Successful Blog

Promote Your Events with Compelling Copy

by

By Jessica Davis

You may have heard the popular phrase “if you build it, they will come.”

This is quite untrue in case of organizing events and meetings. It doesn’t matter how well you have organized an event if you are unable to effectively market it. Lots of organizations and groups fall short in this regard only because they send out simple announcements listing the time, date, speaker, and location of an event.

You, as an event organizer, have to realize there is a lot of competition out there, and you need to convince prospective attendees that you are worth their money and time.

Importance of a compelling headline

A compelling headline holds the key to catching the eye of prospective attendees. A simple headline, such as “2013 Annual Conference” fails to grab the attention of any reader. It may describe what your event is about, but cannot really be called a headline. A compelling headline is one that incites the reader to learn more about the event. In terms of marketing, it should typically promise some benefits. For instance – ‘Master the art of social media in three hours;’ or ‘Touch new horizons with your business.’

If the event has only a single speaker, then their program title can be used as the headline, if it satisfies the criteria given above. Multi-speaker events will require you to present the overall benefits for the reader in the headline.

Event details

Location, time, and date

Be sure to make this information easy to locate. In fact, mention it twice at least on the web page or brochure. A map with parking information and driving directions is a nice addition too. If applicable, you should also mention the transportation and hotel information. Other than these, mentioning savings such as discounted rates on group bookings can also help your cause.

Program outline

Give a general idea of the things taking place in the event. You should include the schedule, such as networking time, meals, or other important details for multi-day or all day long meetings.

Attending benefits

This is the essence of the marketing message. This topic explains to the prospective attendees why they should invest their valuable resources in coming to your event. You have to be specific while promising results.

Presenter bios

The biographical information about speakers at the event establishes their credibility. Potential attendees probably won’t care about the bio of the speaker anyway, but not including this section may lead them to doubt the event’s credibility.

Registration information

Be sure to make the registration process painless. If the registration form is too confusing or very exhaustive, chances are potential attendees will simply reject the event due to the formalities involved in filling the registration alone. The registration instructions should be easy to follow, clear, and simple.

Highlight special features and incentives

Apart from the speakers, include other highlights of the event. This can include local tours, autograph session, trade show, banquet, concert or show, live demo, organized activities, and so forth.

Testimonials are other powerful marketing elements that are generally overlooked by event organizers. You should use two different testimonial types: one from speakers, and other from past attendees. These should preferably be result oriented, and the more, the merrier.

Finally, a call to action should conclude the whole sales presentation. Without it, prospective attendees probably won’t take any action apart from reading the whole presentation that you so painstakingly produced. Be clear at the end with lines such as “Register from this link”; “Fill form given below”; “Now!” Today”; or “Fax to this number”.

Author’s Bio: Jessica Davis is a Content Strategy Specialist with Godot Media – a leading content marketing firm. She has years of experience working closely with online businesses, helping them refine their marketing strategy through optimum use of content. Her other interests besides online content strategy, internet marketing and search engine optimization are, technology, sports and fashion.

How to Use Instagram to Promote Your Business

by

By Brittany Thorley

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but can the latest social media phenomenon used by a host of celebrities, budding photographers and snap happy users alike be the key to driving traffic to your website?

The social media sphere has become awash with image-based websites like Pinterest, whilst other social favourites like Facebook and Twitter are making it easier to upload and share your favourite snaps. While 54% of major brands use Instagram for promotional reasons, many growing businesses don’t consider using Instagram to market their products or services.

Using Instagram for business

Getting Started with Instagram

Setting up an Instagram business account and incorporating this social favourite into your social media marketing strategy couldn’t be easier and its features ensure you can get and stay connected with existing and potential customers and clients in a fun and frivolous way that still has your business ethics at its heart.

Instagram takes you through the setting up of your profile step-by-step, covering everything from choosing an account name and filling out your bio to adding other social networks and getting started with their photo editor and sharing features. When deciding on your Instagram account name, we recommend using a name similar or exactly the same as your Twitter handle to make it easier for fans and potential customers to find and follow you on multiple platforms. We would also advise downloading the app to make maintaining and updating your Instagram account less of a chore and more spur of the moment!

Instagram also hosts its own ‘Instagram for Business’ blog, which is regularly updated with tips, news and examples of how other businesses, both big and small, use Instagram to drive traffic and subsequently boost sales.

