30 New Posts |  |
- Are you ready For Networking? Improve Your Blogging Business Right Away
- How to Use Twitter to Supplement Your Blog
- Vlogging 101: Is it Right for You?
- 5 Ways to Lose Readers
- Diversity Is The Key To Success Online For Small Businesses
- How to Attract College Readers and Customers Through Pinterest
- How to Use Social Media to Get Your Small Start-Up Above Water
- How to Hire a Blogger for Your Company
- Writing for Content Marketing
- 4 Starter Tips on Generating Sales by Effective Blog Content Writing
- Blogging for Financial Support
- How to Effectively Integrate Your Blog with Your Business
- Making Blogging for Business Fun
- Using Reputation Management Services
- Adding Humor to Business Blogs
- Should You Use Email Marketing, Or Is It Obsolete?
- Social Media Changes Driving Some Marketers Buggy
- The Role of COO in the Business World
- Considering Self-Publishing Your Book?
- 10 Simple Steps to Make Your Blog Better
- How Businesses Can Gain More Customers
- Tech Companies Missing From List of Most Trusted
- 3 Tips For Building A Better Content Strategy
- 10 ways to find funding to grow your business
- Return on Networking – the ROI of Social Media
- 12 Tips To Write a Social Media Policy In Business
- Six Customer Service Tools to Amaze Your Customers and Increase Sales
- 6 Tips to Becoming a Better Manager
- Old Content Can Make New Money
- What is a Blog? (Meaning and Definition)
| Are you ready For Networking? Improve Your Blogging Business Right Away Posted: 31 Dec 2019 08:25 AM PST logging is a great way to share expertise, increase traffic to your online business and connect with your customers. However, as you probably already know, it takes more than just putting up a website and posting regularly for your blogging business to take off. The main obstacle for most business bloggers is building and maintaining a solid readership, as well as attracting a steady stream of new readers. With well over 100 million blogs crowding the internet today, finding a way to stand out can be difficult. You're probably already following all the obvious blogging rules like keywords, title tags, links, great web design and of course, quality content. But if you still aren't seeing the results you want, you may need to step it up a notch. Networking, both on and offline, is a very efficient way of improving your blogging business, although it is also one of the most neglected marketing tools today. Aside from the obvious advice to share new posts on social networks like Google +, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, online networking should also involve leaving comments on other blogs, answering any comments you receive on your blog, guest blogging and connecting with other bloggers through email or social networks. Offline marketing can include things that are often seen as "old school," such as handing out business cards, getting published with traditional media (newspapers), attending conferences, teaching a class or hosting your own event. Following are a few tips to steer you in the right direction with your networking. Make a plan of action It's easy enough to say you're going to start networking, but without a clear plan and vision of what exactly you are hoping to accomplish, you'll just be fluttering about in no particular direction. Think about who you are going to approach and how. Do you want to connect with other bloggers in your niche? Are you looking to reconnect with some of your previous clients in order to get your business some referrals? Will you start attending events that are related to your industry? Of course, you could do all of these things, but without planning your strategy you won't know where to start. Make some simple short-term goals as well as some bigger long-term goals so that you know what you are aiming for with your networking. Be persistent but not annoying Getting people's attention can be difficult, and networking does involve some persistence if you want your efforts to pay off. However, there is a difference between being persistent and badgering someone to the point that they start avoiding you. You probably won't get an immediate response from some of the people you are reaching out to; most people are busy and it may take them some time to respond to your emails or sit down to engage in a serious discussion with you. In cases like these, it is fine to send out little feelers reminding them about your question or asking if they got your email, but don't start bombarding them with phone calls or messages or you'll only alienate yourself from them. Develop your "elevator pitch" Your elevator pitch is a concise but clear summary of you, your business or what you are trying to accomplish. It can be difficult to explain your work or business in one sentence or paragraph, but when you are meeting or connecting with someone for the first time, they don't want to read through a page-long "about us" or sit through a ten minute speech just to figure out who you are and what you do. Take the time to develop a few short sentences that describe how your business or blog can be beneficial or a short summary of the main topics your blog is focusing on. You may find that along with helping others to understand your business, this exercise also gives you an insight into what you do and how others may see you. It's not all about you Networking is a two way street and it can't always be about you. If you want people to help you, you need to take an interest in what they do as well. Asking questions is a great way to show that you are open to hearing about what they do and that you aren't only interested in pushing your own agenda. Ask them about their goals and find out what challenges they are facing in their line of work. Not only does this show that you are interested in their work, it also helps you to glean valuable information about the industry you are working in. Look for ways in which you may be able to collaborate with another person, rather than only seeing what they can do for you. You could offer to promote them if they promote you or trade off with guest posts on each other's blogs. About the Author: |
| How to Use Twitter to Supplement Your Blog Posted: 31 Dec 2019 07:27 AM PST OK, so the proliferation of social networks has gotten out of hand the last few years. You've probably asked yourself, "how many of these things do I really need to be on to promote my business?" On the other hand, Twitter, by virtue of its distinctive 140-character limit, probably seems like a good investment, in terms of minimal time and effort versus the amount of attention you stand to gain. This is true to some extent, but it doesn't tell the whole story. As simple and intuitive as Twitter may be, it's definitely worth putting some thought into, if you want to truly use it effectively rather than throwing tweets at the wall and seeing which ones stick! Here are some of the lessons I've learned about how best to employ the little blue bird: 1. Be a follower AND a leader. That is, think of Twitter as an interactive sandbox to play in, instead of a propaganda megaphone. Be sure to follow customers, clients, and competitors, respond to their tweets, retweet them and favorite them whenever possible/appropriate. These verbs may not mean a lot to newbies, but you'll learn quick. Maintaining a decent level of activity is key; if your account just sits there, even people who are interested will unfollow you. You don't just want to get followers, you want to keep them. 2. Take your tie off. Twitter can be used professionally, but it's always a personal medium. Your personality (or lack thereof) is what marks you. Don't be afraid to let loose a little. Highly scripted corporate chatter does not play well in such an informal 140-character context. Be yourself. 3. Definitely tweet a link every time you post on your blog. But don't ONLY tweet under those circumstances, because remember: to really drive traffic to your blog long-term, you need to keep followers from losing interest and unfollowing you. Accounts that always link to something else begin to look like spam to users. Be sure to craft a decent amount of unique (micro-) content exclusively for your Twitter audience. You want to reach a healthy balance of calls to action with content for its own sake. It's a social network, so be social…and spontaneous! With all you've got to worry about, you don't want to overthink something as freewheeling as Twitter, but you don't want to underthink it either. As many businesses are beginning to learn, there's no point in engaging halfway on a social network: you either use it for real, or you're wasting your time. So to recap quickly: ask (and answer) questions, let your charm shine through, integrate your message across platforms but also offer something unique on each. Best of luck! Pepper Givens is an online blogger and freelance writer whose work is often featured on www.onlinecolleges.net. She also covers other educational topics, and welcomes your questions and comments at pepper.givens@gmail.com. |
| Vlogging 101: Is it Right for You? Posted: 31 Dec 2019 07:18 AM PST hese days, everyone seems to have a blog. From covering the trials and travails of earning an MBA, to documenting someone’s journey opening their own business, it seems there are blogs about anything and everything out there. An effective marketing tool, blogging has really taken off. Many have jumped onto the bandwagon and started using the medium as a way to promote their businesses and professional ventures. However, vlogging—video blogging—is quickly gaining ground and proving to be a great, new way to reach the masses. But is it right for you? Lots of people toy with the notion of starting a vlog, but hesitate wondering if they should make the leap from text to video. If this sounds like you, read on, you might just learn something to help you make up your mind. Has Your Blog Gone Stagnant? Some people consider starting a vlog when their traditional blog loses steam, and to this I say GO FOR IT. Between emails, text messages and other blogs, your readers are most likely inundated with more than their fair share of words each and every day. So, it’s no wonder then that when they are presented with your 500+ word offerings they might be all-too-eager to shy away, if from nothing else but mental exhaustion. Incorporating a new element such as video can be a great way to re-engage these followers and possibly attract new ones. In a sea of written word blogs, your engaging, lively video will help you stand out and could be the change of pace they’ve been craving. Do You Struggle to Hammer Out a Full-Length Text Blog? If the answer to this is yes, don’t feel alone. Several people who wouldn’t classify writing as their strong suit regularly maintain blogs simply to promote themselves, their ideals or a business. But, sometimes after a long day, getting the right words out can prove difficult even for a professional writer, let alone someone who merely does it on the side. So, if this sounds like you, you might consider starting a vlog—especially if you possess a flair for technology. Bringing not only a welcomed change of pace to your audience but also to you, a vlog can help do the same for you. It can reenergize you about what you’re doing and subsequently bring new life to your content, and everyone benefits from that. Do You Think Your Blog Needs a Face Lift? Similar to the issues addressed in the previous two sections, a vlog can bring a necessary NEW look to your current blog. This is not to say you need to completely abolish the traditional text format, but rather break it up with bits of video. Humans are by nature very visual creatures, so appealing to that will definitely work in your favor. Rather than letting your ideas get lost in line after line of text, help them pop with occasional vlogs—this can also be great for dramatic effect and emphasis. Overall, if you feel your blog might need a change of pace, vlogging might be the ticket. If you have the technological know-how to create, edit and upload video files, I definitely recommend going for it. Even if you aren’t, there are numerous courses and books on the subject for those that are interested in learning. However, it’s important to remember that there’s one thing that can’t be taught in this realm and that is the ability to possess a level of comfort in front of the camera. So, if you think that is going to be an issue, I would think twice before fully committing myself to this new approach. Maybe do a couple test runs and see what works. Amanda Watson is well-versed business blogger for onlinemba.com. She believes that web entrepreneurship is critical to success in business and can be reached at watsonamada.48@gmail.com. |
