How Viral Marketing Improves Online Efficiency

Viral marketing is a promotional strategy that has been in use for quite some time and has transitioned over onto the internet quite successfully. The strength behind this particular advertising technique is in its ability to help businesses spread their marketing message a whole lot faster and with less effort. In this way it helps to not only boost your exposure but also your ability to work much more efficiently as well!

Here are 3 significant ways in which any online business can expect to benefit by using this particular promotional strategy.

Time Efficient

Typically this advertising technique involves little more than sharing your marketing message with a relatively smaller crowd who then spread the word. Working online offers the advantage in many cases of automating your efforts even further resulting in greater savings of time! As any entrepreneur will tell you time is money and therefore a precious commodity that should be used wisely!

Cost Efficient

In most cases advertising in a viral manner online involves distributing free reports or leaving business links at social site, forums, bookmarking sites or even blogging. In every case there is little or no out of pocket expenses making this advertising technique very cost efficient!

Energy Efficient

By leveraging the efforts of others you are able to channel the energy you have saved into other areas of your business. As an entrepreneur this is extremely important since most functions and/or business tasks are left up to you to complete. Avoiding fatigue in this way helps you maintain a mental alertness that can be use in more constructive and creative ways. Your mistakes will be minimized and your ability to produce more and stay motivated will benefit as well!

Remember when fatigue does set in your ambition will naturally decrease and as mentioned above and you will be more prone to making mistakes. What happens here is that not only do your miscues create business inefficiencies but they also require more time and effort later on to fix!

The biggest advantage viral marketing offers a business or person is its ability to leverage the efforts of others to spread your marketing message. When this advertising technique is put to use online the benefits it offers magnify due to the automation and global audience the internet can supply! The single biggest advantage this promotional strategy offers is the increase efficiencies a business can experience as reviewed above. It therefore stands to reason that if you can increase efficiency you will also boost productivity thereby leading to greater sales and profits. With that said there seems to be little reason as to why you would not want to include this very effective promotional strategy into your online marketing mix!

by: TJ Philpott

Pay-Per-Click - Meet Search Engine Optimization

How to use your PPPC marketing to achieve #1 Google rankings that matter

By Michael Fleischner

As I continue to work with companies seeking to improve the return of their Internet marketing dollars, I’ve gained a new appreciation for the marriage of search engine marketing and search engine optimization.

Just a like a company’s house list, the information they gather from their own PPC campaigns can provide a significant boost to the effectiveness of their search engine optimization efforts. The key is to know what information you’re looking for and how to use it to generate qualified visitors to your website.

Qualified visitors are those that have a higher degree of interest in your products or services and a greater likelihood of purchasing your products. I’ve often seen websites that have reduced their traffic while significantly improving conversion rates. The result is lower costs related to traffic acquisition and higher revenue. With more revenue and less expense, margins reach a new level of success.

The concept that I teach in SEO training is the most effective way to combine pay-per-click advertising with search engine optimization is to focus on conversions. What keywords have you promoted through pay per click advertising that led to conversions? If you’ve been running PPC for a while and you are still unsure, then consider expanding your analytics to include Google conversion tracking.

Once you have the answer and know which terms produce the greatest conversions, regardless of ad variation, then you SEO keywords have been determined. You want to generate organic traffic to the same keywords you’re promoting through PPC as long as they are generating your highest conversions.

An example of this might be someone promoting an ebook on how to fix a car. If the highest converting keyword is, “car repair”, then you should consider car repair as a keyword phrase you must optimize for. Organic traffic to this term will produce targeted web site visitors and conversions for little or no money as you improve your rankings.

The last piece is to take your highest converting landing pages and build in some or all of the elements into your website. Once you’ve tracking and optimized landing pages via PPC, you can duplicate what you’ve learned from a conversion perspective organically. Consider applying the landing page elements that have generated the highest return for you on your pay-per-click advertising.

Whether you’re new to SEO or consider yourself a search engine optimization expert, leveraging your pay-per-click advertising is the best investment you can make. Determine which keywords generate the type of traffic that is most valuable to you and optimize around these terms. They will generate more traffic and revenue at a lower cost.

On-Page Optimization Techniques To Take Your Rankings To The Next Level!

After you've selected the keywords you want to optimize your website for, you need to focus on what is called on-page optimization. On page optimization is what you do on your website pages to improve organic rankings. The good news is that through years of research and experimentation I have identified the most important on page factors for improving organic rankings.

There are variety of optimization factors to consider when optimizing your web pages. I have found three factors in particular to have more of an impact than others when correlating them to search engine rankings. In particular, meta tags, URL structure, and page load speed all have a direct impact on search engine rankings for particular keywords or keyword phrases.

Meta tags are important to web site rankings because they provide some basic information to search engine spiders. Meta tags need to be formatted correctly to enhance search engine rankings. My research as shows that meta tags by themselves cannot radically improve rankings. It is my belief that meta tags may be used to verify other aspects of your website and are important for getting users to click through from search engine results.

