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• Search

This week we decided to try an experiment.

How fast could we get to the top of the search engines using a chosen key phrase?

So Monday evening, February 23rd, we chose the key phrase “growing pink roses in Colorado” to work with. I created a screen shot of Google to show placement and results.

Then on Tuesday morning, February 24th, I created my blog post entitled, “Growing Pink Roses In Colorado”.

From there I started watching Google to find out how quickly my blog post would be posted into Google. And as of this morning, Friday February 27th, I received #1 ranking in Google.

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Do people know what you do?

That may sound like a simple question. But really think about it for a moment.

Do people truly understand what you do? All of it?

I know from personal experience that its sometimes hard to list every single thing you do either on your brochures, on your website, or in your other marketing materials. You might give them a list of the few things you think would be best for them, but you might also leave off a few things you don’t think they are interested in.

Yet the easiest way to bring in money is to sell more to your existing client base.

Here are some ideas for you to start generating new sales just be letting people know what you do.

1. Blog about an existing client. You can highlight their business, talk about the work you’ve done from them, and possible results they’ve had by using your product or service.

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What separates you from your competition?

When you visit your competitions’ websites, can you tell the difference between your site and theirs? (I’m not talking about a few different photographs, and a change of address. Does your site truly look different in your prospects eye?)

The one sure-fire way of stepping away from the crowd is to provide a wide array of content. People need to be able to see and hear the difference. And when you can’t do that in person, its important to put as much into your web presence as possible.

1. Write
Don’t just write a paragraph or two on each of your five pages. Write as if you’re speaking directly with a customer. The average person speaks around 160 words per minute. In a one hour meeting, you would speak around 9,600 words. Use those words to tell people about you and your services.

2. Create a video
Have you ever hired a person because of the way they speak? People resonate with other people because of their speech, their body language, and the way they communicate. The easiest way to get your point across is to create a video for your site or blog. It doesn’t have to be a 60 minute full production. Even just a 2 minute opening can produce amazing results.

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What’s the biggest thing standing in your way of success?

If you’re like most people, I’m sure you can come up with a list of things that are currently holding you back. But ultimately all of it can be lumped into one of two things:

1. I don’t have enough time

2. I don’t have the money

How can you overcome them to be more successful online?

1. We all have a ton of things to do each day. And if you own your own business, that list can seem to grow to a mile long some times. How do you squeeze it all in?

Priorities. What is the most important thing you can do today that will impact your business in the future?

Try this activity. Write down everything you need to accomplish today that will help you build your business. Then prioritize them as a 1, 2 or 3.

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I’ve been on several social sites lately where people have asked the question, “How do I gain traffic to my blog?” So as my Blogging For Business Tip #10, I thought I would include ten simple ways you can gain traffic to your blog.

1. Write quality posts all the time. Yep, I know, I’m a broken record. But regular content is really the key to building up your following. If they get there and you haven’t written in two months, or you only have 10 posts to go through, there’s no reason to stick around.

2. Now that you have blog posts, you need to spread them around the blogosphere. Connect your RSS feed to your accounts in Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.

3. Stay active in your social sites, and your sure to find other bloggers that target similar audiences. When they create a new blog post, head over and make a comment. Not a, “great post” comment. Put some thought into it, and really add to the conversation. The comment will make people want to find out more about you, which they can do by following your link.

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"Is it okay to promote?"

Everyone tells you blogging isn’t about blatant promotion.

"You should be offering great advice to your readers. "

"Offer them something of substance."

But the whole reason you’re online is to do business. Can’t you promote yourself too?

Yes!

Adding a bunch of content is great. The purpose is to provide enough content to prove your expertise, and to develop relationships that enjoy the information you supply.

Online people have a choice. If they don’t like what you do, they have the opportunity to leave. I have many lists of email addresses that I promote to all the time. And occasionally I promote a product, service, or even a special promotion. And yes, I have people leave my lists every time, saying they don’t want to be sold to. 

