Web Business Woman

By Amanda Ponzar

Whether you’re a nonprofit business or individual you almost don’t exist if you’re not online and in social networks.

A few weeks ago, a nonprofit development director asked if I could help raise her profile on LinkedIn. You know the world’s about to end when Amanda Ponzar becomes a social media guru. When I first started using LinkedIn three years ago, I didn’t post a profile photo because “it could fall into the wrong hands.” I quickly realized I don’t get to choose whether or not I’m online, but I can be proactive about controlling my information.

Fast forward to 2010, and I’m a LinkedIn junkie, networking out the ying-yang which benefits me personally (five recruiter calls this year) and helps advance United Way’s work and recognize our corporate partners. No offense to Facebook with its 500 million users, but I’m just not that interested in posting personal weekend plans or reconnecting with high school crushes. “This is business not personal” to quote The Godfather.

My five LinkedIn Tips:

• Get to know people in the real world (volunteer, attend association events like AMA, PRSA, Chamber of Commerce, etc.) to build your network.
• See who you already know on LinkedIn (LinkedIn can do it automatically if you enter your personal email), and ask for recommendations.
• Complete your profile with employer names so former business associates can link to you.
• Share news, research, tips or job postings on your network activity update. Include links. Post what YOU would want to read.
• Join groups and respond to other posts.

One of the best nonprofit social media experts I know is Heather Mansfield at DIOSA Communications, who I heard earlier this year at HandsOn Network’s LEAD Summit. Heather has a knack for social media and trains nonprofits nationwide. Check out her LinkedIn tips for nonprofits (or any organization). Plus, I asked Heather where women excel in social media. Her response?

1.) Women are friendlier online, thus they tend to be better at building online community. Men are often too combative and argue. Some men could actually learn a lot from women when it comes to building and nurturing an online community — if they can check the ego at the door and just listen.

2.) Women in general know how and when to use (smile icon).

3.) Women’s ability to multi-task makes them excellent social media managers because you have to be running 5-10 profiles on a daily basis.

So, get out there. Read, succeed, create, think, do — and make sure people know about it. Why not get started by commenting on this post?

By Guest Blogger Robbi Hess

Today’s the day writers everywhere celebrate the ! – . , – ; – : and the ?, right? Hopefully, though, as writers even if we don’t consciously celebrate punctuation, we at least practice it correctly. The sad fact is, though that not all writers follow the rules! (What do you think? A bit too much emphasis there?)

As a writer, Strunk & White and style guides galore dominate my life. When you longingly thumb through the latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style marveling at the tissue-thin paper bound within that thick tome, hoping upon hope that someone will buy it for you for the next holiday (National Punctuation Day would be a timely holiday, I think), you know your love of words and punctuation may have crossed a line.

Jeff Rubin, founder of all things punctuation, offers up a few ideas on how to celebrate.

Here’s a game plan for your celebration of National Punctuation Day®. A few words of caution: Don’t overdo it.

• Sleep late.
• Take a long shower or bath.
• Go out for coffee and a bagel (or two).
• Read a newspaper and circle all of the punctuation errors you find (or think you find, but aren’t sure) with a red pen.
• Take a leisurely stroll, paying close attention to store signs with incorrectly punctuated words.
• Stop in those stores to correct the owners.
• If the owners are not there, leave notes.
• Visit a bookstore and purchase a copy of Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style.
• Look up all the words you circled.
• Congratulate yourself on becoming a better written communicator.
• Go home.
• Sit down.
• Write an error-free letter to a friend.
• Take a nap. It has been a long day.

Your task today is to go forth and spread correct punctuation wherever it’s needed!

That’s how many women Miles Weston says there are in the world, in his article, “Women Rule”.

This is a fascinating look at  a global market being either neglected or dismissed. Women routinely make the news, but it’s often for trivial things. I consider fashion, food, and fun trivial, to a point. I don’t dismiss the power of the fashion/food industries, nor do I mind hearing about the escapades of certain celebrities. But, when that’s the major push of media – covering Paris Hilton or whatshername who can’t stay out of jail, instead of covering the small business owner making a go of it in this tough economy, I have to wonder if anyone is taking women seriously.

