Your Partner In Success Welcomes Jon Hansen

Posted by Denise Griffitts on Sep 30, 2010 in Internet Mastery | 0 comments

Your Partner In Success Radio Show

Jon Hansen has an amazing story.

In May 2001 Jon sold his company for $12 million dollars – mostly shares and debentures, only to see the dot com bust erode away his personal wealth to practically nothing by 2007. This, as it turns out was the catalyst that caused him to pursue his present endeavor in the world of social media.

Today, the PI Social Media Network is viewed as being one of the top networks in the industry in terms of innovation and quality of content. The flagship Procurement Insights is actually the number one sponsored blog in its industry sector in total number of sponsors, and industry followers rate the PI Window on Business Show as one of the most popular in North America.

Besides writing more than 1,200 articles and white papers, Jon is also a highly regarded speaker addressing audiences of all sizes ranging from 10 to 20 people in a seminar to giving a keynote address to 400 professionals at major conferences.

Prior to completing this book, Jon had finalized the agreement to write a second book on the emergence of the So Act social network. This second book has now been released as an eBook with the paperback version available through distributors such as Lulu, Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

Jon’s third book, a collaborative effort with “The Cop Doc” Dr. Richard Weinblatt titled “Tasers, Abortions and Parenting: Behind The Curtain of Policing America” is scheduled for release in September.

We will be chatting about internet radio, social media marketing, blogging and how to grow up to be an online entrepreneur! I invite you to join us on the line and in the chat room for this very dynamic conversation.

Your Partner In Success Radio Show

When: Friday, October 1, 2010

Time: 9 am PST, 10 am MST, 11 am CST, 12 pm EST

Where: Your home office telephone or computer.

Website: Your Partner In Success Radio Show

Call-in Number: 347-843-4988

We look forward to “seeing” you!

Offline Article Marketing Secrets

Posted by Denise Griffitts on Sep 25, 2010 in Internet Mastery | 0 comments

Offline Article Marketing Secrets

“No task is a long one but the task on which one dare not start. It becomes a nightmare.” ~ Charles Baudelaire

While most people associate article marketing strictly with online promotion, you can get even more bang for your article buck by promoting your articles – and your business – offline. Start by thinking local. Yes, the internet has opened up a whole new world of customers to business with websites, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore your local market.

Here’s how you can turn your online articles into offline marketing engines:

Submit articles to local papers and newsletters.
Many local newspapers, neighborhood associations or local organization newsletters will accept contributed articles. By submitting your articles on a hot and timely topic, you can increase your exposure and potentially gain new subscribers or customers.

For instance, I recently rebuilt a flash-animated website that we had built for my dentist a few years ago and moved him over to the WordPress platform. Why? Because his articles on dental proceedures and gum health show up regularly in a couple of local newspapers and it made perfect sense to publish those same articles to his new WordPress website/blog and then to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. His very informative articles are now available both offline and online.

To find local sources for your articles, you can do a simple Google search. Enter “CITY newspaper” or “CITY shopper” (quotes included) with CITY being your location, or nearest major metropolitan city, in the Google search bar. For instance, “Nashville newspaper” or “Seattle shopper”.

You are highly likely to find multiple small publications in your area. Don’t overlook neighborhood associations, as well as schools, day care facilities, gyms, community centers, churches, and clubs and organizations that create newsletters for their members. If their readership matches your target market, getting featured in these is free and can help you to grow your online business.

Make a list of publication names and contact information, and then either email them a link to your articles, or print out a copy and send it to their mailing address.

Share your content with associates and potential clients.
Print one of your favorite articles and mail it to prospective clients, business associates and others who might find the content useful. Include a sticky note that says “Thought you might find this helpful,” and sign your name. Be sure your website address or contact information and a business card are included as well. Then hand-address the envelope, include your name and return address, and drop it in the mail. If you make it a practice to send out a few every week, it can pay off in added readers, website visitors and customers.

