Category Archives: Business Communication

What Do You Really Provide For Your Clients? The Answer May Surprise You.

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Posted by admin on October 9, 2009 – 7:00 am
Filed under Business Communication, Growing Business, Marketing, attract clients

What do you represent to your clients? The answer has been sitting right under your nose, but perhaps you have been too busy trying to sell to actually see it or think about it. For many business owners who haven’t been seeing the results they desire, they have not truly discovered how their clients and prospective clients perceive them.

For example, if you own a travel company that specializes in family vacations, you may think that your clients view you as simply a family vacation provider. Au contraire.

When people are looking for a family vacation, they don’t view a travel company as simply a vacation provider. They view the travel company as a facilitator. In the clients’ mind, a travel company has the ability to provide their family with a time and place to spend quality time together, on a safe and fun vacation, as well as a great price for their trip. See the difference?

Your target audience isn’t coming to you because you provide family vacations—they’re coming to you because they believe you will fulfill their family bonding needs, provide them with a happy and stress-free experience, and meet their vacation standards and criteria. The more specific you are with what you are actually providing for your clients, the easier it will be to connect with them.

Here’s a challenge for you:

1. Analyze your website copy, social media site profiles, past press releases, blog posts, and print marketing materials. Are you speaking to the needs and desires of your target audience? Are you reaching deep down into what you are truly providing them? Remember that you may perceive yourself as a travel company, but that’s not necessarily how you want your prospective clients to see your company—if this is how you’re projecting your company to your target audience, you may find you have no clients.

2. If it appears you’re simply trying to make the sale and not hitting your target market’s sweet spot with your marketing materials, you may be spending tons of precious time with no results—running yourself into the ground.

3. Step back, take a deep breath, and start brainstorming. What exactly do you provide to your audience? How do you satisfy their needs?

4. Now, the trick is to touch your prospective clients with the right marketing strategies and materials. Once you’ve hit the sweet spot, you’ll start to attract more clients, build online exposure, and have a clear brand message that speaks volumes to prospective clients.

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Google Sidewiki: Wiki What?

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Posted by admin on September 28, 2009 – 7:12 am
Filed under Business Communication, Marketing, client attraction

Position yourself as an expert in your field, share your knowledge, gain major online exposure, and increase credibility—all with Google Sidewiki.

You may be thinking that a Sidewiki is some strange creature from Star Wars—I’ll admit, that’s what I thought it was when I first saw it—but it’s actually an online tool that allows you to share your expertise, opinions, and knowledge with the Internet community on any webpage.

For example, if you were a real estate agent and wanted to comment on real estate web pages, you could do so using Google Sidewiki. The comment can be made within the same browser as the web page, and you can read what others are saying as well. You can also share your Sidewiki comments with your Facebook and Twitter friends.

See the video below for a greater insight into this exceptional online marketing tool. 

Google Knol: Share Your Brilliance with the World

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Posted by admin on September 3, 2009 – 8:48 am
Filed under Business Communication, Google Knol, Marketing Strategy, attract clients, increase site traffic, online marketing, social networking

Google Knol: a unit of knowledge

How can you benefit from creating a Knol?

  • You can easily connect and build relationships with others in your industry.
  • You have the ability to position yourself as an expert in your field.
  • You can increase search engine rankings by providing valuable content in your Knol. The more valuable and popular your content is, the higher you will rank in search engine results pages.
  • You’ll feel great knowing you made someone just a bit smarter!

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Open the Portal for Brand Creativity with Social Media

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Posted by admin on September 1, 2009 – 8:12 am
Filed under Business Communication, Gain Brand Loyalty, attract clients, blogging for business

You may be a brand ambassador for your company, but are your employees? If not, it’s time to live by the famous cliché: two minds are better than one.

Social media sites are the epitome of a collaborative environment since they allow you to interact with other company employees, with customers, and with perspective customers―the possibilities are endless.

In order to get the results you want from your online marketing efforts, your company team should work together to communicate with the online community, acting as respectful brand ambassadors. In addition, have friends and family participate in company discussion on social media sites, illustrating to others that you already have a loyal following.

Here’s how the process begins:

Step One: Observe how other companies are utilizing their social media sites. Does it appear that there is more than one person representing that specific brand on social media sites? If so, that company has brand ambassadors. Social media sites allow brand ambassadors to integrate themselves into the online community and build an excellent reputation and reciprocal relationships—something your business works to achieve every day.

Step Two: Don’t underestimate the power of social media sites. Since anyone can use social media sites to say anything they choose, it’s extremely important to set company guidelines for using social media sites—especially since all comments are viral. These guidelines should focus on how each comment made by brand ambassadors must work to protect the brand image. If employees do not respect you or the company they work for, your company may be vulnerable to brand bashing. Even if you’re not influencing employees to actively participate on social media sites on behalf of your company, it’s still important to make sure they are not working against your brand image on their personal accounts.

