Successful Blog

Haven’t You Got Smaller Fish to Fry?

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A Guest Post by
Rosemary O’Neill

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If you’re a small business or a consultant, Fortune 500 clients are a rush. Impressive logos can adorn your sidebar, you can impress your grandma with how successful you are, and credibility is yours. However, it’s very important to treat every customer as if they are your “marquee” client.

And here’s a secret:

The small fry customers aren’t used to being treated like a VIP, so they are easier to delight.

Here are a few more reasons why the small fish deserve TLC:

  • Small fry grow up to be big – that lower-tier administrator you’re dealing with may get a promotion or move to another company and suddenly be the decision-maker.
  • The neighbor effect – the woman who runs that small business could refer you to her neighbor, who is VP of Something Important at a Fortune 500.
  • Large quantities of small fry make a steady revenue stream – if you’re reliant on the good graces of a few big companies for your revenue, you’re in a precarious position.
  • Smaller organizations can be easier to deal with – it’s much easier to get access to the decision-maker at a smaller organization.

Never burn bridges – if you try every day to delight everyone who comes in contact with your business, including the “nobodies” with no money to spend, you are building goodwill equity that comes back to you when you least expect it.

If you pay close attention, your individual small fry will build into a net-bursting haul.

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Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work on the Internet. Check out their blog. You can find her on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Motivational Triggers: Ninja Secrets to Increasing Conversions

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By Pawel Reszka

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Uncovering Your Readers’ Hidden Motivations

No matter what anyone tells you, selling isn’t easy. There’s no magic formula that says, “Put this product in front of this group of people, say this specific thing and you’ll get sales” – despite what all of the long form sales letters floating around the internet would have you believe. Instead, it’s up to you – the blogger – to figure out the right combination of product selection, positioning and advertising copy that will lead to sales or conversions on your site.

To do this, you’ll need to uncover your readers’ hidden motivations. You need to know what makes them tick, what gets them motivated and what types of information or products can’t they get enough of. Once you have this information, you’ll find it much easier to choose the right products and target the most effective emotional triggers to maximize your blog’s profits.

So to get started, the first thing you’ll need to do is to understand more about how your audience thinks. Getting to know your audience members is crucial for a couple of reasons – not just to encourage more sales. Understanding who your audience members are will help you to choose the best content to post to your site to encourage repeat visits, as well identify the products they’re most likely to be interested in.

As Liz said in a past post on knowing your audience on the site:

The more you know and understand about your audience the better job you’ll do at giving them what they’re looking for. As well, there are other benefits; your writing will come easier, you’ll better communicate your ideas, you’ll stress less and you’ll enjoy it more.

Whether you’re just starting out as a blogger in your niche or you’ve got extensive experience in the field, the following are a few of the things you can take into consideration when getting to know your audience members:

  • Demographic information – As readers leave comments on your posts, do they appear to be primarily male or female? Young or old? Does the quality of their comments suggest anything about their education levels? By painting a picture of your audience members in your mind, you’ll be able to extrapolate some of their concerns, fears, interests and passions.
  • Primary interests – Do your readers tend to respond more frequently to one type of post over another? For example, if you get more comments on your “how to” posts than your personal development posts, you might conclude that your audience is interested in more practical, applicable advice than nebulous, indistinct recommendations.

By paying attention to these types of information, you should start to get a general idea of who your audience is. But while this is important, it’s also only half of the battle. The key is to use this information to successfully tailor a sales message for your unique visitors, based on what you’ve identified as their primary fears and motivators.

Suppose you’re blogging in the personal finance niche and find that you have a large following of single mothers. While you won’t be able to make assumptions that apply to every single one of your readers, you can make some generalizations that can guide your product selection and positioning.

For example, it’s probably safe to assume that many single mothers worry about making ends meet and about what would happen if they were suddenly unable to take care of their children (whether due to death, illness or disability). From a personal finance standpoint, products that help these mothers manage their bills or set up the legal and financial safeguards that ensure their children will be cared for in the event of an emergency could be hugely appealing.

Making assumptions about your audience in order to identify the best products and/or services to pitch to them is important, but the final step in the process is to tie everything together with emotional triggers. An article from Entrpreneur.com on common and effective emotional triggers identifies the following 10 factors to consider while building your product copy:

  • Fear
  • Guilt
  • Trust
  • Value
  • Belonging
  • Competition
  • Instant Gratification
  • Leadership
  • Trend-setting
  • Time

Here’s how to use these emotional triggers in your sales messages:

Fear – As seen in our earlier example about the concerns of single mothers, fear can play an incredibly powerful role in getting people over their objections to buying. While the fears of running out of money and of children being left on their own are major fears, even something as simple as the fear of missing out on something – as emphasized in your sales copy – can encourage conversions.

