As a virtual assistant, you know how important it is to have an online presence. Making yourself visible in as many places as possible is important for anyone in business. If you have the skills, you can be an Internet marketer and help others. If you have never been on the Internet you are living in the Stone Age. The cyber world is filled with businesses with virtual storefronts, advertising and people talking on forums and in real-time. Those businesses want to know what those people are talking about so they can tailor their advertising to bring in sales. That is where you come in as an Internet marketer. The Market Every online business needs a marketing plan. The plan is designed to get the products or services in front of the millions of people surfing the Web each day. Unless people know about the product and its advantages, they will buy from someone else. Implementing a marketing plan takes time and effort that many business owners just don’t have with all of the other jobs on their plate. There are no easy shortcuts to Internet marketing success. Most business owners use the trial and error method to see what works. With the help of an expert Internet marketer, that process gets a whole lot easier. As a virtual assistant Internet marketer, you can make the difference between creating a powerful new brand and obscurity. Virtual assistants who can function as Internet marketing experts are in high demand. You take the pressure off of companies both small and large that want to concentrate on their product or service. It is your job to draw the traffic to the site to see the products. Some of the tasks you can perform as an Internet Marketing VA include, but are not limited to: - Article marketing
- Pay per click advertising (PPC)
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Email campaigns
- Direct mailing campaign
- Keyword research
- Social networking
- Link building
Your clients may have an idea of where they want to start with their marketing plan or they may not. It takes a combination of marketing tools to increase the visibility of a business online and off. For the business owner who doesn’t have time to explore and learn each one, the virtual assistant Internet marketer (that’s you) already possesses these expertise and can hit the ground running with a plan to get the business going online. Each of these areas is a part of Internet marketing but you don’t have to offer each service. You may be interested in email campaigns or search engine optimization. You can further niche into these areas to build foolproof campaigns no business can ignore. Build your business by bringing business to others as a virtual assistant Internet marketer. As the industry grows, you will profit from being on the forefront of technology and an expert in your field.
We're a society of want-it-nowers, always looking for instant results. We love our credit cards, microwaves and drive-thrus too much for this mentality not to creep into our online marketing activities. It takes time to build a list, to put out good content, to be seen as an expert in your niche. Conversion of the leads you capture through social media is almost never immediate. One of the most frequent complaints I hear from small business owners looking to get more clients and customers by building an online presence is that it "takes too much time." "Oh, yeah, that would be nice but I just don't have the time." Many of these people have an existing offline business and are either struggling to attract more business, or are burning themselves out dealing with day to day responsibilities, endless networking meetings, seeing one-on-one clients and generally putting out fires. Therefore, adding online marketing into the mix sounds like one more "thing" they just can't imagine juggling. The irony is that the internet can provide the leverage that would allow these small business owners and solopreneurs some of the relief they are so desperate for. It's not a magic pill and it does take time. (I know, they don't want to hear that.) The other group consists of those who are trying to build an online business and grow impatient with not seeing those quick results. Sorry, but it's not going to happen that way. In my experience, success comes as the result of consistently doing small, sometimes boring tasks day in and day out. You might not see any fruit from your labor for weeks or months on end. But it is a result of those consistent actions that momentum will build and progress will be made. This is especially true with social media. "But I have 5,768 followers and 2,987 friends! No one is buying from me!" "I've been on Twitter for 2 months and I'm not making any money!" In this case, it's not only time, but what you are spending your time doing there. Are you providing value, having conversations, driving traffic outside of these sites? Yes, there is a lot to learn--but there is so much information available out there. Online marketing and social media can be absolutely amazing for your business IF you are willing to learn how to do it right and make the investment of time. What are you spending your time on? © 2009 Communicate Value. All Rights Reserved. Christine Gallagher, The Online Marketing and Social Media Success Coach, is founder of Communicate Value, where she is dedicated to teaching small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelming aspects of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. To get your F.R.E.E. 5-Part E-Course and receive her weekly marketing & success articles on leveraging technology, building relationships and boosting your profits, visit http://communicatevalue.com.
When it comes to one on one clients, I often see solo professionals either exhausted from working with them all the time--or frustrated and not making the money they want because they are focused on selling services or products at the highest price point they offer. If this sounds familiar, you may adore your clients and love helping them, but are feeling burnt out or stuck because one on one sessions are all you are offering. So what's the solution? Leveraging your time and talent by diversifying the ways you earn income in your business. One of the greatest things about running all or part of your business online is how easy it is to do this. Let's be honest, it's no fun when a few of your clients all quit in the same month and you're left scrambling to replace that income.Similarly, if you are finding prospects saying they can't afford what you offer, you still don't want to lose them completely. They've shown interest in you already--wouldn't it be great to still be able to help them at a price they are willing to pay?
