I am easily inspired… that’s right, easily inspired by great ideas and strategies that will help me grow my business by helping others become successful. Yesterday, I interview one of my dearest online friends and business associates Tatyana Gann aka “Russian Diva” on the topic of Social Media 2.0 – listen to the reply here: Public Relations 2.0 Featuring Tatyana Gann

The interview was filled with great information and several resources to help you utilize public relations regardless of the size of your business or level of experience. I encourage you to listen to the show and take lots of notes, it was a content packed interview.

I would like to share a few thoughts of my own on the topic of how to leverage public relations and social media to drive traffic and build your list.

First, what is public relations?

Public Relations (or PR) is a field concerned with maintaining public image for high-profile people, commercial businesses and organizations, non-profit associations or programs. - wikipedia.org

Public Relations (PR) a promotion intended to create goodwill for a person or institution. – wordnetweb.princeton.edu

Second, what is social media?

Social Media are media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media use web-based technologies to transform and broadcast media monologues into social media dialogues. - wikipedia.org

Social Media are primarily Internet- and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. [1] The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, telecommunications and social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. - creativemediafarm.com

Methods to Leverage Social Media

1. Use “Third Party Endorsements” and “Social Proof” to Influence Your Audience

2. Use Traditional Media to Build Preeminence in Your Market

3. Use Public Relations to Drive Content to Your Social Media Networks

4. Use Social Media to Target Your Audience for News Releases

5. Use Social Media to Manage and Support Your Public Relations Campaigns and Manage Your Brand

Ways Which Public Relations Supports Your Brand

1. Provides a Proactive Method to Control Messages About You and Your Business

2. Provides You with a Platform to Establish One Way Communication with Your Online Audience

3. Provides a Funnel for You to Direct New Readers and Established Followers ANYWHERE on the Internet that You Desire

4. Provides a Platform to Manage What Others are Saying About You

5. Provides Your Brand Notoriety and Familiarity in Your Marketplace

In the coming days I will be posting a video presentation that will explain these strategies in much greater detail along with a list of resources that will allow you to effectively execute your own leveraged public relations and social media strategy.

Here are a few resources you may want to review as I will share some tips on these time saving results producing resources in the tools:

1. Hostgator – Website Hosting Discount Coupon Code: askjamesholmes

2. Scribe – SEO Plug in to optimize your content

3. SpyFu – To conduct keyword research in your niche

4. Tatyan Gann’s PR Traffic Secrets 2.0 Video Course

Please be sure to post a comment and let me know how you are using public relations or social media in your business. Be sure to view my free video training on this important topic in the next few days.

I am here to help you succeed in your business and life!

(c) Copyright 2008-2010 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

*************************

James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

Note: I am a Affiliate Marketer and it should be assumed that links provided within the content of this blog and individual blog post are affiliate links from which I may be compensated for sales made at the recommended sites. All products and service recommendations are made as a result of my personal experience with the product or service provider.

*************************
Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

Join me on Wednesday September 1st for a very special interview and webinar invitation featuring Tatyana Gann of Smokin Hot PR. We will be discussing strategies and tips to help you… become your own publishing juggernaut!

Learn how to …

Promote your product, e-book, services and personal brand

Find sources of inspiration for your marketing and brand messages

Identify new marketing methods and resources to breath new life into your business

How to leverage online methods to explode your offline business

Directly reach your targeted audience using PR 2.0

How to build a massive list through PR!

Here are the show details:

Show: The Internet Business Blueprint Podcast

When: Wednesday September 1st from 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST

Web-Host: Blog Talk Radio

Show Page: http://www.JamesHolmesRadio.com

Call In Number: 1 (646) 727-3058

Chat Room Open: Yes

Be sure to post a comment or share your experience with PR and Social Media. If you like this article and found it useful, please feel free to tweet it, share it on Facebook, or bookmark it using the resources posted below.

I am here to help you succeed in your business and life!

(c) Copyright 2008-2010 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

*************************

James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

*************************

Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

I have launched two new article sites Answers Junction and My Ezine World each will bring you tons of targeted traffic if you apply yourself and answer the questions that have been submitted by readers of the site. I recommend that you spend 10 minutes every-other day on each site.

Answers Junction is designed to provide web-surfers with authoritative answers to there questions in a variety of niches. I am going to provide you with a brief review of each site and then share a few ideas on how you can benefit from each site.

as I write this post there have been 2383 published answers and many more questions awaiting the expertise of the Internet community – perhaps you! Simply view the menu tabs on the home page, select a sub-catagory that you have specialized knowledge – for example “Internet Business + Traffic Generation” and answer questions that have been posted in that category.

If you have specialized knowledge in a niche that is not currently included on the site please leave a comment here or on the “Contact Us” form on the site and I will research your niche and consider adding it to Answers Junction.

Full access to the site is free and you can use as many articles as you need to maximize your viral marketing efforts.

Here are a few ways to leverage this site and drive traffic:

1. Post YOUR Answers on the posted question and include “deep links” on our comment registration form. This means that you link to a related article within your blog, not just your home page URL. If you have not authored a post that is a perfect match, find something similar and link that post.

2. Copy the question and your answer reply URL and send it out with a Tweet – Twitter is very powerful!

3. Bookmark the posted questions and answers on your favorite social bookmarking sites.

4. Write reviews on your blog on articles that interest you.

5. Record a video by reading the question and answering the question into your webcam and post a link to your answer in the reply.

This site will evolve over time and I would encourage you to check back frequently. Shortly, I will be adding a subscribe via RSS feature so that you will be updated as soon as new questions in need of answers becomes available.

I am here to help you succeed in your business and life!

Be sure to check out the site: http://AnswersJunction.com

(c) Copyright 2008-2010 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

*************************

James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

*************************

Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

I love innovative new social media sites that provide marketers and social media types – like me… the opportunity to leverage to my work and build value for my brand. My friends Tim Linden and Jon Olson showed me this cool site that just launched and I signed up and created a profile right away.

The site is called IM faceplate and it is a very simple site to set-up and create your profile. IM Faceplate allows you to leverage all of your social media properties, RSS feeds, videos, podcast, and personal links. The site has a very clean interface and is monetized to earn commissions for you by adding your ClickBank user ID.

Let me tell you why I like IM faceplate. First, I like the focus as it allows you to quickly build a social network of marketers and develop professional relationships. From there the sky is the limit, strategic partners, JV opportunities, new clients and more!

In addition to the pure opportunity for business, I love the way in which you can utilize this site and community of marketers to brand yourself. As I begin to explore this site and develop creative strategies for marketing with the site – I will let you know.

To Join IM faceplate go here: IM faceplate Free Account

I am here to help you succeed online and achieve your ideal Internet lifestyle!

Be Sure to Visit My Profile: http://www.imfaceplate.com/JamesHolmes

(c) Copyright 2008-2010 James A. Holmes. All Rights Reserved.

*************************

James Holmes, Global Team Builder, Coach and Trainer, combining online and offline techniques to help you grow your business. To request a free 30 minute consultation contact James by phone at 303-523-9503 or email at james@AskJamesHolmes.com

*************************

Note: If you’d like to reprint this article on your blog or in your newsletter you have permission to do so as long as the copyright information and the resource box above remains with the article.

*************************