Marketing Mindset

Personalizing your emarketing items, such as newsletters, broadcasts, etc. is not new; most people who use email regularly are used to seeing their first names in email subject lines or within an email newsletter. And, if you regularly send out emails to your subscribers, you probably have remembered the “first name” merge code by heart.
But many of you may be wondering, “What is the effectiveness of personalizing my emails?” “Does it really work?” “What else can I do besides add a name to the subject line?”

According to emailstatcenter.com, “Inserting a person’s name into an email increases open rates by as much as 10%. - Jupiter Research (2006).” So it does seem that personalizing emails does have an impact, even just a little bit. But the trick is to personalize correctly.

I would bet that you have received at least one or two emails that read like the following: “For  , free ebook covers this weekend only.”

Um, that there should be something before that comma. Yuck.

There are a couple of instances when I recommend NOT personalizing the subject line. 1) You DO NOT require that the name field is a “required” field on your sign-up box on your website, and 2) you already have a cramped subject line slot and adding a first and/or last name or two would just be a bit too much (stick to a subject line of 56 characters or less).

By default, most programs require an email address, but you normally have to manually define other fields, including the name field, as being a “required” field in which a subscriber must enter information or they will get a reminder to input something into that particular field.

If you feel like getting fancy with personalization, there are many personalization fields to choose from and many ways to liven up your broadcasts. You can add merge codes that contain names, dates, geographic location, email address, ad categories, URL where subscriber signed up, to name a few.

Here is one example of one way you can personalize your newsletters:

One of my clients (hi Felicia!) asked that I attach a subscription management reminder at the bottom of her newsletter. Basically it reads something like, “[name], you subscribed to this publication on this [date] using this [email address].” Great idea – lends credibility and reminds your readers that you aren’t spamming them. In fact, I really liked this idea so I tried it out on my own newsletter!

Check with your shopping cart or list management program to see what other merge fields or variables you can add to liven up your publications. You can search the FAQ or support pages or do a search on their site for keywords such as “personalization” or “merge fields.” I bet you’ll get a lot of ideas just by looking!

Copyright 2008 Lisa Wells, Coast2CoastBusiness.com

Want to publish this article on your site? You may, but please include the following resource information: Lisa Wells, virtual support specialist, publishes “Marketing Mindset in Motion,” a free monthly e-newsletter for coaches, consultants, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. If you’re ready to move your business to the next level, sign up for her FREE e-course “e-Marketing Toolbox Essentials” at www.Coast2CoastBusiness.com.

Five frogs are sitting on a fence.
Two decide to jump off the fence.
How many frogs are left on the fence?
Answer: Five frogs are still on the fence.
The explanation: Deciding to do something is not the same as doing it. “Deciding” is about the head. “Doing” is about the heart. Get out of your head and into your heart. (posted on Tom Heck’s website at http://www.teachmeteamwork.com)

But “doing” is pretty hard for some of us, right?

It’s especially tough for those just starting your online business: you need to setup a website and/or blog, create a free offering such as an ecourse, set up and distribute a newsletter, not to mention all that marketing and promotion! For those of you who have been in business for awhile, you may be thinking that you want to take your business to the next level; creating information products, establishing yourself as a maven of your market, or getting away from trading time for money.

You know there are things you would like or need to do in order to move your business forward. But, for whatever reason, you haven’t taken the steps. Lack of time, money, or just plain fear – these are all very good and valid reasons (excuses).

But let’s face it, tackling these roadblocks are what will separate those that “do” from those that “do not” and ultimately the have’s and the have not’s. Let’s look at each of these, maybe these obstacles aren’t as big you think.

Time and Money

There are only 24 hours in a day, but what if I told you there is a way to clone yourself and make money at the same time? For example: your business is a part-time venture and you devote approximately 20 hours per week. You soon find that you spend more than half that time working IN your business than ON it. You update your own website, you submit your own articles to article sites, you answer customer service emails… This is time spent on administrative tasks that COULD be spent on generating revenue.

This is where a virtual assistant proves valuable. By delegating these administrative tasks to a virtual assistant, who may charge less than half of what you do per hour, you are getting things done, moving your business forward, AND making money all at the same time.

Deciding to move forward in your business and actually providing the infrastructure are two different things.

