Week 11B: Widening Your Circles

I remember that in high school there were cliques, different groups of kids. There were the "jocks" who were the athletes. There were the Geeks, the Stoners, the Drama Geeks, and where I grew up in Arizona, there were the Kickers in big cowboy hats and impossibly tight jeans with big silver belt buckles. No, they didn't kick soccer balls, they kicked, well... cow pies

In high school we had circles of friends with common interests and now circles of friends is a big concept on the Internet. In fact, Google+ has a featured actually called Circles.

1. Social Networks

Google+

Of course I am interested in Social Media marketing so I found some Google + Communities that interest me:

Social Media Strategy

Social Media News

Social Media Psychology

I also find the idea of Circles in that platform interesting, but the idea that might do my future business the most good is called a "Hangout". This is like a conference call but it is virtual. Something like a Skype call but with more participants, this could be a great way to hold small online events and keep in touch with my customers while giving them a place to brainstorm and help each other. Perfect for a consultant!

LinkedIn

Found a couple of Groups on LinkedIn that sound good.

Social Media

Social Media Marketing 2.1

Other interesting features of LinkedIn include an app to share a Google Presentation. There is a very, very important app called "Company Buzz" that tracks what is being said about your company on other social media platforms. Very cool. "Tweets" is an app that helps you to save time by aggregating your updates. I'm always in favor of saving time.

If you want to grow your reputation as an expert, LinkedIn has a feature called "Answers". People ask questions and various other people answer the questions. All in all, LinkedIn seems more professional to me because there are lots of moderators screening content to keep it classy.

2. Coupon Networks

Groupon

This may work for a few businesses, but setting up your coupon must be well thought out. I heard about a restaurant that offered such a great deal that their employees were overwhelmed and couldn't meet the demand. Food ran out and customer service was bad because there wasn't enough staff.
People came in the door, but this business wasn't ready.

Setting a goal for your Groupon campaign is important. Is it to get repeat business? Sometimes people walk in with a Groupon and never come back. Giving the new customers a second coupon on their first visit could be a way to avoid the one-timers and get another chance to turn them into customers. It is easy to lose money on a Groupon campaign if you don't calculate in overhead, labor, etc. when calculating Return on Investment (ROI).

As a social media consultant, I think I would stay away from this kind of promotion.

3. Yelp

Yelp

I really have a distaste for Yelp. It seems to be mostly customer driven with very little opportunity for a business to really address bad reviews. A business could be unjustly driven out of business quite easily.

However, the Millennial generation seems to love it so if you are targeting that generation and have a restaurant or entertainment or retail establishment, this may be the best place to shine.

Week 11A: ... and all that Jazz

Back in the 70', whenever somebody had a long list and ran out of steam, they would just say, "And all that jazz". This week we will look at some social media sites that are not major players but are worth mentioning.

Here are a few I am considering for my Social Media Consulting business:

LinkedIn - This is the crème de la crème of professional networking sites. I would consider this site a must-have for consultants.

Groupon - I could make a coupon for my hour long social media brainstorm session. Mostly I would let them talk about their business and take notes. Then, if our personalities mesh well, I could close them on further paid sessions.

Tumblr - this is another blogging site, but it seems more modern and mobile than Blogger.com.

Google + - I have begun to explore this platform. Not too impressed yet, but I need to give it more time.

Week 10B: Diving Right In

Sometimes you really do have to dive right in. Getting used to the water a little at a time is fine with Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, but when you create your first newsletter, you either send it or you don't. Today, I sent my first newsletter and it felt so good to dive right in!

I also checked out some of my classmates newsletter ideas and commented on their posts:

Montes, Marcelle  Weddings at Twin Oaks

Grice, Kylee:  Kylee MUA - Health & Beauty

Holmes, Kendall: Carlsbad Counseling Center

   

Week 10A: Passing Notes in Class

I remember before the Internet and cell phones came along, if we wanted to send a message to someone in class, we had to write it on a piece of paper, fold it, add the person's name and pass it when the teacher wasn't looking.

Receiving a passed note was exciting because you weren't always sure if the message would be nice or mean. If there was drama on the playground, all eyes might be on you when you opened your note, but one thing was sure, it was a personal communication meant just for you.

Fast forward a few decades, we won't say how many...

Now I sit in a college classroom, watching classmates check text messages and emails from their phone or notebook computer. No need for the secret pieces of paper and the sweet anticipation that went with receiving a note. Well, maybe the anticipation is still there, just a bit, because receiving an email is still a personal communication just for you.

