Posts filed under 'Information Marketing'
“Do you read much?”
That’s the question Diane Eble asked in her blog post today. I had to share this post. Why? Because one of the ways to drive traffic to your website is to have your name and website appear on high traffic sites. In her post, Diane goes on to explain how reviewing books in your field increases your visibility to people who might be your ideal prospects and on search engines.
Here’s the rest of Diane’s post including instructions for how to do what she suggests. Thanks, Diane!
As an author or aspiring author, I assume you do.
Here’s a way to use your reading to get traffic back to your own website.
First, a pop-quiz question: What’s a site that gets a LOT of traffic? Like, thousands if not millions a day….
If you guessed amazon.com, you’re right!
So, when you post a review of a book that’s related to your area of expertise, you get to create a link back to your site.
Because the link comes from a credible, highly-trafficked site, you will rise in the search engines.
Here’s how:
Create an account at Amazon. If you’re already a member at Amazon then you’ve probably already bought something from them and that’s even better. You’re an established member of and you’ve already completed your first step. Amazon won’t allow you to make comments unless you’ve purchased something there. (May I suggest a great book that made it to #3 on amazon recently–a book that will, if you implement it, change every area of your life in amazing ways? It’s here—and yes, I did write a review!)
Create your profile. Talk about yourself, using relevant keywords. And of course, put a link to your site.
Review products. The next thing you need to do is to give product reviews of items for sale on Amazon. If there are books you’ve read, then go the section where they ask you for your review of the product and give one. Each time you give your review of a product make certain you leave your name and in your signature should be a link back to your website.
Do you know how many people visit Amazon on a daily basis? More than visit your site, that’s for sure. Each time someone sees your review, they will see your name and the link back to your website. This is a simple, free and easy way to put your name out there and get more traffic back to your website.
Use this powerful method and let me know your results with it. It’s one of the more fun ways I use in the “Multiple Presences on the Web” strategy. (I once decided my dream job would be to get paid well to read. This is at least mildly related to that.)
Diane Eble is “Your Book Publishing Coach.” Her blog is worth following if you’re an author or aspire to be.
Tags: Become an Expert, Business development, Independent Service Professionals, Information Marketing, Internet Marketing, Marketing for Professionals
June 8th, 2010
My buddy Jim is a member of the First Collaborative Credibility Cluster, the very same CCC I’m in, the very same one that’s one of many brainchildren of Russell Cox, who’s… you guest it, another member of CCC#1!
Jim wrote a post at Community and Business on the CCC’s shared community website. Jim’s got a great sense of humor and he loves puns. In this post he’s asked, “What is the Web 2.0 Refrigerator Magnet?”
Great question, Jim. And I’ve got an answer for you…
Ah, Jim, there will always be a place in the world for ‘old fashion’ marketing! The answer to becoming known as an expert in your field or an authority in your niche is not an either/or, yes/no answer. It’s “Yes, and…” You want what I call a “HI-5 Marketing Message.” Imagine you could ‘Hi-5″ all your ideal prospects and clients in all your communications with them. Imagine you could deliver a message that’s Heart-Inspired, Integrated, interactive, Internet and Information-based.
How does HI-5 messaging relate to Web 2.0? For Jim’s post, the key word in the explanation of what a HI-5 message is Integrated. An integrated message platform weaves together traditional media channels with ‘old’ Web 1.0 tools, techniquest, technologies, and winning strategies with the new Web 2.0 and the coming Web 3.0 ones.
I want to get back to answering the question Jim asked in his post: “What is the Web 2.0 equivilant of the refergerator magnet?”
Hey, I think this is a great question to ask the LinkedIn community. We’ll get great ideas. And we’ll be building the web of links we’re weaving in Web 2.0.
By the way, in the spirit of taking a HI-5 message to the next level, I’d trade my refrigerator magnet in for:
- a bumper sticker with a URL that’s easy to read from the car behind
- a series of Tweets and re-tweets
- a conversation in Facebook or in your vibrant online community
- a continued asynchronous dialog among members of our CCC and anyone else who wants to participate
- a banner ad on your site and those of your strategic alliance partners and raving fans
- a real time conversation…
- on the phone, of course, as we live thousands of miles apart.
- We’ll record our conversation so we can turn it into
- a podcast which we’ll submit to podcast directories so anyone can find it and listen to at their convenience.
- an audio on each of our websites and our community groupsites.
- We’ll also transcribe the audio track and turn it into an article, a blog post, an e-book or e-course.
- a YouTube video of two or more someones who looks like a present day average Joe or Jane. In fact, they’re wearing T-shirts with the refrig magnet’s message on the front and back, with logos, of course.
- First this person goes to their mailbox to get and open the envelope with a refrigerator magnet inside, then
- Then he walks to their refrig where they place the magnet.
- Then she walks to their computer and looks at the banner ad, the blog post, and clicks on the audio play button to listen to the conversation.
- Then they walk to their car, T-shirts clearly visible and read-able, they get into the car, and as the car drives away with them waving, the camera zooms in to focus on the bumper sticker.
