Ideas for Business

Podcasting is a growing method of reaching your target audience and yet, many small business owners aren`t taking advantage of this useful technique. Unfortunately, many people suffer from a fear of podcasting, but today, we`re going to look at why you might not want to try it and get rid of those fears.

“My voice sounds weird/I have an accent.” Well, GOOD! Your voice is unique and that makes it ideal for podcasting. People just love to hear what someone sounds like and you`ll probably end up with more clients than ever before once they have the chance to get to “know” you via podcasting.

“I can`t commit to podcasting on a regular basis.” That`s fine. Why not start with one podcast and see how it goes? There`s no rule saying you have to record something every week. Audio can be a handy way to connect with your visitors, but you can do it when you want to, there`s no need to schedule if you don`t want to.

“I`m not interesting enough/I have nothing to say.” Maybe not. But that`s why you prepare for your podcast. Write up a sheet of points you want to convey, do some research or even invite a guest speaker and interview them. If you don`t have anything to say, look for information on what your target market wants and talk about that.

Don`t let fear hold you back from podcasting. You could be losing out on making a vital connection with your clients!

Free is something that most people look for when starting out with a blog. They don`t want to put too much money into a service when there are free sites like Wordpress and Blogger out there to post on. However, going for a standard blogging site like this could very well cost you business.

Blogging doesn`t have to be expensive. You can get hosting starting at $7 a month for a good host and a .com domain name will cost between $8-10 per year. It`s a small price to pay for the boost in traffic that proper blogging can give you.

When choosing a domain name, go for something that either is your company name or that has your keywords in it (though preferably, your company name will have keywords). This helps boost your search engine rankings and should also be nice and easy to remember.

The fact that you have your own domain name will really make your blogging look more professional. It`s pretty obvious if you are cutting corners and using a mycompany.blogspot.com type domain name. Since much of marketing is based on appearances, why wouldn`t you take steps to ensure that your blog looks professional?

Do you have a logo for your business? While most offline businesses tend to think of a logo right off the bat, the majority of small internet-based businesses neglect this aspect of marketing. It`s a very important part of branding.

What do you think of when you see the golden arches? Of course, McDonalds . . . that is a symbol that is recognized around the world . . . no sign necessary. What about the swoosh symbol for Nike? Or the leaping cat for Puma? These are logos that have been very successfully used to promote the business behind them and people are recognizing these brands everywhere.

Having a logo will help trigger recognition in your clients` minds. When they see your logo, they`ll instantly think of your services or products. Which is precisely what you want them to think of. A logo is part of the marketing process and it really does help to include this in your graphic design.

More than a few people have asked why their email marketing campaign isn`t working. While I can`t exactly answer everyone in general terms, since it really does depend on the audience and the topic, there are a few mistakes that are quite common in email marketing.

Common Email Marketing Errors

• Not targeting an audience. Sure you have a wide range of subscribers, but that doesn`t mean you should be sending out a general email. Try to break your list into smaller, more specific groups and write for them.
• Forgetting the call to action. This is a biggie. If you aren`t specifically telling people what they need to be doing within your email newsletter, then you can bet they won`t do it!
• Being too formal. While some email marketing campaigns call for formal language, you`ll notice that the majority of those who are successful in marketing to their lists talk as if they were writing to a friend. It`s a very successful method.

Email marketing has a lot of variables and requires tweaking to get it just right and even then, your solution won`t be precisely the same as everyone else`s. By ensuring that you aren`t making the mistakes above, however, you`ll make sure that your campaign is successful.

You already know that I advocate having a blog to help promote your business, but it`s not good enough to just have a blog. Networking is vital if you want to actually grow your traffic and bring in new potential clients. Without the proper connections and activity, you`ll find that your website just sits there unread.

3 Blog Networking Techniques

• Linking. You`d be amazed at what happens when you start to link out to other blogs. There`s no need to copy them, just let your readers know when you find a good resource. The links will catch other bloggers` attention and they`ll check your site out and may even link to you.
• Commenting. This is the most common technique used, but it`s still a good one. When you comment on someone else`s blog, always consider what you can add to the conversation. It`s also important to respond to comments on your own blog.

• Emailing. While comments and links can be a good way to catch a blogger`s attention, there`s something to be said for a direct email sometimes. Just connect with the other blogger or ask a question. Start building a relationship and later on you can set up JVs and other deals.

Blog networking is a great way to ensure that people are noticing and reading your blog. These aren`t the only methods, of course, you can also join blog communities, carnivals and group writing projects that allow you to network with other bloggers in your topic.