That is why it is important as a business owner to start and keep an email list. That way, you can send a newsletter to people who are interested in what you have to say. I think I would start out by sending an email newsletter once a week. I would look at the analytics and maybe try once a month or perhaps go to more than once a week. It would depend on the feedback I received from the software.

The problem might be that you don't really have a lot of ideas about what you want to say. Below are some idea categories and how I might apply them to my business, DIY 4 Biz.

1. Useful information about your area of expertise. In my case, I would write short articles about basic marketing for small business. This would be a core interest for the entrepreneurs of my target market.

2. Latest news from your industry. This is where DIY 4 Biz could really shine. Things are constantly changing in the world of Internet marketing. For example, recently Google decided to rank mobile websites higher in their search engine. Literally overnight, people were looking for a mobile platform from which to launch their new site. News like this is really important so my subscribers don't miss something or fall behind.

3. Tips and "how to" features. There are literally hundreds tips and "how-to" features I have learned while earning my marketing degree. I probably have years of tips that I could write now. If I run out of ideas, I could always hit my books again for inspiration. This may be the kind of inspiration my subscribers need for their own marketing.

4. Upcoming events, conferences or trade fairs. DIY 4 Biz could become a great source of small business event news. I could even have a calendar on the website that people would visit to see what is going on. An upcoming event would be a great article on a newsletter. Subscribers would appreciate the chance to attend events they find out about on my newsletter.

5. Special offers. Discount codes could be sent, just for email subscribers. These codes could be a trial offer to access the back door to the YouTube channel or the website. Other codes could offer a short "brainstorming" consultation with the purchase of an hour of actual business consultation. People always love a discount.

6. Details of a new product being launched or highlighted. For my business, I plan to create a new YouTube video on a regular basis. Every new video could be a feature on a newsletter. Subscribers could click-through to YouTube and enjoy a quick video, giving them a little "marketing break" in their day.

Do you have a business or an idea for a business? If so, how could you apply the six idea categories above to your specific business? Let me know in the content section below.

Maxine

Week 9B: Category Kindness

Blogging can be a challenge for the writer but also for the creators of the Blog. Have you ever stumbled across a blog, been intrigued and then looked at the categories? A list of categories a mile long with one or two posts per category is frustrating for the audience. Let's be kind and keep those categories concise.

When categories have been added randomly without any thought or plan, it is an obvious mistake. Before you begin your blog, make a list of potential categories. Think about what you want to write about. Look at other blogs in your industry and look at their categories. What makes sense? What really could be combined into a cleaner category.

The blog you are reading right now is for the entrepreneur who is starting up or building a business. They are getting their brand started, setting up a website, learning about government permits & taxes, perhaps buying bookkeeping software and maybe setting up a brick-and-mortar shop. Marketing is on their list, but their time is limited. The categories for this blog should be helpful to my target reader without being too overwhelming. Below are some possible categories for this blog.

Build Your Blog

Communicating, Listening, Responding

Facebook Strategy

Internet Analytics – Measuring Success

Marketing in the Digital Age

SEO – Search Engine Optimization

Social Media Basics

Tools that Make Life Easier

Twitter Strategy

Websites – Design, Branding, Platforms

YouTube Strategy

When you decide on categories for your blog, make sure to plan out your categories so your readers have a hand reference to navigate to the posts that interest them. 

Remember that as a content writer, when that blank screen is staring you in the face you can re-visit your categories for inspiration. Perhaps there is a category that hasn't seen a post for a while. That can be a good starting point for your next post. 

Below are some blogs who have posts about being personable on a business blog. Check these out. There are some great tips.

MV Montes

http://mvmontes.blogspot.com/2016/11/week-9-time-and-place-for-opinions.html

A Fearless Lioness Rant

https://afearlesslionessrant.blogspot.com/2016/11/week-9-blogging-for-business.html?showComment=1478579968837#c556719278149034937

Kendall's CSIT155

https://kendallscsit155.blogspot.com/2016/11/blogging-for-business-week-9.html?showComment=1478580165755#c8441148110524145000

Week 9A: Crafting Connections

Benjamin Franklin said, "If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth the writing."

Everybody loves a story, and especially a "real life" story. Movies that advertise, "Based on a true story!" get lots of attention because it can be fascinating to hear other people's life stories. Their struggles, their failures, their successes despite setbacks. Even a short story about a little thing that happened in life can touch us deeply.