| Posted: 31 Dec 2019 07:00 AM PST It is nearly every blogger's quest to gain more readers as their blog grows and evolves, and there are plenty of "how to" articles around the web that will tell you exactly what you need to do to gain these valuable readers. However sometimes you can have too much of a good thing and your tactics end up backfiring on you, causing your readers to start coming by your blog less and less frequently. If you've noticed a dip in your regular traffic numbers it might be time to start looking at what you're doing and evaluate if your methods are actually causing readers to flee instead of stay. 1. Start blogging exclusively about companies. As blogging has evolved it's become increasingly obvious that it is a stand-out choice for companies looking to promote their brand to partner with bloggers in an effort to get the word out. This usually means that the blogger will receive a product or compensation for their post, and, when it's done occasionally, can be a great thing for your blog. When you start blogging solely for other companies, however, you begin to lose your individuality in the blog world, which is the very thing that likely drew readers to your blog in the first place, and they're allegiance to your blog will start to wane. 2. Push products constantly. Again, as your blog grows it's likely that companies will begin to reach out to you to review products or host giveaways on their behalf. This is OK. But when the integrity of your blog begins to suffer because you think every product is "Ohmygod AMAZING!" you're going to start to lose readers. There is such a thing as product overload, and when pushing products becomes your sole content you're going to be labeled a sell-out. We understand that you're big time now and that all these companies want you as their ambassador, but we don't want to read about it all the time. 3. Posting too much or too little. When bloggers get a taste of blogging popularity they start to look to the methods that other bloggers are using and try to implement these tactics into their own blog. However if you haven't always posted three times a day, you don't have to start doing so to continue to gain traffic. Posting too much can become overwhelming for readers who are desperately trying to keep up, and they'll eventually get burned out from trying and abandon reading your blog. Likewise, posting too infrequently can be frustrating for readers who want to see more content from you but don't feel they can rely on you to consistently supply it. A good rule of thumb is to post once, maybe twice, a day to establish a regular schedule. 4. Ignoring commenters. The comments section of your blog is your chance to interact with your readers and form relationships with them. These relationships are what encourage them to keep coming back. If you frequently ignore your commenters and never have any interaction with them they're going to start feeling like they're unimportant and insignificant, and they'll eventually stop coming to your blog altogether. 5. Having too many ads. Blogging for business usually means having advertisements integrated into your blog in some form or another and most readers expect and accept this fact. However having your blog flooded with advertisements in the sidebars, hidden in the text, and in the form of pop-up ads is Don't fall victim to these common blogging pitfalls that discourage readers from coming back. To gain readers you need balance and integrity on your site, and readers need to feel that they can trust you to provide quality content on a consistent basis. Making these mistakes can end up costing you your readers, and without them your blog is dead in the water. Author Byline: Kelsey is the editor in chief for http://www.findananny.net/. She loves to write article and ideas that parents & nannies would be interested in hearing. She helps society on giving information about nannies through nanny services. She is a professional writer & loves writing on anything. overkill. No one wants to visit a site where they have to fight advertisements just to get to content. |
| Diversity Is The Key To Success Online For Small Businesses Posted: 31 Dec 2019 06:50 AM PST Small businesses are going online more and more every year as they know that the internet is a necessity for their companies long term success. Unfortunately the internet is a very big place and with so much information out there, many small businesses are left feeling overwhelmed about how to proceed and find success in the online marketplace. What is the first step? We are going to go to the basics on this one, and the first step for any business looking to go online, is to get a well designed website that has the necessary features online customers expect. If your website is not selling goods online then a good way to go is to get the web design company to use WordPress. It is very well known among developers, offers a great range of plug-ins and is easy to update the content for people not great with technology. If you need your website to sell products then ask your web developer to use Magento, which is a very well known, robust ecommerce platform. This will allow your developer to add on any features that you need and it is very popular meaning many web developers prefer to use this platform. Now these are just 2 good examples, and it is important to note that there are other really great website solutions out there. Like I said at the beginning of the article though, sometimes there is too much choice for non-technical folk, so that's why I have chosen to highlight 2 very good ways to go. Also both offer good SEO features that will come in very handy when you want your website to rank well on the search engines. It is key to get this first step correct because failure to do so can mean you build your entire online strategy on unstable foundations. The website is the foundation, so build it solidly. Ok I have my website, what should I do next? Firstly get your budget in mind for each month. Too many times business owners come into the online arena thinking they just need to develop a website and then that will generate income. Wrong. Online is very competitive especially depending on what industry you are in, so establish a budget for both Google Ad words and SEO if you want to advertise and market on Google. It is very essential you find a good SEO company or online marketing company, who are good and yet affordable. Try not to focus on cost too much because as long as they deliver the return and results, then this is necessary. Shopping around and asking prospective online marketing companies for a strategy and references are very important, but take your time as picking the wrong company can be a disaster. If you don't want to commit any money each month to an online strategy then I would suggest you don't get involved until you are ready to be serious financially because you really can't compete without a reasonable budget in most markets. What's the difference between Google AdWords and SEO? We have found that many business owners know that they want their website to rank well for various keywords and they also know that Google is the place to get the most traffic. These two areas are well known even with non-technical people. How to get their website to rank in these areas however is not as well known and this can be a real area for confusion. What makes matters worse is this is where a lot of 'bad' online marketing companies take advantage of the lack of knowledge, leading companies down very expensive paths for little return. We will outline the direct differences between SEO and Google AdWords below: SEO SEO is the abbreviated phrases for the term search engine optimisation. To have SEO done to your website it means that an SEO professional will essentially change various aspects of your websites code, structure, and content so that Google ranks it higher. Through SEO your website ranks in the left hand side of the Google Search results in the white area. There are normally 10 listings per page and through good SEO techniques; your website can start appearing higher up in these listings (which is great for traffic). SEO is also about off page factors which includes link building through various channels and also more and more about social media signals. SEO is an area where many people get confused and lost, however to help you out, we will put together a little check list so that when you do talk to an SEO company, you have an idea of what to look for. – Any successful SEO strategy needs to know what keywords you wish to rank for. So keyword research is the first step to establish a good SEO strategy. – A proposal should be put together giving you a top level analysis of your website, i.e. what areas are good and bad SEO wise. – You will want to know what type of link building strategy they will be using. Good companies will be looking at content driven link building via guest posting and making sure all links built are from relevant websites. – Avoid any SEO companies that say they can guarantee first page listings, because they are more than likely one of those 'bad' SEO companies we discussed earlier in this article. – Make sure you shop around and then you will get a good idea of what is a good price each month (yes SEO needs to be done on a monthly basis). – Ask for examples of their success and then follow the companies up with a phone call and ask them how they were in regards to the SEO service. Nothing like a good recommendation. While there are literally hundreds of questions you could ask a potential SEO company, these are definitely some of the key questions to help wheedle out the good from the bad. Probably also avoid any companies that want to lock you into contracts over 3 months. There is enough competition in the SEO industry that you really don't need to restrict yourself to 12 month terms these days. AdWords Now on to AdWords and this is a little easier for people to understand as it is a form of direct advertising on Google. So when you search on Google, the organic listings are on the left hand side and these are not Google AdWords Ads. The right hand column and also the top three results in the yellow box are Google AdWords Ads. In simple terms you can get into these positions by paying for the spot. A Google AdWords campaigns typically run on a cost per click (CPC) model, meaning you only pay everytime your ad gets a click. Obviously the more competitive a keyword, the more companies will bid and the more expensive it can be. For Google AdWords you need to get an online marketing professional to help you manage your AdWords campaigns to get the best ROI. If you do it yourself you will more than likely not get a good return and lose a lot of money in the process of learning. A few key things to remember with Google AdWords: – Have a monthly budget and also a management fee for whoever you get to manage you Google AdWords Campaigns in mind. – Make sure you have Google Analytics setup and conversion tracking, so that you can see how well your Ads are performing. – Have clear goals from the start i.e. do you want more traffic, sales or enquiries and then convey this to your AdWords manager. Google AdWords can be a good place to start because once you know what keywords work on AdWords; you can then apply these to your SEO strategy. Essentially it's the best form of keyword research available to you. OK great. I have an ecommerce website, Google AdWords is going well and am also improving my organic listings on Google via SEO. What else can I do? Well if you have got this far then good for you, however the internet is a fast changing place, so you need to be looking at developing all avenues of income for your business constantly. If you have got a good online marketing company or consultant they can often be really helpful in highlighting any new online developments for your business. As it stands today, these are some areas to definitely look into for any online business. Some of these apply to both ecommerce and non-ecommerce website, however some just apply to ecommerce websites i.e. those that sell products online. Google Shopping A really good service that is actually going through changes at the moment in 2012 is Google Shopping. It used to be a free service where webmasters could list their products, however now it has been changed to adopt a pay per click model (similar to Google Ad Words). Still this is a superb way to integrate all your products into Google's product service, which can ultimately get your product ranges displayed right at the top of the Google with image, text and price. EBay & Amazon These are 2 superb sites to integrate your products into if you have not already. They are universally known, have thousands of visits each day and if you gain a good reputation on either of these sites, it can prove to be very rewarding. Both these sites have developed platforms for website owners to integrate their products into their online shopping websites. This probably will need a web developer to successfully do this, however it is well worth while due to the huge exposure you can gain. Social Media Rather than list out all the social media sites, it makes more sense to give it more of a broad brush suggestion. Social media is vital to succeeding online and like most important things; it isn't always easy to do. Many people use Facebook as their social media site of choice, and so if that's you, then use Facebook for your business page to start with. This will help you ease in because you will be familiar with the layout and applications. No matter what social media platform you use whether its Google Plus, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or LinkedIn, you need to give it your time each day for it to work. To be successful run competitions, post funny or viral videos, engage with customers, create polls and deliver industry news. Social Media is your chance to give your company a face online and allows customers to connect with you directly. This can do wonders for your brand, reputation, customer base and also generate great click through traffic to your main website. Wow, That's A Lot Of Information To Take In. Any Final Bits OF Advice? As the title suggests, try and be diverse in your approach to online marketing especially when you first start out. What you will soon see is what works for your business and market. You can then focus more on these areas which will help your business grow and carve out its own market share. Also remember the online landscape changes constantly and so this means you need to keep an eye on what is going on, otherwise you could get left behind. Good luck! Guest Author Jonathan is an online marketing professional, specialising in search engine optimisation for Perth based company, Bang! Online Marketing. He has had over 6 years experience in the online marketing field and as a results has seen the online landscape change dramatically with social media and new search engines constantly emerging. Connect with Bang! On their Google Plus, Facebook or Twitter. |