Fear

Let me tell you a true story. Last week a colleague of mine, Lauren Halagarda, put on a teleseminar for people experiencing “email overwhelm.” She had been planning this for awhile and kept putting it off. She was fearful that people wouldn’t show up, not be seen as credible (even though she has a bachelor’s degree and taught similar subjects at a college!), and fearful that something would go wrong. Sound familiar?Things started off a bit rough as the webinar software was a little difficult to install and navigate for some. Then the free conference call service wouldn’t let her record.

Copyright 2008 Lisa Wells, Coast2CoastBusiness.com

Want to publish this article on your site? You may, but please include the following resource information: Lisa Wells, virtual support specialist, publishes “Marketing Mindset in Motion,” a free monthly e-newsletter for coaches, consultants, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. If you’re ready to move your business to the next level, sign up for her FREE e-course “e-Marketing Toolbox Essentials” at www.Coast2CoastBusiness.com.
 

“Welcome” emails are those emails that are sent to your new subscribers as soon as they sign up for your newsletter list. These emails provide a golden opportunity not only to welcome the new user, but increase credibility, promote other products, and show you off as the professional that you are.

Here is a great article that shows some examples of good and bad “welcome” emails.

http://www.varien.com/ecommerce/usability-welcome-emails/

I can see that one thing that makes a big difference (and missing with my own emails) is color!  Need to get on that right now…

I remember it perfectly. It was a Wednesday morning. I was on the phone talking to my dad, giving up an update of my son’s recovery from surgery and was excited that my son would probably be home that weekend. And then the phone beeped, I had another call waiting on the line. That phone call would rock my world… My son had cancer. I was told that treatment could take as long as six months and to prepare to spend the first four weeks in the hospital. The doctor said to come up right away. Not a couple hours, right now! Everything, including my business, would just have to wait.

All small business owners will experience a crisis at some point. It can be a major crisis such as a computer breaks down, the backup didn’t work, and the files from the last six months are lost. Or maybe it will be minor, like a bout with the flu and work may have to be put on hold for a week. But what about a long-term crisis such as an illness that may affect you, a spouse, a parent, or a child that lasts a few months or longer? Are you and your business prepared?

As you read the following crisis management tips, realize that I did the exact opposite; learn from them so you don’t repeat my mistakes! ; )

1. Have a list of resources.

I always thought it would be a great idea to have a list of resources for when I needed to outsource a task, provide coverage for vacation, or referrals for when I was at full capacity. I just never got around to getting this list together! Trying to find resources for my clients at the last minute while in the middle of a crisis was not ideal. So stop procrastinating and get together your list of resources. You will feel better knowing that in your absence, your clients and/or customers are being taken care of. 

2. Learn to say No.

Laura Wheeler of Firelight Web Studio, a friend who offered great survival-mode tips as a mother of a child who also has cancer, put it to me this way: “You can’t go on like you did before. You have to cut out everything that is not essential. You’ll have to learn to tell people “no” and not feel guilty.”

This may be hard for some, and trust me, it was hard for me too. But it doesn’t help you or your clients to minimize or downplay the situation. Your clients may think you can handle their workload when the reality is that you cannot. Your customers and clients need to know this and the sooner you set expectations the better.

3. Keep it simple.

What I mean by this is try to simplify your business AND your life. Switch to a laptop so that you can take your business mobile should you have to travel or be away from home for a length of time; use an online backup service so that backing up is automatic and off-site; try to do as many daily/weekly/monthly items, such as newsletters, ahead of time.

If you use virtual assistants, make sure to have an updated copy of a procedures manual and password list so that he/she can step in during your absence without experiencing a lag in customer service.

4. Accept change.

You need to realize that your business may never be the same. You will have to adjust to your new situation and this may mean working fewer hours, having fewer clients, or moving to a portable-type of workload.

As Laura rebuilt her business, what she found was that it was so much better and so much more focused than it had been before. Sort of like a big “do over.”

How you handle your crisis will ultimately affect your business, positively or negatively. You can minimize the stress and make the most of a bad situation by planning for the inevitable, keeping a positive attitude, and knowing that you WILL survive.

Special thanks to Laura Wheeler of Firelight Web Studio (http://www.firelightwebstudio.com) for her insight and great advice. Laura and her team offer many web design ideas for micro-businesses (one person work-at-home folks) through her website via many free articles and other resources. She is a wonderful person and offers amazing customer service! 

