How would you like to have a hidden friend at work behind the scenes persuading your perfect client that you are the right person to choose for the job? It is possible. If you want to capture, hold, and influence the attention of your prospect’s brain, you need to learn the power of consistency.
It is easy to purposefully mess yourself up without meaning to. Many bloggers feel the need to liven things up, to constantly reinvent themselves because they get bored of their message so they conclude that prospective clients must be also. But it is not necessary to shake things up.
Right about the time that you are getting bored with your content, your prospects are just getting used to it. They’re starting to hear what you say and understand it. If you change it, especially if the message is a good fit for you and them, you are risking losing the attention that you’ve gained so far. You want their brain on your side, and by changing, you risk confusing it.
The brain remembers persistently repeated messages.
The brain simply cannot let everything in or pay attention to everything. But it figured that anything repeated constantly must be important, so it will hold on to that information.
For the same reason, consistent and emotionally-driven messages are also remembered.
This is not new information to advertisers. With the power of repitition and consistency, a commercial from our childhood will stick in our heads while we forget the name of our third grade teacher.
Experts say that it takes at least 7 to 9 impressions for direct mail to make an impact on you. For an ad to even make it to your conscious awareness, it would take up to 56 repititions. So then it’s obvious that ads have to be incessantly repeated, no matter how brilliant and likable, and it would seem that the ad would get boring after so much repitition. But it’s not. It’s just starting to make an impact.
The brain likes to organize things.
It believes that things that have something in common should be grouped together. It tries to organize the information and group things together. This is why it is important to be consistent. You want your client’s brains to recognize the messages that you are releasing and group them together. They will then have a specific “container” in their brain for your messages that is steadily growing. These consistent messages will convey that you have something important to say. Simply because there is so many of them, they will automatically become more influential.
The brain also likes to link things.
Your brain stores existing knowledge in the subconscious, but whenever new information is processed, it links this new knowledge with the exsisting, moving it from the conscious mind so that it will pay attention faster to any information it is accustomed to.
For example, think of a company with an easily recognized logo. As soon as your brain sees the familiar image of the logo, it thinks: This is something I’ve seen before. I’ll take it into account and store it with my already large collection on this company.
That is why branding is so important and why companies work so hard on it. If the branding is inconsistent, your brain will not link the information together. Since these messages will end up in different compartments in your brain, they will become less influential.
It is important to know your brand and be sure that your messages stick with it to hold the attention of your potential client’s mind.
The brain values reliability.
Familiar things are comforting to us. It is the reason that you will frequent a restaurant, even though it’s not your favorite food. You know what they serve, there’s no suprises in what you’ll receive. Since it’s familiar, your brain interprets it as safe, and that’s what it wants.
Reliability develops a trust with your audience, and it takes time to build. But there is one thing you can do to help move it along. When you start to get bored with your message and want to liven things up a bit, don’t. To your clients, it’s just starting to work.
Being reliable and consistent is one of the best tools for growing your business- achieved simply by making a friend out of the human mind.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Secrets for Successful YouTube Marketing, Tips 8-15
8. For making your YouTube video
stand out from the crowd and demand attention, your video must be very catchy, humorous or controversial.
9. In every video you create, add a message and then your advertisement. So that when people watch it, they get impressed through the message and likely to share with everyone. So, your video gets viral.
10. Don’t promote your product simply by words, that won’t be effective. Promote your product with live demonstration so that when they finish watching the video, they also remind of your product and not an empty mind.
11. Add friends – Adding friends is a powerful way to gain exposure on YouTube.
12. For a successful YouTube marketing, you need to have a proper channel with some customizations. So that it can get you more subscribers and also enough YouTube following.
13. When choosing the account type on YouTube, remember your target audience, niche you’re in and then choose a account to signup YouTube.
14. Categorize your videos by assigning suitable tags, titles etc. So that when people search for particular tags or titles, your video will come up in the search results
15. You should use YouTube like your blog, use the comments system in a effective way and build relationship.
stand out from the crowd and demand attention, your video must be very catchy, humorous or controversial.
9. In every video you create, add a message and then your advertisement. So that when people watch it, they get impressed through the message and likely to share with everyone. So, your video gets viral.
10. Don’t promote your product simply by words, that won’t be effective. Promote your product with live demonstration so that when they finish watching the video, they also remind of your product and not an empty mind.
11. Add friends – Adding friends is a powerful way to gain exposure on YouTube.
12. For a successful YouTube marketing, you need to have a proper channel with some customizations. So that it can get you more subscribers and also enough YouTube following.
13. When choosing the account type on YouTube, remember your target audience, niche you’re in and then choose a account to signup YouTube.
14. Categorize your videos by assigning suitable tags, titles etc. So that when people search for particular tags or titles, your video will come up in the search results
15. You should use YouTube like your blog, use the comments system in a effective way and build relationship.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Secrets for Successful YouTube Marketing, Tips 1-7
1. The amount of videos which you upload – The problem that many companies face is, they upload the videos and wait for the customer to come to them. Use facebook and twitter to promote your videos, once your video gets some reach, then don’t leave it idle. Leaving it idle will make your customers think you’re dead. Upload new energetic live videos on a regular basis. This will make your potential customer know you are still around and not just another company that went bust.
