Unless you have had your head in the sand for the last 10 years, we are all very aware of the bullying problems seen in schools and colleges. We are all saddened to turn on the news to see stories of teen suicides, school shootings and violence caused by bullying.

As parents we all gasp, thank the Lord it is not our child, then sit down and talk to our kids about being nice. We tell them we will not put up with bullying and why can’t you just all get along?

Well I want to bring up a serious situation that I have been watching online in the last few months, that really worries me. It is online bullying!!!

And guess what?

It is not kids who are doing it. It is adults, educated business owners and people respected in their communities. It is 30 year old men and women who are name calling, making fun of competitors and banning people from secret clubs online. They are groups of online friends teaming up to make a point and virtually laying a beating on a person.

Well I just want to give my 2 cents on the topic:

For anyone who has taken my class, you all know that I do not like confrontation. I don’t post about politics, religion ect. I make it a point to keep my personal views out of my business. I am known to unfollow people who cause drama.

I know my strategy does not work for everyone and some businesses need to be out there.I am not one bit against standing up for our beliefs. I also am a strong believer in being who you are and not changing for anyone.

BUT

I also believe that we can’t expect our children to learn to get along. To learn to be caring, loving, accepting people unless we model the same behavior.

And if that doesn’t make you think twice, maybe you should stop and think how those actions reflect on your business, employees and industry. Remember the person who is being the bully is not fooling anyone. We all see it. We remember it and it will affect how people react to you in the long run. It may not affect your business initially but eventually it will come back and bite you in the wallet.

“What if the kid you bullied at school, grew up, and turned out to be the only surgeon who could save your life?” 
― Lynette Mather

Tagged In:Bullying, business, Cyber Bullying, social media

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New Timeline Covers, What Is and Isn’t Allowed?

According to Facebook, Timelines can NOT contain:

•  Sale or price ( 10% off or BOGO)
•  Contact information,address or web address
•  Call to actions like “sign up today”
•  They must also represent the page and not be misleading, deceptive or infringe on someone else’s copyright.

So What Should The Timeline Have?

Well, the timeline should be visually appealing, eye catching and branded to your business. Although it is easy to upload any old image as a header, it is worth every cent to have a custom design created to flow with your other branding.

What Content Can You Include In Your Timeline?

• Business name
• Tag line
• Company logo (this could be in your profile image or timeline cover)
• Images (your most popular products, store front, staff image)

What Size Is The Cover Image?

An ideal timeline image is 851 pixels wide, 315 pixels tall and less than 100 kilobytes.  Your profile picture which is 133 pixels wide by 74 pixels tall, spaced 24 pixels from the left edge of the cover photo, which means your timeline image must be designed to allow for this break.

How Do You Upload The Timeline Cover?

1. Log into your page
2. Mouse over your existing timeline image, click on “Change Cover” on the lower right side of image
3. Select “Upload Image”, browse to where you have saved the image on your computer
4. Save changes

(If you do not have a timeline yet, click the timeline preview button at the top of your page to activate)

How Often Should You Change Your Timeline Cover Image?

When in business, the goal is to create a strong image that works with your brand and then keep it as long as possible. The only time I would change the image is if the branding changes, people in the photo have changed their look, it features a product or service you no longer provide.

Tagged In:Branding, business, Business Pages, Design, facebook, Facebook Branding, Facebook Design, Facebook Help, Facebook Pages, Facebook Timeline, Jennifer Belanger, Online Help, social media, Social Media Rockstar, Timeline Cover

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 Expectation of Instant Results

“As designers go, I’m long in the tooth. I learned design “old-school” — rubylith and type galleys and paste-up with waxers — the last of a dying breed.

Being online has been changing my industry for over 20 years. I have been lucky in that I’ve been “growing old” with the technology… from early forums and bulletin boards to today’s twitter and video streaming technology… it’s mind blowing if I think about how much it’s changed. What I’ve noticed most, however, is not only our reliance on it, but the expectation of instant results. 

