So you say you want to be an internet marketing coach? You say you want to help people build successful businesses using social media and other online marketing channels?
But do you really know what it takes?
As tempting as it is to get online and call yourself an internet marketing coach just because you know how to set up a facebook business page, its essential to learn about what it is and what it entails before jumping into the fire.
When I first began establishing myself and my business online, I would come across “gurus” who said — just get out there learn a few things within your niche and bam — you’re an expert.
But as I quickly found out, saying you’re and expert and having people actually believe you are an expert are two totally different things.
So this article series is geared toward moving you beyond the title of internet marketing coach and into the realm of well-respected-I-know-what-the-hell-I’m-talking-about-internet-marketing-coach.
We are going to be addressing some the more common roadblocks that stop potentially fabulous internet marketing coaches, consultants and trainers from being, well, fabulous.
What Does An Internet Marketing Coach Do?
An internet marketing coach devises a comprehensive strategy for how businesses and entrepreneurs can use social media and other online marketing strategies to get more sales and leads. Bottom line — it’s about showing other people how to put money in their bank account. Period.
They may advise you on the many technical aspects of social networking sites as well as help you use the internet as an effective marketing channel. Some internet marketing coaches will write content, monitor your blogs and pages, create marketing campaigns, or even get your ebook published on Amazon. Others may do something totally different.
Your job as an internet marketing coach is to define your skill set and what you have to offer small businesses or solo-entrepreneurs so that you can communicate it clearly and effectively and in such a way that moves potential clients toward a buying decision.
What is your philosophy on social media marketing and the Internet?
What do you feel the role is of internet marketing in a small business and what are some realistic results that your clients’ business could have from an online marketing campaign?
Also do you have previous experience that can boost your clout level? If you are a new internet marketing coach who may not have nabbed their first client yet, persuading people to give you a shot can be a risky business. Not only for the client but for you as well.
People can’t afford to “TRY” consulting out, they need to know it’s going to work, and you can’t afford to get a bad reputation because you don’t deliver as promised.
How do you overcome this obstacle?
Showcase the results you’ve achieved yourself if you don’t have enough clients to get a testimonial. Refer people to your own personal case study. Show them what you’ve done with your blog, your social media profiles, your ebook, your email marketing campaigns, your leads, your sales, etc. That’s what makes the Internet so awesome, is that it’s public domain and anyone can see what you’ve already established online.
If someone Googles you — what will they find?
Will they get the feeling that you are a well-respected, they-know-what-the-hell-they’re-doing type of internet marketing coach or some wanna be this-looks-kind-of-shady type of internet marketing coach?
Look everyone starts at the bottom but if you want people to trust that you know what you’re doing before they hand over their hard earned money for coaching, you have to be able to show people you are someone that can get them measurable results and positive changes.
Which means you must study all types of marketing and advertising…and not only know it but know it well. Internet marketing is more than social media and online marketing methods. A lot of people approach the Internet as a hobby and think it makes them an internet marketing coach.
It doesn’t.
If you don’t know what you’re doing or not confident in your skills try interning or doing an apprenticeship with an industry leader or even a social media agency. Gain the experience you need and understand all the required marketing and promotional aspects you’ll need to know to truly be effective as an internet marketing coach.
Now this next one is a doozy and it can prevent you from growing your business if you try to get too greedy.
The lure of becoming an internet marketing coach is that to some degree you can set your own rates, work hours and clientele.
However, this is an obstacle that may prevent you from ever getting your business off the ground…
Price!
I’ve seen this time and time again, and have learned from personal experience as well, that you cannot and should not, get online demanding to make the same amount of money as an established internet marketing coach. Not only do you not have the clout, you don’t have the experience, referral base or demand.
While there may be exceptions to the rule, because you have a skill set that is extremely rare, more often than not you are going to have to work yourself up to a “guru” status pay rate.
So what should you be charging for your Internet Marketing Coaching services?
This is an area that is extremely varied. You can find internet marketing coaches starting at $100/hour up to contracts for hundreds of thousands of dollars if you are working with a large agency.
But word to the wise…
You will be better served if you went after businesses that are comparable to your business. So if you are an Internet Marketing coach that works a home, by yourself, with no outside help, you will probably want to target small business owners, solo-entrepreneurs and network marketers. If you have a small team of people that can handle the demands of a medium to larger sized company, go for the large fish. Just make sure you can deliver.
Setting Clear Expectations As An Internet Marketing Coach
Not only is it important for you to be realistic about the growth of your internet marketing business, your clients must have clear expectations so they know exactly what to expect from you and the consulting process.
Open your mouth and ask potential clients “what do you expect to achieve from working with me.”
If you cannot meet those expectations you either need to be able to clearly communicate to your prospect that those expectations are not realistic or they need to find someone else who can help them achieve those goals if you cannot.
Once you lay everything out, its simple to see if goals are being met throughout the consulting process.
How To Combat Leaches
One of the major challenges you’ll come across as an Internet Marketing coach are leaches. They suck up your time, try to get you to consult them for free, and when you nicely tell them the price for sharing your knowledge and expertise with them, you never here from them again.
This has happened to me on more than a few occasions and there is a fine line between lending a helping hand and being taken advantage of. Here is my advise to you:
Get some balls!
Don’t be afraid to cut people off, shoot potential prospects your price list or tell people you have to get off the phone.
When I first started consulting, I would find myself taking on people’s problems and helping them without being compensated for it…opening up the door to resentment and frustration.
But to be truthful, it was no one’s fault but my own and letting people take advantage of your time and skill will be no one’s fault but your own.
Tell people up front what your worth, that you don’t have time to play games and if they are serious about getting some coaching…
Choose a package!
Finding Your Ideal Internet Marketing Coaching Clients
The best clients in my opinion are those that tried to implement some social media or online marketing strategies on their own but have not yet seen great results. These are the people who know the value of leveraging the Internet but realize they need some outside help to get to the next level.
There are also many business owners that can do it on their own but don’t have the time, or the will to do it.
