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SmallBizLady Q&A How to Build a Powerful Online Brand

by Melinda Emerson on January 30, 2012 in Branding & Marketing

How to become a powerful social media brand is a major factor in small business success these days. Beyond having a website, you need to make sure that you are out there demonstrating your expertise at every opportunity. There are those who believe that if they can’t find you or your business online, you do not exist. That may seem harsh, but think about how we all buy things now. We do not call 411, or look in the yellow pages, we all go look for information in search engines such as google.

As someone who has a powerful brand on the internet, I have recently been interviewed a few times about building an online brand and more specifically how I built the SmallBizLady brand and I thought the information might be helpful to all of you. So here’s the full interview.

1) Why does everyone whether they are in a career or business for themselves need to be aware of their online image?

Every 30 days people should Google themselves to see what is being said about them on the internet. If they Google themselves and nothing comes up that is a problem too. Everyone with a business or a job should at least have a LinkedIn profile, and if you run a business you should have a website. If you are really trying to build an online brand, I would also add Google profile, and Facebook Fan page to that as well.

2) How does one go about developing a strategy to build a brand online?

To build an online brand you must use the HELP mantra: Help Others, Engage People, Listen Carefully and Promote Yourself With Care. Traditional selling is dead. Your valuable content and helpful sharing will do the selling for you. No one wants to hear or read “Buy my stuff, buy my stuff,” they want to read about how you can solve their most pressing issue.

3) What is your advice for one trying to build their brand online?

Before you do anything online, you need to identify your niche target customer. Then you should employ a listening strategy to figure out where your target customer spends time online. Research the keywords people use most to search for your topic, service or product. Then develop your content strategy for how you will stand out in the marketplace.

4) How important is it to choose the right social networks? Which ones work best for what, ie. LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr etc.?

In order to build an online brand you must first figure out where your target client spends time online, and become a part of the conversation. Everyone does not have to be doing everything. LinkedIn is perfect for people who need to network with senior executives and decision makers. Facebook personal accounts are great of keep in contact with family and friends. Facebook groups and fan pages are great for engaging with retail customers. Google+ is also becoming a major factor in communicating with your entire social rolodex, particularly if you are blogging.

Twitter is terrific for establishing thought-leadership and building community online. I convene my #Smallbizchat community live each week on Twitter, which has been a major factor in growing my online community. Tumblr lets you effortlessly share anything. You can post text messages, photos, quotes, links, music and video from email and from any devices. I chose Twitter and LinkedIn to build my brand when I got started. I also used blogging as a key strategy to demonstrate my expertise and keep my website updated.

5) How important is messaging in social media? Should one stay on message at all times? When is it OK to go off message and be ‘social’?

It is critical to stay on message. It should be obvious who your customer is by what you share online and what you write on your blog. You can not write a blog about being an expert image consultant and the next day blog about a cat caught in a tree in your backyard. You will confuse people. I think it is important share personal things about yourself, so that people know that you are a real person but be strategic. Nobody cares what you had for breakfast.

6) Are there any special tools or apps on any social media sites that you would recommend? why?

I like www.Hootsuite.com to manage all my social media accounts. You can have up to 5 social accounts. I also have a virtual assistant that helps me manage my blog and some social media updating.

7) How does one go about earning a community of subscribers, followers, friends, etc?

Content is currency online. In order to attract subscribers, followers, likes and connections you need to add value to the conversation, create valuable blog content and engage the people who like your content.

8) How important is it to be discreet or cautious online? Any tips on what should be put online and what shouldn’t be?

You should not post anything online that you wouldn’t want to read in the newspaper. Everything on the internet can be found forever. Watch the loose talk on Facebook especially.

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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10 Things to Grow Your Business This Summer

by Melinda Emerson on June 22, 2011 in 10 Things Lists, Ask Smallbizlady, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, Customer Service, featured, Grow Your Business, My Recommendations, Social Media, Technology

Summer is here! Now that the kids are out of school, you might be thinking about how to reduce your work schedule, but that’s the worst thing you could do. It’s time to turn up the heat in your business. Third and fourth quarters are critical times in business. You may have customers who are in budget planning cycles, or have excess budget to spend. Now is the right time reach out to your existing customers and get your house in order to make your revenue goals for the rest of the year.

Here’s 10 Things to grow your business this summer.

1. Take a break. Even if all you can afford to do is a staycation, take a break from work for at least 7 days. You need to recharge your batteries so that you can go hard the rest of the year.

2. Attend a conference. The Summer is a great time to sign up for a course or attend a conference in your industry to learn the latest trends and techniques.

3. Read a great business book. Pick a book that’s you have been meaning to read and learn a few techniques that will help you grow your business. I really like 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business by Jane Applegate. http://www.amazon.com/Great-Ideas-Small-Business-Bloomberg/dp/0470919663/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

4. Revisit your business plan. In the first few years of a business, you should be updating your business plan every 90 days. When is the last time you reviewed your marketing plan and how well it was working to drive sales. Make sure your budget and revenue projections are up-to-date.

5. Organize a Business Retreat. Take your team offsite treat them to some good food in a lush environment. Brainstorm with them to solve the top three issues in the business. Bring in a trainer.

6. Ask for testimonials. Go back to all of your customers that you worked with over the last six months and ask for testimonials. Get them in writing to update your website and ask them to post recommendations to LinkedIn.

