Women in Business Online: Thinking of hosting a virtual event? You should! Here’s why…

May 1, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

woman with headset3Joint ventures (predominantly Virtual Events) is the primary way that I grow my “list”… my community… my peeps… my tribe by leaps and bounds!

A virtual event is a joint venture marketing strategy that I highly recommend but, here’s the caveat… it’s not for the weak at heart! While there are definitely a lot of moving parts to a virtual event you’ll discover that the end results are totally worth it!

If the idea of hosting your own virtual event interests you or you love the idea of being able to put your own joint venture together (virtual event or not) to grow your list this year you should know about Virtual Event Boom. A Virtual Event about… virtual events ;~)

The FREE preview series is on now!

And in case you need a little more motivation, here are my top 8 reasons why hosting a Virtual Event is so smart:

1) RAPID LIST BUILDING: The co-promotion of the joint venture partners creates massive exposure for everyone involved. Ten high profile joint venture partners with an average list size of 10,000 means that your message/event will be exposed to 100,000 people. That’s good for you and good for your joint venture partners too!

2) RELEVANT LIST BUILDING: When done correctly – the flood of new subscribers you attract through your virtual event are targeted and relevant to your area of expertise. Take List Attraction Week as an example. Serious women in business online want to know how to grow their list, keep people on their list and make money from their list. There is the potential to get the best of both worlds: quantity AND quality. And, when it comes to list building this is a winning combination!

The more relevant your list, the easier it is to build RELATIONSHIPS which is the heart of your community. Through relationships comes trust and that is the cornerstone of profitability.

3) IMMEDIATE REVENUE: A successful joint venture planned correctly can lead to immediate revenue. A percentage of the targeted and relevant subscribers you attract will become paying customers.

4) DIVIDE EFFORT MULTIPLY EFFECT: In my opinion, a virtual event is the ultimate leverage. By partnering with other experts in your area of expertise, the collective energy and effort grows your list, boosts your credibility and stimulates revenue. Now you can impact more people AND… do more and more of what you LOVE to do!

5) CATALYST FOR MOMENTUM: A virtual event is a catalyst for tremendous growth. My business grows by leaps and bounds rather than inching along. I’m also able to leverage the momentum and buzz a virtual event creates. And you can too!

6) CREDIBILITY THROUGH ASSOCIATION: When you partner with other highly respected experts in your field, it boosts your credibility by association. And, as the lead of the joint venture, you boost your fame factor too! “Oh wow! You know [insert name of super cool guru JV partner]? I’m impressed”

7) POWERFUL AND PROFITABLE RELATIONSHIPS: Collaborating and creating joint ventures with other experts boosts your credibility through association. As you add value and increase to their lives, they want to add value and increase to you. These mutually beneficial win-win relationships are priceless.

8 ) MARKETING BECOMES FUN AND EASY! The momentum each joint venture project creates allows me to get the biggest results for my investment of time and money. The key word here again is LEVERAGE. A Joint Venture is SMART marketing on steroids!

Sound good to you?

Register for Virtual Event Boom today. If you’ve missed any of the preview calls that’s okay – you’ll get access to the archive.

See you there!

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Increase Your Productivity With Priority and Presence

April 28, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” ~ Peter F. Druker

Check_List_DoneA majority of the entrepreneurs who come to me struggle to find enough time to fit in everything they want to do. They often feel overwhelmed, unable to keep up with the details of their business or never finding enough spaciousness to develop the next stage of their mission. Does this sound familiar?

Two principles to remember that make all the difference in the world are Priority and Presence.

Prioritization comes from knowing that we have the gift of time in front of us to extend our reach. Not everything has to be done right now, even when our internal sense of urgency tries to convince us otherwise.

Don’t try to work from a to-do list of 100 things; split them into short-term, medium-term, and long-term priorities. Use a “just-in-time” philosophy and map out your schedule based on when things are truly needed, and consider which things can be delegated so that you can focus on the high-value items right now.

Presence in the moment allows us to stay in contact with the source of our inner guidance, so that we can continue to express our deepest values while responding to changing circumstances. If you let yourself become demand-driven rather than presence-directed, you will be caught up in the prevailing culture of unceasing activity and you’ll make choices that are not purposeful for you.

