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Archive for the ‘Express-It media Fusion’ Category

List Building for Bloggers

13 May

List Building for Bloggers eBook by Phil Hollows

The popular statement “the money is in the list” remains at the forefront of marketing as a tried-and-true strategy:

  • Relationships are developed through your list, as you share valuable content to inform, inspire and improve the lives in your target market.
  • Through your opt-in list, you create a personal relationship with your subscribers by being in touch with them on a regular basis.
  • By providing helpful content, you build your expert status in your niche.
  • In the list-building process, a loyal following is created, comprised of folks who are interested in what you say, and the products and services you offer.

An opt-in email list is one of your most valuable business assets. Although the need for developing a viable list is widely-recognized, folks are often unsure of the best strategies to use to build their audience. Others plunge into list-building, but feel the need to fine-tune their efforts, to be more effective.

I recently read a new eBook written by my friend Phil Hollows, founder of Feedblitz called “List Building for Bloggers.” At 190-pages, it is quite comprehensive, including how-to build your audience, increase engagement, and grow your income through proven email strategies. Just published this week, it has garnered the praise of Seth Godin, Mark David Gerson, Denise Wakeman and more…

Contrary to what some folks say, email is very much alive and well, and effectively used in marketing and communications! In fact, Phil addresses why email is not “dead” in these days of Social Media, along with common email fears and mythology. He explains how to effectively integrate your blog, Social media and email marketing with your list-building, while avoiding the spam-filter trap.

Lists don’t have to be large to be effective. In fact, when you are first starting a list, it may contain only a few names. Of course, the goal is to grow your list with your ideal client or customer. These are prospects qualified by their interest in what you have to share with them.

Once set up, growing your list ongoing is key. This is where more experienced folks often have a challenge. Phil explains keys to accelerating your list’s growth, and how to optimize your list.

But wait — there’s more! This eBook is not just about the mechanics of building a viable email list:

  • It also shares landing page and HTML email design tips.
  • Phil discusses “Personalization” for your email list, with ideas and how-to’s, to create a one-on-one experience for your subscribers.
  • Insight on: outsourcing; various pitfalls to avoid; several case studies
  • My personal favorite: The Top Ten Power Tips!

These are just some of the highlights contained in this info-packed eBook. As if this were not enough, Phil has also included a BONUS chapter: “How to Use Twitter for Real-time Lead Generation”

Building a list is not just for bloggers who want to grow a following for their great content! List-building is also for those who have physical products, services and information products to offer. Blogs provide an easy and effective way to accomplish this. There is always an array of available business tools and strategies to select from, and to incorporate in our marketing and communications efforts. The bottomline results are affected in how — and if — we use them, effectively.

I recommend Phil Hollow’s “List Building for Bloggers” eBook. This is a comprehensive and insightful guide for building your list, using email effectively, and growing your business — starting now!

For more information about List Building for Bloggers, or to purchase, click this link:

http://budurl.com/BloggersListBuilding

 

Biz Buzz Talk Radio Show Update

01 Mar

Biz Buzz Audio Update

Click on graphic, to hear message…

 

Using LinkedIn to Attract Great Clients

21 Feb

Using LinkedIn to Attract Great Clients

So Many Social Networks — SO Little Time and Business!

If you’ve been actively using social media for any period of time, you’ve probably heard about LinkedIn. Maybe you’ve established a profile there, hoping to make more contacts, and to attract business.

Whether or not you’re getting the most out of LinkedIn may be open for honest discussion, and serious review. Actually, the same holds true for virtually any social network. You may have an account and a profile on several of the popular social media platforms, but are you getting the most out of your many hours of effort spent scattered in social networking activities?

Each social network has specific strategies you must implement effectively, to optimize your presence and for actions taken. With LinkedIn, your profile plays a critical role in being easily located. Ideally, when someone searches with keywords that are specific to what you do, you want your profile to be found at least nearest the top of the search list.