- What’s the bumper sticker say? You guessed it. The same message that’s on the magnet!
So, all of the above are my suggestions for the Web 2.0 equivalent of refrigerator magnets.
What are your ideas?
And what about your suggestions for what would appear on those magnets, bumper stickers, T-shirts, titles, and such?
Here are a few of mine:
“Want to make more money? HI-5 your audience.” www.MarketingToYOURworld.com
“Want to grow your business? Trade your refrigerator magnet in for a bumper sticker.” www.MarketingToYOURworld.com
What’s your HI-5 marketing message? Share it here and you’re building your audience. in Web 2.0. In fact, you’ve made your Web 2.0 refrigerator magnet. Now pass it on wherever you’re communicating with YOUR ideal clients and prospects.
“Whether you’re doing business around the corner or around the globe, take YOUR message to YOUR World!” www.MarketingToYOURworld.com
Tags: Develop Your Audience, Hi 5 Marketing message, Information Marketing, Internet Marketing, Web 2.0
December 21st, 2009
I just got back from a two-day seminar on Internet Marketing. Armand Morin was amazing. He talked non-stop, except for breaks, of course, for both days.
Needless to say, I learned a great deal. Some you’ll be hearing about in future blogs and articles. I also met dynamic, exciting people.
The single most important benefit to me: I’ve shattered another myth in my Marketing Resistance Syndrome, one of the biggest obstacles to my success. Maybe you can relate, and more important, hopefully you, too, can banish this “Success Thief” from your mind forever!
I LOVE what I do. I talk about it, read about it, listen, watch, think about it. My ‘IT’ is helping consultants turn their expertise into gold by becoming known as a VIP with VIP ~ a Very Important Person with Valuable Intellectual Property. If you’re a consultant, you want the perks that go along with being known as an expert in your field, don’t you?
What’s your “IT”? As you read the rest of this post, imagine you’re holding your “IT” and the people you LOVE to serve in the center of your heart. That’s where they are already, isn’t it?
Back to my story… Here I am, sitting in a room filled with “Internet Marketers.” I wish there were a way to spell that in four letters because that’s how I used to think of them — emails, newsletters, links, opt-in pages, downloads ~ information overload. And what are they promoting and selling? Information products, often not even their own. Why? To make the thousands of dollars a day they advertise you, too, can make, or the pounds of weight you can lose, if you buy whatever they’re selling. Sound familiar? Yuck!
Well, after a slow start, I found myself typing away as fast as I could. Why?
Armand said something so important. He only said it once, and I could have missed it if I weren’t listening VERY closely.
His examples for how to use this technique and that to promote and sell products were always his or someone else’s product that would help the Internet marketer succeed.
Before I quote Armand, I want to tell you something I learned at T. Harv Eker’s Train-the-Trainer as well as from many others who coach and teach about creating, promoting, and selling information products.
We MUST package our expertise into Valuable Intellectual Property, also known as Valuable Information Products. Sure, there are many benefits to us.
We’ll get to those in a moment.
More important, let’s take a look at how our clients and prospective clients benefit when we turn our knowledge, experience, and wisdom into something tangible, something they can hold in their hand or download, something they can take home with them, or discover sitting comfortably in their favorite chair.
People are hungry for information. Not just any information. Specific information on something they’re passionate about, curious about, maybe they just need to know. It doesn’t matter if it’s related to their work or personal life, their hobby or a community project. They’re searching and more and more, they’re searching online. How do you think Google stays #1 on the Internet?
And some of them are searching for what you know! They have a problem they want to solve, a pain they want to avoid or eliminate, a pleasure they’re seeking, or maybe it’s a question they want answered. And they’re actively looking for “IT”!
You can make their day! You said you were PASSIONATE about “IT”, didn’t you? You want to share your passion with others, don’t you?
Guess what?
You owe it to these people to share your expertise with them! From their perspective, you’re being selfish if you don’t. Did you ever consider that? And once they find you, they want to stay connected, to learn more, to be encouraged, to be shown how step by step. They need you!
So write it, say it, demonstrate it, and while you’re at it, record it. Turn it into a blog post or article, an audio or video podcast, post it to YouTube, Tweet it, share it with your Facebook friends and fans. It doesn’t matter if it’s a book, a song, a product, a program or a service.. It could be physical or digital. There are advantages to both, so why not do both. You can give it away for free or sell it. The important thing is share it!
Share it with the world so those who are looking for you can quickly and easily find you and benefit from your expertise, your perspective, your wisdom and knowledge. There’s only one you. You’re the only you that ever was, is, and will be! YOU have the perfect message, the perfect story, the perfect answer for someone, for the many someones who are looking for YOU right now! Start spreading the word to the world so those who want to be in YOUR world can find, and get to know, like, and trust you.
People do business with those they know, like, and trust. That’s how you benefit! According to Milgram’s law, the marketplace will blindly believe the words of an expert. So you must be perceived as an expert. To be perceived as an expert, you must be more visible to more people who then have the opportunity to realize you are credible and valuable. That’s how you become more profitable and get all the other perks of being known as an expert in your field. How cool is that!
