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.

You might enjoy this more if you listen!

When I was a kid, the first thing I grabbed out of the Sunday edition of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette was the “funnies”.  I started my morning off on a happy note by reading the comic strips.

Forget about the front page headlines – most of that stuff fell under the categories of boring, tragic, political, or I-really-don’t-give-a-hoot!

One thing I value a lot is a sense of humor and I think it’s because so few people have one!  And I consider it a wonderful asset.

I take humor very seriously.  There’s probably an oxymoron somewhere in that statement.

Humor will take you a long way in life in all of your relationships, even the relationships you have with your target audience.

But telling jokes isn’t what I’m talking about and it’s not a good idea.  You wouldn’t want to start off a teleseminar, for example, by saying, “Three men went into a bar.  One was a priest, one was a rabbi, …” and you know the rest of that joke.  Trust me, that won’t work, so don’t go there.

So how can you incorporate a splash of humor into your on-stage deliveries, email marketing campaigns, blog posts, teleseminars, podcasts, and internet radio shows?

LAUGH AT YOURSELF.  It works like a charm!

Let me give you an example of how I laugh at myself when I’m introducing myself to a new group of students in my childbirth education classes.  And please keep in mind that I teach a 2-hour class that starts at 7:00 PM.  And when you’re pregnant, 7:30 is bedtime!  So it’s not exactly easy to keep these people awake!

Here’s how my introduction goes …

Good evening.  My name is Melanie and I’m a single mom with four daughters, including a set of twins.  What that really translates into is four weddings to pay for and a house full of PMS!

That always gets a laugh and breaks the ice.  However, what I’ve just shared with them is the truth and it’s really not funny.

But it works because I’m laughing at myself.

Can you think of a way you could incorporate humor into your business and marketing strategies?

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”.

Prefer to listen to this post?

And she’s a doctor!!

But it just can’t be prevented sometimes.

It’s a terrible affliction and there’s no known cure.

Terrie’s not alone.  Internet marketers seem to have more “sign-up-itis” than any other segment of the population.  I suffered with it for about three years and then it finally went away.

Oddly enough, it started easing up considerably once my bank account was drained.  I’m seeing a correlation here, how about you?

In medical/pathological terms (which doctors know a lot about), the suffix “itis” denotes inflammation of an organ (bronchitis; gastritis).

In extended senses, “itis” denotes abnormal states or conditions, excesses, tendencies, obsessions, etc. (telephonitis; baseballitis).

Come to think of it, I believe my friend also has “baseball-itis”.  Terrie is really CRAZY about those Yankees!!

Now I want you to be aware that one form of “sign-up-itis” is much more harmful than the other.

The first form is where you sign up for every Free thing that comes down the pike – free ebooks, coupons, teleseminars, ice cream, movie tickets, webinars, surveys, reports, contests, and maybe even toe rings.

In this case, the sign-up-itis involves no pain or discomfort and you’ll probably be okay.

The second form is more serious and may require intervention.

You’ll know you suffer from the second form if you don’t bother to put your credit card back in your wallet and leave it within arm’s reach of your computer keyboard – just in case there’s something to sign up for today.

This form of sign-up-itis can be excruciatingly painful and you must seek treatment right away!

All joking around aside, try your best to only sign up for programs, products, and services that relate to your target market and those that help to move your business forward.

My friend, Terrie, coined the phrase “sign-up-itis” and we like to kid around about it.

By the way …

Have you signed up for a copy of my FREE Solo Mompreneur Survival Kit Yet?

I bet everyone reading this already understands the value and importance of building online relationships.

Relationship-building must remain your #1 Priority!

But how do you go about establishing viable and lasting relationships over the internet?

How do you give your colleagues, prospects, social media contacts, and potential customers and clients the opportunity to get to know you better?

Use a powerful free marketing tool that’s at your disposal twenty-four hours a day – Your Voice!

E-newsletters, email marketing, blogging, article marketing, forums, and social media are great and should be vital components for branding yourself and your business.  However, these are considered “silent” venues.  People can only read what you have to say.

Having the opportunity to hear your voice makes a REMARKABLE difference in the minds and hearts of your target audience!

