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How to Generate Revenue for Your Small Business

by Melinda Emerson on November 1, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Cash Flow & Finance, Grow Your Business

Most people know they shouldn’t attempt to take on a mortgage without having some way to pay for it. Yet small business owners do something quite similar every day. How do they do this? Some small business owners focus on running the business before focusing on generating the leads that fund the business. Sure, every business needs money to stay open, but without building a strategy to funnel the revenue into the business, the foundation is shaky at best.

Just like some new homeowners take on more mortgage than they can afford, eventually it catches up to them. They are then forced to find more money or a smaller home. After a few years, the initial rush of the business wears off leaving a gaping hole where lead generation would have been. Small business owners may have quick sales in the beginning but without a long-term lead generation plan, they will go bankrupt. The cash flow a business needs requires a sales funnel. So how do you create that funnel? Below are a few tips to make lead generation a priority in your business without taking away from your other activities.

Create a list: Encourage people to opt in to your newsletter/free report or to a webinar/telesemiar. Developing a list of people who have opted in to your communications is quite possibly one of the best lead generation tactics you can implement. No, you shouldn’t buy lists or dump your contacts into your email newsletter program. People need to sign up by themselves. So incite them to do so. Host a free webinar or offer a free special report. Just offer them something. Taking action is better than perfecting the freebie.
Devote a set amount of time each week to lead generation. Customer needs change. Industries change. Consumer expectations change. Client budgets for your products and services may dwindle. So you need an ongoing plan for lead generation. Set aside time each week purely for lead generation activities. This could be list building activities social media marketing, warm calling, in-person networking, and many other activities. It’s easy to get caught up in your current client work, setting time aside for lead generation helps you bridge the gap between hunting for new business while producing the work you already have.
Build leads offline. Network, network, network. Have I mentioned networking? It’s a great way to build leads. Attend luncheons and business breakfasts to meet new people and expand your circle. Since your network of contacts will be in a constant state of flux, it’s important to keep adding to it. Some people will filter out, so replenishing is critical. Remember to tie your offline activities to your online activities, meaning connect to them on LinkedIn. Mention your e-report or other freebie on your business card. Direct people to a squeeze page on your website where they can sign up for your webinar.
Accepts “nos.” Getting a “no” is better than being stuck with a “maybe.” With a “no” you can move on to the next lead. Getting stuck with false hope maybes will, “bankrupt your business.” Building in registration deadlines for webinars and teleseminars encourages action. Promoting your reports and newsletters with some mystery encourages people to sign up to find out the punch-line. Demonstrating scarcity, a limited number of copies of a book to hand out, for example, encourages people to take action now. These tactics also weed out anyone who simply isn’t interested.
Make lead generation a priority. It’s easy to stop spending time each week on sales activities. But remember, quick cash creates a false sense of security. Quick cash burns out fast too (if you don’t first!). Build your business the right way even if it means saying no to work that doesn’t fit your business model. There are no shortcuts to success.

Lead generation is one of the most important things you can do to build and sustain your business. Focusing on working in your business instead of on your business will keep you from achieving the profit and longevity you seek. Focusing create quality content that will attract your target customer. Building quality leads into your sales funnel is what will make your business stand out and help you avoid sleepless nights.

Do you have any more ideas to share about lead generation and building a sales funnel?

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

By day Morgan Leu Parkhurst helps individuals put the pieces of their marketing puzzles together. By night she teaches
marketing communications to aspiring entrepreneurs. Reach her atwww.sharpmindmarketing.com or on Twitter at @Morgan_LP.

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Are You Ready To Finish the Year With a Bang?

by Melinda Emerson on October 31, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, Grow Your Business, How to Start

This past weekend I conducted my last BYOB2011 Workshop in my national tour. I held the last one in Philadelphia, my hometown. The focus of the tour was on three things; How to Become Your Own Boss, How to Develop a Killer Marketing Plan and How to build a Social Media Brand. For the last year I have travelling the country teaching small business owners and would-be entrepreneurs the Emerson Planning System, How to align their marketing and sales activities and how to leverage social media to grow their businesses. I thought it would be helpful to highlight what I have been teaching. Here are 7 tips to finish the 2011 with a bang, and go into 2012 with a plan for success.

It’s Time to Update Your life plan. The cornerstone of the Emerson Planning System is to develop a life plan and a vision board. Your business goals and your personal goals must align or you could lose your business and your family. Once you have a life plan create a vision board. You can use the board as personal motivation to remind you why your work so hard. My life plan is taped on the wall near my computer monitor so that I have a daily reminder of my big picture goals.

BYOB also stands for Be Your Own Bank. Your ability to save has everything to do with your ability to start a business. The nature of business has changed and you will need to fund your own enterprise. The most you can borrow is a microloan for $25K, most people can life off that and launch a business, so the money needs to come from somewhere. I suggest you look in the right or left pocket.

90 percent of Success is Self-confidence. If you don’t believe in your business no one else will. Fake it until you make it! Look yourself in the mirror (like I do sometimes), and say Girl, you are doing IT!!! Most business problems are not so well hidden personal problems. Learn to compartmentalize your drama and stress and get your work done. You must stay focused.

Be an Agent of Convenience. Small businesses who are still getting big business in this economy are making it easy for their customers to say yes. They solve problems before the customers can say ouch. They understand industry trends. They use metrics heavily. They know the value they bring to the table. They can accept all forms of currency. They brainstorm with their clients for free because they care. What kind of agent are you?

Plan Sales in 30 day Increments. Your biggest concern should be how much money you need to make in the next 30 days. Once you breakdown your sales goals by month, you can easily breakdown how much you need to generate each week. Doing this, will help you get more aggressive about your sales process. You can also plan your marketing activities around lead generation.

