Each week as Smallbizlady, I conduct interviews with small business experts on my weekly Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat.
Here are the upcoming guests for February 2012…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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).
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.
Using Twitter is a great way to start building your online brand. If you can send a text message, you can tweet. You can only communicate using 140 characters on Twitter, but if you want people to Retweet (RT) or share your content, you should cut your tweets down to 125 characters. Here a few quick rules: Listen first, then engage with people directly, then start sharing articles of interest to attract your target audience. Once you establish relationships on Twitter you can then start writing your own blog and tweeting your original content.
5 steps to Establishing Your Twitter Account:
Step 1: Set up an account
Step 2: Enter your profile information
Step 3: Find your friends
Step 4: How to follow someone
Step 5: How to post messages
Send a Direct-message
How to Retweet or RT someone else’s message
Quick Twitter Tips
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)
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 Carol Roth about a jobbie, a job-business or a bona-fide business? @CarolJSRoth Carol helps businesses grow and make more money. She’s a deal maker & business strategist to corporations, small businesses & entrepreneurs who has raised $1 billion in capial, $750mm in M&A deals. She is also the Author of The Entrepreneur Equation, http://amzn.to/eSsnBj
Smallbizlady: How do you define the difference between a jobbie, a job-business and a bona-fide business?
Carol Roth: A jobbie is a hobby disguised as a job or a business. A job-business is a business that is really more of a job. You pay for the pleasure of having it and it is 100% dependent upon you. A bona-fide business isn’t dependent upon any one person for its existence.
Smallbizlady: What are the pros and cons of each type of business?
Carol Roth: A jobbie is a great way to test out a business, if you keep to a defined budget and have an exit plan. It’s also great if you want to have a hobby that produces income. But if you want to really have a sustainable business, you have to move past a jobbie. You also need to be realistic about its potential and not invest so much money that you never generate a return!
A job business is entirely dependent upon you, so if you go on vacation- no money comes in. If you get sick, nobody services your clients. It is often easier to start, but can lead to you working more hours for the same or less pay with more stress than if you had a regular job.
A bona-fide business may require the most in terms of resources, but gives you the best opportunity for work/life balance and a return on your investment (of both time and capital). Plus, in many cases, you get the opportunity to contribute more to the economy from your growth and help more people.
Smallbizlady: How does the fact that not all businesses are created equal impact your business’s opportunity? Continue Reading →
On Fridays, I answer questions on my blog in a segment called Ask Small Biz Lady, where I will post video answers to frequent questions about small business. This week, we are taking on the question How Can I Get More Followers on Twitter to Promote My Small Business? Click here to see my video response.
The answer is: Follow other people, search for people who are asking questions using your keywords, Retweet (RT) other people’s content at a 4:1 ratio to your own, and participate in Twitterchats like such as #Smallbizchat every Wednesday 8-9pm ET. By answering questions you’ll demonstrate your expertise and get noticed. Remember the currency used in social media is value. If you provide value consistently you will earn lots of followers.
If you have a question for Melinda Emerson, Small Biz Lady, I’m always here as a resource.
Leave a comment on this article, send a message using the contact us page, tweet me – @smallbizlady, on Facebook or you can hit me up on LinkedIn.
Each week as Smallbizlady, I conduct interviews with small business experts on my weekly Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. Here are the upcoming guests for February 2011…
Follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter for the latest updates and links to the TweetGrid for all shows.
For instructions on participating in SmallBizChat, click here.
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 Hugh MacFarlane @funnelguy Hugh has 20 years+ experience in working with Business owners, Boards, CEOs, Directors of Sales and Marketing with products or services that are complex to sell. Hugh is also the author of The Leaky Funnel, a book which teaches how to develop a sales funnel, and improve sales and marketing effectiveness. For more information visit www.mathmarketing.com.
Smallbizlady: Your book, The Leaky Funnel, is based on what you call – Funnel Logic. Can you briefly describe it?
Hugh MacFarlane: Funnel Logic is a sales and marketing management and planning system used to increase prospect progression through the sales funnel, and improve sales and marketing effectiveness. It is a “belief system” built upon four key principles relating to how sales and marketing are conducted in the best-run businesses. Firstly, the combined sales and marketing function should build its activities around the buyer’s journey; not the sales cycle. Secondly, how many prospects will progress through each of these stages of this journey over time? Thirdly, what tactics will be used to cause this progression? And finally, the actual progression should be measured, so that tactics that work can be bolstered, and those which do not can be shelved.
Smallbizlady: What is the ‘buyer’s journey.’ What do you mean by that?
Hugh MacFarlane:: Business buyers go through a process as they buy. They start off untroubled and unaware – even complacent – and then at some point, they become troubled. Once they’ve acknowledged their problem, they decide what they need to solve that problem. They then make their preferences, receive proposals and, ultimately, select a vendor, sign a contract and engage. We call this the buyer’s journey.
Smallbizlady: What are the stages of the buyer’s journey?
Hugh MacFarlane: It is important to remember that businesses don’t just wake up in the morning and decide to purchase something. They take a journey:
By structuring your sales and marketing around the buyer’s journey, your focus is on helping them move through each stage.
