Writing and submitting articles to article banks, e-zines and e-book publishers has proven to be one of the most effective of all traffic generating techniques. You may think that you have no writing ability, but you can definitely write articles about the topic of your website and about the products or services that you are selling. You just need to know the rules for making them effective.

The Headline.    The first and most important few words of your article are in the title or the headline. The title MUST contain the key words that relate to the topic of your website and to the products or services that you sell. This is the first thing that other website owners or E-zine publishers will look at when they decide whether to reproduce your article on their websites or in their publications because they want their copy optimized for search engines.
 

The other thing about the title or headline of your article is that it must be attention getting. For example, you can’t just title your article ‘Fish Bait’.  ‘Fish Bait the Fish Can’t Resist’ would entice the person who was looking for information about fish bait to keep reading.

The First Line.    Equally important to your article is the first line of the first paragraph. Internet surfers have a notoriously short attention span and rarely actually read anything word for word unless it is information that they believe will serve their needs, solve a problem or make life better in general for them. So the title and the first line are what you use to entice a reader to actually read the article.

The first line needs to contain the key words as well; and it also needs to be attention getting. So, if you like fishing, you would probably keep reading an article that starts with. ‘The fish were begging for more of this fish bait after my first cast!’

Length.  Another thing about writing articles that you plan to submit to article banks is that they need to be short. Very short! They should be a maximum of 400 words and closer to 300 would be better. It’s easy to get carried away and produce an article that is 1000 words or more when you are discussing a subject that you know a lot about and are interested in. If you start writing and forget to stop, break long wordy articles down and make three or four articles out of the one long one.

Formatting.  Use short sentences and short paragraphs. Remember that short attention span that we talked about? Don’t use big words and don’t use run-on sentences. Make your article easy to read. Go easy on the exclamation points, as well. One exclamation point indicates importance or excitement...  a half a dozen are just rude.

Warning! Do NOT word-wrap your link! Type it out in full, as in http://www.whatever.com. All email programs that E-zine editors use to send out their newsletters and E-zines do not support word-wrapped links so you can defeat your own purpose by word-wrapping the link to your website.

You may not actually generate any real traffic for your website at the very outset but this technique will serve you very well in the long run!

 

We keep talking about the importance of communication.  Being able to communicate is what will make or break your marketing campaign, what will make website visitors stay longer and what will eventually turn leads into customers.

We mostly communicate through content, but the first impression we leave largely depends on the visual appeal of the content we are presenting, may that be our website, our social media landing pages, our reports or our marketing collateral.  Choosing the right images to visually communicate our content is crucial to engaging our readers.

5 Tips to choosing the correct image:

1. Determine the overall concept of what it is you are trying to communicate. Then decide on the theme of your image.
2. Make sure you consider the colors in the image of your choice. There are many sites that offer images for a reasonable cost, such as Clipart.com,  iStockPhoto.com, Free-StockPhotos.com, PaintShop Pro, NeoPaint, and with so many images available, there is bound to be one that will be the perfect fit.
3. Avoid a cluttered image (unless you are writing about clutter).  A good image draws your eyes to the story you want to tell.  A cluttered image distracts from the story.
4. Consider your target audience.  Don’t leave anyone out of the story.  Make sure you choose an image that covers the whole of your target market, not just one part of your audience.
5. If you have any inkling that you have to explain the setting in the image to communicate your intention, it’s not the right picture.   

Remember, choosing the right image while communicating your message can make or break the deal!

To maintain a successful website you want to keep your visitors coming back again and again. That means you are responsible for creating interesting content that adds value to your visitor’s life and is updated regularly. It’s a big responsibility.

Here are 6 surefire ways to keep your visitors returning:

1. Articles: Articles give your visitors something new to read and, like a blog, sometime to comment about. But more importantly, as you put your expertise and thinking out there for all to see, you are also, in a subtle way, inviting questions and further dialogue. It’s a simple formula of generating interest in your target audience and then trusting that at least a few of the people who read your article will be curious enough to contact you to discuss your product and services as they relate to their needs.

You do not need to write these articles yourself. There are plenty of competent services (yes, including Aligned Marketing).