Done is Good Enough. Your small business brand will evolve over time. Don’t be one of these people who have not released your new website or newsletter because you are still messing with your logo or layout. No one cares about your logo but you, and you can always revise it later. Just get it out there. Get feedback, and adjust your branded as needed. You are supposed to cringe at the original art work years later.

Harness The Power of Social Media. As a walking social media brand, trust me when I say that social media is the best thing that has happened to small business owners. You must Listen + Engage + Add Value + Promote Others in order to be an Influencer in social media. You must build trust and credibility in order for social media to really work for you. Use social media to speak directly to your target customer.

I am looking forward to teaching more entrepreneurs next year with the BYOB2012 National Tour. The schedule of cities I’ll be coming too in 2012 will be released in December. Stay Tuned. Special Thanks for Corpnet.com and ConstantContact.com for sponsoring this year’s tour.

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine named her #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also bestseller author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works.

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How to Use Visual Marketing to Grow Your Business Brand?

by Melinda Emerson, #SmallBizChat on October 27, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Q & A Interviews, SmallBizChat

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Anita Campbell @smallbiztrends. Anita Campbell has her finger on the pulse of small businesses. As a small business expert, writer and publisher of www.smallbiztrends.com she over 1,000,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs annually. She is also the co-author of the new book Visual Marketing: 99 Proven Ways to Market with Images and Design, (J. Wiley and Sons, 2011)

SmallBizLady: What exactly is visual marketing?

Anita Campbell: Visual marketing is just what it sounds like: it means using visual elements and design for marketing. Most marketing has a visual element. But the right visual and design elements can make your marketing more powerful. It makes business more memorable and make it stand out from a sea of competitors. In my new book, Visual Marketing: 99 Proven Ways to Market with Images and Design, we explore using visual elements to separate your business from the pack. We give 99 case studies of businesses that use great visuals in creative ways – cost effectively.

SmallBizLady: Can you give us an example of creative visual elements that have helped a business stand out?

Anita Campbell: One example is the business, Tax Fix, that came up with an inventive way to do blogger outreach. The company was seeking to create relationships with bloggers, to try to get bloggers to consider writing about the company.

But as you know, one of the challenges of getting a popular blogger’s attention is that everybody is trying to get their attention! The more well known the blogger, the harder to get his or her attention.

So the business owner came up with the idea of pulling words and phrases from the blogger’s blog and turning them into a word cloud in the shape of the blogger’s logo, using a free online tool called Tagxedo.com. Then he sent it to the blogger with a note introducing himself. It broke the ice with the blogger. How? Because he sent something visual, focused on the blogger. The result: some bloggers ended up writing about the business owner’s site, and it was the start of relationship.

SmallBizLady: Are printed marketing materials dead?

Anita Campbell: Of course not! In my lifetime (and I hope to live for a few more decades!) print will still be around.

For instance, most small businesses still use business cards. Restaurants still use menus. Retail outlets still use printed coupons and brochures. You still need signs for tradeshows and exhibiting at events.

But it’s true – much of marketing has moved online, and now it’s also moving to the mobile Web. It’s a gradual decline, and print will co-exist with online and mobile for a long time to come. Imagine two lines on a chart. One is moving up (online and mobile). One is moving down (print). But they are both still there at the same time.

SmallBizLady: How can you save money on design?

Anita Campbell: Today we’re blessed because there are so many inexpensive options for getting great design. Here are some ways to save money:

Spend to get a good logo. Your logo will be with you for years and will be on all your marketing materials – so you want it to be good. Save money elsewhere. For instance, use a free design tool to design a business card. Business cards are simple and as long as your logo looks great a simple card will be fine.

For a blog or website, start with a good template. Then hire a designer to customize it with your company colors and logo to create an impression. A good designer can give pizzazz to a standard template to set it apart – and it won’t cost as much as a 100% custom design.

Whatever you do, just make sure the end result doesn’t look shoddy. You want the price tag to be cheap, but not the result.

Smallbizlady: Can you repurpose visual elements to make them do double duty?

Anita Campbell: Absolutely! Think “integrated campaigns” that include both a print element and an online element. In fact, that’s a good way to have your marketing dollars stretch farther. Create a design element (we’ll use the example of a print advertisement) and use similar design elements on a landing page on your website, with only slight variations. Refer visitors from the print ad to the online landing page with a short URL. If you start with the intention of creating a combined print/online campaign, you can save money by having the design do double duty. And from a marketing perspective you probably will get better results.

SmallBizLady: What if your biz is a startup that can’t afford ANY professional design?

Anita Campbell: Don’t count professional design out. Local designers in your community may be more reasonably priced than you think. Some designers are happy to do a small design project for under $500. Many startups can afford that amount, just by curbing their daily Starbucks habit for 6 months.

Also, think “starter branding.” By this I mean, adopt a 2-phase branding strategy. When you’re first starting out you go the DIY route. But as your business grows – say by year 2 — plan on upgrading your brand impression by investing in professional design.

SmallBizLady: How do you find reasonably priced professional design help?

Anita Campbell: Look for designers who say they serve small businesses – this is code for being reasonably priced. If you go to a design house that caters to the Fortune 500, naturally they will be out of your price range.

Also, ask other business owners you know for recommendations. And ask around on Twitter – it’s great for finding service providers.

Some people recommend bartering for design services. That can work – but I prefer to focus on growing my business, rather than doing barter work for others. If you barter, make sure it doesn’t distract from making money — because most businesses need to keep cash rolling in, above all.

SmallBizLady: What if you want to do it yourself on design?