Turn an article into a press release.
Newspapers are always looking for interesting news and stories they can use for their broadcast or print media. If your article has a strong news hook related to a recent event or season, you may be able to pitch a story as a press release. First, do some research to find out who your best contact at the newspaper is. For instance, if you’re a landscaping company, identify who covers home and garden, then read several of their past articles to observe what topics they cover. Next, email or call them. Introduce yourself and ask what type of stories and news releases they want to receive and how (via email, fax, phone or mail).

Once you know what the reporters are looking for, you can direct appropriate stories their way. If your article topic fits, format your article as a press release and send it to them as they requested. Keep in mind that reporters and newspapers receive hundreds of releases, many of which were written and sent by people who haven’t taken any time to get to know the reporters or what they are looking for. By doing your homework and developing a relationship with them, you stand a much higher chance of getting your information published.

Click here for a great free online press release tool from Lisa Manyon called the “Write On Creative Press Release Producer”.

Create print booklets of your articles.
Take a few of your favorite articles and compile them into a booklet. Let’s say you bake absolutely gorgeous and delicious cakes in your home and deliver them to customers who have found you by word-of-mouth raving reviews from family and friends. Yes, the happy customer will remember the cake and will undoubtedly take pictures of it, but what if you also include in the delivery your business card, a booklet with photos of some of your most glorious works of art, a recipe or two and a couple of well written and instructional articles about how to work with marzipan or different types of icing? That booklet will more than likely become a permanent part of their cookbook collection. It would in my house! I would also be going to your website to find more pictures, recipes and “how-to” tips.

Here’s how:

1. Lay out the articles in a word processing program (OpenOffice.org is free) or your desktop publishing software.
2. Add an “About Us” page and contact information. Include your email address and website URL.
3. Include a free offer inside the book, if the reader joins your email list.
4. Print one sample booklet to make sure the formatting is correct.
5. Copy the booklets at home or at your local print shop.

Here are a couple of excellent places to create your business card online using your own images.

Vista Print

Overnight Prints

Then, it’s time to distribute the booklets.

• Mail them to prospective clients
• Include them with all physical purchases
• Offer them as a free gift to subscribers
• Bring them to networking events and leave at information tables or booths.

There are many ways to use offline article marketing strategies to enhance your results. Be creative and search for new places to display articles and locate readers and subscribers. By offering them your well-written articles, you can establish yourself as a local expert and go-to person when they need your services or products.

But, before you embark on this program, there may be some housekeeping tasks that you need to address before doing everything you can to drive new customers or prospects to your business.

1. Give your website a good spring cleaning. Are there broken links, broken images, or outdated materials? Be sure that it looks professional, welcoming and offers the visitor all the information that they need to make a decision about whether they want to return to your site, read your blog, or visit your physical business location if you have one. That first impression is probably the only one you will get!
2. Make sure your contact form and your newsletter opt-in form is working.
3. If you have social networking icons on your site, be sure they are pointing to the correct URL.

And finally, believe in yourself. Because if you don’t, nobody else will either.

Be sure to signup for our newsletter so these articles arrive in your email box when they are published.

What Kind of Articles Work Best?

Posted by Denise Griffitts on Sep 23, 2010 in Internet Mastery | 0 comments

What Kind of Articles Work Best?

“Winners have simply formed the habit of doing things losers don’t like to do.” ~ Albert E.N. Gray

There are limitless topics that you could write about. But to make the biggest positive impact on your business, the articles that work the best are those that match the interests of your niche market.

If your business is selling information products to stay-at-home moms who want to start their own work- from-home virtual assistance practice, then you want to write articles that demonstrate your expertise in that area. When those readers get to your resource box at the end of your article, they’ll click on the link expecting more of the same great content. Writing recipe articles for foodies, for instance, when your target market is aspiring work-from-home Virtual Assistants just doesn’t make sense.

The best explanation I’ve ever heard of this was by Jimmy D. Brown who coined the term “useful but incomplete”. What he meant was that your articles should be “useful” to your target audience, but “incomplete” in that they should lead the reader hungrily to seek more information from you. They’ll turn to your resource box in search of more.

Keep in mind that people will come to your website or blog or read your articles online for one reason and one reason only. How can it help them? What solutions, advice or tips are you offering that will assist your reader in answering questions that they have about your niche or industry? If you consistently offer great, and GOOD content to your readership, they will return and bring friends with them.

Quality Content is Critical

While anyone can throw together a few sentences, combine a few paragraphs, paste on a resource box and call it an article, this slap-dash method is not likely to produce the results you desire. Quite simply, quality content is the key for any kind of success in article marketing.

Online article directories are filled with articles written by non-native language writers who don’t understand grammar or sentence structure, or by those who have simply copied what someone else wrote and plugged it into an article spinner without thought for the value of the finished article. Using such shoddy marketing methods will never help your article marketing efforts, and will likely brand you as unprofessional and harm your reputation as a business owner.

Most editors in search of content would rather find an expert on EzineArticles.com, Self Growth or Evan Carmichael with 10 high-quality articles, than one with 500 junk articles. When editors and readers see junk articles, they assume that everything that person does is junk. Clearly this is not a great way to build a business or a reputation!

When you offer well-written, relevant content that helps your reader answer a question or gain new knowledge and understanding of a subject matter they’re interested in, you’ll establish yourself as an expert and advance your article marketing efforts and, ultimately, your business.

Resources

Free Report: 5 Steps to a Big-Profit, S.M.A.L.L. Report Business by Jimmy D. Brown

Easy PLR is a wonderful resource that will help you find an ongoing supply of fresh content for your blog or article marketing efforts. However, I highly recommend that you edit and re-write these articles in your own voice. Use them as a jumping off point and then take it from there.

Need an Article. When you need well-crafted and well-written content for business, for website, or for personal reasons Need an Article has the solution to your writing needs. Again, the same suggestions about editing and re-writing these articles in your own voice applys.

Be sure to signup for our newsletter so these articles arrive in your email box when they are published.

Your Partner In Success Welcomes Todd Durkin

Posted by Denise Griffitts on Sep 23, 2010 in Your Partner In Success | 0 comments

Your Partner In Success Radio Show

Todd Durkin is a performance coach, personal trainer, bodyworker, and motivational speaker who educates and inspires people worldwide. He is the founder of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, CA, named one of the Top 10 Gyms in the US by Men’s Health.

Todd has twice been honored as the Personal Trainer of the Year (IDEA and ACE). He has appeared on 60 Minutes, ESPN, and the NFL Network and has been featured in Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Men’s Health, ESPN the Magazine, Stack Magazine, the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and many others.

Additionally, Todd is the Head of the Under Armour Performance Training Council, where he helps drive new methodologies and training techniques to help Under Armour develop the highest quality programs and apparel for performance training.  He has appeared on national television commercials with Under Armour, is a major part of the “Combine 360” program, and speaks at regular events such as the NFL Combine, Super Bowl, and Pro Bowl on their behalf. 

Todd trains dozens of NFL and MLB athletes, including Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees, former NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson, and athletes such as Aaron Rodgers, Kellen Winslow, Shawne Merriman, and a host of others.  He currently works with 9 NFL quarterbacks.  Additionally, he has trained one Olympic Gold Medalist, an MLB Champion & MVP, two X-Games Gold medalists, 2 Heisman trophy winners, and tens of thousands of other elite and amateur athletes as well as fitness enthusiasts. 

Todd recently published his first book “The IMPACT! Body Plan: Build New Muscle, Flatten Your Belly & Get Your Mind Right!” which will be released on Amazon and other book sellers on September 28, 2010. The Impact! Body Plan is  a 10 Week program designed to create world-class fitness and life performance for people of all ages, shapes, sizes, and levels. Capturing Todd’s “Train the Joes Like the Pros” approach, it encompasses both an actual 10 week exercise and nutrition program, along with goal-setting and life-planning exercises to help people create extraordinary lives.

We will be covering a lot of territory in this call ranging from entrepreneurism to the Super Bowl. Please join us in the chat room or on the phone during the interview if you would like to ask questions of Todd Durkin. If you have any particular question or topic you would like us to discuss during the show, please email it to me at info (@) virtualassistantindustry.com, subject line: Todd Durkin BTR.

Your Partner In Success Radio Show

When: Friday, September 24, 2010

Time: 9 am PST, 10 am MST, 11 am CST, 12 pm EST

Where: Your home office telephone or computer.

Website: Your Partner In Success Radio Show

Call-in Number: 347-843-4988

We look forward to “seeing” you!

What Makes Quality Content?

Posted by Denise Griffitts on Sep 20, 2010 in Entrepreneurism, Internet Mastery | 0 comments

What Makes Quality Content?

“Language is the apparel in which your thoughts parade before the public.
Never clothe them in vulgar or shoddy attire.” ~  George Crane

Whether you write about the virtual assistance industry or scrap booking, there are key ingredients that go into the creation of a good article. Providing quality content involves providing website visitors and readers with information they find useful and informative. While the details will vary, depending on your topic and article structure, there are some common ingredients of quality content:

Answer a question.
People visit your website and your blog for one simple reason. What is in it for them?

• How can you help them find answers to their questions?
• What answers are people in your niche market searching for?
• What are the frequently asked questions in your niche?
• Are there subject areas in your niche for which few articles have been written?

Find out what readers in your niche are looking for and write articles that will answer those questions. Brainstorm a list of questions and topics. Providing the answers that readers (and potential buyers) are searching for will help to establish you as an expert who meets their needs.

Do the research to find out what your readers want answers to.

• Place a poll or survey on your website or blog. Survey Monkey offers a free Basic plan. Google “free online polls” to find other services.
• Send an appeal to your list and ask them what they want to know. People are genuinely disposed to be helpful and you will be surprised how many great answers you receive. Email marketing services like Constant Contact offer online polls as part of their service.
• Go to Facebook, Twitter and Linkedinand do some research on your niche. There is a wealth of information there. Join groups on LinkedIn, Facebook Fan Pages and target people in your industry on Twitter and follow them.

Write clearly and accurately.
Minimizing – or eliminating – grammatical and spelling mistakes is essential to good, high-quality content. Before submitting any article for publication, run spell check and proofread it to catch any spelling and grammar issues. If possible, have another set of eyes look at the article to catch anything that you missed. I always hand off my articles to my assistant to see where I might have missed something. Another tip is to read your work out loud to catch awkward phrasing or repetitions.

Include a compelling title.
If your title isn’t interesting, no one is ever going to get to your beautifully crafted article. Scan a few newsletters and blogs and see what articles and posts grab your attention. When in doubt, consider possible titles that include “5 Ways to…” or “10 Tips for… or “How to…” Such titles always attract readers who expect short tidbits and quick reads for their time. Good titles require some effort, but since the title is the first thing potential readers see, it’s worth your time to craft a strong one!

Be concise.
Online readers prefer short articles, ideally those between 300 – 500 words. There’s a fine line between providing enough content to answer your reader’s quest for information while not providing such a long article that they don’t make it to the end to click on your resource box. If your article is too long, consider breaking it up into a series as I have done with these article marketing tips.

What makes quality content? It’s content that a reader is looking for, that answers questions, offers information a reader wants and promises more of the same if they click on your link. Quality content is what will attract visitors to your website and make your article marketing efforts work.

Resources

Free Report: 5 Steps to a Big-Profit, S.M.A.L.L. Report Business by Jimmy D. Brown

Easy PLRis a wonderful resource that will help you find an ongoing supply of fresh content for your blog or article marketing efforts. However, I highly recommend that you edit and re-write these articles in your own voice. Use them as a jumping off point and then take it from there.

Need an Article. When you need well-crafted and well-written content for business, for website, or for personal reasons Need an Article has the solution to your writing needs. Again, the same suggestions about editing and re-writing these articles in your own voice applys.

Be sure to signup for our newsletter so these articles arrive in your email box when they are published.