According to WebProNews, a recent study from ProofPoint found that seventeen percent of businesses reprimanded an employee for abusing social media or blogging company guidelines and nine percent terminated an employee for violating these guidelines. Following your employees on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube can possibly prevent future negative impacts on your company’s reputation.

Remind your employees that if they are using social media sites it’s their responsibility to represent your company in a respectable light. If they don’t have anything nice to say about it, they shouldn’t say anything at all.

Step Three: Show employees how to use social media sites to effectively represent the brand. Have them discuss upcoming events and industry news, participate in discussions relevant to your business, and be present on groups and forums that are beneficial to the growth of your company. Have employees ask questions to facilitate discussion and add valuable information to conversations they participate in.

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Are You Working Yourself Into A Frazzle And Not Seeing Positive Results?

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Posted by admin on August 27, 2009 – 7:59 am
Filed under Business Communication, Marketing Tip, attract clients, increase site traffic, online marketing

Attention entrepreneurs and small business owners:

“Are you working yourself into a frazzle yet still coming up short on the green stuff?”

“Would you like to get off the Frazzle-Track and onto a path of grace and ease in your business? Would you like to discover how to make your business run like the well-oiled money making machine you know it can be?”

money

How do you get there? It all starts with avoiding the deadly traps that ensnare many entrepreneurs.

These traps may be killing your business, and your lifestyle, right now. But there’s another way! Skip the traps and step into the Big Vibe prosperity that’s on the other side. That’s where the passion, money, and time to enjoy it lives.

Join Julio Blanco, business coach and owner of Envision Lifeworks on Tuesday, September 1 at 6pm (EST) for his free telecall, “The 10 Deadly Traps You’ve Got to Avoid to Leap from Frazzle-Track to Big Vibe Prosperity.”

In this FREE call, you will discover the:

1. One roadblock that’s stopping you from creating the thriving business you really want.

2. Two traps that block you from making rapid progress.

3. One killer marketing trap that’s wasting your time, money, and energy.

4. Two traps that keep you buried in your business and keep you from truly living.

5. One practice you are probably neglecting that is costing you thousands of dollars.

Why spend years in the Frazzle-Track figuring this stuff out when you can get on the path to Big Vibe prosperity right now? Sign up for this FREE call here. There’s no charge for the call. The call will be recorded, but if you don’t register, you’ll never get to hear it.

Starting an Online Business on a Shoestring Budget: Advice from a Successful Woman-preneur

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Posted by admin on July 21, 2009 – 9:49 am
Filed under Business Communication, Growing Business, Small Business, grow your business

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Copy Doodle is thrilled to have Tess Taylor, owner/CEO of Taylor Resources Writing, as our guest blogger this week. If you would like to be a guest blogger, simply click the contact us link and pitch us your idea.

Have you been thinking about starting a business for a long time? Or maybe you have an idea for a great business plan, but just don’t have the funds to launch it. Now is actually a great time to start that online business of your dreams – even on a shoestring budget.

As the owner of a very busy and successful freelance writing and online content business, I can tell you from personal experience that you can easily start an online business of your own on a very limited budget, in some cases even for free. There are many helpful tools available for small business owners to get started. Everything from free websites to low cost business marketing and advertising resources is readily available with just a click of the computer mouse nowadays.

When I first started my company in 2008, Taylor Resources Writing, I was still struggling to hold down my “day job” in Corporate America. I was definitely not searching for a way to get rich quick, but I knew more than ever that I had to get out of the rat-race and be in charge of my own destiny. My website was literally formed from a blog that I had been using to journal my progress and highlight some of my work online. This blog was completely free and featured some great tools that I used to update my clients, keep in touch with contacts and market myself. When I later decided to officially launch my business, I registered my blog with a low cost domain hosting service to give my business a more professional atmosphere.

In addition to taking advantage of free blogs and practically free web hosting services, there are other cheap ways of operating a business online. You can order business cards and flyers from services that offer free products. You can also design free digital business cards and logos on many web-based applications. These can be added to your email address signature along with the link to your company website or blog. Speaking of email – this can be one of the most effective methods you can use to market your business to potential clients and to offer specials to your existing customers.

Advertising and social media marketing opportunities for your business abound on the Internet. Look for and list your blog and website with as many online directories you can. Include links to your website wherever you have community accounts set up – such as on your Linkedin profile, Facebook, and Twitter. Include a link to your website in any community forums or associations where you regularly participate. Be sure to take advantage of free classified advertising resources like Backpages and Craigslist. Remember, you want to make it as easy as possible for people to find you.