The best formatted meta tags should include a title tag that includes the keywords that you are trying to optimize for. It is recommended that the size of the title tag is sixty or fewer characters as this is the limit shown on Google search results. The second meta tag is the description tag which should be limited to fewer than one hundred and fifty characters and repeat your keyword phrase no more than two times.

The last meta tag worthy of description is the keyword tag. I see this tag misused all too often and it may actually be hurting your search engine rankings. When using a keyword tag, focus on only a dozen of your most important and highly trafficked keywords. Search engines should know that you are an authority site and worthy of top rankings. Do your research and only include the keywords that truly matter. You can also evaluate the sites in the top positions and model their keywords as long as they are included on your web site or blog.

Once you have your meta tags within your web page code it's time to focus on the next on page optimization factor. The load time of your web pages matter a great deal to Google and other search engines. Not only does your web page need to be formatted correctly but it needs to load quickly. Fast loading web sites mean a better user experience. Search engines like Google reward you for providing the right information quickly to web site browsers. Keep load times to a minimum and continually work to improve the speed at which your site loads.

The third and certainly one of the most important factors is URL structure. It is true that having your keyword in the URL helps but it is not the only or the most heavily weighed optimization factor by Google. There are plenty of examples of sites that include the keyword in the URL being outranked by other web sites. If you can purchase a URL that has your keyword in it though, consider it advantageous. If you are unable to do so, consider adding a folder or page to your site that includes the keyword you want to optimize your site for. A good example would be www.sample.com/keyword. By doing so you are placing your keyword close to the root and giving it more value. Also consider a sub domain strategy.

Before you begin any search engine optimization effort, evaluate your web site, landing page, or blog from the perspective of meta tags, load speed, and URLs. There are additional on page factors we'll discuss in the next lesson, but the three mentioned herein are vitally important to your search engine optimization success.

Invest In Effective Banners & Display Stands to Promote Your Business!

Are you seeking to advertise your business in an innovative manner at cost effective prices?

You can explore a number of proficient methods to select the desired advertising techniques, which can spread your business and can target the potential clients. These commercial advertisement methods can be used in exhibition, road shows, display shows and in expo displays to convey the trade message to the people. Banners, display stands, roll up posters are the widely used advertising techniques, which are designed with a company logo, required information content and with the images of a targeted product. Banner stand is one of the most recommended products designed with certain information works fantastically to spread your business. For the people, who arrange seminars and participate in road shows, this displaying product helps them to leave a remarkable impression on the mind of people.

Roll up banners are the revolutionary commercial product, which can be used as a printed singled side or double sided with an interactive colour combination. Moreover, the message of the advertisement printed on the banner can be used in an impressive way to invite the attention of the desired audience. Such a banner material comes with a folding facility; you can keep them preserve for the next time when the current task is over. Roll up banners are high in demand in these days as it is the latest in trend. Whenever, you start purchasing or designing creative banners, always keep in mind that the material should be high quality, otherwise the printed colours do not give an imaginative effect. Convention display, as the name suggests, is highly sophisticated advertising method, which is being commenced for accomplishing the high profile business meets and conferences. Always keep in mind that such banners must be outlined with superb content which should be highly informative and material of good quality can be used for the same.

Convention display is a professional but commercial way to grab the important business meeting outcomes in your favour. The delegates should be impressed with these convention designs. Banner stand can be purchased for keeping outside the shops, malls and offices to advertise certain products and the new arrivals.

What are Custom Business Cards?

Custom business cards are the best option for you to have a unique card. Comparing with the traditional card the custom card might be quite expensive but obviously its value for money. A custom business card will boost the business and goodwill of the company. Through internet, you can locate the business card companies, which allow you to design your own card in your own style effortlessly.

Most of the companies make their card from an ordinary printer using the same pattern for all; this will not be successful if you want to be exceptional. In customizing your business card, you can do everything by your own such as the color, the font, the appearance and the kind of finish you want.

This provides you with the full freedom in choosing what all you want in the business card and what all you do not want. In addition, you can purchase a blank card, do your own design, and finally print your individual business card. In here, you can put in order the information according to your wish. Nowadays with the help of offset printing, you can get a good quality colored card with extremely low price. By using the perfect plan, you can make luxurious and good-looking cards and share out to your customers. A good idea before creating a card would be to research about things clearly and find out which printer can give you better stuff for low cost.

For custom business cards, you need to be ready with the cost involved, no other card can be as perfect as this one. The important purpose of the card is to furnish all information to the customers. Customizing helps, you witness the print of the card before placing the order. You can also alter the design of your card after sometime if you do not like it any more.

Gaining Customer Trust with Business Cards

When looking for the best and most economical way to market your business and give it a good image, then don’t neglect the wonders of the simple and tiny 2 by 31/2 inch of paper referred to as the business cards. Although they are tiny, they can give a great impact and leave a lasting impression to those you meet. Because of this, it is important that your cards have the right contact details. This is not only to promote your business but make it easy for people to contact you as well.

To start off, your name and business name are the most important things to consider. It’s critical that you strategically place them in your card depending on your need. For instance, if you are a representative of a company, the business name may be printed in more boldly than your name. But if you are a writer, you can have your name be the center of the card.