7. Refresh your website and marketing materials. Take a look at your website and marketing collateral including your blog header, business cards, and newsletter template. If something was just thrown together just to get some out or you’ve been using the same template for a whole, take the time to clean up your design elements to make your brand shine.

8. Update your personal bio and profiles across social media. Every small business owner should have a professional biography. Take this time to update yours with any new marquee clients, non-profit board service, and speaking opportunities. Be sure to update your profiles on your social media accounts as well.

9. Do a waste walk in your office. Summer is a great time to chuck the clutter. The shredder is your friend. Get rid of stray paper, conference bags, direct mail, magazines, equipment that doesn’t work, and giveaways you really didn’t want anyway.

10. Develop a special offer. You need a reason to contact your customers. Nothing is better than a discount, coupon or special offer. You use this as your excuse to call, email or snail mail your existing customers. They are the most valuable asset in your business.

Do you have any other tips to keep a small business growing over the summer?

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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Ask @SmallBizLady: How do I follow-up after a business conference?

by Melinda Emerson on June 17, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, featured, Grow Your Business, Social Media, Technology

Every Friday, I answer your small business questions in a video blog segment called Ask Small Biz Lady. This week, I took a question live from the New York Times Small Business Summit.

Here’s the question: How do I make a plan to follow-up after a business conference? Here’s the answer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3rKLFEkF_I

Immediately reach out to all of your new connections on LinkedIn.

Separate your new contact into piles email follow-up vs. hand-written note.
Wait 5-10 business days to follow-up your initial contact with a personal phone call. I really enjoyed attending this year’s conference.

Here’s some key takeaways: It’s all about being ready to do commerce via mobile devices. All websites need to be mobile ready and google is coming out with some innovate tools to help…stay tuned.

LivingSocial.com CEO Tim O’Shaughnessy, enlightened the audience by explaining how important it is to have a local sales presence for an online business. He also made the audience aware of all the other services his company can provide for small businesses beyond daily deals, which I am intrigued to learn about that more fully.

Susan Sobbott, President of American Express Open, shared sobering statistics on social media use among small businesses. 35% are using Facebook, 14% are using LinkedIn and 10% are on Twitter regularly.

If you have a question for Melinda Emerson, Small Biz Lady, leave a comment on this blog using the contact us page or send me a note on Twitter @smallbizlady, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/smallbizlady or you can hit me up on www.linkedin.com/in/melindaemerson I’m always here as a resource.

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9 Reasons Why Boomer Businesses Fail

by Melinda Emerson on June 13, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Before You Start, Business Inspiration, Customer Service, featured, Grow Your Business, How to Start, My Recommendations

Baby Boomers Businesses

I know a woman (let’s call her Sarah) who was a vice president at a major Fortune 500 company. She was a sassy 48-year-old single MBA who was very successful climbing the corporate ladder. She worked in marketing, managing a brand at her company and making a handsome six-figure income. Then one day she decided that she wanted to start a business.

She did her research and decided to invest in a food franchise. She learned that franchises are 10 percent more likely to be successful than startups, so she decided to go for it. She hired an attorney to look over her franchise agreement. She spent weeks finding the perfect location and then hired an architect and contractor to develop her space. She gave notice at her job and invited everyone to her grand opening. She was so excited. She had prepared a thorough marketing plan and invested in local advertising through a coupon mailer.

Within two years, Sarah was back working in corporate America, grateful to have a job. I bumped into her and asked her what happened. She said, “I cannot be a slave to anything — especially something that does not fulfill me, and on top of that I hate teenagers and that’s who my employees were. I am grateful to be back at work with a regular paycheck.”

For baby boomers, making the transition from having a job to starting a business can be a tough road, no matter how successful you were in your previous life. Some of the issues that come up may have little to do with how well the business is doing financially.

Here are nine common trouble spots that cause baby boomer businesses to fail. These are the things that can destroy your entrepreneurial dream if they go unaddressed.

1. Not being coachable
To be successful in business, you must be a life-long learner and understand that you can learn something from anyone, even your interns and teenage employees. You also must be able to seek out– and take — advice from mentors and other entrepreneurs. Sometimes when you’ve been successful in the corporate world you might ask yourself “How hard could it be to run a small business?” Don’t be fooled; the hard work is endless!

2. Not developing a life plan
You need a life plan before you ever write a business plan. Take the time to think about what you want out of life, and then build a business around that. You need to know things like “How much money do I need to earn to be happy?” and “Is day-to-day variety important to me?” You do not want to start a business that is NOT a good business for you and your family.

3. Not having the energy
You must be honest about what you are willing to do to make your business a success. One of Sarah’s complaints was that she could not be a slave to anything. But that’s what it takes. In the first few years of running a business, your business owns you: 14- to 16-hour days are common, especially if you open a retail business that has long store hours. Can you physically sustain working seven days a week?

4. Not having a network
As a startup business, your network is your net worth. People do business with people they like, know and trust. You had no problem getting calls returned when you had a big corporate job, but once you are on the outside pounding the payment, it might be another story. Before starting a business, spend at least a year cultivating the market. If you are not good at making friends or are one of those people who never keeps in touch, entrepreneurship might not be for you.