These clients are everywhere. They are in your church, in your neighborhood restaurant, in the same social networking circles, they are already online searching for coaching and consulting. It’s your job to let as many people as possible know what you do and how you can be of benefit to them. PROMOTING your Internet Marketing Coaching business is the key (but we’ll talk about that in another training).
So hopefully today I gave you a lot to think about. If you are really looking to become a legitimate Internet Marketing Coach, that helps business owners and entrepreneurs get tangible results, do it the right way. There are people waiting to be helped, waiting for solutions and waiting for someone like you to improve their business growth and profits.
Internet Marketing Coaching can be a game-changer for many small businesses, home business owners, network marketers and entrepreneurs. Improve your skills, educate yourself in all aspects of marketing and advertising and be ready to deliver. Success is imminent.
A few months ago, I was asked to pitch Essence Magazine, a fabulous editorial geared toward the black community, for an article about the “rules to success”. I grew up reading Essence and am still a huge fan today. The impact they’ve made is beyond words and they continue to strive for excellence as they share entertainment, fashion, and lifestyle tips.
While my guest post submission didn’t get picked up for the April issue, #1 I was still super excited to have been recognized as a successful entrepreneur and # 2 I thought what I wrote was actually pretty cool, so I wanted to share with you what I wrote…
5 Rules To Success For Thriving Entrepreneurs
Play The Game To Win
Make the decision to go after your dreams 100%. Create your own niche, dictate your own path, be a trailblazer. Don’t follow a standard template but find out what works for you. When you play by your own rules you create a life of zero competition and endless reward – You have no other option but to Win Big.
Know Your Definitive Purpose and Passion
Have a connection to the work you are doing. It’s not about a paycheck and earning a living it’s about doing what you love.
You don’t want to suffer your way to joy and financial freedom doing a job you don’t want to do.
Think about what you want to create and what community you want to serve so you have a crystal clear destination. Decide what you’ll give to the world and go after it with unwavering passion and conviction.
Don’t Go At It Alone
If you want to make your business work have a mentor or a community of people who can support you.
When you try to go at it alone you are forced to make up everything as you go, with zero guidance – you have no one to verify, motivate or keep the fire under your feet when you feel like giving up.
Why reinvent the wheel?
When you rely on your own skills you are left guessing and it means you have no one to hold you accountable. Who are you surrounded by? Are the people surrounding you contributing to your success. Success breeds success, so always make sure to surround yourself with greatness.
Give People A Reason To Need You
In a world where people have more than one choice you have to give people a reason to need you. Show off your skills, showcase your value and have a unique point of view.
Businesses that provide solutions, are accessible and over deliver on what they promise are capable of building brands that attract the masses.
Your goal is to service your audience in such a way that others are willing to advocate for you and your brand.
This leads to viral growth and massive momentum in any business.
Don’t Second Guess Your Talents
You are meant to do what’s easy for you. Business owners fail because they go against their nature as entrepreneurs – trying to live up to expectations of others instead of embracing your talents.
Whatever your genius is, stop second guessing yourself. Stop second guessing your gifts, your talents – stop betting against yourself.
When you embrace your talents and use them as the foundation of your business you’ll find you’re capable of winning bigger than you ever thought was possible.
Want more tips for becoming a successful entrepreneur? Sign up for the go-guide and get our secrets strategies for success.
As we quickly approach the mid-point mark of 2012 it’s about that time to assess our accomplishments thus far. Are you on track? Have you achieved any of your goals? Are you still trailblazing toward success?
Most of us have no problem feeling motivated when we first set our goals, but that inner fire has a tendency to die pretty quickly. It might be due to an intimidating obstacle that stands in our path, or a sense of impatience when we don’t see results as quickly as we’d like.
How do you regain your motivation when you run out of steam, and can you do anything to KEEP yourself feeling motivated? Yes!
Motivation is a state of mind, just like discouragement. And like all mindsets, you can choose which one you want to focus on. – <a href=”http://clicktotweet.com/LfhGa”>Click To Tweet</a>
Here are some great tips for staying motivated, even if you’re not yet seeing the results you want:
Remember Your Dream
If you haven’t already, write a detailed description of your ultimate dream. Pull up a mental vision of your dream, your goals, what you desire and consider how it will change your life for the better. Write down as many details as you can. What type of person will you be? How much money will you have? What will your home look like? What will your relationships be like? How will you FEEL on a daily basis?
Write it all down– and read it to yourself every single day.
Yes…every single day!
Download the Success Map Kit here to get started.
When we are confronted by fear and frustration, it’s easy to forget what we’re fighting for. It’s easy to let the importance of our dream dwindle away, and hope that maybe “someday” we’ll have the determination to make it happen.
Don’t let your dream die! Keep it sharp and clear in your own mind. Honor it and vow to keep moving toward it, no matter what it takes.
Reinforce the Benefits
If you find yourself losing steam and feeling overwhelmed by obstacles, take a sheet of paper and write down the benefits of your dream.
Make a list of the BENEFITS of your dream. A “benefit” is something you stand to GAIN.
So, for example, if part of your dream description goes something like this, “I am happily working for myself, doing work I love, and earning $100,000 per year” – then add these words to your list of benefits:
- Happiness
- Freedom
- Abundance
- Passion
- Fulfillment
Keep going until you have a long list of everything you stand to GAIN by continuing to work toward your goals.
After reading through this list and comparing it to how you feel right now, you should be more determined than ever to keep working toward your goals because acceptance of anything less is unthinkable.
See Obstacles as Temporary Detours
One of the most common reasons we lose our motivation is because we feel overwhelmed or intimidated by unexpected obstacles. We can have the strongest motivation in the world, and suddenly one little thing will throw our plans off-course, and we freeze. We let our dreams fall by the wayside. Or worse, we view obstacles as “signs” from the universe that we’re not “meant to succeed.”
Rather than allowing this to happen to you, simply CHOOSE not to let it bother you. Say to yourself, “An obstacle is nothing more than a detour on my path. I’ll find a way around it because I’m NOT giving up!” Just thinking a thought like that can empower you to begin moving forward again, even if you were initially intimidated.