2. Put yourself into the shoes of the customer – You need to make the videos live and energetic so that customer should come back again to watch it. So think if you were in their shoes for making the videos more viral.
3. Make sure you upload quality content and keep your channel fresh, so that visitors don’t get disappointed and will come back again. Therefore following the above 3 steps will create a huge YouTube followers.
4. Now you have uploaded quality content by placing yourself into the shoes of the customer, now the questions is how will the customer know that you have launched the new video, more important is how to drive traffic to your YouTube video?
5. Sharing is important. Whenever you upload a new video on YouTube, share it with friends and all the contacts from your address book. The more clicks, you get more attention and thereby you can reach more customers.
6. A quicker way is to create a company profile and add friends on Facebook, interact with them. Make them forget it is company’s profile and be friendly.
7. Promoting the video on social networking sites, make sure you’re on all the social networking sites, forums etc. Make sure you build community which you’re interested in.
Tips 8-15 to follow tomorrow.
2. Put yourself into the shoes of the customer – You need to make the videos live and energetic so that customer should come back again to watch it. So think if you were in their shoes for making the videos more viral.
3. Make sure you upload quality content and keep your channel fresh, so that visitors don’t get disappointed and will come back again. Therefore following the above 3 steps will create a huge YouTube followers.
4. Now you have uploaded quality content by placing yourself into the shoes of the customer, now the questions is how will the customer know that you have launched the new video, more important is how to drive traffic to your YouTube video?
5. Sharing is important. Whenever you upload a new video on YouTube, share it with friends and all the contacts from your address book. The more clicks, you get more attention and thereby you can reach more customers.
6. A quicker way is to create a company profile and add friends on Facebook, interact with them. Make them forget it is company’s profile and be friendly.
7. Promoting the video on social networking sites, make sure you’re on all the social networking sites, forums etc. Make sure you build community which you’re interested in.
Tips 8-15 to follow tomorrow.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Google Maps has replaced the Yellow Pages
Google Local Maps is where prospects will find your business. The Yellow Pages used to be the standard in local business advertising. This is not the case anymore.
People often find themselves traveling in a new city or in a part of town that they don't know well. With Smart Phones, GPS, and iPads, today's consumer wants to know where you are, NOW. This means that they have access to and are probably using Google local maps on a daily basis. When is the last time you traveled, pulled over to a phone booth and read their local Yellow Pages to find the Thai food you're craving? That is where the local feature of Google Maps comes into play.
Google Maps is a game changer. The ability to instantly see your current location on the map is only the beginning. The search feature is an amazingly powerful tool for whatever your target market is seeking. Today's consumer wants precision and they want to know right away where they are going. There is no more guessing as to where something is or hoping you stumble across it as you walk or drive along.
It's essential to be "findable" on Google and Google Maps. If you're not there, you run the serious risk of not surviving. Today's information superhighway is akin to the Interstate systems that replaced small two lane highways years ago. When the larger road bypassed a small town, many of the businesses in the small town did not survive. The Yellow Pages has become the two lane highway.
Not appearing on Google Maps will mean that you don't exist to many customers. Their sole source of information may very well be Google Maps and you need to be there if you expect to attract their hard-earned dollars.
If you want more sales and to grow your business locally, be sure to visit our Miami SEO site. We offer Miami Search Engine Optimization services that will keep you competitive and earn you new customers.
People often find themselves traveling in a new city or in a part of town that they don't know well. With Smart Phones, GPS, and iPads, today's consumer wants to know where you are, NOW. This means that they have access to and are probably using Google local maps on a daily basis. When is the last time you traveled, pulled over to a phone booth and read their local Yellow Pages to find the Thai food you're craving? That is where the local feature of Google Maps comes into play.
Google Maps is a game changer. The ability to instantly see your current location on the map is only the beginning. The search feature is an amazingly powerful tool for whatever your target market is seeking. Today's consumer wants precision and they want to know right away where they are going. There is no more guessing as to where something is or hoping you stumble across it as you walk or drive along.
It's essential to be "findable" on Google and Google Maps. If you're not there, you run the serious risk of not surviving. Today's information superhighway is akin to the Interstate systems that replaced small two lane highways years ago. When the larger road bypassed a small town, many of the businesses in the small town did not survive. The Yellow Pages has become the two lane highway.
Not appearing on Google Maps will mean that you don't exist to many customers. Their sole source of information may very well be Google Maps and you need to be there if you expect to attract their hard-earned dollars.
If you want more sales and to grow your business locally, be sure to visit our Miami SEO site. We offer Miami Search Engine Optimization services that will keep you competitive and earn you new customers.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Mistakes that will kill your business
It is important to be aware of issues that will kill off your business. It could be factors such as when you’re taking things to seriously when you just want it as a hobby, or when you’re simply tired of it, or even when you are terrified of success or failure. There are also plain errors which luckily can be fixed. Watch out for, and repair, these warning signs to build a healthy business.
1. A bad attitude
If you have a bad attitude about your business, everyone else will too, and vice-versa. Every contact you have whether they are a visitor to your website, in person, or on Twitter and Facebook will know how you view your company. How do you know if you have a bad attitude?
• If there are long lapses between your posting.
• If you haven’t released a new product or service in the last six months.
• If you blame poor business on difficult customers.
• If you complain about how complicated business is and how all the successful people must’ve had contacts in the correct places.
