ChrissyBiz Solutions Blog ©: small business tips

Showing posts with label small business tips. Show all posts

Winning The Battle with Content Marketing - You Can Do It!

It is amazing how fear can be a real obstacle for people to face. There are so many business owners and non profits that are actually doing many great things, yet hesitate to move their stories to the web. Why is that? It could be a few issues, but here are the most common I notice:

Not Enough Time

So much of content marketing is writing and finding information to write about. While we all have a niche where we direct our focus, it can also be time consuming to continue finding new inspiration. I can empathize with this, however, there is a solution. The very content that may seem to overhelm our inboxes is also the same resource we can use to produce more quality content.

Read printed publications in your niche to gather inspiration and information about current needs and concerns in your field. It is good to get away from the computer and read the newspaper or a magazine. They can offer a fresh perspective about your topic. You can then take the news, information, and content you've consumed and start to write down what you walked away with. If you have a question regarding what you read, it is likely someone else does too. Use that as inspiration for a new blog post or article.

Use the search functions of Twitter and Facebook to find out trending stories. There is almost always an angle you can take that is unique and relative to your target market. A quick long tail keywords search on Google will show you how differently people think when it comes to searching for information online. Don't think all the bases have been covered because it's not likely they have.

Overwhelmed By The Demands of Content Marketing

It is true that there are hundreds of websites coming online everyday, but that should not discourage you from keeping yours well and maintained with quality content that will increase your organic website traffic. Just because there are houses built daily, should we stop keeping up the appearance of our homes? Do real estate agents give up on selling older homes because of newer ones? Of course not.

Focus on what you are doing. Write down what you hope to accomplish in the next month, six months or year. Your content marketing is not like advertising where your ads run for a limited amount of time unless you add more money. What you write today can be seen on the internet as long as there is an internet, if done properly. Don't allow the size of the web to intimidate you! Someone, somewhere wants and needs to read about what you are writing about. Keep writing!

Remember the passion that you have for your product or service. Forget about trying to write something per se, and focus more on conveying your passion in your blogs and articles. I can guarantee you that your knowledge is far greater than you know. Just talking to friends or colleagues can be a good reminder of how much you actually do know. Write down notes about common questions you come across for future reference. Record yourself speaking about your product or service. Sometimes you get new ideas by simply hearing yourself talk about it.

Focus on Quality not Quantity

How many times have you read a great headline, clicked through to the website, only to find that the content was repetitive or poorly put together? While we want to be consistent with our content, it is more important to produce quality pieces that people will actually find useful, bookmark, and share.

Plan your content and how often you will publish it. If you are just starting out, do not be discouraged because someone else's blog is updated daily. By writing out your topics in bulk, when you do read new material and find new inspiration, it only adds to what you've already planned to write. The key is to produce content that will be useful for your readers. Here's a simple planning tool that will help you accomplish this.

Use your keyword research and discussions on Linkedin to help you stay abreast of what professionals need. I use Facebook, but it is not always the best resource when it comes to serious matters or finding quality information. StumbleUpon, Google News, Hubspot Blog (may absolute favorite), and a host of others really dig deep in their content and help get the creative juices flowing to inspire new content. You're not going to re-write what you read, rather use what you read as a seed for new ideas.

At the end of the day, we all have the basic need to solve problems in our lives and reduce pain. These are very powrful driving forces that can help any business in inspire, inform, and help their target market. In order to win the battle, you must first get started!

If you need helpful hints for your content and facts, sign up for the ChrissyBiz newsletter here. No spam ever. We also help small businesses and non profits write quality content for their websites, blog, and articles. We would love to hear from you and how we can be of service.

5 Technical Tips and Resources to Help Manage Your Website

It can be frustrating when you need to add something to your website or take something down, but
you do not know how to do it on your own. In fact, you already anticipate the hassle as you think of the easiest and fastest ways to make your website changes but you know it will require time you don't want to wait.

You do not have to be a webmaster to make many common changes, in fact, the evolution of the web has made it increasingly more simple to edit websites - if you know a few things.

Here's are 5 technical tips and resources to help make managing your website easier.