Hint: a funny thing about obstacles is that they are usually as daunting as we CHOOSE TO MAKE THEM. If we moan and groan and fall to the ground in hysterical tantrum, the obstacle seems to grow bigger and more intimidating. If we instead shrug our shoulders, roll up our sleeves and put on our battle gear – the obstacle shrinks to the size of an mustard seed, and we can sidestep it gracefully.
Affirm the Possibilities
Another way we might lose our motivation is by beginning to doubt that our dreams were ever possible in the first place. When we first set our goals, we are convinced we can do it. But if results don’t show up right away, we might start to doubt ourselves, or doubt that our dreams are “realistic” enough. After all, if it was meant to be, if we were meant to be successful, it would happen quickly and easily, right? Logically we might know that’s pure BS, but emotionally we might feel like God is just toying with us.
If you feel your conviction begin to dwindle, blast the doubt right out of your head by reading success stories of others who have accomplished the impossible. Seek out written stories or tv programs about people who have overcome immense personal challenges to achieve success, and affirm that if they did it, you can too.
Better yet, WRITE YOUR OWN SUCCESS STORY! Here’s a good opener for your story:
“___________ (your name) never believed he (or she) had what it took to be successful, but that all changed when he decided to begin believing in himself. He decided to stop listening to the limiting beliefs that others tried to instill in him, and he made it his mission to rise above doubt and fear. With an iron determination, he went on to accomplish what others believed was impossible.”
Make your success story as long as you like, and customize it to your unique situation. Read it whenever you need an emotional boost.
Avoid Burnout
Sometimes we get SO motivated that we might take on too much, too fast and end up feeling burned out. You’ll know when this happens to you, because you start feeling stressed and overwhelmed, and irritated by even the littlest kinks in your plans.
You start feeling annoyed about having to work on your goals, and decide you’d rather take a nap. HONOR that feeling. Go with it. Climb into bed and have a good rest. It’s ok to take a time out. Go see a movie with a friend, or curl up with a good book by yourself. Go dancing, take a cooking class, go to the spa.
Do something completely unrelated to your goals, and feel good about it. We all need rest, recreation, and a reminder that there is more to life than pursuing our goals.
Hopefully these simple tips will make a huge impact in keeping you motivated as you pursue your aspirations as a successful online entrepreneur. Don’t forget to check out our FREE Business Success Mapping Kit.
Now let me know what you thought about this blog post by leaving a comment below.
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Have you ever had the opportunity to surround yourself with people who are successful in both business & life? Think about in-demand celebrities, larger 
than life entrepreneurs, or any person in a position of power and affluence.
What quality or qualities do they all seem to have?
- Confidence
- Determination
- Discipline
- Focus
- Self-Worth
- Self-Esteem
- Self-Assurance
- Creativity
- Flexibility
- Resiliency
- Vision
- Patience
- Courage
- Self-Sufficiency
How many of these qualities can YOU claim?
You might be able to check off one or two (or perhaps a few) of these qualities and call them your own, but what’s keeping you and most people from claiming the rest?
To be truly successful you have to truly understand the foundation of success.
Success is not by accident and I’m going to show you the key elements to understanding the foundations of success so you can begin to transform your business and life.
How To Develop Belief in Yourself
Believing in your talent, your dreams, your skills, yourself is the root from which all of the above qualities stem, and it is the same root from which success grows.
If you don’t believe in yourself, if you don’t believe you deserve to be successful, if you don’t believe that you have what it takes to create the successful life you crave – you will remain exactly where you are right now.
You may be thinking, “Okay, I get it, I need to believe in myself in order to be successful. But how am I supposed to believe in myself when I really DON’T believe in myself?!”
There is no magic snap of the fingers or fairy god mother that will instantly inject a dose of “belief” in to you…but once you begin making small changes in your mental and physical surroundings, you will be surprised how quickly your circumstances begin to shift.
“You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to have a fresh idea!” –
Click To TweetTaking Responsibility For Where You Are Right Now
The first step in developing a true success mindset is accepting your current situation. You must be accountable for your mistake, failures and triumphs understanding that where you sit right now is no one’s fault but your own.
Harsh..Yes!
Painful…Absolutely!
The truth hurts and it’s not fun to hear, I know. You might be inclined to come up with a laundry list of excuses as to why you have been a victim of your environment or that you’ve faced challenges in your life that are limiting what you are capable of achieving.
While I’m not going to site her and tell you that those experiences don’t matter, it’s important to understand that those challenges do not define who you are today or what you can become in the future.
It is only your perception of these events that matters!
It’s not what happens to you that is important, only what you choose to do with the experiences and the conclusions you draw about yourself because of them. –
Click to TweetDo you realize that there are thousands of people in this world who have survived absolutely horrific experiences, and then went on to become multi-millionaires and positively affect millions of lives?
Why can’t you do the same?
You can – if and only if you stop using your challenges as an excuse not to go after the success you deserve.
Embrace The Process
Many of us are under the false impression that we will one day take a giant leap from unsuccessful and frustrated to rich, happy and super-successful. It may surprise you to learn that success is instead a process of making the right choices. It rarely (if ever) happens in one swoop. Rather, you move toward success in small steps or stages and as you success grows your success mindset progresses as well.
You may be feeling that it will take forever to get where you want to go in life. You may feel that the challenge is too big, the road is too rocky, and the obstacles are too intimidating. Don’t believe the hype!
We are all fully capable of making small changes both mentally and physically. We begin strengthening our desire for more, believing in ourselves and our capabilities, and taking small steps toward the lives we truly desire – and BOOM! More and more opportunities begin to appear before us.
The result..
Our confidence skyrockets and we begin to NATURALLY gravitating toward choices that will support our deepest desires. We begin feeling an urge to do the things we know will create success, rather than shying away from them as we did in the past.
Clear Out the Cobwebs
Want to make a new start in your business and life, right now? Begin by clearing out the cobwebs from every corner of your life! If you remove the situations that are causing a blockage in your life, you will open the door to greater success and prosperity – in all areas of your life.
