Categories
How-To Guides

How to Set Up An Efficient Article Tracking System

writing450.jpg

One of the most successful online marketing strategies you can do these days is to submit your articles to various article submission websites. This is a great way to promote your services, your expertise, and, most importantly, grow your subscriber list!

It has been well documented that one-way links to your website increase search engine rankings more than reciprocal linking, and article submission is an excellent way to achieve one-way linking.

However, the downside is that it takes time to manually submit your articles, and if you have several articles, you could spend hours submitting them to the various websites. There is software available that will automatically submit your articles for you, but you do need to check this out carefully. And if you do decide to manually submit your articles you need to have a system in place that makes maximum use of your time, but also keeps a detailed record of which articles you’ve submitted where, and when.
If you have articles already written, you’re off to a great start. All you need to do now is to set up an article submission system. But if you don’t have any articles written, then you might find the task of writing quite daunting, and you’re not sure where to start.
I have always found a good article comes from working with my clients on a day-to-day basis. They might have a question that requires a detailed reply. Use this reply to form the basis of an article. For example I had one client ask me, ‘how do I get an mp3 audio file to you, and how do you turn it into a word document?’ I sent them back my reply and, hey presto, I’d got the basis for an article.
Brainstorm some ideas. Some great article titles, and which will also get you thinking, are:

[Number – odd numbers work best] Top Tips For [fill in the blank]
How To [fill in the blank].

Try and come up with three or four articles – you will probably find that you can think of a lot more!

So now you have your articles, you need a system for submitting those articles. Below are my tips for an organized and efficient article submission system (I use it so I know it works!):

1. Convert all your articles to plain text as this will make the submission process easier! Most article submission sites require plain text articles; some will allow html. You will need to refer to each site for their guidelines.
2. Create a spreadsheet to track your article marketing strategy.
3. Use this spreadsheet to track the article submission sites, log in info, and other relevant information.
4. Go to each of the article submission sites and submit each article to the article directory by copying and pasting from your plain text document.

Plan to spend about 20 minutes each week on your article marketing strategy – schedule this time in your calendar to keep yourself on track – and you’ll soon find your articles appearing all over the Internet!

Categories
Sales & Marketing

Marketing in Your Local Community

marketing%20idea.jpg
For most small businesses, all marketing is local marketing — as it should be. But even if your company is regional or national in scope, it’s a good idea to “go local” to select, targeted communities.
The keys to effective community marketing can be summed up with three guidelines:
1. Get local: target your marketing efforts down to the neighborhood level
2. Get involved: participate in the community to generate visibility and good will
3. Get personal: as much as possible, market on a one-to-one, face-to-face basis
Here are some tips and techniques to get you started:
Use local city-specific Web sites and local portals
City and town Web sites, as well as local versions of major portals, are growing in number and popularity. Maintain a presence on local sites by providing content — or by advertising. In addition to local versions of AOL’s Cityguide, community-oriented Web sites like Yelp.com and Judysbook.com (which has the added advantage of covering suburbs and small towns in addition to major cities) are becoming more common.
Use local search engines and directories
Make sure you’re listed with local search engines and city-specific directories. Local.com and CitySearch are two such search engines. A newer, but more “hyper-local” site is Backfence.com.
Set your Google ad to appear locally
If you operate a local business and advertise on Google, you can target local customers only.
Google lets you set ads to appear only to people in a particular city, state or region. In the AdWords section, click on “For local businesses” under “How it works.”
Get involved in your community
Volunteer, serve on local boards, participate in your local Chamber of Commerce and work for local charities as a way to grow your grassroots marketing efforts. You may find that your neighbors become your customers. For volunteer opportunities, visit idealist.org, The United Way, or Rotary International.
Support community events
Take your community involvement one step further by supporting community events. Sponsor a Little League team, participate in parades, town days or other local events. Small business associations such as SCORE offer tips for establishing a strong presence in your local community. Suggestions include starting a local newsletter or creating a local advisory board made up of customers. John Jantsch’s “Duct Tape Marketing” blog’s “In your own backyard” section is insightful as well.
Make the most of local media and publicity opportunities
Generate awareness for your business locally by writing op-eds in the local newspaper, getting booked on local radio talk shows, and advertising in the good, old-fashioned Yellow Pages. Online community Craigslist continues to be a great local resource. For help getting booked on radio talk shows and otherwise generating local publicity, seek out the services of a good local public relations consultant by searching the directory of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
Other local marketing options to keep in mind…
• Explore cause-related marketing opportunities to generate good will for your company.
• Consider taping a TV show on your local public access station — it’s usually free.
• Give your Web site or blog a local focus or start a local blog.
• Develop a customer advisory board to get input from local customers.
• Create alliances with non-competing businesses — you promote me, I’ll promote you.
LouBortonePhoto.jpgLou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

