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Lisa Orrell, The Promote U Guru 
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Posts Tagged ‘marketing strategy’10 Tips to Write Articles to Build Your Personal BrandDecember 07th, 2014Hi All! If you want to increase awareness for your Personal Brand and drive more traffic to your website, you need to write articles. Not only can this strategy immediately position you as an expert in your field, it can attract clients and media interviews to you. And, if you’re an Author, writing short articles with content from your book, even AS you’re writing it, is a way to also generate interest in your book and increase your book sales! It’s also a way to continue interest in your book topic even if it has been out for a few years. Here are ten tips to make the articles you write get results and become a valuable marketing tool for you:
Okay! Brainstorm some topics and start writing to build your brand, credibility and online traffic! Cheers & Happy Marketing!  50 Qualities of the Best Business BlogsFebruary 24th, 2012Hi All! As you know, I’m constantly doing research for tips, trends and strategies that pertain the branding, business, marketing, social media, sales, PR, etc…basically anything that can help people build their small businesses and achieve success! And today I came across this great blog post written by Marcus Sheridan, The Sales Lion, entitled: 50 Qualities of the Best Business Blogs in the World. I wanted to share several of the tips on his list here because SO many clients and people in my workshop audiences constantly ask,”What can I do to make my blog better?” Or, “I want to start a blog but don’t know what to do!” And after reading Marcus’s post, I felt many of you could benefit from the info. So, here are 15 of the 50 qualities he shared: 1. They answer the basic consumer questions first and foremost. 2. They don’t suffer from the curse of knowledge. 3. They don’t try to impress readers because they know that happens naturally with great teaching. 4. They don’t brag about themselves, their company, and why they’re so awesome. 5. They are willing to have a conversation below the post (in the comments section) or behind the scenes via email. 6. They don’t waste words, and if they can state it shorter, they do. 7. The owner/CEO of the company is involved and also is a blog contributor. 8. They include at least one image on every post. 9. They make it readable by using short paragraphs, bullets, headers, etc. 10. They include video as much as possible. 11. They address subjects no one else in their industry is willing to address. 12. If they see something wrong in their industry, they tactfully call-out the action, person, or company doing it. 13. They leverage as many employees as they can in the content curation process, and see every member of their staff as a “blog contributor.” 14. They don’t have a bunch of frivolous red tape, filters, and stupid management teams holding up every blog article that’s written. 15. They have thick skin and don’t back down as soon as someone doesn’t like what they have to say. To read the other 35 qualities he shared, simply click here! I hope that all you small business owners, speakers, authors, coaches, entertainers and consultants find this info helpful for improving your blogging efforts. If you’re going to take the time to have a blog, you should at least do your best to make your efforts effective! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa Reverse the Risk and Explode Your ProfitsOctober 23rd, 2011 Jim Palmer: The Newsletter Guru Hi All! The following guest blog post is courtesy of Jim Palmer who is internationally known as The Newsletter Guru. Jim is the premier go-to resource for maximizing the profitability of customer relationships. So without further delay, let’s jump into his informative article, “Reverse the Risk and Explode Profits”: I have a question for you. Why don’t more of your customers or prospects buy from you? If your answer is “because of price,” you’re probably wrong. I coach a lot of entrepreneurs and small business owners, and when our discussion turns to reasons for not buying, invariably the excuse is price. “My customers don’t say ‘yes’ more often because of price.” In reality, customers don’t say “yes” more often because of skepticism, or lack of trust or perceived value. It’s what Zig Ziglar emphasizes as one of the five obstacles to a sale: no trust. Lack of trust is probably the