5. Not willing to scale back your lifestyle
When you’ve been working a long time, and making good money, chances are you spend what you make. When you decide to become an entrepreneur, the first thing you should do is end your addiction to your paycheck. You must scale back your lifestyle to the essentials — and you need to cut back at least 12 months before you start your business. If you are someone who regularly enjoys retail therapy, eating out, extensive travel or indulging in the latest electronic gadgets, you might not adjust well to the entrepreneurial lifestyle.

6. Not saving enough money
In my book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, I outline three pools of money that you should ideally have before starting a business. First, make sure you have the money to start your business. Then set aside enough resources so that you can survive for up to two years without a salary. On average it takes 18 to 36 months for a small business to break even, let alone replace your corporate salary. The third pot of money is your emergency savings. Your car may need to be replaced, your air conditioner may die, and your children may need college tuition. Your ability to start a business has everything to do with your ability to save money.

7. Having competing priorities
After age 40, you may have aging parents and perhaps a first grandchild that you’ve welcomed into the family. If you need to stay on top of your mother’s doctors’ visits or help out your daughter and son-in-law with the new baby, it may be really tough to get a new business off the ground because you will not have any spare time.

8. Lack of a niche target market
Too many small-business owners sell to anyone they think has money. Define your niche customer and make sure you know why your customer will buy from you. It is so much easier to develop a marketing strategy when you know who you are trying to reach. You have limited time and limited resources. Customers want to hire businesses that specialize in solving their problem.

9. Lack of personal and fiscal discipline
If you do not run your household on a budget, you likely will struggle to run your business on one. You must make business decisions based on up-to-date financial information. Will you make money decisions without consulting your budget? How will you focus on tasks that generate money? Will you raid the cash register whenever you need money? You should know in advance how much money you are making on each sale; otherwise, you might have an expensive hobby.

If you focus on these nine areas as you are planning your midlife transition, you are far more likely to start a sustainable and profitable small business.

Melinda F. Emerson, known as the SmallBizLady, is an entrepreneur, professional speaker, small business coach and the author ofBecome Your Own Boss in 12 Months. In 2010, Forbes magazine named her as one of the Top 20 Women for Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter.

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9 Reasons Why Boomer Businesses Fail

by Melinda Emerson on June 13, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Before You Start, Business Inspiration, Customer Service, featured, Grow Your Business, How to Start, My Recommendations

Baby Boomers Businesses

Here are nine common trouble spots that cause baby boomer businesses to fail. These are the things that can destroy your entrepreneurial dream if they go unaddressed.

If you focus on these nine areas as you are planning your midlife transition, you are far more likely to start a sustainable and profitable small business.

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The Minority Entrepreneur Accelerator Program Could Be Your Answer

by Melinda Emerson on June 8, 2011 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, BYOB2011, Cash Flow & Finance, Customer Service, featured, Grow Your Business, My Recommendations, Social Media, Technology, Your Small Business

Comcast Interactive Capital, the venture capital affiliate of Comcast Corporation, one of the world’s leading media, entertainment and communications companies, today announced that is has partnered with DreamIt Ventures (“DreamIt”), the leading technology accelerator for entrepreneurs, to provide seed funding, training, mentoring and other benefits to five minority-led startups through DreamIt’s accelerator program. The partnership with DreamIt, entitled the Minority Entrepreneur Accelerator Program (MEAP), is Comcast Interactive Capital’s first investment initiative from the $20 million fund created by Comcast as part of the NBCUniversal transaction that is committed to expanding opportunities for minority entrepreneurs.

Comcast Interactive Capital and DreamIt are now accepting applications and will select five minority-led startups to participate in DreamIt’s three-month accelerator program taking place in Philadelphia this fall. The deadline for applications is July 8^th and the program will commence on September 9^th.

Kerry Rupp, Managing Director of DreamIt, said, “We are thrilled to have Comcast Interactive Capital as a partner and are looking forward to working with them. DreamIt is proud to provide assistance and opportunities to help entrepreneurs grow, and we know that Comcast will provide invaluable expertise and partnership to this process.”

MEAP will provide minority entrepreneurs with the opportunity to engage in an intensive, company-building experience. Applicants who are accepted into MEAP will be a part of DreamIt’s broader Fall 2011 initiative in Philadelphia and will be offered the opportunity to learn from, and be mentored by, recognized experts in marketing, brand building, business development, financial modeling, business plans, distribution and customer acquisitions. In addition, they will be provided with office space, working alongside the other startups selected and be provided with donated legal, accounting and administrative help. At the end of the three-month period, the startups will have the opportunity to pitch to venture capital and angel investors at a demo day in Philadelphia to secure further funding to create a sustainable business.

For details on how to submit an application for the Comcast Minority Entrepreneur Accelerator Program, please visit the DreamIt website atwww.dreamitventures.com/about/Comcast-MEAP.php.

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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Are you Google-able?

by Melinda Emerson on June 6, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, featured, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Social Media, Technology, Uncategorized, Your Small Business

google logo

If you’re ready for a midcareer makeover, you can get new clothes and a new haircut. But even more important, you must make yourself what I call “Google-able.” That means you need to create a smart social media footprint.

By day I work as a small-business coach, and I keep coming across amazing professionals with extraordinary credentials who want to build a consulting practice or establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry.

