Blog

Is the Title “Published Author” In Your Future?

Is the Title “Published Author” In Your Future?

Authors
How many of you want to write a book? There are so many of us (myself included) that have the title of “Published Author” dancing around in our heads. What are you waiting for? Is it finances, work, family, outside commitments, etc? You know, LIFE. Well don’t let this deter you from your pursuit of the Published Author title. Your book will not write itself, so commit to writing daily or weekly. Remember, a book draft is just that, a draft. You don’t have to write in a logical order if you’re just starting out, but you have to start writing something. Daydream with me: You decide to commit 30 minutes a day to writing your book, just 30 minutes.  Not planning, not editing, but actual writing.  You stick to…
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Is Your Brand Strategy Effective?

Branding
Consider these 2 scenarios Scenario A Your brand strategy is at its best: Prospects and customers know exactly what you deliver. It’s easy to begin conversations with new prospects because they quickly and easily understand what you stand for. You  close deals more quickly because your prospects’ experience with you supports everything you say. You can charge a premium because your market knows why you’re better and is willing to pay for it. Scenario B Your brand strategy is a work in progress: The market may not have a consistent view or impression of your product and company, but in general you think it’s positive. You haven’t thought a lot about branding because it doesn't necessarily seem relevant, but you admit that you can do a better job of communicating consistently with…
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First Things First – Content Strategy Before Social Strategy

Blogging, Marketing Strategy
This is a guest post from Patricia Redsicker,  Principal at WordView Editing.  At the heart of social media is the desire that every consumer has to talk about something interesting, compelling and relevant and to share that information with his or her friends. The question marketers must ask themselves is: “What makes my brand so interesting that people will want to talk about it and share it with their friends?” (Even boring brands have something interesting to say!) You can’t succeed in social media if you don’t have something interesting to say. At this point in your social media experience, you (hopefully) understand that social media marketing is not just about having a Facebook page or a Twitter profile. Social media is the vehicle for communicating and distributing interesting stories…
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Event Recap: BarkWorld F-U-N

Event Recap: BarkWorld F-U-N

Blogging, Branding, Marketing Strategy
I jumped into the final quarter of 2011 by indulging in a new experience and making a bunch of new friends in the process. I had the pleasure of hanging out with the pet loving community at BarkWorld, what an experience! First, I have to personally thank Women Intelligently Networking via TarynP for sponsoring my ticket. I had no idea what I was getting into, but if you know anything about Taryn and Denise Quashie, founder of BarkWorld™, you know they know marketing and social media, so you just go with it! What is BarkWorld? According to the website “BarkWorld is THE social media conference covering ALL facets of social media, pet lifestyle & business education for all pet lovers.” This is EXACTLY what the conference is all about! Even though I’ve owned…
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5 Tips To Supercharge Your Business

5 Tips To Supercharge Your Business

Marketing Strategy, Tips and Tools
As we are all aware, we have lost a global icon in Mr. Steve Jobs. I was saddened at the news of his passing, but as I reflect on the impact this single person has had on my life, and on humanity as a whole, I can’t help but smile. How can I be sad when my life has been forever changed because he chose to share his genius, his vision with all of us? So you know what, I pulled myself together and started to think about the impact Apple has had on my life. Here’s why I was personally distraught: I realized Apple has been my silent partner for 24 years. I started using an Apple computer before most people actually knew what computers were. I learned computer programming on an Apple.…
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DIY Marketing Or Hire A Professional?

DIY Marketing Or Hire A Professional?

Marketing Strategy
Are you a solopreneur and/or small business owner running your business all on your own? Are you functioning as your own marketing department, learning as you go, reading books, subscribing to marketing newsletters, experimenting with trial-and-error marketing tactics? So you can do your own marketing, after all, your efforts seem to be working. My question to you is... Should you be doing your own marketing? Marketers make marketing look easy, key word being ‘look’. Experienced marketers can discuss procedures, processes, strategy and measurable results as easily as they can discuss what they ate for breakfast. If you've ever had a conversation with me, you know what I mean. It's similar to the artist that makes a brush stroke look fluid and effortless, and yet when you try your hand it…
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Success on Social Media In 60 Minutes A Day

Success on Social Media In 60 Minutes A Day

Social Media, Strategy
Think 60 minutes a day on social media is impossible? Hear me out. There was a time when I thought all the tips on successfully engaging on social media in 1-2 hours a day were impossible. That's because I was reading all those articles when I first started using Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, so of course my learning curve killed the whole 60 minutes notion. I would use social media for hours at a time trying to figure it all out. Sound familiar? Let’s go beyond the initial process of learning how to use each platform. Once your profiles are complete, and you become experienced with engaging, posting, and sharing content, you can do social media in 60 minutes a day! Success on Social Media in 60 Minutes a Day If…
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Stagnant Social Media Profiles: No Icons Required

Stagnant Social Media Profiles: No Icons Required

Social Media
I know you’ve seen those companies that have a bunch of social media icons and links on their website asking you to connect with them. But have you noticed for some companies, when you click on the icons, they have outdated profiles, or profiles they don’t really use much? These companies don’t post frequent updates, and they look like they really just put the icons/profiles up for show. Why do some companies do this? Are you one of them? Here’s a tip to remember when including social media buttons on your website and promo materials: stagnant profiles stink! Nobody said you have to list every single platform you’re registered on. So why list them all? Instead, list the sites you use regularly, and your brand will be stronger for it. Why? Your level…
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