The pace has become frenetic. It’s more of a pressure cooker than ever. When I started in the business, concept was king; now it’s content. Produce more, but with less… less money, less creative, less time, less space. The notion of getting a profound message across in 30 seconds was a challenge 20 years ago… now do it in 140 characters. Gray mares like me can find it pretty exhausting. The fact that I’m writing this at 11 pm after rising at 4 am and working all day should underscore that message.

Freak, I could write an essay on this… I’d better stop now…”

Patricia Simoneau of Grassroots Marketing & Brand Design
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Engage and Build Relationships

“I help moms revitalize their careers and bodies through coaching, workshops, classes and personal training.  When I’m not interacting with clients one-on-one, social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook provide an opportunity to share value-added content, tips and resources.   My business, CareerFit Mom (www.careerfitmom.ca), has reached a broader audience through Twitter and I personally learn something amazing from following folks I might not have otherwise had a chance to meet.  Social networking lets me engage others, build relationships and provide support to other moms, but you know what, it is super fun too!”

Beth Yarzab of Career Fit Mom

 

 

Generated Revenue

“Social Media has allowed me to connect with my readers which I feel is a very powerful resource. I receive feedback from my fan base and it allows me to share new information about my site, share promotional contests, new ideas and much more.

Facebook and twitter have increased traffic to my web site and to my newsletter subscriber list. I think it also helps give my business, a face and a story not “just a site”. It also has helped me to better understand my visitors by directly hearing right from them.

In regards to business, twitter has opened many business doors:marketing, promotional opportunities and has helped engage sales as well. Being a small company of one, it has generated revenue to help get my website name out there and it has opened doors for potential clients to see and “hear”who I am.

Reduce Spending

“Social Media has changed the way I do business.

Being online has had an extremely positive impact on my business because  I live in the rural area it has allowed me to reach out and build a community of relationships beyond my backyard. I have been able to significantly reduce the amount I was spending on print media, increase my visibility ,become part of organizations I may not have otherwise known about and has been an incredible tool for seeking out joint venture opportunities. Being online has also increased my productivity by having most information within a clicks reach.

I am pretty confident that my business would not be the same without being online.”

Shelley Strait of The Cash Creator Coach and The Real Growth Retreat

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Tell My Story

“Several years ago, I started a business selling a baby product I’d invented. I paid thousands of dollars for a professionally developed website thinking once I launched the site, orders would come. But they didn’t. I still had to market the product via old-fashioned avenues like public relations and advertising–both of which can be costly. I had no other way to reach the public and eventually closed the doors. But now, with my new business venture, I can barely keep up with the vast and varied ways I can let consumers know what I’m doing. I can blog, tweet, post, link, and pin. And that’s just the beginning. I can digg, stumble, start a channel, and more. Sometimes it’s overwhelming. I’m working now to craft my message for each venue and find out which one creates the most conversion to sales so that I can focus on those opportunities that are most effective. I still have to work just as hard to promote my product, but I don’t have to pay for the opportunity to promote nor do I have to wait for a newspaper or magazine to decide I’m newsworthy. It’s up to me to tell the story.”

Shelley Hunter of  Gift Card GirlFriend

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Building Connections

“The biggest way social media has changed my business is by expanding the connections I have with people I likely would not have met any other way.  These connections have resulted in great conversations, learning, shared resources, being a guest on Blog Talk Radio and teleseminars, being approached for collaborative book writing projects, speaking engagements and new friendships.
I engage via Facebook (http://facebook.com/CreativeWellnesswithLyndaMonk), Twitter (@LifeWriterCoach) and LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndamonk).  I have a lot to learn about how to use each of these amazing tools/platforms/communities to make a greater contribution as a coach, speaker, and writer online.  With the goal of learning in mind, I participated in the Social Media Camp 2011 in Victoria, BC, Canada where over 600 people gathered from Canada, the US, and beyond to explore more about how to use social media in business and in life.
I love connecting with people who inspire online – people who have a positive message and information/tools to share that contribute to individual and collective health, wellness, creativity, personal growth, and success.  My business is Creative Wellness – Awakened Living with Life Source Writing.  I inspire and teach helpers, healers, and others who make a difference to nourish their spirits, prevent burnout, and fill their emotional cups with a holistic reflective writing practice.  Social media is a great place to make a difference with words!”