Categories
Entrepreneurs

Shattering the “Passive Income” Myth

passive-income.jpgPassive Revenue. The words jumped off the website page and hit me like a thunderbolt! I thought I even heard angels singing. It was the golden idol; the Holy Grail. My heart skipped a beat and went ka-ching!
As a freshly-minted solo entrepreneur, I had never heard two sweeter words. Passive Revenue. Just seeing that glorious expression instantly conjured up images of dollars magically dropping down out of the sky. Like some kind of gift from the Internet gods. Imagine, making money while you sleep! Why didn’t I think of this sooner? It all sounded too good to be true.
So, being a hard-nosed, cynical New Englander with a solid, Protestant Work Ethic, I felt compelled to do the due diligence. I took e-courses, attended teleseminars and read “Multiple Streams of Coaching Income.” I spent thousands (yes, 5 figures!) on coaching, classes, marketing materials and websites. I started building an opt-in list, began a blog, created information products, sent out ezines, wrote articles, and launched joint ventures. I listened to and learned from the finest online marketing gurus. Soon I became an Internet junkie, totally addicted to the concept of passive revenue, and its seductive cousin, multiple streams of income. I was hooked, and there was no turning back.
After a year of education, edification and execution, I felt I had most – if not all – of the puzzle pieces in place: Online shopping cart: Check. Autoresponders: Check. PayPal set up: Check. Squeeze Page: Check. Free offer: Check. Then, I finally went to bed one night thinking, “Well, I’m going to sleep now. Time to make some money!”
So this is the part of the story when I’m supposed to wake up to an in-box full of orders, right? Well, not quite. Sure, there were a few orders, but I was a long way from crashing any servers. While all the pieces may have been in place, this life-long career marketer had forgotten one key ingredient: Marketing. Duh! You would think a former television network marketing and promotion exec would remember that, passive or not, you gotta sell it, baby!
Where’s my passive revenue? What? You mean I need to market these products? I have to promote? I’ve got to make offers, and send out e-mail blasts, and work my list? I gave them a freebie, so why aren’t they pouring into my funnel? Huh? You want me to do teleseminars now? Speaking gigs? Radio interviews? What’s passive about that? That’s not passive. That’s downright…active! What happened to “if you build it, they will come?” Is this “Field of Dreams” or Field of Schemes?
As a newbie entrepreneur, I guess I didn’t know the secret handshake. But I get it now. You didn’t really mean passive revenue, right? Let’s face it. There’s nothing passive about it. Maybe we should call it Work Your Ass Off and Market Relentlessly Income.
I think I understand the concept now. If you want to make money on the Internet, you need to be active. Better yet, make that proactive. If you want those elusive multiple streams of revenue, you’re gonna have to hustle. Every day, in dozens of ways. Be smart. Get creative. Market like you mean it. Don’t “work” your list, build connections. Develop relationships. Sweeten your offers. Give more value. But, above all, get to work! Call it passive revenue if you want. It still sounds pretty cool. But we know what it really takes!

LouBortonePhoto.jpgLou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

Categories
Networking

Work That Network!

