Many individuals fail to realize success simply because they’re never in the right mood at the right time. Perhaps you have a press release that needs to be written. But, since you’re tired and your back hurt, you decide to lie down for a bit and work on the press release tomorrow.
When tomorrow comes, you’re stressed out because you got into a fight with your daughter. You definitely need some time to cool off and decide that the press release can wait one more day.
When the third day arrives, you sit down, but you just can’t get into the flow. You have writer’s block and can’t think of a single word to write.
Suddenly a week goes by and you haven’t accomplished a thing. You’re depressed, stressed out and deflated.
It takes quite a bit of courage and discipline to act in spite of how you are feeling. However, in order to take action, no matter how you are feeling, there are a few tips to keep in mind.
1) Write down what you want to accomplish the following day. Your list shouldn’t be overwhelming or impossible to achieve. It’s should be a simple 3 to 5 items that you absolutely promise yourself that you will accomplish. A written action plan keeps you on track especially when you’re not in the mood to work.
2) Focus on the act of completing the project. Stop worrying about how you are feeling and the present moment and focus as opposed to focus on finishing your written action plan. Think about how you’ll feel once you accomplish your task and how happy and proud you will feel that you finished an important job.
3) Just Do It! Nine times out of ten, if you just dive in and start on your task, you’ll end up finishing it. Starting it always the hardest part. However, if you just start writing that press release and stop worrying about the fact that you’re tired, chances are you’ll finish it up in no time at all.
So, the next time that you “just don’t feel like it,” remember this three-step plan. Create your plan of action, focus on how you’ll feel when you finish your task and dive in. You’ll be incredibly proud of yourself in the end.
Although public relations is incredibly accessible and simple, it remains the most underutilized marketing tools for today’s small business owner.
The main reason is that a large percentage of small business owners simply haven’t taken the time to learn the rules and regulations of this game called Public Relations.
But, here’s the good news. The public relations game isn’t very hard to play. Unlike the card game of Bridge (which can take a lifetime to learn and perfect), the game of public relations is relatively simple.
If you want to get into the PR game, here are three rules that you must understand:
1. You Need To Know How To Win The Game. Believe it or not, most small business owners don’t understand how to win in the PR game. Yet, winning is a very simple and straight-forward process: the winner of the PR game provides the public with an interesting, captivating and compelling story. Game over.
2. The Media Decides Who Will Sit At Their Table. When it comes to playing with the media, you can’t just waltz over and sit down at their table. You need to be invited. That being said, you will only be invited if you have a story that benefits them. Believe it or not, the media isn’t interested in you; they are only interested in winning the game.
Therefore, you can increase your chances of getting invited to their table by providing them with a winning story about you and your small business that they simply can’t refuse.
3. Flexibility Is the Name Of the Game. The fact is, that the media can (and will) change their mind. They can postpone, change or completely dump a story. You really don’t have any say in the matter. So, instead of getting upset and angry, decide right here and now that if you play with the media you will always be a flexible team-player.
As you can see, the Public Relations is a fairly simple game to play. And, once you understand the rules, it won’t take long for you to become a top-player.
Many small business owners hop onto Twitter and aren’t quite sure how to find people to follow. So, they simply start following anyone and everyone. Of course, they’re hoping that 50% of these people will follow them back and that their Twitter following will grow beyond their wildest dreams.
One of the most important aspects of Twitter is building a “targeted” Twitter following. Keep in mind that it’s more important to have 500 targeted Twitter followers (related to your industry) than 5,000 general followers (unrelated to your industry).
The best way to begin to build a targeted following list is to follow Tweeters in your own industry. If 50% of your target market follows you back, then, and only then, have you struck gold.
Here Are 6 Ways For Finding Tweeters To Follow:
1) Follow Those You Respect and Admire. This is always a great place to start. Begin following anyone whom you respect, admire or simply want to establish a Twitter relationship with.
2) Follow @MrTweet. He will send you personalized recommendations of people for you to follow.