What can you do to bring more prioritization and presence into your workweek? Consider weekly planning meetings that move you out of problem-solving mode and into strategic thinking on a regular basis. Build a rhythm of breaks into your workday that give you a natural pause to step back into full presence.

Take advantage of your creativity to design something you’ll not only enjoy but use regularly. One of my clients created a ritual that whenever her phone rang, she would take two deep breaths before answering.

Have fun with the process, suit your own style, and allow yourself the spaciousness and efficiency that’s possible with a priority- and presence-directed business.

About the Author: Audrey Seymour MA PCC CPCC is the founder of Visions Into Form(r) Business Coaching. She brings clarity of vision and action to entrepreneurs who feel called to make a difference in the world. Visit http://www.visionsintoform.com to view my complete library of articles and resources and to receive your copy of “Draw More Business by Branding the Essential You.”

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Women in Business Online: Here’s a Great Way To Leverage Your Old Blog Posts

April 4, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

1156284_innovationLinkWithin is a related posts widget that displays related posts that feature attractive photo thumbnails.

Not only does this bring old posts back to life it increases page views (which is great for SEO – search engine optimization) and will keep your readers engaged with your blog longer (decreasing bounce rate = the amount of time a visitor spends on your blog).

This widget is free and ad-free. For WordPress users there is a plugin for this, you need to download it from their website. The plugin makes the magic next.

The screenshot below was taken from my personal website at GinaBellInc.com

LinkWithin-Screenshot
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I love it! What do you think? Is this a plugin that you would use on your site? Can you think of additional reasons why it’s a good idea? Share ideas and experiences below (or click here)…

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Women in Business Online: 9 Bodacious (and Easy) Ways to Practice Self-Care

March 18, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

article-3-17-10Just as there was a time when “google” was not a verb, there was also a time when “bodacious” was not a word. Bodacious is a blend of “bold” and “audacious” created in British English dialect late in the nineteenth century.

I love this word! Some days we need to be bodacious! And some days, we need to remember to apply it to our own self-care.

No matter how rewarding or noble it is to be of service to others – whether you’re a coach, in retail, or taking care of an ailing parent – you cannot leave your self-care out of the picture. If you do, you’ll soon burn-out, become ill or angry, and you’ll ultimately be serving no one.

Here are 9 bodacious ways to practice self-care:

1 – Flowers!

This is so simple – and yet so powerful. Fresh flowers beautify any space. I always have an orchid on my coffee table. I see it the minute I walk in the door, and it reminds me to take a deep breath and cherish the beauty of my life. Create a Sunday ritual of getting fresh flowers to get your week off to a bodacious start!

2 – Take a nap.

Favorite thing: I climb into bed for a nap in the middle of the day. Within minutes comes the soft ploop of cat paws on the cover. I can almost hear the cat thoughts: Hmm. The human has decided to lie quietly. I’d like to take part. Then the paws walk all around me until they find the very best spot for settling.

Cats know the truth: Naps are bodacious!

3 – Pay full price.

The amount of energy we waste on trying to get “deals” is often not worth it. If you see something you love, then get it. I’m convinced that we’d all be so much happier and wealthier if we just got exactly what we loved without looking at price tags and wasting time looking for sales. (We’d probably have much less stuff too!)

4 – Trampolines and swings.

I was at a cocktail party last year. The adults were up on the deck watching the kids jump on the trampoline. At one point, all the kids ran inside. I kicked off my shoes and ran for the trampoline. Three other women joined me. We laughed and jumped for about 15 minutes. It was the most fun I’d had all week.

Swings are fun, too. And they’re easy to find! Who cares if you look or feel stupid? Being an adult doesn’t have to mean being boring!

5 – Truncate your To-Do’s.

How many items are on your to-do list today?

32?

20?

67?

A day should have no more than two or three mission-critical priorities for completion. The rest are extra credit! Give yourself the gift of completion. It is the ultimate self-care.

6 – Order out.

I love preparing meals. But some nights, it’s just necessary to let someone else do the cooking. We have a great delivery service in our town. I don’t mind the extra expense if it allows me a night of no clean up, and a little extra time to write or just be with my husband.