It is important that the design of your cards draw attention effectively. You can do this by using eye-catching images or your logo. As much as possible your logo has to be simple so it doesn’t distract the readers. Remember that your goal is to get your prospect’s attention and hold that long enough to present your offerings.

If your card has enough space, it may be essential to list down the types of services or products you offer. This is especially true if your business name does not reflect the nature of your business. List down your offerings at the back or you can put a tag line that describes the nature of your business. It’s not necessary to list down all the services and products you offer, just the top offerings or the general type of services. Keep your tag line short and simple. If it is too complex to understand, people will easily throw out your card.

Of course, your contact details are a must-have in your business card. If your target customers can't contact you perhaps because of an outdated phone number or erroneous address, they would easily turn to your competitors. Keep in mind that it’s critical that you keep your contact details updated to give your customers a quick and easy way of contacting you.

A mobile, office, or fax number will be enough in most cases, but you can also add in other ways for people to reach you personally. There are some customers who prefer to transact business directly. If this is the case, you can give your personal number to the customer. Be wary though of the people you give your personal give. Give it to people you trust only.

Your address is also an essential addition in your cards. Although this is the age of email and mobile phones, there are some instances when your address is needed, so make sure you include your address in your cards. Your address will also help give your business the image of stability, so you might want to keep need listed in your card.

Remember that your business cards are the single most important tool in gaining customer trust. So, make them work for you by ensuring they have the right information and contact details in your business card templates.

Tips for Chiropractic Marketing Online

Beginning your career as a chiropractor is not an easy thing to do. With accomplished, long term chiropractic clinics seemingly everywhere, establishing your own reputation and building a trust among people is a hard nut to crack. This is why using the internet for your marketing can be a way to differentiate between you and your competitors. But of course, it has to be done the right way.

When planning the marketing strategies for your services, it is always wise to keep in mind a mixed bag of strategies. First, analyze the chiropractic techniques and specialties you employ that set you apart from the other docs in town. This will help bring patients to your doors. Use your specialty as your keyword when marketing to leave a lasting impression on your potential public.

Surprisingly enough, the most effective methods of marketing nowadays, are free and easy. Using services such as email marketing, social networking, blogs, etc. can be really helpful for chiropractors. Listing your website in various chiropractic directories for example, can also help popularize your clinic and result in an increased number of patients.

If you depend on your website for marketing, then it is important to take care of certain points. For example, you should make your website user-friendly and employs relevant tools to make it more appealing for visitors. Also, starting a health newsletter can help you build an initial group of patients. This will keep people informed about your clinic and will help build a mutual trust level between you and your patient base.

With the right marketing techniques and tools, you can establish yourself as a well-reputed neighborhood doctor and can get lot of new patients. Don’t forget to showcase your areas of expertise as a method of reaching out to new potential patients.

Search Engine Optimisation Techniques To Increase Visibility Of Websites

A page one ranking on Google and other search engines instantly makes your business the obvious choice to buy from. Do you look past the first page when doing an Internet search for a product or service? Neither does anyone else.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process that helps business websites to get high visibility on search engines. The primary goal is to help businesses get top position on the search engines and to build their customer base.

If you are starting up an online business & trying to get your website ranked high on search engines, it is very important to know how the search engines crawl your site and how to encourage the search engine spiders to index your web pages to the top positions. At Enlightenment Business Solutions, we specialize in search engine optimization for small business owners who don’t have access to the resources and revenue that’s available to the big corporations, and we can cost-effectively show you ways to position your site And with 85% of prospects now shopping online versus offline, having a high SEO ranking adds up to some serious revenue. Here are three top Search Engine Optimisation Techniques that can easily get your website ranked high on search engine results.

1. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) – This is the process which helps to rank your website or business organically in search engines. This technique helps to increase the visibility of your website so that more people are aware of your business, products, services and location etc.

2. Pay Per Click (PPC) – Pay per Click service is another type of organic SEO where you have to pay either per click or per impression. In this process advertisers typically make a bid on keywords phrases relevant to their target market.

3. Social Media Optimisation – Social Media Marketing is a process through which your website is made popular on social networking / media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Multiply, Twitter etc. It is a widely used technique to build visibility and generate awareness for your website or business among user groups interested in your business model.

Apart from these if you want to know more search engine optimisation techniques please visit Enlightenmentbusinesssolutions.com where we have a free SEO webinar and social media marketing webinar available to give you everything you need to help increase website traffic and boost your sales!

Why Use Outsourced Telemarketing in Market Research?

Doing business today is defined by the power of the customers. Though companies in the United Kingdom may have the best goods and services, there is little guarantee that it will make big waves in the market. Even costly adverts or various promotional tactics do not warrant high profitability. Not to mention the fact that there are other companies, business giants or small firms, which also sell the same products. Unless British business organisations know what their prospective clients want, they will not have a chance of reaching short-term and long-term goals. It is not enough that they have everything right and proper inside their company. What makes the big difference and sets the tone of success is to offer what the customers need and desire to buy regularly. If not, they will continue spending their money without gaining any income in return.