3) Follow Your Competitors. Remember, you want to keep an eye on your competitors, therefore, follow any competitors within your own industry.
4) Use The Search Tool In An Outside Application. If you sign up for a free account with SocialOomph, you will have access to their search tool. Once you enter the search term that relates to your industry, SocialOomph will present you with hundreds (if not thousands) of targeted people to follow.
4) Perform a Twitter Search. Twitter has its own “search tool” that you can access at: http://search.twitter.com You can type in keywords to locate Tweeters in your industry or locality.
5) Perform an Advanced Twitter Search. If you are interested in performing an advanced search, you can go to: http://search.twitter.com/advanced This allows you to highly customize your search based on your keyword specifications.
So, instead of following any Tweeter that you can find, refine your efforts and follow those who are related to your particular industry. This will ensure that you won’t be Tweeting in vain.
Is blogging a tool only available to the gifted and talented writers of this world? Absolutely not!
Always remember that one of the best parts of blogging is that there are no “hard and fast” rules. Here are a few points to keep in mind that will help you off on the right foot:
* Offer fresh, unique content often (at least 2x per week).
* Present information informally; your tone should be personal, yet professional.
* Provide useful information to your subscribers (latest updates, news, and topics in your industry) so that they see you as an expert in your field.
* Provide a place for busy, over-stimulated individuals to find the information that they are looking for quickly and efficiently.
Even if you hate writing, you can still maintain a successful small business blog. Here are seven blogging strategies for the non-writer:
1) Create video blog posts. Instead of writing a blog post, you simply videotape yourself (using a video camera) or your computer screen (using free screen capture software such as Camstudio ). You upload the video to your blog and you have created a video post.
2) Create an audio post. You can also use audios on your blog as well. Again, you record your voice using a microphone and voice editing software. Once you have uploaded your audio file to your blog, you’ve created an audio post.
3) Ask your blog/ezine subscribers to write guest blog posts for you. Once you have a subscriber database, you can send out an email asking for guest bloggers. You would be surprised how many individuals are willing to write a guest blog post to create exposure and visibility for their own business.
4) Hire someone to write the content for you. Believe it or not, many small business owners hire “ghostbloggers” to write blog posts for them. This option works best if you don’t have much time and have the funds to outsource the work. You can hire a ghostblogger through guru.com or elance.com Just make sure that they are fully qualified, dependable and sign an agreement that all the content they provide to you is copyrighted and owned by your company.
5) Use Private Label articles. Private label articles are niche articles written for the general public to use. You are allowed to take the article, tweak it so that it reflects your own voice and writing style and upload it to your blog. Obviously, you will need to take the time to find appropriate articles and edit them, but you will never again face the daunting task of coming up with fresh content. To find Private Label articles, you can use a company such as easyplr.com or simply do a Google Search using the term Private Label articles to find additional options.
6) Use article directories. There are hundreds of article directories on the internet that have published articles on every imaginable category. As long as you keep the article fully in-tact and reproduce the full biography of the writer, you can use the article as a blog post. Some of the best article directories are:
1) ezinearticles.com
2) ideamarketers.com
3) articlebase.com
4) buzzle.com
5) searchwarp.com
6) articlealley.com
7) goarticles.com
8) amazines.com
9) webpronews.com
10) articleset.com
7) Advertise for guest bloggers. Let other bloggers know that you would like them to write guest blog posts for you blog. One of the best places to find guest bloggers is at bloggerlinkup.com There you can advertise (for free), that you are interested in obtaining guest blog posts.
So, whether you are a bonafide Ernest Hemingway or not, there are still ways that you can maintain a highly successful blog that will help build your small business on a shoestring marketing budget.
One of the main questions from small business owners regarding Twitter is, “What in the world do I Tweet about?”
You understand that millions of your prospects are on Twitter, you realize that your Tweets should be valuable and educational, but you’re just not sure what to send out to your followers through your Twitter stream.