Promote Others

“I think in answer to your question—the answers are really endless but for me, personally, it is not only a way to promote your products to current and potential users but it is a way to also help the mompreneur community also. We can help promote others. I have found countless guests for my radio show through social media. I have found resources for doing business through LinkedIn, and I have found stores to carry my products through Facebook and Twitter.

Now with Pinterest entering the social media marketplace with a completely different type of platform while using Facebook and Twitter—it is integrated marketing at it’s finest form. One is able to reach so many more people with limited financial resources than ever before.”

Tagged In:business, business success, business women, online business, small business, social media, Social media business, social media consulting, social media success, social media training

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1. Why do I want to follow people I don’t know?

Twitter is the online version of a networking meeting. It gives you the prime opportunity to network with people at all hours of the day with no location issues. It helps to build relationships with people online that you can one day hopefully nurture in real life.

2. Should I follow everyone that follows me on Twitter?

No, when choosing who to follow. I ask myself the following questions:

• Do I want to network with this person?
• Are they in my target area?
• Are they of interest to me?
• Are they a leader in my industry?
• Can I help them in some way?

If they do not fall into one of these areas, I do not follow them.

3. What is a HashTag?

A Hashtag is a way to easily group and search  tweets with a common topic. They are recognized by the # sign followed by a term Example #RGR2012 is the Hashtag for The Real Growth Retreat and #reddeer is the Hashtag for Tweets related to Red Deer. Anyone who uses this Hashtag will have their tweet added to the subject stream. When you search for a Hashtag rather then getting a bunch of random posts you only get posts that include that Hashtag. Hashtags are a great way to create online communities that are interested in the same topics.

4. Isn’t it rude to jump into a conversation?

Every conversation on Twitter is open to the public. The whole point of Twitter is to network and mingle. Just remember to be polite and you will be fine.

5. How do I find local twitter users?

One great way to find local Twitter users is to use www.twellow.com . It is a service that allows you to search Twitter users by location.

6. How do I search for people I know?

There are a few options when it comes to searching for people on Twitter.

• Type their name into the Search bar at the top of your Twitter page
• Type their user name directly into your search engine www.twitter.com/jenni_belanger
• Do a twitter search from your email account for people already on Twitter

7. What are Twitter Lists and How do I use them?

Twitter Lists give you the ability to separate the people you are following into categories. You can then choose to only view the posts from that one list instead of seeing all following at one time. Some ideas for Lists would include “Local Tweeps”, “Photographers”, “Faves”, “Friends”. These lists can either be made public or private.

8. Can I change my User name on Twitter?

Yes, Twitter Usernames can be changed under settings. This is a good choice when changing company names rather than starting a new account.

9. What is a @reply and @metions?

Whenever you see the @ symbol it applies that ,the message is either directed to that person or is mentioning that person. These messages will appear in that person’s @mentions. You do not need to friend someone to send them a @reply.

10. How do I send a private message on Twitter?

Anything that you post in the Twitter feed will be visible to the public. If you want to send a private message, you click on the Direct Message link at the top right hand corner of your page.

11. Do I use a headshot or a logo?

When it comes to business, the answer to this depends on your social media goal. I prefer to use a head shot since Twitter is a networking platform and I want people to recognize my face and feel like they know me. However there are times when a company will set up a company profile and will have more than one twitter user using the same account, or their goal is to grow company awareness and not a personal brand, then they would use a logo.

12. When and why should I use the location option?

The location option is great when you have a store front, when you are at a tradeshow, community event or networking event. I want to caution people against using the location option when working from home or when at a generic location like Walmart. Unless your tweet specifically has to do with Walmart no one cares you are there.

13. How do I shorten a link to save on Characters for twitter?

When adding a link to Twitter you should always shorten the link to avoid taking up to many unneeded characters. You can use services like www.bitly.com and www.tinyurl.com to shorten the link. Services like Hootsuite also have built in link shorteners.

