The social media disclaimer start-ups should know I get asked a lot: “How do I make money off social media?” Uhmm, well, you use the magic wand of online web awesomeness, obviously. Or maybe not. We have all read a million articles pointing us toward tools we should be using, things we should be considering, and the best practices we shouldn’t ignore. We get it: Social media is valuable. I think by now we all understand the importance of social media as a visibility engine and viral message maker. It can be used to enable conversations, announce information, put out fires, and so on. It can do a lot. But it has limits. Ohhh buzz kill. The reality of a start-up culture Having lived in both Los Angeles and now Seattle, I have been surrounded with start-ups. In fact, it was a huge push for my location decisions in general. Start-ups face unique challenges , especially right now. No surprise there. Start-ups also have a ton of options. They really are entering with a clean slate most of the time and, often, a huge number of resources. They have investors, boards, friends, family, old colleagues, old networks, etc., all pushing for them and offering a helping hand. So when it comes to deciding where they want to invest their energy and call in those favors, it can get tricky. Becoming overly invested in so many different places (i.e., partnerships, communities, commitments, etc.) can be detrimental to the growth of a start up. From experience I can say that I have seen start-ups jump on this lovely, brightly-colored social media bandwagon and regret the time they lost in doing so. A lot of the experienced consultants out there would say it all comes down to the approach you take, and I agree to a degree . I think start-ups should see social media in a different light than larger companies or established corporations. Bigger company = more resources Larger companies can afford to test longer, they can drop more resources into gaining insight into which communities would be best to infiltrate and how much time they invest in those conversations. In a sense, larger companies can afford to be less lean. It’s not a great approach, but as we all navigate this fairly young space, it is a practical one. Larger companies can take a blogger or content editor and ask them to dance in the social media space a bit before deciding to hire a full-time strategist. They can also take the time to interview a few agencies and see what they offer and at what price. The process can take longer but with that it can eventually reap some serious rewards if implemented correctly. Start-ups have very few resources available that are expendable, especially when it comes to tech resources and the number of hours in a day. Start-ups should look at social media and not just jump in asking “how can it help us?” but instead ask, “do I need it right now?” I think sometimes start-ups can be blinded by the latest hot thing and forget to prioritize as needed. For example, let’s say a start-up gets their blog up and running. What would be more beneficial: to jump on a number of sites, build out profiles, and start engaging, or get some quality content created first? Exactly. You need the content first to drive them back to. Similarly, let’s say you persuade your CEO to get on a few of these sites and start engaging. Should his/her first goal be to pimp out your brand and services via social media, or should he focus on making sure your company is well represented on the Web? What are your organic listings for the company? Have you signed up with sites like KnowEm and collected all of your real estate out there? My point is, when it comes to start-ups, don’t jump the gun with every new option out there. Too often the excitement of a new initiative’s potential can drive us off track. Instead, it’s important to really lay down a concrete foundation for a start-up’s brand, public face, and network. Only after you start seeing organic success from these efforts would I ever suggest putting in tech time, brainstorming time, and PR time into a social media plan. Returning to center in 2010 I think we will see a lot more of this “return-to-center” when it comes to social media marketing in 2010. Now that the flashiness is wearing off and we all agree it’s a tool that is here to stay, I think companies will demonstrate more restraint in its use. At least I hope so. In the ongoing debate of “does social media fit every company?,” I fall on the side of yes, but I fall there with a disclaimer. I believe that at certain times, when used in certain ways, it can be very effective . In my opinion, start-ups particularly should take note of that disclaimer. What do you guys think? With social media as a free resource should it find its way into a start-ups bag of tricks? Or do you think with it still being somewhat difficult to keep up with and quantify, should it be something they tackle later in the process of growth? I’d love to hear where you come down on this. Joanna Lord is a social marketing consultant and founder of YourJobStop , the job resources board. See her business profile , contact Joanna or leave a comment below. Tweet It! Buzz This Post Delicious Digg This Post Facebook Reddit Stumble This Post This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported .
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You should start considering how to become a travel agent if you see yourself as someone who spends more time traveling to interesting vacation spots around the world than staying at home. If you want to take a closer look at the opportunities available for travel consultants or agents, well, there are many ways of finding your place in the business. Here are some tips on how you can enter the exciting world of travel industry.
First, you can look for openings in any established travel company and apply as travel agent. If successful, this job will be your stepping stone to a career in the industry. Besides, you do not need to invest anything if you can find a job as a travel broker. But on the down side, merely having a job in the industry would mean that you will just work for someone and not have control of your time.
If you do decide to apply for a job in this industry, you should plan your career path early on and aim to put up your own business eventually. At the very least, a job as travel agent will help you learn the ropes of the business. Being familiar with tasks like booking flights, selling vacation packages, and even filling reservations in hotels is crucial if you want to know how to become a travel agent who runs his or her own agency.
If you really want to be successful in the travel industry, you need to set your sights on how to become a travel agent who is independent of any other agency. Having your own travel business can be easy. Your first mission is to educate yourself about the industry. You need to have the proper training not only in the ordinary functions of an agent but also in the rudiments of running your own travel business.
After training for or getting certified as a travel agency owner, you need to register and obtain the necessary accreditation for your business. This all depends on the location of your travel agency. There are states that do not require home based travel brokers to register, while some areas are strict about selling travel packages. Make sure to check your local laws.
Indeed, if you want to know how to become a travel agent you need to do some serious research about the industry. It is also worth your time to check out our turnkey travel agency business system. This business model is fast becoming the norm in travel business.
KHM Travel Group can help you learn how to become a travel agent. You can achieve your goal in owning a travel agency and become a topnotch travel agent. To know more about how you can achieve your goal, simply visit www.KHMTravel.com or call Burt Kramer at 1-877-220-9260.
Become a travel agent if you are interested in earning extra money, especially in a time when many companies have stopped hiring or have been trimming down their work force. Many people have already experienced gaining significant amounts of money doing this job and there is no reason why you cannot follow the same path.
All you really need in order to become a travel agent is dedication to your work, some startup capital, and a good Internet connection. Since e-tickets are now the latest thing in reservation, your clients do not really have to go to your office to get their tickets any longer. In fact, you can sell airline tickets and even assist in their hotel accommodations or car reservations even if they live in a state or country different from you.
Although anybody can be a travel agent, a certain amount of training and education is needed before you can actually claim to be a travel agent. Of course, you have to undergo seminars and trainings on operating the computer software that is commonly used in the travel industry. You especially need to attain certain skill levels in order to operate an online travel agency.
Moreover, it is a good idea that you get a good basic training on how you can run your own travel agency on your own time, setting your own schedule. You really do not have to worry, because you do not have to attend traditional classes in a classroom setting. You can always take online classes, especially if you are a bit busy or if you still have a full time job while you are getting started.
The next thing that you need to remember if you want to make it big in the travel industry is to know how to market your services and products. You can emerge as the best in your class or you can have a very beautiful office, but if you do not have any clue about marketing and advertising, you might find it difficult to actually attract customers and earn the money you desire.
For people who are just starting to become a travel agent, it is also a good thing to be a part of an organization or an actual team of travel agents. In fact, you may even want to find a company that helps train people on being travel agents and also assists when it comes to marketing and promoting your own business.
KHM Travel Group can help you achieve your goal in owning a travel agency and become a topnotch travel agent. To know more about how you can achieve your goal, simply visit www.KHMTravel.com or call 1-877-220-9260.
