyperlink pop up window and publish the post.
When you're done you should end up with something that looks like this:
(Check out the actual Link URL I used to get this to work below)
http://twitter.com/home?status=reading+@valuepagesgroup+Using+Twitter+to+Grow+Blog+Readers+and+Blow+Up+Your+Business!+http://bit.ly/QwXHG
(There is no space between any of the characters in the hyperlink above)
Sometimes you'll want to compose a message in HTML so that you can imbed a video or some other cool content. Check out the instructions below.
HTML Instructions:
Copy 1-7 of the WYSIWYG Instructions
Use and modify my example of the code below to create the link in HTML
<p><a href=http://twitter.com/home?status=reading+@valuepagesgroup+Using+Twitter+to+Grow+Blog+Readers+and+Blow+Up+Your+Business!+http://bit.ly/QwXHG>Retweet This Post on Twitter</a></p>
(The only space in that code is between "a href" near the beginning, everything else runs together)
This is extremely powerful information for your business. I did my best to break the instructions down into baby steps. If you're having trouble with any of this, feel free to contact me and I'll help you through it. Once you get it down, it only takes an extra couple of minutes per blog post and the results can be immeasurable.
If you found this information to be helpful and plan on using it for your own blog, please Retweet This Post on Twitter!
Jason Sanders
*Update - Jason Crouch updated his featured blog post to have a link to his Twitter home page, but still no invitation to retweet. 02-13-09 7:43PM Eastern
**Update - Mike Mueller updated his post to invite his readers to retweet the content of his blog post. Mike also presented a nice variation in that he hyperlinked the code to a button as opposed to a phrase. Kudos Mike! 02-13-09 8:00PM Eastern
The Value Pages Group Chapters
The Value Pages Group is a national online business networking group that creates referrals for your business. Even though we are national, there is a definite geographical focus to the members of the group. The Value Pages Group has chapters in all 50 states. You can network and get more referrals in just minutes a day, at any time, and from any location with a computer and internet connection.
The Value Pages Group gives its members the best value for their money. Members can grow their businesses through networking and referrals. See Members Testimonials. Our FREE Basic Membership will give you a taste of what The Value Pages Group has to offer. If you are serious about increasing your sales and creating a dynamic new referral stream, our Silver and Gold Memberships might be right for you. They offer unparalleled features and dynamic ways to grow a low maintenance referral stream for your business, maximizing your time and resources so that you can take your business to the next level. For more information about the different levels of membership and their benefits, click here.
Alabama. We currently have 11 referral group chapters in AL to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Birmingham, Mobile, Huntsville, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Decatur, Florence - Muscle Shoals, Dothan, Auburn - Opelika, Anniston - Oxford, and Gadsden. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Alaska. We currently have 1 referral group chapter in AK to support local businesses in the Anchorage area with online business networking. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Arizona. We currently have 9 referral group chapters in AZ to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Phoenix, Tucson, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Peoria, Scottsdale, and Tempe. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Arkansas. We currently have 1 referral group chapter in AR to support local businesses in the Little Rock area with online business networking. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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California. We currently have 70 referral group chapters in CA to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Long Beach, Fresno, Sacramento, Oakland, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Bakersfield, Riverside, Stockton, Chula Vista, Fremont, Modesto, Irvine, Glendale, San Bernardino, Huntington Beach, Oxnard, Fontana, Moreno Valley, Oceanside, Santa Clarita, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Garden Grove, Pomona, Santa Rosa, Salinas, Hayward, Torrance, Pasadena, Palmdale, Corona, Lancaster, Escondido, Orange, Elk Grove, Sunnyvale, Fullerton, Thousand Oaks, El Monte, Simi Valley, Concord, Visalia, Vallejo, Inglewood, Santa Clara, Costa Mesa, Downey, West Covina, Norwalk, Roseville, Ventura, Burbank, Victorville, Fairfield, Berkeley, Daly City, Carlsbad, Richmond, South Gate, Temecula, Antioch, Santa Barbara, Chico, Tracy, and Merced. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Colorado. We currently have 11 referral group chapters in CO to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Arvada, Aurora, Boulder, Centennial, Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins, Lakewood, Pueblo, Thornton, and Westminster. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Connecticut. We currently have 5 referral group chapters in CT to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, Stamford, and Waterbury. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Delaware. We currently have 3 referral group chapters groups in DE to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: New Castle County, Kent County, and Sussex County.