Copyright 2008 Lisa Wells, Coast2CoastBusiness.com

I attended a number of telecourses this year, ranging from “how to add audio and video to blog sites” to “using Myspace for business.” But the most valuable three programs that helped me build my business in a BIG way were the following three programs: Resolutions Results Program, Take Action Group, and the One Page Business Plan course.

Resolution Results for your Business Success in 2008

The Resolutions Results group is an eight-week program presented by communication expert Felicia Slattery. The program I attended last January featured guest speakers, tips for how to get results and meet goals, and because I was attending along with other small business owners, I got the benefit of hearing others’ questions, problems, solutions, experiences, and achievements. The instructor, Felicia Slattery, is herself a coach and businesswoman and trust me when I tell you that I have seen first-hand what this woman can accomplish in the course of one year - she’s phenomenal! She walks the talk and gives sound advice on how to grow your business and ultimately increase cash flow. This year’s program, Resolutions Results for Your Business Success in 2008, looks fabulous! Tons of content, bonuses, and guest speakers include such well-knowns as Jeff Herring (the Article Guy), marketing mentor Denise Michaels, and a personal friend of mine, author and abundance coach Kamin Bell (the same Kamin who personally coached me right into getting my new BMW this year!). The class starts second week of January, but those who register before December 22nd get an early bird discount - so don’t wait and sign up now for the Resolutions Results Program.

Take Action Group

By March, I had started to implement some of the lessons I had learned from Felicia’s class and my business was starting to take off. But I had made a major change and didn’t know what to do - I wanted to change my niche and realized I needed someone to coach me through this. How do I target my niche? How do I effectively market to them? How do I explain to people what I do?

I was feeling a little lost and even had a phone consultation with a pricey business coach. But then I found a great product in Alicia Forest’s “21 Easy & Essential Steps to Online Success” workbook. Not only that, but about two weeks later, I found out that she was starting a teleclass that would meet for 10 weeks and go over all of the steps in the workbook. Eureka - I felt like I hit the jackpot! If any of you know Alicia, is a member of her Café, or have purchased other products from her, you know that she is first class all the way. Her principles are sound and her experience is unmatched when it comes to marketing, list building, and growing a solo business. Sign up for her next Take Action Group starting in January.

One Page Business Plan

Towards the end of this year, my business was rockin’! I was doing great but felt like I needed a little fine tuning - namely a better plan. I know all of you reading this know how vital it is to have a business plan, but does your plan really work? I had written a business plan, but it wasn’t working for me - it was just a few pages of text that was filed away. I found Amy Grossman’s “One Page Business Plan” and this program far exceeded my expectations!

If you are having trouble coming up with (let alone reaching) your objectives, either personally or financially, then having a business plan will help you along. In the course of eight weeks, Amy Grossman walks you through setting up your plan and how to use your plan. In plain English, she will explain and help you set up goals and objectives that will systemize your business.

One example of how this course helped me was that I had a figure in my head of how much money I wanted to make each year. I vaguely knew how many hours I needed to work per month in order to reach that goal, but that’s about it. Working with Amy, I started to pay attention of how many hours I was actually billing per day versus working per day, which was nowhere near where I needed to be in order to reach my goal. So, as we crafted my business plan, I felt more empowered about the direction my business was headed, I figured out that there were clients that I needed to let go, but most of all, I finally had goals and objectives that weren’t just vague ideas, but solid goals and figures that I could track, follow, and improve upon. Her next class is forming and begins January 22nd, first five registrants get an early bird discount so sign up now.So, there you have my recommendations for the next year. I highly recommend each and every course, take all three if you can! and don’t forget, if you sign up for any of these programs by midnight Friday (12/22), you’ll have a chance to win the $80 Sharper Image gift card. Good luck!

Copyright 2007, Lisa Wells.

“The path to perfection leads to procrastination. Don’t let perfect ruin good.”
– Harry Beckwith

We have all heard that practice makes perfect, but I am here to tell you that the pursuit of perfection in the world of online marketing can lead to Stuck City, or worse, Nothing Gets Done Town. One of the reasons why many business owners whose revenue depends on online marketing can’t get going or aren’t doing any better than running an expensive hobby is because they are suffering from perfection paralysis.

Perfection paralysis takes many forms; a writer having writer’s block, an artist sitting in front of a blank canvas, or the internet marketer who promises a newsletter but never delivers. I know many (including me) who suffer from perfection paralysis in some form, but I think I have a cure. I’ve come to believe that 80% good is better than 100% perfect.