But here’s the problem: When I put their names in Google, I come up with nothing. No website, no social networking profile — not even a guest blog post. These people may have advanced degrees and impressive titles on their resumes, but there is no electronic evidence of their expertise and accomplishments. Since this has happened several times over the last few weeks, it dawned on me that I needed to help fellow midcareer folks understand this new paradigm.

Gone are the days of calling around to get the 411 on a potential business partner or new hire. These days, people do an internet search before you ever get a call about a new opportunity. Recruiters and corporate executives routinely conduct internet searches when looking for talent and don’t always advertise open positions. Many believe you don’t even exist if you don’t have a social media footprint.

Here are five essential steps to get started online.

1. Smile and click.

One of the key things you need prior to establishing yourself online is to get a professional headshot. Go ahead and spend money to get a good photo. It should be a smiling shot that is friendly. Even though you are communicating over the internet, people still want to see who they are talking to.

If you haven’t established an online presence yet, keep this in mind: You are using the skills you already know — how to communicate with people. Creating an online presence simply helps people find you. Think of it as your virtual business card, which is far more useful in 2011 than the paper variety.

2. Sign up at LinkedIn.

The first step to building your brand online is to stake your territory: One of the best moves you can make is to set up a profile on LinkedIn. Yes, you’ll also want to establish a Google profile and sign up for a Facebook or Twitter account, too. But LinkedIn is the most important.

“If you are looking to do anything in the professional world, LinkedIn is where you need to be. LinkedIn is the ultimate buyers’ market,” says Patrice Rutledge, author of Using LinkedIn.

Here are her top tips to make your profile shine on LinkedIn:

Add your profile and be sure to fill it out 100 percent. Your profile should use the appropriate keywords that your target audience would use to search for your expertise (including job title and certifications).
Use applications to enhance your profile (SlideShare presentations, Google presentations, portfolio display or box.net to add a resume).
A detailed company profile is important for a business owner. Be sure to link it to your personal LinkedIn profile.

3. Create a website.

The next thing you can do is register your name or your business name as a website domain and create a simple one- to five-page website. If you are interested in establishing yourself as a thought leader in your industry, adding a blog to your new website is a great idea.

I realize that this might sound intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. You can register your own domain name and then hire a virtual assistant who specializes in social media to help you set it up. (By the way, a virtual assistant is an entrepreneur who assists business owners and busy people with time-consuming tasks, allowing them more time to focus on profit-generating activities.) With a few basic lessons, and time with tutorials, you can get going in no time.

4. Sign up for a Facebook account.

Cathy Larkin, founder of Web Savvy PR, conducts hands-on workshops to teach baby boomers how to use Facebook. Her clients often want to know what to talk about on their Facebook Fan Pages and how to create a good profile.

“I show people how to use Facebook rather than telling them how to do it,” Larkin says. “It’s all about figuring out what your intended audience wants to hear, learn or know about.”

She offers the example of a real estate agent who posted information about how to clear two feet of snow from your roof, which is much more creative — and useful — information than simply listing houses for sale.

Here are Larkin’s three tips for using Facebook Fan Pages:

Consider your keywords. Your domain name for your Facebook Fan Page should include keywords that people will use to search for you online.
Set your Info page as your default page. If someone visits you on Facebook, they will quickly get a sense of who you are and what you do (and hopefully fan your page).
Upload photos and online videos. It’s a great way to promote your products or services and add rich content to your Facebook Page.

5. Don’t forget Twitter.

Thomas MacEntee, the 48-year-old founder of High-Definition Genealogy, says its best to think of social media as a garden you have to tend.

Laid off from his tech job in Chicago in late 2008, MacEntee reinvented himself as a family historian — helping people investigate their family trees — and utilizes social media to connect with clients. It took MacEntee about a year to build his business.

He’s been so successful mastering the intricacies of Twitter — the free service that allows users to share information in 140 characters or less — that he now teaches a social media class for baby boomers called “Twitter: It’s not just what I had for breakfast anymore.”

He says the key to Twitter is giving as much as you get, and listening as much as you speak. He says some boomers have a problem with these concepts. “They think they are giving away their work for free, but it’s part of building yourself as a brand and an expert,” says MacEntee.

Here are some action steps to get you started building your online brand.

Decide what you wish to accomplish before using social media. Are you looking for a new work opportunity or simply want to connect with others who share a special interest or expertise?
Figure out who your audience is and where these folks hang out online. (You want to be as specific as possible in targeting your efforts.)
Create your LinkedIn account immediately. Add a great photo, import your contact database from your e-mail and join one group.
Expand to your own website, Facebook and/or Twitter.
Start developing a list of potentials blog topics. It’s a good idea to developed an archive of blog posts at least three months prior to launching your blog.
Remember that social media marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. You will get out of it what you invest in it.

If you follow all of these tips, when someone types your name into the world’s most famous search engine, they will immediately have your virtual business card — and so much more — right at their fingertips.

Melinda F. Emerson, known as the SmallBizLady, is an entrepreneur, professional speaker, small business coach and the author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months. In 2010, Forbes magazine named her as one of the Top 20 Women for Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter.

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Blogging, & Handling Corporate Inquires & Monetizing your Online Brand.

by Melinda Emerson on June 3, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Business Inspiration, BYOB2011, Customer Service, featured, Grow Your Business, My Recommendations, Social Media, Technology, Women in Business, Your Small Business

Check out this quick video from the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference. Fellow blogger Jewel Figueras of http://www.JewelsFabLife.com was interviewed by LaShanda Henry creator of SistaSense blogs for entrepreneurs and the Black Business Women Online Social Network.

http://www.sistasense.tv/smallbizlady-and-jewelsfablife-talk-blogging-and-working-with-brands-part1/

We discussed blogging, handling corporate inquires and monetizing your online brand. Enjoy!

