Texting, Tweeting & Talking

It is hard to pick up a newspaper or watch television without reading or hearing about the social networking phenomena that is now reaching into the business community.

The question is whether it is worthwhile for small-business owners and advertisers to invest time, money and effort into the social media platforms on the Internet. It is a question that has yet to be answered succinctly, but many small business owners have decided not to wait it out, and rather to begin using these social tools to promote their businesses. At that point, another question arises. Which social media platform should be used? Internet users have more than 400 social media platforms to consider.

Wading through these options can be confusing for small business owners, and it may help them to use a tested social media advertising strategy. To that end, there are six essential platforms that, when combined, will escalate your social advertising campaign on search engines.

A targeted social media strategy incorporates not only social tools, but also your website and PPC campaigns in order to dominate the first page of search engine results. Essentially this formula will make you the only choice as far as the searcher and Google are concerned.

The first step is to set up a LinkedIn account for your business. Linked In is a popular business profile social media that ranks very well in search engines and allows you to send event updates to business associates. If you choose one main search phrase in your LinkedIn profile and use it frequently, it will boost your rankings in the search engines.

The next step is to set up a page for your business on Facebook using the same search phrase. It is possible to connect your blog to your Facebook page so that posts show on your wall. You can use Facebook to invite people to corporate events, send messages, and share photos and videos.

Another social community you will want to use is MySpace which also ranks very well in the search engines. Once again, use the same search phrase in your profile so that your MySpace ranks high in the search engines for that phrase.

The next step is to create a corporate YouTube account. You Tube is the main video-sharing platform where you can publish client video testimonials how to videos and any other type of link bait which will lure people back to your Web site. Once again, be sure to use the keyword search phrase in your video title and description.

As you may have already heard, every small business should have a corporate blog because search engines love blogs. They have plenty of content and are easy for the spiders to crawl and categorize online. Blogs usually contain a lot of educational information that attracts visitors and elicits trust in online shoppers. Once again, try to use the same search phrase in your blog titles and content, while still making it readable and useful.

Finally, set up a Twitter account. Twitter is a microbloging site that limits posts to 140 characters. Use the same keyword phrase in your Tweets. You can add a Twitter plugin which will update your Facebook wall with your tweets. Best of all, Twitter posts rank well in the search engines.

With the combination of these six social advertising platforms, your keyword phrase has a much better chance of dominating the first page of Google.

H1N1 - What happens when it makes a visit to your office?

The Center for Disease Control estimates that the H1N1 flu virus may affect 3 out of 10 people this year. Is your office properly staffed to have 1/3 of its workers missing? Preplanning can prevent a major disruption.

Planning contingency plans for this year’s flu season makes a lot of sense. If the Swine Flu hit your state in the spring, it is likely that it will hit again harder this winter, and linger through March. Most employees who contract the flu are out of work for at least five days.

However, for employers that is just the tip of the iceberg for flu-related absences. Employers must manage the absences and schedule work projects around die-hard employees who return to work when still ill and then have a relapse. There are also employees who need to take days off to care for a sick young child or an elderly parent.

Fly season also takes a toll on productivity. Employees on medication loose focus and can not concentrate. Insurance company estimates place the cost of sick employees continuing to work at 4 times as expensive as the cost of absent employees.

So how can employers prepare for the flu to strike their workforce? Here are a few common sense ideas:

· Encourage employees to wash their hands more often.
· Encourage employees to get a flu shot from their physicians. The vaccine for Swine Flu may not be available until after November, but the normal flu vaccine is available now.
· Subsidize the cost of the flu shot for all employees who receive it.
· Encourage employees to take several days off to recover from the flu at home.
· Create flexible work schedules so that employees can work from home while taking care of sick dependants. This can keep a project on schedule.
· Make staffing contingency plans. A call center or temporary staffing agency can keep work running smoothly and actually save the company money.

Give Time Communications a call to discuss ways your company can prepare for the upcoming flu season so that you will not be left in the cold.

Cost Effective Uses for a 24 Hour Answering Service

Using a 24 Hour Answering Service is a cost effective way to communicate with customers. Answering service representatives are highly trained professionals who can answer calls the way a business wants them to be answered, and it pleases customers because of the prompt and direct correspondence. The cost savings of a 24 Hour Answering Service vs. handling calls in house are significant, and there are many uses for the service.

