How Much Do You Email?
How many emails do you get every day? 100? 500? It's amazing how much junk comes through the system.
I'm a fanatic when it comes to ezines. If I enjoy a website, I sign up for the ezine. I love seeing how other people write and market their businesses. So I get a couple hundred emails into my box every day. It's not bad if I open up email every day, but you can imagine my life when I go on vacation! :)
Not too long ago I found myself monitoring my email all day long. Every half hour or so I would click over to see what was in my inbox. Then I would disappear into surf zone, checking out websites and links for several minutes. Needless to say, I ended up devoting HOURS to email every day.
So I've now changed the way I monitor email. I check it once in the morning, one in the afternoon, and once at night if I'm working late. I dedicate 20 minutes to it, then turn it off until the next time.
Dedicating only a certain amount of time per day to email has cut down one of my huge time wasters. If you're finding yourself tied down to email - learn to turn it off. I did, and it's given me back countless minutes to my day.
Lori
Blogging - Podcasting - Do we still need a website?
Posts and articles are in abundance on new technologies, mainly blogging and podcasting. It seems some people are thinking these two technologies may take over the need for a website. After all, if you have a way of posting your thoughts immediately online, and have a way of recording MP3 files easily to download to your followers, who needs a website?
I do! Your website is your starting point. It's a place where your potential customers go to for information. From there, as they want to gain more information on you and your business, they can move to reading your blog, and following your podcasts.
At the moment, blogging and podcasting offer a great way to get in to the search engines, and to get your information in to the hands of people that follow news feeds. It has brought a lot of PR opportunities to people.
But when it comes down to it, stick with the basics and use the 'extras' as promotional tools. Just like you wouldn't shut down your phone when you begin advertising, don't shut down your website when you start using online promotional techniques.
Lori
Networking Times Two
How are you networking?
So many people go to meeting after meeting, chatting with the same people again and again. There's got to be a better way, right?
At your next meeting, make a plan to meet 3 new people. People you've never met before. Spend 5 minutes with them, and learn about their business. And learn one thing personal about each of them: do they like to sail, what are his interests, or what are her hobbies? Write that on the back of his or her card.
When you get back to your office, choose one and contact her by phone or email. Set up a lunch, and spend an hour getting to know a new person! It's a great way to expand your database!
Now, how can you take that idea to the Internet? How do you network online? Start surfing the net, and find people in complimentary fields, and people you would work well with. In other words, people you may network with in your local community. Then make contact with them via email. Start up a relationship. Bring up common interests, and offer ideas for the future. How can you work together?
Don't expect everyone to answer your email, but you can grow quite a network this way. You may also wish to try networking websites to accomplish the same thing. Try
Ryze.com and
LinkedIn.com.
Lori
Podcasting
Just when you think you have the latest in technology - it changes again!
I've spent 2005 learning all I can about blogging, and now the latest buzz is all about podcasting. Feeling a little overwhelmed? Not to worry. Start with things you're familiar with, learn all you can, and slowly work in to one new piece of technology.
The wonderful thing about blogging is you can hook up to RSS feeds, that automatically feed news (text) items directly to anyone who subscribes. Podcasting is similar, but with one exception. Instead of reading new content in text format, you listen to the content through an audio player.
Check out
www.ipodder.orgI've joined the blogging revolution, and I'm sure I'll join the podcasting revolution shortly.
Isn't technology grand! :)
Lori
Headlines
Are you trying to sell a product on your website?
Are you selling a service and using a brochure as a promotional piece?
How are you drawing people in?
If you're not using a headline to get people to read further, chances are your losing them. Take a look at my site for my Get Known Marketing manual.
www.getknownmarketing.comI use the following title to bring people in:
“ Discover why More People Are Becoming Virtual Entrepreneurs, and How You Can Transform Your Business Into A Money-Generating Virtual Business, and Double Your Business This Year … 100% Guaranteed”
Do you see any words that motivate you to take action? Words and phrases like 'discover' and 'how you can' and 'double your business' and '100% guaranteed' are all motivators.
When you know what your business can do for other people, share it with the world. Use those words to promote yourself - AND tell people exactly what you can do for them!
Your business will thank you.
Lori
