Dynamic Support Solutions

At first glance Internet marketing appears to be an art. The content, the writing, the relationship building—putting it all together is a creative process.

But when we take a closer look at the strategy, analytics, planning, and other components that are part of successfully marketing ourselves on the Internet, it’s clear that there is a great deal of science involved. By my estimate I would say 25% art and 75% science.

So where do you start? Create an action plan. Think about what your core marketing will be; that central piece that will engage your audience and entice them into wanting to learn more about you. Will it be blogging? Article marketing? Video? Podcasts? There are many possibilities out there so choose the one that naturally fits your passion. If you like to write, then articles or blogging may be your choice.  For those who enjoy cutting-edge maybe videos or podcasts are the right fit. Whatever it is, make it the center of your plan and branch out from there. Mind mapping is a great way to diagram the right strategy.

I’ll use myself as an example. Let’s say I choose to demonstrate my industry knowledge by writing an article on search engine optimization, which I plan to submit to a high-traffic article marketing site.

Prior to writing the article I research keywords that are popular but not being used much by my competitors. I will strategically add these to each of the pieces I’m marketing to help boost my own SEO.

Here’s my action plan:

1. Write an article which lists seven great tools for SEO.

2. Take the seven tools, explain how each works, and create seven lenses on Squidoo.

3. Blog over several days about how to implement each of these tools.

4. Finally, create tidbits of information from each blog entry and use them on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

One article on one topic will give me a week’s worth of marketing on key Internet sites with minimal time invested simply because I had a strategy. I may then take each of these components and create an eBook or teleclass from them.

Now that the science—the strategy to capture the attention of my target market– is in place, I add the art. My content must be original and informative. This is what will engage and intrigue readers and show them I am an expert in my field. My hope is to build a relationship with them of confidence and trust. That way if they ever have a need for my service, they will think of me first and vice-versa.

After I post the article and each ensuing marketing piece, I watch Google Analytics to see if the traffic to my site increases and if so from where? Knowing my ROI (Return on Investment) will help me create the best marketing plans in the future.

Let’s face it, the days of posting a simple website, sitting back and waiting for the phone to ring with our ideal client on the other end are over. Web 2.0 has changed that, and in my opinion it’s for the better. We want to know who we’re doing business with and feel good about working with them. That’s why building a relationship with our potential clients is vital to building a successful business. With a little art and a lot of science, you can do exactly that!

Many a marketing guru has touted the benefits of writing and posting articles to demonstrate your knowledge, establish you as an expert in your industry, and increase your visibility. You may have several articles written and you may be seeing the benefits already. Now, you may want to write additional articles and the pressure to produce drains your creativity.

Need an idea for an article? Sometimes when we sit down to write our inspiration seems to evade us. That’s when we need to look at resources available to us for a spark that will ignite the article writing process.

1. Leverage your social networks-Utilize your access to the conversations happening in your social networks.

2. Check the posts on your Facebook fan page for questions from your followers. You can build an entire article around your answer to a question on your fan page.

3. The LinkedIn social network has an “Answers” section. Members post questions and other members post answers. You can search “Answers” for ideas to write about. Perhaps a member has answered a question and in your professional opinion you disagree-write an article!

4. Check out your blog stats… which posts are most popular? Perhaps blog posts in a certain category or that cover a particular topic are receiving a lot of views. Capitalize on those statistics by writing additional articles that address the popular category or topic.

5. Tune in to the comments on your blog. What feedback are your readers providing? All it takes is one comment to trigger the subject of an article.

6. Use Google Blog search to check out conversations related to your subject. What are other bloggers writing about? What comments are their followers posting? Do you agree with what is being said? Maybe you do not agree. This is perfect inspiration for an article.

7. Use a forum search to read about discussions related to your subject. This suggestion is similar to number 6 above. Here is a source that might help you locate discussions on forums. http://www.boardtracker.com

8. Type keywords into Google to see what conversations appear in the results. If you just do a random search you can quickly become overwhelmed and even distracted by the results. However, if you type in the keywords you use for your website it can help you stay focused.

9. Use Yahoo pipes to do a keyword search. You can see where conversations are occurring. http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/

10. Another keyword search tool is Addictomatic. You can type in keywords and see what sources are returned in the results. http://addictomatic.com/

11. Search Twitter. There are a lot of conversations happening on Twitter. You can type in keywords and explore the conversations.

With these easy-to-use tools at your finger tips (literally), it should be easy to find many great article topics to keep you writing!

Why should you write articles? As a coach it is extremely beneficial to your business to demonstrate your knowledge. After all it is your knowledge and life experience that attract your ideal client. It will also build a relationship with your current clients. However, article writing seems to be the last priority on our to-do list when really it should be right at the top. Let’s consider the benefits of writing articles.

