Black MBA - Winter 2008/2009 - (Page 65)

Ottis Collier place where business professionals build a presence. Members can post product photos and they have access to e-mail, blogging, forums and groups. Search tools make it possible to target potential clients and customers. An Internet recruitment trainer, Collier especially likes that MySpace allows members to post fraternity and sorority affi liations – representing an additional plus, he says, for business owners targeting a diverse search pool. LinkedIn is a professional, businessoriented site that allows members to create a profile similar to a résumé minus the bells and whistles available on many other social networking sites. Members can connect with current or potential colleagues, clients and partners. Members also can become industry experts by using the site’s very popular “Answers” section. Byrd further explains by hypothesizing about a fi nancial industry professional who starts providing fi nancial advice and feedback to people posting questions on ”Answers.” “She can use the network to begin promoting her expert advice and her company’s services,” says Byrd, former CEO of Black America Web, an African-American targeted news and lifestyle Web site she helped to launch with radio personality Tom Joyner. Facebook allows business owners space to post product photos, share links and exchange and send out industry information. Members also can post informal surveys or requests for information. For example, someone searching for an accountant can send a message that’ll feed through to his or her entire network Donna Byrd – and his or her network’s Facebook friends. This site also has search tools that can help users target a desired audience. Twitter is a micro-blogging service that allows users to send and read other users’ text-based posts that are circulated in 140 or less characters. Donna Byrd, publisher at TheRoot.com, says business owners using Twitter have the opportunity to provide expert opinion and provocative commentary about their industry. “If you do it consistently, you can become a trusted voice in your particular area of expertise,” says Byrd, mentioning Twitter’s increasing popularity. YouTube is a video-sharing Web site that lets registered users upload, view and share video clips (viewers aren’t required to register). “They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so imagine what video is worth,” says Collier, who helped his brother create a YouTube video for his Atlanta-based trucking company. They created a one-minute video using photos. Collier recalls how within eight hours, the video was the fourth or fi fth result on the front page of Google. “I guaranteed he was going to get some [hits],” Collier continues, “because, of the 10 results on Google’s front page, he was the only one with video. People’s eyes gravitate toward video, and they’re naturally going to click on that particular link.” GETTING STARTED: TAKING WEB 2.0 TO THE NEXT LEVEL Both Collier and Byrd agree that LinkedIn is a good starting place for new BlackMBA • Winter 2008/2009 65 “If you do it consistently, you can become a trusted voice in your particular area of expertise,” http://www.TheRoot.com

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Black MBA - Winter 2008/2009 Contents Preserving Dr. King’s Legacy: Harry E. Johnson is Six Years and $100 million into his First Fundraising Effort Online: www.nbmbaa.org and www.blackmbaonline.com Up Front: Inauguration Takes Over D.C. From the President: Connecting With the Basics The First 100 Days – Already in Progress Back to Basics: Finances 101 Is the Middle Class Disappearing? – Your View From Medals to MBA Conference Highlights Market Forces: The Job of Trying to Find a Job in a Tight Market Applying to an MBA Program?: Avoid Making these Five Critical Mistakes How They Did It: Catching up with the Winning Teams from NBMBAA’s 2008 National Case Competition Change It Up: If a New Job is at the Top of your New Year’s Resolutions, it’s Time for Careful Planning and Preparation Bull Market: Now is the Time to Take Advantage of Web 2.0 On the Move: Member News, Promotions and More Backstage at BET: NBMBAA’s Leadership Institute Takes on BET’s Case for Growth Toronto Rising: NBMBAA’s Toronto Chapter is on a Progressive Track, Building Strong Partnerships and Exposure as Membership Climbs NBMBAA® Chapters: Find Your Local Chapter Here Do What You Love: Turning Your Passion into a Successful Business Requires Patience, Planning and Plenty of Hard Work Above and Beyond: Meet the Winners of the 2008 Wells Fargo/NBMBAA Entrepreneurial Excellence Award Decorating by Design: Michelle Rider Leaves Corporate Life for Entrepreneurship Culture Shock: Black Museums Nationwide Appeal for Greater Support from the People whose Heritage they Strive to Preserve Gear Up for 2009: Books to Herald Success in the New Year Advertiser Index: Who’s Who in the Issue

Black MBA - Winter 2008/2009

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