Okay, you’ve got a small business, or you’re thinking of going into work for yourself. Or you’ve just left Corporate America and you’re figuring out what’s next.

Here are 9 Quick Tips on how to start using Social Media Marketing (and Web Marketing and Internet Marketing) to Make Some Noise!

1. See if your business name or your own name are available on Namechk. Don’t focus on getting all of your names, but do get the big ones.
2. While you’re at it, don’t ignore your own name — if you have a business, you’ll want to nab your personal space in case you need it later. If you are a sole practitioner — like you’re in Real Estate — you’ll want to use your own name instead of a business name.
3. Twitter: it might scare you, it might seem like a ton of work, it might seem like everyone is saying stuff like “I am eating soup right now.” Don’t worry about using Twitter as anything other than a conversation engine, and spend some time using it before you even ask for the sale. If ever.
4. Do you have a web page? Do you have a blog? How about both at the same time. We recommend WordPress. It’s easy to use, and, even though it’s a blogging platform, it’s also a Content Management System, or CMS.
5. Video is a great way to simply, effectively and inexpensively tell a story. If you don’t have an expensive video camera, use a Flip. Video yourself talking about your business, make it two minutes or less, and post it to YouTube. AND post it to Metacafe. Why them? See item 6.
6. Metacafe rules when it comes to getting your video actually seen. Keywords and metatags and all that — it’s the number two site in the US for video sharing.
7. Start collecting email addresses in the most ethical way possible: use a service like aWeber. Double opt-in is direct marketing lingo for asking your permission, then sending you a note double-checking on that permission before sending a marketing message. Better than Constant Contact, in our opinion.
8. Blogging is great. But be sure to take time to comment on others’ blogs. Don’t sell people stuff — just find something you agree with or disagree with in the post, and make a comment about it. Spend 10 minutes a day doing this and it will pay dividends.
9. Remember, it’s not hours: it’s output. It’s not about efficiency, it’s about effectiveness.

Go get em!

We bumped into these guys today and found the tool to be pretty cool.

1. Go here –> I Don’t Spam Web Page.

2. Sign up. Takes 30 seconds. Free.

3. Wait a little bit to get approved. Took a couple hours for them to check my site.

4. Get the button:

Actually pretty darn cool, as they check you against all of the CAN-SPAM questions – verified opt-in, opt-out, etc.

We like…

This could be filed under “tragicomedy.” Or not. All depends on your point of view.

Background: The WordPress Worm struck the old Area 224 site. It struck quite a few sites. Here’s a great write-up on what happened from an appropriately named site: I’d Rather Be Writing.

Long Story Short: Now was the time for us to pull the trigger on a new look – “theme” in WordPress vernacular – for our site. We went with the Thesis Theme. We’re uploading old stuff and writing some new.

Our Point of View: Well, it’s early. Like, we’re only 12 hours into our new look, and we’ve sketched out some of what’s to come – whether or not we are able to get our data from 48 hours ago back, or whether we are forced to use some stuff that’s a little older.

During this relaunch, I’ve been going back and forth with fellow vagabond entrepreneur and web analytics guru David Dalka.

David has strong opinions on a number of internet marketing things, like SEO and helping big brands best allocate their marketing budgets for the new realities of user-generated content and social media marketing. David was the first person to email me and implore me to upgrade from 2.7.1 to 2.8.4 – something I had already started doing, but just a smidge too late.

But this comment in one of his emails struck me:

“…I should smack you for thinking about themes right now…”

I see his point – forest from trees, strategy vs. tactics, all that fun stuff. But in this case, I’m not sure I totally agree. Here are a few reasons, but I’d love to hear your arguments – for/against/neutral – about the role of “themes” and blog look in your marketing.

Reasons I should NOT be smacked, IMHO:

1. The old look was a little boring.
2. Thesis is THAT good. Take a look at some of the brands and people that use it. Like Chris Brogan. And Danny Sullivan.
3. This theme – or any theme – allows me to actually think more strategically about Why Area 224 is in Business.

That last one is key to this firm’s ability to thrive in this new economy – as it is the single most important question any business person must ask.

Forcing me to ask that question of my own business brought me to a couple answers. Social Media Marketing is where Area 224 has been focusing. Realtors and Coaches are two industries we’re working a ton with. We do consulting work with some big brands. And I’m on the speaking and event circuit (or I’m in the process of creating my own circuit).

An either/or moment? Either rebuild the old site or launch a new one. In this case, the theme I had been lusting after for a year but hadn’t pulled the trigger on? Well, this was time. And the elegance of the theme helped me relaunch AND refocus my efforts at the same time.

What did you learn this weekend?