The document presents strategies for leveraging personal connections and tools to market oneself and a business, emphasizing the importance of a complete online profile and networking on platforms like LinkedIn. It also includes a list of 50 free websites that offer various services to improve productivity, visibility, and business operations. Key recommendations include using applications to enhance online profiles, participating in groups, and tracking online presence and competitors.

1. The Power of Personal Connections*: Using to Market Yourself and Your Business Presented by: Mary Bahr 09/30/09 * Plus, 50 Fabulous Free websites to help you do things faster, better cheaper.

2. Source: http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2009/the-hierarchy-of-digital-distractions/

5. Largest B2B social network: founded in 2003; 42M members; 1new member per second; 50% outside US All Fortune 500 represented; over 4M small businesses Increase visibility, improve Google page rank & search engine results Increase connectability: locate people from your past, present & future Research companies & people (staff movement, hiring turnover, job descriptions) Give and get — ask questions, answer questions, write recommendations Promote yourself and your business with added apps, website, blog visibility Scope out the competition, potential customers and employers Keep track of job movement and people within your network Why use

6. Must Do! Strive for 100% complete profile (click “complete profile” button to see how complete your profile is: follow instructions to get to 100%) Must Do! Use the “professional headline” for more than your current title: use it to describe yourself (see Basic Information section) Should Do! Use “current status” (AKA “Facebook” field) to raise your professional profile: e.g.: what are you working on?, what are you reading?, what are you attending?…Current status updates appear in your network’s email updates Make your profile and work experience as complete as possible: it will bring more potential connections to your attention Your LinkedIn profile should complement your resume, not duplicate it; what do you want people to know “behind” your resume? Must Do! If you’re a business owner, create a business page for your business NOW ; it increases business’ credibility & visibility Maximize Your Experience

7. Must Do! Edit your public profile URL to your name; add this URL as a hyperlink to your email signature: people you email can instantly look you up Add your websites and blogs to website listings: list up to three (you could also list causes you are involved in) Applications add functionality and visibility to your profile: select ones you’ll use (I love: Amazon Reading Lists, SlideShare and Blog Link, but choose what works for you and your business) Give and get recommendations strategically: however, do not give recommendations that you would not give in “real life” Join groups that will complement both your professional and personal interests Ask questions when you are trying to solve a problem or find a solution: particularly if you are looking for something specific Maximize Your Experience

8. Use description for more than your title Strive for 100% complete Formatted profile Personalize your URL

9. Email signoff includes hyperlink to LinkedIn profile

10. My Lucky Strike Extra! The Fast Fifty Websites* that will help you do things faster, better and cheaper (*and they are almost all free!)

11. google.com/alerts Google might take over the world! They have free apps galore that can help your business immensely. These are just a couple of the best… stay on the lookout for Google Wave! What are they saying about you on the web? Track it and your competitors…

12. google.com/adwords What are the hot words on the web right now?

13. google.com/analytics How does your website rate?

14. google.com/trends What are the hot topics right now? Use this app to make your blog rank higher, your website more relevant…

15. google.com/reader Keep all the blogs you follow in one place; sort and save functions very helpful

16. dimdim.com Free web-conferencing and audio bridge for up to 20 people

17. websitegrader.com Free SEO tool: easy to use and understand; also has facebook and twitter graders; How does your website score against your direct competition? This will tell you and tell you exactly how to improve your score.

18. instapaper.com Save web pages you want to read but don’t have time to now in one central place! Read later icon in toolbar…

19. tinyurl.com Create short URLs with one click: indispensable for FB and Twitter: add app to toolbar

20. posterous.com A phenomenally easy blog/website platform. Email whatever you want and it’s instantly posted to site.

21. hetemeel.com Personalize pictures to send or use in presentations: fun but functional

22. imagechef.com Similar to hetemeel; great time waster

23. “Getting Things Done” Davidandco.com: David Allen’s process: GTD The god of productivity gurus…his email management ideas are gold…

24. 43folders.com A David Allen disciple: great productivity tips and tricks

25. thefourhourworkweek.com For those of you who love Tim Ferriss, or really hate him; either way he’s interesting and provocative, and urges us not to waste our personal time and resources

26. itunesu.com Get the equivalent of a graduate degree in anything…Classes available for download on any subject from some of the best universities in the world

27. Trendhunter.com Keep track of what’s hot around the world: great free reports on worldwide trends

28. charlesandmarie.com My favorite shopping site: their Soupe du Jour: a product offered for only one day, is fabulous

29. bagsnob.com Need I say more? Can any woman have too many handbags?

30. mint.com Integrated personal money management site

31. someecards.com For those of us who prefer snark to sincerity.

32. trademarksearch.com A government site that actually works.

33. brandsoftheworld.com Logos, logos and more logos

34. Printwhatyoulike.com Save paper: print only what you want from a web page

35. lifehacker.com Productivity tools and tricks: particularly involving technology

36. zenhabits.com Good advice for those of us over-scheduled, over-worked people

37. mashable.com Stay up to date on what’s going on in social media, and it changes daily

38. ted.com Give yourself a gift and listen to at least one TED talk a week. Share on Facebook and LI, share your favorites with friends and colleagues

39. presentationzen.com Stuck with powerpoint? At least try not to suck so This will help your presentations not suck quite so badly

40. findsounds.com Free SFX. Can be used in ppt!

41. visualthesaurus.com Note: trial is free, website is not. If you write, you’ll love it

42. thesaurus.com

43. clichefinder.com Sometimes that cliché is right on the tip of your tongue…find it here

44. smartbriefentrepreneurship.com Links to the best articles for entrepreneurs. Many other smart brief editions available.

45. digg.com See what other people find interesting on the web and vote yourself

46. stumbleupon.com A huge timewaster, but loads of fun

47. groupon.com Great deals, if enough folks sign up

48. tripadvisor.com

49. iltrafficalert.com Set up alerts based on your own schedule and route

50. opentable.com

51. openforum.com From American Express: great resources for small business owners.

52. dailybeast.com A somewhat snarkier CNN. Good columnists that you won’t find elsewhere

53. alltop.com An aggregator of great information on almost any topic. Try here first rather than wikipedia…

54. evernote.com Capture everything from a web page to photo to clipping and keep it all organized on your computer. Premium version is worth it. Syncs with smart phone.

55. godaddy.com Easy, cheap URL purchase, web hosting and more.

56. whois.net Find out who owns a specific URL and how to contact them.

57. pagesix.com Gossip, gossip, gossip.

58. gethuman.com Get around horrid customer service via phone.

59. mailchimp.com Free email blasting service!

60. Flip mino Not a website, but the coolest, smallest, easiest HD camcorder. Stores up to 2 hours of HD video. Connects to computer via USB.