If you want to spark an interesting discussion among people who descend from Spanish speaking Latin American countries, ask them how they refer to themselves.

Depending on where the person is from, you’ll hear different answers.

“Hispanic”, the Texan may say.

“I don’t trust anything with the word ‘panic’ in it” jokes Chicano actor and comic George Lopez.

“Latino” says the Californian.’

“Latin”, says the New Yurican.

Here are some tips so you don’t come across as a burro in front of your Latino/Hispanic clients.

1. How about asking?

For the most part, you just need to ask people how they prefer to call themselves. You don’t want to organize a Hispanic Celebration as part of a PR campaign only to discover that your target audience despises the word “Hispanic”.

2. Honor the Whole, Honor the Individual

At times, there is power in numbers. Being part of a Latino coalition feels much more inclusive than standing alone. But don’t forget that each person identifying as Latino or Hispanic also connects back to a country of origin.

3. “How Many Types of Mexican Are There?”

A recent visitor asked me if I could take her somewhere “Spanish”. In my mind I’m thinking flamenco dancers and Andre Segovia, but actually what she meant was Mexican. I’m sure in her mind she equated the two on linguistic terms, but I’m no expert on Spanish culture. But Mexican? Sure, bring it on!

You also have people who cram every Latino into the group “Mexican” whether they are or not. Believe it or not, not every Spanish speaking person (or of that descent) is Mexican, just as not every Asian person is Chinese.

4. When in Doubt, Ask a Mexican

Gustavo Arrellano, a gifted writer and syndicated columnist, humorously addresses the curiosity (and let’s say it: ignorance) that many Americans have about Latinos, especially recently arrived immigrants. Reading his column, Ask A Mexican,  will shed light on the topic and open the lid on many taboo subjects.

Yes, that sound you hear are my feet tapping as I do the Happy Dance. Thanks to Marnie Pehrson of Idea Marketers for pointing out that I’m #1 on Google for PR and Media expert. The link goes directly to my Official Expert Page on her site, which is proof that Idea Marketers is a great place to be for visibility.

Marnie just sent me another message that she has open categories for Official Experts. To make the most of this, you need to have great content that is well written and interesting to a wide audience. Her site gets incredible traffic which can turn into traffic to your site and visibility for you.

Below are Marnie’s open categories, be sure to check out her Expert Guidelines to make sure this is the right step for you. (It was for me!) Mention my name and she’ll send you a set of steak knives. (Just kidding!) Say my name anyhow, maybe it will bring you some Google good luck.

Continue reading Brand Yourself as an Expert And Go to the Top of Google

Click here for podcast version of article

For those of you who regularly read my tips, you’ll notice a common theme I share: slow down and relax! There are far too many sites for anyone with real responsibilities in life to keep up with and the pressure continues to mount as new sites pop up.

I value online visibility as much as the next person, but I also value free time. Here is a tip that will increase your visibility online without having to add more hours to your schedule.

TwitterFeed is a site that allows you to import your blog posts, or any RSS feed, into your Twitter stream. Through a simple set up, you can automate the process to bring high quality content to your Twitter stream. Because Twitter can be connected to so many other social networking sites like Facebook or FriendFeed, it doubles as updates to all those sites too. Save yourself time and boost your credibility with these simple steps:

1. Go to www.TwitterFeed.com and open an account.

You will need to create something called an OpenID which is a secure way of logging in to TwitterFeed. This will probably be the most complicated part of the process, but the instructions are very clear. You’ll need to verify your OpenID through an email link, so get this part done before you continue.

2. Once you’ve established your TwitterFeed account, go in and click “Go to My Twitter Feeds or Create a New One”.

When you click on Create new feed, select Twitter from the drop-down menu.

3. Enter your Twitter username and password.

For example, my Twitter name is NancyMarmolejo, so that is what I enter. It’s the name that shows up next to your picture on your Twitter stream.

4. Enter your blog’s RSS feed.

If you don’t have one, go to www.Feedburner.com and follow the instructions to get one.