Some marketers refer to this as the "funnel" system of marketing and it is really quite clever. Because not only does it allow you to still be able to make a sale, if you've provided them value at that lower price point, they are more likely to come back and buy from you repeatedly--and at higher prices. So what do these multiple streams look like and why are they considered leveraged? It is all about reaching more people without spending more of your time. Here are some specific examples: E-books: These are simple to create. Just PDF a Word document and you're good to go. This type of offering is usually the lowest priced item in the funnel (often between $17 and $47 depending on how comprehensive they are), and the best thing about it is that you write it once but sell it over and over. This is definitely a smart use of your time. Teleseminars: All you really need is a phone for this. There are plenty of free conference call services that also record the calls for you. Once you have a recording, you can also sell that as a product afterward or offer it as a bonus with another offering. Teleseminars can be done as a one-off call or a series of calls. Group coaching/training or e-coaching: We all have valuable knowledge we could teach and share with others. Believe that others would be very willing to pay to learn what it is you know! A great way to accomplish this is to train or teach a group of people all at the same time. This can be done by phone, interactively by webinar, or even by email. Membership sites: Sometimes referred to as continuity programs, these are private sites that people pay a fee, usually monthly, to be a part of. It's a way to provide useful, exclusive content to paying members and it's a win-win: they get valuable tips, lessons and strategies from an expert and you get paid consistently and by multiple members. Affiliate marketing: Have you used products you've loved and would be happy to rave to others about? Consider becoming an affiliate if a program for that product is offered. Essentially, because you are helping to spread the word for the creator of that product, they are giving you a percentage of the sales they make. Pretty easy! Next time you are stressed over a lack of clients or simply worn out from one on one appointments, commit to getting going on at least one of these streams. If you still need convincing, think about all the time it will help you free up to be with friends and family. After all, isn't that what it's all about? © 2009 Communicate Value. All Rights Reserved. Christine Gallagher, The Online Marketing and Social Media Success Coach, is founder of Communicate Value, where she is dedicated to teaching small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelming aspects of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. To get your F.R.E.E. 5-Part E-Course and receive her weekly marketing & success articles on leveraging technology, building relationships and boosting your profits, visit http://communicatevalue.com.
You've picked the domain, decided on the design and started posting great content that showcases your expertise. The hard work is over, right? Not exactly--after all, you need people to actually read that useful content that you're diligently cranking out. So how do you get those eyeballs to your site? There are literally hundreds of ways to drive traffic to your blog or website, but here I will highlight just a few of the ways to drive traffic and generate interest in what it is you have to offer. Write articles: Most of the article directories online are free to submit your articles to. They usually allow you to add a resource box at the end, which can include a blurb about you and your business and a link back to your site. Some of the directories I like to use include EZine Articles, Go Articles, Idea Marketers and Articles Base. Comment on other blogs: When you comment on other high-traffic blogs in your niche you not only get a link back to your own site, you're also boosting your site's visibility in front of the blog owner and the others leaving comments. Social media: Provide links to your latest posts on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and invite your friends and followers to leave their thoughts on the particular topic in the comments. You don't want to do this for every post as it might be viewed as spamming--but it's perfectly acceptable to occasionally encourage others to click through and read a post you feel particularly proud of. Also, be sure to include your site's URL in all of your profiles. Hold a contest: A great way to generate interest in your site is to hold a contest where the entries are comments left on your post. For example, you could give away someone else's product in exchange for writing a post about it and then publicize the contest through your social networks. Email signature: Most of us send numerous emails in any given day--capitalize on this by adding a link to your site in your signature line. Basic SEO: You don't need to be super-knowledgeable about search engine optimization to benefit from it. If you use the Wordpress blog platform, install the All in One SEO Pack plugin. This post gives some simple and easy to understand tips on SEO in general. Post in forums: Many online forums and message boards will allow you to use a short signature line at the end of your posts. You can include a link to your site here. Blog directories: A simple Google search will reveal that there are many blog directories online where you can list your site for free. These sites are important because they provide a way to get links to your site--which boosts your ranking in the search engines. A good list of some of the best directories is here. Guest post: Reach out to fellow bloggers in your niche and offer to guest post for them. Make sure you find out specifically what kind of topics they are looking for and that your audiences both compliment each other. Offer them a spot guest posting on your blog as well. Link to other blogs: It's a good idea to give "link love" to other bloggers by mentioning them in post once in awhile and providing a link to their site. Think of it as good blogging "karma."