Anita Campbell: If you are hands on and have the time, there are plenty of tools and sources. You can find affordable templates – even free templates – and stock images. If you have the time, you can customize the colors, text and other elements yourself. Istockphoto.com and Veer.com offer stock images inexpensively – even stock video. WordPress has a huge selection of free templates. Intuit Websites are template-based websites that you can build yourself.

Most of all – be creative! Creativity fills in a lot of $$ gaps.

SmallBizLady: Can you give us an example of a creative project used creativity and had a reasonable pricetag?

Anita Campbell: one of my websites, BizSugar.com is a great example. We hired a professional designer to create a printed puzzle for tradeshows. The graphic (which we printed out on a single sheet of plain white paper) depicted a sugar packet — to reinforce our brand. The puzzle showed two graphics side-by-side, and a person was asked to spot the 7 subtle differences between the two sugar packet images. When they successfully did that, they could come to the tradeshow booth to get a free gift. After the show we loaded that printed puzzle image online to provide some fun entertainment for our Web audience. Fast forward two years — long after the tradeshow, people are still enjoying that graphic online. Even the smallest business could replicate the BizSugar challenge project for under $500, just by being creative.

SmallBizLady: What is the one thing you wish you had done differently with your own design elements of your brand?

Anita Campbell: If I could do it all over again, I’d spend more money on my logo at the beginning. Remember, you’re going to live with that logo for a long time – mine has been with me for 6 years. I even have it trademarked, so I didn’t want to change it without a lot of thought. But doing it over again, I would have:

Chosen lighter, brighter colors – my logo has a black bar that is a limiting color.
Made it more square than rectangular – square logos just fit better than long rectangular ones
Made it more impressive and interesting

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter. Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her one of the Top 20 women for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

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10 Tips To Recession Proof Your Small Business

by Melinda Emerson on October 10, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Cash Flow & Finance, Customer Service

Sponsored Post

If you are tired of hearing about the recession or the potential of a double dip recession due to foreign markets crashing now, Listen up. It does not matter. Recession or not you need to run your business well. You need to be an agent of convenience for your best target customer, manage cash flow with military precision and pay attention to the trends in your industry. This is a perfect time for an aggressive small business. No matter what your business does, if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door. In order to beat the recession, you must get smart about your marketing and business operations.

Here are 10 tips on strategic marketing and cash management to recession proof your small business.

Keep marketing. Do not be tempted to cut or eliminate marketing activities. This is no time to cut back on marketing. If you can’t afford a full-blown marketing campaign, pursue low-cost options such as social media marketing, webinars, news releases, e-mail blasts, blogging, and online newsletters. Be sure to keep your marketing activities going at least six months so that you can track your rate of return.

Develop 30-day sales goals. Do not focus on sales activities beyond 30 days. You should break down how many sales you need to close each month to meet your revenue goals. Determine how many meetings, calls, emails and blog posts you need to have, make, send or write to generate your target sales. You must keep the sales engine rolling in your business. You should be doing at least 60 minutes of sales cultivation activities per day.

Cut expenses and track cash carefully. It is extremely important for you to understand your monthly burn rate and your cash position. Determine where you can cut costs, and make sure on a weekly basis that you understand what money is coming in. As you cut costs use this formula, for every $2 dollars you cut in business expenses, invest $1 into your marketing efforts.

Start collections at 30 days past due. The days of waiting 45-90 days for payments are over. You need your money now. Once a client gets to 30 days past due, get on the phone and track down the accounts payable manager for an update. Be sure you are set up to take credit cards, you may get paid a lot faster.

Improve communications with your customers. Have quarterly face-to-face meetings or lunches with your top customers. Understand their biggest business challenges and look for ways you can help even if that doesn’t involve more direct business for you. Consider keeping your fees the same for long-term customers if they are really having financial difficulty.

Add value, not price. Continuously adding value to your and services is the way to get repeat customers and new business through referrals. Adding price without value is a lose/lose proposition. You may get the reorder, but your client will start looking for a replacement vendor.

Under Promise and Over Deliver. Excellent customer service is the number one way to beat the recession. If you do a great job and your customers love working with you, your customers will become an unpaid sales force for your business. If do great work, are highly responsive if there’s a concern, make follow-up calls, send thank you cards, throw in little extras all that shows you care. It’s also the best way to encourage your customers to refer you more business. Be known for delivering great products and services. Do not treat your customers like you are doing then a favor.

Network, network, network online and offline. People do business with people they like, know and trust. You need to make sure people know who you are, what you do and how to do business with you. You want to be top of mind when an opportunity presents itself. One of the best ways to so this is using social media. You can network online without being considered spam. Use Twitter and Facebook Fan Pages to give out helpful advice. Consider updating your LinkedIn profile regularly with updates on your business and/or any signature content such as blog posts. When you meet a new contact, online or in person think solutions for them first. Successful networking is all about give to get.

Consider adding staff. One good thing about a recession is there are lots good people are on the market looking for a job. You could pick up some quality talent right now that you could not otherwise afford. Consider hiring a salesperson and pay them commission only. Make them kill what they eat. Also be sure you think about exact what target market they will focus on and how success will be measured. If you have never hired an employee here’s a recent blog post that will give you some tips on the interview process.

Call the bank before things great critical. Good relationships are made in hard times. Regardless of your business situation, you need to communicate with your bank sooner rather than later. The bank does not benefit if you go out of business, so stop the denial and negotiate better terms with your bank.

Last week, I spoke with FedEx Office^® during a live Tweet Chat #FedExSmallBiz about ways to recession proof a small business. Check out the transcript from part one of their Boost Your Small Business Tweet Chat series.

Do you have any more ideas on how to recession proof a small business? Your idea could be worth $50 bucks.

