Askalo - New Community Site Provides Answers to your Questions

Askalo is an online community where users can connect and ask eachother questions about what is going on in their city.  If you are new to a city and would like to find an Italian restaurant, just post your question and in minutes you will have answers.  Need to find the best bank?  Wondering what events are happening this weekend?  Just ask!

Askalo Mexico covers almost all major cities in Mexico and is very easy to use.  To sign up in three simple steps, go to this page Sign Up for Askalo Mexico

LinkedIn: Are you using LinkedIn for your international or expat business?

Out of all the ways to connect, LinkedIn is one of my favorite platforms.  It allows you to connect with people you know, but also allows you to reach out to people you would like to meet or do business with (in a professional manner!).  If you are not currently using LinkedIn for your business, its time to sign up!   
1.  Use Groups

From Alumni groups to groups about a specific niche in your field, you can find a group on LinkedIn for almost anything.  I really like the Connect to Mexico group, which is a group of professionals from all over the world who either currently do business with or hope to do business with Mexico.

2.  Use the search feature to search for certain companies/people

If you've ever wondered who the person in charge of purchasing is at a certain company, you just might find that info on LinkedIn.  The search feature allows you to search for people by name or company.  You can see all of the employees (well the ones registered on LinkedIn) that work at a certain company.

3.  Recommend/Get recommended

Have you ever worked with someone that went above and beyond the call of duty?  LinkedIn has a feature where you can write a short recommendation about someone, so when people go to their page they will see that other people vouch for them.  You can ask for recommendations as well, from former colleagues or people you've done business with.

4.  See what your network is doing

As you add more contacts, you will get to see their Twitter updates, books they recommend, where people are traveling, and much more. 

Twitter Use in Mexico

Since Facebook saw such tremendous growth last year in Mexico, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at another player in social media.

Some Twitter facts:

-56% percent of Twitter users in Mexico are men, 44% are women (January 2010)

-As of August 2009, there were 32,000 Twitter accounts in Mexico, by January 2010 that number quadrupled!  As of July 2010, there almost 2 million accounts.

-49% of users connect via the web (others connect via TweetDeck, iPhone, Blackberry)

-Top four areas for Twitter activity: DF (Mexico City), Monterrey, Guadalajara and Puebla

-Women out-tweet men in Mexico (avg of 2.5 more messages per day)

-Top countries for conversations with Mexican twitter accounts:  Argentina, Spain, USA

-Tuesday is the top day for Twitter use in Mexico

*Info courtesy of Twitter in Mexico study by Mente Digital

I highly recommend using Twitter as a way to reach out to potential customers, mentors, friends, etc in Mexico.  The power of this social media tool is amazing.

Social Media Event: Tweet to be heard in Puerto Vallarta

These days everyone is buzzing about social media.  There are many companies that have switched their focus entirely to social media and use their website mainly as a static site with basic information.  The real news, hot content, etc, can be found on their blog, Facebook, or via tweets on their Twitter account.

For anyone interested in social media in Mexico, I highly recommend checking out the "Tweet to be heard Conference" taking place in Puerto Vallarta on October 21-24th at the Hotel Villa Veredero.



Some of the topics to be covered at the conference include:

**Getting Found

**The Art of Engagement

**Creating a Community

**Promotion of your Brand or Service

**Viral Marketing

**Lead Generation

**Twitter/Facebook Integration

 
Social media is really the main source you as a small business owner or entrepreneur should focus on.  For one thing, it's free.  Not only that, but you have the opportunity to be seen and "heard" by people you may not normal be able to reach.  As your circle of influence on Facebook or Twitter expands, your business will grow. 
 
For more details on the conference:
Vallarta Escapes - Tweet to be heard Conference