Smallbizlady: So, the problem you solve for buyers is key. How do you choose which problems to focus on?
Hugh MacFarlane: The challenge is to identify a buyer problem that you are strong at solving, and one that you can solve better than your competitors. This ‘feeling out’ process is all about finding a problem that is worth focusing on and that you solve well. If you are good at solving buyer problems that are not rewarding, you will major in the minors. On the other hand, if you are focusing on the right problem but from a position of weakness, you will not be able to rival your competition.
Smallbizlady: Once you’ve picked a single problem, should that influence your sales and marketing strategy?
Hugh MacFarlane: Simply, yes. In identifying your buyer’s problem, you are able to clearly define three key aspects of your sales and marketing function. Firstly, what your business is selling is now a clear solution to a problem. Secondly, who you are selling to, becomes who has the problem. And thirdly, how you will reach your buyers, translates to, what is the channel that uncovers the problem? This basically turns our thinking inside out:
What began as:
What do you want to sell?
To whom do you intend selling?
Through whom will you reach them?
Becomes:
What best solves the problem?
Who is most affected by the problem?
Who best can help buyers accept the problem?
Smallbizlady: Once you’ve formulated your strategy, how do you develop an action plan?
Hugh MacFarlane: Once you have turned your strategy inside-out, it is time to translate this strategy into action. In order to do this effectively you must select tactics to help these potential buyers recognize that they have this problem. However, your strategy does not translate into action…yet; because our tactics are often arbitrary. I say this because businesses will often select tactics on the strength of; they worked last year, or it seems to work for our competitors, or we’ve always done it this way. I present an alternative. Remembering the buyer’s journey, you must select tactics that will progress buyers through that journey; through each stage.
Smallbizlady: What about volume? How do you work out the number of buyers you actually need to progress?
Hugh MacFarlane: Trying to calculate the number of buyers you actually need is a valid pursuit, however it can be a trap. When doing this, you must keep two things in mind: buyers need time to progress (take their journey) and your tactics need to be repeated several times to have an effect (“one-hit-wonders” rarely do the job). Marketing teams are always geared for success, but it is often how they capitalise on failure that makes them rich. If you start with a simple numerical model mapping your prospective buyers progressing along their journey – importantly remembering to allow for leakage at each stage – you quickly realise two scary realities:
A vast majority of initial leads will leak at some stage along the journey, so doesn’t it make sense to have a proper recycling program?; and Shouldn’t we have some idea of the effect of recycling before we plan a demand generation campaign?
Given this, in order to work out exactly how many buyers you will need, you need to recycle all the “leaked” buyers back into your funnel and re-run the model. Decide how much of the total revenue Marketing is to contribute and then adjust your top-of-funnel number until the “customer” (converted buyers) number will contribute the desired revenue outcome.
Smallbizlady: And once you know how many buyers you need to progress, how do you actually get them moving?
Hugh MacFarlane: Ultimately, what you are trying to achieve is to nurture your buyers along their journey. In order to do this, you need tactics that move your buyers through your funnel from stage to stage. In a practical sense, you must initially identify buyers who meet your target profile, position your brand on their list and get their attention, convince these businesses to accept they have the problem you solve best, gain acceptance and backing of your own solution and then move to contract.
Smallbizlady: What are some examples of progression tactics that are suitable for small businesses?
Hugh MacFarlane: There are many tactics that will work just as well for big business as they will for small operators. As your goal for progression is to keep doing the small rhythmic tasks that keep the prospect aware of how you can solve their problem; something as simple as a monthly email or blog article will have the same effect no matter what size the business. It is likely that your financial position or operational capability will dictate what is actually possible. Investigate options for each stage of your buyer’s journey; here are some common tactics:
Smallbizlady: How do you see social media? What new tactics work for B2B?
Hugh MacFarlane: The marketing benefits of social media are just now beginning to become apparent. While there has been endless conjecture surrounding the ways in which social media is going to revolutionise the way we market products and services, the initial hype is beginning to turn into some sort of reality. As this is a small business forum, let’s consider some relevant B2B uses for various forms of social media. Blogging, micro-blogging (Twitter) and video blogging (YouTube) are great ways to position and even trouble business buyers on a shoestring.
Smallbizlady: What about buyers who fail to progress?
Hugh MacFarlane: It is often the small percentage of successful lead conversions that get all our attention – while the other, much higher, percentage that leaked gets forgotten. Adopting tactics that recycle those who have already leaked, in order to assist nurturing tactics that stem the leakage, can turn neglected prospects into future customers. Recycling tactics handle those buyers who fail to progress – the leakage; these tactics ready a buyer for re-entry into the funnel. While these leads are in the funnel, specific nurturing tactics keep the buyer from leaking. Having captured the buyer’s details, relevant and rhythmic eDM, Tele-nurturing and RSS updates will keep your name and your solution at the front of the buyer’s mind.
Smallbizlady: What would you say is key to successfully executing tactics?
