Bizology.Biz teaches and guides business owners through a comprehensive business building process. Press Releases are a strategy for your marketing plan. Learn from Business Coach, Donna Price, how to incorporate PR in your plan. www.bizology.biz
Archive for marketing – Page 2
Customer Appreciation is a key to any business operations. Entrepreneurs need to be sure that they are establishing a system of appreciating EACH of their customers. For more: www.bizology.biz
As you know, the Internet has become an essential component of just about every business’ business plan and strategic marketing plan. It just has to be a central key at this point. People are using the Internet for researching new products, services. They check references for service providers on the Internet and they have even stopped using the phone book and yellow pages. All of a sudden you need a strategy, you need to rank high in the search engines and you need to be PRESENT on the web.
But first things first! What are your goals for being online? There are several possibilities.
Possible Goals for Business Online:
- To build contact list: the Internet can be used very effectively to increase your contact list. There are some key components to doing just that. You need to have something that gets people to give you their contact information. They don’t just hand it out to anyone. You must have a way to collect that information. And then you need a way to keep in touch with people once you have received all of this type of info. There is technology behind the scenes that makes this all work seamlessly.
- To make sales: Sales are definitely happening on the Internet. Even for your retail store, you can choose to sell your products on the Internet. Services sell on the Internet also. In order to accomplish a good sales track record you need a website, possibly pictures, and good sales copy.
- To add new clients: Clients are typically added through good follow up once you have received their contact info. This can be accomplished automatically through an auto-responder program, or you may integrate different strategies for follow up. But no matter where you get new leads from — they rarely become clients without some type of interaction.
- To build reputation/rapport: Follow up is one of the ways that you build your reputation and your rapport. You can also do this through article writing, publishing a book or publishing articles, videos and email. Each strategy needs to be done with high integrity and professionally.
- Branding: everything you are doing builds your brand. Follow up and follow through. Articles, press releases, websites, email marketing should all build towards your brand. Define what your brand is more than just your logo and colors. It is you, your procedures, your operations your treatment of customers, prospects, vendors–they are all part of your brand.
As an entrepreneur, your Internet strategy can be for each of these goals or just for one of them. But a comprehensive strategy will address them all. You can start with one and build upon each one, building out your more comprehensive strategy.
In Bizology.Biz operational plans are an essential key to your business. Even micro businesses benefit from having an operational plan and operating procedures. For more info: www.bizology.biz
The Internet has become a vital component of any business marketing plan. Even if you are a locally based business and is solely word of mouth: a website and overall web presence is needed. People (your clients and prospects) use the Internet to vet their service and product providers. They will go to the Internet to learn more about you and your business. Demonstrate your expertise with a site that will give you credibility.
There are different types of websites depending upon your goals. One page sites or landing page has the sole purpose of collecting information, typically email and name. A sales page is focused on selling one service or product. A branding site is a more comprehensive site that reads more like a company brochure or information site. An e-commerce site or online store, is focused on selling products.
Initially, a branding site is what most businesses start with. There are many great web designers available to build sites, as well as many hosting companies that have site builder tools built in so that you can create your own site. You do want a professional appearance, but at the same time; it can be simple. Currently, I recommend building a blog site. A Word Press blog can look like a website but optimizes more easily because it is a blog. It also ties into your other social media easily. When building a Word Press blog you want to build it on your own domain with your own paid hosting account. I recommend and use HostMonster.com for hosting. It is very affordable, support is accessible and it is dependable service.
The other piece of your web presence is your social media presence. Social media sites include: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, SelfGrowth.com; and many, many more. To get started I highly recommend LinkedIn. It is a professional network and another place that people look to verify your credentials.. The second recommendation for people in the holistic field is Self Growth. Their focus is on personal development and wellness. On this site you can build an expert page and also build a network of contacts.
Creating a web presence can take time and managing social media accounts adds to that time. It is important to create a web strategy so that you are building a web presence that works for you. Take it one step at a time.