Guilt – If you’ve ever seen a charity commercial entreating you to “Donate Now” to alleviate suffering, you know how powerful a motivator guilt can be. Use this emotion in your sales copy by emphasizing something that the reader isn’t yet doing well (but that could be remedied with your product).

Trust – As a blogger, you’ve likely built a rapport with your readers over time, which may make them more likely to trust the product recommendations you make, based on the relationship you share. Just be careful not to abuse this trust by making your sales pitches carefully for products that you truly believe in.

Value – Everyone wants to feel like they’ve gotten the best deal possible, which is why you see customers buy name brand products off the grocery store shelves when they have a coupon – even if the store brand product is still cheaper overall! Emphasize the value of your product or service by comparing it to comparable options, quantifying money saved or including bonuses that increase the perceived value of your offering.

Belonging – Facebook and Twitter are two powerful examples of our need to belong to a social network. You can use this motivation to your advantage by offering the people who purchase your products or services special perks that set them apart as part of an exclusive “members club”.

Competition – The classic “Keeping up with the Jones” scenario highlights the hidden competitor that lurks within each of us. If your audience is especially conscious of status and image, simply suggesting that owning your product or buying your service will make friends and neighbors jealous will cause sales to skyrocket.

Instant Gratification – Buying lights up the pleasure centers of our brain, and this effect is enhanced when the product is immediately available for consumption. Whenever possible, make some (or all) of your product available digitally so that it can be accessed right away in order to play to this emotional trigger.

Leadership – If your niche consists of experienced industry personnel, you’ll find that the desire to differentiate ones-self and be seen as a leader is a powerful motivating factor. In this case, use your sales copy to highlight how your products will make these readers feel powerful and authoritative in their personal or business lives.

Trend-setting – Younger audiences or those who are particularly susceptible to brand messages often respond well to sales messages that position products or services as “trend-setting”. Look no further than the Apple iPod, Gucci bag or Vibram Five-Fingers to see how influential trend-setting brands can be.

Time – There’s no one out there that couldn’t use more time, but busy professionals and parents are two groups in particular that look to time savings as a key selling point. Emphasize how your product or service appeals to this trigger and you should see a corresponding increase in conversions.

Again, it may take some time to gain a good enough understanding of your audience that you’re able to identify the hidden motivations and feelings your readers are experiencing. However, with continued effort, you’ll be able to pair the correct products with the right emotional triggers and increase your site’s profitability dramatically.

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Author Bio:

Pawel Reszka is the founder of Affhelper.com, a blog where he shares tips and strategies on how to make money online. He talks about blogging, affiliate marketing, and content marketing. Check out his short guide to making money with blogs where he shares some great tips for beginners.

Outstanding information, Pawel! Thank you.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

What Does Your Online Profile Say About You?

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A Guest Post
by Jason Nash

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Assets, Identity, Online Presence

One of the most important factors to consider when searching for a job, establishing your social network, or simply protecting your assets and identity is your online presence. In today’s society, our names are spread all throughout the internet. The majority of Americans can type their name into a search engine and find information from their Facebook page, their LinkedIn account, their Twitter followers, and their websites or blogs. Additionally, most computer users have information spread throughout the internet in the form of website hosting profiles. As beneficial as these networks are, it is also important that we take the time to “clean up” our internet presence both in the amount of information and the content.

Facebook is one of the most commonly visited sites on the web today. Not only do friends use the site for social networking, but businesses are now using Facebook to contact clients. Employers also utilize it to find out more information about applicants education, work history and social habits. One of the best things you can do to improve your virtual appearance is to make sure that your profile sends a positive message about yourself.

Consider what language you use and how much information you give about yourself. Many people choose to only make their profile visible to friends, making identity theft much less likely. Many people also pay attention to who your friends are. If you have friends you are no longer in contact with, it is best to delete them from your friends list so they will not shed a negative image on your own profile.

Twitter is one of the newest forms of social networking. While “following” friends and “being followed” can be a lot of fun, it is extremely important to be mindful of who is following you. Twitter users can be prime candidates for identity theft, and should always be aware of how much information they are posting. It is also wise to keep your Twitter profile updated so that potential employers and friends see up to date information.

LinkedIn is primarily a business network that allows workers to connect to colleagues in various businesses and industries and establish a network to obtain recommendations. Because this network can be such a valuable business connection, it is a good idea to take the time to go through the “People You May Know” section and find additional connections. Once again, it is also wise to consider how much information you put on your public profile. Make sure people can identify whether or not they know you, but keep personal information available only to friends.

