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Blogging and Strategic Planning Shake Hands Over a Template
Can you agree that’s a subject line you don’t see every day? Yet it describes something that happens frequently in small business – the mingling of ideas, processes and tools. One of the templates in my Quick and Easy Content Creation workbook is called “The … Keep reading…
Email Marketing 101
Starting an email newsletter isn’t especially difficult if you have a propensity for apps and design. You could start tonight and send tomorrow if you really want to. BUT developing and implementing an email marketing strategy that will serve your business – and your readers … Keep reading…
Email Marketing Best Practices: It Depends…
You’ve finally decided to start doing some email marketing for your small business. There are lots of things you know you need to consider and lots of things you don’t know about yet. But you’re game and, having finally made the decision, you hop online … Keep reading…
Proofing Checklist for Error-free Newsletters
Having prepared and sent well over a thousand different newsletters, this is what I know to be true: mistakes happen. There are so many opportunities for error that I still cringe inwardly when I click ‘schedule’ or ‘send’. This checklist gives you an easy way … Keep reading…
“Why Didn’t I Start an Email List Sooner?”
If you’re a small business owner without an email list, at some point your future self is going to think, “Why didn’t I start an email list sooner?” It takes years to build an engaged email audience. If you’re successful (and of course, you want … Keep reading…
23 Things to Put in Your Small Business Newsletter
All the experts know that email is still king. If you’re starting an enewsletter for your small business, figuring out what content you want to put in it might be one of your first challenges. Here’s a quick rundown of a variety of different content sections you … Keep reading…
Creating Your Own Networking Opportunities
If you’re new to business networking, you might be discovering it can (and should) be much more strategic than just showing up. You might also be feeling some stress about it. I can remember being worried about how to start conversations and what to talk … Keep reading…
Saying Bye-bye and Why
We’re all familiar with unsubscribing from unwanted emails. Some make it harder than others but, since anti-spam legislation has come into effect, there’s been an improvement. Email readers are more aware of their right to unsubscribe and so marketers are getting better at giving that option. … Keep reading…
Consider Point of View for All Your Writing
I’ve done it. You’ve done it. And they’ve done it. I’m talking about mixing up points of view when writing. And also using the right point of view for the right purposes. Grammarly has a quick little article explaining First, Second, and Third Person in case … Keep reading…
Is Your Newsletter a Vehicle or the Destination?
Small business owners often arrive at the desire to start an email newsletter from one of two different directions. The route has an impact on the strategy, tactics and tools you will use. A Vehicle Some have already been blogging and, for them, an email … Keep reading…
Email Newsletters – Develop Your Strategy First
The process of starting an email newsletter for your small business involves focusing on these aspects: strategy, tactics and tools. It makes sense to approach them in a logical order from high-level thinking through to detailed work. Strategy First This is where you consider that your … Keep reading…
Asking Your Friends Works Better Than Asking The Universe
During the past two weeks, I’ve been repeatedly reminded of The Secret and its message of asking the Universe for what you want and being open to receiving what comes. Except it’s not the Universe I’ve been asking – it’s my friends (aka business colleagues). … Keep reading…
Your Blogging Deadline is Looming
It’s time to write your next blog post. Or maybe the time has already passed. What do you think when your deadline is looming? My own lament is often, “What can I pull together fast that will be useful?” I talk to a lot of small … Keep reading…
How Giving Options Reduces Unsubscribes
After sending out clients’ newsletters, I’m often asked by them why someone would have unsubscribed. The worry seems to be that something in that particular issue made them disconnect. This is rarely the case. I can’t tell you all the reasons people unsubscribe but I … Keep reading…
Quality Control for Your Content
You’ve just finished an insightful new article for your blog. You’re anxious to publish it and find out what your readers think. Depending on the topic and type of article you’ve written, it might make sense to do a little research before publishing. Researching after … Keep reading…
Simple Content Planner in Trello
A few months ago I found a new best friend when I started working with a client who uses Trello. While the client is indeed a friend, the free Trello app is what I’m talking about here. Trello is visual like a bulletin board and, … Keep reading…
Get Focused Before You Start to Write
If you want to be doing more content marketing but aren’t, do you know what’s stopping you? A few months ago I wrote this article – Where Do You Get Stuck? – and ever since I have been committed to developing solutions for these stumbling blocks: … Keep reading…
Advertising vs Content Marketing
I don’t often use terms like ‘lead magnet’ and ‘sales funnel‘ on this blog. Not because they aren’t good things to have – of course, they are – but because there are lots of others writing about those topics. Here I’d rather discuss ideas for … Keep reading…
One Word for 2019
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…
Pinpoint Your Unique Content Marketing Opportunity – An Example
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…
What’s the Best Day of the Month to Send a Newsletter?
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…
How to Answer a Question on Your Small Business Blog
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…
Waking Up Without an Alarm
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…
Don’t Ignore the Obvious: Daily Tips Work
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…