@SmallBizlady will offer two $50 gift cards for two more great ideas to recession proof your small business. To be considered, post your comment on this blog post until 10pm ET Wed Oct. 12, 2011. Winners will be announced on Twitter on Friday, Oct. 14, 2011. FedEx Office has no involvement in the selection of winners. This is sponsored by @SmallBizlady.

Disclosure: FedEx Office compensated me to write this post and participate as a small business expert during the FedEx Office Boost Your Small Business Tweet Chat program. FedEx Office also provided the $50 gift cards. The ideas in this blog post are mine and not ideas or advice from FedEx Office.

About FedEx Office

FedEx Office (formerly FedEx Kinko’s) has the world’s largest retail printing network, providing access to printing and shipping expertise with reliable service. The company’s network of more than 1,900 locations includes 1,800 in the U.S. and features FedEx Office Print & Ship Centers, FedEx Office Ship Centers, FedEx Office Signs & Graphics Centers, and centralized production centers. Services include copying and digital printing, professional finishing, document creation, direct mail, signs and graphics, computer rental, free Wi-Fi access, FedEx Express and FedEx Ground shipping, and more. In addition, the company offers the award-winning FedEx Office® Print Online solution, an online printing application for business and personal printing, at home, at the office or on the go. Products, services and hours vary by location. For more information, please visit www.fedex.com/office.

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her one of the Top 20 women for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

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How to Use QR Codes in Your Small Business – QA with Matt Mansfield

by Melinda Emerson, #SmallBizChat on October 6, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Q & A Interviews, SmallBizChat, Social Media

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with @MattSMansfield. Matt Mansfield is the Head Tour Guide at Matt About Business where he helps entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies use the web to manage and market their business by connecting online strategies and tactics with real-world results.

Small Biz Lady: What is a QR code?

Matt Mansfield: QR (stands for “quick response”) codes look like black (most often) squares with squiggly lines running through them.

The truth is that a QR code is really a type of bar code that was initially used for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing. They were actually used for quite some time before some clever folks began to realize that QR codes could be used to link the online world with the real world in a way that is unique, fun and very, very useful.

You see, once a customer installs a free app (on their iPhone, Android, Blackberry, etc.), QR codes can be read by their mobile phone. Each code contains a hyperlink that takes them to a spot online, whether a plain web page or a special mobile-web page. QR codes are printed hyperlinks that actually work in the real world.

Small Biz Lady: What is the key benefit of using QR codes?

Matt Mansfield: The key benefit of QR codes is their ability to drive immediate action. For example, you can use QR codes to bring key information and marketing messages to customers when and where they are ready to take action. You can also enable customers to take action on the spot by making it possible to follow you on Twitter, “Like” you on Facebook and even buy your products and services.

Small Biz Lady: Are QR codes here to stay?

Matt Mansfield: One of the first questions I get asked about QR codes is if they are a passing fad or here to stay. Honestly, the jury is still out on that question with strong arguments on both sides of the fence. As with all new methods and tools, the approach I recommend is to evaluate whether your own business would benefit from its use.

One good point on the “Using QR codes” side is that it doesn’t cost much in either time or money to take them for a test drive so, if you believe they fit, you should go for it! Continue Reading →

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How to Use Twitter Without Losing Your Mind

by Melinda Emerson on September 27, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Social Media

Guest Post by Tai Goodwin

I love Twitter.

Depending on which group I am speaking to, I can’t always say that too loudly. There are some crowds that get it. There are other rooms, many of them filled with small business owners and solopreneurs who don’t get it – yet.

LinkedIn makes sense. Facebook is starting to make more sense. Twitter still feels like a whole other universe to most people -it’s even got its own language (retweet s, tweetups, hashtags, etc…) right? But here’s the truth: Twitter, when used correctly, can be one of the most valuable resources for small business owners looking to expand their network, research their niche and competition, position themselves as a leader in their niche, and grow their influence.

Using Twitter to Expand Your Network

Most small business owners have a system to connect with their customers. And in most cases you know how to reach out to your current vendors. But Twitter can help you find and connect to new strategic partners you may not have known about because they were too new or too far geographically to be on your radar. Go for quality and not just quantity when it comes to who you follow – and who you follow back. Twitter makes key influencers and connectors accessible and opens the door to connections for those willing to reach out and offer value and not just brag and sell. Remember, who you know (or follow) on Twitter influences what you know and what opportunities come down the stream – literally.

Twitter is Great for Research

Talk about information overload – as of March, 2011 over 140 million tweets are sent every day. On the bright side, there are a number of search and filtering tools that allow small business owners to sift through those tweets to find articles, tips, tools, coupon codes, offers, incentives, news, and answers. There’s even a tool that will let you send a poll question through twitter and then track and report the results. The key to using Twitter for research effectively relies on two things: knowing what information you are looking for and knowing what tools to use.

Want to Know How to Get “Expert” Status?

These days, with so much information available from everyone and everywhere it seems, it is hard to define an expert as someone who knows everything. In my book – the expert is the one who knows how to find the answers and resources needed and then is wise enough to put that information where others can get to it. Twitter can help you do that. Statistics have shown that just 20% of Twitter users create 80% of the content. If that’s so – creating and sharing more content than your competitors can help you be part of that 20%. And by content, I’m not just talking about tweeting your offers and services three times a day. I’m talking about creating and sharing real valuable content for your followers and prospective clients that answers their questions. The more information you find and share (to the right audience), the more knowledgeable and valuable you appear.