Hugh MacFarlane: To help your buyers move along their journey, down the funnel, you have to execute the correct tactics at the correct time; however, as we have already agreed there is always going to be leakage. When executing tactics, the key to success is rhythm – if you can manage tactics in a way that will take advantage of ’leakage’ whilst nurturing leads still in your funnel, success will come. If you can reach a point where you have a sound grasp of your buyer’s journey, Sales and Marketing are on the same page tactically and your tactics for progression are working – it is now time to focus on obtaining good momentum that allows for recycled leads to be rhythmically nurtured, even if a little at a time. In B2B marketing, I like to use the term ‘corkscrew’ to refer to a tactic (or series of tactics) that you can execute over and again, knowing that while the buyer will only drop into your funnel occasionally, every time you twist the corkscrew, you are moving them along – a little.
If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.
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)
Each week as Smallbizlady, I conduct interviews with small business experts on my weekly Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. Here are the upcoming guests for January 2011…
January 5th – How to Have Balance in Your Life as a Small Business Owner with Debi Silber @theMojoCoach
January 12th – Finding and Keeping Customers Using Social Customer Relationship Management with – Howard Yermish @hyermish
January 19th – How to Develop Your Sales Funnel with Hugh McFarlane @funnelguy
January 26th – How to Use Your Google Analytics to Grow Your Small Business with Pierre DeBois @Zimana_
I’m Melinda Emerson and 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 Allyson Lewis @allyson7minutes. Allyson is a professional speaker and productivity coach and the author of The Seven Minute Difference, Her book is filled with stories and practical tools to help you rediscover your purpose, regain control of your time and accomplish your goals and dreams. For more information: Http://TheSevenMinuteDifference.com
Smallbizlady: What is time management and why is it important to improve your personal time management skills?
Allyson Lewis: In order to improve work productivity, you intuitively understand a need to improve personal time-management skills. When someone is working toward completing a task, project, or activity, there are certain processes that will make them more efficient. Improve time-management skills by focusing on these basic time-management concepts:
* Clarifying the desired outcome or goal
* Proper planning
* Prioritizing your activities and steps
* Organizing your resources, tools and people
* Monitoring your progress
* Focusing, or persevering until the task has been fully completed
Here’s an article I wrote earlier this year about this. www.MorningstarAdvisor.com,
http://www.morningstaradvisor.com/articles/article.asp?docId=18948
Smallbizlady: Your organization system is based on a specific time frame, Why 7 Minutes?
Allyson Lewis : Partly, because my life changed forever in seven minutes. And, partly because as I was doing research for my book, The Seven Minute Difference I discovered that the attention span of the average adult is very, very short. Different studies on attention have stated that true attention varies from as short as 2 seconds to as long as 20 minutes, and maybe all the way to 90 minutes if you are in the “zone.” With that in mind, our company began to focus on time management and productivity workshops, tips, and tools that you could implement into your life in as little as “7 Minutes.”
Smallbizlady: There will always only be 24 hours in a day, so really what is time management?
Allyson Lewis: Time management is prioritizing. Period. Every minute of your day, you make a decision of what you will choose to do with your time. You choose to focus your attention on a high-priority task that is alignment with what you value, or you choose to squander those precious minutes of the day on low value activities that are not in alignment with what is most important to you. Therefore, the beginning of time management is taking the time to clarify and establish your personal life values or priorities.
Smallbizlady: What is “The 7 Minute Life™?”
Allyson Lewis :The 7 Minute Life™ is a strategy that creates a framework to Prioritize, Organize and Simplify® your life both at work and at home. In my last book, The Seven Minute Difference, we helped people understand how in “7 Minutes” a day they could:
- Prioritize their personal and corporate values
- Rediscover their purpose
- Establish written 90-Day Goals
- Organize their game plan
- and, Simplify their lives down to a few simple actionable items that they will commit to accomplishing every day.
Smallbizlady: What is the best way to clarify and establish personal values?
Allyson Lewis: Initially we recommend our “7 Minute” community members schedule a retreat for themselves. Take a morning or an afternoon to be alone and begin by asking, “What is most important?” Then, take a sheet of paper and list as many values as you can. Many of our consulting clients will end up with a list that includes values such as: faith, family, peace, joy, health, serving, community, love, leaving a legacy, making a difference, meaningful work, learning, growing, creating, and sharing. The key part of this exercise is to step back and look inside your heart and find out what is truly most important to you. Then, look at your calendar and compare your daily activities to what you have just said is most important to you.
Smallbizlady: What is the next step in The 7 Minute Life™?
Allyson Lewis: The next step is helping people discover or re-discover their purpose in life. Take out a blank sheet of paper and a pen and at the top of the page write, “My purpose in life is…” and complete the sentence. We believe purpose is how you serve others, purpose is how you use your gifts and talents to change the world, love is the foundation of purpose. This simple exercise of articulating your purpose can change the entire direction of your life from an inward focus to an outward focus.
Smallbizlady: How is goal-setting related to establishing your priorities and your purpose?
Allyson Lewis: Once you have defined your priorities and established your purpose, then you will create written 90-day goals. You will want to write each goal in present tense as though it has already happened and you will follow each goal with 5 action steps. It is important that you can’t really accomplish a goal – you can only accomplish specific action steps that will draw you closer to reaching your goals. These short-term written goals are a key turning point for many people. When they can identify what they want to accomplish and the action steps to accomplish it – they begin to FEEL new excitement and energy to actually do what they said they will do!