• If you’re astonished that after six months you are not both rich and famous because you anticipated being an overnight success.
2. Marketing not to a niche, but to a demographic.
A fantastic definition of a niche is “a group of people with a common problem who assemble together”. So what is not a niche? Small business owners, copywriters, freelancers, work at home parents, women over 40, or men after retirement are not niches but demographics that people commonly market to. If they share a common problem, then they are considered a niche. The solution is to examine the problem in you niche so that you can solve it and figure out where your niche assembles so that you can market specifically to them. It is ironic to learn that your marketing will be more successful the narrower your niche is. Scrutinize your current marketing plan, figure out if you’re are in fact targeting a niche or a demographic and then narrow down your message to a common interior problem that you can solve exclusively.
3. Appearing to be a tightwad.
It is simple to set up business online these days. Start off with a Wordpress.com or Blogger site, pick up some clip art graphics, outsource a logo and website header to the lowest bidder, get free business cards from site like Vistaprint, and compose a quick newsletter list from your Outlook. This may sound like a good idea, but instead you just come off looking shameful. The impression you are then giving to visitors and potential clients is that you have no money, are unprofessional, and cheap. If you must pinch pennies, there are some things that you can do for free or low-cost that will not grab notice, but you’re website is not one of them. Of course you do not need to bankrupt yourself creating a website, just be sure that it has an organized, professional look, is simply to navigate and creates a web presence that makes you appear worth your cost.
4. Neglecting to secure visitor details.
You have a customer visit your site, who then looks around, reads a few articles, then leaves. They like the site and would definitely come back, but never do because they lose the url or simply get too busy. Then they’re lost forever. By not securing visitor details, such as a name and email address, they’re losing customers. Set up a way for them to keep in touch, offering an incentive, such as an ebook or valuable free report, in exchange for details. MailChimp is free up to 500 subscribers if money is tight in the beginning and you can build your newsletter up from there. By losing one visitor you aren’t losing just one potential customer, you are also losing all the referrals that they could have given to you, and once they leave, they’re gone forever.
5. Neglecting to plan long term.
It’s easy to think that business plans are for large business, and for when your need to visit the bank for capital, but this is incorrect. By not planning you’ll impulsively buy the next great marketing technique and jump from one idea to the next and then question why nothing works out for you. How will you know when you’re reached what you’ve been aiming for without a solid plan? It is not necessary to have pages upon pages of incomprehensible financial projections, budgets and legal jargon, but at the very least you need to know what the goals for your business are, who you are marketing to, and what makes you unique from every other business out there. If you do not have a plan, you will not have a business.
6. All learning, no action.
Information is great; ebooks, courses, videos and many other teaching methods can help you get started, but only if you make use of what you have learned. Don’t procrastinate, saying that you’ll take action once you’ve finished this online marketing course, or finished the 128 books that you bought, or listened to the 76 teleseminars. You’ll learn more in your first year of business from just doing, putting yourself out there and running your business is the best teacher. Information is wonderful, but it is nothing without action.
1. A bad attitude
If you have a bad attitude about your business, everyone else will too, and vice-versa. Every contact you have whether they are a visitor to your website, in person, or on Twitter and Facebook will know how you view your company. How do you know if you have a bad attitude?
• If there are long lapses between your posting.
• If you haven’t released a new product or service in the last six months.
• If you blame poor business on difficult customers.
• If you complain about how complicated business is and how all the successful people must’ve had contacts in the correct places.
• If you’re astonished that after six months you are not both rich and famous because you anticipated being an overnight success.
2. Marketing not to a niche, but to a demographic.
A fantastic definition of a niche is “a group of people with a common problem who assemble together”. So what is not a niche? Small business owners, copywriters, freelancers, work at home parents, women over 40, or men after retirement are not niches but demographics that people commonly market to. If they share a common problem, then they are considered a niche. The solution is to examine the problem in you niche so that you can solve it and figure out where your niche assembles so that you can market specifically to them. It is ironic to learn that your marketing will be more successful the narrower your niche is. Scrutinize your current marketing plan, figure out if you’re are in fact targeting a niche or a demographic and then narrow down your message to a common interior problem that you can solve exclusively.
3. Appearing to be a tightwad.
It is simple to set up business online these days. Start off with a Wordpress.com or Blogger site, pick up some clip art graphics, outsource a logo and website header to the lowest bidder, get free business cards from site like Vistaprint, and compose a quick newsletter list from your Outlook. This may sound like a good idea, but instead you just come off looking shameful. The impression you are then giving to visitors and potential clients is that you have no money, are unprofessional, and cheap. If you must pinch pennies, there are some things that you can do for free or low-cost that will not grab notice, but you’re website is not one of them. Of course you do not need to bankrupt yourself creating a website, just be sure that it has an organized, professional look, is simply to navigate and creates a web presence that makes you appear worth your cost.
4. Neglecting to secure visitor details.
You have a customer visit your site, who then looks around, reads a few articles, then leaves. They like the site and would definitely come back, but never do because they lose the url or simply get too busy. Then they’re lost forever. By not securing visitor details, such as a name and email address, they’re losing customers. Set up a way for them to keep in touch, offering an incentive, such as an ebook or valuable free report, in exchange for details. MailChimp is free up to 500 subscribers if money is tight in the beginning and you can build your newsletter up from there. By losing one visitor you aren’t losing just one potential customer, you are also losing all the referrals that they could have given to you, and once they leave, they’re gone forever.
