SOLO MOMPRENEUR

Posts Tagged ‘Article Marketing’

Nothing spells disaster faster than not having the right tools to market your business – especially if you are trying to market on a shoestring budget.

This is a sequel to a recent post on the Solo Mompreneur blog entitled, “What’s Your Business Building Cast Iron Skillet?”

I’m writing this because Bobbye, Martha, and Heather asked. These are three exceptionally talented bloggers and small business owners I met through joining a 30-day blogging challenge.  (Be sure to click their names and check out their amazing talents!)

These three lovely ladies asked me to share the tools I use to market my business – my “Cast Iron Skillets”.

So here’s what I use to cook up some tasty marketing messages and spread the word about my business:

Free Headline Analyzer: I love this tool and consider it a must-have.  It measures the “emotional marketing value” of your words.  It’s great for crafting blog post titles, landing page & sales page bullet points, and article headlines.  And it’s fun to use!

Social Oomph: This is the best time-saving tool in my arsenal.  I use it to preschedule Twitter updates – a day or two or three in advance!  So when I am away from my computer or working on other projects, my Tweets will automatically show up in my Twitter stream at specified times throughout the day.

Ping.fm: With one click of my mouse, I can send out a post/message to ALL of my networks at once!  I’m currently subscribed to 15 different networks.  It’s another time-saver and a real convenience.

Survey Monkey: I really like this free easy-to-navigate platform for creating surveys and polls.  Google Docs are also a great choice.

Audio Acrobat: I have lots of fun recording Audio Notes here to send out to my list, publish in my ezine, or post on social networking sites.  They have some really cool templates, too.

My Marketing Cornerstone: This is a series of OUTSTANDING webinars and accompanying workbooks created by my mentor and colleague, Jessica Swanson.  I return to this information again and again!!  This $97 bootcamp took me from ZERO success to targeted subscribers and sales!

To search for other bloggers in my niche and to keep up-to-date on what people in my niche are talking about, I use:

1) Icerocket

2) Blogpulse

3) Technorati

So there you have it – My business building Cast Iron Skillets!

Everyone appreciates a compliment, right?  I call them “strokes”.

We all could use a few strokes once in a while, especially when we’ve poured our hearts and souls into something we’ve written.

Ask any article marketer, author, or avid blogger – we love to get feedback from our readers, especially when they say something positive and complimentary.

Think back to how many times you visit someone’s blog, scroll down to the comments area, and what do you see?

There it is – that infamous and over-used comment:  “Great Post!”

Maybe the reader really enjoyed the post.  And that’s terrific! But “why” was it great and “what” resonated with the commenter?

In some instances, I suspect the commenter may not have even read the post and is just looking to create some backlinks. Not a good idea and certainly not very thoughtful or professional behavior.

I wrote an article for Natural Baby Pros entitled, “Do’s And Don’ts Of Posting Blog Comments”. It’s brief and to the point and I think you’ll enjoy reading some worthwhile guidelines for getting the most mileage out of the blog comments you post!

Oh, and if you actually got this far …

How about leaving your mark in the comment box below?

I read and respond to EVERY one of them!

Do you remember that old saying from your younger years?

When I was in elementary school, we used to say, “I’m rubber.  You’re glue.  Whatever bounces off me sticks to you.”

Your version may be a little different, but the meaning still holds true.

As I march along through this 30-day blogging challenge I entered, I’m noticing something interesting taking place.  Everyone is learning from everyone else.  What a concept, huh?

Every member of this challenge has a unique writing style and a unique message to convey.  No two bloggers or blogs are alike.  So many amazing individuals and possibilities for enrichment!

So how does this rubber/glue theory come into play?

As members of this event get better acquainted, we are …

• Bouncing ideas off one another
• Becoming better storytellers
• Establishing joint ventures
• Gathering new business building tips and resources
• Offering encouragement and support
• Sharing talents and expertise
• Honing copywriting skills
• Creating friendships
• Planning future get-togethers
  
• And having tons of fun!

