Archive for July, 2009:
Authors Need to Use Social Media Too
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
I’m going to talk to the authors about <a href=”http://www.gordonwebbo.com/go/blogging”>blogging and social media.
While preparing my presentation, I took a tour of the blogosphere, checking out the sites and blogs of the authors who are on the Conference faculty.
blogs were in short supply and most that I did find were hosted on blogger. All the blogs I found were author blogs vs. book blogs.
I tried to find Facebook fan pages and was unsuccessful, though I may have missed them if any of the authors have book pages vs. author page.
I found Luiz Rodrigez on twitter, but there had been no updates for over a month (I also discovered that we’re practically neighbors and I look forward to meeting Mr. Rodriguez at the conference!).
What’s this all mean? I have no doubt that all the faculty authors are fantastic and I have no idea how many books they actually sell. Most have very little online visibility which could certainly boost awareness and attract more fans and readers. If that’s what they want.
A great model is what Paul Chaney is doing for his soon-to-be-released book The Digital Handshake. He’s got a book blog and a Fan page on Facebook. When I checked the book on Amazon, I didn’t see his blog, and I believe you can import blog posts into your Amazon sales page so you can more intimately connect with readers. Also, there’s no video, yet.
You can see how Dave Lakhani uses video on his Amazon page for his new bestseller, How to Sell When Nobody’s Buying.
I’m looking forward to connecting with so many creative people this week and showing them how they can boost their online visibility so they can attract more raving fans and make more sales!
Resources:
<a href=”http://www.buildabetterblog.com/2009/07/13-mistakes-authors-make-on-their-blogs.html”>13 Mistakes Authors Make on Their blogs
Becoming an Online Bestseller - report and teleseminar from Kathleen Gage
An Interesting Book Promo Offer - blog post by Chris Brogan
Five Easy Steps to E-mail Organization
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
Following is a guest post by best-selling author Karen Leland. Her new book Time Management In An Instant: 60 Ways to Make the Most of Your Day launches this week. Email management is a source of frustration and topic of discussion with so many of my colleagues and clients so I figured to get tips from a time management pro!
by Karen Leland
And now for a topic near and dear to everyone’s heart — e-mail organization. To establish an e-mail filing system that allows you to access past e-mails quickly and easily, use the following methods to archive and prioritize messages:
#1. File by client name. If your work is account based, with lots of different clients, it makes sense to set up a folder for each customer; for example: Client A, B, C and D. However, if you have several hundred clients to keep tabs on, create general folders that divide the clients into broader categories; for example: Engineering clients, retail clients, banking clients, healthcare clients etc.
#2. File by product or service. If your work has more to do with products and services than clients, make general folders for all the main product and service categories that you deal with. For example, the products folders might be labeled: Flab fighter, joyful gerbil, kitty crave, turtle polish and catnip sauce. Examples of service folders might be: Consulting, speaking, training, writing etc. Within these folders, place all related topics en masse, or with subfolders for each product or service category.
#3. File by project. Some people prefer a project-based filing system, in which folders are created for each of the major projects you are working on. For example: New web site, quarterly sales, annual picnic, family reunion etc.
Within each folder, subfolders can be created to store messages that relate to one area of the project; for example, under the project “new web site,” you might have the following subfolders: Design, ideas, notes, input, management and webmaster.
#4. Take advantage of automated filing. Microsoft Outlook, Entourage and Apple Mail have features for automatically assigning e-mails — from specific senders or about certain subjects — to pre-assigned folders. E-mails then show up in your main inbox list, but are also filed under their specified topic.
#5. Finally, when new e-mails come in, don’t let them linger in your mailbox, hoping they will read themselves. For every incoming message you have, take at least one of the following four actions:
•Reply immediately whenever possible•Delete the message
•Forward when appropriate
•File the message in the appropriate folder
Warning! Don’t fall into the trap of using “ignore” as an option for dealing with incoming messages. Anything you are trying to ignore becomes a loose end and a big energy drain.
