Widgets are gadgets that are visible on the Sidebar of your WordPress website, such as shown on the right side of the diagram below:

Adding the Widget to Your Site

1. Login to your WordPress Admin Dashboard
Watch this video for instructions on How to Login to Your WordPress Website.

Click on any of the images below to enlarge them for better viewing.

2. Select “Widgets” under the Appearance Section on Dashboard navigation on left side.

3. Note, you have many “Available Widgets.”

4. Note the Widgets that are currently in use on the Sidebar of your website.

5. Choose “Text” — Move it over to the right where it says “Sidebar Widget”
(Move by clicking on the Text Box in Available Widgets, then hold down the left mouse button, and move the text box over to the Sidebar Area)

6. Click the grey arrow to open up the Text area.
Once you have Text moved over to the Sidebar area, click the tiny arrow to open the text box.

7. Add Title of Your Widget.
Write the title in the Title Field. It will be you want to show up on the right sidebar of your website.

8. Add the Code or Text for the Widget in the blank field.
Make sure you have retrieved ALL THE CODE that you need for your Widget, or else the Widget will not show up correctly.

9. To Center Widget, add the Center Code.
Add a

10. Select Save & Close.

11. Check your Website to make sure your Widget is showing up properly.

The Marketing Shop.com launches dotJenna.com

Contact: dotJenna
Phone: 972-510-9177
Email: dotjenna at gmail

The Marketing Shop.com, a privately held website design and development company based in Frisco, Texas has launched dotJenna.com. The dotJenna.com website will handle social media coaching, training, branding and advertising for businesses large and small throughout North America.

dotJenna.com offers a variety of products and services related to social media marketing including: Social Media Sales Coaching, Social Media Training Webinars, Speaking Events, Social Media Consulting, E-Books and other products produced by Jenna Ryan, President & CEO (dotJenna).

dotJenna.com also has a members-only area where coaching clients can obtain fresh information, tips, worksheets and watch the latest videos produced exclusively for dotJenna Members.

“The coaching arm of our company has been really strong, so we decided to build a tool to meet the demands of our clientele,” says dotJenna. “We look forward to the continued growth of our Coaching and Training facilities, and are glad we’ve found a vein for success despite economic conditions. Our main goal is to serve the marketplace by sticking to our core competencies. Coaching, Training, Webinars, E-Books on social media are in high demand, and we’re here to meet the needs of those who want to take their businesses to the next level.”

The Marketing Shop.com will remain intact, focusing on web development, website design, lead generation, SEO and WordPress websites for real estate agents, sales people and small businesses. dotJenna.com will focus on coaching, webinars, e-books and events featuring dotJenna.

Visit the website: http://www.dotJenna.com/

(c) 2010 – dotJenna – All Right Reserved – Please Tweet – Tiny URL: http://tinyurl.com/yysh277

Scientific studies show that Facebook fosters deeper relationships faster and easier than face-to-face. Not only are deeper relationships built, but with skilled use of social media, we can organize our network into valuable niches–paving way for increased connectivity. As if that weren’t enough, we can also engage personally with individuals at virtually any level of the social strata, all the while contributing to the global conversation.

And that’s not all.

Our new found hyper-relationship abilities are changing us. We, the consumers, are no longer prey to the hype of traditional sales and marketing. Print is dying. Television commercials no longer capture us. A power shift has occurred, with the consumer holding the scepter.

This new connectedness calls for individualized strategies to win the approval of our royal prospects. What we did yesterday worked when consumers were uninformed and unconnected. Not so today. Now we must be real, authentic and honest while building healthy relationships within the communities we serve. We must bring “gifts” to the procession, which translates into value. We must play the social media chords like a harp, creating win-win relationships that sing our praises.

Social media blurs the line between client and friend. This new shift requires marketers to get off our high horse, hat-in-hand. It’s time to humbly bow to the intricacies of relationship: Engaging, Listening, Giving, Supporting, Responding, Sharing and Caring.

It’s a beautiful thing.

Top 15 Facebook Post Writing Tips

(c) dotJenna – The Marketing Shop.com – All Rights Reserved

The posts you make on Facebook serve as the script for your own “Facebook Show.” Each post helps to endear you to your audience, attract new readers and keep them interested and hungry for more. Get maximum impact from your posts with theses “Top 15 Facebook Writing Tips.”