Smallbizlady: What are “7 Minute Micro-Actions?”
Allyson Lewis: After you have your written 90-day goals for your personal life and your business life – it is very easy to translate big goals into what we call “7 Minute Micro-Actions”. A micro-action is a tiny step forward. It is an action that is so easy to accomplish you feel no burden or emotional barrier between what you want to accomplish and what you can actually accomplish. Having a list of a few of these daily micro-actions sets you up for very powerful psychological improvements in your well-being. If you have a list of a few micro-actions that will allow you to become the person you want to become and that are in alignment with your priorities, your purpose and your goals and you accomplish those micro-actions – imagine you will feel? The simple answer is that you will feel GREAT!
Smallbizlady: Talk to us about the importance of having a daily written plan of action.
Allyson Lewis: Time management begins with prioritizing what you want to accomplish each day and then blocking out the appropriate amount of time on your calendar to start and completely finish each task. And, by having a daily written plan of action you will do much more that merely have a vague idea of what you will want to accomplish – you will have a written roadmap. If we choose how we will spend the minutes of our day, a written roadmap will help you make much better decisions.
Smallbizlady: You have created a system of completing your 5 before 11®. What does this mean?
Allyson Lewis: Your 5 before 11® micro-action list is one of the planning activities you will do on a daily basis. Just before you leave the office for the afternoon we encourage you to create a written plan of action. Your 5 before 11® micro-action list will be a prioritized list of the five highest-value activities that you are willing to commit to completing before 11:00 a.m. the next morning. Your life will be radically different if you start every day knowing what five specific action steps you must take that morning in order to get closer to reaching your goals. This process makes every day count.
Smallbizlady: How can entrepreneurs really change their lives “7 Minutes” at a time?
Allyson Lewis: The single best way for entrepreneurs to change their life is take “7 Minutes” at the end of every day to create their 5 before 11® list for the next day. This single idea of identifying the 5 most important action steps and placing them into a daily written plan of action is transforming people’s dreams into tiny micro-actions that they believe they can accomplish. They no longer feel the pressure of having the overwhelming and demoralizing list of 50 tasks that they know they cannot accomplish – rather they walk into their office each morning with a written plan of the 5 most important things they need to do before 11am. And, here’s the difference – because it is only 5, they do it. The 7 Minute Life™ is about DOING what you say you will do.
Smallbizlady: What is the end result of living The 7 Minute Life™?
Allyson Lewis: The end result is that your life is congruent. You spend your time focusing on your faith, your family, using your gifts and talents to change the world, living from a deep understanding of your purpose, finding fulfillment in a job well done, and making a difference in the lives of those closest to you. The 7 Minute Life™ is about discovering meaning. It is about regaining energy and excitement and it is about having the time to love life again. The great paradox of The 7 Minute Life™ is that as we take the time to become more self-aware, we will become less self-directed. Life is a journey. The 7 Minute Life™ breaks down that journey to single steps.
Smallbizlady: What tools have you created for entrepreneurs?
Allyson Lewis: I have been an entrepreneur since I was a child. The word entrepreneur is from the French word entreprendre, which means to undertake. My problem has always been that I want to “undertake” TOO much. I had so many ideas and dreams and goals, that I wasn’t accomplishing any of them. I was driven, but I was distracted. So, I have created concrete processes, tools and repeatable systems to make sure the work I do every day is CONSISTENTLY moving me forward. We have written the book, The Seven Minute Difference: Small Steps for Big Change. And, in July 2010, we released The 7 Minute Life™ Daily Planner that walks you through a system of materials and exercises you can read about here http://bit.ly/dxsbwG. You can find out more information about our books and planners at www.TheSevenMinuteDifference.com; and twelve of our most popular free time managements tools here as well: http://bit.ly/9jtN4L.
If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.
How to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e
Find more tips on starting or growing your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog here – see RSS link to the right.
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. She has been featured on NBC Nightly News, the Tavis Smiley Radio Show, in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur and Black Enterprise Magazine. She hosts #SmallBizChat weekly on Twitter for emerging entrepreneurs and 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)
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 @TheRiseToTheTop, David Siteman Garland on How to Build Buzz for your online Content. After running three companies, and not finding a good resource for small business marketing info out there, Garland founded The Rise To The Top, a local TV show, daily online show, and website rich with content to meet that need: helping entrepreneurs and small business owners learn to market themselves in a fun interactive way. For more information: http://www.therisetothetop.com.
Smallbizlady: If you want to build an online brand what top three things should you do first?
David Siteman Garland: The first thing you need to do is quantify your niche and business model. At the end of the day, you have to make money. Where is it coming from? What is your niche? How broad and specific is it? Do you need money right away or can you moonlight doing this until you make enough income? Do you have a product now or do you want to develop something later?
The second thing you need to do is to setup or have setup for you an interactive website. You can start with a nice, well designed, functional wordpress blog. The key here is to have a design that sticks out. There is way too many poorly designed website out there. Imagine someone is coming to your website and they are a really important member of the media or a potential customer and your site looks like 1992 with a little graphic of a digging man. It isn’t going to fly.