Unfortunately, this is not the case for most people listed on LinkedIn. Only a fraction of active members are found based on keyword searches. Why? Because most are incredibly ambiguous in how they describe themselves, imprecise about who their market is, don’t clearly present their background and expertise.

Personal Branding and Positioning, Based Upon Your Expertise

Although some profiles appear to be intentionally  completed with very detailed, precise information geared for a specific area of expertise, countless others are not. One common element in a majority of profiles, is ambiguously identifying what the coach or consultant does, and who their target market is.

In the coaching industry, there are many types of ‘coaches’: life coaches, business coaches, executive coaches, marketing consultants, and more. Although some folks apparently believe this moniker is enough of an identifier to attract the right type of client, such is not the case if the specialty is not clearly defined nor supported by a precise presentation of expertise.

Questions left unanswered include: “What kind of coach are you, and for whom?” “Who are you a marketing consultant for? What industry and type of client do you serve?” A life coach for recently-divorced professional women differs greatly from a life coach for professional athletes. Obviously, a marketing consultant for the equestrian industry is very different than one for the entertainment industry.

If you ask most coaches and consultants what their major challenge in business is, they will often answer, “Attracting enough of the right kind of clients.” ‘The right kind of clients’ are those you and your expertise are a great match to serve and benefit them — they are your target market.

One solution to this challenge, is to be clear about who you are, the scope and benefits of the types of service(s) you provide, and who your ideal client actually is. To attract more than enough business, you have to be much more specific about who you are, and in what aspects you “an expert.”

Key to Attracting Great Clients: Your Mission, if You Choose to Accept it + Your Competitive Advantage

Today, there is a seemingly endless selection of coaches and consultants for any client to choose from. With so many coaches who are equally ambiguous about their business, a competitive advantage is easily created for you if you grasp it as such, and are willing to become more specific about your services. The more crystal-clear your vision and strategy are, the better your market positioning and business will be.

Some folks believe that by being too specific they are eliminating business. To an extent this is true, because in the process of fine-tuning, you are filtering out the potential clients that don’t match your services. By delineating the parameters within which you work, and the services you provide, the business becomes a better fit for you to attract the clients you want, by offering services that are your specialty, specifically geared for your identified market.

When you are viewed or acknowledged as an “expert” for a specific market or aspect, your efforts become more effective, resulting in a far greater return in “the right kind of clients” and more business. When you arrive at this point, it seems like you have an easier time attracting an abundance of clients for your practice or business, while that new business coming in to you is comprised of more of the type of clients you want to work with.

How to Get to “There” from Here: 2 Quick-Check Action Steps Checklists

If your business is not where you want it to be, start with the basics or give your business a check-up…

1) Ask yourself some serious personal branding and positioning questions:

  • Personal Branding: Who am I? What is my expertise?
  • Unique Positioning Statement: What is unique about what I do?
  • Target Market Identification: Who do I enjoy or want to work with?
  • Skill Set Identification: Who am I qualified to work with?

>>>>Action Step: Write the above items out. Use them as a framework to work from, as you move forward in building or amping-up your business. Consider if you have been presenting your services as you identify here.

2) Review and consider your LinkedInProfile, with your ideal client in mind (who hasn’t met you, but is looking for your services):

  • Your profile Information: Is your profile clear and specific about your expertise, services and market you serve?
  • Your Professional Differentiation and Placement in the Market: From the presentation of your expertise, will you stand out from the thousands of others who are vying for the same clients?
  • Your Accessibility and Placement in the Search Listings: Will potential clients easily locate you?

>>>>Action Step: If you answered “no” to any of the above questions, it’s highly advisable to rework your LinkedIn profile — soon. Test out to see what’s working for other experts by doing a profile search using keywords your potential clients would use, to find someone with your expertise. Note which experts rise to the top of a search. Review their profile, analyzing how they have positioned their expertise, and described the type of clients they work with. This is an eyeopener to be sure — but also an excellent guide to help you better establish yourself in your desired niche.

It’s All Up to You — It’s Your Business!

