The BOSS Network Blog

Technology and I have a love-hate relationship. I love being able to keep in touch with faraway family and friends. I hate being constantly connected. An oxymoron, I know. I was one of the last in my group of friends to subscribe to the smartphone life, despite persistent protests from my then-boyfriend. Now I probably use my phone more than I care to admit: on the bus, on the train, on the plane, at the gym, in the bathroom. It’s almost like my phone is an extension of my hand. Being a slave to technology comes with the hustle. If you’re a blogger or small business owner, you have to remain on top of everything or risk losing that next big deal/break/partnership, etc. Not too mention the pressure to acquire more followers, more subscribers, more this, more that. But it’s never enough. And, if you’re not careful, the “need” to keep up with the Kardashians and every other Instagram personality will leave you burnt out and exhausted. Which is exactly why I relish the opportu...

What isn’t going anywhere any time soon is the wide world of Social Media. It will continue to grow, which places higher demands on brands, businesses and other organizations. I recently had a conversation with a popular musician, who wasn’t using one of social media’s most widely used picture and video apps; Instagram. With him being so visible, and with sponsors and endorsements galore, he was advised (by one of his sponsors) that he had to create an Instagram account, as the ones endorsing his brand were highlighting him frequently. Needless to say, he now has an Instagram account. There is no way around “needing” social media for your brand or business. It is a fact that your social media accounts and your brand’s message should completely align with one another. There are quite a number of things that you can do to ensure that you are sending the right messages out to your current and potential clients and customers, but let’s start with three! 1. As a new busi...

When social media and networking events start to build your target market, “ching ching,” you are on to something significant! Most of the time when you are looking to build your network – if you didn't already start in college – you will have to take the time to study your market and know the current shortage or need in your particular industry.  Some of you know all about the hair or jewelry industry.  It’s understandable, luxury, high style and bling are fun things in which to indulge.  But, you have to go beyond the surface.  I've noticed that most women don’t want to study their market, and usually spend more money into buying supplies, than building a team and a down line to make the money work for itself. You have to be the master of your plan, girly.  Know when to make cuts of people and habits that don’t serve you.  It’s time to get a new bag of friends when you’re working towards success and they are out party hopping.  Sometimes the ha...

When you are trying to develop and build a branding strategy – be it personal or business, possibly the most powerful tool you have at your fingertips is Social Media, and that all important active presence that is needed. There are so many benefits to being active on different social channels which will really ramp up your branding if you actually take stock and really take advantage of them.  How I used social media to build my Social Media Brand online? There are many techniques to branding your business online. Use the free social platforms to create your business profiles and begin sharing rich content about your business brand. Having a regular online presence daily helps to get your brand recognized on social media platforms.  Another great way to get your brand out in the world of social media is to create press release about your business brand with detailed information on what your company has to offer to consumers and businesses alike. 1. Create yo...

I’m sure all of us feel frustrated or overwhelmed when it comes to managing all our social media platforms. There are a billion people online, and sometimes, it can feel pointless to try and insert ourselves into a million other conversations. But lately, I’ve been introduced to a few tricks, and I’d like to share them with you. TWITTER: The key to all social media platforms in engagement, but the key is to engage with the right people. To do that, organize your Twitter contacts into “lists” and categorize them. That way, you can hone and target right into your chosen peer group instead of having to filter through all the incessant chatter in your Twitterverse. For example, create a list of “female entrepreneurs” or “fashionistas” and you can drop your favorite figures in those categories right in. When you access your list, you’ll know exactly what kind of conversation your entering, and the kind of people you want to hear from. Then you can tweet away- to the right peop...

A status update is more than a mere 150 characters, it’s a bold statement, if you choose it to be. Every tweet, facebook update, and blog post is a chapter in the book you are writing about you and/or your company’s story, so it’s crucial to view social media as a craft. So what should you post on Facebook? Here are three different ideas that you can use to innovate the way you post: 1.  PHOTOS - Pictures are indeed worth a thousand words, but only if the picture is purposeful to your brand’s story. Share photos of you at work, in action, or your product. They don’t have to be pictures of yourself, but rather, photos that demonstrate your services/product and the value it offers. Photos also tend to get more “likes” and views on social media. 2.  RELATED ARTICLES - The articles you read show where your interests are. Sharing these with your audience further reinforces the lane you’re creating for yourself and your business, all the while educating yourself...

Speaking at Fordham University, 2010. I often get emails from fellow aspiring writers and speakers asking advice on how to get started on the journey to spreading a message. What I love about the people who email me is that they often have a social mission to accomplish, and a thirst for serving communities. First off, that’s dope. Being message driven is a courageous and purposeful mission, and you never know who you will influence. While I’m no expert and still feel like I’m learning along the path, I’m happy to share some of the steps I’ve taken to build my work. Feel free to take in what you find helpful:  1.)  Create A Mission Statement.  Creating a mission statement lays out the blueprint of who you are and what you stand for. Search for mission statements from companies and organizations you admire, and use those as models for your own. When you know the WHY behind your WHAT, everything will fall into place. 2.)  Know Who ...

This week for this week for Black Enterprise Small Business University expert teacher Tina Wells, CEO and founder of Buzz Marketing Group, teaches a course on Marketing. Lesson 1: SOCIAL MEDIA AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOUR BUSINESS If you are launching a new business you need to understand your target audience, go where they are in order to reach them. For example, Marketers looking to promote a product or service for the millennial generation must launch campaigns online. Studies have shown that more than 40% of the millennial generations spend more than 6 hours a day online.   How can you accomplish this? Social Media. Social Media has drastically change the way entrepreneurs market their products and services, you can no longer rely on traditional tactics to reach your target audience, especially millennia’s’ who are bombarded with hundreds’ of advertisements a  day. To break through the noise and reach out to them to directly through platforms such as Twitter ,...