7 – Take a long walk with your dog.

Are you one of those people who gets home from work and marches your dog around the block with a grim look on your face? (Another to-do item checked off the list!)

Try this: Take your dog for a long happy walk. Revel in the delight and presence of your dog. It will absolutely lift your spirits.

8 – Read for fun.

Do you relish your days on the beach because it’s the only time you’ll allow yourself the joy of a trashy novel or some “light” reading?

Why not get a little bodacious and bring the beach to your work-week? Curl up at night and get lost in some fun fiction.

9 – Step AWAY from the computer. (And the phone.)

The challenge of this internet world is that we are “plugged in” 24/7. You are reachable all the time now. No one waits for “business hours” anymore. This is not healthy for your precious creative spirit, my friend.

Take regular breaks from Facebook, blogs, texts, cell phones, and email. (Yes, even this eZine!) Don’t include your computer in any of the above activities. And turn off your phone, too! I promise, your computer and phone won’t take it personally! (Neither will this e-Zine!)

Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her ‘LiveCreative’ weekly ezine with more than 11,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative at http://www.christinekane.com/.

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How to Create a Social Networking Profile that Stands Out

February 23, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Social Media and Social Networking are one of the top leveraged marketing strategies for women in business online today. Here’s a guest post by Christine Gallagher of CommunicateValue.com on how to get your profile working for you!

One of the most basic but most important pieces of your social networking presence is having an effective profile. Not only is it a snapshot into who you are and what it is you do, it’s usually the first impression others will have of you.

Here are some ways to make your profile work for you and get you noticed–without boring people to tears.

Use a real photo of yourself. On certain sites you occasionally see people using their brand logo as their picture or avatar but I advise against this. You want others to relate to you as a real person, especially if they are thinking of hiring or buying from you! In most cases, that is something you just can’t convey through a graphic. (Unless maybe you are Coca-Cola!)

By all means, use a professional photo if possible. If not, you should choose one that is of you alone–with all due respect to your family and pets. If you are using social sites to even remotely drum up business, you need to appear professional as far your main photo goes.

Location, location, location. Include at the very least your state, province or town. Even though it is the world wide web, you never know when local opportunities will pop up. Make it easy for others to seek you out.

Have a well thought-out bio. Your bio is what people will be looking to in order to get the essence of what you are all about. You can include a succinct version of your “elevator pitch” here as long as you avoid sounding too sales-y. When you read it back to yourself you should be able to get a feel for how it comes off. Adjust accordingly. Write it with an emphasis on how you provide value to others.

Include all of your relevant links. You want to give people an easy way to find out more about you. Plus, there’s no one who doesn’t want more web traffic, right? The amount of space you are allotted for this varies from site to site, but definitely include your website and/or blog as well as the profile URLs of any other social networking sites you are active on.

Use your full name if possible. Depending on the site, you may or may not have room to fit your whole name. Also, if your name is common, it may have already been taken, such as on a site like Twitter. In the case of my full name, I went with my first name and last initial on Twitter because they don’t allow enough characters for both words to fit. I am satisfied with that, however, because people are still able to associate it closely with my full name.

Personal tidbits are not a bad thing. Don’t be shy, there is a reason it’s called social networking! Some people are reticent about exposing anything about themselves outside of their business persona. However, part of what draws others to you is your authentic self. You may have a snazzy professional profile photo, but posting pictures here and there of your latest vacation won’t do any harm. In fact, it could be great for business.

Fill out your background completely. Part of what helps others find you is the information that you fill out about your education, interests, past employment and groups and associations you belong to. This is especially true on a site like LinkedIn. Keep your information up to date so that opportunities can easily find you.

The most important takeaway? Ensure your presence is consistent across all networks. This not only strengthens your personal brand, but helps to establish credibility as well. Plus, to make it even easier on yourself, keep a document on your computer with all of your profile information. That way you can just copy and paste it when needed.

Now get out there and network!