| How to Attract College Readers and Customers Through Pinterest Posted: 31 Dec 2019 06:48 AM PST When I first heard about Pinterest, I thought it was one of the most absurd Internet business ideas I had ever heard. With all the other social media networks already out there, I couldn’t understand what purpose a virtual pinboard would serve. The past several months, however, have made me look a fool. Pinterest has grown in vast popularity, and everybody from teenagers, college students, and young adults are utilizing this website to make many of their consumer purchase decisions. Nowadays, if your company isn’t on Pinterest it is missing out on a boatload of Internet traffic and potential customers. Now more than ever, young adults – especially college students – are utilizing Pinterest to stumble upon new webpages, blogs, and online stores. For those of you who want to drive traffic towards your website, here are three tips on how to design your Pinterest boards for college students. Have boards dedicated to college students’ interests If you want to catch the attention of college students, you need to make your sure your content is relevant towards them. Should you create a mixed bag of boards with no real relevance towards young adults, you’re not going to gain many followers. Do yourself a favor and brainstorm what kind of content normally interests college students, such as college football, fifteen-minute dinners, affordable clothing, funny blogs, etc., and build your boards based off those ideas. Even if the content isn’t directly related to your website, product, or service, that’s absolutely fine. Just remember, the Pinterest audience is very young, so you need to create boards that relate their interests. And as they say in the famous movie Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come.” Have less pins and more boards There is essentially no limit to the amount of pins you’re allowed to have on your boards. This comes with its pros and cons. You never want to pin too much content because you’ll overload your followers. Whenever you go to pin content, do so with restraint and taste. Don’t just pin for the sake of pinning. Put some thought into how each of your pins relates to your boards. Also, never fill a board with more than a hundred pins. Why, you may ask? Well, the attention span of college students is very short. They won’t dedicate more than two to three minutes to looking at each of your boards, so keep things short and sweet. One great way to do this is to create more boards with fewer pins. Let’s say you are trying to drive traffic towards your sports apparel store’s website. You shouldn’t just create one board for each of your products. For example, let’s say you’re selling college t-shirts. You could have boards that say, “Women’s Wear,” “Texas Longhorns Apparel,” “Game-Day Shirts,” etc. Just by creating more unique, specified boards, you’ll make your brand more diversified and interesting, thus driving more attention and traffic towards your boards, pins, and website. Don’t just feature pins that go to your website only College students don’t like to be pitched to. They can sense insincerity from a mile away. If you create boards that are stacked full of content that only leads back to your website, they’ll be turned off, and here’s why: young adults want to feel like companies are trying to inform, not sell to them. If you are drowning your boards in content that only links back to your website, it’s becomes obvious quite quickly that all you’re trying to do is turn a profit. The best way to gain the trust of your college followers is to pin your personal content sparingly. I’ll go back to my original example about the online sports apparel store. Let’s say you want to create a board for “Best Moments in College Football History.” To do this, you could pin articles from ESPN, columns from sports writers, sports YouTube videos, and then include a few pins here and there that lead back to your website. In doing this, you’ve created an informative, well-rounded board that doesn’t make it seem like all you’re trying to do is sell. As a result, your customers will appreciate and trust you more. And what does trust earn you? You said it – business! College students aren’t the easiest group to reach out to, but knowing what catches their attention is often the best way to reel in their business. If you’re looking to make the most out of your Pinterest account, try utilizing these three helpful tips. Karen Smith, a former business reporter, now freelances for various college publications and websites. She does her best to bring readers the latest news in business education at www.onlinebusinessdegree.org, as well as up-to-date, informed advice on everything from careers to starting small businesses. Karen welcomes your comments below! |
| How to Use Social Media to Get Your Small Start-Up Above Water Posted: 31 Dec 2019 06:46 AM PST It’s difficult enough to start a small business and get things running smoothly. It can be even more difficult to do so online. And infinite as the web may seem, it is never easy to start a website or social media profile and garner automatic attention. It takes quite some time and effort to get your online status to the point where it is contributing to your profit margin, let alone keeping your start-up afloat. With a web full of businesses trying to get their products seen, developing an online presence for a new business is no easy task. But, if you do things right and stick at it, online media can become a powerful tool that can help spread the word about your products and services, define your brand, and keep your business’s head above water through the ups and downs of its first few years. It’s best to expand your reach to all popular social media outlets, from Facebook to Twitter, and implement some of these important strategies: 1. Add similar businesses and their customers. The first thing you will want to do for your business profile is to add as many friends, or follow as many people, as possible. Don’t go crazy with this. Target only specific users who are likely to have an interest in your brand. A good idea is to look at your competitors’ friends and followers and then seek out similar people. 2. Participate in trending conversations. Keep tabs on what topics are trending on both Facebook and Twitter. It will help your business to participate in these conversations. Because so many people will be seeking out the information, you have a chance to get many more views that you would if you had stayed silent. It can be as simple as re-tweeting a popular sentiment that coincides with your own values or adding your two cents in the comment section of a raging conversation. 3. Keep your profile consistently active. There is nothing worse for a social media profile than crickets chirping. And, this is a sure way to lose followers and friends. Make sure that you are active daily on all your social media profiles. It will let consumers know that you are alive and kicking, and it will only add to your numbers of friends and followers. 4. Strive for comments and shares. Social media is not just about popularity within those platforms; it also contributes highly to the success of any connected website you own. When it comes to Google page ranking, things like comments, shares, and “likes” can really sway your presence on Google’s radar. The more real consumers are sharing and talking about your content, whether it’s on your own site or a social site, the better it is for your business in multiple ways. Carol Wilson is a versatile guest blogger with a love for all things business, social media, and technology. When she’s not writing for sites like businessinsurance.org, she enjoys reading about politics and fashion. If you have any questions or comments for Carol, please send them to wilson.carol24@gmail.com. |
| How to Hire a Blogger for Your Company Posted: 31 Dec 2019 06:44 AM PST With social media and blogs become a must for all companies, it's time that you looked into hiring a professional blogger for your company. Hiring a blog writer will save you lots of time and stress, here are few tips to help you hire: Do your homework: Before you hire someone to maintain your company blog, do your research. Visit your competitor's blogs and blogs of those you admire. See what they are doing, then pick and choose what you like and don't like about their blogs. This will help you get an idea of what kind of blogging and blogger you want for your company. Word of mouth: There are several ways to find the right blogger for your company. Business Bloggers are typically freelancers with several different companies. Have no fear Business Bloggers know how to keep work separate and professional. The best method to find a blogger is word of mouth, so that way you can get solid idea on the bloggers work ethic and final product. If you want to tap into a different blogging pool, try websites like Craigslist and ProBlogger.net. Blog samples: The best way to judge whether or not you have the right blogger for your company, request some writing samples. Bloggers should already have a list of sites for you to visit or send an email with samples. Before hiring the blogger have them take a look at your website and give them some guidelines and have them do a writing test. Experience: Blogging isn't for everyone but it's also a job that not just anyone can do. Bloggers tend to have a writing background and education. Their education degrees tend to be like: Journalism, Communication, Public Relations etc. You want a blogger that is able to work from home and meet your deadlines, so look for a blogger that has been blogging at least a year. Trial: Keep in mind, bloggers are used to working short term contracts and freelancing. So if needed, you can always have a trial or a 'prohibition' period that lasts 3-6 weeks. And at the end you can make your assessment and final decision. Expectations: Every blogger needs to know what you expect from them. You need to be able to have answers to the following questions:
Your search will be quick and painless if you do your homework first. Then start asking around and checking out potential bloggers. Remember that bloggers are used to working as freelancers. Good luck and happy blogging! Roxanne Porter is a freelancer & a regular contributor for www.nannyjobs.org/. She helps in providing knowledge about nanny services & love writing on nanny related articles. She helps in giving a fair knowledge about nanny Jobs to the community. You can be in touch with her at "r.poter08ATgmail.com". |
| Posted: 31 Dec 2019 06:36 AM PST Content marketing gives every web business the opportunity to sell products or services on the internet. The key is to use the best words so that search engines find your product or service and displays them to interested buyers. The problem is, therefore, writing the right content to get your product or service to the right person. What do you need to know to accomplish the best marketing results? All the technical information that you need to know is provided in the name Phorm Object Relational Mapper. Obviously, we are dealing with a programming technique that is making a map of objects that are related. We are concerned with the input, and we assume that the computer will do what is necessary to give us the desired output. Since we know that the mapper is linking related objects, we should consider how to write web pages that will entertain the reader and optimize our web pages. We must keep in mind that each time we use the name of our product or service that it must be contextually sound and flow smoothly so that the reader is not jolted from his train of thought. We should also remember that the more often we use the name, the more frequently the mapper will find it. Unfortunately, we can use names and words too often. In writing content, you should think of every word that describes your page and products. For example, if you are selling men's clothing, you may use the term "Smith's Men's Store," and the mapper will record that item. Although "men's clothing" is a generic term, it is a relational object with all men's stores. In addition to the various generic terms, you should list specific brands that you sell. Every item can become a relational object. The more frequently your site is mapped, the greater the chances for more customers. These customers are attracted to your site because you have effectively used content in your marketing. You have given the reader an entertaining message that does not abruptly disrupt his thoughts because the content is out of context. After writing your web page, you should read it, or have someone else read it. Be certain that the message flows, and that every time your product or service is mentioned the flow is sustained. Good writing and content marketing share that common feature. |
| 4 Starter Tips on Generating Sales by Effective Blog Content Writing Posted: 31 Dec 2019 06:09 AM PST In order to get started in any type of writing, you need to understand the basics and background of those you will be writing for. Knowing your audience is half the battle for making your content relevant. Here are four tips to help you get your blog rolling. Tip 1: Get People to Your Blog Tip 2: Relevancy But there are some common denominators for all your blog's readers. What is relevant will be defined to some degree on what they are concerned about right now. Ask yourself, what is making headlines in your industry right now? What is making national headlines right now in general? We're talking the real headlines – not the ones about which celebrity couple is breaking up this week. Everyone is always concerned for different reasons with the 3 e's – environment, education and the economy. Determine how what is happening with the 3 e's relate to what you are selling, and write your blog content accordingly. This keeps your customers engaged and generates sales. Tip 3: Announce Company News Tip 4: Highlight Special Offers Dan is a blogger who gets all his software from downloadhaus.com, a site that allows user to download software programs safely. |
