Why Turn To Blogging as a Marketing Tool?
Dec 5, 2007 Prosperity, Success, Time Management, Writing
Professor Moolha knows that independent Professionals have to spend most of their time not with clients but in marketing. Except for the few lucky ones, Professionals are constantly battling to develop new clients and build a bigger business.
Time is the important issue here. Most people who want to become independent and become professionals do so because they don’t like something in their current organization. The overwhelming dislike is the fact that they have to spend so much time for someone else. It may be time in working, it may be in efficiency, it may be the fact that they don’t like to show up to work and be there during a normal work week (9-5 on the time card but we all know that it is more like 8-7 most days).
So how do we become independent workers and make enough money to make us happy? Develop a blog and utilize the new social internet (Web 2.0).
What will your blog get you?
- Reach More People – As you build your blog you will build readership. Utilizing this readership you will be able to reach more people at one time. It is like meeting someone face to face and telling them about your business in a story format. By doing this with a blog you will be telling many people about your business at the same time, but it will feel as if you are talking to one person at a time.
- Targeted – People look for very specific things when they go on the internet. If you have what they want then they will find you. You will in turn get a very focused and targeted group of people reading your blog. Since you have good content they will want to come back time and time again to read your blog and see what you have to say. This will only focus their attention more. You will not be spending time trying to target and convince a group of people who really are not interested. If they stay with your blog you know they will be interested.
- Subtle – Everyone is bombarded with ads these days. No one likes the hard sell. We are simply a smarter Nation now. By using your blog to market your business, and if applicable, sell products, the sell is very subtle. Instead of saying “this is the best product you need to buy it or your life is ruined” you will be writing about he need for a product. Oh by the way we just happen to have it. Or maybe you have a satisfied client who will let you use their story (if you can get a picture it is very powerful). Don’t sell your services or product here. Let them sell it. Let them say what is great about you. It is the soft subtle sell. A great success story. Everyone wants to be successful.
- Less Time – You will be spending less time. A blog post will only take maybe an hour to map out, write, edit, and post. As you do this more your time spent will be less and less. You will not have to spend a whole bunch of time sitting down with a marketing consultant or an ad specialist to develop a strategy. You simply get an idea and write about it. That is it, that is all a blog is. It is an ongoing conversation with you as the leader and your audience as the listeners.
- Anytime – Blogs are great because you can post any time you want. We recommend if you have a big chunk of time write a few posts, you can set WordPress to spread them out over time using their post date stamp function (more about that will be on the way). You don’t just have to work from 9-5, but you can do it anytime. Write a post just before bed, or when you wake up. Have you ever woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to be productive? No one else is awake so what do you do? Write a blog post.
- Anywhere – I personally love to sit at the beach or in a coffee shop to write my posts. It gets me out of the house, I get a good cup of java, or a milkshake and let my surroundings inspire me to write. There are fewer distractions and I get done quicker. Plus the fresh air is great. I can even take my dog and we both get a benefit.
- Free – Everyone likes free. Blogs for the most part are free. As we get into some more advanced topics we can see how we can begin to charge for a “premium blog” but for now lets just get started. As long as the content is coming, and it is free, there will be people to read it. Free is good.
There are probably many more reasons to have a blog, these are just the ones that I have come up with and that I find the most compelling. It is a great way to spend your time marketing and developing your business.
Prof Moolah.
Tags: building a business, business, marketing, professionals, small business
Using Social Networking Sites
Oct 18, 2007 Prosperity, Success
Social networking sites can become great mediums for developing your online business. If you have an online business where you are trying to get customers through online advertisements and promotions, you can greatly improve your presence in homes world wide by developing a personal touch through social networking sites. You will find that people trust you more when you come in personal touch with them. You are more easily able to impress upon them the good points of your product which they readily accept.
Enlarge Your Business Network As Well
You also have a chance to meet some of your suppliers and dealers and this enables you to garner a more fruitful and long term business relationship with them. There are many ways to get closer to your clients by means of social networking sites. You can join online forums which discuss on subjects related to your product; this will directly introduce you to the people interested in your product. You can create your blogs which promote your product or service. You can then contact the visitors to your blog or the ones who respond and want more information on the product advertised through the blog.
The best part about creating business through social networking is that there is hardly any input as far as input costs are concerned. You can plan different strategies for different customers. You can sell your product or service at a much cheaper price than your competitors who have enormous inputs of labor and maintenance costs. It will become much easier for you to find a partner for your business through the social networking site. You can easily find like- minded persons who get interested to your idea and you can start a healthy partnership in business to cut costs and improve client base.
There are many things that you can do to create an online business with the help of social networking sites. You must try to get in touch with as many people as possible in networking dinners and forums. Try to learn which products find easy acceptance with most members. Try to exchange profiles and name cards with maximum members. Call members to find if anyone is interested in your product or service. Find products and services which still do not have an internet base or are new on the market scene. It is easier to secure such products as consignment and can be paid later when sold. Always try to keep the price low in the beginning till you have made a solid base of customers who vouch for your credibility. Moreover, it is easier to sell products at lower than market prices, especially if you can press home the utility of the product to members of social networking sites.
Working From Home To Make More Money - A Guest Article
Jul 28, 2007 Prosperity, Success
I came across this article online and I thought that you may enjoy it. It has been reprinted with permission so don’t worry about the copy write violations.
