You are here: Home / Archives for Free marketing tools

3 Magic Marketing Tricks – No Magic Wand Required

By 7 Comments

Marketing your business online is magical!

And it can be a lot of fun, too, as long as you don’t get yourself bogged down by having too many marketing irons in the fire at once.  Keep it super simple and use the tools and resources that resonate with your marketing style.

Many entrepreneurs, service professionals, and small business owners don’t see or understand the magical side of marketing.

That’s because the only trick they’ve mastered is the “disappearing act”!

How many of your fellow blogging buddies and social media friends have remarked, “No one knows my website exists”?  Or how about, “No one is reading or commenting on my blog posts”?

In other words, they feel as if they’re trying to communicate with an invisible audience.

All it takes to turn these scenarios around is a little marketing magic. So allow me to suit up in my top hat and cape and grab my magic wand.

It’s time to show you a couple of tricks! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blogging, Internet Marketing Tools, Online Marketing, Small business owners Tagged With: , , ,

Plan To Market Wisely Or Plan To Go Down The Tubes

By 9 Comments

Did you know there’s over 100 marketing platforms you can take advantage of to build your business and your brand, even if you’re on a $0 budget?

It’s true!

BUT … here’s the catch:

You won’t experience a lick of success in your marketing efforts unless you choose platforms you sincerely enjoy working and ones that fit into your schedule and lifestyle.

I’ll give you an example …

My friend and newbie online marketing pro, Sheila Atwood, of Newbie Lifeline has experienced tremendous success building her business by utilizing forums as a marketing platform.  I envy her and I think that’s awesome!

Give yourself the gift of getting to know Sheila and let her give you some tips about adding forums to your marketing plan.

For me, forums wouldn’t be a good choice.  Why?  It’s not because I don’t enjoy meeting new people in my target audience, learning about what others in my niche are doing, networking with like-minded business professionals, or striking up interesting and vibrant conversations that, ultimately, direct people back to my website or blog.

Who wouldn’t love THAT?!

However, forums wouldn’t work for me because I don’t have the amount of time and devotion needed to make them work.  In addition to my online business, I work outside the home, as well, and my offline commitments eat into a BIG chunk of my week.

A better choice for me, considering my schedule and lifestyle, would be blogging and social media venues.  And I’m happy to say these two arenas are where I’ve experienced the greatest success in my marketing efforts.

If your curiosity is piqued, your budget is tight, and you’d like to find out more about over 100 marketing platforms, just download a Free Shoestring Marketing Kit.

Which marketing platforms do you enjoy the most? Which ones are working best for you?

Filed Under: Blogging, Building relationships online, Online Marketing Tagged With: , , , , , ,

7 Stifling False Impressions of Marketing Products and Services Online

By 10 Comments

“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 more...]
Filed Under: Aritcle Marketing, Blogging, Building relationships online, Improving writing skills, Internet Marketing Tools, Online Marketing, Service Business Owners Tagged With: , , , , ,

Use Your Voice To Promote Your Products And Services

By 8 Comments

Some solo professionals and small business owners really enjoy writing and others prefer speaking.

You don’t have to have a college degree in communications or specialized training to use speaking as a strategy to promote your products or services.

If you enjoy using your voice to build your online business, teleseminars are a fantastic marketing platform. You can invite your e-newsletter subscribers, blog readers, customers, current clients, and social networking friends to attend your teleseminar.

For those that can’t attend, be sure to provide a “replay” link so they can listen to the presentation at their own convenience.

If you spend time on my website, you’ll quickly figure out that I’m a big fan of “Free”. So here are four No-Cost teleseminar resources for you to check out:

  1. FreeConferenceCall.com
  2. NoCostConference.com
  3. FreeConference.com
  4. FreeConferenceCalling.com

Speak up! Speak out! Using your voice is a very effective way to share your expertise, showcase your talents, and let your personality and pizazz shine through.

Filed Under: Internet Marketing Tools, Making money on the internet, Online Promotions, Podcasting, Public speaking, Small business owners, Teleseminars Tagged With: , , , ,

Blogitty Blog, Blog, Blog

By 2 Comments

Having a business blog has become as important (critical, really!) as having a business card.