| Blogging for Financial Support Posted: 31 Dec 2019 06:08 AM PST If you type "blog" and "money" into the Google search engine, your Web browser will be flooded with get-rich-quick schemes. But the hard truth is, an independent blogger rarely makes a significant amount of money from his or her blog. Chances are you're not going to be the exception to this rule. Sorry. What blogging can do, however, is connect you to a wider community; and if you're like me, you want to learn how to make more money. There are millions of blogs on the Web, and millions of people are giving their advice on maximizing earnings and getting out of debt. So how can your blog help you change your personal finances? Benefits of a Personal Finance Blog If you are struggling with budgeting, saving or even paying down your debt, a financial blog can serve as a record of your trials, errors and successes. Making more money is largely experimental. Investments can be unpredictable, unforseen circumstances can set you back. Once you start encountering mistakes, and once you start recovering from failure, you will begin to grow more confident in your decisions. Focus – It's easy to lose control of finances when money isn't an important aspect of daily life. If you are currently struggling with your finances, you probably feel stressed or anxious when you think about your budget or your money. A blog is a positive way to bring your finances into focus without feeling overwhelmed. Incorporate blog updates to suit your life. Don't stress. Just record. Goal setting – As I've already said, making more money is largely experimental, so a financial goal is really more like an anticipated outcome. Your budgeting and your investments are the hypothesis under which you operate. You may encounter external variables or need to adjust your hypothesis, but your goal can always, always be reached. Blogging can help you identify problems that are keeping you from reaching your goal, and it can also keep your goals at the forefront of your mind. Develop self-awareness – Personal Finance is all about habits, and the thing about habits is that we perform them routinely, without question and without thought. Chances are, you have a couple of spending habits that are impacting your bottom line more substantially than you realized. By recording spending behavior or analyzing your monthly bank statement, you will begin to see consistent spending patterns that result from your emotions, wants and needs. Identifying the problem is the first step to recovery. Benefits of a Public Finance Blog What's the first thing you do? Well, you're probably going to be doing a lot of research, which will include reading the top financial columns, personal wealth advisers and drawing from your own personal experience. Writing a financial blog for other people is an exercise in research and dialogue. Those who offer advice also tend to receive it. By blogging about finance, you will receive feedback from readers and other professionals, which can accelerate your learning and help you gain confidence and insight. Keeps research on track – Most of us aren't daytraders or financial consultants. We have dayjobs and full lives that don't revolve around money. Managing a blog allows you to carve a space for research and focus into your daily life. When you are researching and writing for your community, you are building the foundations for your future wealth. Give and get advice – Business is built upon concepts of supply and demand, and much in the same way, partnerships are build on mutual benefit. By sharing advice and insight on the blogosphere, you will be opening up a dialogue to learn more about yourself and others. Expanding your knowledge and investigating different methods will help you make more confident, more thoughtful financial decisions. Community – There's a reason that independent businesses build alliances and corporations have round table sessions. Being a part of a group has a synergizing effect that saves time and exponentially increases your perspective of a problem. Being a part of a blogging community is like being a part of an enormous think tank, and if you can build enough trust and credibility among your peers, you can direct community focus on your goal in order to maximize your profits. Stella Walker is an avid blogger and personal finance coach. She currently writes for www.creditscore.net. Even though Stella believes hard work and focus are the only ways to build wealth, she also believes wealth accumulation is an empowering and energizing journey. If you're interested in chatting with Stella, you can reach her by commenting below! |
| How to Effectively Integrate Your Blog with Your Business Posted: 31 Dec 2019 06:06 AM PST It is not unusual for a business to create a blog; blogs are exceedingly popular, and a person can find a blog centered on just about any subject. How should a business integrate its blog? The information below may help. 1. Use Same Domain – When a business wishes to tie its blog to its overall online presence, it is a brilliant idea to use the same domain name. Some businesses use a free blog in an effort to save money; however, these free blogs may not allow for custom domains. Customers may become confused, and it may be difficult for them to make the connection. A custom domain is easier to memorize, and a customer is more likely to pay attention to the business. Domain names range in price; a business should perform the proper research before making an investment. 2. Link To Blog – It is an excellent idea for a business to link to its blog. If it has a main website, it should promote the blog on the main page. Customers should learn about the blog and why they should visit the blog. The link to the blog should be easy to find; if the customers cannot find the link, they may move on and forget about the blog. The business may also link to the blog through a social media account. Some people never visit the business website of a company; it is necessary to spread information as much as possible. 3. Create Cohesive Layout – It is not enough to link to the blog. The blog has to be cohesive in its design; it must appear to match the color scheme and message of the business. If the designer creates something unique, people may not make the connection. The designer should look at the main website and note certain components. When he or she does this, the blog is more likely to match the business in the long run. It is a fantastic idea to ensure that the layout is appropriate before the business releases the blog to the public. This will save the business time and money. 4. Add SEO – SEO is a term for search engine optimization. A business may receive attention if it uses SEO on its blog. The blog may lead people to the main website, and the business will spread in its influence and notoriety. This should be kept in mind. If a business wishes to appeal to the modern market, it is crucial to create a blog. However, several businesses may not be aware of how to tie them in together. The information above may help a business get started and create something powerful. Author Bio: Jack Meyer is a regular contributor for http://www.nannybackgroundcheck.com/. As a detective he wants to spread the knowledge of terrible things that can happen when people don't fully verify the credentials of a caregiver or any employee. He also writes for various law enforcement blogs and sites. |
| Making Blogging for Business Fun Posted: 31 Dec 2019 06:05 AM PST The blogging paradigm has proven to be tremendously popular. Instead of serving as a sales pitch or simply an information source, blogs give their owners tremendous latitude. Despite the popularity of social media, blogs still have a substantial niche online. Sometimes, however, blogging can become a bit stale over time. Here are a few tips for making blogging for business fun. 1. Post frequently 2. Foster user interaction 3. Give incentives 4. Participate 5. Go off topic 6. Ask questions Blogs will remain an important part of communication between a business and a public. There are, however, methods of blogging that are more effective than others. By focusing on making the blog fun and interactive, businesses will find that their blogs continue to grow and reach new readers. Author Bio Sara is an active nanny as well as an active freelance writer. She is a frequent contributor of http://www.nannypro.com/. |
| Using Reputation Management Services Posted: 31 Dec 2019 06:00 AM PST These days, anyone can get online and put out a bunch of negative information without having to back it up. Most of the time, these people put this negativity on popular review websites where they don’t have to validate their experience. Since there is no independent verification of what these people are saying, they can write whatever they want about whoever they want. This type of activity has ruined the reputation of many professionals, many of whom didn’t even do anything to warrant such attacks. If your reputation is under attack, then you may want to consider the benefits of working with reputation management services. What are Reputation Management Services? A reputation management company makes its living by suppressing online negativity about its clients. When clients find out that they are being disparaged on the Internet, they tell a reputation management company about it. The company then looks at what’s being said about the client and where it’s being said. After gaining enough information about the problem, the company will then devise appropriate methods for fixing things. Generally, this will include generating copious amounts of truthful, positive content that paints you and your business in a good light. How it Works One may be left asking how the generation of positive content can itself help a reputation. After the content is generated, it is placed online at review websites and on various blogging sites. The content is written in a way that allows it to rank highly on popular search engines when people search for your name. When enough of this content is produced and posted online, it can take the place of the negative content. This isn’t necessarily “removing” the negative content from the search engines, but it is burying it deep within the results where it won’t be seen. Take Control of Your Reputation You shouldn’t have to feel like you’re stuck dealing with the lot you’re given. There is no reason for you to feel powerless when it comes to taking control of your reputation. The truth is that there are many ways to combat negativity directed toward you on the Internet. Hiring a qualified reputation management service is one of the best ways to do this. These professionals will be able to provide you with exceptional results in a very reasonable time-frame. This way, you can get back to business without worrying about your reputation. |
| Adding Humor to Business Blogs Posted: 31 Dec 2019 05:58 AM PST Everyone likes a good chuckle every now and then, so why not start making your blog readers laugh. It can be tricky to make your business blog funny so here are some tips on how to add just the right kind of humor to your business blog: Don't overdo it: There is a thing as overdoing it or trying too hard, especially when it comes to humor. No one wants to become that person who 'tries to be funny'; you just have to be funny without making it look like you spent 45 minutes on a witty one-liner. (Shhh…no one has to know.) You don't have to be funny with every blog post or every sentence. Keep it minimal and good. Choose wisely: Never, never, ever joke or talk about politics, religion or race. You are not a professional comedian and you will, I repeat, will offend someone. Joking about these things can really upset your readers. An upset reader can take your blog and shame it faster than 'Frankie Calloway' putting your 10th grade head in a toilet did. Blogs are great but with social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Reddit-offend someone and the whole world will know. Keep your jokes PG and PC. Critics: When using humor you have to remember that not everyone is going tofind you funny or even pick up on your humor. That is okay and expected to happen. If you receive negative feedback, don't take it personally. Respond positively and learn from it. This why it is important to keep your humor simple and understandable. Relatable: When trying to figure out what kind of funny to do for your business blog, figure out who your audience is first. Is it your consumers, counter parts, coworkers or just random people interested in your tips and trick articles? Once you figure out who the majority of your audience is then take it a step further by breaking it down, is it more women, men and what age group. You will be able to find topics of humor that are for these groups. Example: Women in their mid to late 30's are most likely the ones up on pop culture and are working mothers. So using funny references with relatable information is best. Just the funny: Try blogging once a week a funny non business related post. You can do Youtube Tuesdays and just post funny videos you find like the popular 'Charlie Bit My Finger' etc. Or Wordless Wednesdays could be photos or internet meme's that you find. It may be easier to add humor this way then to write it yourself. Author Bio: Ken Myers is the founder of http://www.longhornleads.com/ & has learned over the years the importance of focusing on what the customer is looking for and literally serving it to them. He doesn't try to create a need; instead he tries to satisfy the existing demand for information on products and services. |