5. Neglecting to plan long term.
It’s easy to think that business plans are for large business, and for when your need to visit the bank for capital, but this is incorrect. By not planning you’ll impulsively buy the next great marketing technique and jump from one idea to the next and then question why nothing works out for you. How will you know when you’re reached what you’ve been aiming for without a solid plan? It is not necessary to have pages upon pages of incomprehensible financial projections, budgets and legal jargon, but at the very least you need to know what the goals for your business are, who you are marketing to, and what makes you unique from every other business out there. If you do not have a plan, you will not have a business.
6. All learning, no action.
Information is great; ebooks, courses, videos and many other teaching methods can help you get started, but only if you make use of what you have learned. Don’t procrastinate, saying that you’ll take action once you’ve finished this online marketing course, or finished the 128 books that you bought, or listened to the 76 teleseminars. You’ll learn more in your first year of business from just doing, putting yourself out there and running your business is the best teacher. Information is wonderful, but it is nothing without action.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Decorate your website for the holidays
We decorate our homes for the holidays. We decorate our offices and stores, too. But the question is: are you also decorating your online place of business, i.e., your website?
Every year businesses have tried to do something to acknowledge the Holiday season. We've seen holiday images in posts, some add ”Christmas lights” along the top of the site or sidebar while others have created special holiday messages and holiday-themed articles.
But this year we recommend taking a page out of Google’s book and actually decorate the logo. Google does this for major (and not so major) holidays each year. Here are two Google Holiday logos from years past:
Yahoo also has a history of decorating its logo. Here is a Yahoo Christmas logo from 2006:
You may ask yourself, with all the projects planned for this year, why would I feel compelled to decorate the website, of all things? One answer to this question comes from no less an authority than Jakob Nielsen, the website usability guru. On the topic of decorating websites for holidays, Nielsen notes:
There are two main reasons for websites to recognize holidays and special events, and both reasons fall under the same general category: To respect users as human beings, rather than simply as “eyeballs” or a source of e-commerce transactions. Commemorating special events is a way for websites to connect to users and be seen as welcoming environments, rather than places focused solely on money grubbing.
More specifically, the first reason for a website to commemorate a holiday or special occasion is to appear current and up-to-date. Major holidays and special events are important to users, and they constantly see these special days reflected in the physical decor of their surroundings. A website that doesn’t reflect what’s currently topical and important to users will feel out of touch. Worse, it might feel stale, and users might think it’s outdated in other respects as well.
The second reason for a website to feature holiday or event decorations is to increase joy of use. Even simple ornamentations like a Christmas wreath, a Valentine’s heart, or a soccer ball can create a small moment of happiness for users as they’re reminded of the greater happiness the holiday or special occasion brings. A user might be engaged in the dreary task of researching “enterprise solutions,” for example, and be reminded that it’s Christmas and a happy time of year.
We also recommend adding a video holiday greeter, email andy@themediazoo.com for more details.
Every year businesses have tried to do something to acknowledge the Holiday season. We've seen holiday images in posts, some add ”Christmas lights” along the top of the site or sidebar while others have created special holiday messages and holiday-themed articles.
But this year we recommend taking a page out of Google’s book and actually decorate the logo. Google does this for major (and not so major) holidays each year. Here are two Google Holiday logos from years past:
Yahoo also has a history of decorating its logo. Here is a Yahoo Christmas logo from 2006:
You may ask yourself, with all the projects planned for this year, why would I feel compelled to decorate the website, of all things? One answer to this question comes from no less an authority than Jakob Nielsen, the website usability guru. On the topic of decorating websites for holidays, Nielsen notes:
There are two main reasons for websites to recognize holidays and special events, and both reasons fall under the same general category: To respect users as human beings, rather than simply as “eyeballs” or a source of e-commerce transactions. Commemorating special events is a way for websites to connect to users and be seen as welcoming environments, rather than places focused solely on money grubbing.
More specifically, the first reason for a website to commemorate a holiday or special occasion is to appear current and up-to-date. Major holidays and special events are important to users, and they constantly see these special days reflected in the physical decor of their surroundings. A website that doesn’t reflect what’s currently topical and important to users will feel out of touch. Worse, it might feel stale, and users might think it’s outdated in other respects as well.
The second reason for a website to feature holiday or event decorations is to increase joy of use. Even simple ornamentations like a Christmas wreath, a Valentine’s heart, or a soccer ball can create a small moment of happiness for users as they’re reminded of the greater happiness the holiday or special occasion brings. A user might be engaged in the dreary task of researching “enterprise solutions,” for example, and be reminded that it’s Christmas and a happy time of year.
We also recommend adding a video holiday greeter, email andy@themediazoo.com for more details.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Why no one is reading your newsletter.
If your newsletter isn’t getting the reaction you’re hoping for, there could be several thousand reasons why. Most of these reasons stem from a common problem: the readers just don’t like the content. And this could be because you are making one of these five mistakes.
1.Your newsletter isn’t helpful.
