Oh, those dreaded questions!
We all get them, and when it happens, most of us seem to have a real knee-jerk reaction.
What am I talking about? Questions we get asked about our business that pushes us over the edge. Questions like… “do you offer a discount?” or “would you share your secrets with me?” or maybe even “would you send me a list of your contacts?” Of course, the list of questions goes on and on, and they change just a little in context by industry.
When the question happens, how do you respond? A lot of times we don’t give these any thought until the negative thoughts pop into our minds at the time of the asking. And even then, we’re typically at a loss of words for a proper reply. In our minds, we might even be very furious that someone would be so bold to ask such a question and expect a reply.
That’s where the danger lies. You see, if the answers have not been developed and rehearsed beforehand, these little annoyances could eat up all of your energies (and sometimes your whole day).
Instead of spending time letting this upset you, prepare what you’re going to say beforehand. Here are some examples I use (and I typically make it fun and very casual). When someone wants to “pick my brain,” I have several “on the spot” answers ready. Depending on the situation, I will sometimes say, “now, I know that you know I charge extra for that.” Or I might even come back with, “I have no problem answering one question for you, but it has to be a yes or no answer.” And, depending on the person, I normally get a chuckle or two when I use these “canned” answers and the mood then turns light and friendly.
By doing this, I protect my energy and we both go on our merry ways. See how much better things turn out once you practice a more positive way answering those much “dreaded” questions?
Now for a great action step: write down the questions, that when asked, seem to upset you most. Now find a way to answer and react to each one that protects your energies and boundaries. Once you’ve created your list, rehearse saying each one until you answer smoothly. When you’re finished, resume being happy!
Here’s to your amazing success!
Carmen, “The Publicity Diva”
P.S. And if you would like help building your marketing strategies, just give me a call or send me an email!
4 Ways to Keep Blog Visitors Coming Back!
Blogging is the perfect way for businesses to share their expertise with their readers. When people blog, it means they keep an updated online journal, and typically share information about their industry or interests. Most companies blog as a way to help increase the amount of visitors to their web sites. For many bloggers, however, increasing traffic to their blogs is not their only goal. Most people that blog want to keep their visitors coming back for more, not just to visit once and never come back.
So, today I’m listing four key ways for you to use to keep visitors coming to your blog site (over and over again).
Blogging is rapidly becoming a marketing phenomenon. Blogging is a big business and many companies choose blogging as an inexpensive way to market their products or services. Blogging is often a much better way to maintain a web site and is typically a lot more interesting for readers and clients.
So, let’s take a look at some ways to make your blog a lot more effective and successful…
1. Update your blog:
The easiest way to keep visitors coming back is to update your blog on a regular basis. Readers return to blogs that are updated regularly. Some bloggers even update several times a week. Readers will tend to lose interest in your writing if they have to wait long periods of time for new material. Be loyal to your readers and your readers will be loyal to you. Also, since there are literally thousands of blogs available, if your blog is not updated on a regular basis, you will lose your readers to another blog. Another fun way to update your blog and keep your readers interested in your site is to include something fun for your readers to enjoy. That could be as simple as a joke or maybe a link to a humorous story you have found online. You might also try posting a trivia game, cartoons, videos, contests, or polls for your readers to enjoy on a regular basis.
2. Participate in web communities:
Participating in web communities or discussion forums and mentioning your blog whenever possible will help keep readers coming back to your site. In addition, you can gain new readers when doing this. You might even visit the blogs of other writers and ask them to visit your site in return. Leave nice comments about their site and invite them to your site, too. If you have mutual interests and the same type of readers, you could even write an article for each other’s site. This helps everyone. Your reader will appreciate interesting reading while you benefit from readers from the other site.
3. Understand your readers:
Another great way to keep blog readers coming back for more is to understand who reads your blog and write content that is targeted for them. This doesn’t mean that you have to write on only one particular subject, though. If you are a stay at home mom and write about your life at home with the kids, your loyal readers may not appreciate you writing about cutting edge topics in your writing. Remember, your readers are interested in the topics that attracted them to your site in the first place. You can gain a better understanding of your reader’s interests by including places for comments and encouraging your readers to leave a comment or contact you by email.