Stop Perfecting and Start Doing

It was midnight and Patty Perfect was on her fourth draft of her article. She had chosen her words carefully, crafting a masterpiece of words and thoughts about her feelings of the state of junk e-mail in today’s society. She spots a typo here and a missing comma there. She types and retypes, reviews, and asks for feedback from her husband. Patty is worried - worried about what her audience will think of her and how the public will judge her. She is paralyzed at the thought of her tour de force not being perfect. Days later, she finally relents and posts to her blog.

Meanwhile, Grant Goodenough was multitasking as usual. He was taking notes while attending a one-hour teleclass and hears some great advice about what to include and exclude in e-mail “subject lines” – a hot topic with his clients. He quickly types up a couple of paragraphs thinking how he and his client, Coach Sally, were just talking about this very topic earlier today! Ok, so it wasn’t the work of art that he would have liked, but he posts to his blog anyway.

Which post do YOU think is most helpful, useful, and relevant? Whose clients do YOU think are going to benefit the most?

It’s the relationship that counts

Let’s be honest, no one is perfect. No matter how hard you try, your e-course will have a grammar error (someone will tell you and you will fix it), you will accidentally send a broadcast to a list you didn’t intend to (who knows, maybe you’ll get a client out of it :)) and, yes, a newsletter will have a broken hyperlink (it’s not the end of the world).

I know I may catch some grief for saying these things, but I’ve been doing this for awhile and trust me, it happens to everyone - even the internet marketing heavy hitters! What’s most important is that it gets done and that you maintain your relationship with your clients and subscribers.

Don’t get me wrong, I strive for perfection. Nothing makes me cringe like a giant typo front and center on an ezine headline. But I look at it this way … at least I’m getting the ezine! I know many people who are hung up on their newsletter, web page, you name it, being “perfect” that nothing gets done.

No newsletter = no relationship, no connection, no subscribers, no nothing.

I don’t know about you, but I’ll take Goodenough over Perfect any day. So, stop perfecting and start doing!

Copyright 2007, Lisa Wells.

Lisa Wells, virtual support specialist, provides marketing support to coaches, consultants, entrepreneurs, and executives coast to coast. For free e-marketing tips, ideas, tools, and strategies, sign up for her free e-course “e-Marketing Toolbox Essentials” at http://www.Coast2CoastBusiness.com.

I love the concept of teleseminars. Aside from the cost savings, there is no travel, you can conduct one in the comfort of your own home, and they are global. New companies are cropping up all the time, providing free bridge lines and recording services. I’ve taken part in many of these teleseminars and they are virtually problem-free.

Teaching a teleseminar is an effective strategy to gain prospects and delivers valuable information at the same time.

As an added bonus, record the call (it’s included for free!) and provide the recording later for people who couldn’t make it. You can even bundle the recording with a workbook and sell it as a product!

How you come across to the listeners is extremely important - minimize the Um’s and the Ah’s, speak with enthusiasm, know your niche, and don’t forget to follow up! A free teleseminar is a great way to introduce a new product or an offering, but save the sales pitch for the end and keep it brief.

For training and assistance, I can recommend these two resources:

Felicia Slattery, Communication Consultant, Speaker, and Coach, hosts regular teleseminars and is an excellent resource for learning how to use this tool. She can help you communicate your credibility, enhance your presentation through non-verbal communication, and can coach you on your presentation skills. Learn more at www.CommunicationTransformation.com.

Alicia Forest, MBA, of www.ClientAbundance.com also teaches teleseminars about how to enhance your teleseminar in order to gain clients. Sign up for her newsletter so you can keep abreast of her upcoming events.

Online entrepreneurs, I’m sure that you have heard many times that one of the most vital things that you must do is “build your mailing list.” Your “list” being the names and e-mail addresses of those people in your niche who have either signed up for your services or purchased a product or are interested in what you have to offer. Why? Because these are the interested prospects that you can market to over and over again.

But where do you begin? Some of the most often-asked questions I hear are, “How do I get people to sign up for my list?” “How do I create a sign-up form?” “Where should I put a sign-up box?” This article is part one of two articles in which I’ll answer these questions and more. This first article will discuss why you should use a list manager program and the basics of what to include when setting up your web form.

The first thing you will need to do is purchase a list management program or service, such as Aweber or Constant Contact. The biggest reasons are: 1) the programs are centrally managed and off-site (broken hard drive + no back up = no list), 2) these programs can handle subscribes and unsubscribes with ease, and 3) once setup, the process is automated.