This is huge. There are people who will sign up for a newsletter in a specific subject they are interested in hoping to read useful articles, but instead will receive nothing but promotional junk. Of course you should already know that endless self-promotion does not sit well with readers and you should never make every newsletter into a pitch. The content must be helpful or subscribers will not read it. Yet it is difficult to not lapse into self promotion. The author will sit down with the intention of writing something helpful but instead opt for the easier route of promotional ideas rather than writing another article. The default becomes self-promotion since it was easier, and the author may not see it as being unhelpful to their readers, but the readers will certainly view it that way.
2.Your voice isn’t persuasive.
Voice counts for a lot, though it isn’t everything. Putting someone’s feelings down on paper does not come across the same way as speaking to them in person would. The tone gets lost in writing. Artists, singers, and even writers have signature voices. You need to make your own voice genuine. A great way to find you voice is to call a friend on Skype. Have them ask you questions about subjects you’ll be writing about in the newsletter, and then just speak naturally, transcribing every word you say. Though it may be a tedious way to write, it will sound natural and attractive to readers. Plus, it’s faster than pouring your heart into a newsletter that takes days to write, only to have no one be interested in reading it because it lacks voice. However, voice does matter, but tone is not everything.
3.You’re not telling stories.
As humans, we love hearing stories from an early age. So why do we think that a newsletter full of perfectly ordered and structured articles will be engaging? Tell stories about your experiences in your industry and the clients you’ve come across. Everyone likes a good story full of color and drama. Plus, just like any great childhood tale, you can end with a moral lesson. Enlighten your readers on what you learned from the situation presented and display what others could learn also.
4.You have an unenthusiastic call to action.
Let us say you have a lesson to fill this week. Your newsletter is going to ask readers to write back or comment. If you need that customer to reply, you have to ask them to, not trust that they will. Be clear in what you want them to do, simply saying “Please respond” is indistinct. State plainly what you want your customers to do, such as adding a “click here” link with a reason why you want them to click through. If you want personal commentary, add a link with “just click to reply to email me back”. If you want them to purchase something, make it apparent. Most people hope that their readers will respond on their own when in fact many do not because they’re not clear in how you want them to reply. Give them a little bump in the right direction, but make sure you’re not a stranger to them; otherwise all of this is pointless.
5.You’re not consistent.
If someone wants to tune into the evening news, they know that all they have to do is switch on the television at 6pm. No matter where you are, most likely the same old news will be playing. It’s consistent. Great deals of newsletters are not. A publishing schedule is very important. Guarantee to your readers that they will have a newsletter from you once a month, or once a week- whatever it may be. Newsletters are doing your dirty work for you so they cannot take a vacation or have sick days. You cannot send newsletters out to clients whenever you feel like and hope to have a positive response. Your newsletter will be a stranger to them. The replies are directly related to the frequency that they go out. If you mess this point up, the other four tips won’t even matter.
So, in conclusion:
• Your newsletter has to be functional and not full of self-promotion.
• Tone is important. Record yourself talking if you need to in order to capture your own unique voice.
• Use stories if you are having trouble with structure.
• Do not be feeble about promotion- give a clear message on what you want your customers to do.
• If you do not want your readers to overlook who you are, make sure you have consistency with your newsletters.
Newsletters are hard work, but unless you are getting the response you want, there is no point in writing them. Try and steer clear of these five mistakes when constructing your newsletter and you should be on your way to great responses.
1.Your newsletter isn’t helpful.
This is huge. There are people who will sign up for a newsletter in a specific subject they are interested in hoping to read useful articles, but instead will receive nothing but promotional junk. Of course you should already know that endless self-promotion does not sit well with readers and you should never make every newsletter into a pitch. The content must be helpful or subscribers will not read it. Yet it is difficult to not lapse into self promotion. The author will sit down with the intention of writing something helpful but instead opt for the easier route of promotional ideas rather than writing another article. The default becomes self-promotion since it was easier, and the author may not see it as being unhelpful to their readers, but the readers will certainly view it that way.
2.Your voice isn’t persuasive.
Voice counts for a lot, though it isn’t everything. Putting someone’s feelings down on paper does not come across the same way as speaking to them in person would. The tone gets lost in writing. Artists, singers, and even writers have signature voices. You need to make your own voice genuine. A great way to find you voice is to call a friend on Skype. Have them ask you questions about subjects you’ll be writing about in the newsletter, and then just speak naturally, transcribing every word you say. Though it may be a tedious way to write, it will sound natural and attractive to readers. Plus, it’s faster than pouring your heart into a newsletter that takes days to write, only to have no one be interested in reading it because it lacks voice. However, voice does matter, but tone is not everything.
3.You’re not telling stories.
As humans, we love hearing stories from an early age. So why do we think that a newsletter full of perfectly ordered and structured articles will be engaging? Tell stories about your experiences in your industry and the clients you’ve come across. Everyone likes a good story full of color and drama. Plus, just like any great childhood tale, you can end with a moral lesson. Enlighten your readers on what you learned from the situation presented and display what others could learn also.
4.You have an unenthusiastic call to action.
Let us say you have a lesson to fill this week. Your newsletter is going to ask readers to write back or comment. If you need that customer to reply, you have to ask them to, not trust that they will. Be clear in what you want them to do, simply saying “Please respond” is indistinct. State plainly what you want your customers to do, such as adding a “click here” link with a reason why you want them to click through. If you want personal commentary, add a link with “just click to reply to email me back”. If you want them to purchase something, make it apparent. Most people hope that their readers will respond on their own when in fact many do not because they’re not clear in how you want them to reply. Give them a little bump in the right direction, but make sure you’re not a stranger to them; otherwise all of this is pointless.