The best solution in increasing sales performance is to catch the attention of the intended users on what you are offering. Knowing the preferences of the sales prospects, their buying behaviour and the market trends is the most effective way to create products that will sell like pancakes. In addition, gaining some aboveboard knowledge on what your competitors gives you an idea on how to outwit them legally and ethically. Do not just confine your company on making goods or services in your own taste and perspective. Think in the shoes of your potential customers in order to craft marketing campaigns that will influence them. This is precisely what market research is borne for- to supply you with rich and relevant information anything about the purchasing practices of the clients.

Market research, also called as market survey, is a comprehensive method that aims to gather and interpret accurate, up-to-date and significant information about the current behaviour and trends in the target market. This set of data will not only display several insights but also will guide you to make informed decisions and wise judgements. For one, it gives you the opportunity to know the level of satisfaction that consumers experience with your products as well as their expectations. Then, it reveals what they like about the offers of your rivals, the recent volume of demand and sales trends. It also measures the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and a helluva lot more. When these information are at hand, you can make some necessary adjustments that would ensure that your products click with the intended users and sales promotion techniques will leave a great impact.

However, primary market researches are expensive, time-consuming and require expertise. The cost of obtaining it may not be within your firm's budget, and/or you may not have the right people with the right skills who are capable of conducting such big responsibility. A good alternative is to seek the assistance of a telemarketing call centre that is adept, experienced and reputed in organising telephone surveys. With a very good medium in the form of telemarketing, this program can be easily started and finished while maintaining SOPs and producing high-quality information. Since outsourcing is naturally cheaper than an in-house undertaking, financial barrier is then eliminated.

I know that there is a big question on the reliability of call centres, especially that they are only known for lead generation, customer service support and contact list. However, there are some telemarketing service providers that have a history of accomplishing successful market researches. Needless to say, these firms have exceptional professionals that may just be the experts that you are looking for. If you think that telemarketing and outsourcing are the best ways to conduct a market research, hire a first-rate call centre now.

How Telemarketing Uses Alternatives To Deal With Bad Gatekeepers

It is popularly perceived that when it comes to pitting telemarketers against gatekeepers, there is a tendency to demonize the former. Given the negative reputation that telemarketing has received, it is expected. However, it is still unfair to believe that gatekeepers are infallible.

On the contrary, they can make mistakes that can be just as frustrating as the mistakes that telemarketers make. And whether you are employing telemarketers or outsourcing them, you should try employing additional channels so that these mistakes do not stand in the way of your marketing campaign.

But first, just what are the mistakes being discussed here?

• #1 Ignoring decision maker - Some gatekeepers can be so tough and so adamant that they forget what it is they are keeping your callers from. The problem with this is that they also shut out other parties who have a right to call their decision maker. This is not just limited to your telemarketers either. It could also include workers in the same company!


• #2 Exploiting their position - If you think telemarketers have a bad image, gatekeepers are not that far off the hook either. There will always be that one person in the company who aims for the top but does so in the worst possible way. These are the schemers, the backstabbers, and in other words the people who exploit their position even though it will always be their boss who has the final say.


• #3 Being too lax or gullible - Unlike the previous two, a gatekeeper who just lets callers pass by does not seem so bad. However, it is still a mistake when your call winds up as yet another that the decision maker automatically rejects because he or she is too busy. Such gatekeepers are not doing their job (if not that, then maybe they are just a little gullible and your agents should avoid exploiting them).

Now that these bad habits have been covered, here are just some of the alternatives that can be used to bypass them and improve your B2B telemarketing success rate:

• Email - Engage with a prospect via email first and get them to give you the go signal. That way, once your agents shift back to the phone, they actually have a foothold waiting for them on the other side. This can expose hardheaded gatekeepers who are not paying any actual attention to the people they are guarding.


• Inbound website - Think of it as like your customer ordering a pizza but and they tell off whatever guard they have who gets in the way of your delivery guy. A marketing website can function in the same way. Should a badly behaved gatekeeper hold up your agent, you now have a gatekeeper who will find their attention drawn to it because it is delaying an expected call.

Business Success Tips - Are These Proofing Errors Hurting Your Business?

Are you missing the mark with your image? Are you allowing errors and a lack of updates spoil your good impressions? If so, you need to make changes quick. Today, there are so many more things to consider than in the past. It used to be as long as your website was good, you were good. But today, you have to take into account not only your website, but your newsletter, your blog, your social media, and even your marketing efforts. That's why it's so important to take the time to continually check and make sure the image you project is a good one and consistent with your brand.

When prospects or clients visit your website or review your social media sites and see outdated information or typos, they immediately lose confidence in your services. In fact, many will bolt, never to return. But here are a few tips which should help in your efforts to keep things updated and accurate. Many you might not have considered.

Tips for checking your website:

• Make sure the copyright date is current. This is often in the footer of every page. Nothing shouts "I'm out of date and not up to speed on things" more than a 2009 copyright notice.

