The Basics of Implementing an Email Marketing Campaign
By Terry Green
The use of email is a proven way to effectively market an online business. Whether you’re a new business just starting out or an already established business looking for new ways to increase your sales, you should consider including email marketing as part of your overall marketing strategy.
Developing your list or database of names and email addresses is your first step. If you have regular customers, you have probably already gathered some email addresses. If not, you can include an incentive on their next invoice or receipt encouraging them to subscribe to your email list. Your email marketing list (or database) should be an evolving one that you are constantly growing.
Tips for taking your message to the masses…
by Lou Bortone
It’s never been more difficult to get your message heard above all the noise online … If you hope to make your message “stick,” here are a couple of keys to keep in mind…
1. Cut to the chase – That’s the old Hollywood movie expression for getting right to the action. The same is true online: Get to the point. Be succinct. We’re living in the age of Twitter and 140 character communication, so keep it short and sweet!
2. Be original – Express yourself and be authentic. Copy cats and ‘me too’s’ get lost in the shuffle. You need a compelling message delivered in your own, unique way. What makes you different? Can you pass the “who cares?” test? Stand out and get noticed.
3. Be relevant – Make sure that your message is interesting and compelling to your target market. Connect with your audience. One way to do this is through Online Video, which is personal by nature.
4. Make ‘em laugh – Humor sells. It’s not easy to be amusing, but it’s one of the best ways to ensure that your message is not only heard, but shared. It’s no coincidence that the vast majority of viral videos are funny.
5. Be entertaining – If you can’t be funny, at least be engaging. Entertain, inform or inspire. Add some personality to your message. Again, video is a great way to get your message across in a unique and entertaining way. Be memorable!
Lou Bortone is a long-time marketing and branding consultant who helps entrepreneurs build breakthrough brands on the Internet, with services such as online video production, video branding, coaching and creative support. Lou is a former TV executive who worked for E! Entertainment Television and later served as the Senior VP of Marketing & Advertising for Fox Family Worldwide, a division of Fox in Los Angeles. Lou is an author & ghostwriter of 6 business books, a Guerrilla Marketing Coach and a Book Yourself Solid Certified Coach.
Tis’ the Season …
Happy Holidays!
The holiday season is upon us! Our household is excitedly anticipating celebrating Christmas with our friends and family, and looking forward to the new year ahead. It’s such a wonderful time to reflect on the past year – both personally and professionally … a time to be thankful for the many blessings we’ve received, a time to reflect on the many goals we set for the past year (those we met and those we didn’t quite reach) and set new goals for the year ahead. It’s a time to forgive ourselves (and most certainly others) for the mistakes we’ve made and forge on with the intent of making wiser and more thoughtful decisions, in both our personal and business lives.
I am so very thankful for so many people …
Our wonderful clients – without them we would have no business,
The fabulous Fastype team – they are the true backbone of our business,
All my VA friends and colleagues – for making me so very proud to be a Virtual Assistant …
and to all my Twitter and Facebook friends and everyone else that I’ve been so blessed to get to know this year. For all of you, I am truly grateful.
May all of you have a most blessed of all Holiday Season … and may 2010 exceed your wildest dreams for for abundantly blessed and prosperous lives and successful businesses!!
Warmest regards,
Creating a Blog — WordPress Style
by Terry L. Green
The world of the Internet is constantly evolving, from its terminology to its software. The Internet is changing the way we communicate, and opening a whole new world of social media. Blogging is one such constantly evolving method of communication, and WordPress is one of the leading platforms people are using to blog.
Evolving Software
WordPress is a free, web-based software that is open source, which means its basic code is available for developers to build upon and alter at will. WordPress is the successor to b2\cafelog, the original blogging platform, but this blogging child has evolved beyond its blog roots. Its open source flexibility means that programmers across the globe have altered its functionality until WordPress has become a content management system (CMS), or a program that creates, edits, and manages website content, as well as blog content. The best part about WordPress is that it doesn’t require knowledge of PHP or HTML code to use it. WordPress is a basic templating system, where the blog or website creator chooses the look and rearranges the content. And now, with the addition of a simple, but brilliant plugin, you can easily turn your WordPress blog into a membership site!
Twitter Marketing – Which of These 3 Avoidable Deadly Mistakes Are You Making in Social Marketing?
By Jeff Herring
Do you make any of the top 3 deadly Twitter marketing mistakes? Read on to discover these mistakes and what to do instead so you can become a Twitter Rock Star.
Twitter is a great way to use Social Media Marketing to build visibility, grow your list and make profits. But you gotta know how to do it right.
I see newbies and even experienced marketers alike making the same three deadly yet avoidable mistakes. Let’s take a closer look at these mistakes and what to do instead. If you see yourself in any of the 3 avoidable deadly mistakes, don’t panic. Be glad you discovered the mistake and what to do about it, and then change your course. Don’t sit around pining over your mistakes and get stuck there. Just change your strategies and move forward.