5.You’re not consistent.
If someone wants to tune into the evening news, they know that all they have to do is switch on the television at 6pm. No matter where you are, most likely the same old news will be playing. It’s consistent. Great deals of newsletters are not. A publishing schedule is very important. Guarantee to your readers that they will have a newsletter from you once a month, or once a week- whatever it may be. Newsletters are doing your dirty work for you so they cannot take a vacation or have sick days. You cannot send newsletters out to clients whenever you feel like and hope to have a positive response. Your newsletter will be a stranger to them. The replies are directly related to the frequency that they go out. If you mess this point up, the other four tips won’t even matter.
So, in conclusion:
• Your newsletter has to be functional and not full of self-promotion.
• Tone is important. Record yourself talking if you need to in order to capture your own unique voice.
• Use stories if you are having trouble with structure.
• Do not be feeble about promotion- give a clear message on what you want your customers to do.
• If you do not want your readers to overlook who you are, make sure you have consistency with your newsletters.
Newsletters are hard work, but unless you are getting the response you want, there is no point in writing them. Try and steer clear of these five mistakes when constructing your newsletter and you should be on your way to great responses.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Getting paid for your time
Everyone has those moments that they look back on and get that dreaded feeling in the pit of their stomach. I was meeting a potential client about her interior design website and some changes that needed to be made. It all seemed to be going brilliantly since she was open to my ideas and was ready to revamp her website. Thinking that I had found my next job began to plan out the proposal silently. But then the worst happened. The words… “I’d love to pick your brain, how about we go out to lunch sometime?”
All of a sudden I didn’t know what to do. Speechless and embarrassed I began to stutter the first excuse that came to my head, “I’ll check my calendar and get back to you.” After all, it’s really no fun to have your brain picked through, even though you see it frequently in any business. Then you find yourself become resentful, thinking with each new client, “They probably just want free help, they won’t hire you.”
But is this really supportive for obtaining new clients?
There is a way to reverse this, for those who have been in similar situations. Handling these circumstances with poise and without aggravation is imperative to turning the freebie wishes into paying clients. It might sound intimidating, but it is important to set boundaries within your business to clarify what you’re willing to do for free and what must be paid for. Getting paid for your time is important, and that must be emphasized. It’s not beyond your reach to do, and we’re here to help.
1. Take complete accountability
Do not be upset at the prospect for asking, this is vital. It helps to see the situation through their eyes. If given the choice between getting a favorite electronic for free or paying for the same electronic, of course you would pick the free item. It also wouldn’t be likely that you consider the company who is not getting paid for the sale. There is no reason to. Everyone likes things for free. Blame cannot be placed on the potential client for asking for free service when in fact they would be impractical for paying for something they could have gotten for free. It’s simply logical.
Don’t overlook the subtle compliment that is being presented, also. The person asking for your time already views you as someone who can offer helpful instruction; you should be appreciative of the praise. Since they are already partially “sold” on you, because they would be asking you for more if they weren’t, view them as someone who will be a future client or a basis of referrals as opposed to a scrounger trying to attain free labor.
2. Be sure that what you are offering is apparent.
If you haven’t given potential clients anything to buy, of course they’re going to ask for free work. While I was doing web design, I was not presenting enduring support packages. Clients were charged per-project which was considered done when the project was signed off on. However, it was inevitable that I would be contacted once the project was “finished” with small changes- insignificant things that would probably take 5-10 minutes of my time. It seemed that writing up an invoice for these tiny requests was just unreasonable, but all these started to seriously take up my time. Clients were paying once for the project, and then getting this revision service for free; I started to feel like I was being taken advantage of. Of course hindsight shows they were not in fact taking advantage of me, but assuming that since I had no charge for extra support, that is service was free. The blame therefore did not fall onto the client, but squarely onto me. It is essential to provide a definite offer that clients can purchase, removing the ambiguity of what is free and what needs to be paid for.
3. Come to a decision on what will be given away for free.
Content marketing is helpful here since you can give plenty of priceless free resources like your blog or newsletter. Introductory phone calls may also be suitable, as well as hosting live group sessions for people who are interested in working with you. Whatever you do offer, though, make sure it is clear. It is not required to offer services for free; you can get hired without free consults if you are doing a fantastic job of constructing relationships through your content marketing.
4. Do not presume that all they want is free counsel.
Everyone loves getting things for free. Just because they ask to “pick our brains” does not mean that they are unwilling to pay, it means they are hoping that they will not have to. You are trying to run a business which means you are exchanging your time for money. Treating them as a prospective client when they are articulating interest in learning from you is important. Take the lead and steer them down the path of being a customer instead of leading down the free path.
5. Be self-assured in your reply.
If someone asked to take you to lunch or coffee to “pick your brain” here’s a simple way to respond: I’m happy to hear that you’re interested in pursuing this. My next step is a one hour consultation. Would you like me to tell you how that works? Observe that you are requesting permission and handing lead to the client. You are also giving a clear service offering. There’s no need to explain why you’re charging because we’ve already established that your time is valuable. Get used to responding as such, even if you’re not used to thinking in that way yet. If they are interested in hearing more about the consult, wonderful, you can sign a new client. However, some will recant, saying that money is tight. If this happens, a good response would be, “I understand, you have my card so just give me a call when you are ready. My blog has many helpful articles and general advice that you can use until you are ready to initiate this project.” Do not falter or discount, you want to be firm and show respect for your business and you’ll see that the client will share that respect.