Weston says, in his article, “…the ‘female economy’ will drive $5 trillion in incremental global spending during the never several years.” And, “More than 1 billion women work worldwide.” Neither of those facts is substantiated, but they make sense. So, I’m inclined to support them.

Fact is, women are the mover and shakers the world over. We’re not standing behind our man any longer – we’re standing next to him, and sometimes, in front of him. Yes, in some instances, we’re still the support standing behind him, also. Women in this country are standing on their own two feet. We’re working Moms, executives, business owners, and wives and mothers, too. And, we’re gamers. Ha!

As we move into the next decade of this new century, women from the world over are beginning to find their voice, their purpose, and their power.

Weston cites a report by Booz&Company (one hesitates to share a link since she could not find the article on the site), showing many of the “women of the third billion” as “neither prepared nor enabled”… since many of us come from less developed nations. What I find hopeful is the fact that the roadblocks to success are disappearing. Weston quotes Booz & Co. as saying, “…if we get this Third Billion into mainstream middle-class, hockey stick sales will result.”  Still, I wonder why companies like Best Buy, continue with mere lip-service. No hockey sticks for them!

I also find it interesting to see a focus on how different women are from men. It’s something I’ve touted over and over, despite the general feeling today that companies should market to the “consumer” and not the gender of the consumer. Yes, marketers. Women are different from men. Yes, we think differently. Yes, we buy differently. And yes, we run our businesses differently.

Weston covers much of our “differences” in his article. But, his facts, supported by great research, are just that – facts garnered on surveys. I like surveys. I like facts and statistics. However, I like talking face-to-face to people, better. A small group of women meeting for lunch can tell you more than all the fact-finding surveys in the world.

If you want to know how your women customers think, and how they perceive your product, including how they go about the buying process, invite 25 of them to lunch and listen to what they chat about.

The 3.25 Billion women of this planet are rising up to be heard. We’re working together to make life better for all of us, not just for “our children.” It’s your job, Sr. Marketer, to figure us out. First step, read Weston, read Lip-sticking, then… ask us personally how much of what you’ve read is true.

You may be surprised.

By Guest Blogger, Donna DeClemente, Donna’s Promo Talk

Dove is one of my favorite brands and also a brand that I have written about quite often on my blog. They have been pioneers in utilizing social media as a way to market to women online and in creating awareness of their brand and their Campaign for Real Beauty which they first launched back in 2004.

Dove’s latest focus of this campaign is called the Dove Movement for Self-Esteem which has a huge goal of creating a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety. The movement has been providing women with tools to help them take action and inspire each other as well as the girls in their lives.

Here are some simple things that Dove is inviting us women to do to help spread the message:

Join the movement here and watch their Vision in Action video.

Share what you wish you’d known at 13 with the next generation. Try and think back and remember what it was like to be 13, a very important time in finding our own self esteem. Dove is inviting women to share their message here or tweet the message to @Dove with the hashtag #dovedifference. You can also read some of the many messages other women have left. Here are a few:

@mmc67 don’t ever take one single minute you spend with someone you love for granted #dovedifference

@simplybcreative:The best is yet to be…#dovedifference

Here’s mine:  @ddeclemente: Be true to who you are and what you believe in and you will love yourself and be loved.

Once you share a message Dove provides tools to easily share it via Facebook, Twitter and email.

Dove is also planning the Dove Self-Esteem Weekend Oct 22nd – 24th and asking us to save the date. To stay updated on this event and to find out more ways to get involved, people can sign up through Facebook, on their Twitter Page, the Dove Movement website as well as their blog. They are providing suggestions for the weekend and women are sharing what they are planning.

According to Dove research, the self-esteem tipping point happens when the transition to teenage years results in the loss of trust and communication with adults. 67% of girls ages 13-17 turn to their mother as a resource when feeling badly about themselves compared to 91% of girls ages 8-12.

So, now we all have the opportunity to make a difference in a young girl’s self-esteem by sharing our messages of advice and encouragement with the next generation.