If a business chooses to establish their own in house staff for 24 Hour Answering Services, there are many costs involved. In addition to the time it takes to recruit and hire a staff, there are start up resources, equipment needs, and space preparations to be made to accommodate personnel. Salary and benefit costs for customer service representatives are considerable, and the staff needs to be trained and managed. Positions need to be filled for the training and management of the staff, furthering the time and dollar investment.

When using an outsourced 24 Hour Answering Service, it is not just having the individual agents who are already trained and prepared to take calls almost immediately, but the management is already in place. It also increases efficiency working with an answering service because they can customize a plan based upon a company’s needs and budget.Some of the cost effective uses for an answering service are overflow, weekend and holiday coverage, dispatch services, regular hours receptionist, medical service, and message delivery.

Grace Enderlein is a freelance writer and editor. “Cost Effective Uses for a 24 Hour Answering Service” outlines the cost advantages of using an answering service provided by Timecommunication.com.

Inbound Call Center Services Aid Real Estate Businesses

Using a live operator to answer calls for a real estate business instead of voicemail,answering machines, or automationincreases leads and leaves customers satisfied. Utilizing inbound call center services can be the difference between obtaining and losing customers. Live coverage for their office phones makes a great impression for potential and existing clients, and a business can lose calls if a live operator does not pick up.

Real estate agents are constantly out their offices dealing with showings, closings, and client meetings. Customers deserve a live response, and using an inbound call center service projects a professional image. They can act as a personal secretary for a real estate agent, at a small fraction of the cost of hiring one. Using a service makes live communication available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for customers.

Real estate is a competitive business, especially in a challenged economy, so every tool to gain an advantage over a competitor is helpful. There is a significant home inventory on the market, and there are qualified buyers out there. They just may be more difficult to find, so it is a disappointing loss if a lead falls through because a machine answered their call. A real estate business needs a competitive edge, and every interaction with customers needs to be personalized and productive.

There are many companies today providing inbound call center services. These companies handles inbound call center services and can aid in the real estate business by handling customers professionally and warmly. These companies supply live agents who can deal with leads knowledgeably, and can also send requested information by mail or email. Their representatives can take calls and then email, fax, or transfer the call, or follow any customized instructions.

Grace Enderlein is a freelance writer and editor. “Inbound Call Center Services Aid Real Estate Businesses” notes the competitive advantage that a live call center service provided by Timecommunication.com gives a real estate business

How Companies Can Use Call Centers for Disasters and Disaster Recovery

There are times during unexpected circumstances that a company or organization needs more assistance than they can possibly handle. During a disaster or a disaster recovery mission when more hands are needed then are available a call center can step in to handle call overflow.

Call overflow can be handled with a call center with speed, responsiveness, and simplicity. During a disaster and disaster recovery there is no time to waste. The call center live operators are ready 24/7 and are professionally trained and well educated representatives. They are trained to work responsively as if extension of your company or organization.

No one knows what to expect during a disaster and disaster recovery but the best thing is to be prepared for the unexpected. Having the call center ready to handle the call overflow can mean that your calls will not go unanswered at a time of need.

How Live Operators Improve Customer Service and Customer Perceptions

In an age of automated answering and one-way voice mail conversations, it’s reassuring to know there are still dedicated people, live operators, ready to answer your caller's questions and point them in the right direction.

You can hear it when a live operator answers your calls, you can almost hear then smile. You can feel it as you witness people again and again making the extra effort to do their best. Your customers will appreciate the quality and special care they get from a live operator. It will reinforce that you care about your customers and it will show in your customer satisfaction time and time again.

Who wouldn’t rather speak with a live operator then with an automated voice? A live operator takes the extra time to listen carefully to your callers. They think about the caller's needs and ask the right questions to verify information. Most importantly, they work hard to insure you receive the information when, and how, you need it. Live operators improve your customer service ratings. There is doubt that your customers will get quality customer service from a professionally trained live operator. Customer perception and quality customer service will keep your business on top.