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	<title>Small Business Marketing Weekly</title>
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	<link>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com</link>
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		<title>How to write and publish ebooks &#8220;lens&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/how-to-write-and-publish-ebooks-lens/</link>
		<comments>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/how-to-write-and-publish-ebooks-lens/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:23:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>BigJim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[write and publish ebooks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/?p=151</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I  just launched a &#8220;lens&#8221; at Squidoo about How to write and publish ebooks &#8212; I&#8217;ll keep you posted on how I do with it Here&#8217;s a taste of my first post: Many authors think they need a &#8220;publisher&#8221; for their ebook in order to make any money. Nothing could be further from the truth. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I  just launched a &#8220;lens&#8221; at Squidoo about <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-write-publish-ebooks">How to write and publish ebooks</a> &#8212; I&#8217;ll keep you posted on how I do with it <img src='http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>Here&#8217;s a taste of my first post:</p>
<p>Many authors think they need a &#8220;publisher&#8221; for their ebook in order to  make any money. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, having  a &#8220;publisher&#8221; could actually hamper your sales and leave you making a  lot LESS money than you otherwise could with a little knowledge.</p>
<p>First, let&#8217;s define &#8220;published.&#8221; To me, &#8220;published&#8221; means:</p>
<p>1. Your ebook is available for sale to anyone who wants to buy it.</p>
<p>2. People can automatically get your ebook when they pay for it (no interaction by you).</p>
<p>3. You get paid automatically for each sale you make.</p>
<p>If that is the definition of &#8220;published&#8221; then you have 2 main options  for getting your ebook up for sale. I suggest doing BOTH of them (not  one or the other).</p>
<p>Get the rest here at Squidoo =&gt; <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-write-publish-ebooks">How to write and publish ebooks</a></p>
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		<title>Online Business Then and Now (1997-2011)</title>
		<link>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/then-and-now/</link>
		<comments>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/then-and-now/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 27 Feb 2011 18:58:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>BigJim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/?p=138</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I stood in the lobby of a conference where I spoke recently when an attendee walked up and asked me a seemingly innocent question. “With all the competition online, do you think it’s easier or harder to start an online business now, or back when you got started?” The person asking the question seemed to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I stood in the lobby of a conference where I spoke recently when an attendee walked up and asked me a seemingly innocent question. “With all the competition online, do you think it’s easier or harder to start an online business now, or back when you got started?” The person asking the question seemed to feel as though they’d waited too long to add digital marketing to their business and had fallen too far behind their competitors. But when I broke it down for them in the following manner, they realized it’s never too late to start getting business online.</p>
<p><strong>Web Hosting &amp; Domain Names<br />
 </strong>In 1997, I paid $125 per month for 10MB of web space and shelled out $100 per year to register 1 domain. In 2011, you can <span id="more-138"></span>get unlimited hosting space for $6.99 per month and pay $12 for 1 domain for a year. ** Winner**: 2011</p>
<p><strong>Website Design<br />
 </strong>I bought FrontPage &#8217;98 back in 1997 and spent about 200 hours learning how to make a good, basic website. That learning curve was not for the faint of heart. In 2011, with the FREE WordPress software and numerous free themes (templates) I can have a website up literally with 2 to 5 clicks of a mouse. ** Winner**: 2011<br />
 <strong>Website Traffic<br />
 </strong>No website can survive without targeted website traffic. Back in 1997, your only options were Yahoo! (Google who?), banner ads, and search engine optimization voo-doo. The going was slow, expensive, and very confusing. In 2011, you have about 30+ legitimate strategies for getting real traffic to your website, including Google, Bing, Yahoo!, blogs, social media, and more. ** Winner**: 2011<br />
 <strong>Consumer Acceptance<br />
 </strong>In 1997, half the battle in selling online was explaining to people it was safe to buy online. Every other media story you saw was about an online world fraught with danger and peril the instant you entered your credit card details. Fast-forward to 2011 and people spend more online than the Gross National Product of some countries! Bottom line: when my mom buys stuff online, you know we’ve crossed a threshold of acceptance! ** Winner**: 2011</p>
<p><strong>Taking Payments</strong></p>
<p>Ask anyone who sold online back in 1997 how difficult it was to take online payments. You needed an act of Congress to get a merchant account that allowed you to process online payments, while the fees, holdback, and threat of frozen accounts were insane. Now, in 2011, anyone can legitimately process virtually unlimited amounts of transactions using PayPal with no credit check or holdback. Also, many credit card processors now chomp at the bit to get a piece of the online pie and make it very easy to get a merchant account to hook up to your website. ** Winner**: 2011</p>
<p><strong>Easy Tools &amp; Technology</strong></p>
<p>Back in 1997, you had three things you could use to build your online presence: text, graphics, and html. That was it! You could put text and pictures on a page, and you were dang happy to do that without staying up until 2 o’clock in the morning to get it done!</p>
