Get More Clients Online

Tweepi

Tweepi

I've been searching for a simple tool that lets me unfollow Twitter peeps who aren't following me. Why would you want to do this? Many are spammers or are just creepy or deadbeat users. And, with Twitter, I'm primarily interested in only keeping people on my list who value a reciprocal relationship.

Tweepi allows you to unfollow those who do not follow you back, 40 users at a time. All you have to do is allow Tweepi to connect to your Twitter account, and you can see exactly who those folks are. You can customize the info provided on these people to help you make an informed decision about whether they stay or go. Just be careful not to unfollow someone you would prefer to continue to follow (like someone who's famous or whose Tweets are relevant and interesting to you).

Tweepi also offers the option of adding more followers through their Geeky Follow feature, which is a simple utility for quickly following quality Tweeples based on their activity patterns. In other words, the most common way to find and add people with the same interests as you on Twitter is to find a popular

Twitterer under your topic and add people that follow these known users or communities. This tool attempts to help you filter these people - the geeky way, with numbers in a table - based on their activity and sociability.

Slim down your Twitter followers here.

Lynda

Lynda

I was recently asked about how someone could get more intensive training on a well-known productivity software program. I don't offer that kind of info on my membership website, as it doesn't really pertain to marketing your business. However, there's one site that's been in the business of providing software training for about 10 years, and this the site to which I referred her.

The site is Lynda.com. Lynda.com believes in life-long learning and that technology should be accessible to everyone. I've watched them grow from offering a handful of tutorials to now offering 870 online training programs ranging from office applications to graphic design programs to video editing programs to database design, which is just a small sampling of the variety of software training programs that they offer. Programs are offered at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, and you can sample portions of most of them before you decide to buy.

They offer a number of membership plans beginning at $25/month to access all of the training you can handle -- 53,000 tutorials in all. They are constantly updating their selection, and they choose top-notch instructors with a passion for their subject matter.

Start improving your software skills here.

Dropbox

This week I was working on a project with a client and she had about 30 files I needed to access. The prospect of emailing them to me was overwhelming, and using a file sending program seemed like it would be time-consuming as well. I then remembered a resource that would permit file sharing of a large number of files that was also simple to install and use.

Dropbox is a file sharing and synchronization service that lets you to share up to 2 GB of data at no charge with their basic account. You are required to download and install software on your computer, as well as create an account, but it has no user interface. Instead, you'll see a tray icon that you click to see the folders where your data is stored.

To share files, simply drag and drop any file or folder into your Dropbox folder. Once your file/folder is inside your Dropbox folder, the program immediately starts syncing it to their secure servers. Once this has finished, the file's icon is marked with a green check. Your file is now safely backed up online and also accessible from the Dropbox website.

If you want to share the files in your Dropbox with other users or other ocnputers, Dropbox will also need to be installed on those computers, and if you share the file with those users, they will also receive a copy of the files you've put in your Dropbox. In my case, my client was able to drop all 25 files into the shared folder with one click, and then sent me an email invite to share the folder. In less than 30 seconds I had full access to all the files I needed.

Start sharing your files and folders here.

Eyejot

Ever wished for the ability to send a video email rather than a text-based one? In a regular email message, what you're trying to convey may be interpreted much differently from the way you had intended. Even though you can use emoticons in email, they're no substitute for facial expressions and gestures. Now you can send video email so that your friends, family and business contacts won't have any trouble understanding what you mean.

Eyejot lets you harness the power of video while leveraging the flexibility of an email-like system, where each party can send and view messages at their convenience. You can use this video messaging platform for both personal and business communications. It offers everyone the ability to create and receive video messages in a self-contained, spam-free environment. With no video client to install, you can start using Eyejot immediately with any browser, on any platform. It even features built-in support for iTunes (and iPod), mobile devices and social networks.

Sending video messages with Eyejot is as easy as sending email. There is no software to download or install. Simply create an account and log in, let Eyejot access your camera and microphone, and record or upload your video, and send your email. The recipient gets a friendly email message telling them they have a new video message, and they can watch it with a single click. No registration required.