Post valuable content regularly: I've saved what is probably the most important strategy for last. Many times, this is what makes the difference between blogs that succeed and those that fail. The above tips are effective for sure, but in the long run this is what will keep people coming back for more as well as draw new readers in. © 2009 Communicate Value. All Rights Reserved. Christine Gallagher, The Online Marketing and Social Media Success Coach, is founder of Communicate Value, where she is dedicated to teaching small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelming aspects of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. To get your F.R.E.E. 5-Part E-Course and receive her weekly marketing & success articles on leveraging technology, building relationships and boosting your profits, visit http://communicatevalue.com.
Recently, Tweetdeck announced an upgrade and this made a lot of people very, very happy. The reason? Tweetdeck used to experience some bugs and Adobe Air did not make that any easier. Now, Tweetdeck is back with an improved interface and a fabulous new iPhone app.
However, some people are still perplexed at why one should use Tweetdeck over just going straight to a browser, accessing it via a mobile device or using something over Tweetdeck.
Here are three ways to use Tweetdeck to improve your Twitter experience:
1. Categorize Your Twitter Followers
Tweetdeck has these things called "groups" and you can setup as many of them as you want. Once setup, you have the ability to then list them in columns for easy access and so you can see them at all times. Some of the columns I recommend include: clients, team, favorites, tech tips, etc. Categorize the things that are most important so you can converse with your rock stars in a much easier way.
2. Use Tweetdeck to Clear Replies You've Seen
Do you ever find your @ replies just get to be overwhelming? If so, use Tweetdeck to "mark them as read" so that you know you've either seen it or actioned it and you can now move on. The worst thing about the browser interface is that you can often forget if you've replied or not and then spend a lot of time going back into your history. Tweetdeck eliminates that.
3. Setup Notifications to Play When Tweets Come In Directed at You
Now, some people may find this distracting but as more and more people use Twitter as their primary means of communication, you can use Tweetdeck to be notified immediately as to when someone mentions your name or messages you directly. This will help you stay on the top of your game without being too distracted by e-mail and telephone.
These are just three ways that you can use Tweetdeck to improve your Twitter experience. It helps with automation, ease of use and helps to keep that conversation going.
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Erin Blaskie is the owner of Business Services, ETC - A Global Internet Marketing & Implementation Firm. Her company helps businesses from around the world take their practice online and create huge success using various internet marketing tactics. Erin herself has been featured in three print books (”Becoming an Online Business Manager” by Tina Forsyth, “My So-Called Freelance Life” by Michelle Goodman, and “The Official AWE Emerging Trends Guide 2009” compiled by the Association of Web Entrepreneurs), honored as Office Arrow’s 2008 Runner-Up Business Woman of the Year, interviewed by countless gurus and media personalities (John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing, Sheri McConnell, Stacy Karacostas, Gina McNew) and featured in major news publications (ABCNews.com, Ottawa Citizen and Employment Journal).
You have heard it before, no doubt: people buy from those they know, like and trust--often referred to as the "KLT factor" for short. This is something that needs to be established over time, and the way to begin the process is to capture website visitors' contact information so you can begin building a relationship with them.
With so many people requesting your email address on the internet, it's not enough anymore to simply offer a newsletter in exchange for the information--and it's certainly not enough to ask for the information without providing anything in return.
Enter the "fr*ee taste." It's not likely a person new to your website is going to buy on the first visit, especially a product or service with a higher price point. (In fact, it is often said that a person needs to see your message 7 to 12 times before they decide to buy from you.) What they are really looking for is a risk-fr*ee introduction to what your business is all about, and whether it can help solve their most pressing problems. This no-cost offering can take on many forms, but here are some of the most common:
An e-course: This works best when you use an autoresponder service such as Constant Contact or AWeber. You can write up 5 to 10 lessons and have them go out over a period of a week or two. The lessons do not have to be long, they just need to convey your expertise on a topic your target market is eager to learn about.
A free report: Again, no need to go super in-depth with this--one idea is to write up a list of recommended resources in your niche. You could also compile a list of "top ten tips" or create a checklist for how to do something. Simply turn it into a PDF download when you're done.
An audio file: If you'd rather speak than write, you can record an audio for others to download. Many people would rather listen than read, so this can be an enticing option for your website visitors.