Get your “SWAY” On

According to Merriam – Webster’s online dictionary, influence is “the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways: SWAY.” It’s one thing to nudge people into coming to your site because you are giving them something. It’s a completely different level when you’ve got a crowd of fans that are nudging people for you. Many small business owners understand the value of word of mouth referrals; in fact their business depends on it. Think of Twitter as online word of mouth: one retweet from the right follower or connection can put your brand or business in front of thousands. And what’s better than having someone who’s already got the relationship and credibility spread the word about what you have to offer? Without you having to pay for an endorsement?

Keep Your Sanity and Keep Using (or get started with) Twitter

So how are savvy business owners leveraging Twitter to grow their business? Here are a few practical ideas that will make your time on Twitter more profitable (or at the very least less frustrating).

Follow the right people including prospects, clients, vendors and influencers in your industry.
Create and share relevant content that your audience wants and needs to know.
Use the right tools to filter, automate, track, and manage conversations
Commit to a tactic for at least a month before saying it doesn’t work (decisions should be made on data not failure to provide immediate gratification)
Vary your content with retweets, recommendations, referrals, quotes, images (avoid spamming followers with ads and offers)
Start conversations and respond to people’s questions – don’t be a social media wall flower
Learn how to participate in TweetChats (like #smallbizchat) and use #hashtags related to your niche and target audience
Take the conversation off line when you meet VIP’s (very interested prospects)
And always, always, always start with a plan.

Tai Goodwin (www.TaiGoodwin.com) is a social media strategist and editor in chief of Launch While Working.com, an online resource center specifically for the growing population of professionals who are launching a business while working full-time or part-time jobs. She is also co-host of #SmallBizChat.

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Time to Start Planning for 2012

by Melinda Emerson on September 26, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business

The kids are back in school and Halloween is fast approaching. People it is time to start planning your budget and marketing plan for the coming year. 2012 will be here before you know it and you do not want it to sneak up on you. Just like many of your clients are reaching out to you for budget information for 2012, you must be thinking now how you will take your business to higher heights next year. Here are 4 things you must do to plan for 2012.

Meet with your Accountant and/or Tax Preparer. You’ll want to know if there’s anything that needs to be done that could reduce your tax burden before the end of the year. For example: Do you need to purchase any equipment and lease a new delivery van to get it on the book this year. Do you need to delay a payment from a client? You also should review you projected 2011 budget vs. actual budget 2011 for your business, so that you can make sure that you are keeping track of all your costs and adjusting your pricing accordingly.
Create 2012 Budget and Sales Projections. Once you have your meeting with your tax preparer, it’s time to develop your annual budget. At the same time, you should update your sales projections for 2012. The most important thing is to understand how much money you need to make every 30 days to cover your expenses and earn a profit.
Create a New Marketing Plan. Once armed with your sales projections you should use that information to develop your marketing. Now I have written many times on this blog about how to write a marketing plan and business plan, but here is a quick refresher course. You should start with your 30 day sales goal. Then determine what it takes ie. How many calls, email, blog posts and other lead generation activities it takes to close that number of sales each month. Never start a marketing activity you can’t afford to maintain for at least 6 months. Be sure to go back a measure what worked, so that you can eliminate those efforts that didn’t pay off in 2011. (How did that pay-per-click (PPC) ad campaign work for you?
Stay Current with Your Clients. Make sure your business is still relevant to niche. Stay up on the industry trends and the needs of your niche target customer. Sometimes businesses run a course and a competitor or new product comes along and fill the need better than you. Do an annual check meeting face-to-face to make sure you are still giving them what they need. If you run a business that is not based on relationship selling, then offer your customers a free gift to take a short survey to give you the feedback you need to keep being their best resource.

Do you have another tip on preparing your small business for 2012?

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her the #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

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Simplify Your Social Media Strategy

by Melinda Emerson on September 20, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Guest Articles, Social Media

As a small business owner, it’s important to keep essential aspects of your operation in-house whenever possible, logical, and cost effective. Social media outreach is one element more and more small business owners feel comfortable handling themselves.

But whether you’re taking on the responsibilities yourself or delegating them to other members of your team, it’s important to keep your strategy simple and straight forward.

But be warned, simple doesn’t mean easy. Irregular, haphazard, or lazy social media efforts will not be rewarded. Don’t waste your own time. Take your strategy seriously, and be consistent.

Below are a few basic guidelines to help you carve out a simple and effective social media presence. Keep your strategy limited to just a few key points, so that you can maintain focus.

Tell Your Story

Telling a compelling origin story or branding story to help ground and personify your business. Letting your customers know where you’re coming from and where you’re moving to (through narrative) will make your company more approachable, more trustworthy.

Engage with Content not Product

Content creation is the easiest way to keep your Fans interest. Here are a few rules of thumb:

Quality over Quantity (no more than one Facebook post every three to four hours, use Twitter and other avenues for more rapid fire engagement)
Less sales speak, more content marketing (offer useful information to your readers and they will come back for more; you’re sharing and teaching first, selling second)
Less self-promotion, more engagement (limit half of your Facebook activity to promoting your own content and products, and focus the rest of your time and energy on facilitating discussions and responding to other people’s posts)

Be Deliberate

Whether you’re selling or engaging, your calls to action need to be purposeful. Think about this when designing your Facebook page and planning your outreach strategy.

Organize your goals: first and foremost you want to grow your Fan-base, secondly you want keep them engaged and interested with relevant content, coupons, and contests, and finally, you want to eventually make a sale.

To do all this your Facebook page needs to be simply designed (less clutter, so your brand shines through), the calls to action (Like this, read this, share this, etc) need to be apparent and easy to follow, and your content needs be consistent and compelling.

This guest post is by Brooks Hays, content creator and Customer Bliss Officer at Hy.ly. It’s a social media software company that offers its clients do-it-yourself Tab Building tools, so they can customize their own Facebook pages, get prospect, leads, and customers, all without outsourced assistance.