Eyejot easily works with all of the popular Web browsers on Windows and Mac OS X. Chances are, you already have the Adobe Flash Player installed so there is nothing more for you to install. The free account offers unlimited messages of up to 60 seconds with the ability store them for 30 days. If you upgrade to a paid plan, your recording time expands to 5 minutes with no time limit on message storage, and you can upload a pre-recorded video to your account. With the Pro+ plan, you can add your logo to messages and track whether they have been viewed.

Start creating your video email here.

Vocaroo

Sometimes you may need to make a quick audio recording, but you don't want to open up the audio recording software, adjust the settings and record the audio. You may want to capture a quick train of thought, send someone a voice email where it's easier for you to speak your thoughts rather than writing them, or quickly embed an audio into your blog or website.

Vocaroo lets you make a voice audio recording online with a minimum of hassle (Windows computers only). All you need is either a USB headset with a microphone or a microphone/headset plugged into your computer's microphone jack. Then simply click on the "Click to Record" button on the Vocaroo site, permit Vocaroo to access your headset or microphone, and record your message.

Once recorded, you can email the audio, post it online, or download it as a Wave file. There are no limits on length of messages, nor are messages deleted. However, if you want your messages saved, you'll need to open a free account. Vocaroo offers a paid download option, Vocaroo Express, if you want the ability to send audios via your Outlook software.

Record your audio snippet here.

Goals on Track

Goals and tasks are the bane of many a business owner's existence, yet however much you might dislike them, they are a necessary evil for success. Most of us write down on scraps of paper what we need to do, or perhaps keep our list in the Tasks section of Microsoft Outlook. What if I told you that I found a really fun way to maintain your goals and tasks lists that would keep you motivated, as well?

GoalsonTrack.com lets you set both goals and tasks to be done. The genius in this system is that you can create tasks to support each of your goals, and you can see your progress on goal achievement at any time through their built-in progress meter. You can also set recurring goals, which is handy for tasks that you have to do every week or month. And, if you like, you can track your time on tasks, as well, so gauge how your time is being spent.

I love the fact that you can personalize your interface with images you choose that you find inspirational and motivating. You can also create a virtual vision board here, as well as track your habits and keep a journal of your successes. The calendar feature lets me check, at a glance, what needs to be done today. And, the daily email updates keep me on track, as well.

To prevent overwhelm, when you log in you see your main dashboard, which shows only what you've got to do for the day, no more, no less. As you check items off your list, you will see your real-time progress reflected on your goals. If there is something not moving you closer to your goals, you will immediately know what that is. It really is like having a personal coach telling you what to do next and how well you are doing on each of your goals.

Start setting your goals here.

Answerbag

How do you know what people actually want? It's often a crapshoot at best, especially when you're trying to develop products and services for your target market. What if you had a ready-made resource to which you could refer when you wanted to check out the needs and wants of your client base?

Answerbag lets you peer into the minds of your customers and prospects and conduct some very inexpensive market research. The quickest way to use this service is to browse the Topics section, then go to the Subcategory that best fits what you're seeking, and then to the Most Popular questions. When you click on a subcategory, related blogs, social network updates, images, and videos will also appear related to the topic, pulled from search engine results.

If you don't see your topic or question posted, feel free to post one yourself. However, in order to so so, you will have to set up a free account. And, of course, if you have an answer to a question, feel free to share your expertise there.

They also offer a search feature, so instead of going through lists of topics and categories, you can simply type in your question and get the results most closely matching your entry.

Conduct your market research here.

Recommendations from Donna

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Thrive Hiring System

One of the most common questions we hear business owners ask is "Where do I find the support I need?"

On the flip side, the number one question asked by virtual support professionals is "Where do I find clients?"

I'm excited to announce that my colleague Tina Forsyth is working hard to answer this question. Tina has put together what she calls the THRIVE job board. A connecting point for virtual support professionals to connect with business owners . Itís a one stop resource for business to find the support they need and a place for you to find clients.

Tina is inviting virtual support professionals of all kinds to visit www.ThriveHiringSystem.com/hire and to set up their profiles. There's no cost for this, it really is about creating a great resource for business owners and helping them finding the help they need in one spot.

As long as you provide some kind of service to online based business owners, you are invited to visit the website and join. Whether you're a Virtual Assistant, Online Business Manager, Affiliate Manager, Web Developer, Copywriter, Graphic Designer, Virtual Event Specialist, Public Relations Expert, Social Media Specialist, Blog Customization Expert, Virtual Bookkeeper, Live Event Specialist, Video & Podcasting Expert --- you are invited to submit your profile.