4. Include your best keywords:
You will gain readership and help keep your current readers by including certain keywords in your posts. If you have listed your blog on various search engines, these keywords will point to your blog when someone searches using your keywords. This is also a great way to get new readers interested in your blog and a good way for companies to increase traffic to their blog, too.
Blogging has become one of the hottest new ways to market online. In fact, a recent marketing poll revealed that company blogs have been responsible for attracting 46% more leads than any other online marketing technique. So, if you want to make your blog stand out from the thousands of other blogs, keep your readers interested and coming back for more by updating your writing regularly, participating in online communities, understand your readers and their interests, and include your most popular keywords in every post.
To your amazing results,
Carmen, The Publicity Diva
And, if you would like an expert to help you with your blogging tasks, contact me at Carmen@thepublicitydiva.com or give me a call at (281) 404-5019!
Creating drama in your marketing!
Have you noticed lately that in order to get the attention of a really large group of people, usually only requires the ability to create a lot of drama.
Even on TV, it seems like every new show that producers are airing combines a lot of elements that create as much “shock” value as possible.
And, don’t get me started on social media sites! People are posting way too much personal information (sometimes real, sometimes made up) and way too often. In fact, more times than not, the more often a person is posting, the more often they have trained their audience to ignore their messages.
Commercials, of course, have always used these techniques. The screaming, the jumping up and down, and the constant fighting… all trying to get our attention so we will buy, or watch, or become a fan.
The real problem is not all the “tools” we have to get our message to the masses. The real problem is in the message itself. Audiences are not paying attention to the drama anymore and those posting online are not that interesting to read about. Plus the audience that is paying attention is not creating the desired outcome (like purchasing our product or service).
Getting attention in itself is fairly easy utilizing all these tools, but creating the right kind of audience is harder. We all want the audience that will buy from us and have respect for what we do and that’s a whole different story. It seems the easier a customer is to get, the more likely they ‘re not the best ones to have.
Remember, it is possible to create drama and attract your buying audience at the same time. It’s just not always that easy. The key is not in the tools, but in having the right strategy and implementing that strategy effectively. Because the easier it is to get someone’s attention, the less that attention is worth.
Here’s to creating drama the good way,
Carmen, “The Publicity Diva”
Are you social marketing, yet?
Let’s face it, like it or not, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and all the other social media sites are here to stay. I would imagine that most people using a computer now-a-days have at least experienced one (or more) of these sites by now. But, in a business situation, are they helping business or just wasting time?
I’ll be the first to agree they can be very addictive. So, having a strategy and purpose for marketing through these sites would have to be well defined and well strategized. By that I mean, your expectations from social marketing have to be realistic. The good news is social marketing hasn’t even reached its peak! And, it can be what you would like it to be… if given enough time and with the right implementations.
Of course, there are some precautions to consider when using these sites, too.
First, you should always be careful how much you reveal online. Remember, what you write online is there forever and that means it’s there for the whole world to read, always. Yes, that means your customers, your prospects, your family, your friends, and even strangers will be able to read your posts for eternity. So, each time you write on your wall or post on a social media site, take just a minute to think about whether you would like this displayed forever for everyone to see. I call this the “billboard” method – would you “cringe” if you saw your posts displayed on a billboard? If so, then don’t post! It’s as simple as that.
Another precaution to be aware of is that you can get banned (sometimes accidentally) from one of these sites without much warning. There are many reasons why, but the one I see misused most often is having too many personal accounts or “befriending” others known as spammers. So, be careful when setting up an account in the beginning so it’s exactly what you intended and be even more careful as to whom you become friends with – check them out first. For business posts, think about starting a business page, instead. That way you can keep your personal posts personal and your business posts business-related.
