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What’s New With Social Media Marketing This Summer?

July 2, 2017 By Anita M. Hicks

Summer has arrived and temperatures are on the rise as many of us see things cooling down around the office as colleagues, clients and media contacts are leaving for respective vacations, trips and other excursions. Even as these Summer days may seem like down time you can actually use the Summer to be very productive on Social Media as you market your business! Are You Ready To See What’s New With Social Media Marketing This Summer?

Please find these hints and tips helpful as you continue to create and share engaging content for potential clients and past customers to enjoy and interact with this Summer. Don’t forget to check out the articles about current happenings in Social Media found at the end of this blog.

Here are some great ways to help promote yourself, and your business on Social Media this Summer:

Take Advantage of Seasonality for Content
The Olympic Games in Rio, heatwaves, music festivals, cultural events or BBQs. The choices are endless. So use this time to maximize your Social Media efforts with what’s trending right now. School holidays are also topical over the Summer, with parents looking for ideas on how to entertain their children on Summer break.

Create New Content
Use this time to create a bank of new content that you can tap into over the coming months. This could be in the form of blogs or more engaging graphics and videos. These are great for building Social Media engagement.

Time For Good Housekeeping
Polish up your Social Media accounts. Are they all active? Are they providing useful content and you receiving good engagement? For example on LinkedIn you may want to use this time to reconnect with your followers (and maybe clear out the inactive ones).

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While taking advantage of these great insights, also consider reviewing helpful articles found below that discuss what’s new with Social Media in Summer 2017:

How to Optimize Your Facebook Page for Product Sales

Looking to increase the amount of product sales referrals you are receiving this Summer from Facebook without having to invest in Facebook ads?

This article from Social Media Examiner online discusses organic ways to gain more followers, likes and overall interaction on Facebook with proven techniques. To read the article in full Click Here.

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How Your Startup Can Harness The Power of Social Media

Social Media provides numerous benefits for companies and businesses that are just starting out. This is because Social Media marketing helps to increase brand awareness, create a meaningful connection with customers and more.

If you are ready to start a new company this Summer or just want to further improve your existing Social Media marketing don’t miss the chance to read this think piece from Forbes by Clicking Here.

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The Virtual Assistance by Anita team wishes you a fantastic and productive Summer. We hope you continue to fly your business to new heights this year!!!

Enjoy And Share Live Videos With Facebook Live!

July 27, 2016 By Anita M. Hicks

Have You Heard?

Facebook wants you to enjoy live video … on Facebook! So much so that the company recently released a dedicated video space on its mobile app and online platform in the hopes that you will watch and broadcast more videos live.

Facebook Live videos are real-time video posts on Facebook. Live videos from public figures you follow and your friends will appear in your News Feed. When you’re watching a live video or a video that was live, you can tap or click Subscribe to get notified the next time that Facebook account starts a live broadcast. With Facebook Live, you can show your expertise in real time, take people behind the scenes, and much more!

Facebook’s efforts to get you to watch and broadcast live videos isn’t arbitrary. With more than 1.5 billion users worldwide, Facebook and Facebook users have a real opportunity to showcase breaking news, intimate personal moments, and behind-the-scenes stories from just about anywhere in a way that surpasses TV networks and other media outlets. All of which is pretty incredible!

Before you create the next Facebook Live video for your business, personal life, a non profit or networking group you are a part of or more, be sure to review and follow five tips for creating and promoting your video from Social Media Examiner by Clicking Here.

Written by: Matt Tyson of The Virtual Assistance by Anita Team

Gratitude List

November 27, 2013 By Anita M. Hicks

Happy Thanksgiving! Tomorrow is the day we celebrate this day of turkey, football and yes, gratitude. Thankfulness is something I take very seriously and in fact a few years ago I began a “month of Gratitude”; posting at least one item each day for the entire month of November that I am grateful for in my life at my Facebook personal profile. I have also encouraged others to share what they have to be thankful for with me as when we all begin to focus on the positive, more wonderful, positive things happen.

This is the exact reason why I have embraced an entire month of gratitude as over the past 5 or 6 years my life has had one gift upon another upon another building my health, my confidence, my business and my life into something more than I could have imagined. By focusing on the positives in my life and being grateful for them, they multiple. Just like by giving, you receive so much more! The philosophy discussed in Bob Burg & John David Mann’s book, “The Go-Giver” and the motto of BNI (Business Networking International) of “Givers Gain” are both examples that I am surely not the only one who embraces the ideals of giving without expectation of return. And that the more you give, surely without even realizing it, the more you receive.

This Thanksgiving of 2013 I have an extremely long list of gratitude items! My beautiful family – Danny, my partner in life and business for over 20 years now, who is truly my best friend; my gorgeous 3 children, who though not perfect are very special, each in their own way and truly gifts in my life! My friends who have decided that I am their family; who have supported my business and helped me and whom I know will not ever let me fail; they are my family and my inner circle here on earth. I lean on them for encouragement and they give it! My friends who are a part of my social media life as I adore you and know that I can find you in my news feeds for a smile or some inspiration, for my wonderful home which is the best one I’ve lived in for many years thanks to one of those above mentioned “family” and my awesome Realtor, my opportunities in both of my special networks – BNI and Rotary Club of Columbia. These folks have truly surrounded me with support and caring and I am so grateful.