• Your page titles (metatags). Every time you update a web or sales page with a new product or service, make sure the metatag description matches the updated information. Why is this important? A good example would be if you use social media to promote your products and services. When you use this tactic it's most likely you will use links back to your website or sales page. If this is the case, and the title does not match the link, it could be confusing for your prospective buyer. It is also unprofessional to have this conflicting information and you may lose any SEO advantages you may have had if you had used the correct metatags.

• Typos. Not much more needs to be said about this. Typos are never good. They do happen, but the risk can be minimized. That's why it can be beneficial to have someone else (such as your online support specialist) proof your materials. You might be too close to the content to notice. A fresh pair of eyes can find the obvious grammatical errors and incorrect punctuation. Here's a common one that sends up a red flag every time-The punctuation should go before the quotes in most cases (."?"!" etc.)

Tips for checking your social media efforts:

• Again, take the time to review your blogs, Facebook profiles, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles, etc. Are the links working? Do they still represent what you are doing today? Did you find any typos?

• Are your pages updated? You may have run a class months ago yet neglected to remove the information, even though it's no longer relevant. Once again, it sends the message that you're not on top of things.

It's a lot of work to keep up-to-date and accurate. This is one area where you really should consider partnering with an online support specialist... someone who has your back because they are routinely checking these things for you and keeping you up-to-date. Let's talk about how we can help you in this area (and more.)

Customised Ring Binders: Marketing At Its Purest

Internet marketing is all the rage these days, and with good reason. This new form of marketing can be highly effective if carried out correctly, and the results can make it very worthwhile.

However, the rise of internet marketing does not mean that it should take over from traditional marketing methods. Some of the best marketing techniques are still to be found in traditional methods, and one of these comes in the form of customised ring binders.

Every office uses folders and binders, but you are missing a trick if you do not get them customised. Your logo, company colours, mission statement and contact details can all be presented on your customised folders and binders, and getting your ring binders customised can be a very cost-effective branding strategy.

Use Your Binders as Free Gifts

Everyone likes a freebie, and if you visit industry events or trade shows as part of your business activities then you can take advantage of the marketing possibilities of customised ring binders.

If all your staff are using them that is great because it will improve your brand awareness. However, if you give your customised ring binders away to people enquiring about your services then that is even better.

If the quality is good then this is an effortless and very affordable way to make sure that your potential customers and clients help to spread the word about your company without any effort on your part. Not only will other people at the event see your branding, but they may end up taking your ring binders back to their offices and using them. As long as the quality is high and your ring binder is not a throwaway product, giving them away for free can be very effective.

Develop a Professional Image

The sheer fact that you are using customised ring binders will make a statement about your company. Say you run a very small company or you are a freelancer. If you are seen using your own customised stationary then this can help to make an impact on customers and clients who may take you more seriously as a result.

Brand Awareness

Brand awareness is important for any company, no matter how small. Just because you have a branded website, you should not forget about the importance of branding in the offline world. There are countless opportunities for your branded products to get noticed, and high-quality customised ring binders that last a long time are ideal for this.

Once the initial cost has been taken into account, there is no reason why your customised ring binders will not go on improving your band awareness for years to come. There is real longevity in this marketing technique, making it a very effective and cost-effective option.

Develop Great Ideas For Referral Marketing Ploys

Marketers try to improve and increase their business by spending time pondering, inquiring from consumers and strategising to come up with good results. It would help to use a few marketing ideas with referrals for increasing marketing strengths and promoting customer base with great business opportunities.

Establish a good relationship by using referral strategy when marketing. In order to attract clients, it is necessary to implement processes that can take one's business to a higher level. Build an impressive client base and promote products to increase sales.

Different Referral Ideas for Marketing:

Here are a few tips to help you promote your business to the next level using referral marketing:

Customers should be presented with a free service that is directly related to the business periodically. You could entice them by giving a car freshener or a buffing towel free when they use the car wash service.

Once you understand why customers prefer you over others, you should try to expand on this point and increase the service that you provide as they can offer you the best referral marketing willingly if they are happy with your service.

Offer rebates when large purchases are made, or if you are offering costly services, as this is a great way of stimulating passive referrals. Make the customer aware that you are passing down the discounts in large volumes as and when you receive them.

Celebrate once a year by picking an unconventional holiday that is not a prominent day and offer gifts, discounts or credits to the customers. You will notice that the interest generated is more pronounced in the following year than the first one. Success will be yours when you celebrate and brand your business annually. This referral marketing approach is non-competitive and a great strategy.

It is a good idea to give away a useful tool that is popularly helpful to customers. Many friends and family members will notice your business logo which works as a passive referral marketing to your advantage. Try to select a useful item that will be popularly displayed such as key chains or t-shirts, if you cannot find one that relates to your type of business, try to use passive referral idea for marketing.

It is a good strategy to pack one extra product with some of the items and gently suggest that this can be shared with a family member or friend. Another aggressive idea for a marketing campaign is to offer consumers a free gift certificate, along with a gift to offer friends or family.

Send snail mail or cyber mail coupons to customers thanking them for being loyal to your business. It is also a great idea to include a coupon code or another coupon for their friend or associate.