<p>Now, the tools to do insanely cool stuff online get taken for granted! Mobile media, website audio and video, social media, blogging, and more get done with a few clicks of a mouse. The first full-motion video I ever put online took me almost 20 hours of work to figure out how to get it done and posted. Now, with a $40 Kodak “Mini” and YouTube, you can get a video recorded, posted, and playing on your website in less than 15 minutes! ** Winner**: 2011</p>
<p><strong>Bottom line: </strong>It&#8217;s easier now to get started than ever before in the history of the Web. It’s easier to get a website up and running. It’s simpler and cheaper to get targeted traffic. And, you don&#8217;t have to explain to every other person who buys from you that it&#8217;s safe to shop online. With a great idea and the right skills and tools, it’s faster and easier to succeed online than ever before!</p>
<p><strong>&#8220;What if you had to begin again or start over from scratch?&#8221;<br />
 ==&gt; <a href="http://www.thenetreporter.com">New Webinar Shows You Step By Step Exactly What I Would Do!</a></strong></p>
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		<title>Quick &amp; Easy Info-Marketing Secrets for Small Business</title>
		<link>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/info-marketing-secrets/</link>
		<comments>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/info-marketing-secrets/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Feb 2011 15:01:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>BigJim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/?p=133</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you ever wondered why people published books, CDs or DVDs? How about articles, podcasts or blog posts? Traditionally, authors don’t get rich selling books or CDs (the average business book sells less than 1,500 copies). Authors, especially business-people who author books, made their money because their book attracted new customers or their CD made [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Have you ever wondered why people published books, CDs or DVDs?</p>
<p>How about articles, podcasts or blog posts?</p>
<p>Traditionally, authors don’t get rich selling books or CDs (the  average business book sells less than 1,500 copies). Authors, especially  business-people who author books, made their money because their book  attracted new customers or their CD made a nice gift or back-end sale to  existing customers.</p>
<p>However, now in this age of print-on-demand and Internet digital  download distribution, any small business (retail, service, or  profession) can use info-marketing to both attract new customers AND  make a nice tidy profit at the same time.<span id="more-133"></span></p>
<p>For those that don’t know, info-marketing is basically selling  information. You package and sell the information either as a  stand-alone product (book, CD, DVD, ebook, MP3, etc), or in conjunction  with the sale of another product or service as a premium, bonus or  up-sell.</p>
<p>For example, a piano seller might include videos on the proper care  of your piano to get years of service, or a financial planner might give  away copies of their book on how to invest intelligently for  retirement.</p>
<p>Frankly, the possibilities are almost endless.</p>
<p>When trying to decide how to apply info-marketing to your business,  examining these two areas first make it quick and easy to see the  possibilities, even if you’ve never previously published as much as a  single article.</p>
<p><strong>Questions / Mistakes</strong></p>
<p>What are the most frequently asked questions people have about what you do or what you sell?</p>
<p>What mistakes do you see people make repeatedly, either before or after they buy from you?</p>
<p>Take some time and write these down on a simple sheet of paper. If  you don’t know the questions people have, ask your customers what their  biggest questions are about what you do or your area of expertise. Then,  sit down and answer these questions either by typing them out or  recording the answers into a microphone or video camera.</p>
<p>You can publish the answers and then give them away to new or  existing customers and sell your new info-product(s) to generate new  leads.</p>
<p><strong>What’s Your Problem?</strong></p>
<p>Most people buy to solve a problem. They’re hungry, they buy food.  Their back hurts when they wake up, they buy a mattress. They find moles  in their backyard, they buy something to whack the moles.</p>
<p>You’ve heard the phrase “Get all the facts before you buy.” Well, you  can be the one who provides the facts and then they buy from you!</p>
<ul>
<li>If you sell mattresses, create the buyer’s guide to getting a new mattress.</li>
<li>If you sell houses to first-time buyers, create the first-time home buyer’s guide to getting a great deal on your first house.</li>
<li>If you’re a plumber, create a guide on 5 simple ways to keep your pipes from freezing.</li>
</ul>
<p>All of these would position you as an expert and draw people to your business.</p>
<p>Creating your own info-product now rates easier than ever. When I  published my first audio product back in 1995, I had to order 1,000  copies of the tape (NOT cheap and very risky for an experiment). Now you  can publish an audio CD using $49 software and Kunaki.com to duplicate  them one at a time for under $2. Self-publishing a book used to take  years and cost tens-of-thousands of dollars. Now you can do it for free  at CreateSpace.com.</p>
<p>Every small business should have at least one info-product to use as a  bonus gift for existing customers. But, once you get bitten by the  info-marketing bug and start to see the possibilities for generating new  customers and profit streams, you’ll probably have an entire lineup of  your own info-products for sale in no time flat!</p>
<p><a href="http://easyhowtovideos.com/72-hour-products/"><strong>“How To Create Your Own Unique Products That Your Niche Really Wants<br />
 In As Little As 72 Hours… So You Can Make More Money!”</strong></a><br />
 <a href="http://easyhowtovideos.com/72-hour-products/"><strong>Click Here Now For All The Details</strong></a></p>
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		<title>5 Biggest “To-Do List” Mistakes Small Business People Make</title>
		<link>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/5-biggest-to-do-list-mistakes/</link>
