Fan Page Services Will & Won’t …

By Jim | Published:

There are plenty of fan page services now a days and they seem to be popping up on a weekly, if not daily basis, you have most likely run into a few if you have any interest in creating a fan page for yourself or your business.

I use a couple of them, I play around with the different features and apps, I happen to like ShortStack the best at the moment because they make it very easy to add all of the various apps to any fan page. I also use pagemodo because of the templates they offer. You can even use both services on one fan page if you want.

Read more on TheSocialNetworkManager.com : http://thesocialnetworkmanager.com/fan-page-services-will-and-wont/

Posted in Social Networking | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

5 Annoying facebook – Twitter Posts.

By Jim | Published:

Just as the Internet was created to share information but quickly turned into the Mega Epicenter of Porn, Dating & Shopping, facebook and Twitter were created to allow us to socialize, keep up with and share with others, however they are falling fast into the realm of uninteresting fluff and these 5 constant habits are not helping.

1. Posting what you are having for breakfast, lunch or dinner along with a photo of said breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Who are you telling? Why are you telling all 1200 of your facebook friends plus 800 of your twitter followers?

Telling what you are about to eat came first, the pictures then followed. A picture of a plate of food. Really?

There is no value at all to this post, it’s not informative, it’s not entertaining, it’s not funny, clever or thought provoking. It’s not even something interesting that happend to you, that you did or are doing.

No one cares, not at all, unless they are on their way over to your house to share in this fancy feast of yours.

If you must, absolutely must do this, at least be in the picture, people do enjoy pictures of their facebook friends, that’s an obvious fact and we don’t need to understand why that is the case, it just is, but an image of a plate of food or food cooking on the stove is of no interest to anyone.

Acceptable Use Policy. The only time this is acceptable is if you happen to be at an event, a wedding for example and the dessert table is absolutely insane, with 80 different desserts from around the world, complete with ice sculptures and hottie servers. Take a picture, share, enjoy the comments.

2. “I Love My Kids” or the other variations, my kids are my world, my kids come first, my kids are my life, my kids are everything to me, I’m a mother/father first, etc.

Yes, we know.

Really, we already believe this to be true by default. If you are a somewhat normal human, it’s in your DNA, it’s instinct, it’s not even something that you can help or control, you love your children, we all do so pointing this out on a profile or post is redundant and makes us wonder who you are trying to convince.

You could point out the opposite if you felt the need, that would at least be of interest to people simply because it would be different, something out of the ordinary, “Wow, Gina just posted that she can’t stand the site of her kids, how odd.”

People that constantly post about their children and only about their children, their love for their children, their children’s activities, events, grades, what they just said, what they just did, really do appear to have one aspect to their lives, their children. If you are doing this on a profile and you happen to be single and looking, it’s an instant red flag to anyone interested to run like the wind. Any belief that people do not meet on Facebook in a romantic capacity is invalid, it’s 2011, keep up with the rest of us please. Even if you didn’t meet on facebook, that potential partner is checking you out on facebook after you met at the local Fresh Market. If you do happen to be a professional person, which isn’t likely but is possible, it tells prospective employers, clients, business associates that you are not very interested in your profession at all.

Keeping in mind that your children are more important than the cute guy/girl you just met or your co-workers, it’s still simply annoying to the rest of us. We aren’t facebook friends with your kids. We have our own kids and we aren’t all that interested in them, much less yours.

Acceptable Use Policy. You are talking directly to your kid, who is also on facebook. Your kid just graduated from medical school, just cured cancer, just got their dream job as a (insert dream job), just got accepted to Harvard, just created the next great gadget, just killed the really big bug in your bathroom for you, just rolled over the cat, fell on the other kid, is laughing uncontrollably at you and you got this all on video, it’s Mothers Day, Fathers Day or the kids Birthday.

3. The daily stalker tracker.

This one could be the most mind numbing of them all and also seems to be the most common.

I’m awake.
I’m at the bagel shop. I ordered a cinnamon raisin bagel with strawberry cream cheese. Show picture.
I’m at work.
I’m at jojos for lunch. Along with what you are having and of course a picture.
I’m back at work.
I’m at the super market. Along with what you are buying.
I’m cooking dinner. Along with what you are cooking and of course a picture of the finished product.
I’m driving the kids to football. Along with how wonderful those kids really are and how much you love them.
I’m finally sitting down to watch Dancing With The Stars.
I can’t believe that bitch won.
I’m watching CSI Charlotte.
I knew he did it.
I’m going to bed, good night FB buddies.

Wow. Yes, you know who you are.

The only person interested in a blow by blow of your daily routine is your stalker and he/she already knows.

