ideas and tips for busy business owners… like you!
Reflecting back on this past year, the first thing I realized is that I didn’t define a ‘One Word’ for 2018. That’s because, as 2017 was rolling over to 2018, I was busy building a website and working hard with colleagues to launch Social Media … Keep reading…
If you read Pinpoint Your Unique Content Marketing Opportunity last month and are still stuck, this article may offer some hope. First, if you are sitting at your desk alone, new ideas may not come to you easily. This process requires brainstorming – and more than … Keep reading…
Wouldn’t it be great if I had a magic bullet for you? The thing is, if I did, everyone else would be sending their newsletter on that day and it would no longer be magic. What I can do instead is give you some suggestions … Keep reading…
You might think your website FAQ page is the best place to answer questions but I would argue that your blog is even better. In fact, I suggest your FAQ page should list the questions, and perhaps short answers, with links to blog posts for … Keep reading…
The young cashier at Walmart grinned at me and said, “Joke’s on them then.” I had just told him to keep the printer cartridge separate as my business was going to pay for that. I grinned back and said, “The joke’s on me then since … Keep reading…
One of the best things I ever did was to take Anita Kirkbride‘s advice when she told me I should post daily enewsletter tips on social media. It was a very specific and fairly easy task to do. I ended up with an Excel spreadsheet with … Keep reading…
Simple is powerful… and a recent tough decision reminded me of that. I’d been sitting on the fence for about 2 weeks with a marketing project half completed. I couldn’t decide whether to keep going or to stay with Plan A – and so, I … Keep reading…
Marketing analytics can be confusing. You need to learn how to use the software to get data. Then you need to figure out what information you want from the data. Then you need to figure out what actions to take now that you’re wiser. Here’s … Keep reading…
If you think writing blog posts about what you do is your best content option, you might be sorely mistaken. The popular approach to content marketing usually includes some combination of blogging (podcasting, video, etc) + email + social media. (I love that equation!) The … Keep reading…
I don’t need to tell you how hard it is to stay focused. And that’s why it’s so important to have goals that we can refer to that will keep us on track. Goals are sometimes quite removed from our daily activities. Once they’re determined, … Keep reading…
Some people still think there’s a scarcity of information in the world, to be hoarded and divvied out carefully. It’s true that information becomes less valuable the more it proliferates… but there’s definitely no scarcity. If you are ever concerned about sharing too much information, … Keep reading…
Writing a series of articles is a great way to connect related content together. It is also an attention-getter, encouraging readers to subscribe or return for the next installment in the series. And it can be a showcase for demonstrating your expertise on a particular … Keep reading…
You’ve got your first lead magnet all ready to go and you’ve got a great landing page for it. You’re anticipating a rush of new visitors to download your giveaway and discover how valuable your small business might be to them. If sending a series … Keep reading…
Think of it like learning to drive a car. You’ll need to learn how to drive and you’ll need a car to drive. Which comes first? Some of the learning… the theory part. You can learn about both driving a car and blogging easily enough … Keep reading…
What if you woke up this morning to discover your domain name has… disappeared? Likely you would make this discovery because your website is down, or perhaps your email isn’t working. Or what if you are contracting for a new website and have no idea … Keep reading…
(Guest post by Mike Tanner) I recently (like, earlier today) had the pleasure of speaking to a room full of close to 50 people on a topic near and dear to my heart: podcasting. Now I’m not going to sit here and give you a … Keep reading…
Do you, like me, cringe if someone points out something about your marketing they don’t like? Recent chats with other marketers have me realizing… I don’t get enough complaints. How are complaints useful? Disqualifying prospects: If complaints are from people who aren’t in your target … Keep reading…
Guest post by Anita Kirkbride Have you ever noticed how being overwhelmed by something tends to make it suck the time right out of your day? The more overwhelmed you feel, the longer it takes to get it done? All entrepreneurs get that feeling about … Keep reading…
Guest post by Frances Leary Every business of every size needs a platform that gives it a voice. Social media is just that. It gives every organization, large and small, a voice to share its information, inspiration, products, and services with the world. However, … Keep reading…
Are you a learner? Share your learning. Are you a teacher? Share what you teach. Are you an experimenter? Share what you discover. Are you thoughtful? Share your conclusions. Are you an artist? Share your art. Are you a shopper? Share your style. Are you … Keep reading…