		<comments>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/5-biggest-to-do-list-mistakes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Jan 2011 17:41:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>BigJim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Time Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[time management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[to do list]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/?p=128</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ask any small business owner their number one desire on a daily basis, and many will tell you they need to get a handle on their seemingly endless to-do list. In fact, in a recent online survey, small business owners ranked feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of their day-to-day activities as a major source [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Ask any small business owner their number one desire on a daily basis, and many will tell you they need to get a handle on their seemingly endless to-do list. In fact, in a recent online survey, small business owners ranked feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of their day-to-day activities as a major source of stress. The good news is that, with a few tweaks, the tried-and-true pen and paper to-do list can once again become your ally in efficiency, providing you learn to avoid the 5 biggest “to-do list” mistakes small business owners make.<span id="more-128"></span></p>
<p><strong> To-Do List Mistake #1 &#8211; No Action List</strong></p>
<p>Do you ever try to make it through the day remembering everything you need to get done? Do you invest more mental energy in recalling what to do than in actually doing it? When it comes to getting things done, keeping everything as a list in your head rates as one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make. You devote all your time and mental energy trying to remember everything you need to get done, instead of taking action.</p>
<p>Also, trying to keep everything “in mind” easily leads to confusion and feelings of overwhelm because you focus on trying to remember what to do next instead of focusing on the task at hand. If you don’t operate with an action list, you create needless struggle for yourself and those around you.</p>
<p><strong>To-Do List Mistake #2 &#8211; Over-load/ Under-load</strong></p>
<p>Most people start out trying to accomplish too much in a single day. They rest up over the weekend and wake up Monday morning ready to tackle the world. They list off the 10 things they know they can get done to start the week out right &#8212; and then crash and burn by 4:00 p.m. Monday!</p>
<p>On the other hand, other people greatly underestimate how much they can accomplish during the week and arrive at Friday evening with less done than they otherwise could with some basic planning and pacing. The solution: plan out 2-4 activities a day in addition to your regular duties and then adjust your pace based on size and complexity of the tasks.</p>
<p><strong>To-Do List Mistake #3 &#8211; No “At-a-Glance” List</strong></p>
<p>I know people who operate with 6-page to-do lists and think they can get everything done. They may believe that, but their results prove otherwise. Smart people organize their to-do’s by maintaining 2 simple lists at the same time. The first list serves as the “master” list, which lists off all the actions and results necessary for a successful outcome, whether over time, or for a specific project.</p>
<p>The second list is the “at-a-glance” list of what you need to get done today, this morning, or this afternoon. This working list contains no more than 2 to 4 immediate action items, does NOT require any fancy software, and keeps feelings of overwhelm at bay because you’re focused on things you can get done relatively quickly . All you need is a pen, paper, and maybe a calendar (and Google’s free online calendar works just fine for this).</p>
<p><strong> To-Do List Mistake #4 &#8211; No &#8220;Closed Door&#8221; time</strong></p>
<p>How can you get anything done if you&#8217;re constantly interrupted? What kind of example do you set for others if you can’t control your own to-do list? Everyone needs some “closed-door” time to catch up on action items and refocus. Schedule an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon, put it on your calendar, and allow yourself enough time to get into a groove.  Hold this time sacred, which means no calls (unless you make them), no walk-ins, and no chitchat time. Use these two hours to handle the important items that always seem to take a back seat to the urgent fires that pop up endlessly over the course of any day.</p>
<p><strong> To-Do List Mistake #5 &#8211; No Marketing Time Scheduled Daily </strong></p>
<p>No matter what you do, every small business needs more sales and customers through the front door. Sadly, very few consistently schedule marketing activities into their day, let alone make marketing an integral part of their to-do list. Schedule a “Marketing Power Hour” at least 3 times a week to concentrate on new marketing activities.</p>
<p>Ideally, we should all devote at least one hour a day to new marketing activities, finding new marketing avenues, new advertising sources, and testing new angles to attract customers. In the end, marketing activities should be the most valuable items on every small business owner’s to-do list.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p>For more Small Business Marketing tips from the <br />
 Real world of Digital Marketing, log on to <br />
 “<a href="http://www.smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/"><strong>Small Business Marketing Weekly</strong></a>” at<br />
 =&gt; <a href="http://www.smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/">http://www.SmallBusinessMarketingWeekly.com</a></p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
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		<title>5 Ways To Dominate Page 1 of Google</title>
		<link>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/5-ways-top-google/</link>
		<comments>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/5-ways-top-google/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:36:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>BigJim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/?p=119</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ask any website owner what they want when it comes to their website’s success and 9 out of 10 will tell you they want “Page 1 of Google!” Why? Because according to Google, the #1 listing for any particular keyword search gets 40% of all the Google traffic connected with that search. Eighty percent of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Ask any website owner what they want when it comes to their website’s success and 9 out of 10 will tell you they want “Page 1 of Google!” Why? Because according to Google, the #1 listing for any particular keyword search gets 40% of all the Google traffic connected with that search. Eighty percent of all U.S. Internet users utilize Google and “Page 1” holds the keys to more traffic and visitors every website needs to survive.</p>