If you need help along the way, remember to seek out people who are experts in helping launch small businesses online. There are a variety of companies that can help your dreams become a reality and bring you the kind of exposure and success that you need to get noticed on the World Wide Web today.

Tess C. Taylor is the Owner/CEO of Taylor Resources Writing, and offers a wide range of writing and web content marketing services from her home office in Charleston, South Carolina. Tess is also currently authoring a series of self-help eBooks for the start-up entrepreneur as well as managing The Writer WAHM Network a community website for work at home Mom writers.

Three Ways to Market Your Business Transparently

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Posted by admin on July 16, 2009 – 10:02 am
Filed under Business Communication, Marketing Strategy, SEO copywriter, attract clients, increase online sales, increase site traffic, online marketing

Building a successful business online requires effectively reaching potential clients through strategic and authentic marketing practices. And companies that utilize transparent practices are more successful than companies that shy away from expressing their brand personality and business practices.

Transparent practices are crucial if you want to build trust between potential clients and your brand. If you hide your brand personality, if your message is inflated or muddled in industry jargon, or if the message is too focused on the company, it will be difficult to reach a large range of potential clients and strategic partners.

The key is to get real. Take some time and evaluate your business mission and what your company stands for. Take a look at where you aren’t being as authentic as you could be, then rework your message to reflect the personality and the message you want to communicate.

Here are three result-driven ways to authentically market your business:

Share your brand story and your company’s personality on your website. Don’t make your potential customers feel out of the loop or intimidated when they visit your website. A website that lacks a clear, authentic message and unique company personality will weaken the connection between the visitor and your brand image. A site with a transparent About Us page is a powerful tool that facilitates a strong connection. Not only do potential clients like to see whom they’re doing business with, they also like to see an authentic brand story and the personality of the company.

Become transparent on social media sites. Social media sites are the perfect places to reach a high concentration of potential customers and strategic partners and to integrate your company into the online community. They are an informal way to market your business and places where you can truly let your personality and brand image shine through in a fun and interactive way.Offering behind-the-scenes information, sneak peeks, photos, videos, and recent news about your business on these social media sites provides potential customers with a clear understanding of your brand image and your practices. It also gives prospects a sense of the personalities behind the business.

Share yourself and your company at networking events. A networking event is the perfect place to meet referral partners, strategic partners, and potential clients. Your goal at a networking event is to be remembered–in a positive way—by a handful of people with whom you speak. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through when discussing business. This transparency is the key to showing others that your business practices and brand image are authentic. Allow potential customers and strategic partners to build a strong connection between you as a person and your brand name. When you are remembered, your business will be remembered.

Are You Reallly Connecting with Your Target Audience?

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Posted by admin on July 14, 2009 – 9:28 am
Filed under Business Communication, attract clients, online marketing, small business marketing, target market

In order to attract prospects and turn them into paying customers, you must connect with your target audience in the most clear, concise, and effective way. Before you put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard), consider the 4 common mistakes businesses make, and take action to create a clear message.

Mistake 1: The #1 mistake companies make is not deciding or knowing what your website needs to do (its purpose) or where it falls in the sales process.

Action Steps to Avoid This Mistake:

  • Write down the purpose of the website. What action do you want visitors to take? Do you want them to call you, order online, or set up a free demo? Be as specific as possible.
  • Write down the purpose of each webpage. Remember, not all pages need to have the same purpose.
  • When you are clear about what action you want visitors to take, write clear calls to action for each webpage.

Mistake 2: The #2 mistake companies make is they focus their website message on what they think is important and not what the target needs and wants to see. You will not connect with your prospects or communicate effectively if you don’t know whom you are speaking to.

Action Steps to Avoid This Mistake:

  • Narrow down your target, and be as specific as you can. You want to know and understand your prospects. Not only do you need to know the demographics but also the psychographics.
  • Create a list of characteristics of your ideal client.
  • Know what keeps them up at night. If you don’t know, ask current clients or send them a survey.
  • Study your target audience, and speak specifically to them.

Mistake 3: The #3 mistake companies make in their online message is they don’t clearly describe their product or service and focus on the benefits. As obvious as it seems, many companies do not clearly state what their product / service is and what it does for customers.

Action Steps to Avoid This Mistake:

  • Start by listing what your service or product does. Then, list the correlating benefit. Do this for each service or product you sell. Don’t forget, there may be more than one benefit.
  • If you get stuck, interview yourself, or have someone close to you interview you. Doing so, you will get clear on what problem the product / service solves, how long will it take for benefits to occur, and what makes your service / product different from the others?
  • When writing your marketing copy, focus the message on the benefit to the customer.

Mistake 4: The #4 mistake is not updating your message. How many times have you been to a website and you can tell from a glance that it’s been neglected or it’s outdated?