I’m always here as a resource.
If you have a question for Melinda Emerson, SmallBizLady, leave a comment on this blog using thecontact us page or send me a note on Twitter @smallbizlady, on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/smallbizlady or you can hit me up on www.linkedin.com/in/melindaemerson

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Do you need a Small Business Makeover?

by Melinda Emerson on June 1, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Become Your Own Boss Tips, Branding & Marketing, Customer Service, featured, Grow Your Business, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Social Media, Technology, Your Small Business

Pitney Bowes wants to give your business a communications makeover worth up to $10,000. If you could use some help with your email, direct mail and social media communications, you can win a free year of using Pitney Bowes’ full suite of business tools. The grand prize winners will also receive in person one-on-one coaching from me @Smallbizlady and my colleagues marketing expert Jane Applegate and technology expert Phil Simon.

You have until July 19th to tell us how you’d improve your business communications. The earlier you enter the better as you will need to get a social media pals to vote for you in order to become a finalist. To enter write a 300 word essay on your biggest communications challenge or send in a one minute video. Click here to enter the Pitney Bowes Small Business Makeover Contest http://www.pbsmartessentials.com/makeover/

Disclosure: I am a paid consultant to Pitney Bowes to participate as a judge and business coach in this makeover contest!

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

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How to Legally Protect Your Small Business Brand

by Melinda Emerson on February 10, 2011 in Branding & Marketing, Q & A Interview, 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 Aurelia Mitchell Durant @brandprotectors Aurelia is an Intellectual Property Attorney specializing in Copyright and Trademark Protection. She is committed to guiding business owners on how to own their brand. She has over a decade of experience and is a skilled and insightful speaker on the topic of brand protection. For more information http://www.ismybrandprotected.com

Smallbizlady: What is Intellectual Property?

Aurelia Mitchell Durant: Intellectual Property refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce. The term intellectual property applies to all creative work or original thought.

Smallbizlady: What is a trademark?

Aurelia Mitchell Durant: A trademark or service mark is a name, logo or combination of words, and a tagline that is recognized as identifying a particular supplier of goods or services. You see Trademarks every day: McDonalds®, Kodak®, Levis®, etc. When you see them, you know who the goods or services come from. Trademarks are valuable commodities and may be sold, transferred or licensed to others for their limited use.

Smallbizlady: What is a service mark?

Aurelia Mitchell Durant: A Service Mark is a trademark applied to services as opposed to goods. Typically, the term trademark is applied to both good and services.

Smallbizlady: What is a copyright and how long does the protection last?

Aurelia Mitchell Durant: Copyright, or the right to make copies, is protection for artistic expression set into a tangible form. Artistic expression includes such things as written words (books, magazines, signs, and poems), music (both the words and lyrics, and also the performance when recorded), and works of visual art, motion pictures, and computer software. Basic copyright protections last until 70 years as after the creator’s death. Works created under the direction of a company last either 95 years from the date the work was published or 120 years from the date the work was created, whichever is shorter.

Smallbizlady: What is a “Poor Man’s “Copyright?

Aurelia Mitchell Durant: A poor man’s copyright is created by mailing your work to yourself in a sealed envelope via the US mail instead of registering the copyright. However, this practice is discouraged because there are ways to “fake” as poor man’s copyright.

Smallbizlady: Why should a small business owner register their trademark?

Aurelia Mitchell Durant: Registering your trademark provides you with rights throughout the United States for the use of the trademark for the use specified in your registration. Trademark registration is the legal protection and security of your business brand. It is important to own your brand!

Smallbizlady: The name of my company was approved when I incorporated – doesn’t that mean I am free to use that name as a trademark?

Aurelia Mitchell Durant: Incorporation is NOT the same as trademark registration. Incorporation a business name does not provide the business owner with a registered trademark. The benefits to incorporating are vastly difference from trademark benefits. In fact, the business name and the trade name in most cases are not the same. For example, Mattel is a business name, Barbie is a trade name.

Smallbizlady: What is copyright infringement?

Aurelia Mitchell Durant: Infringement is when a registered trademark issued by someone else without expressed permission of a license. Infringement is serious business! The standard on review is whether there is a likelihood of confusion.

Smallbizlady: How can an IP attorney add in the process of registering a trademark?

Aurelia Mitchell Durant: An attorney will search the trademark registers for you to make sure that YOU are not infringing on the trademark of another business. Even unintentional infringement is infringement. You could be sued and issued a cease and desist order forbidding you from operating your business under the name or logo in question.

Smallbizlady: Can I file my own Trademark Registration? Continue Reading →

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How To Build a Social Media Brand

by Melinda Emerson on October 18, 2010 in Branding & Marketing, Social Media

One of the topics I regularly speak about as I tour the country helping small business owners is how to build a social media brand. I am often inspired by questions I’m asked to write blog posts to further answer business questions. In this case, I realized that I have already written many articles on virtues of social media and how to get started. I decided to use today’s blog post to recap my favorite posts for getting started with building an online brand. The first step in building a social media brand is starting with a marketing plan. Then you need to figure out where your customers spend time online. From there, start slowly and figure out if LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook are the right social media network to launch your online footprint. Plus, if you think blogging should be a part of your strategy, I threw in a three part series on blogging for business.