<p>Most people think making Google’s front page is complicated. It’s not. In fact, these 5 methods help you make it to the top on Google faster than you might even think possible.<span id="more-119"></span></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>#1 &#8211; Google Local</strong></p>
<p>If you own a local business, this path to Google’s front page is a no-brainer. Google knows that approximately 50% of all searches are for local businesses in a specific area, so they want your relevant listing. You can add your local listing at <a href="http://google.com/local/add" target="_blank">Google.com/local/add</a> for free. This method rates extremely important for everyone who sells locally and will grow in importance in the coming months.</p>
<p><strong>#2 &#8211; Google AdWords</strong></p>
<p>Those ads on the right side of the search results page made Google’s founders billionaires. You can leverage those ads to get hundreds of targeted visitors to your sites. With AdWords, you only pay when someone clicks your ad. This means you can target your ads to appear only when people type in specific keyword searches and then deliver them to specific landing pages on your site which you’ve optimized for those keywords. Doing this increases conversion and lowers advertising costs per sale. By the way, if you advertise a local service, make sure to include your town or city location in every keyword you target.</p>
<p><strong>#3 &#8211; Google Adwords &#8220;Geo Targeted&#8221;</strong></p>
<p>“Geo-Targeted” ads mean you target broad keywords, but only display those ads to people who type in the term in specific geographical regions. For example, a Realtor might specify their ad to show every time someone typed in “houses for sale,” but only if the person searching was physically located in Williamsburg, VA or Los Angeles. Combine this with regular Google AdWords and you can hit a much larger percentage of people searching online while still keeping a tight target on results.</p>
<p><strong>#4 &#8211; Google Free Listings</strong></p>
<p>Most website owners think of the free listings when they envision getting on the front page of Google. The listings on the left, often called “organic” search, show up in the top 10 because of a combination of factors. These factors include keywords in your domain name, the theme of your site, relevant content on specific pages of your site, and incoming links to your site.</p>
<p>For example, a real estate agent might have a site about Williamburg Real Estate. Individual pages on that site would each give specific information about neighborhoods, schools, etc. Incoming links to the site from other domains contain words and phrases that relate to those specific pages.</p>
<p>Though it might sound complicated, the easiest way to get a site set up to do this automatically is to publish it using the WordPress content management system, which is free!</p>
<p><strong>#5 &#8211; Leverage Other Top 10 Sites</strong></p>
<p>A neat little trick not one in a thousand website owners thinks about is buying advertising on other websites, yet they’re ripe with opportunity. Do a search on Google for the terms you want to appear under and then click through to the sites appearing in the top 10. While on their sites, see if they accept or display advertising from third parties. Look for phrases like “Google Ads,” or “Advertise with us,” or “Advertising.”</p>
<p><strong>My experience shows that at least 1 in 10 sites in virtually every top 10 search gives you a chance to buy a link or ad. This provides instant leverage of Google’s front page because you’re using someone else’s site!</strong></p>
<p>Once you understand the process, finding ways to make your site appear or get links onto the front page of Google rates extremely simple. The key is to take a systematic approach and get your traffic from multiple avenues.</p>
<p>For more Small Business Marketing tips from the <br />
 Real world of Digital Marketing, log on to <br />
 “<a href="http://www.smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/"><strong>Small Business Marketing Weekly</strong></a>” at<br />
 =&gt; <a href="http://www.smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/">http://www.SmallBusinessMarketingWeekly.com</a></p>
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		<title>The “Magic” Formula For More Online Sales?</title>
		<link>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/formula-more-online-sales/</link>
		<comments>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/formula-more-online-sales/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Dec 2010 15:11:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>BigJim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/?p=110</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The “Magic” Formula For More Online Sales? -By Jim Edwards -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- It’s a fact! We all need to save as much time as possible at every turn we take, especially as business owners. Whether writing ads or streamlining back-office procedures, we all want to find patterns we can depend on to produce predictable results, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-</strong></p>
<p><strong>The “Magic” Formula For More Online Sales?<br />
 </strong>-By Jim Edwards</p>
<p><strong>-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-</strong></p>
<p>It’s a fact! We all need to save as much time as possible at every  turn we take, especially as business owners. Whether writing ads or  streamlining back-office procedures, we all want to find patterns we can  depend on to produce predictable results, especially when it comes to  generating more sales. It’s been said that we are “creatures of habit.”</p>
<p>I disagree!</p>
<p>We are actually creatures of “pattern,” especially patterns we can  repeat over and over to get results. Bottom line: if you want to get  more done in less time, start discovering and recognizing the most  highly leveraged “magic formulas” you can apply to your own business  right now.</p>