Finally, start trying your hand at creating content. The key here is to create content that is educational, inspirational and/or entertaining. That is what spreads and build your brand. The idea here is to become a trusted resource as opposed to a product pusher.
Smallbizlady: If you decide to create online content, what are your options?
David Siteman Garland: There are lots of options but it all starts with platform, which is your home on the web.
First, play to your strengths and also how your community or potential community likes to consume information.
Video? Audio? Text? Those are the big three you have to choose between or mix ‘em. (you can add in photos as well). Bottom line though is to have a plan and experiment. A good quote from youth speaker Josh Shipp is to assume half your audience is blind and the other half deaf.
Next up is deciding your platform. Will be it be a blog? WordPress? Tumblr? Posterous? Go off your existing website or a new domain?
From there, it goes into researching, implementing and promoting.
Smallbizlady: What is the easiest way to create online content?
David Siteman Garland: There isn’t a magic formula.
However, that being said, there are certain types of content that do really well online: How Tos, Unique Interviews, Tips, Tricks, Lessons, Stories. Anything that is all about the community.
The easiest thing to do is try something. You need far less equipment now than even a few years ago. Text is just a computer and the Internet. Add in a microphone for audio. Add in a pocket camera and you have video.
You can always examine your niche to see what is popular and what other thought leaders are talking about. How? Via searching on Twitter and sites like Alltop.com. You will see the cream of the crop and it should spark ideas on creating content.
Smallbizlady: When should you start developing your online content?
David Siteman Garland: Now! But, first make sure you have somewhere to post it. Your home base. Remember, we are essentially leasing space for free on social media sites. We don’t own them. But we do own our website. It is our real estate.
In my opinion, it is always the right time to start. No need to over think it. You might have a product now or you might develop one in the future.
Smallbizlady: Should brands think like media sources and publishers? Why is that?
David Siteman Garland: Absolutely and this is one of the fundamental concepts that will lead small business owners to success in the future. It used to be your only outlets to attract customers/clients was traditional media, advertising location and other old-school methods.
The web has changed everything.
Sure it takes hard work, but brands have to view themselves as publishers. Their own media source of experts. Bloggers. Video Bloggers. Podcasts. You create your own media and go directly to the consumer with it.
Think about this for a second. Who would you trust more? Someone that is always promoting their product or someone that offers a library full of unique videos, how-to articles, interviews, etc. The part-media source, part-business wins every time. Plus when you are a media source, you are showing your expertise which can lead to traditional and new media coverage.
Smallbizlady: How soon should you start trying to monetize your online content? Should you have a revenue model in mind going in? And do you have any revenue suggestions?
David Siteman Garland: Yesterday (just kidding). But seriously, you can start now on day one. There is an illusion of size online. Meaning, you have to be really, really big to make money from your content. It simply isn’t true. If you got 50 new customers, would you be happy? How about 5? I know, I would. You don’t need hundreds of thousands of people to view your content for you to be successful. Imagine if 1 person engaged with it and that person was the key to millions of dollars and connections. Would you be happy?
I would think of multiple revenue streams and then you don’t have to put all your eggs into one basket. I would say you need to keep revenue in mind early on. Otherwise you have a hobby. That is fine, but at the end of the day, you need money to run a business.
Here are 7 ways to monetize your content:
Smallbizlady: Should you pay for a marketing company, or PR firm to create content for you?
David Siteman Garland: This is one of those tricky situations. In my opinion, no. Why? Because no one knows your content and company better than you.
A PR/Marketing firm might be better suited to help spread your content, bring in partnership opportunities, guest blogging opportunities, etc.
If they are savvy and forward-thinking, they might be able to help with headlines, research and content suggestions.
In the end though, it is best to do it yourself.
Smallbizlady: How do you bring in viewers/readers online?
David Siteman Garland: Great question. And there are many more besides these:
Smallbizlady: What if you don’t want to create online content but still want to get involved with other content creators as advertisers/sponsors/partners?
David Siteman Garland: Two options:
If you absolutely don’t want to create and want to get involved with online content OR you do create and want to leverage the audience of other sites, there is a new trend in content marketing. It is a blend of sponsorship + advertising + PR.
This means perhaps you sponsor a video series, or a series of blog posts. Not simply throwing up a banner ad. You business becomes PART of the content.
Smallbizlady: How should you go about creating content to be promoted on bigger sites?
David Siteman Garland: Use your content as a handshake. Lets say there is a huge site. The first thing I would do is create content related to that site for my niche. For example, lets say you sell soap and want to be featured on Soap.com (made up). I would write an article or create a video promoting Soap.com. Perhaps it would be an article on their top five articles over the past month. Or encouraging your community (big or small) to check them out.
Then, I would reach out to them on social media or email. Introduce yourself and share the link. Ask for nothing. All you are doing is starting a relationship.
I would also make sure to have a presence on their site. Leaving thoughtful comments. Promoting their content on your social media pages. Give love to get love.
Once the relationship is formed, suggest a piece of content. Or even better (and more ambitious), just write or create something (WITHOUT PERMISSION) and send it to them. You would be surprised what might happen!
Smallbizlady: You mention on your blog that there’s a rise in creative paid content. How can entrepreneurs capitalize on this paid content?
