This is part 2 of a 2 part series on using social networking to promote your business. Read part 1 here.

Getting Started - The presenters all made the same point: the only way to get started in social networking is to jump in. If you haven’t already, start with a Facebook business account. If you already have a personal account, read these instructions.

If you are looking to update your website, a blog is a good way to get started with social networking (you are reading a blog). Use it as a “portal” for your entire website: portfolios, services offered, prices, and contact information combined with links to your RSS feeds, Twitter and Facebook accounts. After researching many types of blog software, I can recommend Wordpress.

Takeaway Points - As I sat through several presentations, I wrote down some common ideas that every presenter emphasized:

• Think “build community”, not “communicate with.”
• Social networking requires your most passionate people. It won’t work if you just give it to an employee as one more task to be completed on a daily basis.
• Avoid the “if you build it they will come” syndrome. Setting up a Facebook page is only the smallest first step. Plan to work with it every day or at least every other day for several months before you see real results.
• Measurement is hard. The number of “clicks” or “friends” or “eyeballs” you receive will not necessarily translate into sales. Instead, you have to trust that as social networking grows, the businesses that are part of it will grow too.
• People support organizations or businesses they love. The strength of social networking is that it allows you to develop these relationships.
• The technology is easy. The human empathy, passion, and commitment is hard.

During tough economic times, it’s easy to get discouraged by poor sales. Below is the tenth specific thing you can do starting today that will give your business the boost it needs to survive:

Click here if you missed part 1 , part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, or part 9

Don’t cut your fees – add services

When times are tough it is tempting to put your products and services on sale to attract new customers. While a sale can be an effective tool, it doesn’t mean you have to lower your prices:

• If you offer five poses as part of your senior special, make it ten
• If you offer four hours with a bride, increase it to six
• Include a “trashed dress” photo shoot at no charge

One of the easiest ways to increase your value proposition is to offer more services at the same price your competition charges. Your dollars per hour average may go down, but you’ll be spending the time making money and developing a happy customer, which should lead to larger sales, testimonials, referrals and more profits.