<p>Here’s another fact: every business needs<span id="more-110"></span> more sales. I don’t care if  you run a neighborhood grocery or a multi-billion dollar oil company,  you need more sales! So if you want to make more sales in less time,  your salvation lies in using sales formulas proven to work.</p>
<p><strong>Sales Copy Formulas</strong></p>
<p>The first area where formulas can transform your business is with  your sale copy writing. No matter whether you advertise online, in  newspapers, on TV / Radio, or via direct mail, you must create  compelling sales messages.</p>
<p>One of the easiest ways to create those messages is to use formulas proven to work predictably.</p>
<p>To see examples of successful formulas in action, look no further  than the last advertisement that enticed you to spend money. If you look  closely, you’ll see specific patterns in the headline, body copy, and  call to action which you can model in your own business communication.</p>
<p><strong>Sales Talk &amp; Video Formulas</strong></p>
<p>In-person selling is another area where having a pattern or formula  to follow will greatly speed your ability to get results. Knowing what  to say, when to say it, and how to say it makes selling much easier than  “winging it” every time you make a presentation.</p>
<p>To find the magic formula in your sales talk, just think back to the  best presentation you’ve ever done, isolate the main parts, and then  just do it that same way again.</p>
<p>If you’re new to sales, model what you see others doing to gets  results.  You can also use these formulas to create videos on your  website that enable you to do your talk perfectly one time and then use  it repeatedly as online video.</p>
<p><strong>Sales Website Formulas</strong></p>
<p>All good sales websites follow a pattern or formula, often explained  using the acronym AIDA, which stands for attention, interest, desire,  and action.</p>
<p>You grab people’s attention (with a headline or catchy product  title), you build their interest in what you offer (with bullets  describing what the product does), you build interest with case studies  or descriptions, and then you drive people to buy, call, or sign up.</p>
<p>Another sales website formula follows the “problem-agitate-solve”  pattern where you describe the problem they face, make it immediate and  intense, and then present your product or service as the solution they  need.</p>
<p>Regardless of which sales formula you use online, the key is to use a  proven formula that walks people through the necessary steps to make a  purchase decision with the least amount of effort.</p>
<p>Bottom line: successful sales formulas surround us, even in this  economy. Keep your eyes open and your mind tuned for patterns you can  use and adapt to make more sales in your own business.</p>
<p><strong>For more Small Business Marketing tips from the <br />
 Real world of Digital Marketing, log on to <br />
 “<a href="http://www.smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/">Small Business Marketing Weekly</a>” at<br />
 =&gt; <a href="http://www.smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/">http://www.SmallBusinessMarketingWeekly.com</a></strong></p>
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		<title>Social Media and Small Business</title>
		<link>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/social-media-small-business/</link>
		<comments>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/social-media-small-business/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 31 Oct 2010 15:35:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>BigJim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[linkedin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media and Small Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/?p=101</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Unless you’ve been hunkered under a rock or in the back of a cave, you’ve at least heard the term “social media.” Depending on your perspective, social media either represents the fall of western civilization or the perfect marriage of people and technology. The term “social media” actually refers to 4 specific types of tools. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Unless you’ve been hunkered under a rock or in the back of a cave, you’ve at least heard the term “social media.” Depending on your perspective, social media either represents the fall of western civilization or the perfect marriage of people and technology.</p>
<p>The term “social media” actually refers to 4 specific types of tools.</p>
<p>The first type, “social connection sites” like Facebook and Linked In, allow users to make, share, build, and interact with social contacts online.</p>
<p>The second type, “social stream of consciousness&#8221; sites like<span id="more-101"></span> Twitter, allow users to share their thoughts quickly and easily (regardless if anyone actually cares).</p>
<p>The third type of tool, “social bookmarking” sites such as Digg.com and Delicious.com, let users share and rate individual sites and other media.</p>
<p>The fourth type of social media tool involves sites like Kongregate.com or games such as Farmville which contain “social features” to link users together.</p>
<p>In theory, users of social media link up, interact, and use the sites and tools as their creators intended. And, if your intentions are strictly about keeping up with friends or professional contacts you actually know in the real world, you can easily use social media to do just that. However, once you try to go beyond just networking with people you know (and the people they actually know), the world of social media gets murky fast. Though powerful and effective when used correctly, social media quickly becomes a never-ending rabbit hole of time, energy, and effort, especially for small business owners.</p>
<p>If you want to use social media to build your small business, keep the following in mind at all times.</p>
<p><strong>Create Dialogue</strong></p>
<p>Most businesses mistakenly use social media as a one-way communication tool. In fact, this represents the core mistake anyone makes with social media. You must use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to create a real dialogue – a real exchange of communication. To do that, you can’t follow 20,000 people or have 50,000 friends. Bottom line, if the communication isn’t authentic, you’re fooling yourself that it’s actually worth doing in the first place.</p>
<p><strong>Gather Intelligence</strong></p>