That's part of what makes Facebook and Twitter so interesting sometimes. Real people telling about a real thing that happened can be powerful. A video about a soldier returning home from war can go viral. A mommy writing about her terminally ill child can be riveting. Even a little post about the crazy cat lady next door can be fun.

But why? 

Because stories connect with people on an emotional level. More than just facts, statistics or selling a product, a story can get past the intellect and reach us at a deeper place. A place where we can relate and have compassion. A homecoming, a difficult road, a missed assignment, a love crush, a betrayal, a victory - we have all experienced these things as we enter adulthood. We have been down and also lifted to the heights of happiness. When we hear of another who has experienced similar emotions, we feel a connection.

Telling stories in a blog can be powerful, but in a business blog, it is a good idea to keep your story short and to the point. Three pages on your kid's goal in the last soccer game is not appropriate in a business blog. However, a paragraph or two about the struggle that child went through leading to that little victory can be a good example of not giving up when things get tough.

And zing... your reader just connected at a deeper level.

A personal touch can make a great point. Just remember old Ben Franklin's advice. Go through your story, cut out a word or a phrase if it really isn't needed, reflect on your story and "write things worth reading".

Now, to track how your blog is doing, you can add Google Analytics. Here are some directions from the class:

1. Install Google Analytics on your blog. To do this you will have to go to www.google.com/analytics and sign in and create an account.
2. They will provide you with an HTML code to COPY and PASTE.
3. In your blog, go the the "layout" area and click "add a gadget"
4. Scroll through the suggested widgets until you find the HTML/JAVA script one and click the little blue plus sign to add it.
5. In the new window that pops open, paste the code in there and hit Save

Below is an image from when I added this analytic software to my blog.

Happy blogging my Crafties!

Maxine

Week 8: Making a List and Checking it... a Whole Bunch!

My father was big on to-do lists. He taught me to organize tasks on a list and check them off one at a time, but a list on Twitter is not a to-do list. This kind of list actually save you a lot of time, energy and frustration. It is a filtered newsfeed with content that you really like.

Let's face it, you will follow a lot of people on Twitter if you want your business to grow. Your general Twitter newsfeed might include random kitten pictures, quotes, sexy photos or funny videos. A few of the people will have amazing, relevant content. They are the cream of the crop, top of the line, the best of the best. Making a list in Twitter is a great way to sift through the huge amount of content in your general newsfeed and provide a way to quickly the best.

Who decides what is best? You decide!

Sifting through a huge newsfeed is not going to work well, so we can pick our favorite accounts and ad them to a list. Using lists will help us reach the goal of providing great content by filtering out the, um, kitten pictures and such.

Setting up a list is easy. Look for the icon that looks like a gear. Then click on "Add or remove from lists..." Then there will be a button that says, "Create a list". Once you have a list created in Twitter, you can easily access it to find the best content, then click the retweet symbol to send good content on to your followers.

Never forget, by retweeting you are recommending the content to your followers.

If there is a link leading somewhere else, it is a really good idea to click on the link yourself and check it out before retweeting it. I know this takes a minute or two, but it is important to protect your reputation online by retweeting responsibly.

To get started, go to the search window in Twitter and enter keywords that are related to your business.

My keywords were:

Content
Marketing Tips
Email Marketing
Blogging Tips

I played around and tried a couple more, but these were the successful ones.


Here's who I found:

@CMIContent
@247MarketingTip
@StartGrowthHack
@pureresiduals
@bloggingtipscom
@bloggingdotorg



I created three lists:

Blogging Tips
Self-Publishing
Marketing Tips

People who follow my page, @diy4biz, may be trying to start a new business and/or make a living on the Internet, while working from home. They will be interested in different ways of making money online by blogging, self-publishing or marketing a product they sell. I will be adding more lists featuring other proven ways to make money online. These lists will be useful for anyone looking to start a do-it-yourself business.

The other thing to consider is the timing of posts. I plan to attract followers from all over the world, but mostly from the USA and Canada. These people may currently have a 9 to 5 job, they may be struggling with their new business, or they could be completely unemployed and searching for ideas all day. It's hard to guess when this diverse group of entrepreneurs or future business owners may be online. Then we need to consider the different time zones. I live on the California coast, but some of my followers may be in Eastern Time, 3 hours earlier. For me, it will probably be a trial and error kind of thing.

But if you are targeting customers in say, San Diego county who are planning a wedding, you could set your timing to match their west coast schedule. What time do you think your customers would be online?

Maxine