Karen Leland and Keith Bailey are the bestselling authors of six books including Time Management In An Instant: 60 Ways to Make the Most of Your Day. They are the co-founders of Sterling Consulting Group, which helps organizations and individuals learn how to fight distraction and find their focus in a wired world. For more information please contact: kleland@scgtraining.com
SBI! The Ultimate Role-Playing Game?
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of Top-Web-Entrepeneurs-Plan-It.com:
What do role-playing games and SBI! have in common?
They both let you play the main part and be fully in charge of your own destiny.
They both give you the resources to win at the game.
They are both challenging and winnable games.
They both require personal involvement and dedication.
But … one of them is more rewarding all around than all the others.
Is SBI! the one? Find out here.
The Best Entrepreneur Business Model
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of Top-Web-Entrepeneurs-Plan-It.com:
I was wondering why my traffic statistics were increasing in spite of these difficult economic times.
After a brief analysis of my traffic data I discovered that the demand for information on a “entrepreneur business” had doubled in the past two months.
Yes. The demand doubled!
The rationale likely is: “If I cannot rely on big business to offer me a stable economic environment, I might as well start taking matters into my own hands”.
That is where the idea of progressively building a small entrepreneurial business comes from.
But, the fear of failure and of losing even more is understandably there.
You need to know how safe and effective the business model is before investing time and energy in applying it to your particular goals.
So. Investigate!
You also need to know that you ***should not*** … and ***do not*** have to invest more than you can afford. At any time. Not now. Not later. Not ever.
Here is what Kim Dhaliwal from St.-Catherines ON, Canada and others say about the same entrepreneur business building process that I use.
The best entrepreneur business model is, of course, one that has been proven “doable” time and time again by people with no special technical know-how … yet bursting at the seams with “special” knowledge that others are ready to pay for!
Take a look at what countless small entrepreneurs from all over the world have achieved by applying the model to their particular field of expertise.
The business model that I learned to apply successfully to market my knowledge and know-how helped me identify what I know that people are actively looking for on the Web.
Here is a brief look at what you can get from this course for beginning entrepreneurs.
- How to take stock of your knowledge and know-how.
- How to measure the demand for your particular knowledge.
- How to identify your potential competition … if any.
- How to engineer your Web site to meet the demand.
- How to meet and exceed expectations when people land on your Web site.
- How to let the world know of your growing presence on the Web.
- Last, but not least, how to monetize the traffic that lands on your Web site.
With the course, you will acquire practical know-how in building and growing a small entrepreneur business in complete safety, without ever over-extending yourself. Look into it now!
I recommend it.
Claude Jollet
Editor
Top-Web-Entrepreneurs-Plan-It.com
Three Step Formula for Creating Online Visibilty
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
Last week WendyY Bailey and I presented <a href=”http://www.biztipsblog.com/secret-to-filling-your-coaching-groups-audio-replay.html” target=”_blank”>a preview call for our program Fill Your Coaching Groups (starts on July 28!). During the call I talked about my three step formula for creating online visibility which results in full group programs and plenty of clients. In a nutshell they are:
- Use your blog to set the stage for the program. Plan a series of posts directly related to the topic you’re going to teach and post them for several weeks prior to the start of my promotion. For example, If you read this blog or <a href=”http://www.buildabetterblog.com” target=”_blank”>Build A Better blog, you know I’ve been writing about how to create massive visibility for your business for some time now.
- Use Facebook in very strategic ways. For me, it’s not a place for a lot of personal chit chat. Make sure you’re constantly growing your Fan Page by reminding people to join (via your blog and twitter). Answer questions, send updates, and let people know what you’re up to between programs. Use the Events feature to connect with and remind people about the registration process.
- Use automated services like twitterfeed and tweetlater to make sure your blog posts and announcements about your programs are being fed to your twitter stream on an ongoing basis. This should be about 20% of your twitter activity. You do need to spend some time every week on twitter, in real time, responding, replying and sharing great resources (that support your objectives).
These are the tactics, plus a lot more, that I have been using to consistently fill my groups, teleseminars and attract new clients.
If this isn’t new to you and you’re implementing these tactics and getting results - great! You probably don’t need this program - though we might know some tricks you’re not aware of.