Normally, you don’t have the luxury and joy of meeting your fans and followers face-to-face, although it would be wonderful to sit across the table from one another and have a nice chat.

So, instead, choose your next best relationship-building option!

Select at least one or two of these “voice” strategies that you’re most comfortable with or want to learn more about:

• Teleseminars
• Webinars
• Internet Radio
• Videos
• Podcasting
• Audio Postcards
• Guest Expert Interviews

If you’ve never heard MY voice, click the link below where Terrie Wurzbacher of Getting Unstuck, LLC recently interviewed me as a Guest Expert:

Hear my Voice

Either there’s a whole lot of really brilliant online marketers who are exhausted, overworked, careless, or suffering miserably from absentmindedness …

OR …

“Oops!” is a new marketing strategy and no one invited me to a webinar to learn about it!  Didn’t get an invitation to an Oops teleseminar, haven’t seen anyone Tweeting about it, and I haven’t seen one mention in any of the ezines I read.

Do you think some exclusive and secretive Oops group is purposely leaving me out of the loop?  I’ve got my suspicions and I’m beginning to wonder because …

Rarely does a day go by that I don’t find one of the following in an email subject line:

• Oops! I sent the wrong link
• Oops! You missed the deadline
• Oops! I forgot to mention
• Oops! I’m sorry you couldn’t attend
• Oops! I should have sent this yesterday
• Oops! Looks like you missed this
• Oops! The call has been rescheduled
• Oops! The early bird discount expired
• Oops! Here’s the corrected link
• Oops! I didn’t mean to do that

Is it just me?  Or are you getting “Oops!’d”, too?

All kidding aside, I know that sometimes we just get in a hurry and make a mistake.

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.

2) Stand Out From The Crowd – As strange as it sounds, you really have no competition when you promote yourself and your business online.  After all, there is only one YOU in this world. Take this prime time opportunity to demonstrate your unique juicy benefits and what differentiates you from everyone else.  Each of us has our very own special character, style, and persona. Let it shine! Be yourself, be creative, and have fun.

3) Save Lots Of Money – There are so many different internet marketing platforms to choose from and the majority of them are FREE. You can build your business online very cost-effectively through blogging, video, podcasting, article marketing, social media, teleseminars, and webinars. You can even host your own internet radio show or T.V. show.  Cost?  Zero dollars.

Give potential clients the chance to know, like, and trust you. Whether you are most comfortable using your voice, writing, or being in front of a camera, marketing your business online will help you build visibility and credibility and establish you as the go-to expert in your field.

Do you Tweet? I’d like to invite you to Follow me on Twitter.

Some solopreneurs and service professionals enjoy writing while others prefer speaking or being in front of a camera.

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, 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 scout around my website, you’ll quickly figure out that I’m a big fan of “free”.  So here are three No-Cost teleseminar venues for you to consider:

FreeConferenceCall.com

NoCostConference.com

FreeConference.com

Many online marketing professionals choose to use a paid service called InstantTeleseminar.com.  You may want to check it out and determine if it fits into your budget.

Speak up!  Speak out! Using your voice is a wonderful and effective way to share your expertise and build relationships.

Many people want to write a book, yet don’t know where to start or don’t consider themselves “good writers.” These five tips will give you food for thought when it comes to writing yours.

BOOK WRITING TIP 1: Select a topic that’s an “inch wide, mile deep.” It’s easier and faster to write, and readers like books that are very topic specific.

BOOK WRITING TIP 2: Keep your book short & powerful-it doesn’t have to be your version of “War and Peace.” The upside of this type of book is that it’s easier for people to read in one sitting or while on a plane ride.

BOOK WRITING TIP 3: The key to getting finished is getting started! It sounds simple, yet it’s very true. There’s power just in getting started.

BOOK WRITING TIP 4: Start writing where you’re most passionate. It might not be Chapter One and instead could be Chapter Five. Again, the key is to get started and build momentum.

BOOK WRITING TIP 5: Don’t consider yourself a writer? “Talk” your book. Record, transcribe, edit and – wah lah – you have a completed manuscript.

For more book writing and book publishing information, join in a special teleseminar series being conducted by my friend and colleague Donna Kozik. You can find out more here, plus see a cool video Donna put together with a tip on how to build buzz for your book-before you even start writing it!