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Do You Have a Holiday Sales Strategy Yet?

by Melinda Emerson on September 14, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Customer Service, Grow Your Business

Do You Have a Holiday Sales Strategy Yet?

If you sell stuff online or offline, it’s time to create a Christmas holiday strategy. Some businesses make 80% of their profit over the holidays, so you need to make sure that you get your share of the holiday spending. You should be thinking about how you will stock up to fulfill holiday orders at least three months in advance. Preparation is key. You should know the closing dates of magazines so you can get products samples to editors to be included for holiday round up features. You also want to place your orders early for advertising you plan to do on local TV or radio.

Your supplies: Look at what your sales were last year to determine what you need to have in place. Order your packaging, shipping and raw materials in advance. Be sure to order extra too.

Your suppliers: Communicate with your manufacturer and distributers about your holiday plan. Make sure you have a back-up for you main supplier in case they are slammed with other holiday orders. Also keep in mind that your manufacturer may also be using temporary help too, so if you have a product which requires a high level a craftsmanship you may want to order product early, so that your quality does not suffer.

Shipping options: Know when you need to have your items read to ship so that they arrive before Christmas. Figure out your best shipping options. If you belong to a trade organization or association you may qualify for a discount with Fedex or UPS for shipping. You can also set up a USPS click-and-ship account so that they will pickup orders from your home or office.

Contact Your Merchant Account Provider: If you are going to focus on sales over the holidays you need to make sure that your credit card processor provides a daily limit high enough to process all the transactions. If you are fortunate enough to have your product featured in the media or in a magazine you can have huge amount sales in a day which could shut down your shopping cart.

Seasonal Staff: Have your seasonal help and interns lined up in advance. Develop a training program or a step b step guide with pictures so that you brand is not damaged by a temporary worker. You can also enlist your kids, spouse, church members and friends to help get you through the holidays.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Marketing Strategy: Figure out now what inventory or specials you must push for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You want to develop special pricing and volume discounts as well. You may even want to develop a pay-per-click campaign (ppc) for the holidays. You’ll want to develop 3-5 different ads so that you can adjust your campaign to the one that is resonating the most with you target audience.

What is your best holiday sales tip?

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her the #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

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The New SEO for Small Business Owners – QA with Chris Bennett

by Melinda Emerson on September 1, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Q & A Interviews, SmallBizChat

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Chris Bennett @chrisebennett, the CEO of Central .ly. Chris and his Co-Founders created website builder http://www.Central.ly so small business owners all over the world can build their own websites that integrate with the social and business tools they are using. Chris is a Wharton graduate, a decendant from a small business owning family and is passionate about helping small business owners manage their presence online to improve business.

SmallBizLady: What is the biggest problem small business owners face when it comes to websites?

Chris Bennett: Small business owners typically are passionate about their business and love running them. With that said, they do not have strong design or technical backgrounds so creating websites is tricky for them .

You can sum their problems up with four things. Small business websites do not have the correct information for the consumer, they do not leverage social integration, they are not mobile ready, and their sites are not visually unappealing. If you are looking for a small business and you are out and about on your smart phone, if you cannot access the company’s website than you are less likely to do business with them. If you can’t find their address, you are less likely to visit. If their website is poorly designed then you are less likely to patronize because their message is that they do not care about their image, so they likely do not care about their product or service.

Also the lack of education, people do bad things because they don’t know any better.
SmallBizLady: What should a small business owner have on their website?

Chris Bennett: You need to clearly state what your business does: What service or product do you provide. If you provide a service, share your portfolio, if you provide a product, give screenshots and descriptions of the product. If you are local business, it’s imperative that you have your address and your phone number readily available. For a restaurant, a menu with store hours is very important.

Looking professional is important so you definitely want to start by having a custom domain name. The same goes for email. It looks unprofessional when your business email is name@gmail.com, what you want is name@yourbusiness.com. Continue Reading →

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How web analytics goals makes your online business better

by Melinda Emerson on August 23, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, Guest Articles, Technology

So you may already imagine what a goal is, but if you’re still wondering how exactly does goal setting in web analytics help your business, you’re in for a treat – this post will show some basics and answer that question to make your site a working asset for your business.

How web analytics goals help my business

First of all, a goal is a web analytics setting that counts each completion of a specific visitor task on your website. Goals become helpful to your business by selecting tasks that link your site purpose relative to your business. So each task counted can indicate how well your website is contributing to your business. This is not a light consideration — according to Experian in its 2011 Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend report most customer research a business online before arriving to the store. Moreover the number of customers who are using mobile devices to discover businesses are increasing, so it is essential to understand the impression your site has on visitors when they arrive.

To start, you will need to determine what tasks are desired. Desired actions to complete tasks are called conversions in web analytics lingo. A conversion can be a purchase, a sign up, or any task that you can represent in HTML or Javascript code. The number of visitors who undertake the action to the number of site visitors is the conversion rate, so this is the metric you will use to consider. Benchmarks for a conversion rate vary from industry to industry, but most rates are usually a low percentage (see this post from Clickz, an online marketing site, for an example ).

There are typically a few goal settings in an analytics solution. Google Analytics, for example, contains the following settings:

Pages

Average Time On Site (ATOS)

Pages/visit

Event goals (This is a new feature introduced in Google Analytics version 5, as well as having been a feature in Piwik, another free web analytics solution)

You can set the value of a goal accordingly by time (Time On Site), by viewing a certain page, by pages viewed in a visit, by an action (event) such as a page download or video played.

