Great  content in the form of videos, posts, and blogs is important. But if no one is engaging with you, maybe they need to be told what to do. In this short video I explain how easily it is to implement a Call to Action:

• Ask for the like.

• Ask people to share.

• Ask for comments.

• Remind people to Subscribe.

Works like a charm. Which call to action works best for you?

Decrease overwhelm. Raise your hand if you want to do this, because I do. Here’s the conundrum of being a social media manager – not only do you come up with content and interesting, consistent marketing tips for your clients – after all you are being paid – but you have to continue to publish great stuff about yourself at the same time. And remember, there are only 24 hours in a day.

So, I have come  up with some great coping mechanisms and systems that help me stay on track and thought I would share them in the event you feel overwhelmed with social media.

1) GetPocket.com – you know all those blogs and articles you want to read but have no time? This application lets you store them in one file in your browser to read at a later date. No need to bookmark – just “pocket” them. Love it!

2) Exercise – at least 45 minutes a day. And I mean breaking a sweat and really getting the heart pumping. I find this stimulates my brain power and helps me stay on track.

3) Sign up for an online class or webinar that teaches you something about your industry. I’ve done that twice in the past month because there is always someone who knows more than me and have learned a ton of new techniques and time saving methods.

4) If you work from home – take a nap if you can. I find a 30 minute snooze is refreshing and re-energizing.

5) Use a scheduler for your posts. There are many on the market. I use Sidekick because I manage several different accounts and do not want to mistakenly cross-post to another client’s account. A  huge time-saver.

6) Have a glass of wine when it’s 6:00 p.m. Enough said about that.

On a serious note, as an entrepreneur with no support staff except my Virtual Assistant, it is so easy to get overwhelmed to the point of shutting down sometimes.  My Virgo work ethic kicks in and before I know it, hours have passed and I have not gotten up from my desk to have lunch or take a break.

Scheduling “me” time into my work week makes me more productive. Lightening up by chatting with my Facebook friends for a few minutes helps. Attending my in-person networking groups twice a week breaks up the monotony of being in my office – and I get some  great referrals, too.

What do you when you feel your cup is overflowing and you feel like shutting down? How do you regroup and get back on track? Would love your feedback and stories. Share them here.

Back in 2007 when I first began my social media journey, I signed up for LinkedIn. And, only because someone sent me an invitation to connect. I had no clue what I was doing. It seemed like a good idea at the time, so I posted a resume-like profile and never went back to visit it – for almost a year.  How many of you have done that with social media sites?

Well, we won’t get into slapping hands because I know many people do the exact same thing. Until something happens – like the downturn in the economy in 2008. Or, you get laid off and find yourself having to look for work or, you decide to begin your own business and realize that social media is basically a fabulous free way to advertise so you jump on the bandwagon and dive into places like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest and eventually LinkedIn. In my opinion, LinkedIn gets a bad rap.

Often referred to as the “blue suit” of all the social media sites, many direct sales people ignore the power of LinkedIn. Many entrepreneurs also think they belong on a more exciting site, like the above-mentioned ones. Now, I am far from an expert about LinkedIn, but I do know the power of having 80 million pairs of eyeballs on my profile page.  And, every second of every day someone new is joining  LinkedIn. Convinced yet that you may need to reconsider giving LinkedIn a serious once-over?

One of the benefits of being the host of my internet radio show, The Social Networking NewsHour, is the opportunity I have to interview experts in the industry. And I did just that this past week when Kristina Jaramillo joined me. Kristina is a powerhouse of information and we already decided she is coming back on the air with me this summer.  Not only was she knowledgeable, but she generously shared so much information with my audience that even I was  furiously taking notes!

You can listen to the entire podcast here.

Some quick pointers you can implement immediately on LinkedIn:

1. Write your profile in the first person – and tell your story. People want to know about you as a person, not just read a stiff online resume.

2. The headline under your name is not set in stone; change it frequently and use descriptive words.

3. When writing your summary, brag about your achievements, show results, cite case studies.

4. Always post clickable links in your summary. You can link to your free reports, email opt-in lists, telesummits – just about anything to gain more exposure and direct people to the interesting content on your website.

5. Start a LinkedIn Group. But be sure you are involved consistently. This is a great way to attract like-minded people and show your expertise, get to know people in  your industry, and attract others who may need your product or service.

Finally, Kristina was generous enough to share a link to a fabulous free report. Pick it up here:  Free14LinkedInMistakesReport.com.  And if you want to grab some LinkedIn Templates, visit: InstantLinkedInMarketingTemplates.com.

What are your experiences with LinkedIn? Have they been good for your business or do you focus your attention elsewhere?  Please share!

Laurie Hurley is a social media mentor, consultant, coach, speaker and radio show host. You can visit  and connect with her on LinkedIn.

So many social media platforms, so little time. This is what I hear frequently from my social media clients.  And that is why I say thirty five minutes once or twice a day is enough to make an impact in the social universe.  Deliver great content and be consistent.