6. Stand strong and the freebie requests will stop
If you observe the people at the top, they seem to struggle with this topic less, though they get the most leads. Why is that? Being plain and secure in what you propose offers natural progression towards paying for your time. If you want to be the expert who always gets paid for their time, be clear and confident in what you are offering and be flattered by those freebie requests.
All of a sudden I didn’t know what to do. Speechless and embarrassed I began to stutter the first excuse that came to my head, “I’ll check my calendar and get back to you.” After all, it’s really no fun to have your brain picked through, even though you see it frequently in any business. Then you find yourself become resentful, thinking with each new client, “They probably just want free help, they won’t hire you.”
But is this really supportive for obtaining new clients?
There is a way to reverse this, for those who have been in similar situations. Handling these circumstances with poise and without aggravation is imperative to turning the freebie wishes into paying clients. It might sound intimidating, but it is important to set boundaries within your business to clarify what you’re willing to do for free and what must be paid for. Getting paid for your time is important, and that must be emphasized. It’s not beyond your reach to do, and we’re here to help.
1. Take complete accountability
Do not be upset at the prospect for asking, this is vital. It helps to see the situation through their eyes. If given the choice between getting a favorite electronic for free or paying for the same electronic, of course you would pick the free item. It also wouldn’t be likely that you consider the company who is not getting paid for the sale. There is no reason to. Everyone likes things for free. Blame cannot be placed on the potential client for asking for free service when in fact they would be impractical for paying for something they could have gotten for free. It’s simply logical.
Don’t overlook the subtle compliment that is being presented, also. The person asking for your time already views you as someone who can offer helpful instruction; you should be appreciative of the praise. Since they are already partially “sold” on you, because they would be asking you for more if they weren’t, view them as someone who will be a future client or a basis of referrals as opposed to a scrounger trying to attain free labor.
2. Be sure that what you are offering is apparent.
If you haven’t given potential clients anything to buy, of course they’re going to ask for free work. While I was doing web design, I was not presenting enduring support packages. Clients were charged per-project which was considered done when the project was signed off on. However, it was inevitable that I would be contacted once the project was “finished” with small changes- insignificant things that would probably take 5-10 minutes of my time. It seemed that writing up an invoice for these tiny requests was just unreasonable, but all these started to seriously take up my time. Clients were paying once for the project, and then getting this revision service for free; I started to feel like I was being taken advantage of. Of course hindsight shows they were not in fact taking advantage of me, but assuming that since I had no charge for extra support, that is service was free. The blame therefore did not fall onto the client, but squarely onto me. It is essential to provide a definite offer that clients can purchase, removing the ambiguity of what is free and what needs to be paid for.
3. Come to a decision on what will be given away for free.
Content marketing is helpful here since you can give plenty of priceless free resources like your blog or newsletter. Introductory phone calls may also be suitable, as well as hosting live group sessions for people who are interested in working with you. Whatever you do offer, though, make sure it is clear. It is not required to offer services for free; you can get hired without free consults if you are doing a fantastic job of constructing relationships through your content marketing.
4. Do not presume that all they want is free counsel.
Everyone loves getting things for free. Just because they ask to “pick our brains” does not mean that they are unwilling to pay, it means they are hoping that they will not have to. You are trying to run a business which means you are exchanging your time for money. Treating them as a prospective client when they are articulating interest in learning from you is important. Take the lead and steer them down the path of being a customer instead of leading down the free path.
5. Be self-assured in your reply.
If someone asked to take you to lunch or coffee to “pick your brain” here’s a simple way to respond: I’m happy to hear that you’re interested in pursuing this. My next step is a one hour consultation. Would you like me to tell you how that works? Observe that you are requesting permission and handing lead to the client. You are also giving a clear service offering. There’s no need to explain why you’re charging because we’ve already established that your time is valuable. Get used to responding as such, even if you’re not used to thinking in that way yet. If they are interested in hearing more about the consult, wonderful, you can sign a new client. However, some will recant, saying that money is tight. If this happens, a good response would be, “I understand, you have my card so just give me a call when you are ready. My blog has many helpful articles and general advice that you can use until you are ready to initiate this project.” Do not falter or discount, you want to be firm and show respect for your business and you’ll see that the client will share that respect.
6. Stand strong and the freebie requests will stop
If you observe the people at the top, they seem to struggle with this topic less, though they get the most leads. Why is that? Being plain and secure in what you propose offers natural progression towards paying for your time. If you want to be the expert who always gets paid for their time, be clear and confident in what you are offering and be flattered by those freebie requests.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Google changing the game.
Doing business online can be tough, especially when Google plays games with the business owners. Regular users typically feel that the “see who survives after we change all the rules” game is an enjoyable and satisfying experience, but it leaves the business owners frustrated. However, Instant Previews was recently debuted by Google in their latest version. Floating your cursor over links in your search results now enables a swift snapshot of that website. The rule that says any visitor to your site will decide within three seconds whether to stay or not is now obsolete. Users can now see a snapshot of your site before they even click on it and can decide in 0.3 seconds whether or not to continue on. Does your site pass the new 0.3 second rule? If not, let’s repair it.