14. How do I get followers on Twitter?

1. Start following other people – Use the search functions to follow local Twitter users, Industry Leaders, Those who are in your target market
2. Get rid of your egg and show your face – Nothing bothers Twitter users more then the sight of the Egg
3. Write a fun and informative Bio- How does anyone know if they want to follow you if you don’t tell them who you are?
4. Jump into some conversations- By jumping into conversations people get use to seeing your name and it draws attention to your profile.
5. Write some fun/interesting posts- When starting out you can add tips for your target market, your favourite quotes, invites to your networking groups, funny images, funny things that happened to you, Recommendations to services such as great places to eat
6. Avoid sales posts- Social Media users are all tired of sales pitches. Instead of asking for the sale, give them quality reasons to follow you and then you won’t have to sell. They will be contacting you for sales
7. Retweet useful content- A Retweet is a compliment and a great way to catch someones attention. It can also be a great way to share quality information with your followers
8. Tweet on a Regular basis- 80% of Twitter users sign on to Twitter use it once and never come back. Don’t be one of those 80% dive in and show us that you are serious about being on Twitter and here to stay.
9. Don’t use auto responders- Auto Responders are viewed as spam and annoying. Avoid them. Instead send a personalized thank you for following message.
10. Remember numbers are not as important as quality followers. It doesn’t matter if you have 10,000 followers if none are your target market or interested in you.

Want to learn more about Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and how to use them successfully. Check Out my upcoming Social Media Boot Camps in Red Deer and Ponoka.

Tagged In:learn social media, learn twitter, social media, social media consulting, social media training, twitter, Twitter Hashtags, twitter tips, twitter training

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Unless you have had your head buried in a hole the last few weeks, I am sure you have heard of Pinterest.

Pinterest is the newest social media platform. It is a place to save(pin) images and videos on a board for later use. Your boards are then shared with other Pinterest users who can repin content that they like to their boards. This platform is very visual and is great for creating sharable images.

This platform could be a great tool for interior designers, teachers, artists, photographers, small business owners, anyone who loves DIY projects, crafters, magazines, museums, tourist attractions, SPCA and the list goes on…

How to use Pinterest:

1. Sign up for Pinterest

2. Create Boards- Currently I have a “Homeschooling” board and a “Home Ideas” board but you can name boards anything you want to separate your images just like categories

3. Save the Pin It bookmark to your computer- This book mark stays on top of your screen allowing you to easily hit the Pin It button and save the image to the board of your choice

4. You can use the search bar to search other peoples boards for specific keywords.

Why is Pinterest great for business?

1. It is a great way to make content viral!

2.  It always documents the original source of the content on the pin. Which means no matter who pins your content, it will be linked back to your site.

3. It offers great SEO potential

Some great links on how to use Pinterest:

Ideas on how people can use Pinterest : http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/story/293314/how-do-people-use-pinterest/1

To learn how to use the Pin It Button: http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/3297-How-to-Use-Pinterest-for-Your-Ecommerce-Business

Tagged In:business, online business, Online business Red Deer, Online Consulting, online training, Pinterest, Red Deer Alberta, Red Deer business, social media, social media consulting, social media training

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As one of the first social media consultants in Red Deer I have had to pave my way to create a community who understands the importance of Social Media. Does this mean that Red Deerians were not using social media before me? Haha NO, not even close!! It means that most although they were using it didn’t really know why they were using it and had no plan on how they were using it.

As a business this presented an interesting problem for me, as a player in an industry early in it’s area. The problem was, though it is always nice to have little competition it also means that I hold the responsibility of educating the public in my own hands. A job I take very seriously and enjoy. There is nothing more exciting then seeing the light bulb go on in a clients eyes when they learn the one step they were missing to find success with social media.

Since I began a few other consultants have ventured into Red Deer’s Social Media world, which is exciting since it adds to the knowledge and opens more people’s eyes to the importance of Social Media in Marketing.

To attend any of my upcoming classes and education dates please check HERE

If you are interested in having me speak at a company training event or in hosting a laptop party in or around Red Deer area please contact me. I am always interested in speaking opportunities.