Online businesses as a tool to make more money from home have become very popular these days. But contrary to what the marketing email virals tell you, not every online business succeeds. There is actually nothing like ‘100% guaranteed success’. Nor is it humanly possible to double your wealth within 24 hours. So it is not advisable for everyone to give up his or her present occupation in order to make more money at home.
If you are not convinced, why don’t you invest in stocks of business giants like Microsoft etc, and see for yourself? Can they help you in doubling your money within 24 hours? If these biggies of the virtual world cannot do it, how can you hope to create unlimited wealth in a short span of time? It requires sustained effort and patience to make more money than what you earn now.
Sustained Effort: If you are looking for an online business opportunity as an alternative to working long hours at your job, you need to rethink. Working for hours on the computer is a pre-requisite for you to be able to make more money online.
Patient Learning: Since you are new to this domain, you’ll have to invest a lot of time in learning new things. Many online tutorials are available for free on the web. But for you to actually make more money, while sitting at home, you need to patiently learn and grow your business.
Is It Possible To Make More Money Online?
Even though it sounds too good to be true, it is possible to get rich while working from home. The simple reason is that when you work for yourself, your motivation levels are much higher as compared to when you work for an employer. The first step for you to begin to make more money is gathering information. Before you begin your online business, you should weigh the pros and cons of all the available models. Your chosen business should be able to hold your interest so that it can be done on a long-term basis.
Pointers For Success
• Look for inspiration. Don’t just read stories, but look for real people around you who have made online work a success. Try to learn from these people.
• Choose a model that you are sure will work. Look for business models that you come across in your life, and choose one that you have seen being successful.
• Be innovative. You cannot succeed by copying what others are doing. You have to better the competition, so look for new and interesting ways to beat them.
Perseverance is very important. If you don’t succeed at first, don’t just give up. Remember, Rome was not built in a day. Your business will make more money if you put in sustained efforts over a period of time. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from trying to change your life.
Your Notebook
Jul 12, 2007 Idea Building, Success
I just wanted to write a quick tip about keeping a notebook with you. I will probably end up repeating this over and over since I really believe in this one.
You need to keep a little notebook with you at all times. This serves to have somewhere to write and record your ideas. If you have the mind of an Entrepreneur or a good businessperson you will be flooded with ideas all the time. You can’t possibly remember all the good ideas that you get so get writing, carry a little journal or notebook in your pocket all the time. Here is a picture of the one I carry
Look I am so geeky that I even labeled it Ideas.
I know that if you are a beginning entrepreneur, or if you are just getting started in expanding and growing your business you feel a little nervous about what people may think. There are two ways that they can think about this:
First they can say ‘what are you doing writing things down in that stupid notebook’. Well you know what, they are the stupid ones so don’t mind them.
Second they can say ‘Whoa what is that. A notebook for ideas, what a great idea, I should get me one of those thingys’. Now you look like the businessperson that has it all together, and you know what, you do.
Get one of these, or anything that works for you. I don’t go with the leather bound fancy pocket journal because I lose them all the time. Get what works for you.
Success – Perfection Unattainable
Jul 3, 2007 Idea Building, Success
One of my favorite scenes of all movies all time is when Roy McAvoy is describing the golf swing in the movie Tin Cup. In the clip he says “Perfection Unattainable” (for the whole clip see below). It is true, but the journey there is what matters
“I tend to think of the golf swing as a poem…”
In your business you need to continuously strive for perfection, knowing full well that it is not going to happen. Sound counter intuitive? Maybe but it is the key to success in whatever you are doing. Set a time aside every week to ask yourself, ‘How can I do this better’? That is what you are here for right. The smart businessman knows that no matter how well business is going you can do better. So take time and concentrate on that.
Suggestions on how to do this
I get a lot of work done in the car. I like to download books on tape (not Gone With The Wind but improvement, and business books) and listen to them while I am traveling around. This always sparks interest. I guess driving has just gotten too easy (I am knocking on wood right now) and my mind wonders. If I get a good idea I pull over to the side, in a parking lot, or wherever and write it down. I always have a notepad with me for these situations. At the end of the week, usually Saturday morning, I wake up early and rewrite down all the good ideas I had that week. I then decide which one I am going to tackle that week and I go for it. Take a notepad with you where ever you go and write down ideas that come to you. Pick a very specific day and time and review them once a week. Then pick at least one and go with it.
Set aside time for you. Leisure time is the best time to recharge your internal batteries. It is a time to bring out you again. If you are working too much you need to find time to take a break and have it for you. I cannot stress this enough. I have a very hard time pulling away from my computer. I love to sit in front if it and learn, and surf, and find out what others are doing. Heck that is how I get paid, but I get stuck in the same rut all the time. I sit there and surf and surf and surf (if you have not gotten the StumbleUpon add on for your browser be careful it is addicting) and get nothing done. When I find myself in that situation I got to get out. If it is the right time I get to go out my back door onto the golf course and chip and putt. That always calms the nerves, and sooths the soul. Take time for yourself and recharge
Finally while you are working look critically at what you are doing. Look at yourself as if you were your customer or your client. What would you think if you were helping you at the time? What could you do better? What could you do different? This may be the most difficult part, but it may be the fastest way to success. If you are able to really look inside yourself and look at your business from the perspective of an outsider you can make some very simple and effective changes. Don’t be afraid to walk in the front door sometimes, and act like a customer.
Jot down what you see that you can improve upon and go for it. Don’t delay. If it does not work, fine, then do something else. Any business that is not in constant improvement is falling behind. Be the good businessperson that you are and act, improve, and make more moolah.