How to Work From Your Strengths

Today's topic is about working only from your strengths.

 I work with all sorts of entrepreneurs: people who are just ramping up their business, people who are looking to have massive leverage in their business and people who play a really bigger game - visionaries who are creating a legacy.

Once you get to a point where you have filled your practice and have the number of clients and customers that you can handle, it's about leveraging. One of the ways to leverage your business is to really look at what your strengths are in the business and what is the ideal team because as you start to leverage you need to bring on team members. You simply can't do everything yourself.

One of the things that I've realized is that when you're working from your strengths and only from your strengths, you actually make so much more money than if you're doing things that you are not good at. You should not be doing anything in your business that is costing you money because you're simply not good at it.

Another thing that I've realized, and this is what I coach our clients on, is that the ideal team, even if it's you and some virtual assistants, is made up of four different categories of people. If you only have one or two of these four, you're really missing out on multiplying your business. I want to share what those four categories are and explain to you how to set that up in your business.

1. Strategic Thinker. You've got to have somebody on your team that is a strategic thinker. Now, usually that's you because you started the business. You are the one with the big vision and you are the one who can see where you want to take the business over the years. It's really important that you be strategic about how you run your business.

A lot of people belong to mastermind groups and work with mentors so that there is that strategic thinking process going on. Even though I'm a strategic thinker I do belong to masterminds and I work with mentors to help me refine that.

2. Implementors. You must have people on the team who can implement, people who will work tirelessly to get things done. You're going to have all this strategic thinking and big ideas and all that happening in your organization, but if you do not have people who will go implement and execute on the big ideas you will not move very fast in your business.

In fact, this is where a lot of entrepreneurs get really stuck. They're high idea generators, but they don't have a core group of implementors - even if it's just you plus one other person.

3. Salesperson. You've got to have somebody on your team who can sell, somebody who can influence, somebody who can make things happen in that way. Why? Because you need to bring in money in your business. One of the things that I teach my clients is the closing of the sale, because if you can't master the closing of the sales you won't have any clients, which means there's no money coming in. If that's not something that you're good at, either learn how to get good at it, which is very, very simple if you're taught the right way to do it or bring someone on who can do some of that selling and influencing for you.

4. Relationship builder. To have a team that works well and an organization that is set to multiply itself and to really get bigger and bigger, you must have somebody on the team who is a relationship builder, somebody who can connect with people who have empathy and compassion and can really bring harmony. This can be both within the team and with prospects and clients and vendors.

The reason the relationship-builder is very important is that once you get bigger and bigger in your company you will have more inquiries. You will have more clients, more prospects, more vendors, more strategic alliances and joint ventures and those relationships need to be built.

Usually, you will not fit in all four of these categories. If I look at what my strengths are, I fit in two of these. I have surrounded myself with other people on my team to take care of everything. When we all work from our strengths then we have a really, really solid team that can really increase every year.

3 Keys to Marketing In a New Economy

Eighty percent of success is showing up.

Woody Allen - US movie actor, comedian, & director (1935 -)

Old School vs. New School

Marketing and selling is not like it was in your father's time.

Things have changed-a lot.

We all see the value in marketing and selling ourselves and our business product or service-the key is learning how to do this in today's business culture. How do you sell, network, market, and promote successfully?

SALES IN A NEW ECONOMY

It has been said: "Nothing happens till there is a Sale"-it is the 2nd oldest profession!

Capitalism and the Free Enterprise System are all based on sales and selling. Nothing happens till there is a sale.

A sale is the foundation of our economy and the core of the free market system.

Old Practices and "business as usual" are NOT working.

The "good old boy network" is not so good today! We must work harder AND smarter if we want to survive.

Things are really spooky and scary... What will we do going forward?

How will YOU change and adapt to this "New Economy?"

Here are 3 keys to your success.

NETWORKING

People often ask:" How do you get involved and know so many people locally?"

Short answer: relationships via networking and involvement.

How do you and I make the time in a world in short supply of it?

Show up. Get involved. Be present.

You can make the time and make people your priority. It does not take gobs of time- Just a commitment to involvement in something and some people you believe in-something you know makes a difference.

Some key points to really consider:

- Consider as you look into community involvement: What is a fit both in time and mission?
- What does this association bring to you and the community?
- What do YOU bring to the group?
- Can you support the vision, mission, and the goals of the association you are considering?
- What is your motivation? Give or take or both? Business or just friendship or both?

Here are some suggestions for your networking consideration. It usually costs nothing to visit and each association will likely be delighted to meet and get to know you. This list is not exhaustive by any means.

Here are a few options to consider:

• Chamber of Commerce---Mixers are a great venue to meet others in business.
• Rotary and Service Clubs-Nice venue to mix with those in your business community.
• BNI and other Referral Clubs-Specific way to give and receive business referrals.
• Mastermind Groups-Amazing way to get good business advice and help others.

Want to network and get your local relationships ramped up? Show up. Get involved. Be present.

How Telemarketing Uses Alternatives To Deal With Bad Gatekeepers

It is popularly perceived that when it comes to pitting telemarketers against gatekeepers, there is a tendency to demonize the former. Given the negative reputation that telemarketing has received, it is expected. However, it is still unfair to believe that gatekeepers are infallible.