Here are 50 Tweetable ideas tailor-made for the small business owner:
1) Share a relevant quote from your industry.
2) Link to your blog post.
3) Link to someone else’s blog post.
4) Share a link to a video at: www.TwitVid.com
5) Share industry tips.
6) Ask questions.
7) Answer questions.
8) Share a cool, new tool that you just discovered.
9) Start a new # discussion within your industry.
10) Join a # discussion within your industry.
11) Re-tweet relevant tweets that your followers will enjoy.
12) Share a picture at: www.TwitPic.com
13) Link to one of your published articles.
14) Link to someone else’s published article.
15) Share a link to one of your recent press releases.
16) Post updates while attending a conference.
17) Share a link to your podcast.
18) Let your followers know about an upcoming interview.
19) Brag about your favorite clients and customers.
20) Ask for help solving a problem.
21) Share a link to your online radio show.
22) Create informal mastermind groups at: http://grouptweet.com
23) Generate quick polls at: www.TweetPoll.com
24) Give away free stuff (ebooks, reports, audios, etc.)
25) Review a product pertinent to your industry.
26) Review a book relevant to your industry.
27) Set up a #TweetUp to meet your twitter friends in-person.
28) Offer great customer service.
29) Find Joint Venture partners.
30) Brag about a job well done by another company or individual.
31) Provide your expert opinion.
32) Tweet out your eZine.
33) Promote your live event.
34) Promote your virtual event www.Tweetvite.com
35) Showcase your work.
36) Promote your new product or ebook.
37) Host a contest.
38) Build relationships with bloggers.
39) Build relationships with PR people.
40) Share a link to your Hubpage: www.Hubpages.com
41) Share a link to your Squidoo lens: www.Squidoo.com
42) Announce the upcoming launch of a new product or service.
43) Redistribute content.
44) Share a link to a powerpoint presentation on www.SlideShare.com
45) Take questions from the audience whenever you participate in a teleseminar or conference.
46) Form a group for your customers and clients at: http://grouptweet.com
47) Tell an industry joke.
48) Rant about something not done well in your industry.
49) Solve a problem that your target market is facing.
50) Toot your own horn. There’s nothing wrong with a little self-promotion.
If you are going to get involved with Public Relations, then it’s smart to understand some of the rules surrounding the industry.
Here are ten glaringly obvious no-no’s when it comes to PR success:
1. Do not lie or mislead. If you are going to use public relations as a marketing tool, then you must commit to honesty, integrity and transparency. If you blatantly lie or mislead your audience, they will never trust you again. Trust is one of the most important cornerstones of small business success.
2. Do not procrastinate. Speed is of the essence when it comes to the media. There are constant due dates, timelines and deadlines to meet. Therefore, help the media promote you and your small business by keeping your appointments, sending in requests in a timely manner and meeting any and all deadlines.
3. Do not be inaccessible. Don’t ever make it difficult or cumbersome for the media to find your contact information. It should be crystal clear on your website how to email or call you; because, if the media can’t contact you, they can’t promote you.
4. Do not be boring. Stale stories and apathetic attitudes will quickly catapult your PR campaign into oblivion. Keep your marketing messages, pitches and interviews fun, lively and interesting.
5. Do not be long-winded. Short, sweet and directly to the point is what the media wants. If your marketing message or pitch takes three minutes to deliver, then shorten it. You must be able to tell your story in 30-seconds or less.
6. Do not chit-chat. Journalists, editors and other media professionals don’t have time to chit-chat about the weather…even if you do. Save your prattle for lunch with Aunt Gertrude.
7. Do not bribe. It is never appropriate to offer any sort of bribe in return for the media to run a story on you.
8. Do not use a “massive pitch” approach. Make a point to target media professionals who cater to your target market. In addition, as a courtesy, use their name and show them that you understand who they are and what their publication or show is about.
9. Do not get egotistical. The media isn’t interested in helping you make more sales or drive more visitors to your site. They are looking for an interesting story that will captivate their audience. So put your ego aside and put together a “pitch” that will benefit the media.
