SOLO MOMPRENEUR

Archive for the ‘Blogging’ Category

If you’ve been online for longer than twenty minutes, you’re sure to have grasped the concept that relationship building needs to be your main focus and highest priority.

But are you striking up conversations with the right people?

That’s the TRICKY part.

Just ask Shelly Roberts – she’ll tell you!

I was so impressed and uplifted by the “Open Farewell” post she wrote recently that I just HAD to share it with you.

Talk about a great lesson!

I found myself smiling and cheering and applauding with every word!

When you’re struggling to make real connections online, it can be very easy to find yourself spending lots of valuable time communicating with people who are not really a good fit.

Read Shelly’s post and find out exactly what I’m talking about. She’s a fabulous role model and a true inspiration.

Notice I didn’t say, “Rolling in the dough and laughing all the way to the bank!”

NOT the same.  Not even close.

I’m going to wager that my definition of “rich” may be very different than yours.  And what brings happiness into each of our lives is very subjective.

Today’s post is an opportunity to shift your thinking and remove money, fame, fortune, and material possessions from the equation.

So when’s the last time you had a rich and happy minute?

If you’re not sure, here’s what personal development advocate  Lyman Reed wrote in his review of “How to be Rich and Happy” by John P. Strelecky and Tim Brownson:

Here’s an example:

Sitting in front of the T.V. because you’re dead tired from working a 12 hour day at a job you hate?  No Rich and Happy minutes for you (duh).

Watching Lost (R.I.P) on T.V. because you really love the drama, mystery, and intrigue – and don’t really care what your wife thinks about the fact that you’ve seen every episode at least three times?  Now those are some Rich and Happy minutes!

Frivolous?  I think not.

The point is that no one but you can decide what a Rich and Happy minute is. Since reading the book, I find myself asking “Is the time I’m using right now ‘Rich and Happy’ time?” If it isn’t, the awareness motivates me to find something more rich and happy to do.  Or think. Or be.

When you invest your time in ways that both rack up Rich and Happy minutes and move you toward your goals … that’s a double extra win!

Read more of Lyman’s review here: How to be Rich and Happy and Help Others do the Same and get the details about an extraordinary giveaway!

It’s Day 7 of the “31 Days to Build a Better Blog” challenge, hosted by Lisbeth Tanz and Michelle Shaeffer …

… and I’m still upright and taking solids.  That’s a good sign!

Today’s task was to write a “link” post to put someone else in the spotlight and give a fellow blogger a little blog-linking love.

Well, since I just did that in my first sentence, I guess I’m done with my homework.

But I’m not one who’s known for being lazy, taking shortcuts, or looking for the easy peasy way out.

I love a good, stimulating challenge!  It’s not only good for the soul, but it also helps you to S-T-R-E-T-C-H as a solo professional.

So I’ve decided to take today’s link-posting task to a whole new level. I’ve got a pretty cool proposal for the members of 31DBBB.

If you can give me one good reason to link to you and your blog, I’ll do it!

First off, look over this list of topics that I like to cover on my blog:

• Shoestring Marketing Strategies
• Social Media Savvy
• Relationship Building
• Blogging
• Affiliate Marketing
• List Building
• Buzz and Branding
• Single Mom Entrepreneurs
• Outsourcing
• Improving Your Writing Skills
• Relaxation
• Personal Development
• Time Management

Have you written a blog post on any of these topics that would resonate with my target audience?  If so, then you’ve got a Great reason for me to link to you.

Just put your name and the title of your post in the comment box – no links, please – or your comment may end up in spam land.  Then head back over to the 31 DBBB “members blog” for Day 7, hit “reply” under my comment, post your link, and I’ll grab it there.

Happy to support the members of this challenge and I wonder who I’ll be linking to first?!

Today’s post is going to be a little different.

Recently, the good folks at BlogEnergizer.com offered to write any blog an exclusive interview so I said “Yes”.

My challenge was to come up with five interesting, attention-grabbing blogging questions.

And you know me!  I set out to come up with interview questions that I was sure no one else would ask.  Who wants dry and boring, right?!

So here are my five blogging questions and the responses from Lynette Chandler, team leader of Blog Energizer:

I would choose Contentrix or whatever is Alice Seba’s current project because she and I friends? no, that’s not why. I would still choose to follow her blog because she often has such great ideas and manages to pull it off in an unassuming, effortless and no pressure manner. She’s also very good at selling using her content. A skill I’ve been learning to do and continue to develop with her guidance.

Question 2: The pressure is on! You’ve entered an exciting blogging competition and there’s a tie between you and one other dynamo participant. The best answer to the following question will determine the winner. How would you answer, “Who are the better bloggers — Men or Women?”

Wow you’re trying to start war here. What a tight spot! You know I have to be partial and say women.

Were you looking for an explanation?

Question 3: You’ve been given a multiple choice test to gauge your expert knowledge of blogging. Are you going to select A, B, or C to the following question and why?