Allow Yourself to Be Successful
Can you really “see” yourself as a confident, successful person? If you close your eyes and envision yourself, what does that self look like? Is he or she enthusiastic about life, willing to take risks, eager to grasp the joy and abundance he/she deserves? Can you imagine this person with endless opportunities for growth and advancement in life?
If you can’t quite “see” yourself as being successful (or at least having the potential to be successful), it is likely that your own beliefs are creating an inner blockage.
Unless you turn this around and open your mind to what is possible, you will continue to sabotage your own efforts.
How to eliminate blockages in your life
Eliminating inner blockages is not as difficult as it may seem. The two main things you need to have are:
- the willingness to believe something different
- the courage to take action on your new beliefs.
The first step requires a large dose of faith when you first begin to shift your beliefs. All of the “evidence” in your life seems to reinforce your current beliefs, right?
You believe you are not successful, not confident, not courageous enough to take risks, and perhaps not the “lucky” type of person that finds great opportunities to move forward.
If these are your beliefs, your outer life probably “proves” them to be accurate. You may struggle with lack, fear, procrastination, confusion and frustration on a daily basis. Therefore you know your beliefs are “true”.
What many people fail to understand is that their beliefs are what create the “evidence” in their lives. Changing your limiting beliefs requires a willingness to have faith that you are NOT dumb, challenged, irresponsible, weak-willed, or unlucky – even though your experiences thus far seem to have “proven” those things as being true.
Beliefs prompt specific actions which create specific results which reinforce the beliefs. Watch the
Winning Mindset Video here to learn the principles of showing up to win in business & life.
What Does Attitude Have to Do With Success?
A negative attitude will deflate your efforts to be successful.
Why?
A positive attitude gives you the ability to overlook setbacks and continue toward your goals. It gives you the courage to tackle challenges and believe in yourself. It helps you keep obstacles in perspective, rather than feeling intimidated and giving up.
I’m sure you’ve heard the famous quote by Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”
It’s all about perception!
Developing a positive attitude is a simple matter of consistently training your brain to see the positive side of every situation. It’s a choice! Rather than feeling powerless against challenges, affirm that you can get through them. Rather than letting other people determine what you are capable of – determine it yourself!
Don’t Try, Just Do
With the right attitude, focused action steps and a solemn vow to never give up, success will be yours.
Don’t approach your goals with an attitude of “try,” only an attitude of DO! That little gem by the fictional character of Yoda actually holds a tremendous amount of wisdom.
“Trying” means you are not going to give it your all. It means you will keep going until the going gets too tough. It means you are giving yourself an out in case you grow weary of the battle. It means you are giving yourself permission to surrender to mediocrity.
“Doing” means that failure is not an option. It means that you vow to give every ounce of blood, sweat and tears you have available because you believe in your dreams that much. It means that you cannot and will not accept defeat because the stakes are too high. It means that you are willing to work as long and as hard as necessary to achieve the outcome you desire, even if it takes years.
This is your life and you must decide that there is no going back, no giving up, no giving in – NO MATTER WHAT!
Time To Make A Change…
If you are sick and tired of not realizing your true potential I hope today’s post will jump start your transformation into a fearless, positive entrepreneur that can find success regardless of your current situation.
Don’t forget to check out our video: “Winning Mindset -Show Up To Win” If you like it please share it!
Now let me know what you thought about this blog post by leaving a comment below.
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Guest blogging (i.e. writing content for a blog that does not belong to you) is, without a doubt, one of the most effective ways to generate highly targeted traffic, subscribers, brand awareness and quality inbound backlinks to your site.
While the investment in time,energy and brain power is steep, the payoff can be explosive for your business and brand online. So, if you are still on the fence as to whether guest blogging is right for you, let’s take a look at the major benefits to you and how to get started as a guest blogger.
Action: Making The Decision To Write Awesome and Actionable Useful Content
Guest blogging can be a game changer for you but it’s not a cake walk. It takes consistent and purposeful action that must be focused in to creating some of the best content you’ve ever written. Having great content on your own site is the core of your business where as guest blogging is how to add flames to the fire. If you want to expand your audience, increase your following and establish yourself as an authority in your respective industry, you MUST make the decision to get your most awesome and actionable content in front of new people. One of the best ways to do this is through guest blogging.
When you create content for other site’s you can potentially reach thousands of new readers with one post. You will also get new inbound links that will help boost your search engine rankings on Google. More importantly your step-by-step solutions, tips, strategies, experiences and insights will be reaching and hopefully helping that many more people.
Benefits: The Upside of Guest Blogging
1. Traffic – you will tap into a new network of people allowing you to attract new traffic back to your blog.
2. Exposure - your content will be put in front of a new realm of readers, increasing your exposure and brand awareness. My readers will also discover a brand new voice and be exposed to another awesome site to read as well.
3. Subscribers – increased traffic and exposure to your site means more leads, blog subscribers and sales.
4. Authority – you establish yourself as an authority and expert in your niche. Want to brand yourself as an expert? Let people know that you know your stuff. This is the best way to get your name out there and gain credibility.
5. Backlinks - you will be allowed to use anchor-text, quality one way links to your blog, in your post and the author box.
Content: How To Create Guest Blogging Content
You want to guest blog consistently enough to establish yourself as a credible force in your niche. Commit to writing one (1) guest post a week. Sit down and just start writing. If you are overwhelmed, just start small. Reach out to people you already know or who are in a similar niche but not considered “mega-bloggers.” This way it won’t feel as intimidating when you pitch your guest post idea and you’ll have a better chance of getting published faster as more popular blogs can have 6-9 months worth of content already pre-scheduled. The faster you can get published the faster you’ll see results, gaining more confidence along the way.
Tips To Keep In Mind When Guest Blogging
1. Value-packed content: The foundation every blog post should be to provide detailed, step-by-step strategy that anyone, even the novice can take, implement and see results . Always strive to share content that benefits the readers and put’s their best interest first.