Action Steps to Avoid This Mistake:

  • Frequently reevaluate your website copy and your marketing copy to see if it is current. Your web copy should to be up-to-date and well written.
  • Your message must be relevant to the target market – good copy will suck them in. Bad copy will bore them and drive them away.
  • Know your client, and always stay focused on the benefit or the outcome. What does the prospect get once they use your product, take your class, or hire you?

Getting More from the Internet: Harnessing Technology to Grow Your Business.

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Posted by admin on July 10, 2009 – 3:55 pm
Filed under Business Communication, Marketing Tip, blogging for business, marketing in bad economy, online marketing, small business marketing, video marketing

For those of you in the Charleston area, you’ll want to come to this month’s Mount Pleasant Business & Professional Association meeting. Michelle Salater is  joining Christopher Cisneros, owner of Zafari, Inc., to discuss Getting More from the Internet: Harnessing Technology to Grow Your Business.

Don’t miss this exciting chance to learn about the latest in web technologies that can enhance your existing marketing efforts. You’ll learn about the importance of using website marketing techniques to drive traffic to your website:

  • Video [how it's valuable, why it makes sense]
  • Blogging
  • Social networking
  • PR [driving traffic, submitting online]

You’ll also learn about how to get your website on the first few pages of Google. Search engine optimization is a whole complex science but you can improve your website’s position by:

  • Ensuring your site is built in a way that’s friendly for the search engines
  • Making sure your content is not only meaningful and provides a strong message but is also seo-friendly

For more information or to register, please visit www.mpbpa.com/ .

HobNobCharleston.com: Charleston’s Premier Community Portal

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Posted by admin on July 9, 2009 – 9:45 am
Filed under Business Communication, SEO copywriter, online marketing

Rising to the top since their debut online in October 2008, HobNobCharleston.com is the perfect online portal for locals and visitors alike to meet all their Charleston, SC, needs. This includes videos, pictures, blogs, news stories, directories, and an extensive calendar of events.

In a nutshell, HobNobCharleston.com is a community website that provides viewers with an extensive business directory, an all-embracing calendar of community events, a wide spectrum of community blogs, videos, and so much more. With sister websites in 800 other cities nationwide, HobNobCharleston.com offers its online visitors a plethora of information to choose from.

Referred to as the “virtual Mayor of Charleston,” owner of HobNobCharleston.com, Becky Smith, serves the overall community, business community, and nonprofit community.

“We love to highlight events and businesses that are special and that are making a splash in the city,” says Smith. “We have a great business directory that we offer to all the businesses where they can list their business for free.”
HobNobCharleston.com also offers great deals on ad space for those businesses looking to get front row and center on this premier Charleston, SC, community portal. HobNobCharleston.com also has a page for real estate agents to post their listings at no charge. The great benefit to real estate agents: Their listings don’t just show up on the

HobNobCharleston.com site; they show up on all 800 HobNobCharleston.com sister sites. Smith also encourages HobNobCharleston.com visitors to upload important community events on the HobNobCharleston.com calendar.

“We want it to be the biggest community calendar in Charleston, so everyone knows where to go,” says Smith. “It’s a one-stop shop for them.”

In this exclusive interview, Smith breaks down HobNobCharleston.com’s role in the community:

What makes HobNob unique compared to other community sites?

Well, what we like to focus on is interacting with the community. We don’t like to just spit information out there and let it sit. We like to update it—keep you informed. We want you to interact with us by communicating anything going on in the Charleston area. Also, we are always running contests that not only highlight our businesses but are also a lot of fun for the community to get involved with. We do trivia, giveaways, and raffles.

Can you provide us with an example of one of your contests?

We started our first contest with the Women of Business. We had hundreds of women sign up for a Pamper Yourself in Charleston package of almost $1000 worth of prizes—all donated from local businesses. The winner was Tiffany O’Neil, and she was very excited to get her huge package! She received a free teeth whitening, free wine tasting for five people at Wine Awhile in Mount Pleasant, beauty control products, $50 spa giveaway, and more.

If I were going to visit Charleston, how would I benefit from visiting HobNobCharleston.com?

You can definitely visit our local business directory and find local restaurants, local music events, shopping centers, hotel listings, art galleries, sporting events, real estate, transportation companies, and so much more. All the things you would need in Charleston are on our business directory, and you don’t have to filter through all the other things on the Internet. You can go straight to HobNobCharleston.com, and the site will tell you exactly where to go. Also, our events calendar lets visitors know all the exciting things that are happening around town. We have a lot of people uploading events, including local businesses, HobNobCharleston.com, and community members—so it’s a very extensive list of events.

Mostly, visitors can get a real feel for what Charleston is all about by visiting HobNobCharleston.com because we highlight much of our local events and businesses with video and pictures. Basically, visitors can see what the community does and how this is a small town and a big town.