You are a Small Business, Web 2.0 and Marketing yourself and growing your credibility

You are a small business. Whether you are a freelance writer, a designer, a photographer, or starting a business from scratch, if you have a dream, it is a fact that self promotion can be your gate way to doing your dream, having your happiness, and making money.

So what is web 2.0 doing for you?

Well, I have found that using free marketing tools is a great way to self promote, especially in tight times. If you aren’t blogging, pod casting, or involved with video blogging, you should look into it. Basically if you can check your email you can manage doing any of the these three things. Everyone is using the web to get ahead. Well I am not sure that is true, when I feel like I am the only one of my friends who blog, pod cast and create video blogs, but it sure makes me look cool.

Blogging: I do it for Google rankings and so that I can be discovered and found by people like you, blogging is a great way to self promote and also give insight into what you know, state your opinion on something, anything, from art, to fashion, to technology, to blogging, to porn, to pregnancy. Anything! When you blog you should be putting in the headline something related to you, or the area of interest you want to target. Think of your audience and what they would be searching on Google. I try to put the word model, modeling, petite model, etc, in most of my posts.

Say you live in a smaller city and no one really blogs? Well that’s perfect. In smaller cities like Norfolk, VA, blogging is even more important, because not as many people do it, and you can catch a buzz with just your Google rankings, because when you blog Google sees it, captures is and puts you on the list! Say you want to start a business, well you should also have a blog that speaks about areas involved in the business. If you are a handbag designer, you could start a blog about handbags, and feature you favorite handbag news, or your own personal insight on the handbag business. Also by blogging, gives you credibility to write about something you are passionate about and know a lot about.

Podcasting: I have my own radio show too. It is a podcast called MODEL TALK, I basically just call in to a certain number, it records me speaking, interviewing, etc, and uploads, and you can listen live or anytime, and it generates over 4,000 downloads a week. And it is a great way to self promote myself, my opinion, my book, my blogs, current projects and get an audience.

Video Blogging: Of course there is Youtube, but also video blogging can be taken into your current pursuit and you can enhance what you do into a video aspect very easily, and pitch yourself as a content producer to certain networks, magazines, other blogs, and use it as part of your press release for a certain product, you can take video to the next level by making it help you, and your business. Also most laptops have web cameras- and you can easily do it in a professional way. I currently video blog for AOL’s Styledash.com and by figuring out how to record myself, download and size my video I have been able to produce quality weekly video blogs and give beauty advice for them, it has been great. Also not many people do know how to create their own content videos. Record your small business products, or yourself giving advice on something that you are an expert on, do it. Be seen and do it to benefit your goals, and business. I even have my own Youtube videos giving modeling advice. Everyone from aspiring singers to brands like Levi are putting video on the web to use!

If a model like me can do it! Anyone can!

Tomorrow I plan to be in the park making a video and blogging and preparing for my podcast! What is web 2.0 doing for you?