But if you are a coach or consultant struggling with filling your coaching and mentoring groups, and you’re not clear on how to exactly implement a system like I’ve described, then this is the perfect opportunity for you to learn from two people who do know and do this time and time again.
And I want to be clear. This is NOT a list building class - but that is an POSITIVE OUTCOME of implementing our tactics.
This is NOT a program on how to write a sales page. This is NOT a program on how to conduct group coaching programs. (Though I have a feeling these topics will be addressed in the private discussion forum!)
This IS a program on how to build a foundation for your business so you can create ongoing visibility so you do attract more clients so you do make more money so you can live the life you want.
You can get a $100 discount on the registration fee when you register by Friday, July 24. Join us today!
Details, bonuses and registration => http://fillyourcoachinggroups.com/join
Related Posts:
<a href=”http://www.buildabetterblog.com/2009/07/online-marketing.html”>Online Marketing Needs to Be Consistent and Constant<a href=”http://www.buildabetterblog.com/2009/07/visiblity-is-the-first-step.html”>
Visiblity is the First Step to Getting Clients, Customers, and an Audience
Facebook Hack - Update on the Saga
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
About 24 hours later and my Facebook profile is back up and visible to my friends. It would have been fixed sooner but I was out all day at Dave Lakhani’s workshop and it didn’t end until 10 p.m.!
Though my profile has been reinstated, the blog Squad fan page has not. There were nearly 900 fans and a lot of content on that page so hopefully I can get that back too.
Fortunately, I could communicate with my network of friends, colleagues, fans and clients in multiple ways: twitter, LinkedIn, my blog and email. I think most people found out pretty quickly that a hacker was on the loose and it wasn’t really me asking for money because I had been held up at gunpoint in London (!). And the viral nature of the web made it easy for those following me to spread the word to more people to beware about the possibility of a Facebook hack.
My VA team from Fastype was outstanding as well…changing all the passwords to my critical accounts immediately and keeping me and others informed while I was incommunicado at the workshop.
Here’s a link to Facebook’s FAQ on “419″ scams with info on what to do if your account or friend’s account has been hacked.
Even though it’s a pain if you have a lot of accounts connected, it would be wise to change your Facebook password today. And, make sure you have your settings marked to get email updates from Facebook. Unfortunately, I have all my FB emails filtered and didn’t think to check the folder on my breaks during the workshop. I was only looking at my primary email inbox and wondering why the heck I hadn’t heard anything about my password reset.
The other moral to this story is not to put all your social media eggs in one basket. This came up a couple weeks ago when Twitter “mistakenly” shut down thousands of accounts and everyone went berserk. I wrote about that in my post <a href=”http://www.buildabetterblog.com/2009/07/why-blog-when-youve-got-facebook.html” target=”_blank”>Why blog When You’ve Got Facebook? Guess it’s even more relevant now.
Yesterday I had the privilege of hearing a presentation by Dr. Rachna Jain that focused on the psychology and profitability of social media. She is one very smart cookie and I highly recommend you follow Rachna and <a href=”http://www.mindsharecorp.com/blog/” target=”_blank”>read her blog.
One point Rachna made was that not only do you need to be on the big three social networks: Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn, but you also need to connect with all your followers, friends and connections on all three platforms.
It makes sense when you realize that when one platform goes down, you are still connected on all the others. Of course you want to also encourage those in your network to also subscribe to your blog as well as move them to your email database.
So that being said, let’s make sure we’re connected on all the platforms you use so we can stay in touch. You follow, friend, connect with me, and I’ll do so for you.
Do you have a story to share about getting booted from a networking site and how you fixed it? Would love to hear it (post in the comments) so we can learn the ins and outs of how to fix these messes fast.
The Freelancers’ Union
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
The Problem
According to CNN, 26% of the US workforce freelance. Some celebrate this development, seeing freelancing as a way for experienced professionals to increase their earnings. Others, however, point out that the growth in American-based freelancers is due as much to companies needing to cut costs while maintaining a quality product in this economy. They also indicate that for too many Americans, freelancing is not a way to supplement their income but to make it. For companies are not just cutting insurance costs; they are cutting people.