Back to Armand and that one thing he said that changed my world, and I hope changes yours.
“What’s better than using all the techniques Armand covered, and all the ones he didn’t cover, to promote, distribute, and yes, even sell other people’s products, programs, and services? Create, promote, distribute, and yes, even sell your own!”
Thank you, Armand!
Does that make you an Internet Marketer? Or are you still you, being passionate about what you do, using the Internet to help you become more visible, credible, and valuable to those who want to find you because you are passionate about what you do? Here’s the bottom line…
Whether you’re doing business around the corner or around the world, you owe it to the people who need you and are searching for you to take your message to YOUR World. It’s time for you to become a VIP with VIP!
Tags: Become an Expert, Information Marketing, Information Products, Internet Marketing, Marketing for Consultants, Marketing Resistance Syndrome, Professionals, VIP with VIP
December 7th, 2009
So you want to be well seen, well known, and well paid for doing what you know and love to do, right?
Maybe you call yourself a professional, maybe a consultant, maybe both.
Anyone can declare the same. All you need is some qualifications: experience, credentials, a degree (not necessarily related to what you’re doing now.)
More and more people are doing just that as they are laid off.
That means you’re swimming in a crowded Red Ocean of competition. There are many consequences of playing in this arena. Consultants chase business, winning clients is more difficult, and your piece of the pie is smaller. People want to bargain with you about your fee. You end up customizing what you offer for new clients. You know the drill.
What’s the alternative?
Swim out into a Blue Ocean. In fact, you can create your own Blue Ocean where you become known as an expert in your field. You get treated as a VIP, with all the perks. Business chases experts. People trust experts because they’re known as experts. Experts get to charge more, and people don’t expect a bargain.
Here’s the thing. While anyone can be self-declared professional or consultant, you can’t declare yourself an expert. Well, you can. Without much in your court that validates your declaration, I’m just not sure how credible others will find it.
What does it take to truly be recognized as an expert? Others need to say it’s so. Your clients, peers and experts in your field, the media, people with authority deem you an expert.
How do you win their endorsement? How do you become more visible, credible, valuable and, eventually, you become more profitable?
Have you ever heard of Milgram’s Law? The marketplace will blindly believe the words of an expert. You must be perceived as an expert.
Who’s an expert? Milgram says it’s someone who’s an author. While an author does have instant credibility, I believe today we have other options.
You can become a VIP with VIP ~ a Very Important Person with Valuable Intellectual Property. Turn your expertise into physical, tangible information products. It can be text, audio, video or multi-media. It can be physical or digital. You can offer it for free or a fee. There are many other criteria by which you can describe your Valuable Information Products. The important thing is that they exist. The evidence of your expertise then speaks for itself.
So what’s a consultant to do? Click here to discover 10 Blue Ocean Strategies I propose you implement to transform yourself into an expert in your field.
Here’s the thing. While it takes only a moment to read each strategy, becoming known as an expert isn’t instant pudding. You’ll need to invest time, energy, expertise, and maybe some money to implement each. Do consider working with someone who’s an expert at turning consultants into experts and expertise into Valuable Intellectual Property. You’ll achieve the coveted status more quickly and easily, with less wasted resources, than if you make the journey on your own. I’m here ready to extend a helping hand. All you need to do is ask.
The rewards of being known as an expert in your field is well worth the effort it’s going to take to get there. It’s the quality of your journey as much as the destination, so as you take one step after the other, remember to do so with a joyful heart. “Just a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down in the most delightful way.” If it’s got to be done, make it fun. Your vibration serves as a homing beacon. You attract what you vibrate in harmony with. You get what you put your attention on whether it’s what you want or don’t want.
So keep your eyes on the prize ~ you being known as an expert in your field and enjoying the perks that come with the status.
Tags: Become an Expert, Information Marketing, Information Products, Marketing for Consultants, Marketing for Professionals, VIP with VIP
December 4th, 2009
I’m still reading Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne. My business partner and friend, Russ, had been recommending it for a while now. I’m glad I am. It’s one of those pivotal books for me.My dear friend and business partner, Russell Cox, has been talking about Blue Ocean Strategies for some time. He brought it up again during a recent conversation with Rick Hadsock, the third in our team.
What’s a Blue Ocean and why is it important to you and me? “Blue oceans are defined by unknown, and therefore, untapped market space, demand creation, and the opportunity for highly profitable growth.”
This is compared with Red Oceans which represent all industries in existence today in which “industry boundaries are defined and accepted, and the competitive rules of the game are known. Here, companies try to outperform their rivals to grab a greater share of existing demand. As the market space gets crowded, prospects profits and growth are reduced. Products become commodities, and cutthroat competition turns the red ocean bloody.
“Although some blue oceans are created well beyond existing industry boundaries, most are created from within red oceans by expanding existing industry boundaries. In blue oceans, competition is irrelevant because the rules are waiting to be set.
“It will always be important to swim successfully in the red ocean by outcompeting rivals. Red oceans will always matter and will always be a fact of business life. But with supply exceeding demand in more industries, competing for a share of contracting markets, while necessary, will not be sufficient to sustain high performance. Companies need to go beyond competing. To seize new profits and growth opportunities, they also need to create blue oceans.”
If you want to learn more without (or before) reading the book, click on this link. You’ll be taken to a website from which you can download files about Blue Ocean Strategy ~ a few summary slide presentations,
The best files start with Blue Ocean Strategy. Start with them.
Enjoy and happy sailing!
Tags: Become an Expert, Information Marketing, Marketing for Consultants
December 3rd, 2009
Professionals I know are passionate about sharing our gifts, strengths, and talents ~ our knowledge, wisdom, and expertise ~ with those who have a problem they are looking to solve. You, too, right?
Here’s the thing… if you aren’t sharing your message with YOUR World, with the world, these people who need your help can’t find you. That’s why Suzanne and I are both passionate about helping you Shatter YOUR Marketing Resistance.
Suzanne does such a good job of expressing my thoughts that when I received the following article in her e-newsletter, I asked her permission to reprint it here for you.
It’s a Gift, Not a Job!
By Suzanne Evans, Helping Professional Expert
As a solo professional building your practice and reaching the right people, discovering your gift and embracing is not something you do. It is not your profession or your title. It is your gift.
When you leverage your unique gift and embrace your inner helping guru you will move past any fears about marketing in ways that feel uncomfortable for you, and into authentic marketing that naturally attracts your ideal clients and builds your business.
One of the concepts I teach is that marketing is a moral obligation. When I tell people this they kind of scratch their heads and say, “Marketing is a moral obligation?”
It really is if you get clear about two things – what your gift is and who needs you most. If you don’t market to that group of people and share what you have available, your gift, how you can help them? If you don’t share your gift that will benefit your ideal clients, help them solve problems, grow, and be successful, you are really not fulfilling your moral obligation.
We’re all given a gift for a reason and it is about what you do with that gift, or embracing that inner helping guru that is essential.
And making a good living at sharing your gift is also a moral obligation, because it allows you to pay your bills and have a lifestyle that empowers you to continue teaching and benefiting more and more people. Remember that concept the next time you’re feeling unsure about stating your rates, raising your rates, or setting your payment policies.
I would very seriously doubt that there are many people in the coaching world that don’t already know what that is for them – what that special gift or talent is. To embrace it is to agree to put it at the forefront of your message and share it with others so that you can really make a difference.
HOMEWORK
TRY THIS OVER THE NEXT WEEK!
Think about how your gift has changed the lives of those you share it with. I’m sure you have clients who tell you everyday how much you’ve helped them. Take time this week to reassess this value you’re sharing and consider, is now the time to think about changing your rates?
Take action on your homework – it will help! Let me know how you did! Email me suzanne@helpmorepeople.com.
In success,
Tags: Information Marketing, Marketing for Professionals, Marketing Resistance Syndrome
August 10th, 2009
If you’re like me and other entrepreneurs I know, you’re passionate about many subjects, or you’re dedicated to one subject which has multiple facets.
I know what this has meant for me and others ~ we’re challenged to focus on one subject long enough to make headway in spreading the word about what your passion has inspired you to create ~ solution(s) to a problem people have ~ a problem they want to solve ~ a problem for which these people are actively searching for a solution.
Which means you need to focus on creating and delivering a powerful message positioned to be discovered by those people who are looking for you and what your passion has caused you to create.
While you may know this, the challenge for choosing which one topic to focus on may, in fact, be keeping you from taking your message to YOUR World. You might even be suffering from Marketing Resistance Syndrome.
That’s why I’m about to share with you an article I hope you find as inpiring as I have.
I’m now weaving my Strategies for Success in busines and in life which was the focus of my coaching for the first 12 years of my business together with my current passions, information marketing and business development. I finally see that Strategies for Success, my corporation’s name, is the unifying topic for everything I do. Ah… what a relief!
So read on and discover Felicia and her strategy for helping you and me identify that “one thing.”
Bring Your Message Together Using “The Magazine Test”
Wednesday, 29. July 2009 by Felicia Slattery
Earlier today I published my bi-weekly ezine, Creating Connections. And in it I wrote a new article about a technique I use with my private clients to help them get a better perspective on their business and making sure they are communicating effectively with their target audience.I had a lot of positive feedback from it and decided to publish it here on my blog as well. I hope you enjoy it & I’d love your feedback below. Here it is:
It’s one of the most frequent discussions I have with my private clients. They want to know how in the world they are going to take what they see as their diverse interests and effectively communicate their messages in a non-confusing way. And they worry if they might have to let what they see as an important but potentially unrelated part of themselves go in the process.
Here’s the secret: you’re probably not as “all over the board” as you may think. While it’s true some of your interests may not go together as part of your business offerings, you just might be pleasantly surprised at how wide a net you can spread within your area of expertise.
Here’s the way I explain it to my clients: If there could possibly be a print magazine that that would publish articles about every aspect of what you do and your interests, then you’re not THAT all over the place. It means what you do speaks volumes to a particular audience. And that’s GREAT news for you!
Let’s take a solid example. My client, Janet Gomez of Nutri-Jyoti, is a health and nutrition specialist and vegetarian cookbook author. She’s also into Ayurveda, yoga & Reiki. But she’s not just dabbling in each of them – she holds certifications in each one. Janet knows her stuff. And she was recently concerned about how she might be able to include each one without seeming disjointed.
So now let’s apply the Magazine Test… is there potentially a magazine with a readership that prints stories about:
Vegetarian eatingAyurveda (a way of looking at your overall health & diet)
Reiki (an energetic healing process)
Yoga (exercise)
Absolutely!
It would make sense that an audience who is interested in one of those areas would likely be interested in the others. At least they would be interested enough to discover more if you can draw the line to how it’s relevant to the original topic they sought you out to begin with.
Let’s do the same exercise for you:
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Take a “bird’s eye view” of your interests and areas of expertise: While you can’t be an expert in everything – you can be an expert in a range of subjects related to your field. What are those subjects?
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Consider your audience: Those who are most interested in what you can do for them are likely to have an interest in similar areas. If you can provide that information, you’re now filling a desire. When you know your audience and you can provide what they want, you’ll boost your income.
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Connect the dots: It’s your job as the entrepreneur to effectively communicate how one area of your expertise relates to another.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you’re trying to decide if your various messages make sense for your audience. For those of us with extroverted personalities, we need to talk these ideas out. That’s the role of a good coach, mentor, or consultant.
With experience in dialog with those you serve, you will come to understand exactly what your market wants in a variety of areas. When you do, you’ll get the opportunity to serve them with your varied skills and create a win-win situation.
Copyright 2009 Felicia J. Slattery
Felicia@CommunicationTransformation.com | Phone: 630.554.0636
Felicia J. Slattery, M.A., M.Ad.Ed.
Communication Consultant, Speaker & Coach
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I hope you found Felicia’s wisdom as helpful as I did. If you did, we’d both love to hear about YOUR new magazine… or ezine.
Enjoy your creative journey of your ever-expanding joy and success!
Tags: Information Marketing, Marketing for Professionals
August 10th, 2009
Hi. I’m reading a report, “The Founder Formula: Use it to quickly and easily engineer a business that gives you complete and total personal and financial freedom!”
I suggest you go to the bottom of page 9, the section entitled “What every online entrepreneur needs to know about team building.”
While Tom Brown is talking about building an online business, I believe what he suggests applies to all of us regardless of what business we’re in. And if you are a professional or business owner who wants to go beyond being known as an expert in your field, if you want to beccome a VIP with VIP ~ a Very Important Professional with Valuable Information Products ~ you will be doing online marketing and probably building an online business. So this applies to you either way.
Tom does an excellent job of putting into language and illustration what I suggest is an excellent model for us entrepreneurs to use when thinking of our business and building our team.
“In a nutshell, Founders do NOT build a team to support them in their role within the company.
“Building a team to support YOU simply creates an enveronment that is built around you. And, when you do that, all you’re really doing is making your role… your job within the company… that much more necessary and required. And there’s no freedom in that approach.”
Instead, Tom proposes we build a team that best supports our company, NOT us.”
“This is why the answer or solution for most online entrepreneurs is NOT for you to learn more marketing tactics or even, necessarily, to get better at the tactics you’re currently using in your business.
“More often than not, doing more is the exact cause of the inefficiency in your business and results.
“And that’s exactly what Founders understand.
“You see, Founders understand that leveraging effective tactics at their appropriate stage is the key to efficiency and optimal growth and function.
“And, appropriately applied tactics… even effective ones… at the inappropriate time is the cause of most, if not all, inefficiency and suboptimal performance in your business (or worse, they’re actually blocking your path to success.)
“This is why the answer for you is to apply the Founders Philosophy of “less is more”.
“Stated differently: make sure the few tactics and strategies you’re using are the ones that are best for you to take your business to the next level right now. And, to operate like a Founder, make sure you’re using and applying the least number of tactics necessary to achieve your current business stage objective.
“Then, when you do, realize as your business grows and develops, the available appropriate tactics and strategies you have at your disposal will grow with you.”
Tom moves on to talk about the Founders Learning Path which is built on the foundation of “Just in Time Learning.” It’s how he suggests we avoid information overload and “tactic overwhelm.” In other words, by applying the Founders Learning Path you shatter your marketing resistance.
The article goes on to cover a few other points you’ll want to explore.
Then there’s a link to 4 videos. I’ll watch them later. I want to get this off to you guys now as you’ll need to read the report and watch the videos in your own time.
Yes, there’s a program they’re selling. I’m not signing up. I’m not an affiliate. I just know wisdom when I read it.
I do hope you find the information as valuable as I have.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please share them.
July 30th, 2009
My friend and co-teacher of Develop Your Audience and Design Your Village with myself and creator of the courses, Russell Cox, is Your Book Publishing Coach. She’s written an article about why we recommend you start blogging today.
I’ll add a few comments of my own at the bottom of Diane’s article. Thanks you, Diane.
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Diane’s Article: 9 Good Reasons to Start a Blog
Do you have a blog yet?
If not, you should start one—today! As soon as you finish reading this article!
Why?
Here are at least nine good reasons why every author should have a blog.
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1. They are very easy to create, update, and maintain.
If you can write an email, you can create and keep up with a blog. Plus, it costs nothing! You don’t even necessarily need a web host (though it’s best to have it hosted on your own domain), a designer (most blogging platforms have templates from which you can choose), or anything fancy. You can literally set one up in five minutes or less.
You can go to www.wordpress.com and set one up there for free. If you already have a web site, see if you can install WordPress on your site. (If you have a C-panel where your domain is hosted, they often have something called Fantastico, which allows you to install a WordPress blog. For instance, with my web host, HostGator, it installs with very few, simple steps.)
Although I personally don’t prefer blogger.com, that’s another quick, easy, and free way to create a blog. You simply go to www.blogger.com , and follow their simple instructions on how to set one up.
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2. The search engines will find you quickly.
While it may take up to six months for the search engines to index your regular Web site (unless it’s an XSite Pro site, in which case you have search engine optimization superior even to blogs, in my opinion), with a blog you get found and searched within 24 hours!
Plus, blogs tend to get you a higher listing in the search engines. Why? Because search engines love content, and blogs are almost always pure content. Search engines also like fresh material. All you need to keep the search engines regularly indexing your blog is to post at least one paragraph, three times a week. Surely you can do that, right?
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3. Blogs enable other people to find you easily.
Related to the point above, people searching on your topic will find you quicker through a blog.
Also, you can easily link to other blogs and Web sites that are related to your topic, and they to you. This will again help your search engine rank, it will drive traffic to your blog and/or Web site (mine doubles every month because of this), and allow you to begin to create a “presence” on the Internet.
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4. Blogs allow you to interact with your readers.
Blogs allow other people to interact with your ideas, because they allow people to leave comments.
You can ask people questions about what they are interested in knowing about your topic, which can help you create a better book or information product. You can test ideas. You can ask for feedback on an article, post, or topic. You can tell them about something you have available and give them a link to another page on your Web site.You can update your book’s material via your blog, or answer questions from readers.
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5. Blogging can get you into a regular writing routine.
Hard to find time to write? Get into the habit of posting to your blog regularly, and you’ll have established a routine for writing. If you’re strategic about it, you can even write your next (for first) book via your blog—and get feedback along the way to boot!
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6. People can subscribe to your blog.
People can subscribe to be notified whenever you post to your blog, and receive notice via email or a feed to their own news groups. This can bypass email and spam filters and get your messages read.
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7. Blogs help you cement your relationship with your audience.
Readers love to feel connected to their favorite authors. If they know about your blog, chances are they will read everything you post. Don’t be afraid to share things about your personal life. Readers love it!
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8. Blogs help you establish your platform.
By keeping up with your industry and becoming a filter for your audience, you can establish your expertise via your blog. Find other people who are interested in your industry or topic, connect them to each other, and get them talking, debating, and sharing. In this way you become a thought leader, which leads me into the next reason….
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9. The media love blogs.
Media often pay attention to blogs. They too are looking for fresh content, new ideas, strong voices. They may find you, but it’s more effective if you supplement your blogging with press releases and personal contacts with the media. Point them to your blog for more information, and let them be impressed enough to put you on their “contact these experts” list.
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Diane Eble is a book publishing coach who connects authors (aspiring and published) with the resources, skills, and ideas they need to be well heard and well paid for what they love to do. Sign up at her website for news of articles and teleseminars at http://www.wordstoprofit.com. Check out her blog at http:/www.yourbookpublishingcoach.com. You might also want to listen to the replay of a teleseminar she did on blog security with Cathy Perkins, “the WordPress Wizard,” at http://www.publishingcoachweekly.com/teleseminarreplays.html. Check out Cathy’s Wizard Weekly teleseminars at http://www.your-blog-coach.com.
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Here are a few of my own thoughts:
10. Establish youreself as an expert in your field.
In fact, it makes you a VIP with VIP: A Very Important Professional with Valuable Information Products.
In case you’re wondering, Information Product is today’s buzz world for Intellectual Property. In fact, now you can get your knowledge, wisdom, and expertise, AKA your intellectual property, from your head into a multitude of media channels. Many of these channels serve as both the message and the channel through which you deliver your message. You become more visible and credible which leads to becoming more profitable.
And you can more easily than ever reuse and reuse and reuse the same information: a blog post can become a published article, a topic for discussion during a radio show online or off, which of course gets recorded and posted as a podcast as well as transcribed into another article.
Now you’ve got the makings of an e-book with a digital recording or two – voila, you’ve got a multi-media package. And it’s digital – once you’ve produced the original and set up the delivery channel – your website, clickbank, your blog, squidoo lense and more, the cost of selling additional copies is extremely low, which means your profit margin is extrememly high! Abd you’re now generating passive, residual income. How cool is that!
This is important to do if you’re looking to establish yourself as the go-to guy or gal in your profession.
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11. If you’re in career transition, start your blog right now!
Have you ever thought of starting a blog if you’re in or poossibly going to be in career transition?
If that’s you and you’re wondering yhy I’m recommending you start a blog, consider this:
If you were the person looking to hire someone, would you choose someone who is exactly who you’re looking for or someone who’s exactly who you’re looking for AND they’re a published author, well known in their field?
Having your own blog gives you a degree of credibility others won’t have.
And if you’ve got your own blog, you might get to start or take over the employer’s blog.
This two possibilities give you a strategic advantage. And how important is that in today’s competitive market.
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12. Turn your blog posts into articles.
With a little extra time you can polish a good post and turn it into a great article. Submit it to a few article banks, AKA article directories, and you’ve given yourself yet another strategic advantage. While search engines like blogs because they’re updated more frequently than the typical static website, they love articles archived at article banks that get a HUGE amount of traffic even more. Your article on selfgrowth.com, ezinearticles, and specialty directories like biznik.com will show up even higher in search results than your blog post. Check it out!
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Well, it’s after 8 am and I’m in Florida, so if I want to walk with my 5 pound dumbbells, I’d better get out there right now.
While I’m out walking, how about starting your blog, or if you’ve already got one, write a post and share it with me so I can comment.
And how about paying it forward! Find a friend who would benefit from having their own blog and help them start today!
Happy blogging!
Oh, how could I forget… having your own blog is one great way to take your message to YOUR World. Guess what?
That’s considered marketing! Breathe! I know many of you consider marketing a four letter word. Well, it’s abbreviation is. And that’s no reason to let your marketing resistance keep you from spreading the word about who you are, what you love to do, and who you want to serve, to help solve a problem, especially because they’re out there looking for you.
So, yes, you’ve just taken another huge action toward Shattering YOUR Marketing Resistance. Congratulations!
And if you know you suffer from Marketing Resistance Syndrome, if MRS is stealing your dreams, if you’re determined to be well seen, well heard, and well paid, and you’re ready to do whatever it takes to overcome YOUR Marketing Resistance, go to my website right now and register for my upcoming teleclass series, Shatter YOUR Marketing Resistance. The first session is free. AND there’s a huge savings if you register for the whole program before the first session. Instead of costing $197, you pay only $97, and you get to sign up a with Study Buddy for the same $97.
That’s a great deal, isn’t it? So before you start your blog or next blog post, go to my website and sign up with that buddy you’re going to help with their blog or someone else who’s ready to take their business to the next level and they know it’s time to shatter the resistance that’s been standing in the way
I’ll be announcing dates soon. And to insure we create a safe space for transformation through the class activities and sharings space is limited. So go sign up today and as soon as I’ve finalized all the details, you’ll be among the first to know.
Tags: Career transition, Develop Your Audience, Hi 5 Marketing message, Information Marketing, Marketing for Professionals, VIP with VIP, Why Blog
June 27th, 2009
This post is my comment to what Hans van ‘t Riet posted on the LinkedIn Group, “Inbound Marketing for Marketing Professionals.”
The title of his post is The TRUTH about Online Marketing! The Comfortable Illusion vs. the Uncomfortable Truth. Here’s what Hans wrote:
The Comfortable Illusion —– The Uncomfortable Truth
Remarkable advertising sells —– Only remarkable products are bought
You can target consumers —– Consumers might target you
Claim & seduce the market —– Honesty invites good customers
Marketing is about control —– You never have control
Your time, place, message —– The consumers time, place, content
Push hard enough and it works —– You need to work very hard to get pull
He also asked a few questions and made a great suggestion:
What are your take aways when you read this? Do you have other examples which underline this further? Please let me know here or even better, let me invite you to join this and other interesting discussions/news like this in our Strategy, Marketing & Innovation Forum by clicking below link: http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=1899487
Of course, I had to agree with Hans. I started what I thought would be a short comment. Half an hour later I was still writing. So I said to my VIP with VIP self, “Bonnie, this is good stuff. All professionals who want to be well seen, well heard, and well paid need to read this. Go add it to your blog right now. And then really polish it and submit it to a few article banks, like selfhelp.com, ezinearticles.com, and biznik.com. You’re an Information Marketing and Business Development Specialist. Model what you teach.”
So here’s my comment to Hans’ post:
Hans, thanks for being so honest. I know there are people making lots of $$$ online, many of them selling their products promising we can do the same ~ promising us instant success, no less! If only we’d buy and follow their proven method. I wish it were that quick and easy. As The Web Woman says, “Success on the Internet isn’t instant pudding.”
Because we all want a quick and easy path to success, we are vulnerable to thinking this guru or that product is the answer. We buy, maybe we read and/or listen. Then we find ourselves back where we started ~ suffering from Marketing Resistance Syndrome. If you’re feeling confused, overwhelmed and intimidated by what to do next and how to ‘do it all,’ welcome to MY World.
Maybe you’re uncomfortable promoting yourself and your product, maybe you don’t think you know how to language your message so ‘they’ get it, maybe you want to turn your knowledge, wisdom and experience into information products and don’t know where to start, maybe it’s how to package and price what you’re offering so your prospects KNOW you’re the right person for them.
The good news is these are obstacles we all face at one time or another. The difference between those who succeed and those who flounder? Those who persist and make continuous progress turning their dreams into reality are willing to overcome any obstacle that appears in their way whether it’s real or imagined. How? their dream, their passion, their purpose, their vision for a better future for themselves and their clients/customers is so BIG they are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
THIS IS HUGE! The attitude of “I CAN & I WILL!” assumes there is a solution ~ probably more than one, or two, or three. The challenge then is to find and implement one.
This is a much smoother path to success than what happens when we wonder, “Can I? Is there a way?” Why? because implied in those questions is the possible no. Then you have to convince yourself there is.
Having worked with thousands of professionals and spoken to thousands more, I’m convinced there are a first things we each need to do before we start another new marketing project:
* Shatter YOUR Marketing Resistance.
Start with believing YOU CAN!!! YOU WILL!!!
* Look at what you’re already doing and give yourself credit for those things. Then ask yourself, others you trust, and maybe even an expert or two, what you could do to make it better. I’ll share A simple example: what’s your email address? If you nave a domain, yet your address ends in aol, yahoo, gmail or the like, you’re hurting your professional presentation. Contact the company where you registered your domain name and have them set you up an email box that looks like this: YourName@YourDomain.com. That’s so easy.
A bit more challenging to set up a way for you to receive emails sent there. For example, I use Outlook so I had to set up Outlook to check my email box, bonnie@marketingtoyourworld.com. Notice I said only a bit more challenging. Either the customer support person at the domain registration company, or your web master, or a friend will help you do this. All you have to do is ask. For someone who’s done this before, it’s a very quick and easy task.
Then next time you get your business cards printed, change your email address. Go change it on your website, blog, all social networking profiles immediately.
You may think it’s only a small thing. And in one sense it is. Yet every little thing you do to build a solid, well-crafted and integrated brand is one more brick in your solid foundation. It’s one more thing you can feel good about doing. And taking action is one of the best ways to Shatter YOUR Marketing Resistance!
* Learn more about the “new-to-you” marketing tools and techniques.
While there are lots of them, there are only four, yes 4 ways to share and receive information… Yes, you read that right. Here they are: text, graphics, audio and video. Everything, yes everything you hear about uses one or more of these four to communicate: blogs, webinars, websites, articles, podcasts, ezines, e-radio… all new words used to describe unique ways of producing, packaging, and delivering information. I
* Develop a strategic plan to achieve your desired business outcomes.
It’s not instant pudding AND it’s not ‘one size fits all.’ If you know you don’t have the expertise to evaluate your current marketing / media mix, STOP! Before you choose the next thing you start, before you dive into the deep end ~ again ~ waste precious time, money, and energy, and worse ~ feel even more disappointed, frustrated and overwhelmed than before, spend the time and, if necessary the money, to evaluate what you’re already doing, how to optimize these, and what is the smartest, best, most powerful thing or things that are best for YOU to learn, do and master next.
A few things done well ~ woven into a Hi-5 Marketing Strategy ~ one that’s Heart-Inspired, Interactive, Integrated, Internet and Information-based ~ will produce far better results than many things done poorly, haphazardly, without focus of purpose.
And remember, marketing alone isn’t enough to produce the success of your dreams. While you are developing the strategic plan and taking daily actions to do what needs to be done, take the time to look at how you run your business. You want to have a solid business infrastructure with tested and proven processes for things like practice management and customer care so you can easily take exceptional care of new clients while treating your existing ones like gold. And remember, to look at your systems and procedures for managing basic business functions like finances, administration, human resources,legal and such.
In addition, it’s time to turn your expertise from words you repeate day in and day out into information products. Your clients and prospects would LOVE to take you home, learn from you at their convenience, and share with others how you’re helping them. It’s time to become known as an expert in your field.
The best way?
* Become a VIP with VIP ~ A Very Important Professional with Valuable Information Products.
You’ll be amazed and delighted at how easy this is to do and what it takes to market these products… when you develop a plan that’s right for YOU, your style, your budget, your current skill level, your available time and energy.
What I’m saying makes sense, doesn’t it? If you know in your heart you need to stop and build a solid foundation before adding anything new to your marketing, STOP! Take a deep breath, let it out slowly. Do that again… maybe a few times. Know there is hope. You have what it takes. KNOW THAT!
If you know that’s what’s next for you and know you can’t do it alone, find a coach, a specialist, a strategist who can help you evaluate, plan, and then execute a well-crafted marketing strategy. Everything you do from there will turn out far better, and produce far better results. The time, money and energy you invest in the big picture will more than pay for itself in the results you get. I promise!
And if you’re ready to Shatter YOUR Marketing Resistance, sign up now for my upcoming teleclass series. I guarantee you’ll be transformed from the reluctant marketer to VIP with VIP! You can do it! Yes, you can!
Tags: Branding, Hi 5 Marketing message, Information Marketing, Information Products, Marketing for Professionals, Marketing Resistance Syndrome
June 24th, 2009
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