biggest obstacle between your company and a sale. It’s rarely price. The reason more of your customers or prospects don’t buy from you is that you haven’t done enough to build your customers’ trust in your products or services. Why the 30- or 60- or 90-Day Warranty Is Not Enough! You’ve heard of Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, usually at the worst possible moment. Well, there’s another variation of that, and it goes like this: The product will cease working exactly one day after the warranty expires. Enough of us have had that exact experience that it lends credence to the veracity of the law. We all take those 30- or 60- or 90-day warranties with a grain of salt. It makes us skeptical consumers. Your customers are no different. They’re wondering, “What if it doesn’t work? What happens when it fails? What if I don’t get the result I was expecting?” They may be on the fence about buying from you. You’ve done a lot to move them to consider buying from you, but they’re thinking, “Yeah, I kind of like it. It sounds like it will solve my problem. I think the price is fair, but what if . . . ?” Get rid of the “what if,” and you can close the deal. It’s easy to do. Easy? Yup. All you have to do is reverse the risk. Risk reversal means that you, the business owner, assume all the risks associated with purchasing the product (or service), so it’s going to work to your customers’ satisfaction. If they’re on the decision fence and have nothing to lose, they’re going to buy. Let’s be clear—square one is that you must offer a high-quality product or service. That’s a given. It’s a no-brainer. Some of my coaching clients assure me that they do (and I believe them), and then they go on to tell me about their 30- or 60- or 90-day guarantee. That sort of offer simply makes people skeptical because we’ve all been burned by that warranty version of Murphy’s Law. What happens after 30 days? What happens after 60 or 90 days? When prospects wonder about that, they’re going to be hesitant to buy. You haven’t gotten them over the trust hurdle. The L.L. Bean Approach: “Our products are guaranteed to give 100% satisfaction in every way. Return anything purchased from us at any time if it proves otherwise. We do not want you to have anything from L.L. Bean that is not completely satisfactory.” As the story goes, a woman returned a pair of boots after fifteen years because the sole had worn out. She thought they should have lasted longer. They were replaced, no questions asked. That’s a rocksolid, stand-behind-your-product guarantee. A super strong guarantee shows that you are supremely confident in your belief that your products and services do what you say they are going to do. It should be paramount in whatever you sell in the first place. So if that’s true, and if you are supremely confident, then give an ironclad guarantee. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain—sales and higher profits. Your ironclad guarantee is just what your customers need to increase their trust and lose their fear of risk. When they have nothing to fear and nothing to lose, they have no reason not to buy. Your super strong guarantee needs a few things to really make it work. First, it has to have a specific name, and when possible, the name of your guarantee should be associated with the benefit of your product and the degree to which you back it up. Second, it needs a specific logo. A lot of entrepreneurs use a seal in conjunction with their guarantees, and that image resonates with customers. It’s like the Good Housekeeping “Seal of Approval.” That seal, and the guarantee behind it, have been around for more than one hundred years. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute tests products and only offers the seal on those that pass its strict standards. It’s an ironclad, rock-solid guarantee. Consumers know they can rely on the product if it has the seal. They can trust it! Jim Palmer is internationally known as The Newsletter Guru, the go-to resource for maximizing the profitability of customer relationships. Jim is also the acclaimed author of The Magic of Newsletter Marketing – The Secret to More Profits and Customers for Life and also Stick Like Glue – How to Create an Everlasting Bond with Your Customers So They Stay Longer, Spend More, and Refer More, and The Fastest Way to Higher Profits – 19 Immediate Profit-Enhancing Strategies You Can Use Today. Learn more about Jim and all his programs at: www.NewsletterGuru.TV.
Why Google Places Can Help You Attract More Clients: Online or OfflineSeptember 27th, 2011Hi All! The following article is a Guest Blog from Cindy Morus and Christine Wood, Co-founders of BizFinder Local (.com). They help businesses, offline and online, get more customers with the latest technology and online marketing tools, including Google Places. And in this easy-to-follow article they are going to explain what Google Places is and why you need to take it seriously! Why Google Places Can Help You Attract More Clients: Online or Offline: Search for your business on a mobile device and click on everthing that comes up (if nothing shows up, you’ve identified your first problem). Does it look like you’re active and “open for business?” One of the first things you should see is a listing of 7 Google Places entries. Are you there? What is Google Places? It’s a huge directory of businesses created by Google. These free place pages are available for both online and offline businesses, and show up when you search for a business. Even though you mostly serve clients outside your geographic area, are you willing to work with local customers? Then you need a Google Places page! Virtual Businesses and solo entrepreneurs qualify for a Google Places listing and “puts you on the (Google) map!” If your business doesn’t have a place page your are missing out on a huge opportunity and it’s easy to get one for your business! Imagine having Google promoting your services to everyone who lives in your area (even if you don’t have any articles and blog posts out there)! Local and Mobile searches are at the top of Google’s priority list. Did you know that 82% of local searches result in offline action (a visit, a phone call, a More people search for businesses online than anywhere else, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to be credible to local customers! And if you’d like us to do a FREE Google Places evaluation for your business to see how you show up in the search results, contact us today! Many clients who come to us do NOT show up in a Google Places search and that means they are missing out on attracting new business. Thanks, Cindy & Christine! Great info and great offer! Lisa 7 Easy Steps to An Effective Marketing Strategy For 2011January 01st, 2011Hi All! The New Year is here…are you ready with a Marketing Plan and Strategy to enter 2011 organized, poised for revenue growth and career success? If you are, fabulous! However, if you’re like many of the new clients who hire me, you’re probably “hoping” 2011 will be better but don’t really have a plan to make it happen. You may even know your previous marketing efforts have been ineffective, but have no clue what to do to fix and improve them. Oftentimes, I find that small business owners, speakers, authors, coaches, consultants, etc. are good at what they do in their profession, but aren’t that great at marketing themselves, their businesses, and/or their products. They run in circles in a “reactive” mode (versus create a strategic plan) and then wonder why they are struggling to land new clients, sell books, secure speaking opportunities, or generate more income for their businesses through other avenues. If any of this resonates with you, keep reading! Here are 7 steps to help you create an effective Marketing Plan and Strategy for the New Year:
Sure, this 7 step process is a simplistic approach (there are some Marketing Plans that are much more detailed and complex), but you don’t need to make it complicated; that’s what can scare you from even trying to create a basic plan! I’ve helped clients outline an effective Marketing Plan in an hour, so trust me when I say this doesn’t have to be a drawn-out process. I don’t care whether your plan ends up being one-page or 50…just make sure you have some sort of strategic plan so you enter 2011 feeling more organized and in control of your new year! And here’s a link to a Marketing Plan software solution that can help you: Marketing Plan Pro. Cheers to a Prosperous New Year and Happy Marketing! Lisa Free e-Book to Improve (or Start) Your Social Media EffortsSeptember 12th, 2010Hi All! Social Media Strategist, Chris Tompkins, CEO & Founder of Go! Media International, has written a very comprehensive “how to” e-book that clearly maps-out the steps and strategies you need to know to improve, or start, your social media marketing efforts. This is ideal for small business owners and solopreneurs! Here is a brief overview of what he covers in this terrific e-book, “Social Jump Start”: 1. How to create a clear picture of what your social media marketing environment will look like 2. What your “voice” and purpose is 3. Creating an organized marketing strategy 4. How to identify your target audience(s) and know what makes them tick 5. Determining your “schedule strategy” for your social media efforts 6. How to ethically interact online 7. And MUCH MORE! Plus, he concludes the e-book with his Top 30 suggestions on how to effectively get started. These quick-hit tips are also loaded with great strategies about effective copywriting, creating easy products to generate traffic and build your list, starting online groups, info about blog tours, and a ton more. Again, this e-book is FREE, so CLICK HERE to check it out. You’re not even required to provide your contact info to download it! The link takes you straight to the PDF. Even if you only learn ONE tip, it may be one that makes a big difference in your branding, sales and business building efforts! Cheers & Happy Marketing! Lisa |