Your blog should be considered the hub of all your online business building activities. And you should be posting at least two or three times a week – more often would be even better.

What I’m hearing, over and over again, from small business owners and solo professionals is that they’re feeling overwhelmed at the notion of maintaining a blog. Their biggest concern is writer’s block.

They write a few blog posts and then they draw a blank and can’t seem to come up with ongoing, interesting, creative topics to blog about. If this is the case for you, put your worries to rest.

I found a wonderful free resource that will have you swimming in ideas to blog about. It’s a blogging calendar and planner for the entire year that also includes some really intriguing and downright funny holidays and observances celebrated everywhere. I printed out my own copy as soon as I discovered this really cool blogging tool.

Don’t know what to blog about? Just check your calendar! Download A Free 2010 Blogging Calendar and Planner today.

Don’t be concerned about relevancy of this calendar since half the year is already over.  We’ve still got the second half to go, right?!

I love tools and resources like this that help to keep me organized and give me lots of inspiration.

I’d also really love to hear what kinds of tools YOU use to come up with fresh content for your blog.

{mysig}

Filed Under: Authors, Blogging, Business Card, Business Plan, Internet Marketing Tools, Small business owners Tagged With: , , ,

Are Your Blog Posts End-to-End Thrills?

By 12 Comments

Gee, I hope not.

Now don’t get me wrong here.  People may be thrilled to read your posts, but they don’t have to be thrilling.

Maybe you’re like me.

I spent years studying literature, journalism, and creative writing – my favorite subjects!

Great.  But when I started a business blog, I quickly realized I needed to throw a lot of my cherished language arts skills and rules out the window.

Not so easy to do.  Business blogging is nothing like writing a short story for a magazine, a press release, a thesis, or a newspaper article.

However, it’s okay to add a little vim and vigor and let your personality shine through in your blog posts!

You want a blog with loyal readers – where people want to come back for more.   You want to attract visitors with attention-grabbing headlines and compelling content.

Here’s a cleverly-written post you’ll enjoy about the essential elements of a business blog:

“How to Bake a Blog: Recipe for Business Blogging Success”

And remember your blog posts don’t need to be end-to-end thrills.

Filed Under: Blogging, Building relationships online, Improving writing skills, Social Media Marketing, Storytelling, Writing effective headlines Tagged With: , ,

Tweet Longer and Add Some Oomph

By 12 Comments

I’ll openly admit that I’m a Twitter-holic. (I know. They have support groups for people like me). :-)

There’s something fun and really easy about Twitter’s micro-blogging platform that fits nicely into my marketing strategy.  And it’s a free social media platform so it definitely fits into my marketing budget.

Once in a while I am challenged, though, to fit my Tweets (messages) into 140 characters or less.  Sometimes I just need 5 or 10 more characters and sometimes more than that.

I discovered a great free tool that allows me to Tweet longer when I want to.

If you find that you’re also in need of extra characters when you’re tweeting, check it out.  It’s called “Twitlonger”.

Visit www.Twitlonger.com

While we’re on the subject of Twitter, did you know that you can schedule your Tweets in advance?

As a busy mom, small business owner, and online marketer, I’m always on the lookout for time-saving and organizational tools that will help to make my days run a lot smoother and less stressful.

“Social Oomph” is a no-cost tool that I can’t be without!  If you’d like to save lots of time and get your Twitter messages scheduled a day in advance or a week or more, check it out.

Visit www.SocialOomph.com

Are you a Twitter fan, too?  What Twitter tool or application do you like best?

{mysig}

Filed Under: Building relationships online, Internet Marketing Tools, Micro blogging, Online Marketing, Small business owners, Social Media Marketing Tagged With: , , ,

FREE Is Not A Four-Letter Word

By 12 Comments

Would you like to listen instead?


Lots of service professionals and other online marketers have a very negative connotation of “Free”.

They consider it one of those “less-than-savory” four-letter words.  Free does not mean frivolous, cheap, or useless.

Smart and savvy independent business owners not only OFFER free information to their target audience, they also SUBSCRIBE to the very best free resources their competitors, clients, vendors, and colleagues have to offer.

Why?

It’s an ideal opportunity to learn something new, gather business-building tips, get invited to valuable teleseminars or webinars, and get PLENTY of ideas for blog posts, podcasts, articles, ezine content, and product creation.