How to Develop a Marketing Plan

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/09/2010/how-develop-a-marketing-plan-for-your-small-business/

Getting Started With LinkedIn

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/06/2010/getting-started-on-linkedin/

Getting Started With Twitter

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/06/2009/getting-started-on-twitter/

Using Facebook to Promote Your Small Business

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/10/2010/using-facebook-to-promote-your-small-business/

Blogging for Business Three Part Series

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/09/2009/how-to-build-a-small-business-blog/

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/09/2009/strategy-developing-a-blog-vs-website/

http://succeedasyourownboss.com/10/2009/10-ways-to-get-your-blog-to-shine/

I want to know — what’s your formula to build social media brand?

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as Small Biz Lady (or on Twitter 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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Developing an Elevator Pitch

by Melinda Emerson on February 18, 2010 in Branding & Marketing, SmallBizChat

Every week as @SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wed on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Barbara Lopez @Brightfarm who is President of Brightfarm Introductions. Her company originally started out as a video production company specializing in writing :30-second and :60-second commercials. In 2008, she turned her process for writing videos into a simple process for creating elevator pitches. For more details www.brightfarm.com.

Smallbizlady: What is an elevator pitch?

Barbara Lopez: It is your verbal commercial. Usually 30 to 60-seconds. It’s designed to effectively answer the question, “What do you do?”. The term was coined years ago as a business term. It originated as the time it takes someone to ride an elevator and “pitch” what it is that you do to someone else. Other common terms are elevator speech or networking commercial. Nowadays, there are MULTIPLE places to use an elevator pitch, not JUST in an elevator. Obviously it’s used mostly in networking situations. But really, your elevator pitch is the VERBAL commercial that you’re going to use about yourself every single day, which you’re going to share with every single person you meet.

Smallbizlady: Who needs an elevator pitch?

Barbara Lopez: I truly believe that EVERYONE needs an elevator pitch. Think about how often we’re all asked, “What do you do?.” It’s a very common question, especially in social situations. People ask that question because it’s a good way to get to know someone. It’s a safe place to start a conversation. In that case, I think everyone needs one.

Smallbizlady: Why is it so important to have an elevator pitch?

Barbara Lopez: It’s crucial for business owners, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to promote their business and career to have an elevator pitch. After all, “when your mouth is OPEN, so is your business.” “And when your mouth is CLOSED, so is your business.” That means, if we want people to know that we’re open for business, we need to TELL them. We can’t just assume that people know that we are. An elevator pitch is the perfect tool to do just that. Everything in business STARTS with a bright introduction. It’s your verbal commercial that you use in introducing yourself to every new person you meet. It could be in a professional networking situation. Or in line at the grocery store or post office. Or at a social event. You never know when you might be talking to your next customer.

Smallbizlady: What are the key benefits of having an elevator pitch?

Barbara Lopez: It gives us an opportunity to start out with a GREAT first impression when meeting someone new. Has this ever happened to you? Someone asks, “What do you do?” And your mind just goes…..blank? Having an elevator pitch saves us from those types of awkward or embarrassing situations.

When we have a polished and professional elevator pitch, we also set ourselves apart from our competition in a BIG way. It’s one thing just to say, “I’m a realtor”. But it’s more important to tell more to engage conversation. Being able to clearly and concisely describe what we do allows us to show that we are truly professional. We’re not fly-by-night business people, but that we can easily explain what we do. We can get the other person’s attention MUCH easier. We are respecting their time by being concise. It’s a conversation starter.

Smallbizlady: What are some common mistakes professionals have toward elevator pitches?

Barbara Lopez: Not knowing what to say. Resulting in “flying by the seat of their pants”. Which is never the best impression. Also, thinking they have to list everything that they have to offer. That’s not the best thing to do, because it can be overwhelming. Some people also get anxious when it comes to pitching to entire groups at once. Speaking to a group in a round-robin scenario is basically public speaking. And that can add a lot more pressure or anxiety.

Smallbizlady: What are some goals people should strive for when it comes to their elevator pitch?

Barbara Lopez: It’s best to keep these four in mind: 1) Be clear and concise. People want to know what you do in the shortest amount of time possible. 2) Make a great first impression. Deliver it well, so that the person continues the conversation. 3) Stand apart from your competition. Don’t just be pegged as someone in your industry. Be the best in your industry. 4) Attract them to want to know more. Again, it’s just a conversation opener, so have a call to action to move the conversation forward.

Smallbizlady: What are the critical components of an effective elevator pitch?

Barbara Lopez: It basically boils down to 4 key points that other people WANT to know about you. 1) What problem or pain point you solve for people. 2) How you solve it. 3) Why you’re different from your competition. 4) How they can learn more about you and/or your service or product right away.

Smallbizlady: Is it really that simple?

Barbara Lopez: Yes. The key is to focus the elevator pitch on YOU and not so much on your company/product/or service. You want to position yourself as the expert or specialist when it comes to the problem you solve. In networking, people want to connect with people, not businesses. So it’s important to introduce yourself as the person to go to when they have that problem. Or when someone else has that problem.

