1. ARTICLE MARKETING
Article marketing refers to writing articles on your area of expertise or industry and then publishing those articles wherever possible as a way of promoting you and your business. Online this means submitting your articles at sites such as www.ezinearticles.com and relevant websites that accept articles for publication.

Don’t forget this can also be used offline, in fact the same articles can often be used with perhaps some minor editing to submit to magazines, papers and other offline media. For example I recently slightly tweaked one of my popular Email Marketing articles for a Real Estate publication.

2. BLOGGING
Blogging is a way to gain ongoing exposure online for you and your business. Ideally this is in the form of you publishing articles (which can also be used in Publicity option 1 above), news, events, press releases and industry updates on your blog which allows your readers (both prospects and clients) to learn more about you, as well as provide another way for media to find you. It is becoming more and more common for media channels such as TV, magazines and radios to source information and opinions from Bloggers and to contact Blog authors for interviews and further comments on their area of expertise.

3. SOCIAL NETWORKING
You may have read my article recently about Facebook (if not you can read it here), where I mentioned how popular this online social networking community has become. Facebook is a great way to get free publicity, although how far your message reaches may depend on how many friends you have! Simply by updating your status on Facebook you can let your network know about new projects that you are working on and generate interest.

You can also do this with Twitter which is a service that allows you to keep others up to date on what you are doing at any time. To learn more about using Twitter for marketing and exposure I suggest reading this great article at http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/11/twitter-guide/

by Belinda Jackson

© 2008. Web Chameleon Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article on your website or include it in your email newsletter? No problem! But you also MUST include the following:

Belinda Jackson, Online Marketing Mentor, is founder of Web Chameleon, Chameleon Mail and The Business Blogging Program.  To learn how to attract and retain your perfect clients using Online Marketing, and increase sales & income then sign up for your free Online Marketing Report and Marketing Newsletter by visiting www.WebChameleon.com.au/.

I will be giving two presentations at this year’s Central Coast Business Expo;

10.00am to 10.30am - Wednesday 13th
Blogging your way to online success
Belinda Jackson, Web Chameleon

3.00pm to 3.30pm - Wednesday 13th
Growing your business using an email newsletter
Belinda Jackson, Web Chameleon

 Here’s a quick snapshot of the Central Coast Business Expo;

The Expo brings together the local business community for two days of product & service display and promotion, seminars, networking - and most importantly - conversation.

* 40 - 50 businesses and business organisations on show
* Business & Industry Briefing: Panel Presentation
* AusIndustry Innovation Forum
* Central Coast Tourism Forum
* One-on-One Coaching Sessions
* Edgar Adams interviews local successful businesses.
* Workshops & Masterclasses
* 10 business development seminars
* Over 30 local presenters

Learn more and register for these and many more FREE seminars…go to www.thebrew.com.au

Starting a referral virus to explode your business…

This presentation looks at the importance of referrals and how to generate more. Talking powerfully about your work and using networking as an effective tool in your marketing activity is a key to success. This presentation will help delegates to develop these skills and open doors to added opportunities.

Other specific areas covered include:
- The value of a statement that talks powerfully about what you do
- The importance of recognising who you should really do business with
- How to create a referral virus that will lead to potentially endless new business leads

The presentation concludes with a tool that each person can apply to their business and an action plan to start the ball rolling.

About Robert

Robert is a coach, author & professional speaker whose particular niche is the independent professional and small business owner.

In 2000, he started ‘Flying Solo’ - Australia’s online community for solo business owners. The website has more than thirty five thousand visitors a month and their email newsletter goes to over fourteen thousand Australian business owners every Tuesday.

Robert has been a business commentator on ABC Four Corners, A Current Affair, Sky Business, Fairfax Digital, 2UE and ABC Radio and writes a regular column for News Ltd. In mid-2005 he released his first book Flying Solo: How to go it alone in business, co-authored with Sam leader and published by Allen & Unwin. The book is an Australian business bestseller.

Best selling author of the E-myth, Michael Gerber said of the book: “If you’re on your own, and not sure what’s up next, read this book and wake up to the possibilities it presents.”