Lastly, consider how often you are posting – both personally and for your business. Too often and you will train others to ignore your messages. Not often enough and others will forget you. The best way to find your rhythm is to test your posts and frequency to see when, where and how often you post results in getting you the most activity. The same thing goes for posting various types of information. Post lots of variety and find what creates the most comments and likes. Once you find what works best for you, stick with that formula. Remember, every industry is different and every audience responds differently, too.
Well, that’s it for today! And if you would like any “help” in handling your social media, blog, SEO strategies, or e-coupon sites, just contact me by email or give me a call. I would love to discuss your projects with you to see if our services make a good fit.
To your “social” success!
Carmen, “The Publicity Diva”
Are Business Cards Becoming Obsolete?
They first appeared in the 17th century, but …the value of a business card has been proven time and time again.
Some say the business card will go the way of the buggy whip, no longer useful. They feel that in the era of LinkedIn, social media and cloud computing, using a business card makes them feel so “horse-and-buggy” like.
The first cards were made in France during the reign of Louis XIV. But now, centuries later, there are still some great reasons why business cards will remain a successful networking tool.
Consider this: they don’t require batteries, a smartphone, or experience, and everyone in the world understands what they are. Those who predict the business card’s demise have lost touch with its primary function. It’s not a simple information exchange. It’s a profound expression of identity.
Here are some great tips for keeping yours fresh:
~ Simple is best. Don’t order cards that take forever to print. If you are asked for a card, you should always have one available.
~ Know your audience. Don’t give a funny card to a serious executive or a thick foil-embossed card to the founder of “Save the Rainforest.”
~ Include your address. A physical location gives people a sense that your business is real and actually receives mail.
~ Leave the back side blank. That lets the receiver make notes there.
~ Consider texture and weight. Too heavy, you’re killing trees. Too light and you’re not a real business.
~ And lastly, if your information has changed, don’t cross out and hand-write the new information. Order new ones immediately. Nothing can kill your image quicker than unprofessional materials. With the small costs of business cards today, it’s definitely worth the investment!
Well that’s my marketing tip of the day – stay tuned for more tips and techniques real soon!
Carmen, “The Publicity Diva”
3 Ways Blogging Boosts Business!
Nowadays, building your business can be a very difficult task. You can put hundreds of hours of effort into your marketing, but without certain components in place, you could be missing out on tons of business.
Today smart businesses realize that blogging (correctly) helps boost business. In the past, blogs have been thought of as just personal places to express yourself and your views.
However, blogs today are great ways to make people aware of your business and your products or services.
Here are 3 great ways to accomplish this whether you already have a blog or not.
1. Name Recognition
Here’s a great way to get started even if you don’t have a blog.
The fastest way a business can start blogging is by posting on other blogs. You can easily create quality posts and highlight your business without even setting up a blog. Look for blogs that pertain to your area of business without competing. Examples might be a pet care center and a veterinarian, or a beauty salon and a fitness center, etc. Think about businesses that tend to fit with yours and share the same type of audience.
With millions of blogs online, you should be able to find plenty with no problem. Post on as many as you can, or choose only the ones with the most activity. If you post regularly, you will soon draw lots of activity (and hits) to your site. Your posts will also help you gain recognition very quickly.
This same method works for utilizing blogs of interest to your audience, too. Let’s say you want to get your company’s name out to a specific group, like men who enjoy fishing. First you would search for blogs on that subject. Once you find them, post useful information on topics that would be of interest. Of course, you don’t want to sound like an advertisement, so post your comments and simply tag your signature with a link to your website. This is a very subtle way to get the word out.
Remember, the more you post on these blogs, the more widely known your company will become. And as the blog’s audience grows, so will your name recognition. This is one of the fastest ways to get started. But, keep in mind; you will have to invest some time to make this work properly. One or two posts will not get you much attention…so, you must be committed to this strategy for gaining the best results.
2. Testimonials and Reviews
Another great way to start blogging is to write a testimony or review of another company’s products or services. After you write your review, find blogs where it would be appropriate to post. Consumer testimonials go a long way with other consumers and it helps create “social approval” for the product or service. If these blogs are active enough, you will soon see an increase in traffic.