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District of Columbia. We currently have 1 referral group chapter to support local businesses in the Washington D.C. area with online business networking.
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Florida. We currently have 18 referral group chapters in FL to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Hialeah, Fort Lauderdale, Tallahassee, Cape Coral, Port Saint Lucie, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Coral Springs, Gainesville, Miramar, Clearwater, Pompano Beach, and Palm Bay. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Georgia. We currently have 5 referral group chapters in GA to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Savannah, and Athens. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Hawaii. We currently have 8 referral group chapters in HI to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Big Island, Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, and Nihau. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Idaho. We currently have 1 referral group chapter in ID to support local businesses in the Boise area with online business networking. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Illinois. We currently have 12 referral group chapters in IL to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Chicago, Aurora, Rockford, Joliet, Naperville, Springfield, Peoria, Elgin, Metro-East, Quad Cities, Champagn - Urbana, and Bloomington - Normal. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Indiana. We currently have 5 referral group chapters in IN to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, and North West. If you do not see your location, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Iowa. We currently have 2 referral group chapters in IA to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Des Moines and Quad Cities. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Kansas. We currently have 5 referral group chapters in KS to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Wichita, Overland Park, Kansas City, Topeka, and Olathe. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Kentucky. We currently have 3 referral group chapters in KY to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Louisville, Lexington, and North Kentucky. If you do not see your location, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Louisiana. We currently have 4 referral group chapters in LA to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Lafayette, Shreveport, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Maine. We currently have 7 referral group chapters in ME to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Aroostock, Highlands, Kennebec & Moose River Valleys, Western, Portland, Mid-Coast, and Downeast & Acadia.
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Maryland. We currently have 1 referral group chapter in MD to support local businesses in the Baltimore area with online business networking. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Massachusetts. We currently have 2 referral group chapters in MA to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Springfield and Boston. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Michigan. We currently have 7 referral group chapters in MI to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Ann Arbor, Lansing, and Flint. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Minnesota. We currently have 2 referral group chapters in MN to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Minneapolis and St. Paul. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Mississippi. We currently have 1 referral group chapter in MS to support local businesses in the Jackson area with online business networking. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Missouri. We currently have 3 referral group chapters in MO to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Springfield, Kansas City, and St. Louis. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Montana. We currently have 1 referral group chapter in MT to support local businesses in the Billings area with online business networking. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Nebraska. We currently have 2 referral group chapters in NE to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Omaha and Lincoln. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Nevada. We currently have 7 referral group chapters in NV to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Reno, Sunrise Manor, Paradise, and Spring Valley. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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New Hampshire. We currently have 2 referral group chapters in NH to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: North New Hampshire and South New Hampshire.
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New Jersey. We currently have 4 referral group chapters in NJ to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: North Jersey, Central Jersey, South Jersey, and The Jersey Shore.
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New Mexico. We currently have 1 referral group chapter in NM to support local businesses in the Albuquerque area with online business networking. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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New York. We currently have 4 referral group chapters in NY to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, and Yonkers. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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North Carolina. We currently have 8 referral group chapters in NC to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville, Cary, and High Point. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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North Dakota. We currently have 4 referral group chapters in ND to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Appalachia, and Outer Banks. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Ohio. We currently have 6 referral group chapters in OH to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Toledo. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Oklahoma. We currently have 3 referral group chapters in OK to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Norman. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Oregon. We currently have 3 referral group chapters in OR to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Eugene, Salem, and Portland. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Pennsylvania. We currently have 4 referral group chapters in PA to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, and Erie. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Rhode Island. We currently have 1 referral group chapter in RI to support local businesses in the Providence area with online business networking. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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South Carolina. We currently have 4 referral group chapters in SC to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Columbia, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Sioux Falls. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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South Dakota. We currently have 1 referral group chapter in SD to support local businesses in the Sioux Falls area with online business networking. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Tennessee. We currently have 6 referral group chapters in TN to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Chattanooga, Clarksville, Knoxville, Memphis, Murfreesboro, and Nashville. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Texas. We currently have 28 referral group chapters in TX to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: San Angelo, Victoria, Sherman - Denison, Midland, Odessa, Texarkana, Wichita Falls, Abilene, Tyler, College Station - Bryan, Longview, Waco, Laredo, Amarillo, Lubbock, Killeen - Temple - Fort Hood, Beaumont - Port Arthur, Brownsville - Harlingen, Corpus Christi, McAllen - Edinburg - Mission, El Paso, Austin - Round Rock, San Antonio, Houston - Sugar Land - Baytown, Arlington, Fort Worth, Dallas, Irving, and Plano. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Utah. We currently have 3 referral group chapters in UT to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Provo - Orem, Ogden - Clearfield, and Salt Lake City. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Vermont. We currently have 2 referral group chapters in VT to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Northern Vermont and Southern Vermont.