Visit Flying Solo at: www.flyingsolo.com.au and find out more about Robert at www.robertgerrish.com

This event is open to any business person, to book go here.

Date: Tuesday 12th August, 6.30pm
Venue: Terrigal Memorial Country Club, 64 Dover Road, Wamberal.
Investment: $20.00

A lot of businesses are finding it tough these days. Not only are we in tough economic times, but there is all this new technology to deal with and so many marketing options that it’s hard to know what works and what doesn’t.

Online Marketing is the ultimate Recession Proof Marketing strategy. It’s low cost and can bring you great results. Come along to this presentation to learn simple and effective Online Marketing strategies.

Increase your confidence in this area and learn how a web presence can work for you. Belinda will provide many easy tips that could drive more visitors to your website and ensure your Online Marketing is successful. Learn how to build sustainable relationships with your prospects and clients over time that will ultimately result in more sales and profits for your business.

Here’s just a snapshot of what you will learn during this presentation;

• A Simple 3 step Formula for Online Marketing Success
• The secrets to getting your website found on Search engines
• How to optimise your web presence for RESULTS
• The most effective way to convert website visitors into customers

This presentation will be full of real world strategies that work. You are guaranteed to leave with ideas that you can implement immediately in your business!

For more info and to book go to http://centralcoast.businessswap.com.au/

by Kirsty Dunphey - I’m reproducing the below article mainly because it includes some great tips on list growing but two additional reasons. 1) why re-invent the wheel! Kirsty has already put some great list building tips together and whilst many of them I have already written about there are a few new ones covered here, so I’ll save myself the trouble of rewriting them and 2) Kirsty produces a great newsletter which is really popular and I love to promote others who use Email Marketing so well. Kirsty’s newsletter is currently circulating to over 4,000 people weekly. Here are her 26 list buiding tips; 

1. Have a sign up button or form on every page of your website.
2. Don’t make it too difficult for people to sign-up, people get bored if they have to jump through too many hoops. All we ask for is first name, surname (optional) and email.
3. Set up a facebook fan page for your email and encourage your friends / family and current subscribers to join.
4. To attract those ever present Gen Y’s have a presence on myspace. Some of my favourites:
   • http://www.myspace.com/jackcanfield
   • http://www.myspace.com/thebaileynetwork
   • http://www.myspace.com/jimrohn
   • http://www.myspace.com/thatguywiththenametag
   • http://www.myspace.com/kirstydunphey (and mine of course!)
5. Link your facebook, myspace and linked in pages on your website and newsletter.
6. Any time you speak at a public event, mention your newsletter and encourage people to sign up. By public event I mean everything from a keynote presentation in front of 2,000 to a networking group of 5 – just mention it!
7. If you do any regular public speaking, grab a box, bucket or any receptacle and allow people to simply throw a business card in at the end of any of your talks if they want to subscribe.
8. Promote your newsletter on the bottom of your email (in your signature)
9. Make it easy for people to recommend their friends signup and mention that you’d like them to in your newsletter (in ours we say we’re aiming for 10,000 subscribers – can they help?)
10. I regularly submit articles to be used in other newsletters. Our two most exciting contributions to date have been multiple entries in Zig Ziglar (www.zigziglar.com) and Jeffrey Gitomer’s (www.jeffreygitomer.com) newsletters.
11. Allow people to reproduce your articles in their newsletters – and make it easy. We do this by having a statement telling people they can reproduce our articles in every newsletter and a whole page of articles they can use here: www.kirstydunphey.com/usemebaby.html
12. We submit our articles (which reference our newsletter) to online articles. Try www.ezinearticles.com and www.articlesbase.com, www.goarticles.com
13. Solicit testimonials from the people who currently read your newsletter (even if it’s just 5!) and use them on your website.
14. Allow people to see archived copies of your newsletters – to give them a better idea of what they’re signing up for.
15. Don’t sell or loan your database and make it clear on your website that you won’t
16. Mention your newsletter as often as possible (media, tv interviews, social events, networking).
17. Consider mentioning your newsletter on your business card / letterhead.
18. Link to your newsletter in your blog.
19. Oh yeah – have a blog (see: www.kirstydunphey.com/blog) and if you don’t think you have time to blog read: http://kirstydunphey.blogspot.com/2008/02/are-you-already-blogging-and-you-just.html
20. There are lots of online ezine diretories that you can register your database at (we’ve not had a great response from these – but hey – if you’ve got a spare 10 minutes go for your life!)
21. Ask your friends / colleagues if they’ll mention your newsletter on their website (see: www.kirstydunphey.com/recommendations.html) More links to your website also can do great things for your search engine optimization.
22. You can pitch your product in your newsletter – but it can’t all be a sales pitch. Find a happy medium that works for you in terms of selling vs educating.
23. If you write a book (www.unleashedknowledge.com), mention your newsletter in it.
24. Make your database feel loved – have special offers that are only for those people who subscribe.
25. Use a reputable email marketing service to ensure a good delivery rate, we use icontact but there are several other options available. (hehe can I put a plug in here for Chameleon Mail - ed. belinda)
26. Finally, the number one (and most simple) way to get more people subscribing is to put something out there that’s of value to readers. If people like a newsletter they’ll forward it on and it’ll grow without you having to concern yourself too much!

