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Lisa Orrell, The Promote U Guru 
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Posts Tagged ‘podcasts’4 Steps to Leveraging Other People’s Audiences for Big ExposureJanuary 14th, 2011Hi All! I saw the following blog post on ByBloggers.net (an amazing resource for learning effective strategies to create and market digital products), and received permission from them, and the article’s author, to share it here. It’s loaded with great information to help you expand your brand to the followers of other bloggers and online broadcasters (ie: People with podcast shows) who have large audiences. No need for me to go on about this topic…author, Mike Tiojanco, does a fine job on his own! But before you dive into his info-packed article, here’s some info about Mike: He is an entrepreneur, blogger, and partner at BlogcastFM Premium. In January, he is launching his new project, 8 Hour Rebellion, aimed at helping people break out of the 9-5 and live a life free from the chains of an office desk (so he can spend more time with his wife, two kids, and Xbox360). And you can follow him on twitter: @mtio. So, without further delay…here is what Mike has to say about:Leveraging Other People’s AudiencesMost entrepreneurs are familiar with the concept of using leverage to make money. Use other people’s time (OPT) or, more commonly, other people’s money (OPM) to push your business. However, when I launched a membership site, it wasn’t OPT or OPM that made it a success. It was OPA. Other People’s Audiences. Anatomy of a PartnershipLast November, I helped launch BlogcastFM Premium – a membership site that helps people take their blogs to the next level. None of that would have happened without a partnership between myself and the BlogcastFM founders, Srini Rao and Sid Savara. Let’s go step-by-step through the partnership/joint venture (JV) process as I experienced it: 1. Build Your NetworkWay back in February I heard about a new podcast series that was launching – BlogcastFM. I had been reading Sid’s personal development blog and following him on twitter. I was just starting my own blog at the time, so the podcast content was perfect for me. I ended up following Srini on twitter and reading his blog. A couple posts into my blog I shot him an email asking him to take a look. He was kind enough to take few minutes to check it out and give me some feedback. I kept in contact with him via twitter, and eventually pitched him on my very first guest post. At the time I had no clue that these initial contacts would turn into a partnership, but at the time I was just looking to connect with people who were doing what I wanted to be doing. The takeaway: Work on building your network early and often. Many successful bloggers advise that you spend 50% of your time writing content and 50% of your time networking. 2. Listen to People’s NeedsLike I mentioned before, I am a devoted listener of BlogcastFM. I listen to just about every episode the day it comes out, sometimes more than once (I’ve got a 45 min. commute). After listening to that many episodes, a common theme appeared. In just about every episode, Srini commented, “If I could put into action the ideas I get from every interview, my blog would be way more successful than it is.” So even Srini, the host of the podcast… the interviewer himself… needed help pulling the best tips out of every interview and figuring out how to implement them. Surely their audience was having the same issues. I could help with that. The Takeaway: Find something that someone’s audience needs that the blogger doesn’t have time to create (or has no interest in creating). Dave Navarro did this with Naomi Dunford’s audience. Her audience at ittybiz.com consists of small online business owners. She offers marketing and business development advice – a lot of which is focused on creating ebooks and other digital products. However, her material didn’t really focus on how to launch the ebook once it was created – Dave’s specialty. Before partnering on “How to Launch the **** of Your eBook,” Dave Navarro was mostly unknown. It was the partnership with Naomi that put him on the map. 3. Pitch the IdeaBack in September, I approached them with an idea for the product – a membership site offering action worksheets for each of their 100+ interviews on BlogcastFM. They said yes. I think what really put them over the edge is that I provided a sample of the product – an action worksheet for the interview with Sean Ogle. This let them see exactly what I had in mind, as opposed to an abstract description in an email. The Takeaway: Don’t be afraid to pitch the idea. After my pitch, the feedback the guys gave to me was that this was something they really wanted to create for their audience, but they didn’t have the time to do it themselves. Worst case scenario, they pass, but now you’re really on their radar. The last step: 4. Make Them Love You.This is something I’m still working on, and will continue to work on as long as BlogcastFM is around. Do the best work you can. Make them feel lucky to have you on their team. Remember, your work is a reflection on their reputation. The Takeaway: After someone says yes, provide the best work you can so that they feel that the partnership was the best business decision they ever made. Like I said, I’m still working on this one. I had some family issues that prevented me from doing this over the past month or so, but you better believe I’m going to work my tail off showing them that this was the right decision for them. That said, I’ve got some interviews to listen to and some worksheets to create… BIG thanks to Mike, and to Jonathan, founder of ByBloggers.net, for allowing me to share this! GREAT ADVICE and useful info! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa  PART TWO: Your A-Z Guide of Social Media and Business CommunicationMarch 22nd, 2010Hi All!  Susan Young, President of Get in Front Communications, Inc. The following post is a Part Two of a Guest Article courtesy of the wonderful Susan Young! Here’s a reminder about “who” she is: Susan works with professionals who want to supercharge their communication skills, self-confidence and success. She’s the President of Get in Front Communications, Inc., a public relations and communications training company. Susan provides presentations and coaching on sales, Reading Body Language, Emotional Intelligence, public speaking, Social media and news. Visit www.getinfrontblogging.com andwww.getinfrontcommunications.com. Follow Susan on Twitter @sueyoungmedia. Here is PART TWO of her Guest Post which explains her tips N-Z… The way you communicate in your business relationships is directly tied to your revenues, reputation and success. Of course Social Media and technology are forcing us to set new rules, boundaries and etiquette. Here are the ABC’s of Outstanding Social Media and Business Communication: N is for notice the little things. Someone may Tweet or post a message about their birthday, the flu or their upcoming presentation. A few quick words wishing them good luck, or asking about the topic of their workshop helps build relationships. People appreciate being recognized. O is for own it. Be passionate about what you do. Your enthusiasm will leak into all of your spoken and written words. Friends, Followers and Connections will pick up on this immediately. If you don’t own it and love it, it’s time to re-asssess what you’re doing, and why. P is for professional. Use your profiles, posts and messages in professional ways. Present yourself online to prospects, clients and the world as a top-notch pro who walks the walk and talks the talk. This should be evident in all of your Social Media communication. It must be congruent with your traditional marketing materials, website, articles, and press releases. Q is for quit trying to sell. If you post a link that offers tips, make sure it leads to a page with the information you promised, not a sales pitch to buy your book or register for a webinar to get the tips. R is for rapport. Connect with people through your blog, posts, links, articles, e-zines and videos. Give them an opportunity to get acquainted with you. Developing friendships online is similar to real-life friendships. You connect with some people immediately and others take more time. There are a few you will never click with. That’s ok. Go for quality not quantity. S is for sharing. Share your expertise, insights, wisdom and assistance. That’s what the community of Social Media is all about. Be willing to donate the seeds of your intellectual capital, knowing you are building a brand and reputation that will eventually take root. In other words, share your smarts but don’t expect an instant Return-On-Investment. T is for thank you. Express your gratitude and thanks to others who provide helpful information, share your messages, posts and Tweets with their circles, and comment on your blog or Linked In questions. U is for use everything that’s available. Don’t get nervous. You don’t have to use all of the applications, gadgets, downloads and software at the same time and right now. Commit to learning a new technology or program and build from that. Use these tools to your advantage as you grow your business and online presence. V is for visuals. Social Media is interactive. There are different ways that people learn and communicate. Use a broad approach to include various styles and age groups. You can post an E-brochure on your site which allows people to see and hear your style and approach. You can record a video blog or podcast. Get creative! W is for write with clarity. Whether you are writing a white paper, a short blog post or a question on Linked In, use language that is clear, concise and compelling. X is for the “X-Ray Approach.” In order to effectively communicate and relate to people, you’ll need to get inside their heads and emotions. Read their materials, listen to their seminars and ask good questions. You’ll soon be able to diagnose their pain (challenge) and determine if your products and services will be the cure. Y is for yell if you need any help. People love to help. Periodically toss out your questions or challenges to the crowd and allow them to connect with you. Tap into their experiences, ideas and resources to help with your learning curve. Z is for zany. Sure I talk about being professional and sharing your personality, but you can let your hair down in a zany and fun way. For example, on Christmas, my blog post was titled “Santa’s Communication Pitfalls.” On Halloween, I blogged about “Scary Customer Service.” Maybe it’s not totally zany, put you get the picture. It’s ok to have fun! Communicating online requires us to write the line, walk the line, read between the lines and often tow the line. Are you up for it? It can be as easy as A-B-C. Thank you, Susan! Loved your Two Part article and I appreciate your support! Lisa |