| Should You Use Email Marketing, Or Is It Obsolete? Posted: 31 Dec 2019 05:56 AM PST Traditionally considered an easy, fast, and extremely inexpensive way to blast out a quick marketing campaign, email marketing has reigned supreme in the effective marketing department. But now that marketing is largely done on the internet, blogging and through social media, is email marketing quickly becoming a thing of the past, or will it continue to hold its own? Before email marketing, a good portion of marketing was done through direct mail marketing campaigns. However, there's really no denying that as the internet progressed and became more ingrained in our lives, email marketing killed off the majority of direct mail marketing. That's not to say direct mail doesn't still occur, because it definitely does, but it occurs a much more targeted format. Simply put, email marketing is just a cheaper and quicker marketing method than a direct mail campaign. In the same sense, email campaigns that function as a blanket marketing operation doesn't really make sense anymore because so many people will never see that email. A lot of email marketing campaigns will go directly into the spam or trash folder, like 90% of the other emails that come in. Just like email marketing was quicker than direct mail marketing, tweeting, Facebook updates, and other social media marketing efforts are a speedier and more efficient technique to use when trying to blast out an instant, blanket marketing message to consumers. Any business that opted to use email marketing in place of social media marketing would be making a huge mistake. That being said, you also shouldn't entirely discount email marketing just yet. It still is performing pretty effectively when it's targeted to specific people that have opted in to the emails. In fact, according to Forrester Research, a technology and market research company, 71% of business-to-business companies and 88% of business-to-consumer companies are still utilizing email marketing, which are some pretty strong and compelling arguments to continue using email marketing. The trick is using email marketing in conjunction with social media marketing, not as the sole marketing method. It seems that email marketing will probably follow the same path that direct mail marketing took, becoming more clearly targeted at specific (and willing) groups of people and fading out of the limelight as the premier way to blast messages, especially because just blasting messages doesn't necessarily get sales; you have to make sure you're hitting the right people with the right information, otherwise people's eyes will just glaze over while they scroll through the information and your marketing efforts will have been wasted. Author Byline: Allison once she graduated from college, as it allowed her to combine her two passions: writing and children. She has enjoyed furthering her writing career with www.nannyclassifieds.com . She can be in touch through e-mail allisonDOTnannyclassifiedsATgmail rest you know. |
| Social Media Changes Driving Some Marketers Buggy Posted: 31 Dec 2019 05:49 AM PST Social media is the most rapidly changing aspect of communications to begin with. Throw in an IPO (Facebook) and a major overhaul (LinkedIn) and modifications are barreling ahead so fast, even the techies seem unable to keep up. "I'm a big believer in social media marketing for my business, so when I started having a lot of problems with LinkedIn, I didn't wait – I sent an email to the Help Center," says Marsha Friedman, CEO of EMSI Public Relations, (www.emsincorporated.com), in Wesley Chapel, Fla. "Last week, a 'customer experience advocate' finally emailed me back. He wrote, 'I apologize taking so long to get back to you. We are currently experiencing an unusual high volume of requests due to our recent site enhancements.' ” Many of the changes were implemented Oct. 16 and, as EMSI's social media specialist, Jeni Hinojosa, observes, "It's a great overhaul." But, she adds, "It must not have gotten much of a test run because the site has been very buggy." Over on Facebook, Friedman says she's noticed advertisements popping up everywhere – even in her news feed. "Now that the site has gone public, it’s trying all sorts of new tricks to make money for shareholders, but it's creating some problems," she says. One of her employees got this error message while trying to post to her wall: “The server found your request confusing and isn’t sure how to proceed.” Hinojosa offered a brief overview of some of the changes and a solution people are turning to – at least in the case of Facebook. LinkedIn: "One of the new features I like is that you can check for comments and other activity without getting notices sent to your email," Hinojosa says. "Just go to your LinkedIn page and you’ll see the notifications at the top, just like on Facebook." "The bugs I and others have encountered include being unable to check private messages; sporadically unable to get into groups; and being notified that invitations to join others’ networks are waiting – but when I look, I don’t see any," Hinojosa says. "When we report the problems, the responses we're getting sound like they're working on them but they're overwhelmed. "Hopefully, they’ll get them worked out soon. The good news is, they’re aware." Facebook: "Sadly, I’ve been down this road before – and it didn’t lead to a good place," Hinojosa says. "Remember MySpace?" Since its initial public offering in May, Facebook has been making a lot of changes designed to add revenue. The newest of these are a $7 fee for “promoted posts” from your personal page and a $5 to $15 fee to promote posts from your fan page. They're not yet available to all 166 million U.S. Facebook users, according to tech bloggers, because it’s still experimental. Now, those with the option will see a "promote" button next to the “like,” “comment” and “share” buttons. Click “promote,” put the appropriate fee on your charge card, and that post will go to the top of your followers' news feeds a few times in the days ahead. (It will also wear the Scarlet S label of “sponsored post.”) The promise is that more of your followers will see it. "It doesn’t make a lot of sense when applied to personal pages," Hinojosa says. "How many people will pay to show off their vacation photos? But people using Facebook as a marketing tool may be motivated to pay for more reach. "Soon, everyone will be scrolling through a bunch of 'sponsored' posts before they get to the 'free' ones. If you want someone to actually see your post, you'll have to pay." That's why, she says, people are jumping to … Google+: "If Facebook and Twitter had a baby, it would be Google+," Hinojosa says. This toddler network, which launched in June 2011, combines Facebook’s capabilities for sharing news and photos and Twitter’s searchability. "It allows you to designate one or more “circles” for your friends," Hinojosa says. "One co-worker might be 'business' and 'close friends' while another could be just 'business.' So everyone sees what’s appropriate for them based on your relationship." "Like Twitter, Google+ uses hashtags to help sort information and allow people to search for posts on particular topics," she says. "For instance, if you type #cutecats into the search box at the top of your page, you’ll see everything with that hashtag – including comments that incorporate the label. "What makes me happiest is, Google had its IPO way back in 2004," Hinojosa says. "So we shouldn’t have to worry about this company suddenly drumming up ways to make us pay for what we previously got for free." About Marsha Friedman Marsha Friedman is a 22-year veteran of the public relations industry. She is the CEO of EMSI Public Relations (www.emsincorporated.com), a national firm that provides PR strategy and publicity services to corporations, entertainers, authors and professional firms. Marsha is the author of Celebritize Yourself: The 3-Step Method to Increase Your Visibility and Explode Your Business and she can also be heard weekly on her Blog Talk Radio Show, EMSI's PR Insider every Thursday at 3:00 PM EST. |
| The Role of COO in the Business World Posted: 31 Dec 2019 05:44 AM PST In the business world, there is such a thing called a “C-Suite”. Now, as funny as this might sound, this C-Suite is the most relevant part of every company’s development and it includes the higher heads of every lead – from the chief executive officer (also known as the CEO), the chief financial officer (CFO) and adjacent COs – chief security officers or chief technology officers. The roles of each of these officers certainly varies from company to company – for example, a CTO (Chief Technical Officer) makes more sense in a technology-oriented company. • The Difference Between A COO and a CEO The COO is, first of all, the second in command to the CEO – that makes his or her role quite varied. But that obviously makes him involved in all the major responsibilities that concern the entire company – for example, creating new products, or improving delivery lines. The COO also has the important task of monitoring the current status of the company and report improvement strategies to the CEO. • The Responsibilities of a COO Obviously, the responsibilities of a COO vary based on the company’s purpose or the industry they’re in. Overseeing the operations of the company is their main task, on the other hand, when it comes to building more efficient strategies or methods it usually depends on the industry they’re in. For example, John Ferraro, Ernst & Young Global COO has played an important role in the company’s integration efforts and thanks to his vision and actions it is currently quite strong in the EMEIA area. Another important responsibility of a COO is the fact that they have to be prepared to take the CEO’s place, in case he or she steps down from that position. • The Necessity of a COO Not all companies require a COO – that’s a certainty. It’s based on how large the company is, the type of management that has been integrated within the business and so on. Certain companies have their COO serve as chairman of the board in the board of directors because this helps better shape-up the company’s direction and strategies. On the other hand, the role of a COO becomes incredibly redundant when the company already has a CEO and a chairman of the board. It’s important to note that this particular position has become more and more popular in recent years – the need for a single individual to handle internal operation within the company has arisen based on the lack of time for a CEO to handle both internal and external issues. While the role of a COO might be paramount in some companies, it can be completely absent in others – it usually depends on how indispensable that position is, and how overwhelmed the CEO has become. |
| Considering Self-Publishing Your Book? Posted: 31 Dec 2019 05:05 AM PST Self-published books have transformed both the reading and writing landscape, with hundreds of thousands of authors now eschewing traditional publishing routes. Once reserved for distribution to a writer's close family and friends, these books are now respected as an affordable option with every bit as much potential for becoming best-sellers as those produced by the New York houses. "Countless books published this way have gone on to become best-sellers, from 'Fifty Shades of Grey' to 'Still Alice' to 'Rich Dad Poor Dad,' '' says independent publisher Sheryn Hara, founder of the 30-year-old Book Publishers Network (www.bookpublishersnetwork.com) and author of the new how-to, "Self-Publish Successfully." "But it's important to note that these don't look like they were just spit out of the inkjet printer in your bedroom. You have to have a good product if you want even a shot at success. That means good content that's well edited; a good cover; good layout; and a good print job. Additionally, you can expect to spend a lot of time and/or money marketing, promoting and getting publicity for your book." So, where to begin? First, of course, is getting the book written. But once you're ready to publish, you can easily be overwhelmed with options: Do a Google search for "independent publishers" and you'll get nearly 8 million results! To help sort through the options, Hara offers these tips: • Decide how you want your book printed. Consider your budget, time frame and individual preferences when evaluating options. They include Print-on-Demand (POD), which involves lower up-front costs and is beneficial if you need only a minimum number of books. However, there are quality issues with POD, and you must pay close attention to your contract, which may assign the copyright to the publisher. Most POD publishers do not provide editing services. Digital printing is another option for small print runs, and comes without many of the pitfalls of POD. Finally, there's standard printing, which utilizes web-fed or sheet-fed presses. • How to choose a printer. Get quotes from at least three printers, and ask for samples of books and papers. Use only a printer whose main job is printing; most of these are located in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. The most economical size books to print are 5.5 by 8.5 inches; 6 by 9 inches; or 8.5 by 11 inches. • Covers. People do judge books by their covers, so make sure yours is fantastic. It's worth the investment to have it designed professionally. Now you must decide whether you want soft cover, hard cover or both. You may have a choice of gloss lamination or matte. If you go with matte, check to see whether the printer has a scuff-free version; otherwise, books returned from bookstores may look beat up. • Paper. For most books, you're probably safe going with the "house paper" recommended by the printer. If your book has a lot of pictures, you may want to use gloss paper. • Bindings. "Perfect bound" is the norm for soft cover books; a layer of adhesive holds the pages and cover together. Most bookstores don't like "saddle stitch" – staples used in the center of the book, or comb or wire binding, because you can't print information on the spines. "Layflat binding" is used for computer, music and cookbooks, which often need to lie flat for functionality when in use. If you plan to work with an independent publisher – a company you'll pay to shepherd you through all the details, Hara suggests talking to former customers about their experience. Did the company follow through on everything promised in the contract? Did it meet deadlines? Were representatives accessible, especially if there was a problem? Was the customer satisfied with the final product? "Decide on your budget, and then look at the quality of books produced by publishers you're considering. Frankly, the better the quality, the more the book will cost," Hara says. "Your pocketbook and your goals should help make the decision easier." About Sheryn Hara Sheryn Hara is founder and CEO of Book Publishers Network in Seattle, a 30-year-old company whose clients have produced award-winning books. Hara's new book, "Self-Publish Successfully," co-written with Paul S. Carr III, covers all aspects of self-publishing, from writing and editing to marketing, including internet and social media marketing. |
| 10 Simple Steps to Make Your Blog Better Posted: 31 Dec 2019 05:04 AM PST As bloggers we are all rightfully proud of the hard work and dedication we have put into our blog. Unfortunately for some of us all that hard work never seems to pay off. We do not have the traffic we want nor do we know how to get it. However with just a few simple changes you can improve your blog and get the traffic you desire.