David Siteman Garland:
See where I’m going here?
Of course you have to a budget for this, but if you target correctly, it should pay off ten-fold. Would you rather spend hundreds of thousands on a big mass media ad to get 100 customers? Or spend some money maybe a few thousand with a blogger/content creator in your exact niche for the same 100? Or 50? Or 20? Or maybe even 200?
Smallbizlady: Tell us about your model for creative content sponsorships and has it been successful?
David Siteman Garland: We use the model listed here for The Rise To The Top and RISE.
The first rule is simple. We would NEVER EVER promote a product we don’t use, would use, or trust. Unfortunately, we have had to turn many down but we never want to break that trust and bond with our audience.
If a company approaches us with a product/service that is perfect for an entrepreneur, we come back with suggestions. For example, lets say you have a really cool app maker for the iPhone and want to promote it to entrepreneurs and it is a quality product. We might suggest a 3-part video series sponsored by your company. Part 1 might be 5 reasons your company needs an iPhone app. Part 2 might be the 3 ways to promote an pp. Part 3 might be the key mistakes to avoid when making an app.
In each episode the app company will be mentioned, plugged, and they often offer something directly to RISE viewers. For example enter the promo code RISE for 10% off.
We make the content interesting and fun. Then we syndicate it out to our 20,000+ subscribers, social media following, etc.
And as you know, the best thing about online is that it stays up and gets passed around long after the episode comes out. That is good for Google Rankings, sales and more.
Plus, we noticed many traditional media sources come in and spot unique companies and the PR buzz continues up and down the food chain.
Smallbizlady: Do you have any additional tips on how entrepreneurs can benefit from developing online content?
David Siteman Garland: The value is there if you put in the time, energy and at some points money. The biggest thing is patience. This is all a process.
Also, stay in the loop on the latest trends, tricks and resources. It always seems things are getting smarter, faster and cheaper.
The benefits of online content/blogging are limitless. First, it positions you and your company not just as a business but as a thought leader/expert. This can lead to media interviews, partnership opportunities, recruiting opportunities, and more. Plus good ole’ Google loves the content.
Second, you build an audience to spread the word for you. Nothing better than word-of-mouth on steroids.
Third, it is personally rewarding and a lot of fun. More fun is a good thing, right?
Here are two links to content on David’s site that adds even more depth on the topic of content marketing:
If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.
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 was released in March 2010.
#Smallbizchat takes place on Twitter on Wednesdays 8-9pm Eastern. We use tweetgrid.com to conduct the chat.
The target market for #smallbizchat is emerging entrepreneurs 25-54, who are less than five years in business. We try to balance topics on the chat between challenges for start-ups and issues that would challenge a business with 20 or fewer employees.
We have a fantastic don’t miss line up in April!
April 7 Jeff Pulver @jeffpulver Founder and organizer of the #140 Characters Conference will talk about How the State of NOW Has Changed Small Business. Jeff Pulver is the Chairman and Founder of pulver.com, and one of the true pioneers of the VoIP industry. Pulver is a globally renowned thought leader on new media, author and entrepreneur. His blog is well read within high-tech communities around the world. He is the publisher of The Pulver Report and and creator of the industry standard Voice on the Net (VON) events. Additionally Pulver is the founder of Vivox and is the co-founder of VoIP provider, Vonage.
April 14 Lora Kolodny @LoraKolodny New York Times Small Business Blogger on the You’re the Boss Column on the topic: How to Win a Business Plan Competition Lora has been a working journalist in web and print media since 2002. She currently writes You’re the Boss blog for the New York Times online business section, Ecosalon.com the women’s environmental news and lifestyles site, and RecessionWire.com. Previously, she worked on staff as web editor and business reporter at The Hollywood Reporter, and at the Inc. magazine as the Inc. 500 project manager and a staff reporter.
April 21 We’ll celebrate the 1 Year Anniversary of #Smallbizchat with special guest Michael E.Gerber @michaelegerber International Best Selling Author, The E- Myth Revisited Michael E. Gerber is the founder of E-Myth Worldwide, the coaching, training and education firm he created in 1977 to transform the development of small businesses worldwide. Now approaching its 32nd year, Michael E. Gerber’s extraordinary work has achieved stunning results by transforming more than 65,000 businesses worldwide. Gerber is the author of 13 business books, including the mega-bestseller The E-Myth Revisited.
April 28 Wayne Hurlbert @WayneHurlbert will discuss SEO Basics for Your Small Business Website and Content Wayne Hurlbert is an expert in business blogging, search engine optimization SEO, marketing, public relations and entrepreneurship. Launched his first blog in 2003, he is one of the most influential business bloggers today. Wayne’s influence is quiet and unassuming. Yet, he’s influential nonetheless. In fact, he’s been referred to as the “Yoda” of business blogging. He brings to the table great wisdom and sound business advice about using strategic content to grow your business.
How to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e
Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Coach and Social Media Strategist who hosts #SmallBizChat weekly on Twitter. Melinda also publishes a resource blog on small business best practices at www.succeedasyourownboss.com Her first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months was released by Adams Media in March 2010
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 an excerpt from my recent interview with Steve McKee @whengrowthstall on Twitter. Steve Mckee is the author of When Growth Stalls and a columnist for BusinessWeek.com. A marketing strategist for more than two decades, he runs his own firm advertising firm, McKee Wallwork Cleveland, which was recently recognized by Advertising Age as one of ten top small agencies in the nation. For more information or to purchase a book log on to http://www.whengrowthstalls.com/.