Striking the Right Balance between Fun and Business

A successful Instagram business profile has a mixture of fun images and business-focused additions; we would advise telling the story behind your brand to make it an engaging and fun journey for your customers that still essentially means business. Use the stories of your workforce to add a personal approach. Instagram has a number of helpful options for tracking engagement and the success of individual images, so test the water in the first few months and see what your audience likes best.

More than Images

In addition to uploading and sharing images, you can also use videos to market your business identity and values. These videos can be embedded into your on-site blog and shared via your other social media platforms to create engaging content, cultivate a following and extend your reach.

Be a Trend Follower and a Trendsetter

Instagram uses the same system as Twitter and uses hashtags (#) so that users can follow trends and be a part of the wider community. Keep an eye on what’s trending and use this to influence what you post, and tell your own story with your own hashtags. Use Instagram’s like and comment features to connect on a more personal level with new followers, ‘like’ other users’ images and engage with them with genuine comments.

How Often Do I Post to Instagram?

Like Pinterest, you don’t have to post on Instagram on a daily basis. In fact too much posting can actually do more harm than good and will over-occupy the news feeds of your followers and lead to quite a few ‘no follows’. Instead use your profile to post whenever you feel that the content is a valuable addition and aim to inspire potential customers and clients with your updates – remember with Instagram and any social media marketing strategy, the focus should be on quality, not quantity.

How are you using Instagram for your business? Post your account handle here, if you’d like to share.

Author’s Bio: Brittany Thorley is a social media marketing expert at Think Big Comms, a PR agency with a difference that specialises in ethnic marketing strategies.

5 (more) Apps That Make My Business Life Easier

by

I’m a technology magpie, flying around poking and picking up shiny objects. I bring them back to my nest and play with them for a while, trying to decide if they’re worthy of a permanent space on my phone, iPad, or desktop.

To justify my habit, I share what I’ve found. That way I can tell myself I’m doing it “for work.”

Here are the 5 mobile apps that have improved my work productivity.

Sunrise Calendar

I have to admit that I didn’t find this one. My husband did, and it was surprising to me that he was “cheating on” Fantastical, the most recent calendar app we’d fallen in love with. However, Sunrise is even more beautiful than Fantastical. It easily brings together all of your disparate calendars into one interface, and adding events is a breeze. It analyzes the words used in your event titles, and uses appropriate icons (anything with “party” in it triggers a balloon). Did I mention that it’s free?

Sunrise Calendar

Yodelay

This cool app does one thing–it helps you stay on top of your search engine rankings. You tell Yodelay which search terms you’re trying to rank for, and it will keep running data on where your site falls in the list. This is useful because it’s difficult to get “pure” unpersonalized information by searching yourself. This one is also free.

Yodelay SEO App

Lanyrd

Lanyrd on the desktop is pretty awesome, with conference/event speakers, schedules, attendee lists, and a million ways to connect with them. The mobile app is also extremely useful. Open it up during a conference, and have instant access to your fellow attendees, that conference agenda you left at breakfast, official hashtag, and more. Set up a “want to meet” alert so you never miss out on meeting those important contacts again. It’s free, and available on both iPhone and Android, as well as iPad.

Lanyrd on iPad

30/30 Task Manager

The 30/30 app is for anyone who needs extra help staying on task. Use it to set up a series of tasks, with estimated completion times, and it will alert you when it’s time to move on to the next task. The interface is easy and fun to use, and knowing there’s a clock ticking down will either spark your competitive juices, or drive you crazy. After some trial and error, I’ve decided that it’s used best for a series of recurring tasks (for example, your wake-up routine).

30/30 Task Management

vSnap

Another handy app is vSnap, a single-purpose app that just makes it crazy easy to send a quick (less than 60 seconds) personal video to your contacts. It differs from Vine or Instagram videos in that it’s meant to be a one-to-one communication. Contacts who receive the videos don’t have to have an account or login, and they simply click a link to see your video. Great for adding a personal touch to your business communications, without having to send a huge file. This one has a free version, but paid upgrades available.

vSnap video app
Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

5 Ways Your Employees Can Be More Productive

by

Increasing your business productivity is an excellent way of boosting your profits. But if your employees are lagging, or you’re just not seeing the results you’d like, how do you turn things around?