5. Select how frequently you want it to search for new posts.

You also need to decide whether you want it to have a short statement before each post, for example “New blog post:”

6. After you get yourself set up, start importing the RSS feeds of other blogs you love.

Pick content that supports your credibility as an expert. For instance, let’s say you like my blog and want to share those posts with others. You’d put my RSS feed http://feeds.feedburner.com/VivaVisibilityBlog into your TwitterFeed.

7. Look at ways you can use TwitterFeed to create community, support clients, and continue as a top name in your field.

I like to import feeds that have to do with social media, good business advice, trends, and time management. Find the right balance for you!

TwitterFeed is a great way to add content to your social networking pages… without adding any time to your busy schedule. Give it a try and watch how easy it is to stay visible!

* Add Viva Visibility to your TwitterFeed! http://feeds.feedburner.com/VivaVisibilityBlog

As part of celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month (as much as I’d like to change it to Latino Heritage Month), I’m sharing important articles and information to shed light on the monolith described by Madison Avenue as “The Hispanic Market”.

While diversity within this group is enormous, it’s also important to keep an eye on the developments of Latinos as a whole. Latino owned businesses are increasing faster than any other demographic group, particularly those owned by women.

Read this quick summary about Hispanic Women Business owners to get more information.

Want to boost your visibility in front of the fastest growing sector of the U.S. population? Before you go translating your sales letters into Spanish (not always the wisest approach), take some time to understand who constitutes the Latino market in the U.S.

Don’t forget that the Latino market is economically diverse and comprised of people who may want to do business with you.

A recent report on www.HispanicBusiness.com outlines population stats from the US Census Bureau.

Continue reading Hispanic Heritage Month Info: Hispanic Population Stats

The news is in: social networking is more popular than porn on the internet.

With the rise of sites like Facebook, web surfers are defining communication and online interaction in a whole new way, according to Bill Tancer, author of the new book “Click: What Millions of People are Doing Online and Why It Matters“.  His analysis of over 10 million web users reveals shifts in web behavior and why people go online. One key finding is the drop in popularity of porn sites, particularly among the 18 to 24 year old users.

In a Reuters news piece on this topic, Tancer says, “My theory is that young users spend so much time on social networks that they don’t have time to look at adult sites.”

In addition to the porn stats, Tancer’s book also outlines other topic trends surfers are clicking on, such as:

Tropical storms (spike in this trend after Katrina)

Spike in searches for anti-depression around Thanksgiving holiday time

Prom dresses

Diets

Holiday related info

Celebrity obsession out-pulling religion, politics, well-being, and diet combined

Image based data for Presidential candidates (like “How tall is Barack Obama?”)

Because so much web content is generated by users, issues arise as to how accurate the information is. From YouTube videos to slandering blog posts, how much weight can we put on what we’re finding online?

Tancer says, “With the explosion of this type of false information on the Internet I think we will see someone come forward and develop a new type of software that can filter for the most accurate information,” he said.

“Maybe accuracy is the next thing we will all search for.”

Source: Reuters

OK, I confess. The  sea-serpent world of cords under my office desk connecting the modem, router, VOIP, phone, external hard drive, printer, hard drive, numerous “wireless” devices, etc, is flat out SCARY.

It seems that every device I buy to simplify my life ends up adding another cord to the mess.

Add to the mix a kid-friendly work space complete with Barbies having a ticker tape parade in my paper shredder, and you can only imagine some of the organizing obstacles I face.

I publicly outed myself on a recent interview with Debbye Cannon, the Business Mom Mentor, as we addressed the challenges faced by mom entrepreneurs. Debbye isn’t here to put you in a box (but she’ll help you find a great box for all that media coverage you’re getting!). I like her approach because she identifies as a creative soul and that comforts me.

Listen to this Debbye’s approach in this short interview, get tips, and learn how to reconcile being wildly creative with somewhat organized.

Click here to listen to the interview with Debbye Cannon

Find out more about Debbye Cannon by visiting her site. Click here for more info.

September 15 to October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States, a time to recognize the achievements and contributions of Latino/Hispanic Americans. I’ll be sharing some blog posts and important information on a variety of topics related to the subject throughout the next few weeks.

Of course I’ll put my own special Viva Visibility twist on most of it.

So today, I want to remind you WHY YOU NEED TO CARE about this topic.