This is just boring, really, really boring. You are filling up the main facebook feed or twitter feed with this information, which is of no use, no value and no interest to anyone. Even your stalker is bored.

Acceptable Use Policy. Foursquare. You are at a bar/club and you want to let everyone know they should come hang out. You are at a wedding, graduation or other party of some sort, pictures are expected. You are at a sporting event, concert or other interesting place, doing something interesting with interesting people, more pictures are expected.

4. The conspiracy, wake up, you’re all being screwed information junkie.

This is the guy that believes it is his job to let everyone know how the government, the new world order, the world bank, the powers that be, big brother, NSA, CIA, FBI, is doing all sorts of things that we need to know about.

The problem with this is not actually the information shared, some of it can be fairly interesting. The problem is the arrogance, the superiority this person feels over everyone else who doesn’t know, doesn’t believe or doesn’t care, the added insult that not only don’t you know what’s going on but that you are a fat, lazy, TV addicted loser that better wake up right now or else, is, well, insulting.

The posts will go something like this;

Keep watching American Idol while your money is losing value because you are too stupid to care.
Keep eating that cancer causing food, the government wants you to be sick, wake up already.
Enjoy the distractions of sports, video games, TV and all of the others created by the New World Order to keep you mindless and lazy.
Don’t look now, but you are being brainwashed by the Super Bowl, while the CIA is injecting your kids with microchips.

You get the idea. Again, some of what they present may have value, may be of interest, may even be true, I wouldn’t know, I’m too busy blogging about annoying facebook posts, but I certainly don’t need them to tell me what type of pathetic loser I must be because I may not agree or care to worry about every different way I am being manipulated by the powers that be every single hour of every single day.

Give it a rest once in a while and post a video of a cute cat doing something funny like everyone else in the world.

This will not only limit your friends, it will limit your work associations, your clients, your customers, basically, everyone that might deal with you for any reason. It is seen as a very negative view point and no one wants to be made to feel like they are just floating through life without a care, while the world around them is going to hell, they may be and it may be, but they didn’t friend you on facebook so that you could inform them of this fact.

Another issue with this. I think “they” are watching you and I don’t want “them” watching me.

Acceptable Use Policy. Twitter or the world is actually coming to an end, right now and you are watching it from your back yard.

5. Pets.

There were a few different candidates for number 5. I had to really consider which was the most popular, the one used the most by the most people that I found the most annoying.

Pets are even worse than #2 since we can at least understand that you love your kids, can’t help yourself and think everyone else should love your kids just as much as you do, but why on earth you would think everyone else is as enamored with your dog, cat or horse as you are is anyones guess. The only reason this is #5 instead of #2 is because it’s not as prevalent.

Pictures, videos and little tid bits about your pet are, like the rest on this list, of no interest to anyone but you.

No one cares what your pet did, no one cares what your pet looks like, no one cares that you even have a pet.

It’s a dog. It’s a cat. There are millions of them, millions own them, they are not anything worth mentioning, talking about or sharing a picture of.

If the pet is an accessory in a picture of you, that’s fine. A picture of your pet in your photo album, that’s fine. A constant barrage of pictures and videos of your pets or an entire album of 237 pictures of your cat and dog, not fine.

I can’t even think of an amusing way to share with you why this is annoying to the rest of us, that’s how boring your pet is.

Acceptable Use Policy. You just got your pet, you must also be in the picture. Your pet just saved someones life, video optional but certainly recommended. Your pet just did the most amazing, most incredible, most unbelievable or funny shit that any pet has ever done, video necessary. Your pet just talked, you better have video or people will worry about you.

Honorable Mention:

Make Money Online Now, unless everyone on your friends list is involved in that industry, you are pissing them off. Twitter, LinkedIn and other social networks are better for this purpose. You can also create groups or fanpages for people that are interested and only post to them when you are posting Make Money info.

Quote Junkies. Think of something to say once in a while that wasn’t said by some dead guy 300 years ago. Movie quotes are ok because let’s face it, movie quotes rock.

Husband/Wife adoration. It even annoys those who do it, when others do it. Keep it to holidays and birthdays.

Food Police. Telling me what’s in my food, where it comes from, what’s wrong with it and why I shouldn’t be eating it. Unless you are in that industry and I am specifically following you or a fan of your fanpage, then I’m asking for it.

I’m the first one to say that it’s your facebook – Twitter account, do what you will, this is just a bit of friendly advice to help you along the way.