Here are five ways you can help your employees be more productive — making both them and you happier:

1. Provide comfortable break areas and times – It may seem counterintuitive, but providing a relaxing area for employees to unwind a few times during the day can actually increase the amount of work they get done. People who feel chained to their desks all day can zone out, and their lowered productivity can affect morale, which can turn into a nasty cycle.

Set mandatory break times for all employees (even if they’re not all at the same time). Consider implementing short, office-wide breaks in which everyone gets up once an hour to do a few stretches. This can improve your workers’ physical comfort and give them energy boosts throughout the day.

2. Give them the technology they need to do their jobs well – These days, mobile devices are becoming more and more essential to running a business. If you can’t afford to provide these devices to workers in the office or field who may need them, encourage them to bring their own.

If you choose to let employees work from their own devices, make sure your business data is well protected with strong passwords, time-outs, and other security measures.

3. Provide flexible working options – Whether it’s telecommuting one or more days per week, offering a flexible work schedule, or another accommodation, creating a flexible workspace can have an enormous effect on employee morale and productivity.

Having everyone in the office has its advantages, making collaboration more convenient. But with ever-evolving technology, working from
home is becoming a more feasible and attractive option for many companies.

Worried that productivity will drop if you let employees telecommute? Numerous studies have shown otherwise.

A Stanford University study from February of this year found that in one company, out of 16,000 workers, those who were allowed to work from home showed a 13% performance increase over their office-bound colleagues.

4. Provide regular, constructive feedback – It’s hard to improve in a vacuum. Employees who aren’t sure where they stand, or who have formed inefficient habits, may need some help identifying areas to work on.

Give your employees encouragement for a job well done, or thoughtful advice for how to perform better. Delivering this feedback regularly will help keep everyone on track.

5. Keep meetings short and sweet – Conducting a meeting without an outline or agenda is a recipe for a long, unproductive session.

Instead, write up an agenda and identify someone to lead the meeting and keep conversations on track. You’ll also need someone to take notes to make sure no important points get lost. Keep the meeting focused on important points, and consider issuing status reports and minor updates in a weekly email instead of during meetings.

These are just a few of the ways you can help your employees be more productive and keep your office running smoothly.

Photo credit: techliant.com

About the Author: Freelance blogger Angie Mansfield covers a variety of topics for both individuals and small business owners. Her work addresses such things as health, social media, and how to remove information from online records.

Online Jobs Every Person Must Try

by

By Peter Davidson

Survival is impossible without money unless, of course, you’ve been raised in the jungle and you can hunt with your bare hands. Whether you like it or not, you will have to adapt to the universal crisis of generating an income and supporting yourself through it.

We call it a crisis because many people, regardless of how long they’ve been playing this game, cannot seem to get the hang of it. The only thing they can be accused of is not taking the opportunities that have been made available over the last couple of years. We’re not talking about shouldering another part-time job that is situated seven blocks away from your primary workplace; we’re referring to the internet and the wonderful doors it has opened for you.

The Truth about Online Jobs

It’s normal to be excited at the prospect of earning money in the comfort of your home, but you must be warned that online jobs have a complex side that you are bound to encounter soon. We might as well tell you now that it won’t be as easy or comfortable as you originally think. Stop writing your resignation letter and save it for later, when you’ve established your virtual career. Although the web is accessible to everyone, it is not friendly to all people who wish to make a living through it. Test the waters through the online jobs listed below. You have three options from then onwards: pursue a serious career online, continue participating in online jobs for another source of income, or resort to traditional means.

Blogger on the Rise

Humans are naturally curious people; we love to probe into other people’s lives. If you doubt that fact, check the number of reality shows ongoing today. Blogging has some similarities because it is how many people share their lives with the rest of the world. The glaring difference would be the details you choose to share.

Are you a lover of art? What kind of art? Your enthusiasm for thriller novels can be turned into your greatest advantage. Publishers need the help of netizens in promoting a newly published novel. Once they see that you are a credible source for book reviews, they may offer money in exchange for your endorsement. The same principle works for travel blogs, cooking blogs, fashion blogs, and so much more, as long as you are creating compelling content.

Virtual Assistant on Demand

Computer technology has dominated the work scene since the onset of the 21st century. Businesspeople rely heavily on computers, the web, and other modern devices; however, they often don’t have time to focus on those areas of their business. Research, website creation, software installation, and related tech-skills are normally outsourced to lessen costs and to guarantee efficiency. The pay for virtual assistants depends on the work they manage to accomplish.