Also, be sure to post your review on your own blog (if you have one), too. That way you’ll become the “voice” to listen to when your audience is searching for an honest opinion before buying. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it makes you somewhat of a celebrity, too! That’s definitely a win-win all around, right?
3. Building Relationships
Smart business owners also know they can go farther with the help of others. A great way to connect and build relationships with other businesses is via their blog. If you post regularly and add value to their blog, they will be more likely to work with you. Working together on your marketing is a great idea.
How might this work? Well, you can swap ad space or host special offers to each other’s audience. You can team up to post on each other’s blogs, host events together, or exchange articles in your newsletters. Joint ventures work great for business owners and are easy to do once you build your relationships.
As you can see, blogging is a great way to boost your business. Even though it’s very time consuming at first, think of it as free advertising that works better than a TV commercial or newspaper ad. It reaches your targeted marketing group and keeps your company’s name and offerings visible.
Overall, blogging is an effective and inexpensive way to get your business known. People like to buy from people they know, like and trust. But, if they don’t know who you are, they are not as likely to buy from you.
So, even if you just use blogging to build your company’s image and presence, it’s well worth your time. Now, go give it a try and see what great results you’ll get by using these tips and techniques.
To your amazing results,
Carmen, The Publicity Diva
And, if you would like an expert to help you with your blogging tasks, contact me at Carmen@thepublicitydiva.com or give me a call at (281) 404-5019!
Marketing Find: Click-to-Call Website Buttons Create More Sales!
One health products company spent millions annually for online marketing. But the results weren’t great. Less than 3 percent of those who clicked on the online ads went on to place an order.
They discovered that the percentage went up considerably if the prospective customer spoke with a person who could explain a product and how it was used. Those calls resulted in 20 percent of clients placing an order.
The company signed up with Marchex, an organization selling mobile advertisements that automatically connects smartphones to a call center.
With this program, and others like it, cellphone customers can instantly go from an online search engine ad to a human being.
With the human connection, browsing customers turn into paying customers who order more in the future.
Google also has an ad program for cellphones. The click-to-call program evolved from a stepchild project into a major initiative. An estimated 500,000 customers now use it, say technology experts at Bloomberg Businessweek.
When a smartphone user visits a website with advertising, or searches Google, the ad or website can include a phone number. When the user clicks the number, their phone dials the seller. Marchex and Google only charge advertisers for calls that are of a certain length, filtering out telemarketers and wrong numbers.
Some companies are increasing their number of such ads, but the plan doesn’t work out for everyone. Other companies didn’t like it and quit using the system.
Both Google and Marchex sell similar ads for desktop PCs, but customers have to pick up the phone and dial instead of clicking. Both companies are now working on a way to route PC-based calls so callers speak directly through their computers.
Could this be something your business finds useful? If so, please be sure you post your findings below in our comment section.
Cheers to all,
Carmen, “The Publicity Diva”
Ways for a start-up blogger to publicize their new blog
New blogs pop up all over the internet each and every day. But most bloggers seem to have trouble finding the right kind of traffic to their new site and get tired of posting over time to a non-existent audience. When this happens, the new blogger tends to lose momentum and will typically quit posting before their blog even has a chance to bring in new fans. So the answer to this question is very important for the new blogger to understand in order to build their readership from the very beginning. What I’m covering in this article is what I classify as my three key areas to address in helping you gain a following and a real buzz about your site.
1. Key area #1 pertains to the way a blog is built using the proper plugins and functioning widgets.
If you are wanting real “social proof” you have to show other readers that you have readers, too. I know this sounds strange (since you don’t have any, yet), but you should always prepare for (and encourage) your readers to post comments on your blog, first. Find a plug-in that shows how many comments you have at the top of your post. I know this sounds scary in the beginning and you’re probably thinking – “what is this going to look like to others visiting my site?” But, trust me, when you get comments coming in, this one step will entice others to want to “stay and read” what you have to say. It gives your site more credibility, too. The same thing goes for the Facebook “Like” and Twitter plugin. If your readers know you have a large fan base that is commenting, “Liking” and “Retweeting” your posts, your messages will get shared more freely. Showing these buttons on the top of your posts sends a subliminal message encouraging everyone to engage with your site.