But think about that for a minute. If you’re offering a ton of quality information on a regular basis, occasionally you have the right to ask for the sale. You have to stay in Read more

Blogging means you can have instant awareness to millions of people. If they like what have to say, it may circulate. If they hate what you have to say, it could be a virtual wildfire.

This past Saturday a new ad was put up on the Motrin site. It was an ad about moms using slings to carry their babies [read the full description here]. Unfortunately they made the assumption that moms use slings to be fashionable, even though it made them tired and crazy.

Moms spoke back. Big time.

Within minutes, bloggers began posting about the video, and how they found it offensive. On Twitter, “motrin” zoomed to the top of the most tweeted subject. That’s the power of online media. [you can follow the #motrin trend on hashtag]

As of Monday morning, the video is gone from the Motrin site, though it will probably live on YouTube Read more

How do you write a perfect blog title?

You can spend hours creating the perfect post. You can write, edit, and edit some more. No matter what you have to say in your post, if your title doesn’t capture attention, no one will ever read it.

A blog title is important because:

• It’s the first thing people see – they make a split decision to keep reading or not.
• Your title becomes your long tail – will it help find you traffic in Google and other search engines?
• Your title feeds into your title tags, and can also help you gain traffic in the search engines.
• It sets up your story. It’s what people see if you are using RSS to announce your information in other places.

Read more

You’re blogging along.

Your blog is new and you enjoy writing.

Then you have another great idea. You start planning an event and a new product.

You take on a new client that requires a lot of time.

And you forget about blogging.

I hear that same scenario again and again.

What about marketing? Do you forget to mail out your postcards when a client keeps you busy? Or do you forget to put your ad together because you’re planning an event? Of course not.

But somehow blogging is different because it takes time. When really all it comes down to is time management.

Remember, the best thing about your blog is the calendar feature – you can release a new blog post whenever you like – just change the time and date.

Two strategies that work well.

1. One day a week write several blog posts and post date them. If Monday mornings are quiet, schedule an hour or two and write.

2. Set up your days with writing ideas. Maybe Monday is "How To" day. Tuesday is "Find A Resource" day. Wednesday is "Practical Tip" day. Thursday is "Case Study" day. And Friday is "Inspiration" day.

The important thing is to create your system ahead of time, and know what it takes to get the job done. 

photo source mandj98

What a weekend!

I spent the last few days attending a blogging and social networking convention – the IZEAFest – in Orlando, and brought home a strategy of where I’ll be taking my blogs in the future. It was eye opening to me to discover I’m doing so much right [or at least doing what some of the most successful bloggers in the industry are doing] and also to pick up a few refining details that are going to make the next four months of 2008 even more successful.

So, if you have a blog, what are the basic strategies you should have in place to make it all a success?

1. Never settle for what you currently have. There are always ways to make what you have even better, work to achieve greater success, and find different more efficient ways of doing what you are doing.

2. Don’t be afraid. Unfortunately, much of what is out there today can seem a bit overwhelming. It’s easier to not do anything, and take no action than to try something new and risk failing. Failing is what brought many of today’s most successful bloggers their greatest successes.

3. Focus on your readers, not on Google. If you’ve ever worried about what makes Google happy, quit worrying. Instead find what makes your readers happy. Give them the content they want, and the information they are searching for. If you can get readers to follow you regularly, Google will follow.

4. Create a strategy. Why are you starting this blog? What is its ultimate purpose? What is your exit strategy? The more you have in place up front, the easier it will be to create over time.

5. Become hyperconnected. Be everywhere. Instead of having one or two sites, and maybe one or two social sites you’re active on, be everywhere. Your clients have different likes, different interests, and different searching patters. If you have a presence where they are looking, you’ll gain clients. Its as simple as that. 

Above all, be true to your readers. Your readers don’t care if you make money, don’t care about your business, or care about off-topic issues. They look to you for one reason – what you started your blog on in the first place. Give them what they want, and you’ll find success.

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