2. Unique and original content: Nobody want’s duplicate content. Do not submit content that has been published already, not even on your blog. Most serious sites are looking for content that will be unique to their blog. Give them new and fresh spins on industry information that is customized to their site and try to present your tips in a fun, creative way. Every post should be created to fit the specific needs and message of the site’s readers.
3. Actionable content: While most sites will have their own criteria, you can expect to write a guest blog post with anywhere between 400-1500 words. Make sure you include actionable items readers can take and implement right away. How-to posts with bullet points and easy to read sections are great.
When Guest Blogging Avoid The Following
1. Poorly written posts with inappropriate language, grammatical errors or explicit content (sexual, offensive, etc.)
2. Self-promoting posts that were clearly only written to promote your own products and services.
3. Product or company reviews unless specifically asked to do so.
4. Affiliate links in your content.
5. Duplicate content or content that is too general or generic.
Suggested Tips To Enhance Your Guest Blog Post Experience
1. Try writing for sites outside of your niche. Don’t be afraid to branch out and get out of your comfort zone in order to reach a larger audience.
2. Start pitching your posts by writing a short email mentioning your own site and the guest post idea you have that would benefit their readers. List a few hypnotic headlines…provide some examples if you’ve written any other guest posts and if you really want to let them know you’re serious submit the completed post in the email. This shows people that you are willing to go the extra mile and put in the extra effort.
3. Pay attention to what other successful bloggers and online marketers are doing. There is a reason why they are successful. Start making a list of sites you want to write for and then go after it. Success comes to those that have a plan, take massive action on it and stick to it!
Guest blogging a a great strategy and the more you get out there, the more authority you’ll create for you and your business. You just have to trust the long-term strategy, realize that not every post will draw huge traffic numbers, but that some may guest post appearances may absolutely blow the doors off your online business.
It comes down to being consistent. Make a big enough splash and pretty soon people will be coming to you and offering you guest post spots!
Ready to give guest blogging a shot? Consider contributing your guest post for AndreaBolder.com…
Fill out the submission form, paste your completed article and we’ll get back to you if it’s a fit for AndreaBolder.com!
I look forward to your awesome guest post!
7 Questions to Getting Testimonials that Boost Business
Whether you are a small home business or large corporation, the power of testimonials can do wonders to create buzz and momentum for your brand. Testimonials are extremely important for your business.
Why?
Testimonials give credibility. Testimonials are social proof. Testimonials address concerns and answer questions that may keep a potential customer from buying your product or service.
Especially for small businesses building online, providing strong testimonials to prospects can be the difference between success and failure. People want to buy from people they know, like and trust…and when a buyer knows that other people are using, purchasing, enjoying and having success with your products it makes it 100 times easier to move your prospect to a buying decision.
Don’t be shy about asking for a good testimonial to be used in your small business marketing. If you’ve never asked a client or colleague for a testimonial before follow these 7 simple questions to create powerful testimonials that boost business.
- What hesitations did you have about purchasing our product?
- What changes have you noticed in your business since buying our [name of your product or service]? (quantifiable)
- What specific feature did you like best about our product or service?
- How have you benefited from our product or service?
- Would you recommend our product or service? If so, why?
- Is there anything else you would like to add?
- Would you be willing to submit a 15 -30 second video testimonial?
Once you have asked for the testimonial how do you use it to boost your business sales and profits. Here are 13 quick tips to making your testimonials count:
- Add their name, location, profession or website and a photo.
- Add a powerful headline or title to your testimonial.
- Bold key words for impact.
- Ask for testimonials while your customer is using your product or service.
- Add links to your testimonials within blog posts, newsletters and marketing media
- Ask other small business owners if they’ll swap testimonials with you.
- Encourage your customers to use their testimonials as a way to showcase how your product, service, employees or cause helped make their life easier.
- Use those Flip cameras to easily record video testimonials of your customers praise. You can then upload the testimonials to a YouTube page, or your Web site and blog.
- Create a dedicated testimonials page on your Web site or blog where people can see a number of testimonials on one page
- Use social media as a way to get testimonials and create engagement: Share your testimonials on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
- Speaking of social media, make sure you are regularly looking for testimonials about your business on Facebook and other social networks. Highlight or pin any testimonials to your Facebook Page. Also take a screen shot and save testimonials about your small business for further use.
- Get permission to use testimonials: Always try to get permission from your customer if you plan on using their testimonial in other marketing literature like videos.
- Offer freebies on great testimonials: Customers give you testimonials because you provide value to their lives. Show your appreciation and take care of them even more so that they continue to advocate for you and rave about your business. It’s not about bribing them to say good things, it’s about creating a long-term relationship based on value.
Have any other tips you’d like to add on how to boost your small business’ social clout with testimonials? Please leave a comment here. If you like it, please help us by liking, tweeting and sharing below!
Want More Social Media Advice For Your Small Business! Join thousands of solo-entrepreneurs & small business owners upping their business game each week
We all know that Facebook is not just for college-kids, wanna be entrepreneurs and desperate brands. Facebook is the mecca of social media marketing for small businesses. Any serious business owner realizes that if they are not leveraging Facebook for their small business, they are missing out on 845 millions opportunities to advertise for FREE!!
But what happens when you want to build a successful business on Facebook but can’t seem to grab the momentum and engagement needed to generate real leads and sales.
Knowing how to use your Facebook Page to engage, interact and communicate with potential customers is key to any successful business looking to promote, market and grow online.
Trust me – Using Facebook for your small business is not as intimidating as it looks – and if my three year old son can work an iPad you can navigate your way through a Facebook Fan Page. So if you are a small business owner, solo-entrepreneur, network marketer, athlete or brand that is still on the fence about Facebook or has built a page but abandoned it because you were not seeing the results you want – let’s bring your Facebook Game back to life!
Here’s a Sneak Peek Into The Facebook Leads Factory So You Know Exactly What To Expect!!
The Facebook Factor
Facebook is fast approaching One Billion members. Imagine what all those visitors, leads and customers will do for your small business.
Why Facebook For Business?
Discover why Facebook is the most powerful marketing tool for the modern business and how this one website alone can become a top traffic source.