Smallbizlady: Where are some places professionals can use their elevator pitch?

Barbara Lopez: Most people think it’s strictly for networking. But there are so many other places you can use it. Especially since it’s such a concise message about what you do and offer. You can use the whole elevator pitch or even just parts of it in other areas of your marketing. The back of your business card is great. That way you’re sending people off with your pitch after they’ve just met you. On your outgoing voicemail message. That builds confidence when people call, to know you’re going to help with that specific problem. On your website – especially your About page. In your social media profiles. As a starter for a sales letter or introductory email.

Smallbizlady: What is the biggest piece of advice you can give professionals who don’t have an elevator pitch?

Barbara Lopez: Be prepared. Take some time to focus on at least a 30-second elevator pitch. You’ll feel much more comfortable and confident at networking functions. And in your daily travels. It can make a huge difference in the first impressions you’re making. After all, you never know when you might be speaking to your very next customer.

Melinda Emerson, known to many as “SmallBizLady,” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Coach and Social Media Strategist who hosts #SmallBizChat weekly on Twitter for emerging entrepreneurs. Her first book Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months is out in March 2010.

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SmallBizLady’s Reading List Part I

by Melinda Emerson on November 23, 2009 in 10 Things Lists, Business Inspiration, Cash Flow & Finance, Grow Your Business, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Social Media, Solopreneurs, Women in Business, Your Small Business

In business, reading is fundamental. It is crucial to help you grow your expertise as a business leader. One of my favorite things to do is read books about small business best practices, social media and leadership. Here’s a list of best books that I think will have a major impact on your business strategy heading into 2010. Later this week, I’ll have five more of my favorite books to share.

Small Business Cash Flow: Strategies for Making Your Business a Financial Success by Denise O’Berry (J. Wiley & Sons, 2006) The best thing you can do for your business is understand how much profit is in every sale and stay cash flow positive. Denise O’Berry writes a terrific book that explains the ins and outs of financial management in a successful small business. The book does a good job of pointing out how a small business owner can stay on top of the cash flow issue in running her business. This is an incredible resource book that I highly recommend.

Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz (Writer Digest Books, 2008) It is not often I read a book that truly enlightening from cover to cover. On a scale of 1-5, Get Known Before the Book Deal is a 10! If you want to know what it takes to get a book deal, Christina Katz gives a very specific recipe, but this book is not just helpful to people who want to be authors. This book is for anyone who needs to build a marketing platform and a brand for their expertise. This book changed my entire business model and my brand. I could not recommend this book more highly.

Customers For Life: How To Turn That One-Time Buyer Into a Lifetime Customer by Carl Sewell and Paul B. Brown (Doubleday, 2002) This is a must read for every business owner. None of the ideas in this book are ground breaking, but the authors do a great job of explaining how they translate into loyal customers for your business. This book will help you create systems in your business to avoid customer service problems in the first place. This book was originally published in 1998 and has been updated three times since, selling over 1 million copies worldwide. Every business owner should have this book, and I’d also recommend buying copies for all your employees as well.

Blog Blazers: 40 Top Bloggers Share their Secrets to Creating a High-Profile, High-Traffic and High Profit Blog by Stephane Grenier (Levac Publishing House, 2008) This is one of those books that serious bloggers will keep on their shelves. I like that this book features 40 top bloggers and not just 10 or 15 like most profile books. I enjoyed learning great techniques and about what blogs these pros read. Try reading a chapter a day, look at the blogs of the blogger featured, see what they are doing well that you can implement in your blog. Learning how successful bloggers approach their blogging is an exercise that will have lots of benefits.

Greening Your Small Business: How to Improve Your Bottom Line, Grow Your Brand, Satisfy Your Customers – and Save the Planet by Jennifer Kaplan (Prentice Hall Press, 2009) Green is not just the color of money. Going green can be overwhelming, but Jen Kaplan provides a comprehensive guide to practical, meaningful, low-cost changes that can be applied today to go green in your business. Green practices are being measured by everyone including your customers-so use this book to build an additional competitive advantage in your business and save the planet as the same time.

Do you know a book that should be added to the list? Let me know, I love getting your feedback.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

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

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #SmallBizChat on Twitter. #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide to Start a Business that Works! is scheduled to be released by Adams Media in Feb 2010.

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Blogging for Business

by Melinda Emerson on July 9, 2009 in SmallBizChat, Social Media

From time to time as Smallbizlady, I conduct interviews with small business experts that could benefit my audience. This is excepts from my #smallbizchat interview with Meryl K. Evans @merylkevans about Blogging for Business.

Blogging is old news by today’s standards as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn dominate the social networking scene. But blogging continues to pick up speed especially as it matures with many businesses adopting them as part of their marketing and customer service strategy. The questions here quickly cover the basics of blogging with Content Maven and longtime blogger Meryl K. Evans.

Smallbizlady: Why should a business have a blog?

Evans: Businesses often need to work harder to earn trust and credibility before they make the sale. A web site with company information only tells part of the story. A blog helps close the gap because it’s real, updated and gives the company a voice. That voice gives prospects a chance to see if they like the company’s style and way of thinking.

Blogging isn’t for every business. The point is to be aware of them because they might be talking about your business. So think in terms of tracking, monitoring and replying.

Smallbizlady: How do you decide if your business should have a blog?