I find myself gravitating more towards Google Plus these days and wrote about that in my blog Why Google + Deserves Some Love back in January. Two months have passed and my Community on Google Plus is growing.  You can join my Community – Social Media Solutions and Strategy and be part of a group of folks who share lots of good stuff. We have themes most days because I like to mix up the content and attract people to interact and contribute. 

This past week on The Social Networking NewsHour the topic of discussion was Google Plus and several excellent point were raised by my guest Tina Reed Johnson. Definitely worth repeating, although you can download the podcast by clicking here.

• Google Plus is owned by Google, the number one search engine in the world, need I say more?

• Connecting to and finding new friends is easier on Google Plus due to their powerful search engine.

• The “circle” concept of grouping people in different categories is genius. What you would share with one circle, you don’t have to share with everyone so you can laser focus your messages.

• Using Hangouts, a video conferencing option, is easy and fun and a terrific way to deliver your message live or just have a chat with a group of followers.

• Creating a Community and being the moderator is fabulous. Your Community can be anything from attracting  your niche market to a hobby you like. The purpose is drawing a targeted group of people together to share ideas.

• Videos and pictures are larger and more inviting than on Facebook; more impactful.

• On Google Plus you can edit your posts on your profile or your page; Facebook only allows editing on your personal page.

• The search benefits far surpass Facebook and you can use hashtags to find people or pages in Google Plus.

These are just some of the cool benefits of using Google Plus. So, get yourself a Gmail account (you will need one to use G+) and get involved.  Your business will thank you.

Are you on Google Plus? What has been your experience? Please share in the comments.

Laurie Hurley is a social media consultant and mentor who has a passion for helping newbie social media users and baby boomers find their voice and comfort level online. Check out her Social Networking Made Simple Membership group.

Being an entrepreneur has so many upsides, it would be difficult for me to list them all right here without going over the 500 word limit I have for my blog posts.  I could probably fill an entire notebook with the reasons I love working for myself. What disturbs me though is when I meet other single business owners and they do not appear to be satisfied; in fact some are darn right negative about running their own business and it shows in many ways. Poor preparation at a networking meeting, slovenly appearance, disorganized, no follow up; generally not easy to do business with. I say to those folks, get a real job!

But, how do you fall in love with your work? Here are some surefire ways to know for sure that you and your business are a good match:

1) You show up smiling, positive, upbeat – online, in person, on the phone, on your business cards (yes, put a photograph on  your business card) and in all of your advertising.

2) You are monetizing something you are passionate about while helping people solve their problems. Whether it is being a landscaper or a high-level business coach, you are easing a pain your target audience is experiencing and have a deep sense of fulfillment every single day.

3) You self-educate.  Webinars, telesummits, conferences – you choose wisely and attend to network (of course!) but also to learn something new in your industry and you don’t complain that you have committed to an online course or need to travel somewhere for two nights. You soak up the information like a sponge and return to your office totally pumped and ready to implement.

4) You have mastered the fine art of time management. Your systems are in place, you have outsourced if necessary and you do not work 75 hours a week. Quality time invested in your business, sometimes at odd hours, turns you on and keeps you going day after day. You are never bored.

Two people that are in love with each other and their business are Joe and Laurie Battaglia of Living The Dream Coaches. The name says it all, right? Joe and Laurie were on my internet radio show this past week and they shared what it’s like to work together every day. Baby boomers who found each other after being married for over twenty years to someone else, Joe and Laurie share a passion for helping people find their passion in relationships and business. Every one of their clients get this dynamic duo when they come to the Battaglia’s for coaching.   Their skill sets balances  each other perfectly and they certainly are living their dream of being deeply in love with each other and their job. You can listen to the entire broadcast here.

Ask yourself what you love the most about what  you do.   Is going to “work” something you avoid or something you immerse yourself in like a warm bubble bath and say “ahhhhh?”  Share  your comments below.

Laurie Hurley is a social media mentor and consultant, totally in love with her business. She has an active membership group online where she shares her love for social media daily. Check it out here.

The beginning of the New Year promises tons of emails hitting your inbox offering a new teleseries, webinar, coaching program – you name it – I bet you have received something from someone who has your email soliciting your attention under the guise of a free call.

Honestly, I did a free preview call last week for my Social Networking Made Simple membership group.  Coaches and entrepreneurs need to self-promote as I discussed in my blog a few weeks ago, however, this past week over twenty offers for free stuff crossed my inbox. What to do? Read them all, participate in everything?

Since my byline is Overcome Your Overwhelm, I would like to share my strategy on how to sort through the offers, the invitations, and the emails in order to make a sound business decision that will benefit you and your business.

1) Do you know the person making the offer?  Sounds simple enough, right. And by know I mean do you have some kind of relationship with them online or off? Do you like and trust them? If the answer is no to any of the above, unsubscribe.