<p>Members of your target audience hold the key to your success, not the other way around. Use social media communication to get direct input from people on your products and services. Get them to tell you their hopes, fears and problems and, more importantly, how you can help them. While building your following, you can use social media search tools (like <a href="https://twitter.com/search">twitter.com/search</a>) to spot trends and problems you can solve.</p>
<p><strong>Watch Your Time</strong></p>
<p>Most of what you need to accomplish with Facebook and Twitter can happen in less than 15-20 minutes per day. Any more time than that is a waste of precious time. Until and unless you can track business directly to your social media activities, keep a tight rein on you time.</p>
<p><strong>Share Value &amp; Fun</strong></p>
<p>The number one reason anyone sends their friends or comes back to you themselves is because of value. Always remember: nobody really cares about you and your business, they only care about what your business can do <em>for</em> them.  Share information and news others can use and you’ll build a list of meaningful contacts. Put out a stream of useless drivel or “quotes of the day” and you might as well not even sign up for a Twitter account.</p>
<p>Bottom line: social media tools are just that, tools. You will not get rich overnight just because you signed up for a Twitter account, nor will you get inundated with business because you hang out a shingle on LinkedIn. You can, however, experience real results if you use these sites as originally intended: to create meaningful connections with real people.</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p>For more Small Business Marketing tips from the <br />
 Real world of Digital Marketing, log on to <br />
 “<a href="http://www.smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/"><strong>Small Business Marketing Weekly</strong></a>” at<br />
 =&gt; <a href="http://www.smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/">http://www.SmallBusinessMarketingWeekly.com</a></p>
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		<title>9 Instant Uses for Screen Capture Video in Your Online Business</title>
		<link>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/9-instant-uses-screen-capture-video/</link>
		<comments>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/9-instant-uses-screen-capture-video/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:39:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>BigJim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Video Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[easy screen capture video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[screen cam video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[screen capture video]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/?p=96</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a follow up to a recent article on how small businesses can use screen capture video, I thought it appropriate to share even more options for putting the power of screen capture video to work online. Screen capture video truly is the fastest way to create content, training programs, and marketing materials for the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As a  follow up to a recent article on how small businesses can use screen  capture video, I thought it appropriate to share even more options for  putting the power of screen capture video to work online. Screen capture  video truly is the fastest way to create content, training programs,  and marketing materials for the online world.</p>
<p><strong> 1. Affiliate Promo Videos<br />
 </strong>One of the fastest ways to make money online is to sell other  people&#8217;s products as an affiliate, and specifically sell other people&#8217;s  software. Use screen capture video to demonstrate how to use the  software, and then refer people through your affiliate link. You can  also <span id="more-96"></span>make &#8220;features and benefit videos&#8221; where you simply list off all  the reasons someone should buy a product, and then refer them through  your affiliate link.</p>
<p><strong>2. Software Demonstrations<br />
 </strong>Use screen capture video to demonstrate your software as part of the  sales process. If you don&#8217;t own software you can sell, you can still  demonstrate how to get a specific result using virtually any software  and then make money charging for the training you create.</p>
<p><strong>3. PowerPoint<br />
 </strong>Use screen capture video to create PowerPoint Video sales Letters  that massively shorten the sales copywriting process. You can also  convert virtually any PowerPoint presentation used for offline training  into an online tool using screen capture video.</p>
<p><strong>4. Video Marketing<br />
 </strong>Posting videos to sites like YouTube, Vimeo, and other niche video  sites makes a great way to get traffic, increase search engine ranking,  and gain expert status. With Camtasia&#8217;s YouTube settings, you can create  and upload effective online videos with just a few clicks.</p>
<p><strong>5. Webinar Recordings<br />
 </strong>Webinars make a great option for businesses of any size to create  content, sell products, and create goodwill in their niche. With screen  capture video you can archive the action forever and use it for  everything from free bonuses to paid home study courses and customer  training.</p>
<p><strong>6. Membership Site Content<br />
 </strong>Any business can benefit by creating exclusive, members-only content  for their customers with screen capture video. Whether that content is  free or paid, the relationships created can lead to profits for many  years. Use this tool to create training on various topics, create  website reviews, offer critiques for your members and more.</p>
<p><strong>7. Blog Content<br />
 </strong>Blogging represents a double-edged sword. To get traction, you must  publish to your blog regularly. But in a time-strapped world, finding  the time for regular posting can rate extremely difficult. Use screen  capture video to short-cut the process by quickly creating updates,  sharing your opinions, or reviewing products.</p>
<p><strong>8. Article Conversion<br />
 </strong>Article marketing works for any size business. The incoming links  and credibility it creates far outstretch the time it takes to write and  distribute articles. However, converting your articles into screen  capture videos rates quick and easy, and allows you to combine video  marketing with the power of article marketing. Simply create bullets  from your article and put them into PowerPoint. Then, record the screen  while reading the article as you advance through the bulleted  presentation. Very simple, but oh so effective!</p>