Facebook Profiles, Pages and Groups
Discover the 3 basic ways of networking and connecting on Facebook and which one you can’t do business without.
Facebook Timelines
Learn the benefits of the new Facebook Timeline profile that helps you share your life story with friends, attract more leads and spotlight your value.
The Fan Page Advantage
Learn the definitive advantages of Pages that will help you connect your business to the people that count.
Defining Your Goals on Facebook
Position yourself for success on Facebook. Outline a clear vision for your business on Facebook to ensure success.
How To Set Up Your Page
Learn the tricks to customizing your Business Page to make sure you stand out in the increasingly noisy world of social media.
Facebook Insights
Get the nitty-gritty on Facebook Insights and how to use this powerful tool to help you optimize your content creation and how you engage on Facebook.
Facebook Welcome Tabs
Learn how to create a killer welcome tab that generates leads and likes. Discover the tactics for creating landing tabs that attract the right people and increase optins.
Fan Page Lead Generation
Don’t have a Facebook optin strategy? We’ve got you covered. Learn the best strategies for building a Facebook following that translates into massive amounts of leads for your business.
Content Creation
When you can post status updates that direct thousands of leads at once to a capture page, you are building your list in such a powerful way. Discover the exact kind of content you need to create to generate buzz on Facebook.
Automating Facebook
Who has time to waste? Less work is the best work. Learn how to use the right tools to put Facebook on autopilot, so you always have current, value packed content streaming on your Page without the extra effort.
Increase Your Facebook Engagement
Dive into the details of how to engage, connect and get the conversation started with your Facebook community to create a thriving following and drive more free traffic to your Page.
Powerful Status Updates
Facebook can be a catch 22. No engagement means even less “face time” in the news feeds. Scoop up a few tips to get the conversation started so your Fan Page doesn’t become a ghost town.
30 Minute Marketing Map
Facebook marketing does not have to be time consuming but it does have to be productive. Learn the 30 minute system that will consistently give you most return for your efforts on Facebook.
How To Multiply Your Influence
The type of people who follow or friend you are more important than the numbers! Discover how the pros find industry leaders with the most clout and get the attention of people who matter.
Inside Out Facebook Promotion
Get famous on Facebook. Here we’ll reveal how you can strategically promote your brand and business inside and outside of Facebook for maximum exposure and engagement.
Website Integration
Leave the technical set-up to us. From autoresponder integration to widgets on your website. We’ll show you which social plugins are a must and all the places you can use them to up your social proof.
Turning Facebook Into A Sales Machine
Can Facebook really make you money? Absolutely! We’ll show you how to turn engagement, likes and fans into profits…giving you step-by-step instructions on how to make it dummy-proof and as easy as possible for people to buy from you.
Facebook Metrics: How To Measure Success
We’re revealing the key factors to truly measuring your success on Facebook. We’ll teach you the numbers you’ll need to keep track of to ensure your marketing efforts are moving your business in the right direction.
What Not To Do On Facebook
Yes, there are things that you should not EVER do on Facebook. Learn how to keep from looking like an amateur on Facebook and being run out of town in shame because you didn’t know how to play by the rules!
Facebook Bonus
The Facebook Leads Factory is just the beginning. This book is the gateway to a lifetime of FREE bonuses, cheat sheets, tools and strategies that will only be revealed through our Exclusive Facebook Leads Factory Insider Community – which you will instantly become a VIP member of when you purchase this book!
AND So You Can Be 100% Sure Your Facebook Fan Page Rocks & Your Business Becomes Famous on Facebook…
In ADDITION to the training you’re about to get with Facebook Leads Factory you’re going to receive instant access to:
Bonus 1: The Facebook Marketing Lab
A collection of ALL-THINGS-FACEBOOK. This hidden page will have you drooling! Here you’ll find a vault of Facebook guides, tips, videos and more. As a Facebook Leads Factory Insider you’ll have unlimited access to exclusive Facebook training and tutorials. Use this page as your go-to-resource when it comes to building your business on Facebook!
How cool would it be to have 24/7 access to such awesome Facebook Marketing training – right at your fingertips!
Bonus 2: Facebook Chat-Ups Swipe File
Are your Facebook status updates getting no play? It’s time to get people talking. I’ve included my swipe file of Facebook Chat-Ups that will definitely get the conversation started. Full of great examples that you can literally cut and paste right into your Facebook status box, you’ll never have to worry about getting likes and comments again.
Say good bye to the tumbleweed sweeping through your Fan Page and get ready to be the life of the Facebook party!
Bonus 3: Facebook Marketing Schedule
Use this Facebook marketing schedule as your go-to guide to knowing when and where to post updates on Facebook. We’ll take all of the guess work out of your Facebook marketing routine so you know what to do when, where and how.
I’m making it as easy as possible for you to get in and get out while increasing your Facebook activity and creating the engagement you need to make a splash in your industry.
Get your on-demand digital copy of Andrea Bolder’s Facebook Leads Factory.
Networking is a word that made me cringe – You mean I have to really get out there and talk to people I don’t know?
Shoot!
I know many of you share my sentiment when it comes to forcing yourself into a conversation for the sake of promoting…well you!
Networking for me always seemed a little fake and disingenuous.
But when you think about it, networking when done right and with the right intentions is far from being fake and insincere.
The problem with networking is that we suddenly act in a way that is “not normal” for us so it comes across as uncomfortable, awkward and pushy.
So how do you move from networking being that awkward, I’m only talking to you because I want to sell, pitch or get something out of you to a genuinely friendly, unselfish and useful experience that still allows you to showcase your value as a professional to others?
Networking is a skill that successful entrepreneurs understand, utilize and master every single day to open up new doors of opportunity. In an effort to help you get out of your networking stupor, I have outlined 17 networking tips any entrepreneur can master.
Why Are You Networking In The First Place?
1. It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You - The most important goal of networking is to show people how you can help them. Your talent is important and it isn’t who you know, but who knows you and knows what you know.