1. Website Code Editor - All websites are written in a special language, understanding a few rules about editing them is very helpful. There is no shortage of resources, but I personally have learned so much from W3 Schools. They offer HTML, CSS, Javascript, SQL, Jquery and PHP. You can thank me later if you aren't already aware of this gold mine. You can use this for quick references and also to teach yourself over time. Great resource!

2. Social Media Sharing Buttons - I remember my very first website and having to download icons for each social media platform I wanted to put on my site, then having to code them manually, extremely time consuming. Not any more! You can generate a code for all of the social media buttons you want on Share This' website.

3. Free Widgets & Gadgets - Connecting your website to your social media sites or other places on the web is easy with widgets, you'll become very comfortable with adding or removing them. Apple store and Android's Google Play will have specific widgets and apps based on the operating system, but it won't hurt to have a central resource to find what you need. Whether you want to add a calculator, display the viewer's IP address, or install a clock, SnackTools is a modern widget website I think you would benefit from.

4. Content Marketing Resources - There are a myriad of websites from which to learn from and use as resources for your own content marketing efforts, but not all are created equally. CopyBlogger, EzineArticles, and CNET are just a few reputable sources that can help fuel your content marketing efforts and give you inspiration when writers' block tries to rear it's ugly head.

5. Alexa - You may want to check up on how your efforts are working, or how you rank compared to others in your niche, Alexa will give you a lot of information to help you understand who is visiting your website and so much more! They are tried and true, and Amazon company that has kept up with the web algorithms and spits our valuable information for website owners.

These are a few technical tips and resources that can help you manage your website. ChrissyBiz Solutions will also make your job easier by helping to manage the content make changes.

Is there a tip or resource you would add to this list?

Three Business Lessons We Can Learn From Rick Perry

Texas Governor Rick Perry

Governor Rick Perry was indicted Friday, August 15th, 2014 on two felony counts regarding his response to Travis County’s District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg’s drunken driving arrest in April 2013.

He has been accused of withholding funds from her ethics unit in an effort to force her out of office.

Amid these allegations, Rick Perry is also dealing with the border crisis and a supposed 2016 Presidential run. We can all relate to those situations that seem to come as just the perfect time, right?

But what can we learn from this 25 year veteran politician?

Texas Governor Rick Perry is teaching us three valuable lessons we can translate to business.

Google Adwords Express Review PLUS Give-A-Way

The Google machine has yet again produced a small business owner's resource that is both necessary and affordable. Google Adwords Express is an edited, more efficient version of Google Adwords. With this service, you can have an ad running quickly, edit it just as easily, and improve it without long delays. Google is also allowing people to try their service for free!

NOTE: This is my own experience with Google Adwords Express. This blog is not a paid advertisement in anyway, rather a review for prospective users of the service.

Things you will need to get your ad running:

Google Maps or Google Places listing
Google email
Bank account or credit card for future payments
Some knowledge of keywords

I was contacted by Google about the service, and walked through every single step. The direct address to access the service is: http://www.google.com/adwords/express/. I was directed to access it from 'Google Places' which is probably the best way to access it if you use other Google services.

There are three tabs once signed in, Dashboard, Google Adwords Express, and Offers. Clicking Google Adwords will display a message with the updated address (above). From this page, I can share an update on my Google Plus page, see the top search queries for my existing ads, and so much more. On the right sidebar, in the "improve your listing" section -- I see the option to "create a listing." If at anytime I am confused or left with no answer, I see my Google Customer ID at the top right hand corner of the screen to get me to an operator.

Sidebar: I was also informed that by utilizing paid Google services, customers can use their customer ID to get answers to other Google questions they may have unrelated to Adwords Express.

***If you sign in directly from their webpage: http://www.google.com/adwords/express/ -- this is what you will see:

From the dashboard I am able to see my current ads performance, as well as manage my ads with a click of the mouse. As you choose your ad category, the headline, budget, and which contact information is to be displayed, the preview is on the right.

Your minimum budget will be based on the category the ad is in. Writing any part of the ad in all caps will delay the ad from running, as this is against the rules and ads are approved before running. The character limits for each line of your ad really helps you get creative and narrow your target. You can also choose whether clicking the ad will take leads to your G+ page or your website. Other options on this page include, call monitoring, map preview, and the ability to deactivate or pause current ads.