These are just a few of the ways that you can make the most of your blog without making any drastic changes. Sometimes all it takes is a few simple updates to make your blog even more successful than it already is. See which of these points you can improve upon to make the most out of your blog. Author Bio: Jason Miner plays a vital role for www.blogcarnival.com. He is an expert in writing topics of different categories. He is helping the carnival team to grow & working on making this an even better place for bloggers. |
| How Businesses Can Gain More Customers Posted: 31 Dec 2019 05:03 AM PST ometimes it can be slightly difficult for companies to hang on to customers or acquire new clients but that doesn't mean there aren't ways to fix this. There are quite a few different ways for companies and businesses to get more traffic and get their name out there to bring in more customers and clients, and one of them involves blogging. We’ll go through a couple of ideas and in the end we’ll focus a little on that concept. 1. Getting the company name on personalized merchandise is a great way to get customers to keep coming back. Promotional pens are an effective way to get people to remember the name and keep it fresh in their minds. Offering magnets or notepads with the company's name, address, and business hours are also great ideas. Everybody likes free merchandise so they're bound to take them and the more people that see the name on a daily basis the better. 2. Referrals can be the difference between a successful business and one that has trouble getting off the ground. All businesses and companies start somewhere – not all of them have amazing marketing campaigns at the start. Having discounts or offers for customers who successfully refer the business to their friends or other partners is an easy way to get the name out there into the masses as well as bring in quite a bit more traffic. 3. Blogging is certainly something that can keep any business alive in the eyes of a customer or a business partner. Not to mention that it’s a constant update and marketing method that doesn’t cost that much. Even after the offices are closed and they can keep garnering money when the customer base may have fallen at the brick and mortar shop. Having a website is an important piece in keeping a company going. Additionally, websites are integral in keeping the unique brand of the business fresh in people's minds and bringing in unique traffic. Potential customers are much more likely to remember the name of someone with a memorable and professional website and they're more likely to refer that website to their friends and family. 4. These days social media (especially if integrated with blogging) can be an extremely effective method of getting attention and new customers. Not only will companies be able to reach more customers through social media but they'll also be able to potentially offer special discounts for their social media followers. Likewise, social media acts as its own referral and most customers are going to look at the company's name and feedback before they choose to do business. Having a successful and active social media life can help propel a business into the public eye and it's a great way to interact with customers and garner a lot of positive feedback. 5. When a business sees that their current marketing or advertising campaigns stop working, it's important that they recognize it immediately and be objective about it. Decide what isn't working and how it can be better serviced. Sometimes it's important to start something from fresh to fully benefit from it. People will become complacent when they see the same things over and over again, which is why it's vital to keep upgrading and freshening up the marketing approach. Usually every year or two a business should reevaluate how their campaign is doing and update it accordingly to make sure it stays fresh in people's minds. There are a good number of things that businesses and companies can do to keep their customer traffic coming even after it's seemed to have slowed down. With a little out of the box thinking and some initiative on the company's part, they'll be able to pick up their profits and see more customers within a short amount of time. |
| Tech Companies Missing From List of Most Trusted Posted: 31 Dec 2019 05:00 AM PST The Ponemon Institute recently released the results of their Most Trusted Companies for Privacy Study. It was an extensive 15-week survey of more than 100,000 adult-aged consumers about which companies they believed to be the most trusted at protecting their privacy and personal information. Those surveyed were asked to name up to five companies they felt most protected their privacy online. It’s an annual survey since 2006 and the top 20 are ranked and released to the public, showing the companies generally considered to be the most trustworthy and leaving off those thought of as not being as protective of their customer's personal information as they should. Whether the companies on or off the list really do protect privacy as much as those surveyed believe is another matter entirely—this is merely the results of public perception. Notable CompaniesFor the sixth year in a row, American Express was considered the company that best protected personal information of their customers, due to the fact that it has an excellent reputation when it comes to protecting their cardholders from identity theft. The only company who topped them was eBay, in 2006. Other notable major companies who are consistently considered great at protecting it’s customer's privacy are IBM, Amazon, Hewlett-Packard and the U.S. Postal Service. Where are the Techies?A number of massive, notable tech companies are noticeably absent from the list this year. Apple, who is now technically the largest traded company in the world, fell from the ranks, after being listed as high as the 8th most trusted company with personal privacy a few years ago. This may be due to the death of Steve Jobs which has caused Apple's overall image to fluctuate amongst investors in recent months, as well as the sheer size of the company—the bigger any corporation becomes, the more vulnerable in becomes in different areas, especially in the realm of public perception. Google Gone AgainGoogle, who has gone on and off the list over the seven years, also missed the top 20. Google does so many different things and constantly needs personal information that it seems easy for identity thieves and third parties to access it from individual users. The size issue plays a part here as well, as Google has so many different facets to it's company. Facebook Gone Forever?Not surprising is Facebook, who only made 15 on the list, the year the film about their rise was released. The revolutionary social-networking site is regularly accused of giving out personal information of it's members and matching them with advertisers they believe will match their personal interests and needs. There seems to be little chance of this public perception ever turning around. Public PerceptionThere are ways to sway public perception among companies that want to make this list in the future. By changing company policies or investing in a good public relations firm, the next group surveyed by the Ponemon Institute may soon see these companies in a better light. These large companies can also use a companies like Reputation.com who are experts in online reputation management. Reputation.com will help to flush out inaccurate, misleading or outdated material that may exist about a company, helping to slowly but surely change the public perception of them. This takes time and diligence, so a corporation must be patient and truly have good personal privacy practices for their customers if they want to be included on this illustrious list in the future. |
| 3 Tips For Building A Better Content Strategy Posted: 31 Dec 2019 04:57 AM PST Unless you’ve been a) living under a rock for the past decade or b) cloistered in an old school advertising agency that just won’t let the past go, you’ve probably heard that a content strategy is essential for marketing businesses these days. Comparatively cheap, data-rich, and much more nimble than traditional advertising and marketing, there’s really not any company out there that can’t benefit from good content. But in order to be effective, a content strategy really has to be a strategy. This doesn’t mean Tweeting here and there or throwing up a random blog post when the intern has something to say about that excellent lunchtime meal. This means taking the time to really think out just who you’re targeting, how you’re going to reach them, and what kind of content you’re going to provide them. 1. Gear Your Content Towards a Niche MarketHeard of the term “one size fits no one”? It’s as applicable to content marketing as it is to clothing. While your company may have hundreds of products targeting a diversity of demographics, the same content strategies won’t work across the board, just like an ad campaign for a kid’s toy isn’t suited as a template for promoting a car to adults. To do this right, there are a few strategies to consider: • Write your ideal customer’s profile. Location, age, likes, dislikes, interests, needs. Take the time to do a little demographics research and write up one or two comprehensive customer profiles so you know just who you’re targeting and what they’re all about. This will help you segment your marketing efforts into the most relevant lists for optimal targeting. • Determine what products would be right for them. Once you know who you’re trying to reach, take a look at your product or service line and determine those that would fit naturally into your ideal customer’s lifestyle. This is really the heart of finding and cornering a niche, not to mention establishing your reputation to the point where people instantly recognize your name or product as the go-to choice. The goal here is to get your target customers to say, “Oh, you’re looking to get someone to do [insert your service here]? You’ve got to check out [your company].” • Use analytics tools to research their online interests and desires. Once upon a time, doing demographics research required doing expensive surveys, which still only brought companies part of the way. Now, you can expand upon basic demographic research with help from tools like Google Analytics and the Google Keyword Tool. Together, these will tell you how and what kind of people are finding your site, what kind of information they’re seeking, and what holes you can potentially fill with your content. • Develop a distinct and niche-relevant voice and style. Traditionally, many major companies have aired on the side of caution when it comes to their brand voice. But a “safe” voice often leads to a bland, dry, corporatized and markety tone that’s largely irrelevant in the blog and social media spaces, where customers want intimacy. While of course you’ll want to keep it professional, don’t be afraid to use humor or to ape the voice of your ideal customers as they speak on social media. 2. Create Multimedia ContentWith an increasing number of potential customers turning to online venues for both their information and their entertainment, content marketing is beginning to occupy a fair amount of traditional media space. As such, it makes sense to take a few pages out of the books of traditional media companies, particularly when it comes to the kinds of media you create. In short, varied content will get you a lot further than continually posting text-heavy blogs. A few fantastic multimedia options include: • Video: Ever gone to a restaurant and found yourself constantly distracted by the TV behind the bar? Humans are innately visual creatures, and it’s just hard for us to resist video, whether on your site or in ads. What’s more, video is great for SEO, increasing the likelihood that a company will show up on the first page of Google by 53% according to Forrester Research. But a shoddily made video won’t help you any. Use your broader content goals to shape your video strategy and consider employing a digital agency to do it for your professionally. You’ll also want to brush up on your video analytics so you have a much better grasp of how well you’re doing. We also can’t recommend this guide to using YouTube highly enough, as it takes you through every corner of the platform. • Photos: For similar reasons, photos are a great way to spice up blogposts, or even to provoke thought and discussion. Consider signing up for a stock photo site like Shutterstock for the most striking and professional photos, or using customer photo contests to provide a steady stream of visual content. • Infographics: There’s a reason why you’ve probably seen infographics cropping up all over the internet: They’re the perfect combination of data and art, and they’re easy to share on social media sites. It’s worth investing in a graphic designer for the most groundbreaking data. For the rest, choose from a host of excellent free infographic tools, and get creative. • Social Media: While social media is often used to support and distribute content, it can also be a form of content itself. Take a look at George Takei’s Twitter feed if you need any proof. Witty, timely and distinctive posts can both establish your company’s expertise and keep you fresh in your customer’s mind. 3. Take the Time to Create an Editorial CalendarLast but certainly not least, taking the time to create an editorial calendar is an investment that’s sure to pay off. This will help you vary your content and will also give you deadlines and regularity. A few things you might add to an editorial calendar: • Important industry and company dates.You can use these to create timely, expert content right when it’s most relevant. • Theme days. Having regular weekly or monthly theme days like, “Employee Stories Tuesdays” or “November’s Top Customer Tweets” will again provide a structure in which you can be creative, rather than leaving you floundering to fill space. • Content type. Planning out regular dates for producing different kinds of content, like videos vs. blogposts, will keep you from getting overwhelmed and it will also give your content providers firm deadlines. Take a look at these neat tools to get your editorial calendar going. The TakeawayContent is a powerful tool for contemporary businesses, but it’s not a magic pill. Take the time to learn just what content is and what tools and platforms are available to you before going with a more haphazard, ad hoc plan. With a deep understanding, there’s no telling where you’ll go. Author Bio: |