A strong professional network opens up doors of opportunity far beyond your immediate contacts. Opportunities often arise when someone you know refers you to someone you don’t know because that person is looking to fill a specific set of needs and your direct contact feels you would be a good fit.
Your job during networking is to simply let people know who you are and the value you can provide to others. Do a good job at this and when the time comes you’ll be the first person that comes to mind.
2. Go Where The Relationships Are – Want to network? Take the time to go where such relationships can happen. Attend meetups with groups that share similar passions as you. While you want to network with people in the same or related niche, don’t forget about meeting people outside of your business realm. Some of the very best business opportunities and partnerships I’ve had have come from meeting people outside of my niche.
3. Found them? Now develop them - Networking is a two-way street and you always want to feel that you are developing real connections with people that last beyond the initial introduction. To understand the people you want to potentially do business with in the future, you must get to know them. You must engage, ask questions, and nurture conversations. You have to find out what’s important to them, what their goals are along with their needs. And the only way to do this is to maintain regular correspondence with them.
4. Validate Others First – It’s never a great idea to request anything, of anyone right off the bat. Keep in mind that you must earn favor, don’t expect anything from anyone – especially if you have not given any value first. Compliment, use positive banter and if people are response, they have opened themselves to doing business with you.
5. Value is the # 1 Priority – You should always approach networking from the position of “How much value can I provide?” The more value you create the more the ‘law of reciprocity” will kick in and you’ll find good things will always be waiting for you. When you focus on helping the people you contact people will be more and more willing to help you out in return.
6. Plant the seeds, but don’t forget to water the grass – What make networking work is your ability to nurture your current network. You can not build your business on new business relationships alone, reach out to the network that you already have. Share beneficial information with friends, family, co-workers, associates, etc. These people already have some level of trust when it comes to dealing with you and will be more apt to share what you have going on with others.
7. The Power of 5 – Set a goal to reach out the a minimum of 5 new people a day. This can be on Facebook, at networking events, conferences and even when you are out doing your daily routine. If you reach out to 5 new people every single day, that would be about 1,825 new connections a year. Not everyone you connect with is going to respond and most connections will not yield any immediate return (if any at all) but if you reach out to that many new people, then you’re bound to bump into the right person at the right time who can help you grow your business.
8. Your Network Is Your Net “worth” - Remember to choose your networks wisely. Attend events that have the type of people who can really support you and your business in a positive way. When you can leave an event feeling like you’ve just been injected with a dose of positive possibilities you know you’re around the right group of people. Remember you network is your net worth so make sure you are meeting and greeting with positive, professional and prosperous driven individuals.
9. Be likeable - While there are many people out there that have the “value” factor, not everyone has the “like” factor. People will do business with people they know, like and trust. If you are lacking on any one of those three levels find out where you need to improve – because not being liked can ruin your business and reputation.
10. Keep an open mind -Some of the most unlikely partnerships flourish out of opportunities of openness. Don’t ever underestimate or cast someone off as irrelevant because they don’t meet the expectation of what your ideal “networking connection” should look, walk, talk, act or be like. Maybe you don’t think a local school teacher wouldn’t be a good contact because you don’t have any kids but if you sell a product that is for kids or better yet a product for parents with kids, you’ll be glad you reached out to someone that has the “in” with your target audience.
11. Be yourself – This networking tip should be a no-brainer but you’d be surprised by how many people network “outside of themselves”. Networking is so fun because you get to meet people from all walks of life, who come from different backgrounds, and possess skill sets different than your own. Appreciate the fact that you are unique as well and that while you may not be everyone’s cup of tea, the people who you do attract are the ones you are supposed to be connected to. Don’t fall into the trap of acting, looking, and walking like someone else just because that is what you think others want to see. Keep it real and your connections will be more meaningful and based on your true authentic self rather than some wannabe.
12. Remember the core of belly to belly “networking” – Not all business can be done virtually through social media outlets. Get out of the house, volunteer, join groups, and become active in a community where you can meet people of similar interest. Offer your services (pro bono) to a non-profit organization, church or school. This is how real relationships are formed.
13. Don’t waste time – People are extremely busy. You must be respectful of other people’s time – the same as you would want them to respect your time. Time in essence is more valuable than money. Get to the point, state your business and discuss the matters at hand. Your goal is to have leave a conversation feeling productive, positive and like the time spent was well worth it.
14. Focus on Quality NOT Quantity – what’s the point in having hundreds, even thousands of people in your Rolodex if they are not the right people to move your business forward. Instead, focus on networking with people that are relevant to you. It’s better to have a handful of people who can truly increase your business clout than it is to have many that only know your name.
15. Become A Social Connector – Get into the habit of not only introducing yourself but introducing others. Become a connector, tie people who need each other together. The best networkers are business match makers. The simple task of connecting like-minded people who share similar interests is a powerful to enhance your network. Once you do the initial introduction, step back and let them take it from there. If it flourishes into something greater, you’ll be remembered as the one who sparked the connection and people will be forever grateful.
16. Let Your Business Card Do The Talking – One of the best tools I have in my networking toolbox is my business card. Have a business card that makes an impact and deep impression on your connection. A great business card will have people talking. If you exchange business cards and no one comments on yours you are missing an opportunity. I use business cards by moo which allows me to promote myself and draw people to my online profile. I can’t tell you how many positive comments I’ve gotten just from handing out my card – these are the tiny things that make people remember you long after the networking event is over!
17. Follow Up – The real networking comes after the initial introduction. Make sure you are following up with your new connection withing 24-48 hours of meeting them. You want to stay at the top of their minds and on the tip of their tongues so to ensure you are not easily forgotten send a thank you note, email or text. Pick up the phone, send a Facebook message or tag a picture of you and your new connection. The better you are at carrying the conversation outside of the initial meetup, the better chances you have of building a strong relationship that can lead to a golden opportunity.
I hope that you can now go out and apply some of these networking tips and tactics to grow your small business. Do you have any networking tips you use to build relationships and make more connections for your business. Let us know?
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If you are a networker, entrepreneur or small business looking to get more Facebook fans, generate leads on Facebook and turn those leads into profits, there is a really great addon you need to know about.