1. Latinos living in the US aren’t part of some new post-NAFTA phenomenon. Prior to 1848, the majority of the Western US was part of Mexico. Descendants of Mexican and Spanish settlers still live here and are still connected to their roots. Many indigenous people of the Southwest and California speak Spanish, or have connections to Hispanic culture. A sector of the market called the English dominant Latino (that would be someone like me) is fascinating niche advertisers, media outlets, and marketers.  Continue reading Viva Hispanic Heritage Month: Why You Need to Care

Here’s a cool book launch promo by self-help author Eldon Taylor.

Today, Eldon has put together a book launch that does a couple of things:
1. It supports an important cause
2. It has some genuinely good “freebie” gifts if you buy the book today.
3. Puts a book in your hands that can help you understand how your mind works.

For every copy of Choices and Illusions sold, Eldon will make a donation to Women for Women International of $1. Women for Women is anaward-winning non-profit that provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies. They currently work in eight countries
including Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and Sudan. They have served over 150,000 women and distributed more than $42 million in direct aid and loans.

He’s got some other nice bonuses from mega-stars like Don Miguel Ruiz, James Van Praagh, Louise Hay, Wayne Dyer, Jack Canfield and of course myself (do you love how I just coat-tailed these biggies! LOL!) , just for purchasing one copy of Choices and Illusions, which costs less than $15.

Go ahead and check out the promotion here.

During a recent consultation with a client, we took a good look at her social networking pages. This person, a very successful internet entrepreneur, chose to delegate a large portion of her social networking to a team. She knew she had to stay visible on sites like Facebook, but for many reasons wasn’t personally attending to it.

Together we looked at her pages, and immediately were struck by the sheer dullness of everything. Nothing sounded like her, nothing felt like her, and overall it was generic and tedious.

I can only compare her reaction to someone who sees an unflattering reflection of herself in a storefront window. “Oh no, is that what people are seeing?” she lamented.

“Yes…. sorry to break the news to you”, I honestly replied.

In the world of social marketing, a dull public presence will sabotage your efforts and send potential clients running for the hills. This doesn’t mean you have to put on a fake persona or try to re-invent yourself for the spotlight. It’s about authentically being yourself and tapping into what attracts people to you and your brand.

Here are 3 strategies to use so you don’t come across as BORING. Remember: you want to stand out as the voice that people remember, not just the voice people hear.

1. Add Some Sizzle to Your Status updates
Your status updates on Facebook or Twitter are great places to get people interested in learning more about you. You don’t have to only write about your upcoming seminar or book launch to get people hooked into following you.

When I Tweeted that I had to get an outfit for my high school reunion, a whole High School Reunion thread began with people sharing about their reunions, why they liked them, why they hated them, I even got links to dresses people suggested I wear. This chit-chat approach allows you to interact with people on a different level, and also lowers the guard that people put up when they know your primary focus is on sales and promotions. Learn to mix up your professional updates with some snazzy personal info!

2. Battle Boredom with Great Photos
Changing your profile photo often is a great strategy for being more visible. On Facebook, you come up in the feed every time you switch profile pictures, and on Twitter your followers instantly see the change.

When I “Warholized” my profile photo, suddenly a whole bunch of my “Tweeple” followed in the fun with new spins on old photos. This not only shows that you don’t fear change, it also reveals a creative side that clients and prospects enjoy seeing.

3. Don’t Let Delegation Lead You Into Dullsville
Delegation is great and frees us up to get more done. However, if you choose to delegate the majority of your social networking, then you run the risk of becoming bland.

Go ahead and delegate out things that don’t require too much of your personal stamp (such as event invites, blog posts which can be imported, or wishing people Happy Birthday). But when it comes to communicating heart to heart, such as on people’s walls or posting your status updates, then make sure it’s you coming up with the words. When you’re not doing this, people can tell!

With so many entrepreneurs marketing themselves in the world of Web 2.0, you need to find interesting ways to stand out. No need to change everything about yourself, just look within and come up with ways to get people interested in you. Whether you use pictures or words, remember that every bit counts to build relationships and boost credibility.

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What do you think? How do you stay “interesting” online? Is it even important to you? Or better yet, have you had any tangible results (like a new client) due to ramping up your Sizzibility factor? Drop a comment and chime in.