I am thankful for the love of my pet, Shadow, my sometimes crazy black cat. And I give thanks for those special folks who give me gentle encouragement on what I need to do everyday to continue to improve my health. Big hugs to you – yes, Shari and Maxine – this means you! lol! I am listening… most of the time!

For our totally awesome and super special clients whom I have the pleasure to work with and help – I am deeply grateful to have YOU for my clients!

May the sun shine upon your face and the world be filled with gifts of joy and peace this Thanksgiving for you and your family! Hugs!!! ~Anita (Catch up with me & my family at Facebook this year for photos of the holidays!)

What does Success mean to YOU?

November 23, 2012 By Anita M. Hicks

Well here it is – the day after Thanksgiving! I have so many gifts in my life over the past years that now I embrace the entire month of November and each day I give thanks for at least one thing in my life.

In the past years my life has many successful areas. But, it depends on how you define success. I define it by having a family and husband whom I adore with a stronger relationship now than almost 20 years ago when we were married. Success for me is also a business in which I get to do what I LOVE and with clients whom are amazing to work with every day. Success for me is being surrounded by people who truly are there for me.Success is also continued improvements in my health.

How did I get all of these gifts in my life that I am so thankful for you ask? Magic? Pixie Dust? Nope! I KNOW it was many different things that gave me this success. But, one of the most important to me is that I began to adjust the way I thought. That is right – it was with me. It was the way I was thinking. Once I began to embrace the fact that I could achieve something more for my life, my business and my future, it began to happen. Once I began to take steps (sometimes in faith) of action towards my goals, then success came to me. Once I put others needs before my own and identified solutions to help others, then, solutions were available for me.

My success is that of learning to think of not what was wrong in my life, but to think of what solution I could find, learn and do to make my life better. When I began this business, before one business card was printed or my website was launched, I had already embraced the idea that it would be successful, I would have clients, there were resources and people to help me. Once I began to think in that way and stopped blaming everyone and everything around me, things began to change.

Then I learned that one success meant that I could now find success in other areas of my life also. My relationship with my husband has improved because I began to see where i could make changes, took action to do so and now my relationship is stronger for it.

What is your goal? What success do you want in your life? Try to rethink about how you can come up with action items and steps to make this happen for you.

Recently it was my great joy to have someone ask me this question – “How are you so successful in such a short time?”. It brought a huge smile to my face because I don’t think I am successful yet as everyday there is more to learn, new people to meet and the future is exciting! This is only the beginning. But, my answer was something like the graphic in this blog.

Honestly, there are no secrets to success, just learn, do and have an attitude of gratitude. Be more today than you were yesterday. That is success… in my humble opinion!

Happy Thanksgiving to All! I am grateful for you in my life!

Drug Free Charlie Appearing LIVE at Six Flags!

August 3, 2012 By Anita M. Hicks

Greetings! I hope this finds everyone having a fabulous summer! Usually I blog about social media, email, relationship building content or some other related business topic, but today I want to change gears and tell you about a wonderful opportunity.

My friend and one of the wonderful clients I have the joy to work with, Richard Van Dyke, has a great program for children called “Drug Free Charlie“. For years now he has been bringing his vision of Drug Free Charlie helping our children to stay free of drugs by learning at an early age through engaging and fun songs and activities! As a person who has spent 20 years of my life dedicated to helping our children, I was immediately drawn to Richard and Drug Free Charlie.

Drug Free Charlie is now appearing at Six Flags on August 18th for two shows – 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm. I assure you that he will have your children laughing, singing and dancing to drug free songs! In addition, Six Flags and Drug Free Charlie are offering discount tickets to the amusement park, water rides, and the Drug Free Charlie Shows! Visit www.sixflags.com/america and enter the Promo code in upper right corner – “DFC”. Tickets are just $28.00 including tax!

You may find more about Richard Van Dyke and Drug Free Charlie, one special clown, at www.drugfreecharlie.com

Thanks for tuning in and hope this info will help you to enjoy a wonderful day with your children, grandchildren, nieces, Girl or Boy Scouts, or anyone who is young at heart with Drug Free Charlie at Six Flags America!

Why I love Dragonflies

January 10, 2012 By Anita M. Hicks

Many folks ask me, “What is it that makes you love dragonflies so much?” or “Why did you chose a dragonfly to accompany your logo for @Virtual Assistance by Anita? Well, there are many reasons, but one of the main ones is that I’ve always loved the grace the dragonfly has as it flies from land to water to air and never misses a beat!

When I began my business two years ago, I knew that my life was beginning a new, positive transformation. This is more than just a business, a career, or a source of income. My business is a source of joy, energy, and people who care truly about me. I am surrounded with a positive influence on every flight! I am a Dragonfly!

The power of Dragonfly lies in its ability to see around things by looking from different angles. Using its ability to transform colors and lights by reflecting and refracting them, the Dragonfly shows us that life, like light, can bend, shift, and adapt in various ways. This makes life’s appearance never be what it appears to be.

The Dragonfly’s magic shows us to see through life’s illusions and find our true vision. It calls us to transform within our lives and reminds us to feel deeply so we will have the compassion necessary to help ourselves and others.

May 2012 help you to fly to new heights! 🙂

Here are some great ways to help promote yourself, and your business on Social Media this Summer:

While taking advantage of these great insights, also consider reviewing helpful articles found below that discuss what’s new with Social Media in Summer 2017:

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