Donna Price is a Business Success Coach, working with companies on strategic planning, increasing revenue and company results, Internet marketing strategies, and social media marketing, building blogs and more. http://compassroseconsulting.com ; dprice@compassroseconsulting.com 973-948-7673.
Happy New Year!
What a wonderful start to the year with fresh snow, happy kids and a bit of time for reflection. Compass Rose Consulting, is geared up for 2010 and I am very excited about all that is happening! I want to welcome you to 2010 and I look forward to our journey together this year, because I see it being a very great year! CNN just reported that it is The Year of the Entrepreneur!!! A good year to go into business and a good year to BE in business! That is us! And we are each going to see growth.
Each year, I start the year with a time for visioning and “envisioning” and I invite YOU to join me, next Thursday January 14th at 12 Noon EST. I will share my visioning process and guide participants through a powerful process of envisioning 2010.
This year I am adding live events each month, here in northern New Jersey, webinars for those that can’t make the “live, in-person” events and Entrepreneur’s Talk Radio is back online!
My goals for 2010 and to support you in building greater and greater success. Please read through all of the opportunities that are here right now!
In this issue:
Entrepreneur’s Talk Radio
Envision 2010 Webinar
List Building Intensive Webinar
Bizology.Biz LIVE
Bizology.Biz Membership
Article: List Building: I’m an Entrepreneur, Do I Need a List?
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Entrepreneur’s Talk Radio: Mind, Body, Business: Putting It All Together
Tuesday January 12th 1:00 PM- 2:00 PM EST
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/entrepreneurs-talk
Susan Creal is a dynamic entrepreneur who helps mom entrepreneurs give birth to their businesses, teach them how to love and embrace what they do and celebrate their phenomenal success making more money than they thought was possible. She educates, inspires, has a gift of getting right to the issues while bringing fun and play back to business!
Susan and I will talking about how to put it all together based on her. unique Mind, Body, Business lifestyle model and approach to building success. Join Susan and I for a fun filled conversation.
Visit Susan’ Blog at:
http://transformingwomennow.com/blog/mom-entrepreneurs/
Callers are welcome to join the conversation during the show by calling (718) 664-6194 The live, Internet talk radio show will stream from the host page at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Entrepreneurs-Talk
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Envision 2010 Webinar: January 14th 2010: 12:00 Noon EST
Visioning is one of those vital steps in building your business success. Maybe you had a vision when you first started out, but have lost touch with it; or maybe you didn’t take the time to really site down and write your vision down. During Envision 2010, I will guide you through process of envisioning your business for 2010.
To regiser: http://www.envision2010.eventbrite.com
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List Building Intensive Webinar
No matter what type of entrepreneur you are, you need to be building a list. During this three week series I will teach you how to build a list and how it really integrates into your business plan. In addition, we will explore WHAT to do with the list once you have it, and how to convert prospects into clients. You will have a chance to mastermind with other participants in weeks two and three. You will receive an incredible workbook and other materials that will give you detailed information about how to build a targeted list.
Three Thursdays starting: January 21st
http://www.listbuildingintensive.eventbrite.com
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Bizology.Biz LIVE
January 20th 2010 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon EST.
Located in Sparta, New Jersey
Join me for an incredible live workshop: Bizology LIVE to put together your powerful strategic plan for 2010. Beyond the vision, you need to have a plan. A plan that you can work and that you can accomplish.
http://www.bizologylive1.eventbrite.com
Bizology.Biz The Science of Building Thriving Businesses
Bizology is now available in a couple of different formats!!
The published version is NOW available as a complete home study program. It includes all of the workbooks and audios and even the 9 special reports. They are shipped from the publisher to you and you are able to work in the area you want, skip around or go sequentially through the program. As I have edited it for the final print version, I have, myself been working through the program because it is GOOD. It guides you step by step through building your business success.
http://www.bizology.biz/bizpackage
And it is still available online in as a membership program that provides to you two lessons or workbooks each month. You are able to go through the program step by step.
http://www.bizology.biz/membership
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I am an Entrepreneur: Do I Need a List?