Kirsty Dunphey is an author, speaker and entrepreneur who started her first business at 15, opened her own real estate agency at 21 and retired a self made multi-millionaire at 27. To sign up to Kirsty Dunphey’s weekly email, go to www.kirstydunphey.com Thanks Kirsty - great tips and thanks for sharing…. Belinda

with Football Manager of Central Coast Mariners
LAWRIE MCKINNA | 25th July at Central Coast Business Swap

The Central Coast Mariners are a remarkable success story.

The Mariners emerged and put the Central Coast on the map. This was our region’s first national representation in any sport. They created excitement throughout this community.

The Mariners have united us and injected passion and pride into the Central Coast. They have formed part of our identity, they are our team and we are proud to wear the yellow and blue to support them.

Join Lawrie McKinna and Central Coast Business Swap to learn about the first 3 years of success. Hear from a truly great leader. Come and be inspired to create your own success. This event is on July 25th at Caroline Bay Brasserie, Gosford Regional Art Gallery, East Gosford .

Belinda’ Note: In all honesty I’m not a big footy fan (quite the opposite in fact) however I’ll be attending this event because it’s going to be a HUGE event with lots of fun and business networking. Rumours are that Lawrie is a pretty good speaker and I’m sure he’ll be entertaining! So if you’d like to come along see link below.

For more information visit Central Coast Business Swap website at http://centralcoast.businessswap.com.au/

The online world in many ways is no different to the offline marketing world. On and offline, it’s all about people. In fact, if you think about it, every dollar that is spent online must come from an individual choosing to spend their money with a particular website.

Creating an effective website that brings you new customers and makes you money will be more likely to happen if you successfully build relationships. This means building a geniune relationship with visitors to your website so that they come to like and trust you enough to give you their money!

This is relationship marketing. Next step is leveraging yourself as an expert so that clients come chasing you. Online Marketing provides the opportunity to simplify both of these strategies.

Selling as was used in the past is gone. Every day we are overwhelmed with marketing and sales messages and it’s impossible to take it all in - even if we wanted to - and I’m sure you, like me, don’t particularly want to be sold to.

What you want is to have clients choose to want to buy your products and/or services, because they have come to see you as an expert AND they have formed a relationship with you built on trust, knowledge and authenticity!

Having an Effective Website and/or Blog and using your web presence to attract and build a database allows you to form the beginnings of a relationship with prospects. Allowing your prospects to get to know, like and trust you through an Email Newsletter over time gives you the opportunity to leverage yourself as an expert and convert prospects into clients.

No hard selling allowed or required.

These are simple Online Marketing strategies you can implement almost immediately to begin leveraging yourself as an expert in your industry and begin fostering an ongoing relationship with prospects.