Overall, I like this much better than previous Adwords experiences; including Google and other major search engines. I can contact my representative and know that I will be called back. My ad is priority, and my time is valuable -- no verbose explanations or super long hold times either. Additionally, I like the ability to tweak my ad at will and use the dashboard suggestions in conjunction with Google Insights, to have the most targeted audience for my keywords

As a part of a new campaign for internet marketing professionals, named Google Engage, I have more than a couple of FREE $100 credits for new clients only. Please visit my website, and see which services best suit your needs.

Do you use Google Adwords? Do you like it?

Easy Newsletter Steps for Small Business

When consulting with small businesses about this form of content marketing, I am often surprised at how little value they place on it. The investment is very small in comparison to the rewards available for business owners.

A systematic approach to a newsletter is the best way to keep readers engaged and willing to open yours instead of marking it read, moving it to spam, or worse -- unsubscribing. If someone has subscribed to your newsletter, it is likely they are eager to learn something or solve a problem that they may have.

Honest and Informative Headlines are always the best way to go! Catchy headings are great, but if someone clicks the link to open the newsletter, and the information within is not in line with the headline, your audience is less likely to continue reading or stay subscribed. Don't use keywords that will only draw people in, but disappoint them once they began to read.

Get To The Point Quickly and readers will be more willing to stay subscribed and actually read what you spent so much time compiling. Similar to a press release in that the major details should be mentioned in the first paragraph, then explained; it is important that you not take your readers time for granted. Let them know immediately what they are to gain by reading your weekly, monthly, or quarterly periodical.

Be Consistent. This can be the most difficult if you are doing the newsletter on your own, but more engagement and return on investment is available when prospective and current customers know when to expect your newsletter. Easier said than done, but definitely worth the time. This can be the start of a new habit that will bring forth residual rewards.

Use Graphics and Be Original. Readers still place value on what you have to say and what is perceived as genuine versus copied. Clever sayings and graphics that have been recycled on Facebook, Twitter, or in other email lists should never greet your readers eyes. They are giving you their attention, so you can give them something original. Use what you see as inspiration, not for imitation. Graphics are an excellent way to engage the readers other senses as well.

Provide Exclusive Offers or Other Incentives. With the popularity and effectiveness of the newsletter, businesses are adopting them more and more, and for good reason. Why should readers be a part of your list, what makes your information more valuable than others. Give them an incentive for being loyal by providing good content, but also giving them offers not available to others who are not subscribed.

Implementing these steps can be an awesome way of kick-starting your content marketing plan.

The Power of Words

You do not have to be a person of faith to understand the power of words. Even in technology, it is apparent that the words used to search for what we want has to have the proper keywords. Some people even go to the extent of researching long tail keywords because it is more closely related to how we think and search for things. Why is this done? Because we are looking for something in particular, and we want that specific thing or information.

The same should be applied to business and every day life. But especially in business. The most rich, famous, and sometimes infamous business people are usually considered arrogant and "full of themselves." People can be turned off by them because of what they say about themselves, their craft, or talent. They understand the power of what they say and how it affects their performance and thoughts about themselves. They say what they are looking for -- not what they are; big difference in outcome. Our words influence our actions.

If your business is stagnant or slow, stating this constantly or saying it to others is just as powerful as if you said something positive. Not a lie, but definitely not a defeated confession either. What do you want for your business? What kind of clients do you want to attract? What type of growth do you want to occur? What are you looking for? These are all much more encouraging and empowering than stating facts that will only lead to lack of motivation or procrastination. SEO is an entire discipline built on words. How can that be applied to business?

Just a thought.

Six weeks until 2012, End of Year Business Strategy

Photo Credit: CNN Money

I have found myself more reliant on my calendar more than ever before. My schedule is busier and busier lately. I began counting how many weeks were left from yesterday until the first week of 2012 and it is six. Yes, only six weeks left of 2011.

I personally feel it should be a time of reflection on the good, the bad, and the ugly. The areas that need improvement and the progress you made based on goals you set for yourself. According to a Brookings Institution study reported by CNN, few businesses have staying power beyond the five year mark.