Finally, consider how much information you put on websites and blogs. While website hosting can be an extremely useful tool for sharing information with friends and clients, many web users do not take the time to adequately edit or protect their information. Many users will share highly personal information concerning their family, their location or even their financial situation without taking the necessary precautions to prevent identity theft. They may also share opinions that may not be desirable for employers or coworkers to view. Many websites and blogs have an option that allows only those who are invited to view the site. Other can keep a tally on how many viewers there are and who specifically is visiting. These tools can ensure safety and protection of personal information.

Using social networking tools can be a great asset in today’s highly electronic society. By taking the time to sift through your information and “clean up” your online presence, you can have the best networking experience possible.

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Author’s Bio: The article is from Jason Nash from keybrokersocial.com Jason writes about technology, social media and online marketing strategies and follows brands online and off as part of his work.

Thank you, Jason!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Are You Up for a Social Win-Win That Might Even Win?

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A Guest Post by Nikki at Zooppa

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Zooppa’s MyCube Multimedia Competition

Social Media has become part of our daily lives. Our day feels incomplete when we are not able to go online to tweet or check your Facebook. So we, at Zooppa, are having a cool contest to introduce you to a brand new social media network centered on content sharing. MyCube is the place online where you can find people who share your passion and exchange photos, videos and/or conversation.

Create a 30-to-60-second video (by December 12,2011) that tells the story of how you or someone like you can use MyCube’s “social content exchange” to connect with people who share their passion.

It is a win-win situation. You have nothing to lose.
You make something to add on to your portfolio.
You showcase your creativity and share it with other creative people.

You get a chance to win some cash. —>>> $10,000 in prizes!!!

Plus, the experience itself is worth your time.

For more details, visit: MyCube Video Contest Brief Watch the video and read the brief.

If you’re already connected to some folks who share your passion, bring them with you, build something together, and connect even further!!

Use the cash you win to celebrate, make more videos, or donate to your favorite cause.

Invest a little creativity … gain connections to people who care about what you do!
It’s a win-win and it might even win!

Who wouldn’t be up for that?
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Author’s Bio: Nikki works for Zooppa.com, the people-powered brand strategy company.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

When My Mom Died and Who Saved My Life

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When My Mom Died

Please know that no one asked me to write this blog post.
This story is mine and no one could buy it … not even my son, a client, and a friend who saved my life.

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I always thought it was very cool that I was the same age when I had my son as my mother was when she had me. That meant the whole time he was growing up I could look at him and look me and think “Oh, so when I was his age this how old my mom was.” It gave me a new kind of perspective on my life and hers.

Maybe that was more important to me because we never had that close mother-daughter thing, though I think we both tried. I was never quite sure I belonged. She could never quite connect to my dots.

I had followed a girl baby who had lived nine days before she died. The longer I live, the longer I try to understand what that loss must have been, the more I realize it would have to be inside our relationship — how could it not?

As much as I’m like my father, anyone who knew my mother would say I am her too. Yet, all through my teens and twenties I went out of my way to deny any similarity. She kind of did too. Whenever anyone would remark on how much my face is hers, she would say I look like my father.

So, because my mom smoked BOTH filterless and menthol cigarettes — she kept a pack of each in three strategic places: in her purse, on the kitchen table, and by her place in the living room — I made it a point never to go near a cigarette.

Then when I was 25, I was living with a keyboard player in a rock band — which meant whole weekends in smoke-filled bars with smokers. We often become what we look at most. I became a weekend smoker.

Ironically, a few months later my mom was diagnosed with oat cell carcinoma — the fastest growing cancer they said. It started in her lungs and moved up to her brain. There was no point in her giving up her cigarettes.

The first week that I visited her in the hospital, she kept telling me to go back to work. My boss said stay with her.
The second week, she started ordering foods I like from the hospital menus so that she could share.
The third week, we started telling real stories about ourselves.
One afternoon she said …

You know, you were the best thing that ever happened to me. I went into the hospital to have one baby and three years later I came home with you. You saved my life. I love you.

That short speech recast the entire story of my life.
It was also the first time, I heard her say, “I love you.”

We had that conversation and others like it over a cigarette. I was 26 when she died … the same age my son is now.

Who Saved My Life

My son doesn’t smoke, but until 3 weeks ago I still did. And for a while I’ve been thinking that …

If history repeats itself this could be the last year my son would see me alive.

… I wondered whether my son was thinking that too.

Then a few weeks after my son’s 26th birthday, he and I were having a conversation with Angel Djambazov at SOBCon NW. We talked late into the night about everything from movie scenes to chocolate to Dungeons & Dragons. I asked Angel to tell my son about how he met John Cameron — Hollywood executive and younger brother of James Cameron [Avatar, Titanic]. John had hired Angel to work with an impressive team on a product called the SafeCig.