If you’re trying hard to market your business on a shoestring budget (mine’s as thin as dental floss!), then make today the day you become a big fan of “Free”.

Free is not a bad word.  Shift your thinking and start putting it in a positive light – in smart ways that can catapult your business.

Have you met the Shoestring Marketer yet? If you use Twitter, be sure to follow her there @ShoestringGal.

No one else I know has a bigger or better grip on the true meaning and the business-building value of “Free”.

{mysig}

Filed Under: Ezines, Internet Marketing Tools, Online Marketing, Online newsletters, Service Business Owners Tagged With: , , ,

10 Ideas For Using Twitter As A Results-Driven Marketing Tool

By 14 Comments

Listen to this post if you like!


I’m a big fan of Twitter and I believe Social Media Marketing is essential if you’re trying to build your business online.

You can’t turn a blind eye, ignore the fact, sweep it under the rug, or crawl into a hole of denial.  Take a look at television ads these days. Social media venues are here to stay!

The last time I checked, Twitter is growing in popularity by 40% a month! If you’re struggling or confused about out how to utilize Twitter as an effective, results-driven marketing tool, let me share some strategies that will help you to get the most out of Twitter.

Keep these guidelines handy for using Twitter to brand yourself and market your business:

  • Provide value and share biz tips and tools
  • Create anticipation
  • Drive conversation
  • Showcase your Biz
  • Announce important events and product launches
  • Build community
  • Be helpful and answer questions
  • Brag a bit! You deserve it. And show a little personality!
  • Experiment with giveaways, discounts, and contests
  • Post surveys

In keeping with proper and acceptable etiquette, make sure that less than 10% of your Tweets involve any kind of selling or promoting. So what should you be Tweeting about?

Re-Tweet information from your followers that you find useful, funny, or relevant.

Share Twitpics – the most opened links on Twitter!

Communicate newsworthy items and events and be sure to ask your followers to Re-Tweet messages for you.

Speak in your authentic voice and show why your biz and you are pretty cool!

Send out welcome Tweets to new followers (no selling, please) and become the go-to person in your niche by providing helpful tips and resources and answering questions from your target market.

Promote what you want to promote, but keep relationship building your highest priority.

Not quite sure how to “brag” the right way on Twitter?

The biggest challenge is getting over the “fear” of bragging. My friend and colleague, Cathy Goodwin, can help. Just get her mp3 recording and 25-page workbook by going to: BRAGGING 101 (This is my affiliate link and I give it my highest recommendation) Tiny investment – Big results!

{mysig}

Filed Under: Bragging, Building relationships online, Internet Marketing Tools, Online Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking Tagged With: , , , ,

Barking Up The Right Tree

By 8 Comments

Listen if you like!

 

Do you remember your parents teaching you this lesson when you were growing up?

“You are a direct reflection of who you hang out with.”

They may have tried to instill this lesson in you if you started hanging out with the “wrong” crowd, if you know what I mean.

Or they may have wanted to engrain it in your brain to help you make good choices when choosing your childhood friends and your circle of influence later in life.

This same lesson is true in the internet marketing industry.

The people you associate with and align yourself with are very important.  In order to be successful, you need to be barking up the right tree.  In other words, you need to hang out with people who will support you, promote you, and be in alignment with your morals, standards, and values.

My mentor, Jessica Swanson, is just such a person.

I knew, without a doubt, that I was barking up the right tree when I met Jessica via Twitter over three years ago.  For starters, I resonated with her style and her marketing message right out of the gate since “Shoestring Marketing” is the platform I’ve built my business on!

When I began purposefully and intently observing how she conducted business and how she carried herself in conversations online, I had a strong gut level instinct that she was going to be very instrumental in my success as a small business owner and online marketer.

Jessica is classy, savvy, super knowledgeable, authentic, engaging, and one of the kindest people you’ll ever want to meet.  She fits my definition of a true professional.

So who are you hanging out with these days?  Who is it that’s supporting you, promoting your talents, and helping you to realize the success you deserve?

 

Filed Under: Building relationships online, Online Marketing, Small business owners Tagged With: , , , ,
« Older Posts
Stop SOPA