Disclosure Note: I was mailed two books to review and to give away on #smallbizchat to prepare for this interview.
SmallBizLady: How did When Growth Stalls come about?
Steve McKee It was actually a fairly serendipitous thing. My firm, which had been named to the Inc. 500 as one of America’s fastest-growing companies, suddenly and inexplicably stalled. We went through a very difficult two-year period of drifting. During that time we commissioned a research study among other Inc. 500 companies to see what we could learn about their ability to maintain growth, and that’s when the lights came on for us, I began sharing the findings in speeches around the country and one thing led to another until the book came out.
SmallBizLady: The book seems well-timed. Did you plan it that way?
Steve McKee The fact that the book came out during the worst recession in our lifetime is pure coincidence. Our original research was completed in 2003 when the economy as a whole was doing just fine. We started the book project in early 2007, and it wasn’t until late that year that things started to go downhill. My publisher did try to move the pub date along once the economy started to tank, but it wasn’t any more planned than that.
SmallBizLady: Has the depth of the current recession impacted your thinking?
Steve McKee Only to reinforce it. Economic factors are the cause most often cited for stalled growth, and that’s happening in spades this year. In fact, my research shows that in an average year between ten and fifteen percent of companies stall. I’ve seen estimates that during this recession as many as nine out of ten companies’ sales are flat or down. Truly unprecedented.
SmallBizLady: You talk about destructive factors that correlate highly with stalled growth. What are they?
Steve McKee There are two main categories—external events, which we call “market tectonics,” and internal dynamics, which are the most insidious and destructive.
SmallBizLady: Let’s start with the externals. What are market tectonics?
Steve McKee We call them market tectonics because just as with plate tectonics in the geological world, when the economic ground starts to shake, it affects every company. Recessions, new technologies, government regulations, competition—every company has to deal with these in one form or another. That’s not to downplay their impact (the current recession being the most powerful case in point), it’s just to say that they’re not unique to any one company. Typically when growth stalls, other things are going on.
SmallBizLady: Which must be the internal dynamics, right? What are they?
Steve McKee They’re what make life really interesting in a stalled growth environment. There are four that we see cropping up over and over when things get rough: a lack of consensus among the management team, a loss of focus in the marketplace, a loss of nerve, and inconsistency. All can do their damage by stealth, which is why they’re so destructive.
SmallBizLady: Lack of consensus sounds a little odd to be the first one. Why is it?
Steve McKee It is odd, but it also tends to be present in virtually every stalled company. There’s this place between autocratic leadership and management by committee (two unworkable management situations) called consensus—some might call it strategic alignment—where healthy companies operate. Because everyone on the management team is a unique individual, we all tend to think a little bit differently about objectives, strategy and tactics. There’s room for some disagreement and lengthy debate when things are going well, but when a company is in decline (and tensions are on the rise) a lack of consensus can grind things to a halt. The reasons I list it first is because until it’s solved, none of the other internal dynamics can be.
SmallBizLady: Loss of focus is #2. Is that common?
Steve McKee Very common. Sometimes successful companies start believing they have the Midas touch and lose their focus, which causes growth to stall. Other times a loss of focus is a response to stalled growth, as companies desperately seek new revenue streams. Either way it can take them way off track.
SmallBizLady: I’m intrigued by the loss of nerve dynamic. Why is that an issue?
Steve McKee Largely because of both of the above. If you’re not sure where you’re going—if you’re not even entirely sure what’s wrong—you tend to get very cautious. The place it manifests itself most often is in the wallet, as stalled companies cut or quit investments in the things that drive business forward—training, innovation, marketing, to name three. That loss of nerve only serves to slow things down further, reinforcing the lack of consensus and creating more pressure that can cause additional focus problems. It can get complicated fast.
SmallBizLady: Factor #4 is inconsistency. Why is consistency so important?
Steve McKee Primarily because it tends to go out the window when growth stalls. And in our over-communicated culture, consistency can be your best friend. Every time a company launches a new initiative or kicks off a new campaign, in some ways it’s starting over. It’s one thing to refresh your advertising along the same lines you’ve been doing for several years; it’s quite another to try to be something in the marketplace you’ve never been before. And since it can take some time to realize marketing effects, companies that need a quick fix tend to lose patience. That only leads to more change as they dig an even deeper hole without even realizing it.
SmallBizLady: since so many companies are so slammed by economic events, can this book really help?
Steve McKee Absolutely. The recession has been terrible, but one way to look at it is as one big tectonic event. It has affected every company, and many (if not most) are now dealing with some or all of the above issues. Those that recognize them and take steps to address them now can actually gain competitive advantage, positioning their companies for greater success as the economy starts to rebound.
SmallBizLady: Any other words of advice?