Evans: You won’t have a black or white answer (of course). Rather, ask questions such as: Can you update regularly? Do you have something to say? Do you read others? Can you provide info of value? This two part article explores whether your business should have a blog and how to participate. Maybe the best answer is to participate rather than have your own.

At least, have a good web site with clear information about what your company does and what customers can get from you. When you leave comments or post tweets, you can link back to your web site.

Smallbizlady: What about other social media tools?

Evans: Companies indeed need to look beyond blogging. They need to track and participate in conversations that mention the company, its industry, its product or service and its competitors. Conversations go far outside blogs to microblogs like Twitter and social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn. Many industries have their own specialty social networks, so don’t limit your research with the three big ones. Remember MySpace was bigger and then Facebook took over. Next month, it could be another site.

The least you can do is have a company profile or employees have a profile on the various sites, but pick a couple to participate in on a regular basis while tracking for name mentions everywhere. You might look into Ning, which lets you create your own social network.

Smallbizlady: What is the best blog site / applications to use?

Evans: It depends on your needs. But for beginners who don’t have tech help in setting up a site, using a developer-hosted solution is the easiest thing. This means the service hosts your blog already has the software installed, so you don’t have to mess with it except add your content. Blogger, WordPress.com and Typepad are the more common ones used for business blogging. The other developer-hosted solutions tend to lean heavily toward personal blogging.

You can pay a monthly fee to host your web site on a server. In this case, you might choose to install the blog on the server rather than depend on a hosted solution. If this sounds overwhelming, the developer-hosted solution might work better unless you have web developers who can help. For more on this, read the Easy and Hard Way to Start a Blog.

Smallbizlady: How often should one blog?

Evans: You’ll hear arguments from all sides. No one has won the argument. It depends on your needs and your target audience. But it helps to update the blog at least once a week. Wait too long and people will think your blog is dead, so they’ll unsubscribe to it. I’ve blogged four or five times to week, but currently blog about twice a week.

Participating in the blogosphere takes more than just blogging on your site. You need to visit others and leave comments. If another blog inspires a long comment, consider turning that into a blog entry. Trackback, a feature that connects a blog entry with another person’s blog entry, will connect the two together. Most blog apps have this feature built-in.

Smallbizlady: How long should entries be? Some are 750 words or more, others only 150. Is there an ideal length?

Evans: Like the “how often” question, this depends largely on your audience. Several bloggers always post over 1000 words, and their audience loves it. A good rule of thumb is 400 to 800 words. Of course, you’ll go under sometimes and over sometimes. No harm done. Format your content for easier scanning with short paragraphs, bulleted lists and bold headers. Many publications ask their writers to shoot for at least 400 words at a minimum for better search engine results.

Smallbizlady: Should there be links in every blog entry?

Evans: Linking keywords to your own content helps from a search engine perspective. Linking to others helps you build relationships as other bloggers love it when others link to them. It’s possible to overdo the linking. General rule is no more than one link for every 100 words.

Some people find it frustrating when there are so many links because they find they’re going all over the place trying to piece together the story and get all the details. Put the link on meaningful words not “Click here.” That’s old thinking. Also, selecting the right words to link gives people an idea of what they will see if they click on the link.

Smallbizlady: Does a well done blog replace a web site or add value?

Evans: Many people have nothing but a blog as their web site. To make it work from a business standpoint, however, you need to at least have an About page with your bio and contact information. Can people quickly figure out what you do? Do you provide enough information to help them determine if you’re qualified and credible?

Business web site blogs offer fresh content to make search engines happy, show how your business thinks and interacts, connect with customers and prospects, build relationships that lead to earning trust and gaining credibility.

Smallbizlady: Should the language be in first person?

Evans: Business blogs do better when they’re in first person. It’s an opportunity to put a human touch on what could be a cold and lifeless company web site. That’s why it’s important to have bios, photos and contact information of those who contribute to the blog.

Blog readers are a smart lot. They can tell when a marketing person is doing the blogging for the company rather than the company’s executives or managers. It’s better to be honest and authentic when writing in the blog. This doesn’t mean a marketer can’t blog, but the marketer will need to put away everything they know about marketing when blogging. It takes little effort to make a blog sound like a sales or marketing platform for the company.

Smallbizlady: How do we convince old school entrepreneurs that blogging is good for business?

Evans: Many employees in businesses of all sizes struggle to get buy-in to blogging and social media tools because of the difficulty in providing ROI data. Perhaps, the executives will listen to GM’s Bob Lutz, an executive blogger in GM FastLane Blog, wrote an article on the topic for Information Week. In encouraging executives to blog, he says, “No better opportunity exists to engage in an open dialogue and exchange of ideas with customers and potential customers.”

This is more important for small businesses because they work to build relationships with their clients and prospects. That can help the business stand out.

The connection between blogging and business may not clearly show up in return on investment data, but it certainly affects a small business’ ROI, return on influence. Rather than connecting blogging with transactions, look at it from a perspective in building relationships and credibility. It’s hard to measure increased customer service, increased brand awareness, increased loyalty, increased credibility and so on. But all of this happens when a small business’ employees get involved with blogging and social media.

Bonus Free report: “How to Start a Business Blog and Build Traffic” when you subscribe to meryl’s blog by email: http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=Meryl&loc=en_US

For more tips on starting or growing your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog at http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com

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