I am a Social Media Sales Coach. I help small businesses, sales people, entrepreneurs and real estate agents generate buzz, sell product and get famous among their target markets using social media. I train people one-on-one and also offer monthly social media services for those who are too busy to do it themselves. These are my recommendations for perfect posts on Facebook. These conventions may also apply to Twitter, however, Twitter needs its own article, which I’m presently writing and will offer at my FREE TWITTER SEMINAR in Denton on April 22nd. (Hope you join us!)

Writing Techniques for Facebook Posts

1. Keep posts brief, under 140 characters (even on Facebook). Long posts look like work (a huge turn-off), especially when its a stinking ad for a product. People are scanning Facebook, not reading it. Unless you have a vast readership and your content is mega-valuable and relevant to your audience (like if you’re a preacher or a therapist, or money manager)–you may annoy the bejeebers out of your friends with long, unedited posts. This includes long descriptions for the houses you’re hawking. Facebook is not Craigslist or the MLS. Give links to long text, or use notes or your blog for topics needing over 140 (or so) characters.

2. Give details, details, details. Give details about what you’re posting. If you’re going to the store, tell us what store. If you’re washing your dog, tell us your dog’s name. If you are going to dinner with your hubby, share his name and perhaps mention where you’re going, or at least the type of food you’re having. Answer when, what, where and why. This tip goes all the way back to the paragraph format in middle school. Make your statement, give a reason, then give examples. Don’t forget this writing principal–it will help people like you more.

3. Do not type in all caps. Writing in all caps means the same as yelling. It’s okay to emphasize a few words with caps, but don’t use all caps in your posts (unless you mean to yell).

4. Consider your audience. As with any type of writing, you must consider your audience. The posts you make on Facebook go to everyone on your friend list. Make sure you draw people into what you are saying by asking questions, editing and revising with the audience in mind.

5. Write to one person, not a group. Think that you are talking to a person, not a group. Even though you are speaking to your entire network, only one person reads your words at a time. Keep your posts conversational by using personal pronouns and contractions and maintain a relaxed, friendly tone.

6. Avoid vague posts. Write posts that are clear, concise and contain enough details to orient the reader. Vague posts are confusing and irritating. There are better ways to create mystery than to say, “I’m about to be starting something.” If such vague posts fit within your existing content strategy, that’s one thing, but they should be used sparingly, or better yet, not at all.

7. Use proper punctuation. Put periods at the end of sentences. Watch your apostrophes. Steer clear of run-on-sentences. Your post content is a reflection of who you are, and a first impression to many.

8. Go easy on the exclamation points. Do not use exclamation points after every sentence. If absolutely necessary, include one ! per post, but only if it truly adds to the content. If you are really happy about a post, you can add multiple exclamations like this: !!! – Just please don’t put them after every sentence! Like this! Because it looks weird! Makes you look like you’re hiding the truth! What I’m saying is really not exciting! I’m trying to trick you!

9. Ask questions. The best way to get the attention of your readers is to ask questions, or draw them into the topic in some way. Questions make people think and respond with comments–the ultimate goal of any successful social media sales strategy.

10. Tell us how it makes you feel. When you post something on Facebook, such as the fact that your son is getting his first haircut, don’t forget to tell us how that makes you feel. Share your feelings if you wish to come to life and not appear one-dimensional. The more feelings you share, the more real and authentic you’ll appear, and this is irresistibly attractive. Remember, people buy from people they know and like.

11. Don’t show off. It’s okay if you want to tell us how great you are some of the time, but if you overdo it by sharing how rich you are, how thin you are, and overdo how great you are, it makes you look insecure, and turns off the audience.

12. Don’t post about your disdain for others. If you’re mad at your ex-husband, it may make you appear bitter if you post about it too often. If you are truly seeking support, it may be okay to be yourself and share this info with others occasionally, just know that it makes you look bitter, and the goal is to build people up, not make them feel like crap. Avoid turning your network into a toxic waste dump.

13. Share positive emotion in your posts. Good friendships are based on positive emotions. Have you ever had a friend in real life who drained you? Chances are that person brought more negative energy into the friendship than positive. Be a good Facebook friend by keeping the negative aspects of your life between you and your therapist. There are exceptions to this rule, but not many.

14. Keep variety in your posts. Don’t post about the same thing every time, especially if no one is responding or interacting. Use all the posting tools at your fingertips: text, links, photos, videos. Mix up your text posts too, some personal, some value-content, some fun, some current events.

15. If you’re not getting comments, take heed. If you have a lot of friends and are posting regularly on Facebook, but not getting any comments or “likes,” then you may need to reevaluate your posts. Are they interesting? Are they clear and concise? Do they convey emotion? Do they invite interaction? Are they engaging, positive, warm and inviting? The level of engagement you are getting is the best grader of the quality of your posts.