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Virginia. We currently have 3 referral group chapters in VA to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and Richmond - Petersburg. If you do not see your location, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Washington. We currently have 5 referral group chapters in WA to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, and Bellevue. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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West Virginia. We currently have 3 referral group chapters in WV to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Charleston, Morgantown, and Wheeling. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Wisconsin. We currently have 3 referral group chapters in WI to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Milwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Wyoming. We currently have 3 referral group chapters in WY to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: Laramie County, Central Wyoming, and Western Wyoming. If you do not see your location, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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Puerto Rico. We currently have 3 referral group chapters in PR to support local businesses with online business networking for the following locations: San Juan, Carolina, and Ponce. If you do not see your town, then we need your help! Contact Us and The Value Pages Group will get back to you.
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If you are interested in increasing your sales and growing your business, Join Us.
A business community is more than a group of businesses that share a geographic location. "Community" denotes unity and cooperation. Community is a convergence of energy and ideas for the common good. The business community is the foundation of the overall community. A healthy and prosperous business community is a direct contributor to a happy and successful community. The Value Pages Group gives you a convenient and powerful forum to grow and strengthen your business community. If you don't believe in the power of your business community, don't be surprised to find yourself isolated. (Is that what your business needs?)
We know that some people think competition is a bad word, but those people are only thinking of themselves and not their client bases. Our businesses develop and improve because of competition. Competition makes us all better! We want there to be a little bit of competition in our group, but we don't want it to be a free for all, that's why we only allow two members per profession per chapter.
Competition is great, but collaboration takes great businesses to the next level. Technology and consumer demands are causing business practices to evolve at an incredible pace. It's important to compare notes with other business owners, even other businesses in your field to make sure you understand and implement best practices. The Value Pages Group makes it easier than ever! Join us!
A recent poll of businesses showed that 41.4% of businesses count on referrals for over 80% of their sales. It further showed that nearly one third of businesses receive less than half of their business from referrals, with the remaining businesses somewhere in between.
If you're in the "have not" portion of this poll, no doubt you're wondering how you can increase your share of referrals. After all, referrals are the most effective and affordable way of increasing your sales and growing your bottom line. What can you do to position yourself more like the 14.1% of businesses surveyed got 100% of their business from referrals?
The answer to that question could no doubt fill volumes, but here are a few quick tips:
1. Prove that you're referrable. A referral is sending someone that you care about to someone that you respect. Have you shown yourself to be worthy?
2. Give someone a reason to give to you. Let's be real, everyone is looking out for their own bottom line. If you find a way to contribute to their bottom line, they'll be looking out for you too!
3. Be memorable and be educational! No matter what business you're in, it's competitive out there. Others are looking for the same referrals you are. Find a way to stand out from the crowd. Being unique isn't enough if your business community doesn't know everything you do. Make sure you educate your fellow business owners about your complete skill set; otherwise you'll be missing referral opportunities.
4. Maintain your relationships. It's a human weakness, what we see the most is remembered first. If you don't maintain a meaningful relationship with your business community, don't be surprised if they don't remember to refer to you.
The Value Pages Group can help you develop and expand on the ideas presented above. The best part is that you're able to do it online around your own schedule. Please join us so we can work together to build your business.
At TVPG Labs we offer a variety of services to help your business get a leg up in Marketing and Media. Videography, Photography, and Web Design: Merging Media and Marketing
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