For the Pages goal setting, the goal is typically defined by a dollar amount to show that the page has value to the business or organization. For example if a visitor reaches the contact page and fills it out, then that contact page has a value. But the value of a goal is not a sale. Instead the value is based on the number of times needs to get that sale. So if it takes 3 visits before a customer becomes a sale, the goal vale is 1/3 (1 out of 3 ) times $100 or $33.

This value sounds a bit academic, but just remember that the value is the effort to gain the sale. This type of value helps to compare which pages on a site are contributing to a conversion.

Learn how your visitors navigate

Goals also lets you identify the website navigation you expect from visitors. To do so, you set a home page as the first page of a funnel, a services page as a second and so forth, and then set the goal as the last action. Your selection is included in a funnel, another report that visually shows which pages receives visitors, and which one loses visitors prior to reaching the goal page. The funnel lets you focus on the pages that are losing visitor interest prior to your goal page. You can decide if content changes are needed, or to insert a questionnaire that ask why the visitor wants to leave your site.

Keep in mind, some other settings in your analytics solution must be in place. Filter out traffic from other employees or marketing team with the IP filter is essential for data integrity. Also, evaluate your site structure and make sure pages are named, not just with miscellaneous characters — otherwise the page names will be unrecognizable in a goals report, and you will have poor data for understanding your traffic properly.

Goals can strengthen your business by revealing where to focus on your website – be it adjusting the marketing or even adjust the code itself. Web analytic goals will effectively organize your business and help let you make the most of your online measurement to the benefit of your customers.

Pierre Debois is the founder of Zimana (www.zimana.com), a consultancy providing strategic analysis to small and midsize businesses that rely on Web analytics data. He diagnoses website and provides social media analytics data, web development and search engine optimization services.

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Building Your Expert Brand with Reinvention Strategist Marshawn Evans

by Melinda Emerson on August 18, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Q & A Interviews, SmallBizChat

Each week as Smallbizlady, I conduct interviews with small business experts on my weekly Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. This is excerpted from my #SmallBizChat interview with brand reinvention strategist Marshawn Evans @MarshawnEvans. Marshawn is the bestselling author of SKIRTS in the Boardroom, Owner of ME Unlimited and founder of MeUniversityLive.com. She is committed to equipping women around the world to LIVE their Brilliance. www.marshawnevans.com

SmallBizLady: What makes a brand profitable?

Marshawn Evans: Focus on looking at branding as a business that must be evaluated, equipped and engaging. Your brand must deliver a solution that people will pay for, respond to and refer. Profitability is about compatibility with your target audience, making sure there are multiple ways for your target audience to compensate you, and ensuring the proper infrastructure by having a sustainable business model.

SmallBizLady: What is the difference between building an EXPERT brand vs. a personal brand?

Marshawn Evans: Branding is about strategically showcasing your uniqueness in a way that captivates your target audience. Therefore, personal branding is simply packaging and promoting your story so that you stand out. Expert branding is about positioning and profitability. You establish credibility using your expertise, knowledge and advice as leverage. Regardless of your industry, you can monetize your expertise to create additional streams of income. Simply focusing on “personal branding” will limit your opportunities and income. Personal branding is about telling. Expert branding is about selling.

SmallBizLady: What branding platforms are key in building a sustainable “expert” brand?

Marshawn Evans: I’m really focused on profitable branding, not just branding! Expert positioning works best when a business owner steps forward as the face of business. A sustainable brand requires that you be visible, vocal and visionary….much like Steve Jobs at Apple. I like teaching all entrepreneurs about the power of creating information products, speaking on big stages, publishing a book, working with the media as a commentator, and using social media to make your mark in the marketplace.

SmallBizLady: You were on The Apprentice with Donald Trump – how can reality TV catapult an expert brand?

Marshawn Evans: A business owner must be cautious and strategic about using reality TV to advance an expert brand. All exposure is not helpful. You must determine whether you brand is “exposure ready,” and whether a reality show fits your brand story. I turned down several reality shows including The Bachelor and The Amazing Race (didn’t know about the million dollars – oops!). The Apprentice was a great tool for me to catapult my business because it was a business-oriented show. When it first came out (I was on season 4), EVERYONE wanted to prove that they could make in the ultimate boardroom. It was a perfect fit for me. You should clearly define your brand and be selective about the situations you place your brand in – just like you would be careful with a child. Your brand is your baby – you’re responsible for raising it well so it can thrive. Have a plan and clear objectives for anything you do publicly. I planned my image before I showed up for casting. If you do not have a plan, you’ll soon be a part of someone else’s.
Continue Reading →

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How to Keep the Sales Engine Rolling

by Melinda Emerson on August 15, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business

The day-to-day hustle in your business can make you forget to focus your marketing activities on keeping your pipeline filled. To help you reach your monthly sales goals, I have created a list of 7 marketing techniques you should revisit every 90 days. They are designed to ensure that you focus on revenue-generating activities in your small business.

1. Profile Your Customers. Who are your most valuable and profitable customers? How much do they spend with you annually? Do they fit a niche? While it’s imperative that you understand your products and services, it’s even more significant to understand what value your business brings to your customers so you can continue fulfilling their needs. Business issues can change quickly, making vendors potentially interchangeable. Be sure to thank your customers; no one owes you business.

2. Talk With Clients. If your three most important customers were sitting in a room with you, what questions would you ask them? Even with your long-time customers, schedule a quarterly face-to-face meeting to ask for feedback or just to catch up. You must stay on top of their needs and understand any new factors that influence their decision-making processes. Have 7-10 questions to ask, and then make sure you engage them around some personal small talk: kids, vacations, holiday plans, etc. The more personal the relationship, the more that relationship will allow you to obtain critical information and a strong ally.

