Several months ago, we wrote a post called It’s Not Who You Know. The purpose of that piece was to introduce some of the ways you can connect with the Mom’s Choice Awards program.

Word-of-mouth advertising offers wonderful opportunities and is a tried-and-true way of promoting your accomplishments. Still, your message is likely to get drowned out by all of the *noise* around you. Marketing and promotion is less about shouting from any mountaintop and more about finding the BEST mountain for you.

Like it or not, social networking tools are here to stay. The good news is, the opportunities for Win-Win situations are endless. The bad news is the shear number of tools. The key to YOUR success with social networking tools is finding the one(s) that suit your style and purpose. You also need to be in the places your friends gather.

Online tools – websites, blogs, social networking sites, professional networking sites, online groups – MUST be part of your marketing plan. By thinking strategically about how you want to connect with your peers and colleagues, you can strengthen your web presence and broaden your network. It is about reciprocal connections. Yes, managing your online presence can take up a lot of time … but it doesn’t have to. There are simple ways to cross-promote your efforts. For example, this blog post automatically publishes on Twitter – two accounts, one action.

The first step is making some connections. If you are a Mom’s Choice Awards alumni, you need to be connected with us … so we can connect with you.

• Follow us on Twitter @momschoiceaward. Don’t have a Twitter account? It’s easy to do. No, you don’t have to tell everyone about your turkey sandwich … we don’t. We only talk about our programs and your accomplishments. When someone stops by, wouldn’t you want them to click on your image to learn more about you?
• Connect with Executive Director Dawn Matheson and/or the Moms Choice Awards company page on LinkedIn. There is a special page JUST for Moms Choice Awards Winners, too. Within LinkedIn there are other professionals like you and groups talking about what you do … introduce yourself and talk about what you’re doing.
• Facebook isn’t for everyone. We understand that. But if you are on Facebook – or are thinking about it – you need to be a Fan of the Mom’s Choice Awards.

Last but not least, connect with this blog. Scroll over to the box on the right and opt to follow us. You’ll get updates about our programs – via Email or RSS (Real Simple Syndication), it’s your choice. Better still, join our Nearcircle group.

When you connect with us, then we can connect with you! Those mutual links are the key to building your market … and helping us promote your great work.