The THRIVE team will be providing more information in the coming weeks about the bigger picture side of things as the launch later this summer. In the meantime, visit http://www.ThriveHiringSystem.com/hire to watch Tina's video and post your own profile.

"Dose of Donna" 1:1 Marketing Strategy Session

Are you ready for the best answers, strategies and "how-tos" without committing to a long-term commitment?

Schedule a "Dose of Donna" 1:1 Marketing Strategy Session with me to get your questions answered, action steps defined, marketing strategy outlined, and the exact information you need to move your business forward -- today!

Each session is designed to get you moving forward quickly. Here are examples of how other service business owners have used their sessions:

• outline your marketing plan so you know the exact steps you should be taking and when those should be scheduled
• determine what's not working on your website -- and how you can improve traffic, conversions, and better "speak" to your target market
• outline how to best automate your business processes so that less of your time is involved
• determine your signature system and outline the steps in that system
• evaluate your business model, determine where the holes are, and restructure as needed
• set up your social media marketing strategy to establish you as an expert and build trust with your ideal clients
• determine your true target market and where to find them
• create a list-building plan, including the idea for your client attraction devic
• evaluate continuity programs ideas and determine which ones have the best chance of succeeding

Essentially, you have 50 minutes with me focused on exactly what you want and need most.

Spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so I recommend you reserve your spot today. Purchase your strategy session here.

Gist

Ever feel like you have more connections that you can manage? If you count all of your social networking connections, along with your business Rolodex, and others that you email regularly via Gmail or Yahoo mail, the notion of bundling all of these contacts together feels overwhelming, if not impossible.

Then I discovered Gist. Gist helps build stronger relationships by connecting your email inbox to the web to provide business-critical information about the people and companies that matter most to you and your business. While social networks can be an excellent tool to connect with people you might never otherwise meet, getting all that information together in one place has been difficult. Gist helps you unify all of that information in one place in their interface.

When you sign up for a free account, you are invited to import your connections from many platforms, including Outlook, Gmail, IMAP email systems, Linkedin, Salesforce, Facebook, Twitter, and even CSV imports. Once your import is completed, you can easily find contacts via your search feature at the top of your interface. When looking at a contact, you see a "What's New" box in the left column under their contact details. On the right side, it shows the results of a Google Search for the contact name.

Gist creates a dossier of each contact and gathers a summary of recent activities where your contact is featured or mentioned, including News About Contact, Posts & Tweets from Contact, Emails between you and Contact, and lastly Links and Attachments. This summary windows has a print button in the lower right as well.

If you choose to plug your email into the system, you'll discover many useful pieces of information presented related to email exchanges you've had, as well as calendar items. When I looked at an individual contact, it showed me recent correspondences, and even called out links shared in those emails.

You have the ability to merge duplicates of contacts (very handy!), and I love the fact that when I exported my Outlook contacts to Gist, all of my notes exported as well. Essentially, now I have an online contact database with all the info I need at my fingertips.

Unfortunately, the program doesn't actually sync with your social media profiles. This means if you get more Facebook friends, you need to re-import them. For Linkedin connections you actually have to export from Linkedin, and then import as a CSV file. For Twitter integration, currently it only imports up to 1000 of the people you follow.

Merge all of your connections with your free account here.

Addictomatic

It's not always easy to discover in one place all the mentions of your company or your name that exists online. Google Alerts or Twitter keyword searches solve some of that problem for you, but neither of those pick up everything. Then I discovered a free service that searches the major sites.

With Addictomatic, you type in a keyword, topic or phrase, and this free service begins to search the best news and search sites on the web including Google, Yahoo, Technorati, Ask, YouTube, Truveo, Flickr, Blinkx, Ice Rocket, Digg, Topix, Newsvine and Tweetscan. Once the search is complete, you'll be given a personalized results page to bookmark with everything it finds related to your topic.

When you conduct your search, be sure that you use quotation marks around your search term so that you get an exact match when the search is conducted. Once finished, you can bookmark this page and return to see your personalized results dashboard for that specific search. One nice feature about this service is that it doesn't require that the user sign up for an account. However, one shortcoming of the service is that it doesn't yet offer RSS feeds to help you track your searches.

Start your comprehensive search here.