Google Rank
As a coach you need to be aware of your rank in Google. When a client or potential client conducts a search in Google, you want the results to return information about you. If the articles you write are posted on your website and listed in article directories Google will show your articles in search results. Your articles will include an author box. Your author box will include a link to your website. It is this link that helps boost your rank in Google.

Tapping into the Blog-o-sphere
Bloggers seek content for their blogs. Your article, written with relevant information that appeals to your ideal client, may be posted on a blog that has readers similar to your potential client. Your article taps an audience you may not have necessarily been able to reach.

Tapping into Ezines and Enewsletters
Editors of electronic newsletters and magazines seek articles to reprint, too. By having your article included in an ezine or enewsletter once again your article taps into an audience you may not have been able to reach. The contact information in your author box is being shared with an ideal client

It’s in the Archive
After your article has been included on a blog or in an ezine it typically gets archived on the website. Even though your article may not be immediately visible it’s still there. Your ideal client may search the blogger’s or editor’s website and your article will appear in that search result. Your author box will still be included with your article. Therefore your ideal client will still be able to contact you.

Coach+Articles=Expert
There is an implication of authority when someone publishes your article. They found your article so valuable that they included it on their site or ezine. Their readers or subscribers then view you as an expert.  You must be an expert if your article was shared by the blogger or editor, right? As a bonus benefit, a sense of trust is built in, too. Your article includes your author box. Readers will be more likely to click on the link in the author box because they feel the link has been recommended. They trust the blogger or editor. They in turn trust the link to your site.

Tip: When writing your author box, be sure to include a couple of sentences giving permission to readers to use your article or any part of it as long as they credit you as the source, with a link to your website. You should also include a sentence asking them to forward a copy or link where it is posted to you (and then publicize it!).

All these benefits–being established as an expert, archived links, being included in ezines, being included in blogs, and achieving a higher rank in Google–demonstrate just how important article writing is for your coaching business!

Dear Sandi:

I am trying to develop my marketing plan for my coaching business. I keep seeing this term “article marketing.” What is article marketing? Is it right for my coaching business?

~Curious Coach

Dear Curious Coach:

Thank you for your question. First, let me take a moment to congratulate you for developing a marketing plan. The plan will help you when you need to make decisions regarding marketing. It will also help you reach your coaching business goals. Now let me explain what article marketing is and then you can decide if it fits into your marketing plan.

According to Wikipedia, article marketing is defined, “a type of advertising in which businesses write short articles related to their respective industry. These articles are made available for distribution and publication.” For example, if you coach primarily women entrepreneurs I recommend you write an article about a topic that is useful to your audience.

The Next Step

What do you do with the article? If you have heard of article marketing, you probably have also heard the term “article directory.” An article directory is where authors, experts, etc. submit their article to be posted on the article directory’s website. The content is then searchable, especially in the search engines, i.e. Google. When someone needs content they search the article directory.  The articles are allowed to be copied and posted on other websites.

How does this benefit you? When you submit an article you post a brief bio about yourself and you can include a link to your website. If someone wants to post your article on their website, they must include your author box. Having your article appear on multiple websites sets you up as an expert in your field.

Where do you submit your article? eZine Articles, Go Articles and Self Growth are just a few suggestions. There is no subscription fee. You can contribute your article after you create a free account.

Is Article Marketing for You?

Article marketing can be successful if:

• Your topics relate to your target market
• They are original; well written; and relevant
• Include a link to your website in the bio box

One word of caution: article marketing is not a quick fix. It takes time to develop a following. Article marketing helps you to build a reputation online. I think article marketing can be a successful part of your overall marketing plan.

Wishing you success,

Sandi

Your email newsletter can be your vehicle to make a powerful connection with your clients and your potential clients. There are a number of techniques in the email marketing newsletter realm that can lead to failure.  I want to share three key tips with you so that you don’t make these three mistakes with your newsletter.

Mistake #1: “Buy My Coaching Product Now!”
If the majority of the content in your newsletter is all about your coaching product, your newsletter subscribers will quickly label it spam. Ask yourself, what factors do you consider when you subscribe to a newsletter? There may be certain newsletters that you have subscribed to because you were interested in product announcements. However, when you open your email each day the newsletters you are most likely to read have what features? Make a list of the elements in the newsletters you like to read and model your newsletter accordingly.  Does the author of your favorite newsletter include a section where they share a personal story?  Do you like a newsletter that shares tips you can apply in your life? Do you like a newsletter that offers product reviews? Then these are things you can consider for your newsletter. Yes, you can have a call to action in your newsletter. Just do not make the focus of your entire newsletter all about purchasing your coaching products. It is OK to have one or two newsletters focus on a special product release. Just do not make every newsletter you send a sales pitch.

Mistake #2: “It’s All About My Coaching Business”
Actually, your newsletter is about your subscribers. Yes, it is true they are interested in your coaching business, after all they subscribed to your newsletter. However, your subscribers are most interested in your coaching business when it applies to them. Your subscribers want relevant content that applies to them. Share your expertise in a way that benefits your subscribers.  You want to offer them a glimpse of what it would be like to work with you.  Use your newsletter to demonstrate your expertise. Shift your focus from “telling” them about what a coaching experience with you is like to letting them “experience” what your coaching style is all about.

Mistake #3: No Way Out
Give your subscribers a way to opt out of receiving your newsletter. I know you are a good coach. I know it is difficult to imagine why anyone would not want the pearls of wisdom you share in your newsletter. Yes, it can hurt when someone chooses to unsubscribe. However, the number of newsletter subscribers you have should not equate to a popularity contest. It is better for you to have a quality list instead of a quantity list. If someone chooses to unsubscribe even though you are avoiding mistakes 1 or 2 above, it’s likely they were never going to purchase your products or services anyhow. Give your readers a simple way to unsubscribe.

In conclusion, don’t make these three mistakes with your newsletter: solely pushing product, making it all about your business and not offering an opt out.  Think of your newsletter as a relationship building tool.  You want a quality list of subscribers that read your newsletter because you are offering them beneficial content.

For great ideas on how to “dress” your newsletter for success, visit my blog on The Coach Exchange.

The word “blog” has made its way into the English lexicon. I’m sure you’ve heard this term being casually tossed around in daily conversation. But what does it really mean? How can you leverage a blog in your coaching business?

“Blog” is a meshing together of two words “web” and “log.” It meant keeping a simple online diary. Blogs became wildly popular after a slow start in the late 1990s. Now, they command an entire “blogosphere.” It is a community that even governments and big businesses participate in. Blogs are a key component of social media marketing. Let’s take a look at how you can use a blog.

Blog Platform
There are several free blog platforms to choose from. Blogspot is supported by Google and is a simple, easy-to-use blog. WordPress is another easy to use blog. I personally recommend using WordPress. It has enough features to meet your needs yet is still intuitive to use. If you can use MS Word, you can use WordPress.

Why Blog?
As a coach it’s vital to your business that your clients and potential clients trust you. A blog lets you demonstrate your expertise in a manner that builds trust with your audience. If you offer quality content that reflects your abilities as a coach you will build a reputation.

Having a blog also affords your clients a way to recommend you. If you happen to post your thoughts on a subject that your client feels is relevant to a friend, they can refer their friend to your blog. If the friend reads your post and feels a connection with you it may lead to them asking for your coaching services. This is the premise of social networking. Readers of your blog can share your content with their network.

Benefit of a Blog
Blogging is a business tool. In the early days of the Internet it was all the rage for a business to have a website. Today, people expect businesses to have a website, and blogging is becoming another expected element to a business.

The content you share on your blog is what search engines use to return results to users searching for information. For example, if you specialize in coaching women entrepreneurs you want to post relevant information that appeals to your audience. When a woman entrepreneur enters keywords in a search engine, such as Google, your content will appear in the results.

I think it’s important to mention that a blog does not have to be a full-length article. Some topics will lend themselves to a 500-word blog post (like this one), but some days you have just one paragraph. One paragraph is fine–as long as the content is informative and beneficial to the readers. So don’t let length get in the way of getting on your blog and posting. You’ll find once you start it’s easy to get great information out to your readers on a regular basis.

In a nut shell, a blog is a platform for you to exhibit your expertise in your field as a coach, build trust with your social network and easily be found by potential clients in search engine results. What a great marketing tool for little time and money invested!

In my last post I discussed the simple steps you can take to quickly fill your product funnel, specifically what your different price points should be.

This time I’m going to talk about using some of the resources that are right at your finger tips to help fill that product funnel—fast!

I mentioned in the previous post that after your free product you will want something at a price point like $9.99 or $14.99. My favorite product to sell at this price is an ebook, and here’s why: It’s something VERY useful to your potential clients that also shows your level of expertise. It can also be used in a number of ways, such as for repurposing for social media and as a bonus give-away. An ebook doesn’t need to be 100 pages. In fact, my first was about 20 pages, but the content is extremely valuable! Don’t have a ton of confidence in your ability to write an ebook? I highly recommend Carol Hess, The Coach’s Writing Partner (www.tamethewritingmonster.com). She has great insight in to how to easily construct your ebook and can hold your hand through the process.

For your next price point try using something you already have on hand, like a recording of a teleclass. I would recommend pairing it with a workbook of the same topic.  Haven’t done a teleclass yet? Write a series of questions and have a friend or associate interview you for 30-60 minutes. Voila, you have your recording.

These are just a few ideas that can get you started. Once you look around at what you have, you’ll see how you can repurpose those items into something of great value to others!