On the contrary, they can make mistakes that can be just as frustrating as the mistakes that telemarketers make. And whether you are employing telemarketers or outsourcing them, you should try employing additional channels so that these mistakes do not stand in the way of your marketing campaign.

But first, just what are the mistakes being discussed here?

• #1 Ignoring decision maker - Some gatekeepers can be so tough and so adamant that they forget what it is they are keeping your callers from. The problem with this is that they also shut out other parties who have a right to call their decision maker. This is not just limited to your telemarketers either. It could also include workers in the same company!


• #2 Exploiting their position - If you think telemarketers have a bad image, gatekeepers are not that far off the hook either. There will always be that one person in the company who aims for the top but does so in the worst possible way. These are the schemers, the backstabbers, and in other words the people who exploit their position even though it will always be their boss who has the final say.


• #3 Being too lax or gullible - Unlike the previous two, a gatekeeper who just lets callers pass by does not seem so bad. However, it is still a mistake when your call winds up as yet another that the decision maker automatically rejects because he or she is too busy. Such gatekeepers are not doing their job (if not that, then maybe they are just a little gullible and your agents should avoid exploiting them).

Now that these bad habits have been covered, here are just some of the alternatives that can be used to bypass them and improve your B2B telemarketing success rate:

• Email - Engage with a prospect via email first and get them to give you the go signal. That way, once your agents shift back to the phone, they actually have a foothold waiting for them on the other side. This can expose hardheaded gatekeepers who are not paying any actual attention to the people they are guarding.


• Inbound website - Think of it as like your customer ordering a pizza but and they tell off whatever guard they have who gets in the way of your delivery guy. A marketing website can function in the same way. Should a badly behaved gatekeeper hold up your agent, you now have a gatekeeper who will find their attention drawn to it because it is delaying an expected call.

The Master of "Content"

Creating, marketing and distributing any kind of content, is now easier than ever before.

This has been developed by the advent of the social networking boom and blogging software that facilitates fast efficient multi-media publishing.

Content in our days is not a "content", if it is not shared!

Some facts about history of "Content"

Facts proving the incredible growth of online content

• Facebook has approximately 90 billion images; 6 billion images are published every month, and this number is growing!
• As of June 2012, Flickr has seven Billion Photos
• Eleven million videos are uploading worldwide every minute
• Approximately 350 million blog posts are published every year

Why is Content in demand? Because people are looking for

Information

• Education
• Suggestions
• Solutions to problems
• Entertainment

In the developing world, the demand for knowledge, content is never ending

Let's try to understand social media meaning. Social medial is a content, which consists of comments, text, images, videos.It will remind you that content can be any type of media and format. Social media in all its formats was previously hidden on personal computers, in files offline, however now it can be published in a variety of social media platforms that host and make public your previously unpublished media.

Let's think what should be published and how to find the right path, how about right content?

Let's list all types of content we know so far

1. Videos

Nowadays it's so easy to create simple video. The development of inexpensive video cameras with high definition, included in smart phones, has become the standard feature which allows you to create any kind of video content and share it immediately.

Types of videos:

1. Interviews
2. Meeting records (try not to break confidential policy)
3. Presentations
4. Video about products
5. "How To" videos that instruct and teach
6. People feedbacks, comments about your product, service or store.

2. Presentations

Presentation is easier to create compared with Video. Host link several images together and use your presentation via different sources; share your presentation with colleges, customers or friends; or choose public sharing.

You can create different types of presentations. The presentation is a dynamic slideshow; its marketing rating is much higher than the rating of static image. Your presentations may instruct your customers how to use products and may be applied to your product on online stores.

3. Images

Creating images content is even easier than creating presentation content. High definition images that are well produced can provide high engagement.

Can You Hear Me Now? Ye Olde Smartphone Class

In the days of yore, a simple class system separated the masses. There were the haves-the nobility, and the have-nots-the peasant class. Today, in the world of "technology," it is much the same. The haves are attached to their beloved Smartphones, always ready to check traffic, search Google or find answers on the Internet. The have-nots are a unique range of defiant non-users, cautious technophobes and those who pine away waiting for mom and dad to give in, or an old contract to run out.

The difference between the peasants of old and the have-nots of today; however, is that many of the have-nots will move fluidly into the Smartphone "nobility," what Catherine Boyle of eMarketer has dubbed the "Smartphone class."

Can You See Me Now? Characteristics of the Smartphone Class

They're the ones you see at the doctor's office playing a game while they wait to get called in. The one's on the subway perusing their email. The one's in line at Disneyland checking their stocks. The one's that a recent article on eMarketer states are proving "spare moments can be productive ones too."

The article suggests that the Smartphone class is not just made up of gamers and text-happy youth, but a random assortment of people with a shared behavior - namely, "owning and using a Smartphone."