Along with this complimentary offering, people will still receive your newsletter or e-zine. You simply tell them that for signing up they will get a subscription to it along with their fr*ee gift. A newsletter is what will continue to build and strengthen your relationship with your subscribers over time. If you write a blog, it can work the same way--provide consistent, good content for the people who subscribe to your RSS feed. This way, when you make those paid offers down the road, they will be much more likely to take you up on it.
The bottom line? Valuable content + familiarity breeds more sales! :)
© 2009 Communicate Value. All Rights Reserved.
Christine Gallagher, The Online Marketing and Social Media Success Coach, is founder of Communicate Value, where she is dedicated to teaching small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelming aspects of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. To get your F.R.E.E. 5-Part E-Course and receive her weekly marketing & success articles on leveraging technology, building relationships and boosting your profits, visit http://communicatevalue.com.
With social media fever running at an all-time high, it's easy for people to lose sight of the fact that these tools are only one part of an overall online marketing strategy.
While Tweeting, Facebooking and the like are fantastic methods, they are not the only game in town. For best results, you will want to have a varied mix of marketing tools in play all at once.
However, it is worth mentioning that before you even start implementing any marketing strategies, you'll want to be crystal clear about whom it is you are trying to reach. What is your niche? Who is your target market and what is it that they want? What is your message to them? This is a point of "stuckness" for many clients and it does take work to discover. But once you have that, reaching them becomes a whole lot easier.
At that point, much of your job centers on driving traffic to your website or blog so that prospective clients or customers can find out more. (You DO have a site, don't you?) One of the best ways to increase the chances that someone will eventually buy from you is to build an email list. Essentially, you want to have a way to capture people's email address and first name so that you may keep in touch with them, build trust, and make offers in the future. It's a good idea to entice people to provide their information by offering something in exchange, such as a free report or email course. Then, keep yourself on their radar by sending them a weekly or bi-weekly email newsletter.
Social media is an awesome way to drive traffic and build your list, but it is only one way. Consider these other techniques as well (just a few of many):
*Writing and submitting articles to article directories like Ezinearticles.com
*Commenting on high traffic blogs and forums
*Guest blogging
*Offering free teleseminars
*Being a podcast or internet radio guest
*Utilizing your email signature
*Pay Per Click (Google Adwords)
*Implementing basic Search Engine Optimization on your site
It's beyond the scope of this article, but you should be sure you are using some form of a launch strategy when you are ready to begin selling a new service or product. Unfortunately, "if you build it they will come" does not apply to online businesses. You need to create an increasing buzz and sense of excitement about your upcoming offer in order to increase the chances that people will buy. This is known as the "pre-launch," and it can make a huge difference in the number of sales that you make.
One final area I'll mention is copy. Copywriting is a great skill to learn in order to make your sales pages really effective. Your words matter and they can have a tremendous effect on a person who is considering purchasing from you. There are plenty of resources available to learn about this, and you don't have to become a master of it. Knowing and using a few key techniques can go a long way.
So, be a well-rounded marketer. Use sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube along with the other strategies I've suggested and the results you are looking for--more traffic, more subscribers, more clients, more sales and more money--will certainly follow.
© 2009 Communicate Value. All Rights Reserved.
Christine Gallagher, The Online Marketing and Social Media Success Coach, is founder of Communicate Value, where she is dedicated to teaching small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelming aspects of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. To get your F.R.E.E. 5-Part E-Course and receive her weekly marketing & success articles on leveraging technology, building relationships and boosting your profits, visit http://communicatevalue.com.
Video is one of the hottest things right now on the web. How hot? In March 2009, web information provider comScore released their data regarding the consumption of online video. Their report showed that Internet users in the U.S. watched 14.5 billion online videos during the month--an increase of 11% over February's numbers. Their report also indicated for March that 78% of the U.S. web audience viewed video online, averaging 97 videos per viewer during the month.
With these staggering numbers many more people are exploring how they can add online video to their marketing mix. Why use video for marketing? Because it's the next best thing to communicating face to face with potential clients and customers and building up trust. It's also fantastic for driving traffic and can be done for virtually no cost. Here are a few tips to get you started:
1. Get a Flip camcorder. A Flip is a pocket-size digital video recorder that's both easy to use and very affordable. You simply point, record and then upload the video right to your computer via USB. If you are just looking to get going with video, this is a great way to do it. They even have HD versions of their cameras and the ability to personalize them with colors and designs.