| 10 ways to find funding to grow your business Posted: 31 Dec 2019 04:53 AM PST Finding funding to grow businesses poses a major challenge to many business people. Getting the right funding is important in business growth. There are several ways that you can get funding to grow your business. They include: 1. Savings 2. Friends and family 3. Government grants and tax credits 4. Bank and micro finances 5. Crowd funding 6. Business incubation 7. Asset based financing 8. Credit cards 9. Selling of shares 10. Joining business contests Remember every kind of financing has its implications and its therefore important to be wise when choosing the kind of funding to employ. |
| Return on Networking – the ROI of Social Media Posted: 31 Dec 2019 04:52 AM PST I was never a fan of the cocktail party-variety networking scene. I will never be one to dart around a room shoving business cards into people's hands. I prefer meaningful conversations with people, getting to know them and vice versa. But social media networking? That's something different altogether. Done right, it's never a hit-and-run. Rather, it consists of building relationships over months and even years by sharing information – both professional and personal – through posts, comments and responding to questions in various online communities. What's the return on investment, the ROI, for putting that kind of time into social media? Actually, it's called the RON – the "return on networking." And for me, it's huge. I've been on Facebook for five years; I also have Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn accounts, among others. All totaled, I'm now approaching 100,000 friends, followers and connections. Those followers expose my name and message to their audiences every time they "like" one of my posts or share one of my links. Recently, someone re-tweeted something I'd shared on Twitter – he had 130,000 followers! That's a potential audience of 130,000 people I likely would have never reached otherwise. Talk about exposure! Who knows how many of those people may someday become my clients? Who cares? I'll still consider the exposure a good return on networking. Here's why. The RON of social media isn't always tangible, not immediately, anyway. By establishing a continued presence online through regularly sharing content of use to my followers, I'm building my platform and my reputation as an expert. That grows in surprising ways – and it lives in surprising places. A recent case in point: Late last year, I got a call from a prominent New York City hair stylist, the director of a salon in one of that city's premier department stores. He wanted to talk about some publicity needs and what my company could do to help him. When I asked how he got my name, he explained he'd written some books over the years with a co-author, and she'd heard me at a speaking engagement. Well, that made sense. Speaking at conferences is still a great way to get your name out while also building credibility. But the next thing he said came as a complete surprise. "So, then I contacted the corporate office (of the department store chain) and asked what PR agency they would recommend." And they recommended me and my company! I don't know a soul in the corporate offices of that high-end retail chain. I can only guess they learned of me through social media. Just being on Twitter or Google+ isn't enough, of course. You have to make a diligent effort to regularly post content that people find valuable, including links to informative articles, tips relevant to your topic, and/or informed insights on topics in the news. You also have to "be a human," as our lead social media strategist, Jeni Hinojosa, likes to say. She and our other social media producers encourage clients to send photos when they go on vacation, celebrate milestones or engage in hobbies. Posting those photos with a comment adds a personal touch that allows followers to connect on a more emotional level. Our social media producers also make sure clients' personalities shine in their posts, showing their sense of humor and letting followers in on the other things they care about, whether it's victims of a natural disaster or a favorite charity. Interaction is equally important. Strive to respond to every comment or question posted on your networking sites. Interacting is engaging, and people who are engaged tend to be happy followers. The more you take part in conversations via comments and responses, the more lively and visible your presence becomes. The RON includes increased traffic to your website; increased trust in your brand and what you're selling; and greater word of mouth than you could ever hope for by attending a cocktail party or even a speaking engagement. About Marsha Friedman Marsha Friedman is a 23-year veteran of the public relations industry. She is the CEO of EMSI Public Relations (www.emsincorporated.com), a national firm that provides PR strategy and publicity services to corporations, entertainers, authors and professional firms. Marsha is the author of Celebritize Yourself and she can also be heard weekly on her Blog Talk Radio Show, EMSI's PR Insider every Thursday at 3:00 PM EST. Follow her on Twitter: @marshafriedman. |
| 12 Tips To Write a Social Media Policy In Business Posted: 31 Dec 2019 04:49 AM PST teve Nicholls, author of Social Media in Business, Offers 12 Tips to Write a Policy That Promotes Growth and Protects Against Risk- Business owners are becoming increasingly aware that having a social media presence is important for the success of their businesses. By facilitating collaboration, enhancing communication, creating communities and allowing to tap into collective intelligence, social media provides key business opportunities across geographical boundaries and time zones. These opportunities can be developed both internally, within the company itself and externally, between the company and other key players in the industry such as suppliers, partners and customers. In this day and age of Internet revolution and evolution, social media has thus developed into a crucial business tool and a strategic resource in increasing a company's competitive advantage. Moreover, as social technology advances, making use of innovative opportunities is becoming increasingly essential to a company's general business strategy, so much that those who do not incorporate social media within the DNA of their organizations today will end up lagging far behind, far too quickly. While social media presents unthinkable growth opportunity, it also opens the company up to risk. The overlap between individual and professional lives is becoming less clear as social media is increasingly utilized, and businesses need to deal with the impact these blurred boundaries have on company reputation, operations and procedures. While social media raises some challenges to consider, its opportunities far outweigh its risks and thus banning or restricting social media is not a conducive strategy for growth. Moreover, imposing restrictions or a complete ban of social media in the workplace may prove to be completely ineffective as many social media tools are now accessible from privately owned mobile devices, such as smartphones, iPads and tablets. Attempting to ban or restrict social media may even be counter-productive, as social media tools such as Skype and Google Hangouts, for example, are becoming essential tools for employees collaborating over long distances. Senior management and employees who are alienated from this new phenomenon will fail to become aware of the many benefits that social media could offer, and thus lose competitive advantage as others in their industry grasp the full potentials of these social innovations. With the increasing prevalence of social media in both personal and professional spheres, it is thus crucial to establish guidelines for employees to respect when using social media in relation to the organization in which they are operating. Having a plan in place that clearly outlines expectations and responsibilities is mutually beneficial to both the company and its employees, and will allow the latter to contribute to social media activity in the organization both safely and fruitfully. Hence, it is critical for business owners to create and implement a strong social media policy that gives the company and its employees the freedom to grow through social media activity, while putting a set of concrete rules and guidelines in place that will keep the troops in line. This does not mean, however, that a social media policy cannot continue to grow as the company expands social media use within its operations. As new situations, legal issues, laws and other crucial aspects of social media regulation come to light, a policy can be re-adjusted accordingly to answer evolving needs. While writing up a social media policy can be evolutionary, it still needs to have a strong backbone by addressing key elements. Many aspects indeed need to be considered when developing a social media policy, from personal ethics to legal challenges, and because of varying organizational cultures and operating environments, no two social media policies will be exactly the same. This is why getting expert information on how to go about to developing a solid social media plan that fits your organization's culture and business procedures is important. Steve Nicholls, author of Social Media in Business: Succeeding in the New Internet Revolution, international speaker, and social media strategist offers 12 tips to write a clear, well-defined social media policy. 1. Create a Task Force: As opinions and ethics may vary between different people; it is preferable that all members of upper management be consulted when developing a social media policy so that all reach agreement on policy content. Key players in the organization need to reach consensus as to what will be accepted and what not, and turn this uniform guideline into stable company policy. 2. Define Appropriate Internal Use: It is important to outline what is acceptable and what is not to your employees when it comes to using social media platforms in the workplace. How much freedom employees will have when interacting on social media needs to be clarified based on your workplace environment, in order to avoid any confusion. 3. Define Appropriate External Use: As we have seen time and time again, one slip on Facebook or Twitter can ruin a career or a business. Thus, it is important to define who will be allowed to communicate with the public and put an approval process in place. 4. Confidentiality: Content posted on social media platforms need to comply with the organization's confidentiality and disclosure of proprietary data policies. 5. Accountability: Employees need to be held accountable for everything they write on social media sites. 6. Protect Employers Reputation: Employees have the duty to protect their employer's reputation. It would also be useful to make employees aware that competitors might read what they post and thus that sensitive information is not to be disclosed as a consequence. 7. Referrals: While employees have the duty to ensure their organization's brand reputation and image, it is equally important to avoid encouraging referrals or endorsements, as even positive references can be misquotes by competitors and used against your organization. 8. Be Clear on Copyright issues: It is advisable to include a clause dealing with copyright, plagiarism, libel and defamation of character issues. 9. Security: it is important to have a security policy in place so that the company can be protected against external threats. This needs to be carefully implemented to balance security with the limitless nature of social media. 10. Regularly Review and Update Policy: Regular reviews need to be organized and performed. A policy is not always consistent with what is actually taking place and the company needs to pay attention and adjust accordingly to make sure it is a relevant and effective policy that promotes growth and safety. 11. Work Hard, Play Less: It is important to stress that social networking sites cannot interfere with primary job responsibilities, so that employees do not lose perspective when engaging in social media activity. 