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Smartphone Class is on the Rise

The incredible pocket-sized technology that makes Smartphones possible is far from extinction. In fact, eMarketer predicts that 116 million Americans will use a Smartphone on at least a monthly basis by the end of 2012 - that's over 20 million more members of the Smartphone class than in 2011. And, by 2016, it's estimated that 60% of all mobile phone users "will own a Smartphone." And the Smartphone class shall inherit the earth!

Have You Noticed the Greater Demand for Apps Lately?

Among the Smartphone class, there's never a dull moment, because individuals always have their phones in their pockets and can check email, Facebook, play a game or shop for their favorite brands. They're essentially connected 24/7 x 365, which makes it easier than ever for businesses to reach their customers. And how can they Best Keep Customers "engaged" and focused on their brand? With a Mobile App, of course!

What's in Your Trade Show Tool Kit?

Have you been at a trade show and suddenly needed an aspirin, or band aid or even scissors and there were none? Being on the trade show floor we have heard many stories, sometimes the stories are stressful and other times a little funny. Needless to say we all have been there, so here are a few things that you should be sure to have in your Trade Show Toolkit.

First the basics, you know the pens, paper, business cards, stapler, paper clips, rubber bands; your general office supplies. Some other handy supplies that are not as common are Velcro strips or sticky dots, double sided tape and safety pins, but something that you probably would not think about is duct tape. We all know that duct tape can fix anything in a pinch, so that of course is an essential. Here is a bonus; duct tape is actually fashionable these days so you can most likely find a colored tape to go with your booth so if you do have that last minute fix, it won't stand out or be an eyesore.

A basic tool kit that has a screw driver, hammer and pliers is another essential. Other very important items to be sure you have are extra extension cords, box cutters, fabric steamer, a sewing kit, glass cleaner and paper towels. Another couple of must haves are baby wipes and adapters. No it is not likely that you will have any babies at your exhibit, but ask any mom and they will tell you that baby wipes are amazing, they can clean just about anything, from permanent marker to spots on the rug, a definite must have.

Don't forget the adapters; most exhibits these day have computers, monitors, tablets, music players or some other electronic device and all the wires and adapters packed with them. This is why it is essential to have an assortment of extra adapters in your tool box, separate from all those electronics. You hopefully will not need them, but it would be better than being in a pinch at the last minute.

Another great toolkit item would be a first aid/mini medicine cabinet. Having band-aids and aspirin are essential, but don't forget the throat lozenges, eye drops and of course chewing gum or breath mints to keep your breath smelling fresh. It would also be beneficial to have a few power bars and water bottles to help keep your staff going. Finally don't forget a camera to take pictures of your booth and to capture the booth experience for everyone.

It is important to check your toolkit after each show so that you can replenish any used items and be ready for the next show, but with all the last minute preparation this may get pushed to the side and forgotten; a trick to avoid that is to put your extra thumb drive or disc with your graphic images inside your tool kit. That way you have checked your tool kit for the essentials and you know that your backup is in a safe place.

Finally, when planning your travel and hotel stay for your show, take a few extra minutes to research local vendors and save their contact information. If you should have a last minute emergency printing need or need to replace a specialty item; such as neon light bulbs or other unique items, you will know where to go and relieve the stress of trying to locate and replace anything if the need should arise.

Promotional Caps And Conference Bags - The Cool Way to Draw Attention

Using marketing 'give-aways' or gifts as a promotional tool for one's business is a tried and tested method which has proven to be very effective in this cut throat competitive world.

Using Promotional Caps is a good way to improve your brand value in the industry. For businesses and organisations that have limited budget for marketing, using promotional caps is a good way to sell or promote your product, services, or cause to the market at large. It is a common fact that caps are sold at reasonable prices, so using promotional caps for advertising will be cost-effective.

Promotional caps are a low cost advertising medium compared to other expensive advertising mediums like TV, print, radio, et cetera. Also, caps create a certain kind of solidarity amongst the employees of your company and customers. Decorating these caps with your company logo and distributing them amongst employees and customers will help put your logo or message in front of your market. This silent way of advertising and marketing will pay you a lot of constructive and potentially profitable dividends in the future.

Another functional item that will serve as a reminder of your products and/or service is conference bags. Promotional bags give you advertising free of cost. The different varieties of bags of which you can take advantage of are printed tote bags or even non-woven shopping bags.

These bags are the best products for free distribution to conference participants. The participants will be able to take back an effective item for everyday use with your company name on it. This gift will generate more business for you. People will view the bags in places you would not have expected to ever reach with your marketing campaign. If your clients are a part of a particular market sector then it will be fantastic free advertising for your product or brand. If you have IT professionals as your clients then you can choose to have laptop bags as your promotional bag. The clients will use this bag in their daily lives; this will represent a kind of customer loyalty and at the same time will market your product and service to other prospective clients. For all this your style and selection of design needs to be very appealing.

Conference bags are a great way to create a good and lasting impression in the minds of your clients. By using these promotional products your business will receive a great boost and will create a loyal clientèle.

Vines Ronaldo is Australia Author. He Provides the essential ingredients to our commitment to the success of your organisation's marketing strategies. He has applied his knowledge and understanding to a wide variety of promotional caps and conference bags.