2. Contests: Most people like contests. Or should I say, most people like to win something for free. Contests, especially if they cycle from one to the next frequently, are a great way to generate fresh content and keep your loyal following returning to your site. Remember, it’s not about the size of the prize, it’s about winning.

When the visitor signs up for your contest be sure to capture their information, add it to your contact list and then contact them later with offers, such as subscribing to your online newsletter.

3. Coupons and Discounts are a great way to entice existing visitors and new customers to return to your website and online storefront.

You can use the coupons a number of ways. Here are a few ideas:

• A buy 1 get a single free.
• A certain percent discount (such as 10%)
• Free or discounted shipping

Discounts are typically given through the use of a code. They are simple to administer since most shopping cart programs include a discount module. A simple code word such as “savings” enables buyers to receive a discount.

Alternately, you can offer an online discount that is only redeemable at your physical (offline) store.

4. Forums: Forums offer something people enjoy - conversation. Forums are a form of the growing trend of social media. Hosting a forum on your own site gives visitors a reason to return to your site, again and again. A good way to keep the conversation going is to ask provocative questions and take controversial positions on important issues. A few passionate regular comments from visitors can boost your traffic numbers substantially.  
5. Blogging:  Blogs have become incredibly popular in recent years. And while it may be hard to believe, there are people interested in what you have to say. Blogs have added benefits; you can pepper your blog posts with your keywords and keyword phrases to help boost your search engine rankings.
6. Newsletter: A newsletter is one of the best ways to keep your visitors, your audience, engaged and coming back to your site. If you chose the newsletter approach, be sure to publish on a regular basis and make sure that each article in each issue delivers value to your audience and refers them back to your site for additional information.

Once again, if all this sounds like too much work or writing just isn’t one of your favorite things to do, there are professional writers and writing services available to help.

No matter which tactic you use to drive traffic to your site, the only way to keep people coming back is to deliver constant value.

In my consulting practice I talk to a lot of CEO’s, Presidents and Sales leaders. Virtually all them believe their marketing skills are very good or excellent and tend to waste little time telling me so. I can count on one hand the times I’ve agreed with their assessment.

I'm not sure but I think many people think they are good marketers because they think they are good consumers. It’s an easy assumption but is really like saying because I’m a good driver, I’m a good mechanic. It’s false logic but it is what it is. More research is required.

 

Kent Huffman is a great guy to follow on twitter (www.twitter.com/kenthuffman). He’s savvy and does interesting things. One of the things he did was ask Twitter marketing kabobs to define marketing.

 

I define marketing as good communication, which means solid writing that delivers a clear, concise and compelling message, one that is unique and stands out in the marketplace. A good marketing strategy begins online, because that's where all the people are, and spreads into offline activities such as print. (You remember print, don't you?) That means good marketing and good blogging have the same active ingredients, which is interesting. Enjoy the definitions!

"Marketing is the process of making selling unnecessary." Jennifer Aaker, Professor at Stanford University (www.Twitter.com/Aaker)

"Marketing needs to tell a story to consumers that makes them want what you've got -- truthfully, uniquely, and repeatably." David Cooperstein,  Principal Analyst at Forrester Research (www.Twitter.com/MiniCooper)

"Marketing encompasses activities that maximize the value to the customer and the return on investment when bringing a product or service to market." Sam Decker, CMO at Bazaarvoice (www.Twitter.com/SamDecker)

"Marketing extends from understanding what the customers need to making sure they get it and are happy with it." Nigel Dessau, CMO at AMD (www.Twitter.com/NigelDessau)

"Marketing is the art and science of creating mutually satisfying exchanges." Theresa Flaherty, Professor at James Madison University (www.Twitter.com/FlahertB)

"Good marketing is developing trust between a consumer and a product. Great marketing is developing trust between a consumer and a product without the consumer even knowing it happened." Jesse Friedman, Professor at Johnson & Wales University (www.Twitter.com/Professor)

"Marketing: to identify, acquire, and retain higher-margin clients." David Harkleroad, CMO at Hay Group (www.Twitter.com/DavidHarkleroad)

"Marketing is the only function to connect a business from first idea to customer use and satisfaction. For us at Kodak, we take it a step further to say it serves as a 'catalyst for growth' by leveraging people, brand, products, partners, and technologies to transform Kodak into an industry-leading growth company." Jeffrey Hayzlett, CMO at Kodak (www.Twitter.com/JeffreyHayzlett)

"At its core, marketing is simply the process of connecting buyers and sellers. But to be truly effective, marketing also requires the creation of measurable, repeatable results by listening to customers and prospects, engaging in meaningful discussions, developing strong relationships, delivering value, and finally, engendering loyalty." Kent Huffman, Chief Marketing Officer at BearCom Wireless and coauthor of "Maximizing Your Marketing Efforts: Leading CMOs on Overcoming Budget Constraints, Positioning Your Brand, and Harnessing Creativity" (www.Twitter.com/KentHuffman)

"Marketing is the art of getting people to want something before they would have come to the same conclusion." Guy Kawasaki, Cofounder of Alltop and author of "Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition" (www.Twitter.com/GuyKawasaki)

"Marketing is everything you do up to the close of the sale and everything you do after the sale to keep your customer coming back." David Kimball, CMO at 10Beyond (www.Twitter.com/DavidKimball)

"Marketing loads and aims the gun. Sales pulls the trigger." Frank Sullivan, former Vice President of Marketing at Square D Company

What do you think?

Steve

 

In a string of emails about the ISA Conference one question became two until the trail led me to the real question on people’s minds: Which companies will win?

I don’t know but maybe this tongue-firmly-in-cheek blog-allegory – blogegory -- about business people will help you find your own answer.

The Jesters: That characterization implies these people are clowns -- silly and frivolous. In some cases that may be true but that’s not my point. The original jester’s job was serious. Their task was to entertain nobility. If they failed their task they risked death. Still sound frivolous? The Jesters of today also serve nobility, the new nobility – senior management. Jesters are easily identifiable by the wide-eyed, feed-me look in their eyes. A condition created by a mixture of fear and expectation. The fear comes from knowing their economic destiny is tied to their ability to complete one seemingly impossible (or ridiculous) task after another. The expectation is a byproduct of their addiction to the next task. The Jester cannot live without the very thing they know may destroy them. Whoa.

The Kings: They take on many shapes and have many names. CEO, President, VP, and Chief-of-something-or-other are a few of the most common. Kings travel from village to village recounting the evils of the Status Quo. Yet they are the bedrock of the Status Quo doctrine. Nary a candle is lit without their blessing. To them the Status Quo represents stability and predictability -- King-food. They must be fed daily and reward those who feed them because they buttress their Kingships and Kingdoms. Kings are also easy to identify. Like a mother duck they have a trail of ducklings sashaying close behind them. Together they travel (some actually do waddle) down hallways and through airports. One quack from the CEO-King scatters the brood. Then, just as quickly, they tumble back into formation. Being out of formation is risky because Kings know the CEO-King must burn-the-sinners to preserve-the-faith and restore the Status Quo. Kings have astonishing power.

Neither Jesters nor Kings are bad people. They provide comfort for the masses. Human beings want to fit in, enjoy being secure, and seek calm in a chaotic world. Most people have learned to ignore new trends, not engage big ideas, and use routine as an ointment/embalming fluid, but not all.

Human beings are also unique with vast individual differences. Some are ill suited to be Jesters and Kings. Let’s call them Leaders.

Leaders have trouble staying in formation. Leaders challenge industry convention, they're rebels, borderline anarchists. That doesn’t mean they wear togas around the office, or that the female species cleans and paints her tootsies at staff meetings. On the contrary, a good leader learns to contain competing doctrines until the time is right, like now.


I wrote this to illustrate the distinction between those seeking change and those seeking Change. Stated another way, between those collecting a paycheck and those pursuing a belief. Hugh MacLeod said, “The market for something to believe in is infinite.”

People tire of Kings and Jesters. They understand that activity sold as progress is just packaged-activity. They yearn for a Leader with a belief they can follow with their heads and their hearts.

It can be tricky, but separate the companies by their teams. Ignore the paycheck-teams and support the belief-teams, they are more likely to be the winners.

Steve
 

Too often we don't really understand the obstacles we face.

The video below is loosely based on a real event. Once you get past the humor, it makes a serious point: Our faith in our own abilities, our confidence, can be the source of our own demise.

Almost every week some senior level person is telling me they don't need or want anything to do with social media or search engine optimization of their website. "My customers know who we are and don't use the web much..." Oh, oh, red flag!

No one wants to be wrong so I don't challenge their assumptions. I know the more I try to convince them they're wrong the more entrenched they'll become; experience has taught me this. So I ask them questions.

• Have you ever bought anything online?
• Did you ever buy a book from Amazon?
• Do you or your wife bank online or check your investments online?
• Has anyone you know ever looked at mortgage or insurance rates via the web?
• I use Proflowers to send flowers to my wife on Mother's day, Birthdays and other dates. I can pre-schedule the whole year in just a few minutes. Have you heard of Proflowers or 1-800-flowers?
• When something happens in the world where's the first place you go for more information?
• Are you or the people you know on LinkedIn?
• Why do you not trust your own real-world experiences?
• Why do you think your customers are so different than you? 

I may not ask that many questions or be that blunt. The reason is I seldom have to, my clients are smart so they get the point quickly. One client told me later that my asking those questions completely changed his mind. Up to that point he really didn't think his company needed more of a web presence or be involved in social media.

Here are my questions for you:

• Are you open to new information?
• Do you know how much time you spend online?
• Do you think your customers are very different than you?
• Can your company be found easily through the search engines?
• Have you joined the social media conversation? Or better yet, if you belong to any industry organization, even the Chamber of Commerce, then why won't you joined the online conversation?

Enjoy the video!

Steve
800-707-9150

My wife and I big fans of The Celebrity Apprentice. Sunday night Donald Trump fired Sinbad, the comedian. It was one of the few bad Apprentice shows we’ve seen. The reason it was a bad show is because the outcome was so predictable to anyone who has worked on a project team.

Sinbad was the project manager for ‘Men’s” team’s and he made several lethal mistakes. Here are the big ones:

1. He did not unite his team around a common goal or a common vision. They had a general direction but nothing concrete to guide them on a decision-by-decision basis. They could not operate confidently and effectively without Sinbad, or even with him for that matter. A good project manager gets everyone on the same page at the beginning of the project and assign roles, responsibilities, and specific tasks.
2. Bret Michaels is clearly a high strung guy. He became agitated by Sinbad’s lack of direction, poor communication and fuzzy goals during the team's first meeting. Bret had a point but he handled it poorly by getting angry. Sinbad decided to ignore Bret instead of confronting the petulant Poison frontman. That proved to be a mistake since, Bret, had no choice but to (reluctantly) share his concerns with Mr. Trump in the Boardroom, where the firings take place. Sinbad enabled his poorest performer by not addressing his concerns and taking positive corrective action, that could later be used to deflect an attack.
3. Every project, no matter how small, has milestones and communication checkpoints. That’s how you know progress is being made and the team is still aligned. Project timelines are lost at the beginning of projects, not at the end. Sinbad took his responsibility too lightly. He was responsible for everything. He was responsible for the process and the outcome.  He forgot he had to answer for A-Z to Mr. Trump.
4. So where was his “team?” Coming off the drubbing the Men's team gave the “Women” in week one, the Men were a little cocky and, apparently, unwilling to step up in a positive way for one another. They let their leader die. Shame on them. They all knew the project wasn’t going to magically come together at the end, that Sinbad was a poor leader, and that he would probably take the fall. Why didn’t one of them warn him? Because the Celebrity Apprentice is a competition, a game.

I guess that means that none of these things, these fatal flaws, could happen in real life? Nonsense, these same team dynamics happen in real life all the time. If you see them happening on one of your team's, do the right thing. Step up and help correct the situation. Don't get mad and pout, bring the team together, objectively define the issues, and take corrective actions.

Now we know why Sinbad got fired.

Steve

8--=707-9150

A CEO of a major company recently said to me, “Your timing may be perfect.”

He was referring to me being a consultant and, indeed, there’s evidence to support his statement. The industrial market is heating up. The Industrial Supply Association’s (ISA) most recent Economic Indicator Report was up for the second month in a row. Their Manufacturer Index was 66.42% in February while the January index was 60.63%. The Distributor Index saw similar gains (61.1% and 65.72%, respectively). Anything above 50% indicates those surveyed expect economic expansion.

The subjective evidence is equally strong. I talk with frustrated marketing people every week. Their complaint is with management and goes like this: “They laid off half my staff so we’ve been struggling to keep up for over a year. Every month we fall further behind and are getting our butts chewed out. Now, because business is getting better, they want us to do a bunch of new stuff. We can’t complete our work now! I have no idea how we’re going to get any new projects completed.” Maybe you can help them?

If you’re an unemployed or underemployed marketing professional consider becoming a consultant. As my CEO friend said, the timing may be perfect.

The client benefits because they can rent the expertise they need (from you). You simply augment their staff as a variable cost solution. A competent resource they can eliminate quickly without a long HR process.

Do a great job and maybe you get hired full-time, if that’s what you want. Here are a few things you need to be prepared for before accepting your first consulting job.

• Be prepared to add value immediately. One good way is to do more than you’re asked. In other words, take tasks off your new employer’s task list. Most marketing managers have presentations to create, reports to format, blogs to write and other nuisance tasks that they’d love to delegate but are beyond the skill level of most support personnel. Don’t wait for them to ask you to help. Be proactive and add value.
• Understand that there will be politics and much of it will be invisible to you. You represent a variable cost option and, as such, threaten everyone in your area of expertise that is an employee, a fixed cost. The best way to combat this is to recognize the politics exist and find a few key alliances within the client’s organization that will help you navigate through the terrain.
• You must be taken seriously so don’t walk in meekly. State your positions and your recommendations clearly and directly. Not everyone will agree but if you focus on pleasing everyone, finding the maximum in common ground and playing politician, you’ll lose. Understand your pre-designed role is to get in, complete your assignment, and get out. You are not part of the long-term extended corporate family (not yet, anyway).
• There’s nothing unethical about selling more services while you’re completing your project. Be polite and professional but keep your eyes and ears open for pain points, new projects and things the company would like to have if they had the resources. There’s truth in the old saying: “The best source of new business is old customers.” In my experience the big firms spend up to 30% of their time onsite looking for a new project while they’re completing the current project. I find that objectionable (selling while I’m on the client’s clock) so I never charge by the hour and I only spend about 10% of my time prospecting for new projects. You’ll need to find your own balance.

If you have skills and are either unemployed or underemployed I encourage you to think about consulting. The market is getting stronger, it’s a great way to leverage your strengths, and may get you the inside track on a full-time job if that’s your ultimate goal.

Feel free to call me if you want to discuss further.

Steve

800-707-9150

Describe your business in terms of benefits and value so the person you are talking to can better understand how you can help them, regardless of what it is you do. “I‘ve been building estate homes in Chicago since 1977” is more descriptive and better than, “I’m a builder,” because it infers some of the benefits you provide and encourages a conversation.

The second version lets the other person know you have solid experience, probably know a lot about a specific geography, you build big-expensive house and, finally, it implies the homes you build are constructed well. If those inferences were not true it is unlikely you'd have been in business since "1977." If you had simply said, “I’m a builder,” you would miss all those important attributes and benefits. Successful people never make this error and almost every successful person I’ve met is a good conversationalists.

A conversation allows you and the other person to determine if your unique expertise fits their unique needs and if your personalities are compatible for a business relationship.

So, the next time you meet someone describe your business or profession in interesting terms that conveys the benefits you provide.

 

 

Nowhere in the world are the gaffs more noticeable than in sports. Athletes live in a world where the communication and interpersonal rules most of us rely to get through life don’t apply. In fairness, they often find themselves with a microphone in their face at inopportune times, like after a tough loss or bad play.

Sports Illustrated listed some classics in their 12-28-09 magazine:

 

What should do if this happens to you?

Own up to it, be self-effacing, and let it go. Take a tip from professional gaffers, politicians. Explaining and making excuses just prolongs the attention and, at some point, makes you look defensive and small.

 

How we express ourselves sends a powerful message to the world about ourselves and about our company. If you need help perfecting your message please give me a call at the number below.

 

Steve

800-707-9150