• Set your Google ad to appear locally
If you operate a local business and advertise on Google, you can target local customers only.

Lou Bortone is a former television marketing executive and freelance writer. Check out his new collection of marketing and promotion “how-to” reports at http://www.BizBoosterSeries.com.

Keep in touch with your clients, part deux

November 30, 2007

Here are the rest of our tips for keeping in touch with e-newsletters:

4. Make it interactive
Take advantage of the interactive and personal nature of email newsletters by starting a conversation with your customer. Keep you goals in mind. What do you want your reader to do? Provide info? Respond to an offer? Fill out a survey? Make sure you include a call to action.

Links and resources: For a good list of email tactics, visit MarketingSherpa.

5. Track results and evaluate
Once your newsletter is sent, you can track open rates and “click throughs” to evaluate your campaign. Use this info to improve your next newsletter.

Links and resources: Most email newsletter vendors, such as Vertical Response, offer extensive reporting and tracking tools. To learn the lingo, Azavar provides definitions of various email marketing analytics.

Additional Tips & Tactics:

• Make your privacy policy clear. Never rent or sell your list.
• Offer your readers both HTML and text version of the newsletter.
• Avoid sending your e-newsletter on or near holidays.
• At the risk of stating the obvious, link to your Web site!
• Make it easy to subscribe… and unsubscribe.

Keep in touch with your clients

November 29, 2007

An electronic newsletter delivered by email is a great way to connect with your customers, share information and deliver news, usually for a fraction of the cost of traditional direct mail. While many factors affect an e-newsletter’s effectiveness, your newsletters must be:

1. Timely — don’t send a newsletter unless you have news
2. Relevant — recipients are much more likely to open and read your newsletter if the content is valuable to them
3. Concise — e-newsletters should be brief and focused

Here are a few tips for keeping in touch:

1. Select an e-newsletter service supplier
Several e-newsletter vendors make creating your newsletter quick and painless. Costs and features vary, but most provide user-friendly, turn-key solutions.

Links and resources: Constant Contact, Bronto and Exact Target are just a few of the services that offer everything from design templates to list management.

2. Build your list and get permission
Develop a database by putting a “subscribe” box on your Web site home page. Make it easy for subscribers by requesting only their email address. Ask their permission with a “double opt-in,” which asks for an email address, then sends a confirmation email asking subscribers to click on a link to confirm their participation. Another way to grow your list: Include a “Forward to a Friend” button on your newsletter.

Links and resources: E-dialog is one company that provides database list management and comprehensive email list services. Most companies, such as eNewsletters Online, allow you to import existing mailing lists and databases. ListPower is another easy-to-use mailing list manager.

3. Develop and compose your content
Start with engaging, compelling subject lines to gain attention. Content should be relevant and useful to your target audience, and you should present it in a straightforward, honest tone. Avoid industry jargon or “sales speak.” Also, design matters! It should facilitate scanning and skimming.

Links and resources: E-newsletter copy tips are available free from The Levinson Letter. Most newsletter services, like MyNewsletterBuilder, offer pre-built templates and design advice.

Check back tomorrow for the rest of our tips…

Networking Tips - Part III

November 23, 2007

Here are a few more things you need to know to maximize your networking efforts:

• Take advantage of online networking opportunities
The newest trend in networking provides unique opportunities to connect with colleagues online and expand your network exponentially.
Resources: LinkedIn is a popular E-networking site, as is Ryze. Some online networking sites are geared towards specific industries. EntreMate, for example, specializes in connecting entrepreneurs who are looking for business partners.

• Follow up
Cultivate your relationships. Send notes after meeting a new contact. Be proactive about staying in touch. Recognize that it takes time to build a relationship.
Resources: The Riley Guide offers additional information and advice about networking.

Networking Tips - Part II

November 21, 2007

Here are the things you need to know to maximize your networking efforts:

• Perfect your elevator pitch
Prepare and rehearse your one-minute “introduction speech” in advance. This breaks the ice and also serves as a good conversation-starter.
Resources: Learn more about crafting a great elevator pitch here. Need inspiration? Read successful elevator pitches and tweak your own at YourElevatorPitch.com.

• Be a joiner
Join professional trade groups. Volunteer. Become actively involved in your industry associations. Make a name for yourself; don’t hide behind the scenes.
Resources: You can join local chapters of Fast Company magazine’s Company of Friends group to stay connected, or more freelance-oriented groups like Guru.com, where you can find work and search for freelancers to work for you.

• Give before you get
Remember that networking is a two-way street. Be ready to reciprocate. Kevin Spacey’s Hollywood agent character said it best in the film “Swimming with Sharks:” You’ve got to give action to get action!”
Resources: Don’t dismiss the power of social networking websites like Friendster and Knowmentum. These can be a source of great connections.

Part 3 in 2 days…

Networking Tips - Part I

November 19, 2007

How to Network with Other Business Owners
A guide to cultivating the right contacts to boost your business

Business networking is both an art and a science. The advent of E-Networking has opened up a new online world of “Mega-Networking.” From the proliferation of social networking sites like My Space - hugely popular with the teen and twentysomething crowd – to more structured, in-person networking groups like Business Networking International (BNI), there have never been better opportunities for expanding your network. Still, many of the proven “rules of engagement” apply, because, whatever the method, it’s all about relationships.

With that in mind, there are three basic kinds of business networking:

1) Traditional networking – Face-to-face meet & greets at business functions, social events, club meetings, etc. In addition to joining an association specific to your industry, check out your local Chamber of Commerce or Rotary International chapter.

2) “Structured” networking clubs – Professional groups like Business Networking International (BNI) require a significant time commitment but can be tremendously helpful in finding new business.

3) Online or E-Networking – Internet-based networking websites such as LinkedIn and Facebook take “six-degrees-of-separation” networking and make it digital.

Part 2 in days!

Ghostwriting Best Practices - Part 3

November 16, 2007

Set the ground rules – Review roles and responsibilities with your author before you start, such as:
Meetings
Interviews
Access to materials
Arranging interviews with other sources
Arranging access to client’s blogs, notes or research

Do all this up front, so the client will be clear about their duties!

Ghostwriting Best Practices - Part 2

November 14, 2007

Do your homework – Conduct online research about your subject, and check out similar books for reference and ideas. Get your client’s background and “backstory,” even if you don’t need it for the book. You never know when some little detail of your client’s history may give you valuable perspective for the project.

Ghostwriting Best Practices - Part 1

November 12, 2007

Capture your author’s voice –

As your work with your client, be aware of their word patterns, style, tone and phrasing. Look for their “signature” expressions, favorite phrases, etc. This isn’t always easy or obvious, but the longer you work with your client, the more familiar their style will become. It’s also possible that your author selected you because of your writing style, based on your writing samples. If that’s the case, thank the ghostwriting gods and write away!

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