No matter what your business is you should be building a list of contacts and prospects. Entrepreneurs and small business owners need to be as diligent at this as Internet Marketers are. What Internet Marketers have demonstrated time and again is that a list of prospects and contacts CAN build great business success. A list in essence is a business’ “bread and butter”. The list is what become your valued customers and clients.
Whether you are a “brick and mortar” business or an online business, you need to building a list. Many, many offline businesses fail to effectively build a list online. Most businesses can use an online list. The idea of building a list is that you are “capturing” contact info for your website visitors. These visitors are so important to your business. But when they come and go without leaving you their contact info you have no way of following up, staying in touch or being “front of mind” when they change over to a “buyer” instead of window shopper.
List building is the first, most important and most constant of all the tasks that entrepreneurs should engage in. Maybe you don’t see it now but staying in touch with people consistently increasing your likelihood of converting a person into a client. Many believe that their business just doesn’t exist without their list.
You might see people saying that list building just isn’t that important. But the reality is that it is essential. When you have a list of targeted prospects you have the ability to continue to build your relationship and rapport. Not collecting contact information for your customers and contacts is a dangerous business decision. Even if you have a store front, you should be collecting valuable info from you customers.
Email gives us all the ability to easily stay in touch with people. But it is vital that your email has true value. People’s email boxes are full and you need to stand out. By offering real value with each email you will.
Think about it, someone comes to your store, you collect their contact info, and you are able to let them know about special events, sales and online opportunities to do business with you.
The CAN SPAM act of 2003 made is illegal to send bulk marketing emails without the consent of the recipients. That is the law. The penalties for disobeying this law are tough! You can be fined up to $11,000 per unsolicited marketing email that you send! You must be sure that you are collecting permission as well as email addresses. Even in your store you can have people sign up on your email list. Just keep the log of sign ups. You can personally add them to your list and that is okay.
There are many good ways to build your list. List building is an art, and at the same time the steps are easy to do. You can build a targeted list in person and online. Everyone on your list will be a valued subscriber, just on the verge of being a valued client.
If you are an entrepreneur you need to be building a list of contacts and prospects that you can continue to stay in touch with. Whether you are online of offline a list can be the “bread and butter” of your business, and its ability to weather the ups and downs of the economy and business environment.
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As you can see there is a lot happening here at CRC. I hope you join me on the journey. Pick the right program for you, right now, in your business, but pick one, because each is designed to help you, the entrepreneur, to build your business.
Happy New Year!
May yours be happy and prosperous.
All the best,
Donna
Donna Price
Compass Rose Consulting
973-500-8094
Copyright 2010 Compass Rose Consulting, LLC All Rights Reserved.
Commitment | Perseverance | Risk | Courage
As a business owner, your commitment to the business and your determination to succeed build your solid foundation for success. But there are challenging times when you might need an extra dose of determination and commitment, as your personal supply dwindles..
There are hundreds of stories that model this type of determination and success. The “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series was submitted to many, many publishers that turned it down. Each of those publishers later kicked themselves, I’m sure. But it was the determination of the authors that kept them sending it out one more time. Or the actor, accidentally discovered while waiting tables or by a fluke ended up at a talent search.
Determination, commitment and belief are often at the core of these stories. It is the passion and belief in your own abilities that moves you into continuous action, and then determination keeps you there.
Your positive attitude exceeds just a “we can do this” type of attitude. But rather it takes your belief and passion, or your love of what you do that helps you to see it through to the end, your success. For many that means taking that leap to move into the realm of success and turn your business into one that thrives, using all of the resources at hand to get you there.
The technology of the Internet adds massive resources for all business owners. The Internet is a resource for networking with your target market, building your expertise and market your services or products. Using the Internet can be a low cost option if done correctly. You can use the Internet as your market place or as an additional market place for your business. It gives you the ability to quickly do research on your business, your market and how to access them.
It is all there and it is easily accessible.
