Choosing the right social media influencer can be a daunting task, so we've put together a list of 5 ways to help you narrow down your search.

1. Look for an influencer who has already worked with brands similar to yours: This way, you know that they are familiar with your industry and will have some insight into what works best for your brand.
2. Look for an influencer who knows how to engage with their audience: The goal is not just to get people to follow or like the post—it's also about getting people to respond and engage with it!
3. Look for an influencer who has been active on social media recently: If they haven't posted anything in awhile, they might not be active enough to keep up on current trends, which could be detrimental when it comes time for them to create content for you!
4. Look at their engagement rate: A high engagement rate is always a good sign that someone is doing their job well! It shows that people are interested in what they're saying and sharing it with...

Last week, I wrote about how to be an influencer, this week I want to share why. Imagine being paid to talk about things you're passionate about. Or having people listen to your opinions and trust you because of your expertise. These are just some of the benefits of becoming an influencer, a term that refers to someone who has built their personal brand through social media and earned a following.

Let's take a look at how you can use your followers for good by sharing information with them that's valuable or entertaining, as well as how earning money from influencer marketing campaigns can help you reach your financial goals faster.

Be the voice of your audience.

One of the best ways to build an audience is by being the voice of your audience. The better you understand what they want, what they need, and how they feel about certain topics or products; the better equipped you'll be to provide content that speaks directly to them.

In order for this strategy to work effectively, though...

It's no secret that building connections are one of the best ways to grow your business. Whether you're looking to connect with potential employees, customers, or investors, building strategic networks is a crucial part of success. But how do you build well-strategized networks? What steps do you take to build quality networks? And who do you add to your network?

Here are some tips for building connections on LinkedIn:

1. Keep your profile up-to-date and relevant so people know why they should connect with you. You don't need to be a social media expert to know that the most important thing you can do on LinkedIn is keep your profile up-to-date and relevant.

Why? Because if people don't know why they should connect with you, they won't.

So make sure your profile reflects what you do, what you've done, and what makes you unique—because that's what people want to know about!

2. Be specific when searching for people in your industry or who have similar interests as yours because...

If you're active on LinkedIn - and you should be - then you know having great content on your profile is crucial for growing your network. Fantastic, insightful, and engaging posts will help to connect you with more people and increase your popularity within LinkedIn. But what exactly makes a good post on LinkedIn? It might seem like it should be easy to do, but if you're connecting with the wrong professionals or delivering uninteresting content, no one will want to engage with your profile.

Here are some tips for writing killer LinkedIn posts:

1. Be Consistent -You don't have to write an essay in each post - just share something interesting once or twice a week. You'll build up an audience over time by consistently providing value through links and comments. Remember the key here is also providing value on a consistent basis.
2. Write About What You Know- If you really want people to read what you have to say, make sure it's relevant! Don't try too hard to please everyone by posting...

I'm a big fan of podcasts. I started my podcast a couple of years ago and I have never looked back. If you're thinking of starting one, or if you just want to make sure yours is on the right track, keep reading. I have released new episodes consistently every week for over 132 weeks. When I started my podcast, it was because I wanted to give great social media tips that would help people grow their businesses online. It changed now into recording interviews with people who own their own businesses. Specifically, those who are doing cool things outside of the norm and trying to change the world through their services. I absolutely love talking to these people and learning from them.

Lately, I've been getting this question from people who want to start their own podcasting. "What makes a great podcast". It's an interesting question. So, after a bit of thought, I've come up with the following: A good podcast needs three things...

A good podcast needs three things from my perspective:

...

No, I didn't rent a baby. LOL. However, I was babysitting my 1-year-old grandson Rocky, (the name says everything) for almost a month and it was over the top for me. I was trying to figure out how to run my digital marketing agency with this little baby who is very active.

While figuring out how I was going to get things done, I came up with this fake commercial to amuse myself. Here goes.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list and are struggling to find time for everything on it, I have a solution for you! Rent a baby.

Rent a Baby is a company that will provide you with the services of a baby for as long as you need them. I can offer all styles of babies, hungry, tired, playful, cranky, and happy. The baby will be dressed in whatever outfit you choose and will be ready at your convenience.

My service is not only fast and convenient—it also boosts productivity! Recent studies have shown that working in the presence of a baby increases productivity by up to 25%...

Do you want to know why social media is important for business? I’ll tell you. If you own a business, you already understand the struggles and the work it takes just to keep your head above water, let alone grow your company to the next level.

• Social Media Is Good for SEO. Social media is good for SEO because it helps you build a reputation and a relationship with your customers.
  It helps you get more traffic to your website.
  It helps you rank higher in search engines like Google.
• It Allows You to Reach a Wider Audience. Social media gives you the opportunity to reach a wider audience than ever before.
  You can connect with your audience and build relationships that allow you to engage with them, which in turn leads to better results.
  Social media gives you the ability to create a brand that others can relate to, which helps them identify with you and trust what you have to say.
• Helps You Create an Authentic Image. Social media is a great way to create an authentic image. You can...

Creating a great social media platform is not an easy task. We live in a world where everyone is bombarded with marketing every day. Everyone that visits your page has to want to keep returning back to it!

Here are my top tips for creating great social media platforms:

1. Post what your audience really likes! We've all done it—posted a message on social media and received little or no response. There have even been times when we've posted something that we thought was super funny or interesting, and everything just went dead quiet. Likewise, there have been times when we've posted and people jumped all over it! So what gives?

It's not you, it's them. It's the audience you're trying to reach, and they don't want to hear what you have to say right now.

Social media is like every other form of communication in that it has its own language and etiquette—and if you don't know it, then the message you're trying to convey won't get through. If you want people to respond to your...

What are you waiting for? It is well past time that you included a video in your social media marketing strategy. We live in an ADD world with less and less patience. Video is the best way to get your message across quickly and easily.

I know what you're thinking: "I don't have time to make a video." Or, "I don't have enough equipment." Or even, "I just can't seem to get myself together enough to do this."

And I get it—I'm the same way! But here's my advice to you: Just do it.

Make a calendar, plan out your content and post dates, and then just do it. If you have questions about how to do that, reach out to me and I'll help you out.

In conclusion, it's far too easy to come up with reasons not to do a video than to take the plunge. The time really isn't that much more than sending an email or using your phone for a voice connection. The equipment is pretty much available to everyone today. And most of all when we look at the potential benefits of making a video over sending an...

I want to encourage everyone this week to stop playing small on Linkedin.

If you're like me, you probably spend a lot of time on LinkedIn. After all, it's one of the most popular professional networking sites on the Web.

But have you ever stopped to think about what you're doing with your time on LinkedIn?

While there's nothing wrong with simply browsing other people's profiles or posting updates about your own accomplishments, I want to encourage everyone this week to stop playing small on Linkedin.

I know it's easy to get caught up in the daily grind and feel like there's no time for anything but work, family, and sleep. But if there's one thing I've learned from my years of experience, it's that every minute is an opportunity to make a difference. And you can make an impact with just a few simple clicks!

I challenge you to take 10 minutes this week and connect with someone new—whether it's someone in your industry or outside of it. Your goal is simply to connect with them...