12. To Whom Does it Apply: in these days of outsourcing and use of temporary workers and other partnerships, the social media policy needs to clarify who to treat as internal staff and thus who will follow the social media policy rules when external resources are brought in. Clearly, a certain level of responsibility is placed on employees and individuals. They have the duty to protect their employer's confidential information and reputation. Because social media is open and accessible, it can be easy to transmit information that may not be appropriate, or slip confidential information that competitors may find useful. All policy documents thus need to clearly require employees to think before writing a statement on a social media channel, as well as to make it clear that employees will be held accountable and responsible for their online actions. Spelling this out in fine print is necessary to avoid any confusion, misunderstanding and embarrassment. Hence, a solid policy will need to reflect the company's organizational culture and business procedures, as well as serve to both set the limits and boundaries that employees need to address when using social media, and at the same time protect and empower employees so that social media activity can be productive and conducive to growth. One of the most important aspects to always keep in mind when drafting up a social media policy is really to make it as clear as it can possibly be. Because social media is so large in opportunities, ambiguous statements as to how to use it in relation to the company will inevitably create confusion and end up in unwanted online actions. Also, as a company's social media presence expands and new applications start to be used within the organization, the social media policy needs to be reviewed in order to make sure that all new social media applications are included and addressed. Companies like the BBC, Coca-Cola, Salesforce, Intel, Ford Motor Company and many other iconic organizations are already leading the way when it comes to social media in business as they have not only made use of different of its opportunities to further their business advantages, but as they have also established their own social media policies to regulate social media activities across their organizations. These initiatives not only show how social media has become a crucial tool for business development and advancement, but also how its prevalence asks for regulation and adjustment within the business framework. Whatever the size of your company, a social media policy needs to be developed and implemented in order for your company and employees to move business operations forward smoothly and prudently as social technology advances. About Steve Nicholls: Steve grows client revenue dollars by millions with his proven approach that social media needs to be implemented at the senior level and integrated into the DNA of the entire organization. Steve tailors social media strategy to help companies maximize benefits while identifying and mitigating risks. Steve has designed and implemented advanced Internet applications for many leading global organizations including British Telecom, Ciena Corp., Capitol One, Arise, GSK, John Laing and NSPCC, among many others. He has been featured as a social media expert in CNN, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, BBC, among many others. As a former business executive, Steve is unique among social media experts in his ability to bridge the language gap between those developing new technology and the senior executives who need to implement them to keep their company's competitive edge. After beginning his career as a project manager in skyscraper construction, Steve earned his MBA at Henley Business School in 1992 and his Masters of Science in Organizational Development and NLP from the University of Portsmouth in 2008. His background as a project manager, combined with his extensive experience in the business and technology industries, has given him the unique ability to help companies lay their own blueprint for social media success. |
| Six Customer Service Tools to Amaze Your Customers and Increase Sales Posted: 31 Dec 2019 04:47 AM PST Do you ever find yourself wondering if there is one ultimate strategy that could help your business win customers, keep them coming back and entice them to buy more? I believe the answer lies in customer service, and I have pinpointed the perfect example of a company that puts this strategy into action. In my upcoming book, Amaze Every Customer Every Time (Sept. 3, 2013), I shine the spotlight on Ace Hardware, a leader in delivering outstanding customer service for many years. Despite the emergence of "big box" competitors such as Lowe's and Home Depot, Ace stores continue to hold their own by offering superior customer service. Ace bills itself as the most helpful hardware stores on the planet, and wins the retail game by living up to that promise. I interviewed many Ace retailers and have distilled their collective knowledge into six tactics. The following may sound a bit basic, but don't be fooled by their simplicity. 1. Greet the Customer – Whether in person or on the phone, offer a warm greeting to engage the customer and make a good "first impression." Make the customer feel appreciated and comfortable, setting the stage for the remainder of the interaction. 2. Ask a Question – This should involve more than the standard "Can I help you?" Make it open-ended so you can determine the customer's needs. Rather than the customer simply answering with "yes" or "no," the question should lead the customer to offer information that lets you know how you can truly help fill his or her needs. An example of an open-ended question might be "What can I help you find today?" The customer's response will tell you why the customer has come to your business and how you can help. 3. Follow Up by Asking Why – Once you know what the customer is looking for, it is helpful to understand the need behind the purchase or how the item will be used. If the customer wants to buy paint, for example, follow up with a "why" question. Why does the customer need paint? Or, put it in other words – what does he or she plan to paint? This information will offer opportunities to upsell other items that the customer will also need. 4. Upsell – Suggesting other merchandise to the customer – upselling – is not only an appropriate sales tactic, it is an important part of customer service as well. If your customer is purchasing paint, it would be to his or her advantage if you ask if other items are needed for the project as well. This could include brushes, rollers, paint buckets, and anything else necessary for the task at hand. Most customers appreciate it when a knowledgeable retailer helps to ensure they have everything they need, saving them time so they do not need to return to the store. Ace Hardware stresses this to its associates – "upsell" to make sure the customers have everything they need. Actually, to not do so is poor customer service. 5. Ask "What Else" – Once you have helped the customer with a requested item, be sure to ask if there is any other way you can be of service. It may be locating other merchandise – related to the first item or not – or perhaps answering another question on a service call. Make sure you have met all of the customer's needs before ending the interaction. 6. Say "Thank You" – Always say "Thank you." Always. Offer sincere appreciation to each and every customer. The customer wants to feel appreciated, and deservedly so. He or she has chosen to do business with you, and you want to end the interaction with a positive "last impression," hopefully setting the stage for a continuing business relationship. Shep Hyken, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and hall-of-fame speaker is the Chief Amazement Officer at Shepard Presentations. As a customer service expert, he helps companies build loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information about his upcoming book, Amaze Every Customer Every Time: 52 Tools for Delivering the Most Amazing Customer Service on the Planet, go to www.AmazeEveryCustomer.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken |
| 6 Tips to Becoming a Better Manager Posted: 31 Dec 2019 04:45 AM PST Being a good manager requires the skills of a seasoned general: strategy, tools, leadership, heart and dedication. When it comes to sharpening those skills, there's no better solution than going straight to the source. That's just what marketing expert John Golden did in "Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World's Greatest Military Victories," published by McGraw-Hill. In the book, Golden, who is president and CEO of Huthwaite, the world's leading sales performance improvement organization, explores the lessons that the sales force can learn from historic battlefield decisions. "A strong sales manager learns to be both offensive and defensive at the same time. To truly learn when to proceed, when to retreat and everything in between, you must read, discuss and embrace history. When I wrote this book, my goal was to demonstrate that when it comes to management, we know what works and what doesn't. By learning from the past, we can truly shape the future." Golden shared the following tips to be a better manager. 1. Choose the right tool for the task. The latest technology doesn't necessarily equate with the best choice for your company. You must choose tools wisely. Take customer relationship management (CRM) tools, for example. Don't automatically fall for the latest whiz-bang device. Instead, the trick is to find the right fit for your sales force. If you have a sales methodology, your CRM tools should reinforce it. The more your tools reflect a day at the office, the more likely your salespeople are to adopt them. 2. Steer clear of the "feel-good-funnel." It is imperative that a manager continually reviews and challenge the sales pipeline. If this isn't done, and the pipeline is full or even overflowing with an abundance of opportunities (particularly in the early stage), you risk seeing your staff fall into the "feel-good-funnel." This brings about a false sense of security about meeting end-of-year goals. Staff becomes overconfident about work volume, and, in the long run, revenue is lost out of complacency. 3. Watch out for silent killers. Every day, silent killers lurk around sales deals. With no taste, touch or smell, these are the hidden costs of business that executives fail to see. Too often, management believes increasing sales revenue is the easy fix to generate sales growth, while failing to see the hidden costs. To defeat these silent killers, businesses must determine what actually contributes to sales success. Some key ingredients: combine quantitative measures and qualitative measures of opportunities in your pipeline, and ensure the sales force has the necessary skills to execute such measures. 4. Engage in rational forecasting. Good forecasting comes from the skills and tactics of customer-focused selling. The key here is to incorporate the customer's point of view in the development and implementation of the sales strategy. By focusing on buyer behavior, an accurate forecasting model is actually pretty straightforward. Just be sure and avoid complicating or over-analyzing your forecasting tools and processes. 5. Avoid costly accounts that aren't worth it. That huge account that is too costly to acquire is also incredibly pricey to maintain and will, eventually, bleed your company dry. It's a tempting proposition to put all of your bets on one, giant account. But doing so opens you up to an incredible amount of risk. If you lose that account, you could lose everything. 6. Balance your efficiency and effectiveness. To some managers, the terms "efficiency" and "effectiveness" are mutually exclusive. But it doesn't have to be that way. Efficiency measures productivity while effectiveness measures quality. You can balance the two if you understand customer behavior. Master effective selling behaviors, and coach your staff accordingly. The balance will come in time. |
| Old Content Can Make New Money Posted: 31 Dec 2019 04:33 AM PST Too manybloggers focus only on the future. They worry about how the next post they write can be a hit, or how their new SEO strategy can take them up the ranks of bloggers and give them widespread acclaim. Though it is wise to always be looking for the next big thing, you should also give your old work its due. Blog posts you have already written can be an important source of income if you spin or market them in the correct ways, and to the proper people. For some good ideas on how your old content can make money for you, check out the suggestions below. Put Ads on Old Posts Query Magazines Teach an Online Course About the author” |
| What is a Blog? (Meaning and Definition) Posted: 31 Dec 2019 03:37 AM PST
Okay you are finally here having the question in your mind – "what the heck is a blog"?! You might have heard of blogs thousand times but perhaps don't know what is a blog actually. A blog is simply defined as an online journal where people from home and organizations write and publish articles online. Some useful definitions of blog from the web:
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