2) Do you need what they are offering? Are they solving a pressing pain, problem or predicament you have, and, here is the key  - have you actively been searching for a solution?Is solving this problem on the top of your priority list? You may not need their offer immediately; in this case inquire as to when the class or call will be happening again. Put it on the back burner, in other words.

3) Sounds obvious, but have to ask. Is their program in your marketing budget?  Yes, I know the email says free call, but there is usually some kind of special offer with a bonus included. Do you have the money to invest? Is a payment plan going to be offered?

4) How much time will the new program take? As entrepreneurs, budgeting time is just as important as budgeting money.  If you commit, can you follow through?

5) Avoid being a serial student. Smart marketers know exactly how to catch your attention. Never sign up immediately. Sleep on it. Read through the email again and refer to points 1-4 above before making a decision.

As a social media coach, I have two coaches. Two people I like and trust who have delivered for me time and time again.  And I discovered them via the free call. I strongly believe in signing up for preview programs when the circumstances fit my budget, my time constraints and my interest level, and the needs of my business. Reviewing your business plan (and I certainly hope you have one) before spending time and money is essential.

How many programs have you signed up for that you never completed or found to be a total waste of  your time? What did you participate in that was a life-changer for you? Please tell your story!

Laurie Hurley is a social  media consultant and hostess of The Social Networking NewsHour on internet radio. She offers a preview call for her programs, but only to those who have opted in to her list!

I debated for weeks about whether to invite three of my Social Networking Made Simple members on my radio show last Wednesday. Because I subscribe to the 80/20 or 90/10 rule on social media. Eighty or ninety percent of the time I  should be giving great tips, tricks, techniques and content to my audience and the remaining time can be spent promoting an offer, a class, teleseries, webinar, and just plain tooting my own horn.

If you follow me on Twitter or my Facebook pages or even Pinterest, you will quickly discover that I rarely self-promote. Sure, I share lots of information, give great advice and freely share my knowledge about all things social media, but it is rare that I come right out and say, “I am really good at what I do, so buy from me.”

Truth is too many people do that, or, they inundate you with emails, squeeze pages, a new class or whatever they happen to be promoting. I hate that kind of approach. To me it seems sleazy, pushy, invasive. If enough people get to know me, either in person, or online, they will naturally gravitate to me, right? WRONG!

Late last year, my business coach and I sat down and mapped out my marketing strategies for my newly created membership group which included using my radio show, The Social Networking NewsHour to invite three members on- air live to share their experiences learning from me. I squirmed in my chair and felt uncomfortable devoting an entire hour to hearing people sing my praises.  My coach said it was nothing more than a testimonial from three happy members.  I mulled it over and decided to do it.

The podcast is here, you can listen for yourself to what they said. After the show was done and I begin tweeting about it and sharing the link, I realized it was not a bad thing to do. Maybe I’ll do this once a quarter. I listened to the show and was happy I did it.

How do you self-promote? Are you uncomfortable, or is it a natural thing for you to do on a regular basis? What social media venues do you use for promoting your services? Please share!

Memorial Day has come and gone. For the first time in several years, I decided to unplug from Facebook for two days. That probably is not a big deal for most people, but since I am a social media coach, it was a challenge.  For forty-eight hours, I was so tempted to peek at my Facebook stream. Especially since I was actually working in Facebook on some of  my clients’ pages. But I restrained myself and discovered there really is an upside.  Here are my top five realizations:

1) Shameless and constant self-promotion by the usual suspects was not on my radar!  I didn’t miss that at all.

2) Being offline gives one an incredible amount of focus. Now, I am a fabulous multi-tasker, and usually have several internet browsers open at once. So, my life was very uncomplicated for the past two days. A pretty relaxing feeling.

3) Returning to a novel I began several months ago was a welcome distraction from checking my iPad before I dozed off to sleep.  Going for my morning run without thinking about what someone posted and if and when I was going to respond was a nice feeling of freedom.

4)  Facebook is not the end-all of Social Media engagement. I love Twitter and You Tube, too so I had a chance to schedule some Tweets and come up with a new video series for the summer. And, a big bonus, I wasn’t subjected to all the ads that come up on the side of the page, related to whatever words I was typing. Nice!

5) Even though I schedule my time on Facebook every day – I found myself with extra time to do things around the office that needed my attention. I was productive and free from getting caught up in chats with my friends.

Bottom line, as I always tell my coaching clients, it’s important to be consistent on Social Media. Taking weeks off is not recommended. Taking two days off will not hurt  your marketing strategy if you regularly engage with your audience.  My stream was waiting for me, as well as several messages and friend requests. Nice to know I was missed!

Have you ever taken a break from Social Media? How did it work out? If you use Social Media for business, did you feel guilty that you were not online?  Please share your experience.

Laurie Hurley is the Founder of The Social Networking Navigator and spends most of her days online coaching her clients or marketing her business. She also sets her timer regularly so she doesn’t get sucked in to Social Media and advises her clients to do the same.