In the course of that conversation, Angel explained the tobacco-less electronics, the delivery of nicotine in water vapor without acetone, carbon monoxide, tar, ash etc, and offered to send me a sample. What flavor would I like? My son and I engaged in the idea of choosing between spicy, sweet, woody, and one other. My son offered his mischievous take on which would most fit my personality and why. The repartee was both fun and affectionate. Angel said, “I’ll send you more than one. See if you like it.”

I did.

Then I met John at BlogWorldExpo and immediately took to him as well.

I was already using SafeCig. I had already decided to work with him. But after hearing his stories, I realized his cause is mine. He’s client and a friend, but that’s not why I’m telling you this story.

I’m telling you because I believe my son, John, and Angel saved my life.

My son is delighted that I have removed those carcinogens from my life.
And every time I think of him, my mother, or the rest of my life, I am too.

If you have a story, please share it.
If you want to lose your tobacco or know someone who does … watch, like, and share John’s YouTube conversation about it.
If you that’s not you either, you can always go read The Top 10 Ways to Start Living Your Life.

Be irresistible and stay alive.

Liz

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If you want to know more of John’s story and why he decided to do this …

If you want to know how the device works, this is the one …

************

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

How to Stand Out From the Talent Around You

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A Guest Post by
Joel Garfinkle

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We’ve all seen it happen: A promising worker is promoted to a higher level, or moves to a larger town with a deeper talent pool. Many times, this worker is used to success, and was able to stand out in her old job thanks to raw talent and natural intelligence. It was easier for her to stand out, and without really putting out that much effort.

As she moves up in the world, though, she finds the competition getting tougher and tougher. Her skills are developing, sure – but now it is extremely difficult for her to stand out from her peers. It can be a tough adjustment to make.

Moving On Up

A lot of people can relate to that feeling in the corporate world. Working closely with the very top people in your profession is the best way to up your game. But the better the people you work with, the more difficult it will be to stand out as a star player.

It’s not going to be enough to master the details of your job description. If you’re on the all-star team, everyone is a master of their own position. To stand out from the crowd, you need to master the non-technical aspects of your job – starting with yourself. Here are 6 ways to do just that.

  1. Study great leaders. As you move up the ranks of responsibility, you may place less emphasis on being an expert at the technical aspects of your old job. Identify leaders you admire – and read everything you can about them. If they wrote books on leadership, so much the better. This will help you rise above the all-star players, to become a team captain.
  2. Learn to delegate. This is very difficult for technical experts to do. But to make the transition from player to leader, you must grasp that a manager can only excel through the efforts of others. Give clear directions, and help your people grow and shine.
  3. Learn new skill sets. Perhaps being a great trial attorney, or a great salesperson got you accepted to a fantastic team. But that’s not enough to keep you there, and it won’t be enough to get you to the next level. As you move up, you must learn entirely new sets of information. You may need to learn the rules for hiring, disciplining and firing people. You may need to become an accounting expert, where you weren’t one before. Some people may not be able to transition to working at a new level, mistakenly thinking their old skill sets and natural talent will carry them through. They will almost always be limited.
  4. Learn time and project management. Yes, there is no substitute for character when it comes to leadership. But all the character in the world will not save you if you cannot use your team members’ time wisely. Part of being a leader is mastering the skills of time management and organizational communication.
  5. Be the one with the plan. You don’t have to be the biggest, fastest, strongest or even the smartest person on the team to be a stand-out. You can be the one with the plan. Be the one others look to when things are confused or when the situation is vague. The two key components to master when it comes to any project: The timeline, and the priority of work.Master these two things, making sure they are tied in effectively with management’s goals at least two levels up, and you cannot help but be a stand-out.
  6. Be the ethical standard bearer. This is difficult but vital. You may not be the best technician in your office. But you can be the professional who insists on things being done right – who doesn’t take short cuts, and who maintains a commitment to excellence and integrity, even when no one is looking. In the long run, this will pay great dividends for you and for the organization you will soon be tapped to lead.

The fact is, if your peers are challenging you, and forcing you to do better than what you used to think of as your best, and you are still not managing to rise above the crowd yet – that’s not a terrible sign. Don’t get discouraged, because your colleagues’ and competitor’s skill and talent are going to rub off on you. It takes time and effort, but it will happen. In the meantime, If you apply yourself, and master the elements of your profession that lie beyond your immediate, current job description and conduct yourself as a leader, you will almost certainly achieve great success. Go do great things.

How do you stand out as the professional you are?
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Author’s Bio: JOEL A. GARFINKLE is recognized as one of the top 50 coaches in the U.S., having worked with many of the world’s leading companies. He is the author of seven books, including Getting Ahead: Three Steps to Take Your Career to the Next Level. View his books and FREE articles at Garfinkle Executive Coaching. Subscribe to his Fulfillment@Work E-mail newsletter and receive the FREE e-book, 40 Proven Strategies to Get Promoted Now!”

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!