With Instant Preview, the pop up window is simply too small to allow users to read your content and then decide whether or not to click through for a visit. What they will be looking for in the minuscule box is how well the page is designed. Since users now don’t even have to leave Google to get a preview of your page, you need to make sure that the content that they are seeing is pertinent. Since you will now essentially have a magnifying glass analyzing your website and presenting users only your headlines and possibly the subheads, you will need to clear the clutter. Here’s how:
Get rid of the mess.
First, examine how many social media icons, ads, sidebar entries and sign up boxes are on your site and if they are taking up space that could be put to better use in advertising or enhancing your site. These items may be important, but not enough to be a priority on your page. Decide what you want to take precedence and emphasize this content. Move the important information towards the top, make it bigger, and use bright colors. The ads and such can be moved down the page where they aren’t as distracting. Make them smaller and use subtle colors.
Consistently modify, simplify, and execute.
You don’t want your site to look contemptible.
• Look at your header. Does it feature cheap clip art?
• Does your website employ the use of many different colors without visible visual branding?
• How many typefaces are being used? If it’s more than a few, then it will need to be fixed.
A custom header for your page can be created easily using a nice, intelligible typeface over a background downloaded from photo sharing sites, many of which are free or relatively inexpensive. Image editing software will also be needed, which you can also attain for free. Without hiring an expensive designer, you can have a low-to-no cost distinctive header for your website which will make you noticeable.
Do not go overboard on color schemes, two main colors should do it, however black and grey text does not count towards this number. Be sure to make these two colors priority to emphasize your visual brand; any other colors should be subtle and secondary.
Also choose only two typefaces to utilize. Your message will be more comprehensible and easier to capture in a glimpse if you’ve consistently used only two typefaces.
It is also possible to use a premium Wordpress theme to mimic these expert design elements without the expense of a designer or your time.
Headlines are very important.
A fantastic headline is an invaluable tool to get people to your site in that instant they see the snapshot on Google. Be sure that your subheads also tell a convincing tale. The subheads can also often be read from the preview and must allure the reader to click through to your site to learn more.
Make your content readable.
Instant Preview does not offer your readers individual sentences. However, they can see how your paragraphs have been formatted. Long paragraphs and sentences can be difficult to wade though and can be daunting to the reader. Use short paragraphs, strong subheads, and plenty of white space so as to not make your content appear painful to read.
Clean up your content.
Content is everything. But, it must be presented properly. Content inside of an unattractive website will not attract searchers to click through and read. Revamp your website to make it visually appealing inside of the Google Instant Preview. Another bonus to this cleanup is it will also make your website look great on the tiny screens of mobile devices.
With Instant Preview, the pop up window is simply too small to allow users to read your content and then decide whether or not to click through for a visit. What they will be looking for in the minuscule box is how well the page is designed. Since users now don’t even have to leave Google to get a preview of your page, you need to make sure that the content that they are seeing is pertinent. Since you will now essentially have a magnifying glass analyzing your website and presenting users only your headlines and possibly the subheads, you will need to clear the clutter. Here’s how:
Get rid of the mess.
First, examine how many social media icons, ads, sidebar entries and sign up boxes are on your site and if they are taking up space that could be put to better use in advertising or enhancing your site. These items may be important, but not enough to be a priority on your page. Decide what you want to take precedence and emphasize this content. Move the important information towards the top, make it bigger, and use bright colors. The ads and such can be moved down the page where they aren’t as distracting. Make them smaller and use subtle colors.
Consistently modify, simplify, and execute.
You don’t want your site to look contemptible.
• Look at your header. Does it feature cheap clip art?
• Does your website employ the use of many different colors without visible visual branding?
• How many typefaces are being used? If it’s more than a few, then it will need to be fixed.
A custom header for your page can be created easily using a nice, intelligible typeface over a background downloaded from photo sharing sites, many of which are free or relatively inexpensive. Image editing software will also be needed, which you can also attain for free. Without hiring an expensive designer, you can have a low-to-no cost distinctive header for your website which will make you noticeable.
Do not go overboard on color schemes, two main colors should do it, however black and grey text does not count towards this number. Be sure to make these two colors priority to emphasize your visual brand; any other colors should be subtle and secondary.
Also choose only two typefaces to utilize. Your message will be more comprehensible and easier to capture in a glimpse if you’ve consistently used only two typefaces.
It is also possible to use a premium Wordpress theme to mimic these expert design elements without the expense of a designer or your time.
Headlines are very important.
A fantastic headline is an invaluable tool to get people to your site in that instant they see the snapshot on Google. Be sure that your subheads also tell a convincing tale. The subheads can also often be read from the preview and must allure the reader to click through to your site to learn more.
Make your content readable.
Instant Preview does not offer your readers individual sentences. However, they can see how your paragraphs have been formatted. Long paragraphs and sentences can be difficult to wade though and can be daunting to the reader. Use short paragraphs, strong subheads, and plenty of white space so as to not make your content appear painful to read.
Clean up your content.
Content is everything. But, it must be presented properly. Content inside of an unattractive website will not attract searchers to click through and read. Revamp your website to make it visually appealing inside of the Google Instant Preview. Another bonus to this cleanup is it will also make your website look great on the tiny screens of mobile devices.
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