Steve McKee Yes. Don’t neglect or ignore these issues. They’re real, and they’re terribly destructive. They’re not as easy to see as something that shows up on a P&L, but I guarantee you they’re affecting what that P&L says. Face up to what might be going on psychologically within your company, and don’t be afraid to confront these destructive dynamics. You may never rid your organization of them entirely (not as long as any human beings are involved), but you can keep a lid on them if you remain alert and aware.
If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter. How to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e
For more tips on starting or growing your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog at 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 a Business that Works will be released by Adams Media in March 2010.
Those of you who follow this blog know that I am a serious book lover. Last year, an email from Amazon.com informed that I purchased 118 books over the last 10 years. I was surprised they didn’t send me a coupon
or discount card, but this post is not about customer service.
My love affair with the written word started when I was a little girl. For my birthday, my dad bought me an electric typewriter – and I was hooked. In the eighth grade, I decided that I would be a journalist and by the time I finished high school, I was the assistant editor of the school newspaper. My favorite class in college was editorial writing. Throughout my journalism career, I always wanted to write a book. After more than five years, my goal is finally about to be realized. My first book, Become You Own Boss in 12 Months is to be released by Adams Media in February, 2010.
The road to becoming a published author was not an easy one. The only easy part was to write the first draft. My book went through five drafts in the end. At one point last year when the market crashed, my book was postponed twice. I wasn’t convinced that Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months would ever be published. I was so depressed about my book situation that I banned all family and friends from even asking about it – unless they were willing to hear me whine about the irony that that so many people were being laid off, creating such incredible demand for my book – and yet, my publisher wasn’t rushing it to market.
One day, a friend was walking through a Borders book store and spotted, Get Known Before The Book Deal by Christina Katz. She immediately called and insisted that I buy it online. I wasn’t happy about this…remember, I had banned all book project conversation. But I complied and bought the book – and I cannot thank my girlfriend enough.
Get Known was a great read for me and it came just in time. It changed my attitude about my book, my writing career and my growth strategy for my business. This book helped me to understand three critical points about the book business.
1) I needed to create a built in audience for my book,
2) I needed to build a platform for a business and a book,
3) Book publishers are not interested in making you famous they are interested in capitalizing on the fame you create for yourself.
Last year I read Get Known Before The Book Deal. I was already the @Smallbizlady on Twitter, but I refocused my efforts a bit and launched #SmallBizChat and I developed this blog. The community that has grown out of this has enriched my life and work far beyond what I expected.
I also reached out to Christina Katz to share with her the profound effect her book had on me and on my business. She was so kind and gracious; she actually asked me to send her an early version of my book – which she read in a week and then provided me with a quote for the back cover.
Successful entrepreneurs are lifelong learners. Reading books is just part of the program. You never know when a book can change your entire outlook on your business.
What books have you read that transformed your business?
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! which will be released by Adams Media Feb. 9, 2010.
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What is a Twitterchat? Anyone can use Twitter, but you really are not part of the online community until you have spent some time on a Twitterchat. This post will explain the fundamentals of a Twitterchat.
A Twitterchat is simply an organized group chat that takes place using the Twitter platform. Twitterchats are organized events that occur at a set time. Example: #smallbizchat occurs on Wednesday evenings from 8 to 9 PM Eastern. To participate, you just need to be using Twitter at the assigned time.
What is a Hashtag? A hashtag “#” also known as the “pound sign” always starts with the symbol and then your special word or topic. Mine is # smallbizchat. Hashtags allow you to isolate a conversations using Twitter. The use of a hashtag is how other participants follow the discussion. Participants use an assigned hashtag (say, #smallbizchat) at the end their tweets during the discussion.
People typically use TweetChat.com and Tweegrid.com to participate in #smallbizchat.
You can use regular Twitter to participate in a chat. All you need to do is answer the questions and be sure to use the #hashtag at the end of each answer. I would not advise doing it this way however, the point of participating in a Twitterchat is to interact with the other participants.
What is the format of a Twitterchat? Here are some common formats for chats that I’ve seen:
How do Twitterchats operate? Often the chat organizer or host will set ground rules at the beginning. Typical ground rules might include:
How do I find out what Twitterchats are taking place? There are more than 60 Twitterchats on twitter each week. There are also some that meet less frequently. Some of the most popular chats include #journchat (for journalists and PR folks on Monday nights) #gno (girls night out on Tuesday nights) #brandchat (for branding tips on Wed mornings) #smallbizchat (for small business info on Wednesday nights) #blogchat (all about blogging on Sunday nights).
There are two major calendars that track twitterchats:
How to participate in a Twitterchat? You must have a twitter account. Use the calendars to select a chat you want to participate in.
Each week I release a custom tweetgrid link through my @smallbizlady account on Twitter with the topic to make it easy for my followers to join #smallbizchat.
If someone goes on Tweetgrid.com directly they need to select party mode and manually put in the hashtag for the twitterchat they wish to follow. The great thing about tweetgrid is that it has three columns which allow you to see everything going on real-time.
Tweetchat.com is much simpler to use. You login with your Twitter information and just put in the #hashtag and you will immediately start to see the conversation in that #hashtag.
Check out this link for more information on: How to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e
Tell me about your favorite Twitterchat or if you have ever participated in #smallbizchat tell me what you like about my weekly Twitterchat.
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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