The benefits and rewards of joining this blogging challenge will “stick” with me forever.

The 30-day blogging challenge is sponsored by Connie Ragen Green. If you’ve never had the joy of participating in the challenge, here’s a GREAT place to start and learn more about Connie:  “5 Pronged Approach to Online Writing Success”.

We’re about to celebrate the halfway point in the 30-Day Blogging Challenge, hosted by Connie Ragen Green.

Connie is best known for her “5-Pronged Approach to Online Writing Success.” She came online back in 2005 and struggled her first year.  She doesn’t want others to lose ANY time in getting started.  Connie is an expert at teaching list building strategies through blogging, article marketing, social media marketing, affiliate marketing, and teleseminars.

I missed the last opportunity to get on board with the blogging challenge and I knew I missed out on something spectacular.  So I jumped in this time with all the vim and vigor I could muster up!

Since this was my first time participating in the challenge, I really didn’t know what to expect.  I did know, however, that if Connie was leading the way … it had to be fun and I had to be a part of it.

Good decision!  This event has helped me to become better disciplined at writing, greatly improve my skills, and help me to tap deeply into my creativity reserves.

All of the 30-day blogging challenge entrants have been bloggin’ their little hearts out.  And they’re some of the most fascinating people you’ll ever meet!

Wishing everyone magical and meaningful 30-day blogging challenge experiences, memories, and lasting friendships.

Growing really tired of attending rubber chicken luncheons, paying for ineffective classified ads, mailing out postcards that bring no results, and spending countless hours doing cold calling? Then you’ll want to learn about the important benefits of marketing your business online.

The internet provides you with a slam dunk opportunity for massive visibility. Handing someone a business card is fine, but creating your big “electronic” business card through online marketing will get you and your services in front of hundreds of thousands of eyes.  I’d say that beats the heck out of walking around parking lots putting flyers on windshields, wouldn’t you?

As a Solo Mompreneur, marketing your business online will allow you to:

1) Showcase Your Expertise – Put yourself in the spotlight and toot your own horn. Authentically tell your story and reassure your prospects that you work with people just like them.  People don’t want processes, they want solutions. Add results-oriented testimonials to your marketing strategy and allow your current clients to sell for you.

Read the rest of this entry »

Nicole Dean’s Easy PLR packets are written by brilliant ghostwriters.

As independent business owners, we all get bogged down once in a while with essential daily care and management tasks. That means we may not always have the necessary quality time to write blog posts and/or articles. Top notch, well-written articles from Easy PLR is the solution!

Note* I am a proud EasyPLR affiliate and I have used MANY of Nicole Dean’s PLR article packets in my own business and wholeheartedly recommend her products.

Whether you want someone to visit your blog, view your videos, read your articles, subscribe to your list, attend your teleclasses, or grab your freebie offer …

It all starts by crafting  grab-them-by-the-collar titles and headlines that compel people to Take Action!

Instead of writing my own “take” on this topic, I’d like to share two incredible resources and an amazingly helpful tool.

READ THESE COOL POSTS:

3 Rules for Writing Effective Titles by Daniel Scocco

10 Surefire Headline Formulas that Work by Brian Clark

CHECK OUT THIS FANTASTIC FREE TOOL:

Free Headline Analyzer

By the way, I entered several possibilities into the free headline analyzer tool before I decided on a title for this post. 

Magnifying Glass Image from Daniel Rizzuti’s portfolio

Hundreds of passionate bloggers have signed the Small is Beautiful Manifesto.

The manifesto and the image above were created by Jen Lemen and Rachelle Mee-Chapman.

THE SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL MANIFESTO:

• We believe stories are valuable, no matter how many people read them.
• We believe following your passion is more important than watching your site meter.
• We believe in the handmade, the first try, the small start, and the good effort.
• We believe that Small is Beautiful.

Join in this tiny revolution.