Have Fun,
Jim Vigilante

The Social Network Manager

http://thesocialnetworkmanager.com

Posted in Social Networking | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Why Your Business Needs A Social Network Manager

By Jim | Published:

We understand that you are very busy running your business, you don’t have time to worry about posting on Facebook, tweeting on Twitter, managing your profiles on LinkedIn, FastPitch & MySpace, just to name a few.  You have enough to do without spending time reading all of the articles, blogs and web sites dedicated to Social Networking and Social Media. 

You would hire an offline marketing service, you would hire a website developer and designer, you would hire a search engine expert and 5 years ago that’s exactly what you should have done, but today, it’s all about Social Media and blogging.  Today, you hire a Social Network Manager to take care of your Internet Marketing needs.

CitySearch and Insider Pages, along with other similar sites, come up in search engines higher than regular websites, because they are relevant directories.  Are you listed?  Is your information up to date?  Are you paying attention to the reviews?  A Social Network Manager should do this for you, The Social Network Manager will.

Just as many people are searching for your Facebook Fan page and Twitter account as are searching for you on Google.  Not only do they want to find you there, but they want you to interact with them through posts and tweets.  Notify them of your dinner specials, your drink specials, your entertainment for the night, your sales, your events, your schedule, your pictures and videos.

Here’s the bad news, they don’t just want it, they expect it.  It’s no longer an option.  You are either in front of them on the social networks or you will not be in front of them when it’s time for them to spend their money.

Here’s the good news, there are now people who specialize in Social Network Management, like us, The Social Network Manager, who are experts at doing all of this for you.  We save you time, we save you from having to learn all about Social Network Marketing, we create the Internet presence that your company needs and now a days, it does need it.  Built into Social Network Management is also search engine optimization, since search engines now view social networking profiles, blogs and fan pages as more relevant than web sites.

More good news, it all costs less than traditional offline marketing and even Internet marketing.  A Social Network Manager is less expensive than a Search Engine expert or Internet Marketing company and most social networks are Free, so instead of paying for ad space or Google traffic, you get all of the same advertising benefits at zero to very low cost.

Pick a package or contact us today to get started, it only takes a few days to be all set up and running.

http://thesocialnetworkmanager.com

Posted in Internet Marketing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Jim Vigilante Retires from Network Marketing

By Jim | Published:

I have retired from Network Marketing after 11 years.  I now manage the social network marketing efforts of offline businesses that want to create and maintain a serious Internet presence using Social Media.  My reasons for leaving Network Marketing are not important, my passion for Social Media and Marketing can be better fulfilled by providing a valuable service to the small business community.

Posted in Internet Marketing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Life Coach – Really?

By Jim | Published:

Everyone is a “Life Coach” now, I just watched a video of a woman talking about how she had to bartend and waitress to make cash while she was building her life coaching business, I admire her desire and there certainly isn’t anything wrong with being a bartender or a waitress but it proves that she was BROKE before she started her life coaching business.

Being successful because you built a life coaching business is absolutely ridiculous. It makes no sense, it simply means you marketed yourself well enough, avoided enough questions, had a very charming personality and convinced people into thinking that a broke person with no real career or business could help them in their own life.

Isn’t the idea that the person is successful in their own life first, if all of your success has come from being a life coach, that seems a bit ass backwards to me.

She’s not the only one of course, there are many, most have success financially first at least, Internet entrepreneurs love to name brand themselves, in many cases, it’s a must for success anyway, so they find business success, they find they have a lot of people following them on Facebook and Twitter, they build large lists, they have huge downlines or thousands of customers and they decide that they will add “Life Coach” to their portfolio of income streams. As an entrepreneur, it’s only reasonable that they look at their business and see what they can do to add income to it, most of us are serial entrepreneurs anyway, that’s how we get into Network Marketing, Affiliate Marketing and Internet Marketing in general.

The issue is, how does this help you, as the client?

The person who has had business success should be a business coach, right? Not a “Life Coach”. Life Coach is too broad, it implies that they will help you in all aspects of your life, but what is their qualification for that? Making money online is not a qualification for relationship or parenting advice.

I have noticed in my 11 years online, that people that become successful online, especially in Network Marketing, tend to become ego maniacs, this is because the success rate is so small that they convince themselves that because they were able to become successful in the industry where most people fail, they must be special, they must be smarter, more driven, more attractive, etc. This all may actually be true, what is also true, is that most were complete failures before they found the network marketing industry.

You have heard all of the stories, I lived in my car, I lived in my parents basement, I lived in a one room apt. with rats the size of cats, I lived on the street and on and on, the I was broke, homeless, stupid and ugly story and now I’m rich, smart, beautiful and live in a huge mansion, thanks to Network Marketing or Affiliate Marketing and you can do it to, just buy my course or join my downline.