Some of the topics I speak on include:

• Introduction to Social Media
• Social Media for Direct Sales and Multi-Level Marketing
• The Wonders Of LinkedIn
• Twitter for Beginners
• Blogging for Business or Pleasure
• Protecting Your Kids Online, What Every Parent Should Know About Social Media

Tagged In:Guest Speaker, Keynote speaker, Laptop Parties Red Deer, Public Speaker, Red Deer Alberta, Red Deer Blogging, Red Deer Classes, Red Deer Consulting, Red Deer Direct Sales, Red Deer instructions, Red Deer LinkedIn, Red Deer Public Speaker, Red Deer Social Media, Red Deer Social Media Consulting, Red Deer Social Media Help, Red Deer Social Media Speaker, Red Deer Speaker, Red Deer teaching, Red Deer Training, Red Deer Twitter, Red Deer Wordpress, Social Media in Red Deer Alberta, Social Media Marketing Red Deer, Speaker

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When building an online business it is extremely important to remove any opportunities that make your customer concerned.

We have all been there. We have found something online that we really want. It is cheap and looks great. But we are just not sure. In a brick and mortar store we have the opportunity to use our senses (touch, smell, taste, hear and see) when deciding if we want to buy a product. We also get the satisfaction of the instant purchase we get to take the treasure home with us right now. No worry of shipping charges or how long it will take to get here. We hear horror stories all the time about online scams, which also adds some worry.

So as a business we know the challenges we face when it comes to selling online.

The key is to remove as many concerns as we can so that the customer can make the purchase without worry.Here’s how:

Have a FAQ Page (Frequently Asked Questions)

Creating a good FAQ page will not only help your customer but will also save you time on unnecessary questions. Some points to include in your FAQ page are shipping costs and times, taxes, extra charges, guarantees and return policies

Testimonials

A good testimonial should include the persons first and last name as well as location. When possible a photo would be ideal. The best testimonials include results. Ex. “Thanks to John I lost 40 pounds in 6 months and have kept it off for 3 years” OR “Thanks to Pam I earned $10,000 in 5 days wearing my pj’s”

Stats/Facts

People trust Stats!  For example a business considering whether Facebook would be worth it for their business might take comfort in “One in every nine people on Earth is on Facebook”

Guarantees

Almost anyone will order something that has a 30 day guarantee and unless your product sucks (which why are you selling it???) very few will ever ask for their money back. It is giving your customers a safety net and people like feeling safe

Use PayPal

PayPal is the world’s most trusted online money transfer; don’t risk using some cheaper unknown version to accept money. People want what they trust and it will make you back the money you spend in fees

Site Design

Let’s face it looks do matter. Kind of like we would not be impressed for someone to show up unshowered and in their pj’s for a job interview, we are not impressed by a 20 year old website. I am not saying that you need to spend a fortune on a custom design by with wordpress and web template options galore; there are options at every price range.

Contact Info

Nothing makes me want to run more than a site with no contact information listed. If you take your business serious and want to come across as legit. I suggest listing your email, phone, social media profiles and if applicable an address. The more ways a person has to contact you the more they will trust you.

Images provided byCopyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Tagged In:online business, online sales, Red Deer, Red Deer Businesses, Red Deer Social Media, selling online, Shopping online, social media

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Anyone who takes my Social Media Classes know I talk alot about “Keywords”

Well what really are Keywords?

Every day there is millions of online searches generated by people all over the world. How do they find what they are looking for when they don’t have a specific website in mind? They type “keywords or phrases” into their search engine.

For example if I was looking for a specific type of Chocolate I heard was made in France, I would probably open up Google and Type in “Chocolate made in France”. There is no guarantee I am going to fall directly on the chocolate I am looking for but there is a good chance that if I scroll down the list a few I may find it.

So as a business how do you decide which keywords to use when promoting your business online?

Start with your industry related words

For example: I would probably start with “Social Media”, “Social Media Consultant” and “Social Media Red Deer” for my keywords.

Review Google Analytics

Review your Google Analytics for keywords people are currently using to find your site. Look for recurring words and new possibilities.

Enter the keywords into Google’s Free Adword tool https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

What I am looking for is which words get the most hits. The reason for this is I know that those are the words that people are typing in to get my services. If the word shows small hits then I will avoid it since it is not likely to generate leads.