Despite What You Might Want, Marketing IS a Requirement
With business, it is rarely, “If you build it, they will come”. Usually, they only come to your business when you market the business and tell people about it. You have to build a reputation and rapport with your clients and prospects in order to build your business. Marketing is a requirement, and a passion for marketing will help. If you hate marketing, then you will struggle with effective marketing. If you can find a way to become passionate about marketing, just like you are for your business you will do better. Whether you are an online business or an offline business, you HAVE to market.
The Internet offers many marketing resources, but there is also a learning curve that for some will be mountainous. But it is worth the effort in the payoff.
Personal Development Keeps You On The Cutting Edge
Your positive attitude most likely also gives you a passion for learning. In the world of business it is important to be open to new technology, new ideas and new strategies. By remaining open to learning about each of these you stay on the cutting edge of business. Increasing your knowledge gives you advantages over competitors. Your knowledge makes you valuable to the business, but also to your colleagues, clients and prospects. People will seek you out.
When you learn new skills and tasks it gives you more information for outsourcing each of these eventually and the ability to be effective in working with specialists. It also enhances your confidence.
Profitable businesses take time. Staying the course through this development timeline is the challenge. As a business owner you can become weary. But when you have a foundation of your passion and positive attitude you are stronger in the business environment. With determination you can see your business succeed.
Keeping a focus on your business vision gives you energy for continuing to do the work each day to build that success. With a clear and compelling vision that you are tied to makes you even more determined.
Business Owner Commitment and Determination Create a Solid Foundation For Success
Boost Your Business with Creative Thinking
Has your business been challenged by the current economic status? It is an opportunity to put into action the advice: “When given lemons, make lemonade.” It is the notion that a failing business or a struggling small business CAN turn around with a few additions of “sugar and water”. But what is that sugar and water for your business? First it is creative thinking or thinking “out of the box” and stretching your own creativity.
Your business plan is designed to be your map to success. But just like driving to a destination, it is easy to be distracted, make a wrong turn or get confused by the landmarks. The map helps to keep you on track, keep your focus and keep you moving in the right direction!!
Business plans just like life plans are not written in stone. They are fluid and always subject to changes and revisions.. Your business is bound to have at least one of these changes in direction or new destination and perhaps it will have more than one. It could be the addition of new products, services; or a new location; or new management, but something will change along the way.
An essential component of your plan is your marketing plan. And, with the Internet, marketing has become even more fluid than in the past. Marketing used to be simpler, perhaps. Now is is an ever changing environment. You plan for a set of strategies and techniques and then the marketing environment changes, like with the advent of social media and your plan has to change to accommodate these innovations. You have to figure out how they fit into your business.
Press releases used to be just that, a press release to local media. Now you can submit your press releases online as well as to the local media. The resulting affect is multi-dimensional.
Knowing your numbers is an essential in marketing, so that you can tell what is working and what is not and you can make changes when you see your sales numbers tumbling. This is why you want your marketing strategies to be cutting edge. You need to be watching what works in the market place and making the needed changes to your plan. When new media comes online, it is an opportunity to look at it and evaluate HOW it will work in your business. The marketing strategies that you are currently using can become stagnate and ineffective. If you are not constantly evaluating what you are doing and what other strategies you can implement you can lose touch with your target market and how to reach them effectively. It is not a time to get comfortable with the status quo. It is a time to be watching, evaluating and implementing all that you can.
Taking on new strategies can be overwhelming. Twitter, for example is a marketing tool that many laughed at when it first came on the scene. Even the media questioned what it was and why people would use it. But now, a year later, you see all major media personalities are using Twitter. Is your target market there too?
Learning new strategies for reaching out to your current and potential customers just makes sense. It gives you a new venue for adding your marketing message, building a new community of “followers” or contacts and reaching out.
Learn additional strategies for building a highly profitable and effective business from Donna Price, Business Success Coach, Author, Facilitator and Speaker at: http://www.resourcesforentrepreneurs.com
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