A Potential Solution
But how do these freelancers then get health insurance or retirement? Or, for that matter, how do they know how much to charge in this global and very volatile economy? To help people with these issues and more, Sara Horowitz, who comes from a long line of labor activists, formed The Freelancers’ Union.
Becoming a Member
Becoming a union member is free and takes less time and effort than voting in many an Internet poll. You provide a valid e-mail, the Freelancer’s Union sends you a confirmation link, you click on that, fill out your name, address, and password and you are directed to a page that gives you your union number. That number (as well as other pertinent requirements) gives you access to various union benefits. Perhaps the most important benefit the Freelancer’s Union provides is health insurance.
Health Insurance Options
According to a News Hour story on the union, the Freelancers acts <a href=”http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/jan-june09/freelancers_04-01.html” target=”_blank”>as its own insurance provider in New York and the premiums for health insurance vary from $140 to $455 per month. That’s pricey but it’s better than no health insurance—which is what too many people who are unemployed are faced with. Further, in most cases you can choose a health care option that will be cheaper than the health insurance available through the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act other thing to keep in mind is that this (relatively new union’s) options for health insurance can be limited. For example, when I typed in my zip code, I was shown only one health insurance option.
This is understandable. As previously stated, the Freelancer’s Union is based in New York. So the vast majority of the benefits the union provides (such as live seminars helping freelancers navigate the market) are likewise based in New York or, at least, on the East Coast. Further, as the News Hour story points out, since freelancers are (more or less by definition) individualists it’s hard to craft a training that caters to everyone’s needs.
Worth Looking Into?
All these criticisms are valid. Still, if you are a freelancer and are not part of the 59.3% of Americans who get their health insurance, dental insurance and retirement through your employer the Freelancer’s Union may be something you want to look into. For the “price” of an e-mail and some basic information, you get access to health, dental, disability, and life insurance as well as a freelancer’s retirement plan. You also get access to a series of seminars which, as News Hour pointed out, you may or may not find useful.
For those reasons I thought it worth bringing to your attention.
Are Brochures Still Worth Spending Time and Money On?
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
Brochures are Cost-Effective
Brochures can give more information about your business than a television, newspaper, or radio ad, and brochure printing costs less. Also, brochures have an advantage over radio and TV ads in that they are in print, so the reader can re-read something they didn’t understand the first time; on the other hand, listeners might not re-hear an audio ad.
Brochures are Persuasive
A good brochure printing not only gives information about your company, it can also persuade people to use your business. In a brochure, you have the opportunity to explain to people why and how your business can benefit them, something you can’t do very well with just a flyer or business card.
Brochures are Less Likely to be Thrown Away
People don’t usually throw away an attractive, well-designed brochure without at least looking at it once. If your brochure printing is well-executed, the brochure can draw people in and often gets saved. Then, if the service or product offered is something they need, your company’s brochure is at hand and directs the customer to you.
Brochures Give Credibility
A brochure can give a business credibility because people see them as something established businesses have. All print collateral such as brochures, business cards, and letterheads add up to help people see your company as legitimate enterprise, so you won’t want to leave brochure printing out.
Brochures Build Branding
In your brochure, you can explain what your business is and what it does. You can also tell about your business philosophy and why you do things the way you do, further reinforcing your image in the minds of customers.
Brochures Promote Contact
On a brochure, you can fit all of your contact information: your business phone number, cell phone, fax, email, web address, and your physical address. Giving all of the options makes it more likely that people will contact you. Plus, you can always use the last panel as a tear-away mailing form for even easier contact.
Brochures are Versatile
You can do other things with brochures besides putting them in brochure stands and handing them out. On one of the flaps of a brochure, you can print an order form that people can detach and mail in. You can also use brochures in mail campaigns instead of writing up a newsletter; several types of brochures can even be mailed without an envelope by simply closing them with a tab.
As you can see, brochure printing is one marketing that your business cannot do without. Making your brochure available to existing and new customers alike insures that your image as a professional and well-developed company remain intact.
