Blackberry, I-phone or Droid? ….Ipad or Galaxy Tab? ….Netbook or Thinkpad? ….Top Producer or Act? .... Twitter or Linked In?
No matter what devices you currently use , (or which ones you want to own and use), you need to take inventory of them to assure yourself that you are getting the most from each of these business assets, and that they are working together for you …and not against you.
First question to ask yourself is …What do I want to accomplish with these assets? Is it to become more efficient and save time … Is it to wow your clients …Or is it to grow your business and income? A clear goal for each asset is imperative.
FAQ #1:
What is the best Smart Phone to own? My answer is “it depends”. I love the Blackberry for its simplistic interface and it workhorse ability to push out emails fast and efficiently…is it as cool as the I-phone or Android systems? Well no …but it works every time I need it to ...and that is a big plus for me.
FAQ #2:
I have agents come to me all the time and ask if they should purchase an Ipad? I own one and use it daily …here is a link to a good story on making that decision: http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/how_to_know_if_you_should_buy_an_ipad/
But I will add that if you are thinking of dissing your laptop for an Ipad …think twice. The Ipad is great for presentations on the go and gathering data from the web, but I have found it difficult at best for the creation of content.
FAQ #3:
What type of Data Base Management software should I use? …ok I know some of you are saying “Data Base What?” …What are you using to manage your book of business? (Your list of names or sphere of influence as some call it) …One of the first things you should consider this year is how effective are you currently managing your data base?
Have you refreshed your list by going through each person and checking the validity of mailing address, phone numbers and email addresses? Do you have each person on an “action plan” for contact for this year ….How often will you contact them and what is your system to remind you to contact them? What type of content will you be using for contact, and what will be the reason behind your voice to voice or face to face contacts?
These are all important things to consider about your Book Of Business … I personally use Top Producer and recommend it. http://www.topproducer.com/ … but there are other products out there for you to consider….
FAQ #4:
What Social Media Sites do I need to use? (This one could be an entire stand alone article!)
I feel each individual type of Social Media you use should have a specific purpose. The first thing you need to understand is …any type of Social Media Networking (SMN) takes time. I feel it is difficult for anyone to just “try” SMN …you can’t just sip from the SMN “river” you have to dive in and get waist deep in it. I feel this is the only way to see any real return on your investment.
You have to consider content and value when blogging or tweeting …you must also consider that some site users frown on business networking on certain sites …know the “flavor” of the site before you use it to market your business …Cross the wrong line and you may do more harm than good.
Lastly as with any marketing plan have ways to track your successes from each site …you may want to invest in a “closed loop website analytics” to track hits and requests.
http://www.closed-loop-marketing.com/analytics.php
I hope this will help you get all your digital assets working in harmony and help you start tracking each ones effectiveness and ability to work best for you …
Eddie Brown ©2011
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