Survey-Taker

Paid surveys accept all kinds of people; you don’t have to worry whether your opinions are witty or have a scientific basis. Your main task here is to qualify yourself for the surveys and to answer as many surveys as you can. By qualify, we mean to promote your life in a way that will allow the surveyors to know whether you are credible to give your opinion about a certain refrigerator, car, or whatever product they’re handling.

The sole challenge that stands in your way is avoidance of fraudulent survey panels. Read about paid surveys for you to know which the real paid survey sites are. Study sites like SurveyPolice or iPoll to get an idea of how authentic panels present themselves and what other people have to say about its performance. Do this for every panel you plan to join.

Translate Your Way to the Top

Translating documents is gaining popularity online. You’re fortunate if you are capable of speaking fluently in two or more languages; you’ve just found the best outlet for that skill. Endorse your freelance translating endeavour through social networking sites. Tell your friends to recommend you to the people they know who may need the help of a translator. People pay substantial amounts of money for this service.

Author’s Bio: Peter is a blogger who is currently living in NYC. He loves working from home and earns money by freelance writing, finding and taking surveys on sites like Getpaidsurveys, training kids and working on some data entry jobs.

Niche Marketing: Creative or Creepy?

by

By Barbara Fowler

Niche-marketing: Creative or Creepy? It depends.

Yesterday I got a package in the mail. A mysterious package from Klout. I opened it up and low and behold, it contained three new products sent to me on a complimentary basis. They were VITA-K for “age spots”, VITA-K for “crow’s feet” and VITA-K for “deep facial lines” I was selected to receive these products because of my Klout score of 56, not because of my age (I just turned 60) and hopefully not because of some new “facial recognition software” that identified me as someone in great need of these products.

I signed up for Klout over a year ago. For those of you not in marketing or not familiar with it, Klout purports to measure my “influence” on the web and in social media. It gives each of us a score between 1-100 with 1 being no influence-basically incognito on the web (like my husband Tim, without a LinkedIn, Facebook or any other social account-although he does now have e-mail) and 100 (Barack Obama is a 99)

So, I am above the middle. in fact, somewhere in the 75-90 percentile. That is really not important because this post is about niche-marketing, not about Klout.

But think about what this skincare company did to market their new product.

They went to Klout and asked for people above a certain score. Then they must have also asked for some other things-gender, age, possible income, geographic location etc to further target their offering. I don’t know the specifics. I actually have no relationship to this company or this product. But I represent a “buyer persona”. More importantly, they think, based on my score, that I am more likely to talk about receiving this product and trying it. They don’t know if I will like it or not. Or maybe, they cross-referenced their offering with some sort of other weird algorithm that says I usually only review products I really like. (My mother taught me “If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.”)

In the past, to gain a market, this company would have considered magazine ads in places like, “Good Housekeeping” or “The Ladies Home Journal” or maybe “AARP “ magazine. They would have looked at TV ads for “Golden Girls” or “The Rockford Files”. How much would that have cost? That was marketing back then.

This is marketing today. It has changed. First, because there is so much information available on the web so I can do all of the research I want in advance of a purchase. And second because of the availability of data. Instead of marketing to a broad range of people-like all of those who read a magazine-companies can market to a much smaller group of people who are more likely to buy their product. The art and science of acquiring a customer base has been reinvented.

And this is not just about this product. A recent WSJ article shared how the Weather Company (formerly the Weather Channel) was helping companies pick their advertising spots. The Weather Co, supplies weather information to several smart phone apps. And now, it uses its data to help companies advertise. So, for example, if a woman is checking her weather app in Boston and it calls for rain, the advertisement shown might be for an anti-frizz product for her hair. If it calls for very hot temperatures in Atlanta, then the advertisement might be for a sale on air conditioning units. Micro-targeting then is not just based on buyer personas but also on many other variables. Effective targeting can really reduce costs and increase revenue

So, what about me? Was this effective? When I told people I had received the anti-aging product this morning, several asked if I was offended or if I though it was creepy? Not me. I was intrigued. I have already tried them and although I can’t be sure yet, I think that I might pass for no more than 59.

Please share your comments below.

Author’s Bio: Barbara Fowler is a CMO and Partner with Chief Outsiders in the Charleston, S. C. area. Follow her on twitter at @barbfow50 or contact Barbara at 908-956-4529 or email at bfowler@chiefoutsiders.com.