The BEST SEO strategy for blogging is:

A) Keyword research B) Latent semantic indexing C) High quality back links

What? No all of the above? Hmm I’m going to choose C but I’ve never been good at SEO anyhow. Don’t follow me for SEO information. That’s for sure but if you want blogging ideas, me, me me please

Question 4: In the arena of business blogging, we all know that stories sell, right? What story have you told on your blog that captured the attention of your target audience and immediately motivated them to make a purchase?

You know this is the one thing that I struggle with the most because of the topic of my flagship blogs they are very geeky. Notice I didn’t say technical because I do have some light posts in there but I know most of the time people are reading because they are looking for a technical solution or advise or tip. Not so much ‘soft’ information.

I do use stories in the format of case studies, for example, after spending hours figuring out a problem I would use the story/case study format to lead people to a solution or product. The ‘softer’ more lifestyle type stories would sometimes be put in emails rather than the blog. This way I keep my blog on topic. Once in a blue moon they do find their way onto the blog though.

Question 5: If you were stranded on an island (temporarily, of course – help is on the way), who’s the emergency blogging buddy you would trust in your absence to add fresh original content to your blog? (You did note someone on your emergency form, right?)

Uhm… what emergency blogging information? Ok, ok, if I have to choose, I’d have Kit Singleton who is also a member of the BlogEnergizer team I must add. Because she and I are kinda zany together, we also complete each others’ sentences very often which means we have that telepathic connection going on and that would be really handy when stranded on an island.

Have you enjoyed this interview? Then zoom on over and vote for it at http://blogenergizer.com/teip-vote/ I am sure Melanie would appreciate your support.

For those of you who head on over to Blog Energizer and give my interview questions a thumbs up — Thank You!

“I don’t like marketing” or “Marketing is too hard” is the mindset of many small business owners, especially those just starting out.

That’s a shame because marketing needs to be at the top of your priority list every day.  If you don’t plan on devoting the majority of your time to marketing your products or services, you may as well fold up your tent and leave camp!

Most of the time, a negative attitude toward marketing stems from misconceptions and a misunderstanding of the difference between advertising and marketing.

Let’s run through just seven (there are many more!) false impressions of marketing your business online:

1)  Marketing is a big bother and an interruption to
people.

Actually, that statement pertains to “advertising”, NOT marketing.
Television advertisements are bothersome, for example, because they
interrupt the viewing of a program.  I haven’t met anyone yet who’s said, “I
love T.V. commercials!”  Marketing is not a blatant “in your face” method of
making sales.  Marketing is a much softer and palatable business-building
tool.

2)  People won’t be interested in what I have to offer.

In other words, “People won’t buy what I’m selling”.  Not true.  If you’ve
taken the time to study the demographics of your target audience and
you’ve done some thorough keyword research, then you can market
confidently knowing there’s a flock of potential clients or customers that
want what you have to offer.  Marketing is about establishing and nurturing
relationships with your prospects through a crystal clear understanding of
their problems and the solutions you offer.

3)  It probably won’t work anyway, so why bother?

Oh, brother.  I’ve heard this one more times than I care to count. 
Developing the right kind of “marketing mindset” matters.  Giving up before
you even try is a one-way ticket to failure.  If you maintain a defeatist
attitude, your business will not thrive.  The only way to get past this type of
thinking is to dig your heels in and take some action!  You need to “test” a
marketing strategy or platform first, give it a fair amount of time, and see if
it’s working for you.  

4)  Marketing is way too expensive.

Rubbish!  Advertising can empty your wallet pretty quickly, but marketing
can easily be done effectively on a tight budget.  The majority of the
successful marketing strategies I use cost $0.  So even if you’re on a super
slim budget, don’t sweat it. There are literally hundreds of free marketing
platforms.  Want to learn more about marketing on a zero-dollar budget?
Download a Free Shoestring Marketing Kit.

5)  Only business owners with sub-standard products or services need
marketing. Read the rest of this entry »

And no wonder!

I’ve lived under the same roof with twin daughters who have been HIGHLY competitive since they left the womb.

Try living with two 4.2 GPA students who get into heated discussions (okay, they’re actually arguments) over the fact that one got a score of 103% on an exam and the other got 104%.  Sheesh!!  And the competition ensues with the very next exam and we’re right back on the “Who’s better/smarter” merry-go-round again.

And I’ll spare you the sordid details of the “Who’s more beautiful” competition.  That one gets REAL “ugly”.

I hesitated registering them for different sports like softball and volleyball they wanted to play throughout their school years.  I probably don’t have to tell you why.

The score sheets we were keeping had NOTHING to do with whether their teams won or lost a game.  You can just go ahead and use your imagination here.

So it’s no revelation that I tend to shy away from competitions.  Just the thought of competing in something brings on a tension headache and ties my stomach in knots.

I prefer to view everyone as winners.  We’re all good at something, right?

However …

There is such a thing as “healthy” competition that gives you the opportunity to stretch your mind, fine tune your skills, or move a bit out of your comfort zone.

I’ve entered just such a competition and as a fellow blogger, I think you should think about entering, too!