work%20on%20networking.jpg
Business networking is both an art and a science. The advent of E-Networking has opened up a new online world of “Mega-Networking.” From the proliferation of social networking sites like My Space and Facebook – to more structured, in-person networking groups like Business Networking International (BNI), there have never been better opportunities for expanding your network. Still, many of the proven “rules of engagement” apply, because, whatever the method, it’s all about relationships.
With that in mind, there are three basic kinds of business networking:
1. Traditional networking – Face-to-face meet & greets at business functions, social events, club meetings, etc. In addition to joining an association specific to your industry, check out your local Chamber of Commerce or Rotary International chapter.
2. Structured networking clubs – Professional groups like Business Networking International (BNI) require a significant time commitment but can be tremendously helpful in finding new business.
3. Online or E-Networking – Internet-based networking websites such as LinkedIn and Spoke.com take “six-degrees-of-separation” networking and make it digital.
Here are some ideas to boost your networking efforts:
Join a formal business networking or booster group
Joining a group can be like having dozens of sales reps promoting your business for you.
Business Networking International (BNI) has chapters around the world. Or plug in through a local chamber of commerce (terrific for local networking) or Rotary club.
Take advantage of online networking opportunities
The newest trend in networking provides unique opportunities to connect with colleagues online and expand your network exponentially. LinkedIn is a popular E-networking site for business, as is Ryze. Some online networking sites are geared towards specific industries. EntreMate, for example, specializes in connecting entrepreneurs who are looking for business partners. And let’s not forget the social media darling, Facebook.com.
Perfect your elevator pitch
Prepare and rehearse your one-minute “introduction speech” in advance. This breaks the ice and also serves as a good conversation-starter. Learn more about crafting a great elevator pitch. Need inspiration? Read successful elevator pitches and tweak your own at YourElevatorPitch.com.
Be a trade group joiner
Join professional trade groups. Volunteer. Become actively involved in your industry associations. Make a name for yourself; don’t hide behind the scenes. For instance, you can join local chapters of Fast Company magazine’s Company of Friends group to stay connected or more freelance-oriented groups like Guru.com, where you can find work and search for freelancers to work for you.
Give before you get
Remember that networking is a two-way street. Be ready to reciprocate. Kevin Spacey’s Hollywood agent character said it best in the film “Swimming with Sharks:” You’ve got to give action to get action!” Don’t dismiss the power of social networking websites like Facebook, Ziggs,Friendster and Knowmentum. These can be a source of great connections.
Follow up
Cultivate your relationships. Send notes after meeting a new contact. Be proactive about staying in touch. Recognize that it takes time to build a relationship.
Additional Tips & Tactics
Dig your well before you’re thirsty – the best time to develop your network is before you need it!
Be a great listener. You’ll expand your circle of friends when you show sincere interest.
Offer assistance. Networking is not a one-way street.
Just like there’s a right way to “work a room,” you must observe proper “netiquette” when you’re networking online.

LouBortonePhoto.jpgLou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

Categories
Branding

Your Personal Brand is More Public Than Ever!

personal-brand.jpg
One of the very first things you learn in the Guerrilla Marketing Coaching Program is that EVERY contact with your customers and prospects is marketing. Each and every point of contact – from the way you answer your phone to your e-mail signature to your website to those goofy photos you posted on Facebook – makes up your personal brand. All of it! If you don’t believe me, just Google yourself and see what you’ve put “out there.” (You can be sure that everyone else who is considering working with you is already Googling you!)
Okay, now as soon as you pull those not-so-flattering New Year’s Eve party photos down off of Facebook or Flickr, take inventory of your personal brand to ensure that you’re sending the right marketing message. How are you putting yourself out there? Is your marketing consistent? Is it intentional? Is it professional? Is there continuity in all of your marketing materials?
If you’re a copywriter and your e-mails are riddled with typos because you were just “zipping off a casual note,” what kind of message does that send? If you’re starting up a business but your e-mail address is still “Schmoopie102,” who’s going to take you seriously as an entrepreneur?
In the age of viral videos and social marketing, we’ve got to be more vigilant than ever about how we brand ourselves and how we present ourselves to the world. Obviously, this applies to our print materials, business cards, products and packaging. But it also goes for the way we act, communicate and conduct ourselves. (Jamie Lynn Spears, are you listening? So much for your “Britney’s sweet, squeaky-clean little sister” brand!)
You’ve got to guard your personal brand like you’re in a casino with hundreds of cameras trained on you. Think back to that scene in the remake of “Oceans 11” with Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia. Casino mogul Terry Benedict gets caught on camera betraying Tess and he loses her, because – in the casino – “someone’s always watching.” Same is true on the wonderful world wide web, so mind your brand!
Oh, and please don’t visit my Facebook page until I have a chance to pull those photos!

LouBortonePhoto.jpgLou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.