There are several reasons entrepreneurs are starting businesses these days -- including 35% who are seeking a work and lifestyle change. Nearly 3% of startups were a result of being unable to start a job, but companies that survive have certain goals, attributes, and motivations.

Nearly 30% of the sampled businesses responded that they wanted their businesses to grow big. Despite the fact that nearly 40% were in markets with competitors offering the same items, 22% attribute their staying power to expecting research and development to spearhead their efforts.

End of Year Reflection

Why did you start your own business?
What is it that has kept you successful beyond the five year mark?
What will you focus on to sustain success beyond the five year mark?

What were my goals this year? How much of them did I accomplish?
How many unfinished projects am I bringing into the New Year?
How did this happen? (Life changes, procrastination, illness)
Could I have done better?
What could I have done differently?
Do I have the same goals?
Did I exceed my goals?
What growth (if any) have I experienced since last year, this time?

End of Year Strategy

Responses to the above survey will be as varied as the readers of this blog. Each entrepreneur has a unique story for their success or failure. Business failures often come from lack of planning, lack of resources, lack or focus, and inconsistency. On the contrary, business men and woman can experience success by determination, planning, good cash flow, competitive business strategy, and business know how.

What new technologies can your business apply to make processes more efficient? It is likely that each business owner can think of at least three things they would like to try or continue going into the new year.

Here are sample questions to get your strategy jump started:

Write out 5 things you would do differently for next year?
Write out 5 improvements you can make to present processes that you have not implemented?
Construct an end-of-year survey for your newsletter subscribers to engage them and query their interests.
Tie each new idea you want to try to a direct impact for your business: i.e. utilizing blogging more to reach customers and increase sales.
Decide what unfinished projects you will actually do and get rid of the others. Finish what you start!

Embrace Web Marketing & See Results

Small businesses should embrace the new technologically advanced forms of marketing available to them, especially considering their benefits to their bottom line. Web marketing can be described as leveraging the use of technology to accomplish traditional marketing purposes.

Implementing a good internet marketing strategy for your company requires planning, research, time, including all the necessary software and hardware required. Every online tool used to market your product or service helps give your business a virtual storefront. Proper execution will bring results.

Whether writing to an internal audience or external clients, difficult correspondences must be handled with care, most especially when dealing with human resources within the company. The communication must be clear, firm but not aggressive, fact-based, and concise. Written employee warnings, reprimands, may be form letters or customized depending on the sensitivity of the matter or company policy regarding the issue.

Here are some tips to construct difficult correspondences in a professional and firm manner:

Clearly outline the basis for the communication and desired response. It is not enough to reprimand the worker for being late to work when the desired outcome is for them to arrive 15 minutes in advance to clock in and situate themselves in their work space. Company policy regarding the issues mentioned so that the employee is not left feeling picked on or singled out. It is also important so that an official purpose of the written warning is established. Managers interested in improving their teams and subordinates will always leave follow up pointers with steps to correct the behavior and the desired response from the employee.

Decide the outcome of the correspondence of the letter before you begin. Is this a repeat issue or serious offense that could result in termination or just needs improvement? Proper wording will depend on the desired outcome or desired effect.

Use words and phrases that are easily defined, not subject to interpretation, and based on facts. When dealing with touchy issues, the effectiveness of a written warning can be largely dependent on the actual words chosen. The difference between an escalating issue and a prolonged problem should be easily identifiable.

"Your continued tardiness has caused your team to steadily fall short of their sales goals" should be backed up by data or verifiable occurrences. This statement makes a clear tie between sales (important benchmark) and their inability to reach work on time. However, this statement is different than "Your pattern of tardiness may have an effect on your teams ability to maintain their sales goals." The point is to be clear in what you are saying and the impact you want it to leave on the reader. One statement sounds like a reprimand while the other sounds like a warning.

Use a sandwich method when suggesting improvement. The sandwich method simply means that while the meat of the sandwich is the issue you want to address, it is sandwiched between two compliments or positive attributes. For example:

Dear Employee,

Having you as part of the editing team has helped the company become more strategic in their thinking when it comes to online mediums. The management team is very pleased with your contributions, and would like to see this same professionalism applied to your relationships with coworkers in the office. Outbursts in the office interrupt the workflow, morale, and slows productivity. We look forward to your improvement in this area. We'd like to also take this time to solicit any questions or concerns you may have about company policy regarding appropriate workplace behavior and encourage you to speak with your supervisor in case of conflict. XYZ Inc considers you as an asset to the organization and hopes to see progress in this area without having to escalate the issue. For questions, comments, or clarifications of company policy, please contact your Team Leader.