I Was Very Skeptical At First

Actually it has taken me a long time to get on board with Facebook. Admittedly the same was true for me and Blogging and I am quickly becoming as keen on Facebook as I am on Blogging.

I feel like I was pushed into discovering Facebook. Many of my friends, colleagues and clients kept asking for my opinion on it, and asking if I was on there yet? I had registered several months ago on the urging of a good friend of mine in New Zealand, but I never really could figure out what all the fuss was about.

I wanted to discover why Facebook is so popular. I wanted to know how they managed to gain millions of members so quickly? And why so many people are talking about it? I had to know!

So, finally 2 weeks ago I logged back in and spent my Saturday exploring and discovering the potential that exists in Facebook. Today I have reached 100 “friends” and look forward to growing my Facebook network more (why not join me - see below).

How Did Facebook Become So Popular, So Fast? (more…)

]]> http://blogbybelinda.com/an-introduction-to-facebook.htm/feed http://blogbybelinda.com/11-content-ideas-for-your-ezine-or-website.htm http://blogbybelinda.com/11-content-ideas-for-your-ezine-or-website.htm#comments Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:32:21 +0000 Web Chameleon http://blogbybelinda.com/11-content-ideas-for-your-ezine-or-website.htm Publishing articles, especially via an e-zine, is the ideal opportunity to showcase your business. By sharing your knowledge and expertise, you build credibility as an expert, while spreading the word about your services and products.

While I’m sure that sometimes you have dozens of content ideas, I bet other times you find yourself staring at a blank computer screen, grumbling that it’s publishing time again. Well, have no fear! Here are 11 quick (and good) content ideas for when you’re in a pinch.

1. Give real-life success stories.
Describe a problem you’ve solved for a client/customer, and use that as a springboard to offer more general advice. Show your readers how you’ve helped customers address challenges — “case studies” if you will. This positions you as the expert in your readers’ minds more than your coming out and saying so.

2. Think of three areas in which you’d like your clients to think of you as a resource.
Now develop content in those areas. For example, in my past life as a professional copywriter, I really enjoyed writing for Web sites. To help encourage my clients and prospects to hire me for these projects, I published several articles on how to write Web copy that sells.

3. Read industry publications for ideas.
Are there any hot issues in your field right now? The more controversial, the better. Don’t be afraid to offer your own opinion — your readers want to know it. After all, YOU are the expert in their eyes.

4. Jot down 8 questions your clients have asked you in the past.
You know, the ones they ask you over and over. Answer each in a short article. If you publish weekly, that’s two months’ worth of content, right off the bat! And if you can’t think of any questions, send all your current clients/customers a quick e-mail, asking them what topics they’re most interested in learning more about.

5. Learn anything neat lately from an industry conference, workshop, seminar, or insightful article?
No one says you have to reinvent the wheel of information! Pass on any gems of advice you’ve learned elsewhere — just give them full attribution. Or give your opinion of the event or article itself. Your readers will appreciate your frankness.

6. Offer a list of your top 5 or 10 tips on a certain subject.
It’s much easier to bang out a list of tips than to put together a real article. Of course, the tips can evolve into an article if you wish! Be sure to list your best tip first, or at least close to the top. (If you “fire your biggest gun” last, you risk losing your audience before they get to the good stuff.)

7. Interview associates whose expertise would interest your readers (while not competing with yours).

E-mail interviews are incredibly easy to do. Just send your interviewee 3 to 5 questions via e-mail, edit their answers, and have them approve the final version. Be sure to give them a short plug in your e-zine as a thank you. (A one- or two-sentence description of their business and their Web address should be fine.)

8. Recommend books and resources that you use, and offer full reviews on them.
In one issue of my old e-zine, “AKB MarCom Tips,” I featured reviews of my favorite four copywriting resource books. I’m glad I also gave my Amazon.com associate links, because I ended up making some nice commission, to boot!

9. Invite clients or readers to write you with their own questions, and answer one in each issue.
Right after their question, publish the person’s name, business, and Web address, with their permission. They’ll enjoy the attention and free publicity!