Social media is like a glass window into your character;
if you’re greedy, seedy or needy, we’ll all know it. ~ dotJenna

Do these tips make sense to you? Let me know which is news to you, that you didn’t know about. Maybe something I said seems wrong? Let me know. Also, take a moment to share any rules you’ve made for yourself.

Thanks for reading!

dotJenna
Your Social Media Sales Coach
http://twitter.com/dotjenna
http://www.facebook.com/dotjennafans

10 YouTube Cameo Video Tips

Whether you’re shooting a video for YouTube or for uploading elsewhere on the web, there are certain steps you need to take to ensure your time is put to best use, and to create the best video. I have put together the following tips to help you make the most of your video own recordings. If you can think of other tips to add, please let me know in the comment section below.

1. Have a script ready.
You want to have a script ready, not so you can read it word-for-word, but as a guide for what you’re going to say. If you don’t have a script written, you are likely to do what I do and get all ready, all situated, then freeze. Freezing is not a good thing to do when you’re about to take a video, so I suggest that you write what you want to say down in outline form for easy reference.

2. Place your script at eye-level.
I don’t do this for my own video shoots, and believe me, I pay dearly for it in the editing process. If you have the script in front of you, you are less likely to look away and start speaking before you look into the camera. Keeping the words in front of you makes your bright, shining face stay right in front of the camera where it belongs. This is a standard practice. (Think of cue-cards.)

3. Look and feel your 100% best on shooting day.
Everything, and I do mean everything shows up on camera. Hairs out of place? This will become a focal point. Missing an earring? Eh hem. Feeling kinda shabby? Don’t film yourself. You need to look and feel your very best, so do whatever you have to do to get in tip-top level on the day you are shooting the video of yourself.

4. Create a scene.
This tip comes courtesy of Chris Pirillo, but I totally relate on this. Create a scene behind you. Consider what the people will be able to see behind you and all around you. The atmosphere you create on camera will depend on the mood of the shot. Just because you are shooting amateur videos doesn’t mean you can get away with a sloppy set. Check the camera view before you start your video to make corrections early.

5. Check the lighting.
There should be no shadows on your face. If you can’t afford a video lighting kit, make sure that you shoot your video at the right time of day, when the sun is shining in the windows enough to make your whole face and body alight. Check the video regularly to make sure the lighting is right, as this is one of the most important aspects of video. The lighting can make or break how you look.

6. Wear a bright, solid color that reflects your brand.
Wear a color that speaks about who you are as a business professional (if you are using this video for marketing purposes. Stay away from white, as it looks terrible on camera. Don’t wear giant prints or fussy clothing. Keep clothes plain and bright.

7. Speak in sound bites.
If you’re anything like me, when you speak, you run your sentences together. Take care to speak in a moderate rate, finishing words and sentences clearly by annunciating as you go. Important sentences may need to be reiterated more than once to help in the editing process later.

8. Be yourself.
Pretend like you’re entertaining new friends at your home, as you relax and open up to your imaginary audience. If you are fake and stiff, it will come across on camera and make people click away. If you are welcoming, engaging and personable, people will be naturally drawn to your videos.

9. Be bubbly and energetic.
You must over-do-it on the bubbly part, if you’re usually pretty even keel. You need to animate yourself a bit more in a video than you do in real life. Nobody wants to see a long video of a talking head. You need to have enthusiasm and passion for the topic your speaking about, and for the video making process. Get excited!

10. Watch your posture.
The way you hold your body speaks volumes about your confidence level. Make sure you sit or stand up straight, and portray a confidence about your topic. This will command the respect of the audience, and help your message to be more easily conveyed.

Follow these tips and reap the benefits of a spectacular and productive video shoot. If you’re interested in learning about how YouTube videos can impact your business and help you to market your products and services, contact me, dotJenna today for a free social media consultation.

Facebook Photo Tips for Social Media Marketing

(c) All Rights Reserved – dotJenna.com – TheMarketingShop.com

When marketing yourself on Facebook, it’s important that you “Come to Life on the Web,” so as to make yourself more real and authentic to your target market, your audience, your community. One great way to come to life is by posting photos of yourself, your family, your friends, your activities and your surroundings. It is this information that helps people relate to you and understand you and your business better. Once people get to know you, they will like you, listen to you and begin to trust you over time.

Photos are extremely popular inside Facebook, this is due to the significant visibility given photos on the Profile, the News Feed and the Highlights area of the Home page. The reason Facebook is the most popular photo sharing site on the web is not because its features are the best, but because its Photos application is very tightly integrated with the social graph.

