From Facebook to Twitter to Pinterest to Google+ and beyond, managing social media for your business can be overwhelming. But having and sticking to a social media content strategy can help keep you focused, organized and on target when communicating with customers.

Entrepreneur writer Mikal Belicove says there are four critical elements to creating a strategy for your business:

1. Set your positioning. Who are you? What do you do? Why does it matter? Why are you better?

2. Identify your target audience.

3. Create personas for your customers so you have a better idea of what they do and what they need.

4. Determine which social networks are the best platforms for your business.

Today’s Blog is for the Ladies!

Ladies Who Launch is a website (and book!) that provides resources and connections for women entrepreneurs. It’s kind of like having a virtual mentor there to give you advice. I especially love the articles on featured women entrepreneurs. Ladies who launch provides unparalleled advice on finances and marketing for creative women. Check it out: Ladies Who Launch.

Another great resource for Mompreneurs is Millionaire Moms: a social networking and resource site for entrepreneurial women. Millionaire Moms‘ founder, Joyce Grimes Bone, is a motivational dynamo and her passion is supporting you in running a successful business and family. Offering guidance, tools & resources to make your hectic life more manageable AND profitable, she is serious about helping foster independence, satisfaction and self-actualization.

…And I may be just a little enthusiastic about her talent since I went to high school with her.

I ran across a Project Grow article by Colleen DeBaise on Entrepreneur.com that caught my eye. She said “Getting a startup off the ground is just the beginning. Growing a business is the next step. In this invaluable Project Grow series, they talked to entrepreneurs at New York’s Varick Street incubator about social media and it’s many uses, among other great topics. Spoiler alert: Love the idea of a sweepstake.

Believe it or not, that made me chuckle. Anyway, I’ve decided to try some public speaking. Perhaps share my knowledge of Internet marketing, Web Design, Social Media and SEO at a business workshop or club meeting. What do you think? I think I’d better not tell that joke.

There was an interesting article in the Atlanta Journal/Constitution recently:

‘Creativity’ doesn’t have to mean ‘originality’ by Rosalind Bentley

I read the headline. I paused…”Better read this article” I thought. Turns out the article is about the philosophies in a book by Austin Kleon called “Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative”. You can look him up at www.austinkleon.com. Simply put, the book says nothing is original, and anything you do has roots in something else. The sooner you acknowledge it, the more imaginative and dynamic your own work will become. So embrace influence, collect ideas, and remix and re-imagine to discover your own path.

This makes me think of a mashup, which is exactly what I create. In web development, a mashup is a Web page that uses and combines data, presentation or functionality from two or more sources to create new services. I collect, remix and re-imagine apps that combine to create a useful web presence for my clients. That mashup is presented as a visually elegant website.

Following is a great discussion on Kleon’s book and “stealing” in many contexts, including business. Enjoy!

Micro-Portfolio

 I’ve talked and working with Erica Allison, owner of Allison Development Group.

 They are a PR/Marketing firm working with small business owners, entrepreneurs, artists, chefs and people who have a great story to tell. I’m very impressed with the work Erica has done for her wide variety of clients and she is opening my eyes to new possibilities. We’ve been discussing a strategic PR and Marketing Plan for my art. I’m launching my fine art and she is kick-starting my brain to think as creatively as my paintings.

I have to admit, even though I’m outgoing and talkative, I have a very hard time calling, pitching, selling and closing the deal. It’s not a matter of confidence in the quality of my work—it’s about little experience in what to say. However, Erica sparked my interest and I came up with one way to share my work without the stress factor.

You all know how much I love Moo.com. I took their products and tailored a marketing idea to help share my work with others. It’s shows my work and is a fun “leave behind” for prospective galleries and boutiques.

First, I designed a business card to coordinate with my website, MtnArtist.com, and my fine art work. On the back, I put a place for my name, the title of the work, the medium and price. This information is necessary for juried shows, galleries or boutiques. The card is attached to the art work—double duty out of one card!

Next is the fun part: I created a set of 5 “MiniCards” (tiny versions of a business card). Each MiniCard has a different photo of my art, so people can see a micro-portfolio. On the back of each Mini-Card is a favorite art quote (just for fun) and more contact info. All are tied together with rustic twine and a colorful bead.

