The Smart-Savvy Entrepreneur's Download - an issue you don't want to miss!

February 17, 2009

VOL 1. Issue No. 5

"Using the VCP Strategy So Your Social Networking Isn't DOA"

Greetings!

Are your social networking efforts dead on arrival? If so, you might benefit from a jolt of VCP. An acronym coined by Rick Itzkowich, co-founder and vice president of Productive Learning & Leisure, VCP stands for Visibility - Credibility - Profitability. "In simple terms, this means that people need to first know who you are. Then they need to trust you. It's only when they both know and trust you that they comfortably buy from you. Trying to move from visibility to profitability without earning credibility doesn't work," explains Itzkowich.

Let's now examine each of these aims individually to uncover the ways they can be leveraged in the social networking sphere.

Visibility - Have you joined a myriad of social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Blogger, Twitter, WordPress, etc.) to no measurable benefit? Then chances are you're not making yourself visible on them. You see, it's not enough to merely join theses sites. Once you've signed up for membership, you have to put yourself out there and maximize their opportunities.

Think of these sites like your local Chamber of Commerce - without the associated price tag, of course. Subscribing is just the first step in your networking agenda. As a member, you have to show up for meetings, attend seminars and hobnob with other members to derive any real success from the Chamber.

Once you've registered with a social networking site, dive right in by signing in with your username and password. Once you've gained access, start poking around and seeing what the site has to offer. Don't be shy. After all, social networkers are a social bunch. Put yourself out there and get visible!

Credibility - Now that other social networking members know you're out there, why should they trust you as an expert? Social networking sites provide the perfect forum in which to establish your platform.

The "American Heritage Dictionary" defines the word platform as "a place, means, or opportunity for public expression of opinion. As you professionally express yourself at these social networking sites, people begin to trust you as an authority on the topic(s) you tend to focus on. Over time, that trust leads to profitability, which just happens to be the third and final ingredient in the VCP equation.

Profitability - After putting forth all this social networking effort, at the end of the day, what you really want to gain is financial reward. So as you build your platform, do so around a product or service that you can actually sell.

We're not talking pushy sales tactics here either. In your social media profile, simply list a link or contact information for other members to inquire about what you have to offer. As credibility unfolds, such inquiries will happen naturally. It's the perfect example of how handing out free pieces of advice can lead to financial rewards down the road.

VCP may be just the life-saving strategy the social networking doctor ordered. Want to jump to the next level of expertise to pump up your profits even more? Then tune in to Lisa Almeida's "Email Marketing Made Simple" teleseminar. She will share why NOT using it may be costing you a bundle!