Hosting an event is a great way to market your business on Facebook. Upload photos from the event and Tag the people in each photo. These photos will show up in various Feeds, and the attendees’ Friends will get a glimpse of their Friend interacting with your business, prompting them to contact you too.

According to the Facebook Website: “It is a good idea to upload photos frequently to your Facebook Page. Use vibrant, candid photos to communicate the human element of your business: employees, special events, customers, etc. These will give your Facebook Page a natural feel to users who are used to viewing their friends’ profiles and photos.”

Tagging
Tagging is the way that photos are made social on Facebook, and a great tool to start the viral marketing process. When you upload a photo to Facebook, you can “tag” your friends. Once you tag a friend in a photo, the photo shows up on your Feeds and your Friend’s Feeds. If the person does not want to be associated with the photo, he or she can “remove tag” and break the link between themselves and the photo. When tags are left in place, Friends of the tagged Friend often check out the photo(s) as well.

Dos & Don’ts of Posting Photos on Facebook

Do…

• Crop your photos if you have time using a free photo editing software product such as Picasa.
• Work on the lighting in the photos in the Picasa or other photo editor if the photo is dark.
• Take photos with your cell phone and upload them directly.
• Take pics of yourself–your Facebook page is about YOU. Make sure to highlight yourself.
• Put a caption under each pic. If the pic is personal, tell us who is who and why they are important to you.
• Consider your image. Social media selling makes your image more important than ever. Go on a diet, get your hair trimmed, get new clothes, take care of you.
• Take photos with you as the centerpiece.
• Make sure pics have a focal point. Treat each pic like a mini-work-of-art.
• For events, take pics of you interacting with the crowd.
• For events, take pics of the people smiling and having a good time.
• Organize pics into meaningful albums based on common theme, dates or people.
• Post pics that are vibrant, colorful and clear.
• Use high-quality camera.
• Respond to comments that people make on pics, otherwise you might seem rude.
• Share your photos liberally with your network by posting them on your Facebook Profile and Fan page.
• Use a pic of a person (you) in Event Invites for a better showing.
• Like and comment on other people’s pics that you post to create a community feel.
• Take a camera with you everywhere you go.
• Post pics of cute pets. Cuddily dogs and cute babies are very popular on Facebook.

Don’t…

• Post a bunch of pics with no explanation.
• Post a ton of pics with you no where in site–remember, it’s YOUR Facebook page.
• Write a huge long paragraph about the pic–unless it is extremely interesting and meaningful. This is especially the case when it’s your product. Nobody cares and you can turn them off.
• Post random pics of no meaning.
• Be lazy about posting pics. Your Facebook pics are a reflection of you and your business!
• Worry about appearing vain. You need to be a little vain with social media marketing.
• Try to post huge photos onto Facebook without optimizing them in Picasa first.
• Forget to add your business info and phone number to pics if it is an event or to be used for marketing.
• Post too many pics of the same thing over and over.
• Post pics without comments. You must introduce the characters, events and themes in your life–like a TV show.
• Go crazy with the photo editor by making photos weird colors, unless you REALLY know what you’re doing.
• Show only pics of products. People can’t bond with products. It’s better to show a variety.
• Post Farmville Photos or other games as they don’t look professional and are not interesting to anyone but you.
• Put no pic in the profile area. This is like going to a party with a bag on your head.
• Put up a profile with a logo and not a person. People bond with people, not logos.

The key with pictures is to make yourself look as good as possible! You want to show the world your exciting life, your wonderful friends and family, your nice home, lovely office, cutie-pie dogs. Show the world who you are so they can get to know you, relate with you and bond with you. Post pics from your events so you can show off how fun it was to be there, circulate buzz, make the attendees’ friends take notice. Brand your Facebook Profile and Fan pages with scores of pics, and win big when it comes to making an impact through Facebook social media marketing.

Any more tips and ideas? Please share them in the comment area below. I love your comments and cannot get enough. Thank you so much for reading. Let me know if I can help you with your social media sales campaign. Until next time, I’m dotJenna, making your social media sales & marketing FABULOUS! Find me on Twitter: @dotJenna

Check out these videos related to Facebook Photos…

• Facebook Profile Pic (Video by dotJenna)
• Coming to Life on the Web

dotJenna Article: “Building Community Around Your Brand”
dotJenna Podcast: “Building Community Around Your Brand“

This podcast goes with the article, “Building Community Around Your Brand,” and offers great info for using social media to build community for sales professionals, real estate agents and entrepreneurs.