2. Check out free screencasting software. Not ready to put yourself in front of the camera yet? You can still create videos starring your voice and your computer screen with these free services online. Two I recommend and use are Screentoaster and Jing. These are perfect for creating short tutorials for e-learning purposes that you can then upload to your blog or video sharing sites. All you need is a microphone--I use the headset I have for Skype.
3. Get an account on YouTube, Viddler or Vimeo. These are video services where you can upload, enhance and share your videos for free. YouTube is nice for creating your own channel on a page you design yourself. Just grab the code they supply to embed video on your own webpage. Vimeo has a really attractive and streamlined player, and Viddler offers in-video tagging and commenting. There are many other choices for video hosting, including Facebook. Check out the different options and decide which one works best for you.
4. Direct viewers to your site. Don't forget to mention your website in the actual video at the beginning and end or add text displaying the URL. You will also want to add your website in your profile as well as any place you are able to type in a description of the particular video.
Video can be a very extensive topic as well as intimidating for a lot of people. I'm only recently beginning to experiment with it beyond the basics myself. Start with these steps and don't think you need to create lengthy or fancy clips. In fact, short, content-rich videos are your best bet.
To start out, aim for 90 seconds to two minutes in length where you offer a few tips or teach people how to do something. Minimize any background noise and make sure you have sufficient lighting in the room and you'll be ready to go!
© 2009 Communicate Value. All Rights Reserved.
Christine Gallagher, The Online Marketing and Social Media Success Coach, is founder of Communicate Value, where she is dedicated to teaching small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelm of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. To get your F.R.E.E. 5-Part E-Course and receive her weekly marketing & success articles on leveraging technology, building relationships and boosting your profits, visit http://communicatevalue.com.
Writing an e-book is tough, the process is long and there are many decisions you have to make along the way.
But writing is just half the job. If you’re self-publishing, after you’re done writing, you have to promote and market it, too.
One of the best tools to use when working on a project as large as writing an e-book is a checklist. It helps you figure out what you should be doing, where you’re heading and how far along in the process you are.
Here’s a checklist I found, created by people who are experienced in e-book writing and marketing. They’ve allowed me to share it with you.
To download the checklist, click the following link:
http://blogenergizer.com/wpmain/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/download.php?id=129
By now, you know that being active on social media sites is a great way to drive traffic to your website or blog. But what happens once those people have arrived at your site?
You need to have a way to capture those prospects before they click away forever. Having good content for them to enjoy once they land there is only one part of the equation. You want to offer them a way to provide their email address so that you have permission to keep in touch and build an ongoing relationship with them.
Once you've captured their information, you then have a way to present any future events, offerings or opportunities to them. But first you've got to hook them in! Here are the keys to accomplishing that.
Have a sign-up form for them to input at least their first name and primary email address. If you are using an email marketing service such as AWeber, Constant Contact or any other which provides autoresponders, you can easily create what is known as an "opt-in box" form and copy the code directly onto your website. I personally use AWeber, and they provide instructions for creating the form as well as the HTML code.
Place the sign-up box in a prominent place. Studies have shown that one of the most effective places to put the box is in the upper right-hand corner of the page "above the fold." This simply means that you don't want to make the person have to scroll down to see your form. When they visit your site you want their eyes to be drawn immediately to it. A good idea is to have the box stand alone without any distracting images or text around it.
Make it very clear what visitors need to do. In this case, simpler is better. The less choices people are given, the more likely they are to sign up. Describe what it is they get for giving you their information, have a place for their name and email address, a blurb on your privacy policy and a submit button.
Give an incentive for signing up with you. These days, people are bombarded with information and offers online. You need to have a compelling reason for people to hand over their information. In exchange for doing so, give them some type of freebie--a special report, an e-course, an audio file or something else that will appeal to them. Keep in mind that this offering does not have to be incredibly comprehensive. You can still put together something of value without it taking you more than a couple of hours to create.
Offer the ability to sign up on every page of your site. Because you never know from which page people will enter your website or blog, be sure to place your form not only on the home page, but each page that makes up your site.
Now, when you drive all of that social media traffic that's hungry for more of what you offer, you have a way to continually keep in contact with them. They've decided to come and check you out--don't leave them without a clear next step!
© 2009 Communicate Value. All Rights Reserved.
Christine Gallagher, The Online Marketing and Social Media Success Coach, is founder of Communicate Value, where she is dedicated to teaching small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelm of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. To get your F.R.E.E. 5-Part E-Course and receive her weekly marketing & success articles on leveraging technology, building relationships and boosting your profits, visit http://communicatevalue.com.
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