Speaking of sharing – the best way to get your readers to share is to offer the right tools for doing so. At the end of each post, add a plug-in that allows your readers to share. I use a plugin known as “Sexy-bookmarks” and it allows me to add lots of sharing tools after each post. What’s even better is that it allows the reader to use the print button to send the article to their printer or convert into a pdf format. Really cool, I must say!
For even greater interactions, be sure to add a sign-up form on your site. The best way to get subscribers is to offer some type of gift for signing up to receive your updates. Some great ideas include e-reports, videos, audios, e-classes, or anything you can come up with that would be of interest to your readers. Also allow your readers to sign up through an RSS feed, too. Giving them options as to how they would like to receive your information will result in higher readership.
2. Key area #2 deals with finding large audiences to publicize your site through.
Now it’s time to get serious about finding your perfect audience. In order to do this effectively, you should know your audience well enough to know their specific interests. Think about other types of industries that cater to the same audience without competing with you. Some examples might be a dog groomer and a veterinarian, a beauty shop and a day spa, or a CPA and a financial planner.
Next, find the top bloggers, (with very large audiences), in these industries and visit their blog. Another industry to team up with would be any famous type bloggers your audience already reads (maybe some television and radio type bloggers). Creating a beneficial “joint venture” with these types of bloggers can be golden, if approached correctly.
Finally, to partner with such a blogger will take some carefully planned strategies. Keep in mind; you do not want to annoy them by blatantly marketing your site before they have time to get to know you. It’s best to have a strategy that would benefit both parties, otherwise you could get banned from their site if you don’t follow their rules. Start out slowly by reading their blog first, then join their reader list, and lastly, start making comments on their posts. If you comment frequently enough, you should ask them if you could post an article their readers might enjoy. The main thing when doing this step is to be patient and remember the rewards of posting for all their readers to see (with your site information listed), can be a huge payoff in the end.
3. Key area #3 is all about getting the word out to everyone.
When posting your articles and information on your blog, set up an “auto-post” to other sites. There are many plugins available that will take care of this task for you – Ping.fm, OnlyWire.com, Hootsuite.com, and one of my favorites, LinksAlpha.com. A word of warning, though – when auto-posting to your social media sites, be sure to post the other way around on Facebook, because Facebook ranks your posts higher when your posts are automated through their apps, instead. But, the other social media sites don’t seem to mind either direction – so auto-post away on these.
Search engine optimization keywords should be added to each post (an each page). There are plugins available to help with this task, too. To find your perfect keywords, try using the Google Keyword tool. It not only helps you find the right keywords, but directs you to other words and phrases most often searched for by your readers. The plugin I use for my SEO is the “All in One SEO” plugin. Of course, there are many more available, just be sure to use one that prompts you to fill in your optimization on each post.
Lastly, you should submit your site to all the top blog directories. There are many directories in which to add your site and an endless amount of these are useless. A good way to start is to check out a few of the more credible directories through searchenginejournal.com. They provide links to some of the best blog directories on the internet and their list is compiled fairly often. Of course, you could also use some blog directory posting software; just beware of the ones that list your site in directories that seem to get blackballed with Google. Being listed on one of these sites can be deadly to your ranking, too.
Well, that’s just a few of the startup tasks involved with developing (and publicizing) your blog. Although there are so many more strategies to use as your blog grows. So I’ll be posting more information on this topic from time to time, which is a good reason to sign up for my updates.
And, for those of you that would like help with your blog (and blog traffic) immediately, contact me to discuss one of my blog services – either my “complete, customized blog development” services or my “blog review and suggestions” consultations.
