It’s nice to find a post like this that narrows it down for you and breaks down some of the features so you can quickly decide which tools seem like they would be a good fit and try them.

We asked social media experts for their most valuable tool for small businesses using social media.  Here are 13 tools to help you execute your social media strategy effectively.

Social Media Examiner

Although this is a pretty good list, I have to add that they are missing one of my favorites Sprout Social. I love the simplicity of Sprout Social and most of all their reporting. So while you are looking at this list of recommendations, make sure you you keep Sprout Social on your list.(Yes, I am an affiliate but even if I wasn’t, I would still add this recommendation.)

Learn about the 13 tools…

Apps

Google Cloud Print - very cool application. Print from anywhere to any device!

Google Alerts - great tool to monitor your online presence, competitors or a specific topic you are interested in. You can have alerts emailed to you daily or once a week.

Google Tasks – I use a project management software but sometimes I need a quick to-do list or a to-do list for the next couple hours. Pull this up right within Gmail. A very handy tool while you are going through emails or organizing your day.

Goo.gl URL Shortener – Need to shorten those long URL’s for your social updates? This is another great tool. I actually use it more on my smartphone than online. The application on my Android lets you shorten URL’s and create QR codes to share with others.

Browser Extensions:

Bit.ly – I tend to use this URL shortener more on my computer mainly because it’s a browser extension. So while I am working, reading, or researching I can quickly click on the icon on my browser, shorten the URL and share it!

Rapportive – Love this! This helps you connect with more people you converse with via email. Rapportive is a Gmail application and gives you a profile with contact information right within your email. If the contact uses social media, and you have not connected with them, you can do right then and there.

WiseStamp – an email application that allows you to create a custom signature with other applications you can add to it to promote different things like your Twitter feed, blog feed, social profiles and more.

Boomerang -  handy tool that lets you control when your email are sent, receive reminders if you don’t hear back from someone, and receive reminders to follow up with contacts. An application for Gmail and Outlook.

SEOmoz Toolbar - a Firefox and Chrome browser extension that helps you boost your SEO. Access SEO tools and data right from your toolbar.

Add This - They offer both a browser extension for Chrome and the ability to add share buttons to your site with simple html coding. The extension is a great tool for when you want to quickly share something you are viewing on social networks or news sites.

You can find many more browser extensions and applications on the Chrome Store (you must be using Chrome as your browser to access this).

Are there any applications you use or browser extensions that help you be more productive in your day?

Lifetime Marketing is simply the strategy of marketing to current customers and qualified prospects in a way that builds personal equity in and passion for a brand.*

Passion. I love that word. How can you make your customers just as passionate about your business as you are?

Jeannette McMurtry in “Big Business Marketing with Small Business Budgets” gives eight ways:

• Make your customers feel important
• Standing behind their promises and perceived promises (even when the customer is wrong)
• Getting to know customers inside out
• Offering customers exactly what they need when they need it
• Providing exceptional customer service and convenience based-services
• Educating customers about a particular product category so that they can make informed decisions
• Treating customers like partners rather than revenue streams
• Communicating to customers through appropriate channels and messages

So why would you want your customers to have this passion?

Passionate customers:

• Talk positively and frequently about your brand
• Look forward to their next interaction with your brand
• Look forward to their next purchase of you products
• Are the first to try your new products and services
• Are understanding if at first you do not get all products features working right.
• Defend your brand and products to critics and users of competing products (I fight iPhone lovers all the time about why Android is so much better!)

These customers are your brand ambassadors. They will be your best word-of-mouth marketers. And, they will be loyal keeping you in business. Lifetime Marketing makes you a lifetime business.

Your Turn:

Are you focusing on revenues now or in creating a lifetime business?

What are some ways you can start creating lifetime marketing?

I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment!

Unfortunately, self-employment is not for everyone. Managing time, marketing yourself, sacrifices all relate to being self-employed and sometimes it’s just not easy. And neither is consistent self-motivation.

Self-employment is ..well with just yourself. There is no one else that will motivate you during those days you rather sleep longer, call it quits on the whole business thing, stay on Facebook or at a lunch meeting just a little bit longer?

A damper on self-motivation can be not getting the results you want, when you want; not getting the responses you want from clients or just not knowing how to get something done. All of these lead to frustration causing thoughts of quitting or just setting you back with lack of motivation.

Some tips for preventing lack of self-motivation:

• Do what you are passionate about. When you love what you do, it is easy to be motivated to do it every single day.
• Planning or mind mapping are great ways to get your thoughts out of just your mind and visually look at your goals or plans
•  Stay positive. Positive thoughts bring positive results.

You could try the these three as well:

• Business coaching
• An accountability partner
• A mastermind group or Meetup.com networking group

Now It’s Your Turn:

• How do you stay self motivated to be able to be self employed?
• Are you thinking about self-employment but struggle with self-motivation

I would love to hear your thoughts!

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Please help us keep the networking moving this week by sharing the link to the news post, “40+ Women to Network with Today on LinkedIn”, with your female business associates. You will be entered into a drawing to win an online newsroom, $800 value, on the Women’s News Bureau, to not only promote your company but your clients as well. The drawing will be held Oct. 14. Post the link to “40+ Women to Network with Today on LinkedIn”, (http://bit.ly/40linkedin), in your LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ & Facebook streams. Then invite each of the women listed in the “40+ Women to Network with Today on LinkedIn” to connect and strike up a virtual conversation. Once you’ve completed the two tasks, send a message to Jerrilynn B. Thomas, founder of the Women’s News Bureau, jerrilynnbthomas@womenpartner.org.

Source: Women’s News Bureau