About the expert(s): Christine Gallagher, MLS, MSIS, founder of CommunicateValue.com, teaches coaches, consultants, authors, speakers, and other solopreneurs how to conquer the overwhelming aspects of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. For FREE tips on how to build profitable relationships, leverage technology and create your own successful online business, visit http://CommunicateValue.com

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Equity-Rich Women Online Teleseries Call 3 Replay and Highlights

February 13, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

equity-rich women in business onlineWow! What an amazing call! The replay for call 3 is ready for you at http://snipurl.com/erw3-replay and the highlights are below…

I’m having SO much fun with my new caricature in the header! What do ya think? It’s so great to have my sites fully reflect the fun and humor I love so much. (You can check out http://www.ginabellinc.com too for another variation I’m “tickled pink” about)

I forgot to share some exciting news (despite the call notes I had prepared he he) which is that I’m in the process of writing my book. Woohoo! The working title is: “Equity-Rich Women Online: Love, Leverage and Leap Your Way to Wild Success”. (Sample book cover and pre-launch celebrations are coming soon!)

Gosh, I love the sound of that and I can’t wait to get this Equity-Rich philosophy, this way to do and be in business, to a much wider audience. Stay tuned for details of how you can get an advanced copy including some really cool bonuses!

Okay, here are some of the nuggets shared on this call:

Equity-Rich Success Formula (pre-requisites to an equity-rich business):

  1. Identify Your DESIRE (what you REALLY want and why)
  2. Gain Authentic CLARITY
  3. Allow Your PASSION (and the passion of others) to Fuel You
  4. Make the DECISION to Make it Happen (no matter what)

This was a great start but the “formula” doesn’t end here. Mark your calendars for Tuesday February 16th and plan to join me for call #4 in the series as we continue our thought-provoking conversations.

I also shared another of my fave success mantras (which is really an awesome quote I found and fell in love with!)

“Marketing is the tax we pay for ordinary” ~ author unknown

I challenged listeners to explore the questions: “Am I willing to take Extraordinary Measures? And, if so… what could that look like for me?” (Like I said, I can’t help but get you thinking DEEPER!)

Oh and here are the three resources I referenced on the call:

* SuccessMagazine.com
* The Productivity Epiphany book by Vincent Harris TheProductivityEpiphany.com
* The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do

If you missed calls 1 and 2 you’ll find them here along with a valuable bonus.

~ Gina xo

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10 Internet Marketing Trends for 2010

February 8, 2010 By admin 1 Comment

TEN42010logoEntering 2010, it is an opportune time to take a step back and identify the major Internet Marketing trends that will affect your business in the coming year.

Internet Marketing is continually evolving, and 2010 will be no different. Expect change, expect innovation and expect new opportunities for your business.

In order to capitalize on the shifts in the Internet Marketing landscape to maximize your business growth in 2010, here is a list of the main Internet Marketing Trends that you should understand and address in your overall marketing planning for the coming year.

10 Internet Marketing Trends for 2010

Trend #1: Digital Portfolios

Whether you like it or not, you are in the process of developing a unique digital portfolio for your business. This may include your website, your blog and your email newsletter. It may include your Twitter feed, your Facebook page and your Yelp profile page. And even if you do not actively set out to create a digital identity, your customers will take care of this for you with customer and product reviews, blog comments and online forum discussions. Face it, digital footprints are everywhere now. Expect 2010 to be the year that successful companies stop conducting random digital tactics, and instead start developing holistic digital strategies that showcase the company’s identity and tell the most effective story.

Trend #2: Customer Voice

Customer and product reviews are highly valued by consumers and have a major impact on purchasing decisions. Expect the customer voice to get louder and louder in 2010. Google Sidewiki is just one example of this, where Google enables the website visitor to leave comments on ANY website for others to view. Successful companies will strategize to monitor the digital landscape, listen to the customer voice and actively engage with customers. Further to this, they will actively solicit customer advice and guidance through crowdsourcing, online forums and other customer-feedback channels.

Trend #3: Google & Bing Innovation

Microsoft introduced their new search engine Bing in June 2009, and soon afterward entered into an agreement with Yahoo! to power the latter’s future organic and paid search results. Bing keeps gaining incremental marketshare, while Yahoo!’s continually deteriorates. The innovation battle between Bing and Google has officially started. Expect intense competition between these two Internet powerhouses in 2010, and don’t be surprised to see them introduce a dizzying array of experiments well beyond Search, including innovation in the usability, mobile and collaboration spaces.

