This week on #Smallbizchat LIVE our show featured three guests: How to Attract Corporate Sponsorship with Linda Hollander,@wealthybaglady, How to Effectively Market Your Business with John Jantsch, @ducttape, and YouTube Changes: How Your Small Business Can Continue to Leverage Videos for Profits with Burton Kelso, @BurtonKelso.
I pulled three of the best questions from each of them to share with you. Every third Wed of the month, Smallbizchat LIVE is broadcast on my SmallBizLady Facebook Page, YouTube channel and on Twitter @SmallBizLady.
Linda Hollander is the leading expert in corporate sponsorships. She is the CEO of Sponsor Concierge which helps business owners profit from the awesome power of corporate sponsors. She has 20 years of experience in business. Her corporate sponsors have included Microsoft, Citibank, Fed Ex, Health Net, American Airlines, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Staples, Wal Mart and IBM. She is the author of Corporate Sponsorship in 3 Easy Steps: Get Funding from Sponsors, Event if You’re Just Starting Out. For more info www.sponsorconcierge.com
SMALLBIZLADY: How can people identify their potential corporate sponsors?
Linda Hollander: There are a few different ways. Monitor the media, look at what other people are doing and who their sponsors are, use social media to keep track of brands your want to target and buy sponsor directories.
SMALLBIZLADY: What are corporate sponsors looking for?
Linda Hollander: Demographics are your destiny with sponsors. The more you know about your audience, and can prove your level of engagement with that audience, the more appealing you’ll be to a corporate sponsor. The definition of sponsorship is connecting a company to people who buy things.
SMALLBIZLADY: What’s the biggest mistake most people make when pursuing corporate sponsors?
Linda Hollander: One big mistake is pricing too low. Another is not promising deliverables. Vagueness is the enemy of success with sponsors. The last mistake is submitting a sponsor proposal that is not industry-standard.
John Jantsch is a marketing consultant, speaker and author of Duct Tape Marketing, Duct Tape Selling, The Commitment Engine and The Referral Engine and the founder of the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network. His latest book, SEO for Growth – The Ultimate Guide for Marketers, Web Designers, and Entrepreneurs, is changing the way the world thinks about SEO. For more info www.seoforgrowth.com
SMALLBIZLADY: What’s the best way to attract clients?
John Jantsch The absolute best way is to promise to solve the most pressing problems your ideal clients have – here’s a hint – it has very little to do with what you sell – they don’t want what you sell unless it solves their problems
SMALLBIZLADY: How can you determine what those problems are?
John Jantsch The easiest way is to ask your clients. And, if you have reviews, pay very close attention to the words and phrases that get repeated – there’s a good chance you’ll learn what problems your business solves
SMALLBIZLADY: How should I keep up with all of the changing new channels and networks?
John Jantsch Here’s the good news – maybe you shouldn’t. Just because people are talking about Twitter or FB advertising, it doesn’t mean it’s right for your business. Figure out who your ideal clients are and where they get their information and stick to getting your message heard and read there instead of jumping into every new marketing tactic.
Burton Kelso is the Chief Technology Expert at Integral and frequent TV tech expert. His vision is to remove the frustrations and complexity of computers and technology and open people up to a world of new ideas, experiences, and opportunities. He loves technology and helping people get the most out of their digital lives. For more info: www.integralcomputerconsultants.com
SMALLBIZLADY: What can Small Businesses Do to Stay Relevant on YouTube?
Burton Kelso: Small Businesses should focus on creating content that will continue to educate, enlighten, and entertain people. It’s unfortunate that it’s harder for small businesses to monetize YouTube videos, but the primary focus for creating videos for YouTube is to create a site where your customers and potential customers can go to learn more about you and your brand. Your YouTube channel should be a place that validates what you claim to be.
SMALLBIZLADY: YouTube has made several changes to its service in 2018. What are these changes?
Burton Kelso: In January, made changes to their algorithms in an effort to prevent people from ‘cheating’ to monetize the videos their post to their channels. Over the years, more and more people have turned to creating YouTube Videos as a way to generate income, turning YouTubing into it’s own industry. YouTube made these changes, because they want to keep their service entertaining and appealing to people. They want to dissuade people from uploading ‘junk’ videos and encourage people to create genuine videos that will attract users. Simply put, if you create videos that attract people, then YouTube will reward you.
SMALLBIZLADY: Should Small Businesses be surprised by these changes with the algorithm?
Burton Kelso: No, they shouldn’t. YouTube makes several hundred changes to their algorithm every year. Like Facebook, YouTube has transformed to a company that wants to cater to wealthy, larger companies rather than solo and small business. The goal of both services is to generate money and the constantly changing algorithms reflect that.
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