If you have an email account and are using Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL or any other web-based email client, you need to checkout WiseStamp.
How many emails do you send a day, a week, a year?
Think of just how many more Facebook fans you can drive to your Facebook Fan Page with each email sent.
Wisestamp gives the average business owner or online marketer the opportunity to have an eye-catching yet professional and high-performing email signature that keeps everyone updated on the company’s latest social updates. You can add a hotlink and/icon for any number of your social networks including a Facebook icon linking to your Fan Page in every email you send out.
Wisestamp also allows you to embed your own rss feed, include your latest tweets, among other cool features. you can completely customize your email signature with fonts, colors, text sizes, links, images, and icons giving you creative control of your email signature.
What a great way to promote your Facebook Fan Page and let people know what’s going on with your business with every email sent.
There’s not a better free way to get more facebook fans than going after everyone you already have a relationship with.
Are you promoting a new product, affiliate or service? Edit your signature with a few clicks of the mouse and let everyone know about it. Free advertising.
WiseStamp is extremely easy to set up and use. They also provide a step by step installation guide to help you get your web-base email signature up in no time flat.
If you are looking for super simple, free ways to boost your Facebook presence and drive traffic to your Fan Page, Wisestamp is one app you should install today!
Now Here’s What I Want You To Do
Go grab WiseStamp now and start connecting with your current clients and leads and start adding them to your facebook fan following.
If you found this article helpful, share it with your friends.
I hope to help as many people as possible with my free content, and I need you to help spread the word. So, thanks a million.
If you’re looking for even more great ways to increase your Facebook Fans and start generating more leads and driving more sales right from your fan page, make sure you take a look at one of our newest facebook training articles, where I guarantee your fans will skyrocket in just a few days.
Have any Cool Tips To Increase Your Facebook Fans? Share them with us here: Tell Us Your Coolest Trick For Increasing Your Facebook Fans
Facebook as we know is a great place to generate leads online. In fact, with 800 million users and counting, entrepreneurs and small business owners looking for a fresh pool of leads for their products and services should never have an excuse for not knowing where to get customers.
Your audience, your customers, your business partners are all on Facebook.
Now knowing where your audience is is one thing but being able to capture those leads and drive them back to your site is another. As an online marketer your #1 priority is to drive traffic from your Facebook Page to your email list where you can continue to market and promote your products, services, and business opportunities.
But how do you capture leads from your Facebook Page?
You do this with an autoresponder. An autorosponder allows you to create webforms or opt-in forms that you can integrate right into your Facebook Page. This blog post is going to walk you through the steps of integrating an Aweber (my email marketing service of choice) webform on your Fan Page.
Autoresponder Integration
Step # 1: What you want to do is login to your Aweber account. This is an affordable email marketing service that will provide you a way to build you list, create optin forms and follow up with your subscribers. You can click on “pricing” to get an idea of the various packages and plans. You get up to 500 subscribers for $19/month so that is a great place to start and they offer a $1 trial for the first month. There are other options such as getresponse that are a little less expensive and allow you to build your list as you grow in business but I use Aweber because in my opinion it is the best out there and have excellent email deliverability.
Step # 2: Go to the “my lists” tab. Click the “green button where it says create a new list”. Give your list a name. In the basic settings section you’ll want to add and update your information. Give your list a description, who the email is from along with a contact address. You can also enter an email address to receive an email every time e new subscriber is added to your list. Click on save settings.
Step #3: Add your company info, website and email signature. Make sure to include you website address, phone #, skype ID and Fan Page so you make it easy for people to connect with you and find you. You can enable social media sharing where you can integrate with Twitter and Facebook. By default I share every broadcast message on my Facebook Fan Page. Once this is complete, save your changes.
Step # 4: In the Confirmed Opt-in tab you can create a customized confirmation message when people opt-in. When you are first getting started I would not enable to double-confirmation feature, you want your subscribers to be able to get your follow up messages right away. So click OFF. Save your changes and now your list has been created.
Step # 5: To create the optin box we need for your Facebook Fan page you’ll want to click on the tab “web form”. Click on the button “create a web form”. Here you can design the look of your web form. There are a bunch of different options and templates to customize your form. Choose the one that best fits your brand or style. You can edit colors, change the headline, and add a new field. You can change the content in the privacy label, you can resize the form, make it bigger, smaller, etc. There are a lot of options you can play around with it until you get a form you like.
Step # 6: Once you save your webform, move on to settings and give your form a name. Next you will want to add the url to a thank you page. This is the first page a new subscriber will see once they optin. You can choose default or you can redirect them to a custom thank you page of some sort where they can get instructions on what to do next – Like check your email for your download link to your free gift.
Step # 7: Next click the tab “I will install my webform” and choose either show javascript code or show html code. Copy this code, go back to your Fan Page and click on “settings to edit“. So now your are going to click on source, determine where you want to place your aweber opt in form, then right click and paste the aweber code. Click save and check the page to see the optin form.
You can play around with the size, the color, you change the design, etc. Do not forget to test the optin form to make sure it is working. When new leads opt in through your form they will get a thank you or they will stay on the page if you put in your Fan Page as the custom thank you page url.
Autoresponder Follow Up
So what do you do once you get leads on your list? You’ll want to setup your autoresponder account to send follow up messages.
Step # 1 Login to Awber
Step # 2 Click on messages, then choose follow up. The first message you want to create is a Welcome or thank you for subscribing email. You can put in the subject line – Thanks for subscribing (personalize with leads name). In the body you can add Welcome valued subscriber to the “Whatever Your Fan Page Name Is“, Here is you free gift and give them a link to direct them to where they can access their free gift, or download their offer. Add your contact details and any other info you want them to have.
Step # 3 Once that is complete schedule the intervals you want your follow up messages sent out. Choose “0” (zero) for the first interval because you want this to be sent right away. When you create your second follow up message you can put for interval “1” and that email message will be sent 1 day after your welcome email.
So there you have it! 10 Steps to integrating your aweber opt in form on your Facebook Page. Now go out there get you some leads!!
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