Be firm when addressing issues regarding Title VII, sexual harassment, and other liability issues. The sandwich method is not appropriate for more serious issues that can affect company liability or human resources. In this case, there is a need for clear and objective language that could be presented in the case of an EEO claim or in wrongful termination accusations. For example:

Dear Employee, After recent investigation into the accusation of sexual harassment involving you, we have uncovered evidence and testimony that places you in direct violation of company policy. In accordance with training received in your annual sexual harassment training and the employee handbook, this letter will serve as an official reprimand for your behavior. Any further need for discussion in this area would escalate the issue up to termination.

Never allow personal bias or emotions to cloud the messages of any business correspondence, but especially delicate or sensitive issues. It is important not to minimize behaviors or magnify issues, rather to directly address them according to company policy. Communicating difficult topics may be difficult, but not communicating them could be costly for your company and reputation.

ChrissyBiz Solutions provides clients with customized, results-driven web marketing strategies. Our primary business writing duties include: article marketing, search engine optimized web copy, blog content, social media, press releases, and newsletters designed to drive traffic to your website and influence buyers decisions when purchasing products and services.

Contact ChrissyBiz today to discuss the impact that web marketing copy can have on your business.

Public Relations and Sales

How many times have you personally had a choice in a purchasing decision, and chose the business that had a more positive image? There are even occasions when prices can be different, but the perception of a place of business weighs heavily on the decision to buy or not buy.

What is the relationship between the public perception of a brand or business and their ability to sell?

Lets us take a look at a few examples to examine the issue objectively:

Many athletes and entertainers risk their ability to be endorsed by major brands when they make major mistakes that draw public criticism.
Political figures often lose credibility and sometimes even their jobs for bad press.
Companies and brands use the press to announce positive press to enhance their images.
Some companies and brands have gone out of business based on press.
Even a homeless man was able to land a job because of being on the news and showcasing his skills. The fact that he was homeless really made some companies want him as it would make them seem sympathetic to his struggles.

Public Relations are often over used by some companies and brands while others completely overlook the benefit of a positive public image and its impact on their bottom line. So, how can a positive image and being engaged with your market help your sales?

Public Relations allows consumers to see a human side of your brand or business that is otherwise unavailable to them.
Community involvement and engagement can increase word-of-mouth advertisement as customers learn about community efforts, charitable causes, or other image-enhancing events. For example, reading about the companies recent charitable donation in the local newspaper, business blog, or other online source may be a conversation starter between friends or co-workers, along with a desire to support you as you support other causes.
Consumers are more likely to purchase from businesses with positive press than companies with no press or bad press.
Public relations is a form of marketing that does not focus on sales but definitely contributes to increased or decreased sales. People remember articles, experts, and businesses that they have read about in a positive and negative manner.
Internal perception of a company can even impact employees endorsement of a companies products or services. Employees will assist in marketing through suggestions to family and friends when their perception of the company is positive. Conversely, when they are displeased more than satisfied, they are less likely to recommend the company to family and friends.
Commercials and television advertisements are more costly yet highly effective in helping people recall your company or brand when making a buying decision. In the same manner, as more people migrate to the world wide web year after year, internet marketing without direct sales can be highly effective in a positive perception.
Even when there is no call to action associated with buying a product or service, Negative PR is highly effective at having the opposite effect on sales.
Companies can offer incentives, coupons, or other discounts for markets engaged with them in some way -- newsletters, social networking sites, or other mediums that help shape the perception consumers have about businesses.
Facts are not nearly as important as perception, unfortunately. Businesses have to take the reigns of their own public images as everyday consumers now have the ability to influence others perception of companies more easily, even if to only a small audience.
The old saying that no news is good news does not apply to marketing and company sales. No news can actually be bad news if companies are not proactive in the global marketplace and positioned to take action.

Can you think of any examples, well known or otherwise that agree with this or do you disagree? I would love to hear from you!