10. Invite readers to send in profiles.
Ask them to tell you about themselves — their names, businesses, locations, and how they use the information gained in your e-zine. Feature one profile in each issue or one every few issues.

11. When all else fails, borrow an article!
There are dozens of Web sites offering hundreds of articles that you can use in your e-zine. The articles are free and available for you to use immediately. The only catch is you’re required to leave the entire article intact, including the author’s promotional information. One of my favorite places to search for articles is www.ezinearticles.com.

One last note: Keep in mind that if your e-zine’s main objective is to get you more clients and customers, you should NOT feature other writers’ articles more than once in a blue moon. Remember our main goal is to continually showcase YOU. : )

This is a great resource of ideas for creating content for your email newsletter…  the article is courtesy of my coach and mentor Ali Brown!

© 2001-2008 Alexandria Brown International Inc. Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown publishes the award-winning ‘Highlights on Marketing & Success’ weekly ezine with 28,000+ subscribers. If you’re ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at www.alexandriabrown.com

]]> http://blogbybelinda.com/11-content-ideas-for-your-ezine-or-website.htm/feed http://blogbybelinda.com/wbn-email-marketing-presentation.htm http://blogbybelinda.com/wbn-email-marketing-presentation.htm#comments Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:58:21 +0000 Web Chameleon http://blogbybelinda.com/wbn-email-marketing-presentation.htm You are invited to the Sydney Wholistic Business Network Event on Monday 23rd June 2008 where I will be presenting on the Topic of Email Marketing - “Grow your Business using an Email Newsletter”

“GROW YOUR BUSINESS USING AN EMAIL NEWSLETTER!”
presented by Belinda Jackson

Does your Online Presence work to increase your sales & profits by converting visitors into customers? First of all, are you converting website visitors into real leads that you can follow up with? Are you building relationships with prospects and clients through regular communications?

Come along to this presentation to learn simple and effective Online Marketing strategies that revolve around Email. Yes, Email - it’s simple and yet it is highly effective. It’s also easy to get it wrong!

You will learn;

• Email Marketing: What, how and why it could work for you
• What to put in your Email Newsletter to ensure it gets read
• The legal essentials: Spam Compliance rules & regulations
• Growing the List - how to get more people on your Email List
• This presentation is full of real world strategies that work. See for yourself why her clients love her newsletter and be inspired by the power of little old Email!

Belinda Jackson of Web Chameleon has been working with her clients to improve their online marketing efforts for over 5 years. Her previous background including over 14 years experience in marketing, sales, graphic design and IT provides a perfect blend to place her where she is today - helping business owners market themselves through Email Marketing, Blogging, Websites and more.

The other presentation on the evening is as detailed below;

“IF YOU COULD BUST LOOSE FROM THE TREADMILL - WOULD YOU?”
presented by Chris Wakeford

Did you know that over the next 5-10 years there will be MORE wealth created than in the entire history of the world for those people who engage in playing a whole new game? Hear how a new multibillion dollar mega trend market is shaping exciting new lives for people who want the keys to the love & the MONEY.

Transformational Spiritual Entrepreneur Chris Wakeford is a retired Ex Lend Lease financial planning wealth creation expert who now teaches people to do the complete opposite to what the traditional planners do and why they secretly come and see him now for advice!

Chris will share with you how transformational personal growth creates the money… how ordinary people who learn to UNLEARN are able to become audacious spiritual wealth entrepreneurs; without having to attend any type of public education system where it is NOT taught! http://thewealthcentre.com

How DO you to create 50-100K from home from the Internet even if you are a 2 finger typist… IE NOT a techie seems to help!

$1000’s worth of Prizes often given away on the night

Your opportunity to meet interesting and inspiring people… join us for a dynamic & fun evening filled with inspired business networking - opportunity to learn from others that already have success, meet old and new friends and create the personal and professional connections you may be looking for.

Monday evening, the 23rd of June 2008

“The Wealth Centre” Level 1, 24 Falcon street, Crows Nest

For full details go to http://www.wholisticbusinessnetwork.com/wbn_centres/sydney.html

or Contact Sandhi - mobile 0419 233 448

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