Check it out but you’ve got to hurry!  BLOG ENERGIZER

The deadline to submit your 5 blogging questions is TOMORROW – August 10^th.

“Monkey See-Monkey Do” is a phrase you probably became familiar with as a child.

My mom had her own endearing version that went something like this …

“If so-and-so is going to jump off a bridge, are you going to jump off, too?!”

And the obvious answer, of course, was “No”.

But in the arena of online marketing and small business ownership, “Monkey See-Monkey Do” can be a really good business building strategy.  The goal is Not to become a copy cat but to become aware of what other success minded marketers are doing and put your own fingerprint on those tools, tactics, and techniques.

Here’s how you can start tapping into your inner monkey:

1) Have you seen an opt-in form and offer that’s really attention-grabbing and triggers you to take action?  What are the elements that appeal to you the most?  Is it the shape or colors used that caught your eye?  Or maybe the graphic?  The call to action?  The location on the page?

Scrutinize your own opt-in box and freebie offer and incorporate those elements that you find most effective.

2) Have a favorite blog or two or three that you visit regularly?  What is it about those particular blogs that strike your fancy?  What are the blog owners/authors doing that keep you coming back for more?  Are they great storytellers?  Do they offer fabulous tips related to your niche?  Is it their sense of humor that attracts you?  Maybe the layout of their blogs?

Begin weaving those ”I’ve-got-you-hooked” components into your own blog.

3) Ever come across social media profiles that just knock your socks off? A short bio that causes you to click the person’s link immediately to discover more? What kinds of adjectives or action words have they used?  Do they note only their business expertise or are personal facts included, too?  What is it about their profile that intrigues you?

Read your own profile/bio with discerning eyes.  Then re-vamp it to be as compelling as your favorites.

There are lots of creative ways to tap into your inner monkey.  When you “See” something that’s working for someone else, start “Do”-ing it!

Okay, I know what you’re thinking …

“Melanie, you’re a small business owner and online marketer.  Your goal is to make money!  Are you crazy?!”

No, I haven’t lost my mind and I sincerely believe a lot of other people feel the same way I do.

I don’t like handling money.  I don’t like talking about it.  I don’t like the control it has over how some people lead their lives.  And I really hate needing it.

Money doesn’t bring me any happiness at all.  Zip. Zilch.  Zero happiness.

I think what really makes us happy is being able to comfortably meet our living expenses, treating our family and friends to little unexpected surprises, helping a neighbor out of a financial jam, generously tipping a good waiter, and maybe even buying our favorite pair of shoes in every color they come in!

Money, just like other material possessions, can provide a dose of short-lived happiness but no amount of it will ever buy genuine contentment and joy in life.

I don’t like money.  But I DO like being happy.

If your blog is feeling a little stale or stagnant lately, you can stop the moss from growing on it right away!

Listen to the Audio Boo below to find out how you can choose one, two, or all three ways to give your blog a makeover and a boost.

Need more eyes on your blog? Feeling like your posts are floating around out in never-never land? Let’s change that scenario!

Here are 3 great ways to get lots of eyes on your blog:

1. Continuity Blogging Community — Jane Lee

Free to join and ongoing

2. Ultimate Blog Challenge

Starts August 1st, 2010

Michele Scism & Michelle Shaeffer

3. 31 Days to Build a Better Blog — Lisbeth Tanz

Starts August 23rd, 2010

Guest post by Michele Scism
The Results Lady from Decisive Minds

Congratulations!  You have been working diligently to add qualified prospects to your email and/or direct mail marketing list.  The number is starting to grow and you are quite proud of your list size – right?

Then you realize that although they have joined your list that doesn’t necessarily translate directly into dollars.  The big question starts to run laps in your brain -

What Do I Do Once They Are On My List?

This is actually the breaking point for most small business owners.  How do you utilize your list to grow your business?  How do you Follow Up?  How do you get those prospects to not opt-out of your list because remember they can opt-out as easily as they opted-in.

I believe that the answer lies in your ability to create or further a relationship with the members of your list.  I love how Sandra Martini says that “you must nurture them.”  The thought behind this is that you do not try to immediately sell to someone who has just joined your list.  In relationship marketing the prospect becomes a willing, presold client only at the point that they trust you.

So how do you get them to trust you?  You simply add value to their life without them feeling like you are a “pushy sales person.”  You might send them a newsletter, tips which come in the form of written, video or audio, introduce them to others who would teach them, etc.  None of this is necessarily selling.  You may have an affiliate link here or there but you’re not “pushing” any of your products or services.

What specific steps can you take to build this trust?

Once someone is on your list, and I am going to talk more about email list at this point than direct mail, you must stay in contact with them.  The easiest way is to create email sequences in your autoresponder program and yes this takes a little time but it is well worth it in the long run.

You should have several sequences but we will talk about a starter sequence here to give you an idea of what one should look like.  Say for example, they have joined your list by requesting your free e-book.  Your welcome sequence might look something like this and should cover about 3 weeks. Read the rest of this entry »