<p><strong>9. iPod / iPad Content<br />
 </strong>Camtasia allows you to create content for mobile devices. With the  coming onslaught of mobile media devices, you can become a source of  valuable content for your customers looking to use their mobile devices.  Mobile devices represent an amazing opportunity to distribute content  created with screen capture video.</p>
<p>Remember:  if you can show it on your computer screen, you can record it and share  it through the power of screen capture video. Let your mind run wild  with the possibilities, but then get busy using the tool to build your  business.</p>
<p><strong>&#8220;Your Camtasia &#8216;Quick &amp; Dirty&#8217; Survival Guide&#8221;</strong></p>
<p><strong>How To Use The Most Powerful Marketing and Product Creation<br />
 Software Ever Invented!</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://easyhowtovideos.com/camtasia-survival-guide/">http://easyhowtovideos.com/camtasia-survival-guide</a></strong></p>
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		<title>Screen Capture Video Puts Your Business In Spotlight</title>
		<link>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/screen-capture-video/</link>
		<comments>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/screen-capture-video/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:07:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>BigJim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Product Creation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[camtasia video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[screen cam video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[screen capture video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[screen videos]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/?p=90</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Nobody can deny that video now plays a huge role on the Internet. In fact, Youtube now rates as the Web’s second largest search engine right behind Google. Most people think online video requires a video camera, special skills and a face made for TV. However, with “screen capture” video, any small business can put [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Nobody can deny that video now plays a huge role on the Internet. In fact, Youtube now rates as the Web’s second largest search engine right behind Google. Most people think online video requires a video camera, special skills and a face made for TV. However, with “screen capture” video, any small business can put the power of online video to work with nothing more than a mouse, computer, microphone, and a good idea.</p>
<p>Screen capture video does just what the name implies: it captures whatever shows on your screen along with narration. It doesn’t require a video camera, fancy set, lighting, or Hollywood special effects. If you can point, click, and talk, you can create video to use in your business. Typical uses include<span id="more-90"></span> showing PowerPoint presentations, software demos, pictures, diagrams, flow-charts, and more.</p>
<p><strong>Sales Letter Videos</strong></p>
<p>You can use PowerPoint to create your best “pitch” for your products and services and then turn the video into your 24/7 online sales person. This cuts down massively on the time it takes to prepare web-based sales copy. In fact, any existing PowerPoint presentations used in your business can go online to start building your business.</p>
<p><strong>Software Demos</strong></p>
<p>If you sell software, you can create videos that demonstrate exactly how to use software.  However, even more useful to most businesses, you can show people how to use any software to get a specific result. For example: a local printer could show customers how to get Word documents ready for 4-color print submission.</p>
<p><strong>Internal Company Training Videos</strong></p>
<p>Use screen capture video to create videos to train your staff on procedures, software, and any other topic. Not just related to computer activities like how to back up the company database, you can create an entire suite of training videos on topics ranging from human resources procedures to effective employee relationships.</p>
<p><strong>Video Marketing</strong></p>
<p>Unless you reside under a rock, you’ve heard of online video marketing. Screen capture video enables you to create videos to post on YouTube and other popular video sharing sites. In fact, you can even post these videos on your company Facebook page to share (and spread) the word with your followers.</p>
<p><strong>Customer Support</strong></p>
<p>Create a library of support videos that include FAQ (frequently asked questions), demos, procedures and processes your customers can use. Anything you find yourself explaining repeatedly, you can do it or demo it once, capture it, and then use it forever through the web. This creates a huge time saver for everyone.</p>
<p>One company has dominated the screen capture software market for the last 10 years, and with good reason. Techsmith.com offers two products for users of all skill levels to immediately start using screen capture video. The entry level “Jing” software found at techsmith.com/jing/ enables users to capture video and post it with minimal technical skills. The “pro” level (less than $15 a year) even enables you to post to YouTube.</p>
<p>Techsmith’s other software option, Camtasia, really is the Rolls Royce of screen capture software, with features, options and an editing suite to do virtually anything you can imagine with video.</p>
<p>Aside from the screen capture software, you’ll need a computer and a decent microphone. I recommend either a good headset microphone or a USB studio mic, which you can find on Amazon for under $100. You’ll also need a place to post your videos, but that’s really the easy part. You can post your videos to YouTube and then just grab the code to paste into your website or blog. If you need to keep your videos private or keep more control over your content, a basic hosting account should do the trick in most cases.</p>
<p>Screen capture video really does open up a whole new world of content creation, sales and marketing, and customer service options. If you want to take your small business videos to the next level, grab the software, make some videos, and open your mind to the possibilities!</p>
<p><br class="spacer_" /></p>
<p>For more Small Business Marketing tips from the <br />
 Real world of Digital Marketing, log on to <br />
 “<a href="http://www.smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/"><strong>Small Business Marketing Weekly</strong></a>” at<br />
 =&gt; <a href="http://www.smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/">http://www.SmallBusinessMarketingWeekly.com</a></p>
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		<title>5 Mistakes Small Businesses Make Asking For Customer Emails</title>
		<link>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/email-marketing-mistakes/</link>
		<comments>http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/email-marketing-mistakes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:41:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>BigJim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email newsletters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[list building]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business email marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business list building]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/?p=81</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I recently spent 2 days deep-sea fishing in Aruba with my wife. We shelled out almost $1,000 to charter a boat with two enjoyable guys name Marcelino and Jimmy. Our friends also chartered Marcelino’s boat twice during the same week. At the end of our time, we all walked away promising to go fishing again [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I recently spent 2 days deep-sea fishing in Aruba with my wife. We shelled out almost $1,000 to charter a boat with two enjoyable guys name Marcelino and Jimmy. Our friends also chartered Marcelino’s boat twice during the same week. At the end of our time, we all walked away promising to go fishing again on our trip next year. However, chances are we’ll never see them again because Marcelino neglected to do one simple thing: <strong>ask for my email address so he could keep in touch</strong>.</p>
<p>The sad truth is that most businesses, whether they sell high-dollar services or $40 gift-baskets, completely “miss the boat” when it comes to asking for customer emails.  Though email predates the Web, the following 5 mistakes highlight just how much opportunity still remains for improvement in small business email marketing.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Mistake #1: Not Asking</strong></span></p>
<p>How hard do you work to get people into your store or office?</p>
<p>How much do you pay in advertising to get people to your website?</p>
<p>Cultivating a list of customers and prospects you communicate with via email rates as <em>the</em> most <span id="more-81"></span>cost-effective way to stay in touch. Nothing else offers the time leverage and speed of communication (no, not even Facebook or Twitter), yet the vast majority of businesses never ask for an email address. ASK! Start using the Internet’s most basic communication tool to build your business.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Mistake #2: Inconsistency</strong></span></p>
<p>Train your staff to ask for customer emails consistently and tell them exactly what to say and when. Don’t leave anything to chance. You might even try incentivizing your staff to ask for customer emails. Pay them $1 for every customer email they collect (the right way) so they get into the habit of asking. By the way, $1 for a targeted email with name and contact information is pure GOLD and will definitely get your team in the habit of asking consistently!</p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Mistake #3: No Value Exchange</strong></span></p>
<p>The majority of businesses that do ask for email don’t operate with a standard script. The request for email comes as an afterthought or with an apologetic “My boss made me ask you” attitude from the person behind the cash register. I experienced that on a trip to Toys-R-Us some years ago when buying a new Playstaion. As the young lady behind the counter rang up the sale, she sullenly asked “Do you want to join our email list?” My knee-jerk reaction was “No! You’ll spam me!”</p>
<p>In other words, <strong>when I didn’t see value in the way she asked, I said no</strong>.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Mistake #4: Unclear Promise</strong></span></p>
<p>When you ask someone to give you their email, they immediately fire off a set of internal questions:</p>
<ul>
<li>Why do you want my email? </li>
<li>What’s in it for me? </li>
<li>Will you spam me?</li>
</ul>
<p>No matter what size business you operate, asking for email with a simple script that offers a clear promise of value often defuses customer concerns. You can do this either with the name of the list or the offer for joining the list.</p>
<p>For example, you could say:</p>
<ul>
<li>Would you like to join our Online Newsletter &amp; Specials Club?</li>
<li>Would you like a free subscription to our Online Updates &amp; Discount Club?</li>
<li>Would you like instant access to unadvertised specials and customer-only updates?</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Mistake #5: No Obvious Opt-In</strong></span></p>
<p>When anyone visits your website, you need to let them know they CAN sign up for you list. Though it sounds obvious here, most websites don&#8217;t make a big, bold, benefit-driven promise to entice people to sign up. Just as with live people coming into your store, don’t hide the fact that you offer value through email on your website. Always make an obvious and compelling promise for why people should opt-in to your list.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Bottom line:</span></span></strong></p>
<p>Sum up the promise of joining your email list in 1-2 sentences and consistently make that offer to new and existing customers. Once you get that email address, follow up consistently, send valuable, relevant information and build anticipation for every message you send to your subscribers. Do this for 30 days and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can build up a responsive, profitable email list.</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</p>
<p>For more Small Business Marketing tips from the <br />
 Real world of Digital Marketing, log on to <br />
 “<a href="http://www.smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/"><strong>Small Business Marketing Weekly</strong></a>” at<br />
 =&gt; <a href="http://www.smallbusinessmarketingweekly.com/">http://www.SmallBusinessMarketingWeekly.com</a></p>
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