Today's post outlines specific ways for you to maximize your online interactions with partners and potential clients.
Read the full series:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Step 21) Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
I've said it before and I'll say it again. You'll want to reach out to people on social networking sites. My best recommendation is to use these tools as additional avenues to build your community of clients online.
Some great ways to use existing tools include:
- creating a Facebook Groups page
- creating a Facebook Fans page
- embedding your widget or badge on your website
- setting up a Twitter account and using CoTweet (for multiple accounts) or TweetDeck to manage it
- making sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date
- adding your blog, your Amazon reading list, or your latest SlideShare presentations to your LinkedIn account
- using Twitterfeed to feed your blog posts to your Twitter account.
- keeping track of good links through a Delicious account
- posting your Delicious links to your website
- using Flickr to post photos of your company's products and services
- building a YouTube community around videos related to your business
- building a list of allies through FriendFeed
- participating in social networking sites like Ning
- starting your own network in topics you're interested in
- contributing to specific communities like GreenPress.com or Mother Nature Network
- have another idea?
Some specific samples for your review:
A Successful Woman's group on Facebook
Monica S. Flores - a LinkedIn profile
monicadear on Twitter
Learn more step-by-step instructions using my e-download of Social Networking for Women on Business.
Step 22) Blogs
Your blog may be as simple as a Wordpress.com (hosted) or a Blogspot or TypePad account, or as complex as a Wordpress.org (self-hosted) customized installation or Drupal site.
Whatever format you choose, use your blog to establish a presence on the topics or issues that your business addresses.
Typical blog topics include industry news, information about your company, key players in your industry, upcoming events, or original research you've published.
When we do this with clients our goal is to increase the available search engine listings on any web search of the company people or company-wide keywords -- you want your blog or postings to show up on the first page of results.
Here's a sample of one of my blogs, targeting successful women:
ASuccessfulWoman.com
This website is ranked #1 in a Google search on "successful woman".
Step 23) Make it Members-only
You have an opportunity to reach out directly to your web visitors. Cultivate a "members-only" approach by using a solution like Joomla! or Drupal to offer members-only content.
For example, I offer a green business directory for public use, but those who'd like to list their business must first join as a member:
GreenBusinessWomen Business Directory
You can also use members-only tools to create revenue streams: perhaps you have some content you may offer for free but you have some more specialized content that you will share with those who pay a small monthly fee.
For example, here's PowerSewing by Sandra Betzina, which offers customized videos on sewing projects to fans who pay an annual or monthly fee. Users receive specific, niche content, and PowerSewing receives an ongoing stream of income to continue creating the shows.
Step 24) E-mail lists
Constant Contact, Vertical Response, Google Groups, AWeber, and the self-hosted PHPList are all solutions we've tried and recommend. E-mail listservs land your message directly in your customer's in-box and are a continuous way for you to reach your customer throughout the year.
If you already have a list of e-mail addresses, convert it to one of these solutions so you may offer an "opt-out" for people who do not want to receive your e-mail.
Your goal is to narrow your focus and reach people who are interested in hearing from you. I only recommend sending e-mail a few times a year, as everyone receives too much e-mail!
Consider the aim of your e-mail list, the quality you'll offer, and your privacy policy. Our recommendation is that you build a large enough base of subscribers who then purchase your products, share their experience with your company, and come to your website. Build your list one subscriber at a time and set some goals and guidelines for how you intend to communicate with your subscribers.
We'll be addressing maintenance, tracking, and analyzing your numbers in our next post. Bookmark this blog and follow along!
List your green business for free in the national directory at www.greenbusinesswomen.com. Follow me on Twitter at @monicadear and let me know about your green business!
Monica S. Flores of 
is committed to educating, empowering, and connecting women in business -- she believes in the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profits. She is available for consulting on web development, green business practices, and women in business.