Once you are setup with your list manager, create a sign-up box on your website and/or blog to capture names and e-mail addresses. Sounds easy doesn’t it?

Here are four things to remember when setting up your sign-up form.

1. Put a form on every page of your website. The reason for this is because you never know from which page the potential prospect is going to enter your site. Users rarely will type in your URL and enter your site through the home page; they will most likely land on a web page after searching through a browser using key words or key phrases.

2. Answer the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) question. Include the answer  next to the sign-up box by giving details about what benefits the prospect will receive if they sign up for your mailing list. These days it’s not enough to just receive a newsletter - give them something of value such as a special report, top ten list, or a free mini e-course.

3. Set expectations by letting them know what it is that they will be receiving and how often. You should also include a link to your privacy policy or state briefly “we will never give away your e-mail address.” The goal here is to reduce friction, remove obstacles, and eliminate fear since identity theft and spam are still big concerns for many people.

4. Thank them. I cannot state this enough, thank these people for taking the time to sign up. Thank them and mean it. Set up your list manager program so that once someone has signed up, he or she is redirected to a thank you page letting them know what is coming next and if there is anything else he or she needs to do, such as confirm an e-mail address.

5. Bonus – Welcome e-mail. This adds a nice touch if you have an autoresponder program. A “Welcome to …” e-mail can be used to restate expectations, give more information about the publication, e-course, etc., when it will be sent and how often. More importantly, you are building trust and establishing a rapport between you and your prospects.

Setting up the list manager, whether it is just to send a newsletter or an entire e-course, can be a daunting task and many of you simply do not have the time to do it. This is a perfect task to delegate to your virtual assistant! The most important take-away, however, is to get your web form in place. You can always go back and fine tune the sign-up process, replace the free item, or change the text on your opt-in e-mail. It does not have to be perfect – it just has to be up.

Copyright 2007 Lisa Wells. All rights reserved.

Lisa Wells, virtual support specialist, provides marketing support to coaches, consultants, entrepreneurs, and executives coast to coast. For free e-marketing tips, ideas, tools, and strategies, sign up for her free e-course “e-Marketing Toolbox Essentials” at http://www.Coast2CoastBusiness.com.

Blog, blogger, blogosphere. I thought these were the strangest sounding words when I first heard them. And I admit, it took me a while to warm up to the whole “blogging” idea. I actually imagined the whole blog scene akin to a supernova that would take the Internet by storm but die out as fast as it came in. But, alas, that has not been the case.A blog (short for web log) is a website where entries are made and displayed in a reverse chronological order. Blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as personal online diaries.

1. Make it relevant – post content that will enlighten, educate and benefit your customers and/or clients.

2. Share your opinion – comment about a recent news story, review a recently released book or movie, or summarize a teleseminar (telephone class) or webinar (online class) you attended.

3. Showcase your knowledge – write articles, tips sheets or how-to lists.

4. Be a guide – provide links to websites, blogs, books or products that you recommend (and ask your online colleagues to reciprocate!) – use affiliate links if you have them.

5. Give-away a taste – offer free special reports, e-courses or recordings in exchange for the visitor’s email address.

6. Announcements – create fanfare and excitement when you launch a new product or service – focus on the benefits it offers. Send these types of posts sparingly.

7. Foster conversation and community – run a survey or a provocative question that’s relevant to your target market.

8. Make it talk, sing or dance – audio and video are HOT additions to any blog.

9. Keep it short – don’t be intimidated by the idea of writing pages and pages of new content for your blog posts. A paragraph can be more than sufficient.

10. Be consistent – depending on how much true “news” there is in your topic, experts agree that you’ll get the best results if you post 1-3 times every week.

With so many advantages, not to mention these simple tools and instructions, there’s nothing stopping you from adding a blog to your e-Marketing Toolbox. My friend, welcome to the Blogosphere! Copyright 2007 Lisa Wells. All rights reserved.

Want to publish this article on your site? You may, but please include the following resource information: Lisa Wells, virtual support specialist, publishes “Marketing Mindset in Motion,” a free monthly e-newsletter for coaches, consultants, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. If you’re ready to move your business to the next level, sign up for her FREE e-course “e-Marketing Toolbox Essentials” at www.Coast2CoastBusiness.com.