One small step towards showing the world what I do. So far, feedback has been fantastic. Soon we will see if the results are as great!

Wow! It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged.

But that is OK because I’ve been  busy with family, rock climbing, hiking, web design (just finished The Oaks Bed and Breakfast) and launching my encaustic and mixed media art.

More fine art has entered my blog. The most interesting part is that the articles geared to small business are extremely relevant to the independent artist. I’ve been working on new small business e-commerce solutions and wanted to show you some of the other wonderful programs you can take advantage of.

Here is a list of “Ten Programs You Need to Check Out” to make your precious time more effective and efficient:

• Adobe ConnectNow—Start web conferencing with one click. Share your screen. See the participants. Use a whiteboard, chat, and share notes. It’s almost like being there.
• FreshBooks Online Invoicing—Focus on what you love to do by using this easy program to send email (or snail mail) estimates, invoices, accept payments online and it integrates with Quickbooks and lots of other software programs.
• Mail Chimp Email Marketing—Email marketing that integrates with your social networking …and you can have a FREE account.
• MatCutter.com—You create the art, they’ll cut the mats. Easy to navigate site for all artists who want to present their work in a professional way.
• Moo.com Creative Print—When they say ‘we love to print’, they really mean it. The most creative solutions for business cards, postcards and stickers. Especially for  people who think outside the box (or for people who wish they did.)
• Screenr.com Screencasts—You can create web-based screencasts (no software to download), embed them on your site, post them to YouTube and more. (I’ve got one on MtnWebs.com for my clients, “WordPress Intro Screencast“. Getting ready to add one to MtnArtist.com about my work.
• Setster—Amazing! Innovative calendar not only converts web traffic to appointments 24 hours a day, it accepts payments and promotes your services over every social media outlet. Just set your available hours and let site visitors/clients schedule appointments.
• Skype Video Calls and IM—In addition to instant messaging, I have it set up so my work number actually calls Skype on my computer. There is an email notification if you miss a call, voicemail, call forwarding and the ability to create a contact list.
• Wise Stamp Email Signatures—No one listens to me on this one, but it’s fantastic. WiseStamp Email Apps enable users to bring functionality in every email they send. Check out the Apps gallery where you’ll find 14 social, fun and serious apps. Send all your social networking and even an rss feed of your blog through your email!
• Wufoo Online Form Builder—Not just any contact form for you! The form builder helps you create contact forms, online surveys, and invitations so you can collect the data, registrations and even online payments you need without writing a single line of code.

Many of these innovative small business solutions integrate with one another so you can import or export contacts to target new contacts or keep current clients.

I use EVERY ONE of these fantastic business solutions on my web design site, my fine art site or website’s that I design for clients. So, they have been personally tested and I only have rave reviews to report.

I’d also like to introduce you to a wonderful blog: ArtBizBlog: For the Business of Being an Artist by Alyson B. Stanfield. She’s got tons of great posts about the business side of art. Check out this one: 5 minute Self-Promotion Tasks. Great for anyone that gets totally overwhelmed and says “I just don’t have the time to deal with that Twitter thing.” Again, her blogs apply not only to artists but almost all small business owners.

We went to the National Gallery of Art in DC and saw works by Renior, Picasso, Monet, Rodin (my favorite), Cassatt, Van Gogh, Degas and more. Also, walked through the Sculpture Garden and saw a Calder and Lichtenstein. It was breathtaking and I’m so glad my sons got to see the paintings and sculpture in person.

All media are inspirations for work. Encaustic painting is my newest fine art attempt. I have a Bachelor of Fine Art from Auburn University, but did not learn encaustic painting while there. It could be explained as painting with heated wax, yet the creative possibilities are endless. You can include unique Japanese paper, image transfers, text, texture and any mixed media you can come up with. Encaustic involves a good sense of design and a huge sense adventure. Can’t wait to get started!

Two illustrators that are inspiring to me are James Noel Smith and Laura Coyle (who is also an amazing Jazz singer). They have very different techniques—individualism expressed through visual art. Check them out. Some of my other inspirations are: Savion Glover, Auguste Rodin, Édouard Vuillard, Vincent van Gogh, Daylilies, Isadora Duncan, W. H. Auden, Maya Angelou, Yo-Yo Ma, Donnie Hathaway, Stevie Wonder and Iron and Wine. See the video: