Marketing Tactic - Focus developed through a lens.
Building a static website can be both a thrill and a chore. The thrill lies in developing a unique presence on the internet - a proud moment for an entrepreneur that toils through what can be a long process. The website is also a device that must always be tweaked and edited as your business grows and evolves – therein lies the chore.
A quick and easy solution to develop a defined focus on a segment within your business when time is of the essence and of limitation - build a Squidoo Lens; the brainchild of Seth Godin. Wikipedia defines Squidoo Lens as:
….. a network of user-generated lenses—single pages that highlight one person’s point of view, recommendations, or expertise. Lenses can be about anything, such as ideas, people or places, hobbies and sports, pets or products, philosophy, and politics.
Building a lens can be as quick and simple as 15 minutes spent drafting text or it can be more in-depth in layout with added gadgets and HTML. The following are a few uses for a Squidoo Lens:
• Feature new services
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Promote a new e-book or other give-away
• Reviews – books, software, services
• A “how to” – for your potential customers
• Top tools or sites relevant to your industry
• Launch an opinion survey
• Discuss new business trends
Here are two examples of recent Squidoo Lenses that I created. The first lens is a series of the most commonly asked questions by those unfamiliar with the Virtual Assistant Industry - Virtual Assistant - Most Frequently Asked Questions. This is a great marketing tool to use on Twitter when someone asks a question about a Virtual Assistant and our industry. With Twitter’s 140 characters limit – the link can be tweeted with maximum impact.
The second lens features new Internet Marketing Services in my Virtual Assistant practice. As a recent graduate of VAClassroom’s Interment Marketing Virtual Assistant program, I created a Squidoo Lens that promotes the services I provide to entrepreneurs assisting with their internet marketing campaigns - Internet Marketing Virtual Assistant.
The Point
Do you a new focus within your business that you want to promote quickly? Need an easy marketing tool but don’t have time to revamp your website? Create a Squidoo Lens that features your business and you. An added plus - the backlink to your website assists with SEO.
Photo by rabih
Blogging Inspiration - Andy Rooney finds inspiration in his kitchen drawer.
Throughout the years, I’ve always enjoyed 60 Minutes. The in-depth look at what is current in the news. The interviews provides a window into other’s thought process and the investigations intrigue the detective in me. My favorite segment though is at the end. The last 2.5 minutes spent with Andy Rooney. Armed with his opinion and ready to tout off on cue, he looks straight into the camera and presents his view; sometimes brash, always laced with humor and practicality, and a bit of sarcasm tossed in for good measure.
Did he pave the way for video blogging? Wikipedia defines video blogging as:
Video blogging, sometimes shortened to vlogging is a form of blogging for which the medium is video. Entries are made regularly and often combine embedded video or a video link with supporting text, images, and other metadata.
The structure is certainly there – recording of short snippets of video that is shared with others. Mr. Rooney is on every week at the end of broadcast. He always has some type of supporting prop that adds visual to his video. Mr. Rooney uses his platform to speak his mind on happenings in his world or ours; to rant at what irritates him; to show others a different view; and to connect with his audience (his followers).
So where does Mr. Rooney get his ideas? I caught the clip below when it aired last month.
The Point
This post – This Point is to me as well as you. You don’t have to look far and search deep for a meaningful subject that will set the world on fire with words. Just write. Blog about the mundane and the simple as well as the complex. Not all your posts are going to be stellar and be nominated for The Blogger’s Choice Awards. Take a lesson from Mr. Rooney and open up your “kitchen drawer”. Each post will resonate with someone or maybe just your own self.
Just Tweet It - Find Followers and Promote Your Business
Are you new to Twitter and not getting the quality of followers that you would like to have? Not finding those that have like-minded interests? Tired of scrolling through what someone is eating for breakfast and lunch? Just Tweet It will help you find those that want to network with the same intent and with quality information to share. As stated on Just Tweet It’s website:
“Add your name to the directory and get found or find others like you!”
Just Tweet It is a directory listing for Twitter users. There are over three dozen categories, both business and personal. Create a listing with your name, twitter url and a brief bio. This is a great resource to promote your business and interests.
I discovered this tool from none other than a tweet from @GrantGriffiths , a self-described Home Office Warrior who gives information freely and who I follow. Grant tweeted his latest blog post Twitter Tool – Just Tweet It. The Twitter caveat is that Grant found out about Just Tweet It from a tweet made by someone he was following.
The Point
Finding Just Tweet It is a perfect example of how Twitter works; tweets become viral and spread rapidly. Information is shared and passed on to others. Incorporate Twitter into your daily routine. Create a Twitter profile, list yourself on the Just Tweet It directory and then find others that share your interests and start following them. See how far you can spread yourself around Twitter World.
Photo by Jacob Whittaker
How Do You Say - It’s a Pleasure to Meet You!
In my previous post, I shared Tweet Later; a Twitter tool that sends auto-responses to new followers either publically or through direct message. While I don’t subscribe to all “twitter etiquette” that many feel businesses should adhere to, there are a few common sense “rules” that should not have to be explained but it seems more often than not, it does.
So, how do you welcome your new followers on Twitter? Or, do you even acknowledge them?
When you set-up an auto-response to acknowledge a new follower, it should be just that. Links to your products or services should not be included. It is just simply not proper etiquette; it’s spam! If you have set-up your profile properly, then your website is listed. More times than not, a new follower has already checked out your website; unless they are the ones that have 1200 followings and only 100 followers; their intent then is to spam you.
Put it into perspective as it relates to your physical surroundings. If you are meeting someone for the first time, you wouldn’t be shaking their hand and asking them to buy your product. Would you?
The Point
Twitter is to socially connect with those that you have common interests in, whether it is personal or business. Yes, it is a great tool for internet marketing and promoting your blog; just not in a spammy way. Treat that your followers the same as you would if you were meeting and chatting face to face. Great them openhanded; a warm friendly thank you note is simple and genuine! It doesn’t mean you have to follow them, just be polite and say hello.
Photo by rumpleteaser
Do You Tweet? 9 Tools to Enhance Your Twitter Experience
Despite its critics, Twitter is a useful micro-blogging tool entrepreneurs can utilize in a social networking setting to build relationships, promote their blog and market their business. This post is not to debate the pros and cons of Twitter; whether it’s viewed as professional or otherwise; nor is it to cover proper tweeting etiquette or what is and is not considered spamming your followers. My intent is to provide you with nine tools that will simply enhance your Twitter experience.
Ping.FM
Do you have multiple social network profiles that you want to keep a daily presence without spending all day doing it? Ping.fm saves you the time and effort. Ping.fm will send a single post across 26 social networking platforms at one time. It utilizes the same 140 character limit as Twitter. Sites in addition to Twitter include: Facebook, Plurk, LinkedIn, MySpace, Google Talk, Delicious, and many more.
Tweet Later
Tweet Later works for you while you are away; whether you’re traveling, focusing on a project or simply living life. Tweet Later can be set-up to welcome new followers automatically either publically or by direct message. It will, at your election, automatically follow those that follow you. You can also schedule pre-scripted Tweets to broadcast while you’re away. Scheduled tweet is a great tool to alert followers of a new post on your blog.
What a Tangled Web We Weave with Web Analytics
Photo by josefstuefer As an entrepreneur in e-commerce, an enormous amount of effort and focus is placed on web presence. Countless hours can be spent on the aesthetics of your website, the cascading pages and catchy graphics. While you can have the snazziest website in your industry, if your visitors spend just seconds before bouncing elsewhere then it is all for not. So how do you know if your efforts are paying off? How can you discern where to make changes? Do you need a magic ball to see behind the scenes? No, a web analytics program will capture the data needed.
Web analytics provides detailed statistics that can assist with the analysis and fine tuning of your website or blog. By gathering data, it paints a clear picture of the visitors that find your site and provides the results from marketing efforts and website design. Here are four key areas to examine.
Free Web Authoring Tool - Are you a KompoZer?
Photo by chrysti
Creating a website for your business can seem like a daunting task for those with little or no experience in HTML (HyperText Markup Language) or CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). For a small business business, the cost of hiring a web designer or purchasing an HTML/CSS editing program can put a heavy strain on most budgets. There are alternatives that work for not only for the experienced but for the beginner as well. I discovered a great resource - KompoZer. I used this program to create the website for my business and the big bang for your buck is ……it is free!
Going Up! Free Resource to Create an Elevator Speech
Photo by annia316
As an entrepreneur, getting your name out there and making new connections is the name of the game. So how many times have you stumbled through introducing yourself and your business to a potential client? Have you walked away knowing you didn’t get your message across? Do you find yourself wanting another chance to make a better impression? I would venture to guess that you haven’t perfected your elevator speech.
Then it’s time to get in the game! It’s not as painful as you might guess. I have discovered a free resource to assist with developing your elevator speech and they’ve made getting started easy!
The 15SecondPitch describes itself as:
“n. An introduction that is concise, compelling and conversational. No elevator required!”
What’s under your hood? Free Tool to Audit Your Computer
Photo by sandcastlematt
Whether you’re an entrepreneur who loves to get under the hood of a computer or one that breaks out in a cold sweat when you see a Windows pop-up error message, I have a great tool for you.
Belarc Advisor is a free tool that performs an extensive audit of your pc or laptop. In just minutes an audit profile is compiled and a complete report will be generated into your web-browser.
This comprehensive audit report includes:
- List of installed hardware from processor to circuit board and memory modules to external peripherals
- List of installed software including version number, license number, installation date, location on your hard drive and even key codes
- Status of Anti-Virus Software with last known update, revision number, and date of last scan
- Installation status of Microsoft Service Packs, Upgrades and Hotfixes and includes links to those yet to be installed
- Internet Security Status Benchmark Score and Report that includes Service Packs and Hotfixes, Account and Audit Policies, Security Settings
Gone are the days of not being prepared when calling a customer support desk to troubleshoot equipment or software issues. No more searching for versions numbers and updates installed. You will have vital information needed at your fingertips to answer questions and quicken the process.
The Point
Download Belarc Advisor. It’s a comprehensive tool that provides you with a wealth of information about your computer. You will be able to see where the weak points are in your computer system and how to address them. And best of all, it’s free!
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