10. Do not get discouraged. The media isn’t always going to pick up your story – no matter how amazing you may think that it is. If you simply make one smart PR move every day, you’ll soon find your way to public relations success.
Video marketing through YouTube can be an incredibly powerful way to attract new business and customers for the small business owner operating on a shoestring marketing budget.
One of the reasons that video marketing is so effective is that prospective customers can actually “see you” which immediately helps establish a sense of trust for the consumer.
However, many business owners find YouTube to be too time-consuming and overwhelming. To keep your marketing time to a minimum, here are five tips that will streamline the time that you spend marketing on YouTube:
1) Shoot Five Videos in One Sitting
One of the most time-consuming parts of video marketing is setting up your camera, the lighting and other essentials. Instead of shooting five videos on five separate occasions, shoot five videos all at the same time. Each video only needs to be between 3 and 5 minutes.
Overall, if you spend 15- 25 in one sitting, you will save loads of set-up and take-down time.
2) Use An Outline
Never sit down and start talking. You need to have some sort of a plan before you begin shooting your video. Although you definitely don’t need a full-script, you do want to have a basic outline to follow. This will save you time, energy and plenty of frustration in the end.
You can type up a few bullet points and hang it from your video camera. This allows you to follow a general outline and sound more professional.
3) Upload Five Videos At Once
Instead of uploading a video on Monday and another on Wednesday, make it a point to load five videos in one sitting. The process of loading videos all at one time will save you roughly thirty minutes every week.
4) Do Not Be a Perfectionist
One of the top mistakes in video marketing is that individuals become overally perfectionistic when it comes to their videos. Then of course, they start over – again and again. I once had a client who shot 150 takes before he was happy with the results. Obviously, shooting videos over and over again will destroy your time-management efforts. Remember that your goal is not to shoot professional quality videos. Your goal is to relay important and relevant information to your audience.
In fact, many people appreciate the small quirks and imperfections that accompany video marketing. So, if you say a few “ummms” while you’re shooting your video, don’t despair. Your video will still perform just fine.
5) Don’t Get Lost in the YouTube “Black Hole”
When you log into your YouTube account, remember that you are there as a small business owner. You don’t want to fall into the trap of getting sidetracked with that cute little dog video or the latest Britany Spears debacle. You should log into Youtube with a sense of purpose.
In conclusion, don’t allow the YouTube marketing process to consume hours upon hours of your valuable time and energy. Because, if managed effectively, YouTube is a goldmine for marketing your business and can literally bring hundreds of free visitors to your website every single month.
Once you’ve built your blog, you may be tempted to believe that blog traffic will just magically start pouring in. Too bad it’s not that simple. If you do want more blog traffic (that result in more subscriptions), then you will want to be proactive in your marketing efforts.
The good news is that in today’s new media environment, it’s easier than ever to begin bringing visitors and traffic back to your blog.
Here Are 10 Simple Blog Traffic Strategies To Begin Generating Subscribers:
1) Facebook Fanpage. Add your blog feed to your Facebook Notes Tab so your fans are instantly notified via a status update whenever you make a new post.
2) Twitter. Add a Twitter plugin to your blog so that your Twitter followers receive automatic updates whenever you post to your blog.
3) LinkedIn. Add your blog feed to your profile (using the LinkedIn application) so your connections are can follow your blog posts on your profile page.
4) Blog Catalogs. You should add your blog to the top blog catalogs so that readers (or publishers) that are searching for specific blog topics can subscribe instantly to your blog.
5) Blog RSS Feeds. Add your blog to top RSS feeds so that individuals interested in your topic can easily subscribe to your blog feed.
6) Blog Carnivals. A blog carnival is a blog post that points to other blog posts all related to a specific topic. When you participate in a blog carnival you can often get a spike in new subscriptions. To find out more about blog carnivals go to www.blogcarnival.com
7) Your Signature. Make sure that you create a signature that contains a link to your blog. Of course, use that signature in all of your correspondence.