Unleash Your Business Cards
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of this site:
Introduction
business Cards - we all have them. Tiny stack or folders of them that were handed to you, at some time, with polite mutterings. Then, they are put away, unnoticed, underused and forgotten. This article is a brisk guide to unlock the fabulous and latent potential of your business cards, creating a marketing boon, that lies hidden in your life.
Image via Wikipedia
Look At Me When I’m Talking To You
Take your business cards from your desk and take a good look at them. What do you see? Well, a dearth of fabulous information that if taken seriously, can unleash a torrent of sales and prosperity you never thought you had. What information do business cards contain that could help you make money? These wee cards contain:
- The logo or the image of any business - so important for how the firm sees itself
- The name of the business - names are prime in all communication
- Street addresses that are vital for mailing promotions - you don’t get that on-line
- The representative’s name - who you should call and chat with
- The Web site address and email - so key for today’s talk.
Cut the Cr*P
If you really think about it, so many hand out their business cards with a little ritual, “Give me a call sometime,” message. Guess what? People don’t mean it! Well, take them up on the muttering and GIVE THEM A CALL! Actually doing it is real magic and takes guts.
Image via Wikipedia
Throw Me Around - I Love It!
This next trick with business cards really shocks you awake. Take all of the cards and throw them around your home or office! That is right, toss them in a hugh pile and mess them all up. Dance on the messy pile and mimic a Red Indian. “Whoop! Ahoy! Woo!” Do the Tribal Dance of the business Card and really wake up the cards making a hullabaloo of the whole thing. Then, reach down and pluck out one card. That, then, is the magic business card. Go ahead and give the business a telephone call. It works like a charm. And I Also Love Small TalkNow that you have chosen one card, after doing the magic dance, don’t get all tightened up. Simply call the person on the card for a chat. Not for a business call, a sales call or anything serious. Simply call them for a light chat. This will frame it as small talk. This is a great trick. You may wish to say something like, “Oh, hello John, this is James. We haven’t caught up for a while, how are things?” Expect them to reply with a simple answer keeping the whole conversation natural and light. Don’t sound business-like simply use the time to catch up. Then prosperous opportunities will reveal themselves simply because you are making the effort. Keep it natural and let the rivers of prosperity flow in your direction. Do Me DailyAwaken your business cards as a daily routine. Really work them! It only takes one card per day to open doors. It is amazing how people are willing to contact others, that they have never met, in lands foreign. Actually, all the people that they know or have met, are lying in a little pile of cards that are ignored. The business cards you own are an amazing opportunity to vivify your prospects and open doors to the brash new economies of the coming tweens.
Image via Wikipedia
Conclusion
This article is simply a guide to using your business cards as a great way to find dormant opportunities. The main thing is keep it simple, natural and light - don’t force the game. You will find a hugh potential that you might previously not have seen. Your business cards are your economic future, so, why not work them today?
Other business Sites by this Author
How To PrioritizeHow To Focus
Do Not Advertise. Energize Your Business Promotion.
Yours truly GordonWebbo today wants you to read the following article, courtesy of Top-Web-Entrepeneurs-Plan-It.com:
Yes. When you advertise to distracted, passive and uncaring passers-by, you severely limit the return on the money you invest in your promotions.
Instead, energize your promotional campaign by putting yourself squarely in the path of those who ***specifically*** seek the type of product or service you offer.
Switch to permanent proactive promotion of your product and/or services.
How?
By learning…
1. How to precisely identify how your prospective clientele actually searches for information about your products and/or services on the Internet.
2. How to build a target engineered to be impossible to miss by your prospective clientele … because it meets their expectations so faithfully.
Yes. You can learn to become the “sitting” target your clientele is looking for, instead of wasting your time and money hunting for customers in an anonymous crowd.
Click Here For Complete Details on the online self-study course I took to learn how to promote my business so successfully on the Web.
Or Click Here for the ***New*** online, instructor-led course.
If you need more information, please contact me.
Claude Jollet
Editor
Top-Web-Entrepreneurs-Plan-It.com