Trend #4: Real-Time Web

The pace of Internet Marketing quickened rapidly this past year, and there’s no turning back. Twitter is all about real-time communication. Facebook and LinkedIn offer real-time updates. And this Internet Marketing trend became so strong, that even Google started incorporating real-time listings in its SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) earlier this month. The real-time web puts new demands on a small business, and successful companies will find a strategy and sustainable process that enables them to have an authentic, consistent real-time voice in the marketplace in 2010.

Trend #5: Mobile

The mobile market is exploding. According to the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), mobile marketing expenditures are expected to exceed $2 billion in 2010. Cell phone penetration in the US has surpassed cable TV, web access and home PCs. Nearly 50 million people in the US access the web on a mobile device. It’s being predicted that by 2014 nearly 20 billion mobile apps will be downloaded yearly. Thirty-eight percent of youth already claim that mobile is more important to them than their wallet! There’s been a lot of hype about mobile for years now, but the mobile web market is really here.

Trend #6: Location-Based Marketing

With the explosion of demand in the mobile market (see Trend #5: Mobile, above), location-based marketing is set to correspondingly ignite. We already see services like Loopt, Google Latitude and Yowza!! offering location-based marketing services. It’s only a matter of time before Yelp starts dynamically generating real-time restaurant offers as you search for a local eating option on your iPhone. Although 2010 is sure to be a year of experimentation in this area, expect to see activity around location-based marketing, both to passers-by as well as to social networking groups, in the coming year.

Trend #7: Social

Social marketing has also received a lot of hype. Facebook boasts over 300 million users, and roughly half of these log in every day. Twitter attracts more than 22 million unique visitors every month. YouTube has more than 100 million users in the US, and adds 20 hours of content every minute. Expect a maturing of the market in 2010, where social marketing becomes less a tactic or novelty and instead becomes more of an authentic process for businesses to listen, converse and engage with customers.

Trend #8: Video Blogs

According to comScore, more than 78% of the US Internet audience view online videos. As an example of successful video marketing to this audience, the Wine Library video blog attracts more than 100,000 visitors every month. Face it, people like video. And both online and mobile-based video usage is increasing. The technology to publish videos has been simplified greatly through The Flip, the iPhone 3GS and YouTube. Just as text-based blogs took off in popularity several years ago, expect a similar rise in video blogs and embedded videos in text-based blogs in 2010.

Trend #9: US Hispanic Market

Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment of the US population. And as they represent approximately 25% of new births, expect them to have an impact on your future business. Research points to Hispanics spending more time online than non-Hispanics and being more active online than non-Hispanics. Seventy-percent (70%) of Hispanic Internet users describe themselves as “frequently” or “always” online while watching TV. To reach the US Hispanic market, remember that 88% of US Hispanics learn Spanish as their first language. Expect savvy businesses in 2010 to accommodate this fast-growing market with localized websites and localized online marketing.

Trend #10: Marketing Integration

The most successful small businesses in 2010 are going to be those that integrate their marketing efforts. Consumers and business buyers simply want to buy something, or solve a problem, or achieve a goal. They do not differentiate between online and offline like marketers tend to do. So in 2010 it will be important for businesses to understand this critical point about their customers and start aligning with the actual purchase process, which is much more of a holistic, messy, zig-zag process rather than a sterile straight line with one message, one call-to-action and one “buy now” click.

Additional Internet Marketing Trends

The above list identifies 10 of the main Internet Marketing trends for 2010, but of course there will be others. What additional trends do you envision for 2010? What Internet Marketing initiatives and tactics will you be employing in 2010? What are your upcoming Internet Marketing priorities? Let the StartupNation community hear your thoughts by including your comments in the space provided to the right of this article.

And if you are interested in comparing these trends to last year’s predictions, read 20 Internet Marketing Trends for 2009.

Regardless of the Internet Marketing that you do, here’s wishing you a highly successful 2010!

Source: http://www.startupnation.com/articles/9532/1/internet-marketing-trends-2010.htm

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