Here’s to creating your own fabulous blog buzz,
Carmen, “The Publicity Diva”
How do you become a famous photographer?
This is a question I was asked to answer for Task.fm. So, I wanted to share my answer with everyone…
This is a very tough question to answer in just one simple article. However, I believe the fundamentals should be fairly simple to follow. So, I’m answering this question in several parts because it’s not just about the “how,” but also about the “why” behind what you do.
First, let’s take a close look at your photography skill level. If your photos aren’t “speaking” to others (or moving them in some way), then you should address this area immediately. If your strength is not in taking some amazing pictures, a higher level clientele won’t use you. If you are just starting out, this is the perfect time to take some classes, practice your craft, get feedback from others, and invest in the right equipment. But, for the sake of this article, let’s assume you are at the level you should be to take it to the top.
Your next issue will be in knowing who makes up your perfect audience. This is the one area that gets tricky and stumps so many business owners. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that “everyone” is their audience. But, if your desire is to be a famous photographer, you should be very choosy about who you want to attract (even in the beginning). Dealing with the right type of clientele from the get go will often set the tone for what type of people will seek you out. An example of this would be – if you start out taking pictures of babies or family portraits, this is what you will be known for… forever. But, if you start out taking photos of celebrities or what we like to call the “in” crowd, your reputation will establish you as the “expert” at what you do… from the start.
Most businesses, including photographers, will typically start marketing using the same techniques used by everyone else. Although this may sound logical, doing so will make you appear the same and not set you apart. And, given you want to be a famous photographer, that’s not good! It’s very important to stay focused from the beginning in order to build a high-profile image of your business.
So instead of offering a “free” sitting or advertise in the local papers, think of ways that are unusual and targeted to a higher clientele. Some ideas to get you started might be getting active with some of the local charities higher-profile people support. Another idea would be to display your photographs in a photography art exhibit. Very few photographers take the time to exhibit in these and they are perfect for meeting some very elite people.
Speaking of local elite audiences – find your local celebrities and hang out where they hang out. This might be news anchors, politicians, CEO’s of big corporations, sports figures, etc. If you do a little investigation you’ll find the “hot spots” where these high-profile people gather. A lot of times it’s just a matter of finding a well-attended event and taking your camera to snap some photos. If your photos are exquisite, you best believe any celebrity (whether local or international), will want to see the results. In turn, if you have established yourself with this crowd, they will definitely be willing to hand over their contact information.
So, what do you do with all these celebrity type photos if they don’t purchase? Well, this is how you build a great portfolio. Just think of the image you’ll present when showing others your work!
One last item to think about is keeping “you” in the spotlight, too. While you’re hanging out with all the “celebs,” be sure to get a picture of you with the celebrity, too. This makes for a great mention in the press and will keep you in the news, too.
So, as you can see, there is a lot of strategizing that should be done, and protecting your image is crucial for reaching your goal. It’s not merely a marketing, publicity, or business decision to become the best, but more a combination of everything with the right purpose in mind… right from the start.
May all your dreams come true and your fame become huge!
Carmen, The Publicity Diva
P.S. If you’d like to view this answer on the Task.fm site, go to http://task.fm/2011/11/how-do-you-become-a-famous-photographer/
The real (surprising) reason why some customers leave!
When business is slow, it’s easy to think customers have moved to cheaper products or decided to do without the services you offer altogether.
However, it’s a good idea to survey present and recently departed customers in order to check the pulse of your business, particularly during such times.
You’ll probably discover some customers didn’t like the level of service provided. I know that’s not pleasant to hear, but complaints of any kind are good. They give you a starting point for improvement.
Many former and present customers are nice people who don’t want to complain, and these are the exact people you need to talk to.
Studies have shown that for every person who registers a complaint, there are a couple of dozen others who don’t say anything at all.
So, something as simple as having conversations with your customers will show that you really care about them and they will be more loyal to you in the future.
Oh, so true!
To your success,
Carmen, “The Publicity Diva”
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