The next thing I am looking at is the number of competitors. Meaning the number of websites that are using the keyword. In general my goal is to find keywords that have low- Med competition.

Test

Once you have chosen your words you just need to try them out and see what happens. Keep an eye on your Google Analytics and which words are bringing you hits. There is never a guarantee which words will work the best and it requires ongoing tweaking and measuring to see which words will be your best contributors.

Tagged In:Central Alberta Social Media, Google Analytics, Google Keywords, Keywords, Red Deer, Red Deer Alberta, Red Deer Businesses, Red Deer Social Media, Red Deer Social Media Training, Red Deer Websites, Social Media Keywords, social media marketing, Social Media Tools, social media training

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Hair Salons are one of the biggest word of mouth businesses known to man and lets face it a great salon doesn’t just sit back and wait for customers to wander in, they put themselves out there, network and promote. That is exactly what Emerson Salon in Seattle has done.

What I love about Emerson Salon?

• They have a beautiful easy to use website
• All their Social Platforms are above the fold, eye catching and providing a call to action
• They offer online booking
• They make their stylists front and center,showing their personalities and allowing you to learn more about them
• Each of their stylists have their own twitter account and rss feed
• They blog (however not on a regular basis)
• They have keywords spread through out the site and blog about key industry topics

I love this blog post showing some of their actual work. What a great way to create a portfolio while really showing off your talent add a couple testimonials from long time clients and WOWZA talk about social proof.

This blog post got me to thinking about what other types of blog posts would be good for hair salons. Here are a few ideas I came up with:

1. How does what you eat affect your hair?
2. Top 5 ways to cure dandruff
3. How to get the look without the hassle
4. Avoiding hair loss, is it possible?
5. Hair washing practices, What you are doing wrong?
6. What makes a good hair brush?
7. Avoiding lice this school season
8. How cheap shampoo is costing you money?
9. Does oily hair cause acne?
10. Washing your hair, How much is to much?
11. Top looks of the season
12. Best cuts for thick hair (or thin hair)
13. Grey is the new blond
14. Top hair accessories every girl needs
15. Stylist of the month
16. Best before and after photos of the month
17. Parents survival guide to kids hair (how to deal with tangles, gum in hair, lice) Parents Survival Kit, What you should have on hand
18. Bad hair day fixes
19. Wedding day hair tips
20. Tips for babies first hair cut

Tagged In:facebook, social media tips, twitter

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A Tweet Chat is pre-organized event on Twitter using #Hashtags to group all tweets. It is a great way to host an online conference or promote an upcoming event. Twitter Chats are drop in events and are very casual. During a Tweet chat there is generally a moderator who welcomes the followers and keeps the conversation moving in the right direction. The Tweet Chat usually consists of questions and answers. All questions are regarded as Q1, Q2, Q3 and all answers are recorded as A1, A2, A3. Since this conference is taking place on Twitter all questions and answers must be less than 140 characters. Moderators generally ask participants to retweet all questions and answers. This helps spread the word of the event and helps gain new participants.

Tips for organizing a Tweet Chat:

• Set a date and time ( approx 1hr)
• Invite participants- consider inviting special guests who can both help draw attention to the event as well as can share a unique perspective of the topic ( ex. authors, industry experts, employees etc)
• Create a information page on your website, blog or Facebook group with Tweet Chat info including: date and time, topic, #hashtag, information on Tweet Chat, list of questions, instructions of how a Tweet Chat works
• Have the attendees use Tweet Chat to follow all responses in one simple location. Nice thing about Tweet Chat is it automatically adds the #hashtag into the post
• Create a #hashtag (keep it short) for the event and send it in the invite to each of the participants
• Create an agenda – Your welcome message, list of questions, your closing statements

Tips for participating in a Tweet Chat:

• Don’t be afraid jump in ask questions and post comments
• Remember to include the #hashtag with  each tweet ( unless you are using Tweetchat.com it automatically adds the #hashtag
• Remember to label Questions with a Q and Answers with a A

Tagged In:online training, Red Deer, Red Deer business, Red Deer business training, Red Deer Businesses, Red Deer Online Training, Red Deer Social Media, Red Deer Twitter, social media training, twitter, twitter chat

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