3. Align Marketing Efforts With Sales Goals. Sales and marketing have to work together in your small business. Even if you are the only salesperson in your business, you must plan your marketing program based on the amount sales leads you need to generate in order to close the required amount of sales per month. If you know you need 500 leads per month in order to close 50 sales, then determine how many phone calls, e-mails, blog posts, Facebook ads and Twitter messages must be made, sent or posted per month to drive the desired traffic. You must establish a sales process and then proactively work your marketing efforts so that they generate the desired results.

4. Eye the Competition. Identify several competitors. Discover what benefits they provide to their current customers. Use their websites to gain insights. Compare your branding, value proposition and pricing. Based on your assessment, develop at least three strategies that you will use to position yourself effectively against them. Always think, “What is my secret sauce?”

5. Create The Win-Win. How can you develop a partnership that can contribute to your bottom line? Always go into a relationship understanding your partner’s “must have” list. It’s always best when you can find a partner who is not a direct competitor. A strong strategic alliance offers many benefits, including reducing risk, sharing costs and improving time to market.

6. Update Your Elevator Pitch. Your most important job as a small business owner is selling yourself and your business. When you can succinctly explain your business, it builds trust, but you shouldn’t use the same pitch forever. From time to time, switch it up a little. Add a brief client list; mention a recent award or media hit. Elevator pitches are designed to draw in your target and keep the dialogue going. Be careful not to talk too long. Offer just enough to get them interested in chatting with you again.

7. Use a Vision Board. All businesses have ups and downs. How you get through the tough days in your business makes a big difference in your productivity. I advise all my coaching clients to develop a life plan and then develop a vision board of your big picture goals for your life. It might include the 10 things you want out of life? Create a visual representation of your life plan. Use cutouts from magazines or clip art pictures–whatever it takes develop a visual symbol of your personal and professional goals. Post this collage to remind yourself why you work so hard. Your vision board will keep you motivated on good days as well as bad ones!

By implementing these marketing techniques, you will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing strategy and keep yourself motivated to stay on top of your sales processes.

How do you ignite sales in your small business?

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her one of the Top 20 women for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

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5 Great Social Media Tools for Small Business Owners

Use the 3 C’s of Social Media: Content, Community, Commerce

by Melinda Emerson on August 8, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Social Media, Technology

If you are running a small business today you better be using social media marketing. Social media has taken over the internet over the past few years. The great thing for small businesses is it’s all about the one-on-one connection, larger companies no longer have the upper hand. You must listen, engage and then inform. While social has given people a way to stay connected to friends it has also given small business owners the opportunity and power to network strategically. Once you have identified your niche target customer, it is crucial to utilize the three C’s of social media: content, community, and commerce.

Content

The first C to implement in your social media marketing efforts is content. The currency in social media is value, and that value is created by producing and sharing valuable content. There are lots of ways to create content: You can write blog posts or ebooks, produce audio interviews or podcasts, or offer webinars or short videos, to name a few.

There is no point in using social media to drive traffic to your company’s website if you have nothing new to offer when they get there. Producing fresh content on a regular basis will keep people coming back for more.

Blogging can be a great way to maintain a regular flow of fresh content. If you’re just starting out, here are some useful tips when it comes to launching a blog.

Set up an editorial calendar for your blog to help manage your schedule.
Get into the habit of writing a few posts per week at least three months before your blog goes live. This will result in an archive of blog content you can use to start off with a bang.
Launch your blog with at least 10 articles already posted rather than one lonely post. This will give your readers a taste of your blog’s flavor and what it’s all about.

Community

The next C of social media is community. Social media only thrives because of the people involved. One major benefit of participating in social media is the opportunity to position yourself as key influencer, and a great way to do that is by engaging your audience and building a community.

Put aside the marketing mindset, and be real with people. Your followers and fans want to know and engage with who is behind the content you share in social media. You can’t afford to be one of those people on Twitter or Facebook who is constantly blasting out links to your blog without offering any human interaction. It’s important to instead create a two-way dialogue with your followers and fans and foster social experiences.

For example, I use Twitter to convene small business owners weekly. I host a tweetchat each Wednesday from 8 to 9 PM ET called #Smallbizchat, during which I provide a guest expert and my audience comes to learn and interact with each other. It works because I’m offering valuable content as well as discussion and engagement.

If you want to succeed in social media, you have to get out there and build a network. The more social and interactive you are, the better your chances at building a powerful social media brand will be. Social media is a great way to build relationships on and offline. The biggest form of flattery online is when others share your content. Therefore, I use a 4:1 ratio of sharing others’ content over my own.

Some other ideas for building community with others include:

Posting on forums, commenting on blogs, or connecting with new prospects across your social media footprint.
Connecting with contacts you have on LinkedIn on other social networks like Facebook and Twitter, too.
Guest blogging for other blogs or offering opportunities for others to guest blog for you.

The world is yours to interact with and build community.

Commerce

The final C of the puzzle is commerce, which is a bit trickier than you may think. In a nutshell, people do business with people they like, know, and trust. In person, it takes three interactions before you can make a strong enough impact that will allow you to cultivate a sale. On the internet, it takes seven interactions to build a relationship that will result in commerce.

Obviously, the ultimate goal of social media marketing is to generate web traffic, qualified leads, and sales. But what makes social media so appealing is the fact that it is laid back and “social.”

Be careful about not being too promotional; no one wants to be sold to. In order to succeed as your own boss, first you need to warm up the prospect by attracting them with high quality content. Then you need to engage them through direct interaction.

Ask and answer questions. As soon as you’ve gained their trust and respect, you can approach them about business, but you should only talk about business in terms of the solutions you provide and the results clients have had from working with your business.

Do you have any other tips on social media marketing?

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her one of the Top 20 women for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

This was originally posted on www.hubspot.com

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