That doesn’t annoy me half as much as, I was broke and had no clue what I was going to do with my life so I decided to be a Life Coach, c’mon, that’s just not right on so many levels.

To top this all off, most are 20 somethings with no wife/husband, no kids, no life experience, their entire life has been lived online, their only success, if they had any at all, has been in Marketing themselves online, which is great, but again, that qualifies them to be a marketing expert or Internet business coach at best, not a life coach.

Don’t talk to me about relationships if you have only had six girlfriends, all under 25 and all lasting less than 2 years.

Don’t talk to me about parenting if you don’t have any kids.

Don’t talk to me about mind-set, happiness, positive thinking, law of attraction, and all that good stuff if the biggest problem you have faced in your life was that you didn’t know what career path to take.

There are two types of people that should be life coaches.

Those that have always been successful and happy in all areas of their lives and have experienced what most people are experiencing, that includes, relationships, marriage, children and financial areas.

Those that have been to Hell and back. That means, you were really down and out and have clawed your way to the top financially (not by starting a life coaching biz), have built strong relationships, have a wonderful marriage, have children that are exceptional and thriving and are so happy you have wrinkles from smiling so much.

That’s it, otherwise, pick a new name, Business Coach, Marketing Expert, Network Marketing Guru.

I have to add that this business has taught me so much about people and relationships, so it does have more value than just money, the way I was taught, by someone who had been in the industry for many years, offline and online, was more about the psychology of the Network Marketing business than how to show up on the first page of Google, really did help me when dealing with all of the people in my life, including my children and of course, financial success does help your marriage, money is one of the top reasons for divorce, but overall, especially now with Network Marketing being less and less about dealing with people and more and more about getting traffic to your web site, I don’t see how your Network Marketing success or any business success for that matter qualifies you as a Life Coach.

Donald Trump is brilliant in business and with money in general, I believe he is on his 3rd marriage. I don’t have a problem with getting out of an unhappy marriage and maybe he was not to blame for any of them, but it at least means he has an issue with knowing whose right for him, picking the appropriate person to spend your life with would seem to be an important trait to have, so life coaching would not be for Mr. Trump in my opinion. So if one of the most famous, wealthy men in the world should not be a life coach, what in the world makes anyone think that the ex-waitress who figured out how to market herself online should be?

Even Tony Robbins, who I think is just amazing, will admit to not really creating any new ideas, he studied others and puts out the information in a way that appeals to the average person. That’s all he did originally, take solid information from successful people and share it in a way that was easy to understand, fun and interesting. He has come up with some of his own stuff now, after years of helping people and that’s to be expected, but if Tony Robbins was simply sharing what he learned from others when he started selling Personal Power, then your success with Youtube, FaceBook and Twitter doesn’t give you any insight into how to help people with real life, real world problems.

It’s just silly.

It also shows how important packaging is. Tony Robbins re-packaged old information and got rich. The hot new Internet video marketing chicks that I mention in another post have great packaging and are doing very well because of it, the charming, charismatic new breed of Internet marketers that are all too aware of the power of name branding have great packaging, even if they have to hire a designer to make it for them, this is selling, this is marketing, but when it comes to Life Coaching, shouldn’t their be more substance, more quality, after all, this person is going to advise you on your life, which is everything to you.

I don’t even mean to pick on that one person who started me ranting, I’ve actually been thinking about this topic since a well known Network Marketing Guru has started telling everyone how to live their life on his videos. My first thought was not, oh goodie, he’s going to teach me how to live, it was, Wow, if there is a pill that lowers your ego, he should be taking it. It’s like celebrities that start getting all into politics or wealthy people that start talking about the power of ZEN and are all of a sudden Buddhists or Scientologists.

It’s all good for them, whatever makes them happy, but it doesn’t help you at all.

They simply cannot imagine that you would not want to do what they are doing, the problem is, they weren’t doing it first, what they are doing now did not make them successful and that is what it all comes down to, what did you do that made you successful is what’s important to others, not what you are doing now after the fact.

Before you go giving your money over to a life coach, maybe it makes more sense to figure out what is wrong in your life, what would fix it and if you can or cannot fix it yourself. If you cannot fix it yourself and you need help, buy a book, if that doesn’t work, try different tactics, if that doesn’t work and you decide that you really need to hire a person to help you, find a person that specializes in that area, relationships, marriage, health, wealth, business, whatever it may be and make sure they had success in that area of their life before they started coaching others on that subject.

That makes sense to me but I’m no Life Coach, so you really shouldn’t listen to me anyway.

Jim Vigilante
Not a Life Coach

Posted in Internet Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment