Blogging for Clients – Why Every Small Business Needs a Blog

If you’re like most of my clients, you’re NOT an aspiring professional blogger.  Your main focus is to attract more clients.  If blogging can help with that, then hey, let’s talk about it.

Well, good news: blogging is a BIG boon to client attraction. Why? Three Reasons:

1.  Attractive Articles. Blogging involves writing helpful articles for your target audience on the topic of your expertise.  The great thing is that the content attracts those who are interested in what you do – perfect clients!  (Those who aren’t interested wouldn’t be good prospects, would they?)

2.  Brand Self-Discovery. Through the discipline of writing articles regularly, you’ll find you gravitate to the same ideas, topics, points of view, theories and perspectives.  You’ll notice what kind of people and responses are invoked by certain posts.  You’ll find your voice.  That voice is a big part of your brand.

3.  Dynamic content is magnetic! Search engines love to find new stuff on your site, and guess what? So do humans!  If you have a 10 page brochure site and wonder why you don’t get many visitors, it’s because they’ve seen it.  Post an article once a month?  Whoop-de-do.  Your target audience wants to absorb cool info in small chunks on a frequent basis.

Bad news: like most marketing strategies, blogging requires some actual work.  Darn! Here are 3 ways to make it easier:

1.  Think strategically. If you want to attract clients through a website, you first need to be sure your site is ready to serve them.  Put your contact info in a visible spot.  Have a form so people can get in touch without having to compose an email from scratch.  Offer a free welcome gift in exchange for an email address.  There’s no sense in getting 1000 visitors a day if they all bounce away after 29 seconds with no way to follow up with them.

2.  Get found. You’re publishing useful articles, because your prospective clients want that information.  To find it they’re going to search for keywords and phrases, so learn what those are.  Optimize each post by blogging on a single keyword or phrase.  Make sure the title tag and url contain that exact phrase.

3.  Systemize. Get ideas for blog posts from your keywords – that keeps you on topic, and your topic is what will attract the clients. Write a few short posts (250 words each is plenty) in a sitting on one day and program your blog to auto-post them throughout the week.

Look, I know you’re busy.  I’m a small business owner too, NOT a full-time blogger.  I’m doing a pretty good job with some of these points and not-so-great with others. But you wanna know something?

I consistently attract clients from my website. Many have specifically said they read several posts on my blog before contacting me.

But I already knew that about them, because I use a free tool called Statcounter.com and I can see how visitors move around my site.  (I prefer it to Google Analytics, although I use both.) I see which posts attract visitors, which keywords they use to find them and whether they sign up for my ezine or use the contact form.

For example, last fall I posted an old article from my ezine archive, but I gave it a new title, “Does a Solopreneur Need a Brand?”  A few days later someone found that article using the keyword phrase “branding for solopreneurs,” and a week later she became my client.

If you’re ready to transform your old, static website into a client-attracting salesman who works 24/7, it’s time to build – or improve – your blog.  To learn about any of the points discussed in this article, just contact me at samantha [at] enlightenedmarketing.com.

Or, share your thoughts on my blog.

“By Samantha Hartley of Enlightened Marketing. For effective marketing strategies that align with your values visit http://www.enlightenedmarketing.com/.”

Photo courtesy of Foxtongue

5 Reasons Your Business Needs A Website

It may difficult to believe that there are still businesses and professionals that don’t have a website. However, there are some people who don’t understand why they need to be “online” or have a very basic website which doesn’t serve them or their clients.

Here are five reasons you need to have a website (that works!):

1.  So  that you can be found (either locally or globally)

Once  you have a website highlighting your products and services you can reach thousands of people. The internet is the standard “search” tool whether people are searching for local or global businesses.  Online searches continue to replace the yellow pages because they are seen as faster and more efficient..

2.  It helps lower business costs – Other than the cost of setting up the website, you will find that once you’re online, it will cost you almost nothing to stay there. Compare this with “hard” marketing  where you are continuously producing marketing materials, making sales calls, buying ads n newspapers and magazines and so on. This doesn’t mean that  a website will replace your other marketing efforts but in many cases it can occupy an important place in your marketing funnel and will eliminate the need for expensive printed materials.

Another place to save money is on delivery costs.  If you are selling a physical product, your clients pay for shipping and all you have to do is Fedex or DHL the product to a given address. If you are selling a “soft” product, all you have to do is e-mail it  to them. It’s convenient and much less expensive than having a truck and driver available for local deliveries.

3. To generate referrals – Imagine someone visits your site and sees a product or service that they like. They buy it and they are very pleased with you and your company. Chances are they will  recommend you  to someone else (a friend, colleague, an internet group). The easiest and least intrusive way to do this is to send them to your website. If you have system to entice them to give you their name and email address you now have a prospective client list that WANTS your information!

4.  A website allows you to constantly keep in touch with your clients at almost no cost – Well built  and managed websites will have a built-in system of contacting customers as frequently as you like.  This contact allows you to talk about your new products, any improvements that you have made, and to offer clients bonuses, coupons and invitations to “client only” events. This type of client outreach would be very expensive if you were to use traditional methods such as direct mail or telephone calls.

5.  For credibility-  A well-written website including testimonials, case studies, and detailed information about you and your team will enhance your reputation and improve your credibility. By including articles on your products, services, and industry you demonstrate your expertise and sets you apart from the competition.

These are just a few reasons why you need to be online.

Fundamentals for Business Success in 2010

Fundamentals for Business Success in 2010

Ask The Marketing Coach Helps Business Professionals Increase Profits

I want to share my new (free!) service with all my readers so I’ve included the press release with all the details.  Please take advantage of this opportunity to pick my brain for 20 minutes, this is not a sales tactic or gimmick.

Looking forward to speaking with you on “Ask the Marketing Coach” Fridays!

MIAMI, FL – November 27, 2009 – Merlyn Sanchez, Certified Marketing Coach and owner of SMART Business Owners, today announced the launch of a free service, “Ask the Marketing Coach”, to help independent professionals and business owners market themselves more effectively in this struggling economy.

Sanchez has been a marketing consultant and business coach for the past six years helping professionals and businesses in service industries from accounting to travel. One of her methods includes leveraging social media strategies for high impact, low cost results.

“I decided to offer this service in response to the current state of the economy. Many businesses are struggling and this is a way for them to access marketing information that can help them increase profits,” says Sanchez. “Now they’ll be able to get marketing tips they can implement immediately and react proactively to the economic situation instead of waiting for things to improve.”

Ask the Marketing Coach is a resource exclusively for independent professionals, business owners and entrepreneurs. Participants can schedule free 20-minute phone consultations on Fridays from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm Eastern. They can request expert advice on marketing strategies and tactics.  Some of the most common questions are about lead generation, social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, and low-cost marketing tactics.

For more information about SMART Business Owners or “Ask the Marketing Coach”, visit: http://www.smartbusinessowners.com/services/askthemarketingcoach.  Questions can be directed to (305) 851-5753 or email:  Merlyn@SmartBusinessOwners.com.

Merlyn Sanchez,founder of SMART Business Owners,  works with entrepreneurs, small business owners, and independent professionals to help them attract more clients consistently and increase revenue. She is a speaker, social media consultant and marketing expert with over sixteen years of sales and marketing experience in the hospitality industry and eight years as a business owner.

When Fear Is A Good Thing

There isn’t a day that doesn’t go by when a colleague or friend expresses fear about the future. “I’m scared that the economy is getting worse”. “I’m afraid that I’ll get laid off”. “I can’t sleep because I’m worried about my business failing”. “The real estate market hasn’t even begun to hit bottom yet!”.

I’m certainly not immune to it. Gloom and doom sells and that’s what the news media covers most. It’s hard to escape it. On television, the internet, newspapers and even the proverbial water cooler. Sometimes I get caught up and wonder if the doomsayers are right. My fear frightens me and I start to doubt myself.

And then I remember that the absence of fear is not a normal human response. Fear is normal and nature provided us with two default responses: fight or flight.

Hopefully we’ve moved beyond that and can add common sense to the mix. To be able to discern when it’s a good idea to run/avoid/hide from something and when it’s a better idea to fight/act/take a stand. To distinguish what we can change and what we cannot. If we use our fear constructively, it becomes something good. An impetus to help us move forward.

We are living now, in  this current economic climate and no amount of hiding or running will change it. What we can change is our attitude. This is not my “Pollyanna-ish” spin on things, it’s reality. You either decide what you can do to improve your life, business, and environment or continue to be a passive observer or worse, a victim.

Many people are prospering even in these less than economically ideal times. They are living lives of adventure, service, and abundance.

Don’t wait until “things get better”. Live your life, work your business, enjoy your family and friends.  And when you start to feel afraid, use that fear to spur you on to take positive action.

SMART Business Owners Plan Ahead

We’re already in the maddening rush of the holidays. Everything is a blur from a few weeks before Halloween until right after New Year’s.  This year, the first Christmas decorations in my neighborhood went up on November 1st! And I guarantee they’ll stay up until at least the first week after New Year’s.

It’s easy to neglect your business during all this activity (unless you’re in retail!).  In reality though, smart business owners know that this is the perfect time to lay the foundation for the New Year.  Here are some examples:

• Networking - There are a lot of opportunities to connect with others.  Holiday parties and get-togethers are perfect for getting to know your prospective clients and partners in a more casual setting. Instead of looking for opportunities to sell, look for opportunities to get to know something about the other person.

• Review the Past Year – What worked well? What didn’t? This is the ideal time to take a look at what you want to keep and what you want to change in your business. Evaluate the return on investment of your different marketing tactics. Do you need to “fire” any clients? The ones who complain about your fees, or you have trouble collecting from.

• Plan for the New Year – Now that you know what worked and what you want to change, plan for the new year.  Do you have a marketing action plan in place? Have you set your financial targets? If not, take this time to do the planning so your business doesn’t lose momentum.

• Take action – If you’ve decided to revamp your marketing materials in the new year start the process now. Talk to designers, get quotes, be clear on what you want. If you want to diversify your service or product portfolio, hire a coach or schedule brainstorming sessions with a colleague or partner.  Be ahead of the pack and start taking the steps you need to implement your plan.

The new year is around the corner so don’t let it catch you by surprise!

Important Things To Think About Before Building Email Marketing Lists

Today’s article is by guest writer, Gavin McDonald of http://www.listsquad.info , and offers some good tips on what to consider BEFORE you start building your email list.

Important Things to Think About Before Building Email Marketing Lists by Gavin McDonald

Email marketing lists are essential to online marketing. It is basically the main source of buyers and service clients. Almost all of the online businesses found in the internet make use of this technique. Instead of shelling out large amounts of money in internet advertising, this is the most inexpensive way to spread information about a certain product or service.

Online marketing has become a trend in the internet since the recession began. Lots of people have resorted to selling in the World Wide Web because of the limitations the real world has brought them. Now, how do we find customers in such a large venue? Well, a fact about online business is that they are governed by emails. To opt in email marketing is the cheapest way to go about it compared to other methods that are expensive. Even with the technology of instant messages and other ways of communicating in the internet, emails are still the best choice to drive in information to target persons. It is just a matter of doing it right.

Opt in email marketing suggest that it will be a continuous monitoring of responses to emails sent. Of course, if there are things that need improvement, the company will surely address it. A general notion is that the more people you send your information to, the larger the chance of landing on people who are true buyers. Even if they are, sometimes, they just make one purchase and leave. How can we make them stay? Well, there are things that we need to assess before we even think about how many emails we should have.

In opt in list building, we should be systematized. Ideally, we should be able to categorize emails. In the real world, an office has file cabinets to keep everything in its place, according to subject, area or field. In online marketing, your business should also have the same principle. Benefits to organizing are that you can easily keep track of responses made and emails that are not of use and did not make much for your business.

Permission: A lot of list building strategies would talk about avoiding spam. If your emails are filtered, it will taint your image as a good company. It is always a good thing to ask permission if you can present them your company and the things you offer through newsletters and other emails. Besides, being polite is giving respect to other people’s decisions and actions. You don’t want to sound pushy do you? Or else, you will lose more potential customers than you bargained for. Give them options. Most of the time, this establishes a good relationship.

Avoid Spam: Lastly, opt in email marketing is avoiding to be regarded as spam. This gives a bad impression to your name so, you should have consent from recipients regarding product offers and updates. To give you an idea, give them a freebie first and then they’ll sign up, then you have consent.

Here are three things that you should avoid. Although there are others, these can sure make a difference in your list-making.

Give the extra boost to your sales by visiting Gavin McDonald’s website http://www.listquad.info. Know all about list building strategies that generates traffic to your site. Visit today to bring your business on fast track!

Donate $25 to Kiva and Receive My New Ebook & Consulting Session worth $47.00

DENISE WAKEMAN’S BIG 5-0 KIVA CHALLENGE

What did Denise Wakeman want for her 50th birthday?  To raise $5,000 for budding business owners and entrepreneurs around the world.

I’ve known Denise Wakeman since I went through B/Coach Systems (business coach training) and Denise was the go-to person for all things organizational (as well as many other responsibilities) This was at least 6 years ago.  I’ve subsequently followed her career as she found her true calling and joined Patsi Krakoff and became “the Blog Squad”, experts at helping entrepreneurs, solo professionals, and business owners learn how to navigate the blogosphere and get results.

She is smart, savvy, and a real expert in a veritable ocean of gurus.

But what really sets Denise apart is that she cares. Not just about her clients (which is a given) but about making this world a better place. Whether it be running a marathon to raise funds for breast cancer or creating a team on Kiva to raise $5,000 in micro-loans, she is out there giving back.

So, I urge you to check out her challenge at:

http://www.biztipsblog.com/denise-wakeman-kiva-challenge.html

She is just $450.00 short of her $5,000 goal! She describes how easy it is to join Kiva and make your donation (she practically walks you through it).  And what I personally love about Kiva is that you get to CHOOSE the person or group to which your donation will be credited.  And this isn’t just a handout, they have to repay the loan.

For every person who donates the minimum $25 donation I will offer them my new ebook “LinkedIn for Coaches and Consultants” and a free 30-minute critique of their LinkedIn profile.  The book and consultation are not free to the public, the cost for the package is $47.00.  If you prefer you may apply the $47.00 as credit towards any future program or product.

Just post a comment here to let me know that you’ve donated and I’ll send you the details.

 

 

 

 

 

Vote for SMART Business Owners Blog

I’ve entered this blog in the “Best Wordpress Design” contest hosted by Fresheventure.com. If we win, we receive a lot of great products for our business.  So, where do you come in?

The voting doesn’t start until September 1st, but I want to start getting you ready to vote for us and to encourage any of your friends and family to do so as well. I’ll remind you again so don’t worry!

Thank you!

Merlyn  

5 Ways to Reach Your Most Elusive Prospects

In this over-connected, cell phone to the ear, Web 2.0 world, it would seem inconceivable that it can be near impossible to reach someone. However, it’s more likely that your phone call will go to voice mail rather than to a human being!

 
So, what do you do when you encounter someone’s voice mail?  Many business owners and sales people tell me there’s no point in leaving a message because they’ll never get return call.  What they really mean is, “I can’t sell them anything via voice mail”.

 
Well, they probably weren’t going to buy anything even if you did reach them!  Without an objective and a plan, you’re just one more person vying for attention.  And since you haven’t developed a relationship, you’re very easy to ignore.

 
Here are some tips on how to leave an effective voice mail message:

 
1. Define the objective of your call.  Is it a follow up to a networking event? Or are you returning the prospect’s call or email requesting information on your product or service?  Is it a “keep in touch” call where the purpose is to keep the relationship moving forward?

 
2. Prepare a script.  You want to make sure that you make it clear why you’re calling, how you can be reached, and let them know when you’ll be following up if you don’t hear from them. This will help prevent stuttering or losing your train of thought.  There’s nothing worse than those rambling messages that you wish you could erase! 

 
3. Make sure that you’re easy to reach.  Leave them your office number and cell phone number.  And make sure to check your voice mail messages (it could be embarrassing if you don’t!)

 
4. Repeat your key information. Introduce yourself at the beginning and the end of your message and include your phone numbers.  Speak clearly and slowly enough for someone to be able to take down your information without having to replay your message several times.

 
5. Don’t give up!  It may take several tries and a few rounds of telephone tag to finally reach your client or prospect.  So don’t be discouraged. 

 

By the same token, learn when you’re being avoided and leave a message that lets the other person “bow out gracefully”.  Just ask them to respond if they’re no longer interested in hearing from you. This usually works best if you use email since there’s no fear that they may actually reach you if they call.  Inject a little humor and make it clear that there are no hard feelings.  It’ll go a long way to demonstrate that you are both persistent and considerate.

 
Every contact you have with someone is a potential to create or further a relationship.  Don’t miss an opportunity to get your message across in an effective and powerful way.