BUT — the Bottomline is still the Bottomline…

Reworking your profile is important and is not something that can be quickly hammered out, nor should it be put on your “someday I’ll do it” list. Why put it off — don’t you want to begin attracting more business immediately?!

To learn more about how to attract more of the right kind of business join in for the FREE New Horizons Telesummit, February 23th & 24th with an incredible gathering of 12 experts presenting on a variety of topics to help you develop your business: Marcia Bench, Jeff Herring, Bill Baren, Denise Wakeman, Viki Winterton will be joined by other leading experts where you will learn exactly what to do to create a successful coaching or consulting business.

Hope to see you there — I will be!

For More Information: New Horizons Telesummit Details + Your FREE Pass to Attend (click on this linked text here)

 

Blog-to-Book Projects

14 Feb

The trend continues…

In the world of user-generated content, blogs may seem to be fraught with random time-wasters, but leveraged properly, blogging offers the opportunity of book publishing, and media creation in many other formats, resulting from the effort.

In his latest Tech Diary, the Wall Street Journal’s Andy Jordan examines the current market for blog-to-book publishing, and looks at the possibility of profiting from user-generated content.

In this vid several scenarios are illustrated — from crowdsourcing a book, to single user-generated content producing a book project.

It is worthwhile to note here that not only can a book be published, but the content can be repurposed and repackaged into a variety of media projects, special reports, eBooks, eMagzines, etc….

 

Super Bowl Commercials: Social Media Extends the Reach

07 Feb

Super Bowl XLV has come, been enjoyed, now lives on in memory — and as no doubt a water cooler topic today. A huge draw for many, and an ongoing conversation-starter, centers around the now-infamous Super Bowl commercials. At a 30-second cost of $3,000,000, folks remain fascinated to see what the sponsors roll out as their finest offering, and most lasting message.

Although the ratings won’t be released until later today, it is expected that this year’s Super Bowl is the most-watched in history, surpassing the highest viewership in 1982, according to SportsGrid.com

Social Media played a large part in pre-promoting Super Bowl spots, as well as carrying further buzz after airing. Incorporating Social Media has extended the reach for advertising dollars invested by the sponsors, by building anticipation, creating awareness, establishing a following, and continuing communicating the message long afterward. That’s a lot of buzz!

An example of using Social Media to extend audience reach and to keep the message top-of-the-mind, is You Tube Ad Blitz 2011…

You Tube's Annual Gallery of Super Bowl Commercials

You Tube’s annual Super Bowl Gallery gallery of Super Bowl® commercials offers viewers an opportunity to view, share and vote on their favorite Super Bowl Commercials. Voting is open until February 14. You Tube promises “the winning ad will receive ultimate video glory with YouTube homepage recognition on Feb 19.”

This certainly does keep the buzz going, and incorporates Social Media (You Tube, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) as mediums to extend the reach of commercials, after airing.

In the truest Social Media form, You Tube – AdBlitz’s channel is fun, offers:

  • Helpful information – playoff coverage, about Super Bowl site, recipes, etc.
  • Visitor participation – viewing, voting, commenting, predictions
  • Some advertising – a soft-sell approach — onsite

Of course the Super Bowl ads are the center of attention on the page, but presented as a form of entertainment. In my view, this is an absolutely perfect application for You Tube.

It will be interesting to see how Social Media becomes incorporated as a more integral part of sponsorship packages on a wide scale basis, even beyond the Super Bowl, as the merits of reach and longevity beyond the paid-for 30-seconds of airing, are recognized.


Which is your favorite Super Bowl commercial? Please leave your comments here — and be sure to go vote: You Tube – AdBlitz’s channel

 

Korean Air TV Commercial 2010 – For life on a whole new scale

08 Nov

My favorite commercial — it’s art! It creates an intriguing expectation of an incredible experience.

An effective advertising campaign can be an integral part of branding, IF the advertiser lives up to the expectations created, and the reputation earned is reliably based upon the platform built.