8) Comment Marketing. This is one of the oldest blog traffic strategies out there. But, it continues to work for many bloggers. Find about ten blogs related to your industry and subscribe to them (using an RSS feed like Google Reader). Create a routine in which you leave comments on the blogs every time they make a new post. In theory you will draw attention back to your blog through other readers and perhaps even from the bloggers themselves.
9) Forum Marketing. Visit forums in your industry, make valuable comments and contributions and insert a link to your blog in your signature.
10) Social Bookmarking. Use social bookmarking platforms to bookmark each of your blog posts as they are published.
If you continue to actively promote your blog using these simple platforms, you will undoubtedly notice a spike in traffic and a surge in subscriptions.
If you’re trying to court the media, you may find her to be elusive, difficult and fickle.
But, even if your media attempts have been less than desirable, don’t despair, there are several proven ways to catch the media’s eye and undivided attention.
Here are seven concepts that the media will always love:
1) Newsworthy Stories. The media is always looking for fresh, interesting and news-worthy stories. So stay away from boring, stale stories that only you (or your mother) care about.
2) Sex, Health and Money. This famous trio will always create interest and curiosity. If you can connect your small business story to sex, health or money, you’ll have the media eating out of the palm of your hand.
3) Conciseness. The media loves nothing more than short, sweet and to the point. Remember that today’s prospects are in a hurry and have incredibly short attention spans. Deliver your story as quickly and efficiently as possible.
4) Targeted Pitches. If you engage in a “mass pitch” approach, you’ll never have any luck. When you pitch the media, make sure that you are addressing the appropriate people, using their names and clearly proving how your story will help their audience.
5) Expertise. Demonstrate to the media that you are an expert in your industry. Provide educational links, blog posts and articles that you have produced so that the media will feel more confident showcasing your small business.
6) Tie-ins. Today’s media is constantly looking for ways to tie-in current events with innovative stories. When you tie-in newsworthy events about your small business to current trends and headlines you have a winning combination.
7) Mass Appeal. Make sure that your story appeals to as large a population as possible. The more people that are impacted by your story, the better.
Make sure that when you are dealing with the media that you are delivering what you know they love. When you do, you’ll soon find the media loving you right back.
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“The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.” – Oprah Winfrey
One of the most interesting phenomenas that I often encounter when working with new business owners is the interesting concept that they can “get-rich-quick.” They want something for nothing; a free-lunch. What a strange thought.
Business is not easy. That doesn’t mean that it’s not fun. In fact, I love every minute that I spend on my business. But, I’m the first to tell you that business success doesn’t happen while sitting on the couch, eating Doritos and watching Oprah. (I think that she would wholeheartedly agree!)
You need to work for your success. More than that, you need to work hard for you success. I don’t care what anyone tells you, if you don’t work hard on your business, at least in the initial stages, you won’t succeed. Period.
The sad fact is that people in our society are often looking for that quick-fix, instant gratification. When you look at our nation’s consumer debt, it’s clear that we want our things NOW, not later. When you look at our nation’s obesity problem, it’s clear that we want to enjoy our food NOW and worry about consequences later.
I am certainly guilty of the “instant gratification” life at times. I’m sure most people are. However, I also know that if I play now, I pay later. That’s true whether it comes to diet, exercise, debt and or small business success.
I once worked with a client who started his small business and quit in three-days time. He had a great business concept, a solid marketing plan and definitive goals. The one part that he was missing was that he wasn’t willing to put in the time to succeed. The crazy part is that I think he could have been a huge success had he stuck with his business.
When you go into business, you’re going to need to work. Whether you work from home or operate your own storefront; whether you own your own business or a franchise; whether you work on the internet or conduct business offline. It doesn’t matter. You need to work hard to succeed.
Business success is no different than every other part of life. We need to pay our dues now, in order to succeed later. Once you realize this, your business will take off like it never has before.
